34 NIMROD'S NORTHERN TOUR. 



myself; " but all the worse for my pocket. Order me a chaise at two;" 

 and at two I was on my road to Dunse. 



I believe I once made the remark, in allusion to mv contributions to 

 periodicals, that of those which had been most approved by the public, 

 the matter generally presented itself to me in the rough when either 

 in the saddle or on a coach-box. But I cannot say as much of that — to 

 me — most disagreeable vehicle, the " yellow post chaise," about every 

 part of which there is a jumbling and a jingling enough to disturb brains 

 steadier and staider than mine are. Nevertheless, there is no putting 

 the drag on the animus, — even Morpheus himself can scarcely do this ; 

 and during the hour and half that I spent in this state of purgatory, a 

 sort of conversation was going on between the outer and the inner man. 



*' Here I am," said the one to the other, ** Tripay r» Torafni — on 

 t'other side of the river — and, for the first time in my life, in the land 

 of — what ? Of cakes ! Yes, of cakes ; and what is heartier food than 

 good oaten cake, for horse, hound, hog, goose, or man ? In the land of 

 bonnets '^ Yes — Highland, and Lowland, but I don't fancy them ; fitter 

 for women than for men ; too much of the '^ redimicula mitrae" about 

 them. Of plaids? Yes — quite classical ; '* gentemque togatam !" In 

 the land of hospitality ? From all I have heard, equal to that of the 

 ancient Germans, who, Tacitus says, looked out of their doors before they 

 shut up their houses at night, to see if any stranger was coming. ** A 

 pleasing reflection this five hundred miles from home," whispered the 

 inner man. In the land of hunting ? Yes ; for one of their kings, 

 Alexander the Third we are told, hunted Forfarshire ; and who could 

 wind a horn with Robert Bruce ? I am little read in Gaelic antiqui- 

 ties, but this Alexander must have been a prince of hunters, for it 



