240 NIMROUS NORTHERN TOUR. 



"Oh," replied the Professor, "that's an old Scotch trick. If 

 there are two Johnny Campbells, for example, in the same street, 

 in this town, and a basket of game should be taken to the wrong 

 Johnny Campbell, the right Johnny Campbell would stand a poor 

 chance of seeing a feather of it especially if the carriage of it 

 were paid" 



Even Dr. Johnson allowed hospitality to the Scotch, and surely 

 I found enough of it, for I verily believe I might have remained 

 there amongst my friends till this time, and all Scot free. Having 

 received a sort of carte blanche invitation to Preston Hall, the 

 seat of Mr. Burn Callander, I hired my landlord's 'gig, and drove 

 there on Sunday, and returned to Edinburgh on the following 

 Tuesday. I was anxious to see the inside of this fine house I 

 had seen the outside of it before, during my visit to Captain 

 Keith, and I found it all that it had been represented to me to 

 be one of the most complete mansions in Scotland. But the 

 gardens surpassed, in size and in forcing houses, those which I 

 had before seen attached to the domain of a private gentleman 

 in any country I have visited. I also witnessed something here, 

 as well as at Chester Hall, which it is many years since I had 

 witnessed before, and that was, the good old fashion of family 

 worship on the Sunday evening, at which the whole household 

 assembled together. To say the least of it it is an interesting 

 sight, and the example must speak loudly to all around. 



On my way to Chester Hall, I called on Williamson for the 

 purpose of seeing the Dalkeith kennel and stables, and I was 

 nearly certain of finding both himself and his hounds at home, 

 as it was freezing intensely hard, with a slight fall of snow. I 

 was disappointed in both I mean kennel and stables, after the 

 description given to me of them, considering them greatly 

 inferior to those at St. BoswelPs. Nevertheless, as they are 

 healthy, and away from noise, they are equal to the purposes 

 required of them. And here was a proof of one of the weak- 

 nesses of human nature. Because they belong to a duke I ex- 

 pected to see something ducal in the appearance of them, 

 whereas, it is the utile only which is absolutely required in ken- 

 nels and stables, and Williamson, who, no doubt, had the plan- 

 ning of them, is wide awake on that point. All that is wanting 

 of the dulce^ belongs to the besom, the mop, and the pump. 



Monday presented the unpleasant sight of what children call 

 a " white world," and on Tuesday I returned to Edinburgh. 

 " Will you look at a chestnut horse for me, at Inglis's," said Mr. 

 Burn Callander to me, as I left his house, " and tell me whether 

 you think he can carry me ?" The mention of this fact can only 

 be reconciled, by its leading to a happy illustration of one of our 



