NORTHERN TOUR. 217 



Scotch squire" to whom it belongs, and with the intention of 

 proceeding to Keith Hall on the following Tuesday, to be ready 

 for Wednesday's hunting. To catch this hospitable gentleman 

 by himself that is to say, without some friends in his house, 

 would be a task about as difficult as to catch a weazel asleep ; 

 but we agreed upon taking a pull, and having a quiet evening 

 an agreeable one is a certainty at Dunlugas. On the following 

 morning the carnage was at the door, about eleven o'clock, to 

 take us to Duff House, the noble seat of the Earl of Fife, who 

 had heard of my being in the country, and had done me the 

 honour to make kind mention of me in a letter to Lord Kintore. 

 To say his lordship received us, Mr. Abercromby Duff, Mr. 

 Leslie, and Captain Leslie were of the party with his usual 

 highly refined politeness and address would be saying little ; for, 

 towards myself, his attentions were all but distressing. He led 

 me through every room, showed me every picture and every 

 statue in this magnificent mansion no slight task I assure you, 

 for the suites of rooms appeared to me to be interminable ; and 

 afterwards accompanied us through the grounds, showing us his 

 various improvements. But the finest feature in these extensive 

 grounds had been visited by us previously to our arrival at the 

 house. This was the celebrated bridge of Alva, which crosses 

 the river Deveron, in a beautifully wooded part of the park, and 

 is, I believe, generally visited by the tourist. Who the architect 

 was I was not able to be informed ; but the elegant simplicity 

 of the structure, and the fine proportions of the arch, are worthy 

 of an Inigo Jones. But speaking of the architecture, I cannot 

 omit a notice of the front of Duff House, which, independent of 

 its sculptural decorations, unites the majesty of the Doric with 

 the gracefulness of the Ionic order ; and I could have almost 

 made myself believe I was looking at the theatre of Marcellus. 

 As for the number of pictures and portraits inside, I should think 

 the UoiKiXr) of the ancient Greeks could hardly have contained 

 more. 



All who know Lord Fife, know that he is one of the best- 

 natured, least-assuming, persons of his rank that perhaps the 

 peerage can produce, at the same time that he is a most finished 

 gentleman. In the course of our chat we talked over old times, 

 and some that he appeared to look back upon with increased 

 pleasure. They were those of his sporting days, although, as 

 his lordship said, they were but few, having only been one year 

 at Melton. But we had each hunted with Lord Vernon, and 

 had heard Sam Lawley's holloa, which we were not likely to 

 forget ; and we had each witnessed the splendour of Fisherwick 



