7 



NIMROD'S 



NORTHERN TOUR. 



-" Haec olim meminisse juvabit." VIRGIL. 



" When time, who steals our hours away, 



Shall steal our pleasures too, 

 The memory of the past will stay, 



And half our joys renew." MOORE. 



THE promises of authors, like lovers' vows, are not always to be 

 depended upon ; but I feel confident that the cause of my not 

 having fulfilled mine by the earlier appearance of a recapitulation 

 of what I saw on my Northern Tour, will be duly appreciated by 

 your readers, to whom it has already been made known. Some 

 persons, however, have asked me, why I did not commence it 

 whilst in Scotland, to whom I had an answer at hand. In the 

 first place, I might as well think of sleeping in a whirlwind as 

 to write anything to please myself unless in retirement and 

 privacy ; and consequently, as unless I please myself, I should 

 despair of pleasing others, I did not attempt to do so. I am not 

 one of those who imagine that precipitancy in publishing is any 

 indication of genius. I should rather say of ignorance, and E 

 would sooner own that I had to combat with a mind tardy ia 

 producing its stores, than offer them to the world in a rude un- 

 finished state. In the present instance, indeed, it would be an 

 act of black ingratitude were I not to endeavour to make the 

 only return I can make for the reception I met with in Scotland 

 as acceptable as my ability will allow me. Neither do I stop 

 here. Simply to be remembered is no satisfaction ; it is a 



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