NIMROD'S NORTHERN TOUR. 89 



consider him a very fast horse, but he is a capital fencer and very stout." 

 I can only add to this good character of my nag, that I would not desire 

 to ride a pleasanter or a safer hunter ; and when carrying a man on the 

 wrong side of fifty, the latter quahfication is no small recommendation to 

 him. 



Luckily for mankind there is an evening as well as a morning to a 

 November day, and that although the sun has run his course by five 

 o'clock P. M., man has not run his until another is near at hand. A very 

 agreeable party at the Cottage, the pleasure of which was much height- 

 ened by some excellent Irish anecdotes given by Mr. Maxwell in a 

 manner peculiar to himself, and with excellent effect, concluded this — to 

 me — very remarkable day. 



The followingday — Wednesday, 19 — Lord Elcho's fixture was Paxton- 

 house, the seat of Torman Hume Esq., who entertained a large party of 

 sportsmen at dinner on the preceding day, and from whom I had received 

 a polite invitation to breakfast on the Wednesday. Paxton is one of the 

 finest houses in Berwickshire, containing a splendid collection of paint- 

 ings ; it is beautifully situated on the banks of the Tweed, and in the 

 neighbourhood of a handsome suspension bridge, which, together with a 

 beautiful reach in the river, is visible from the windows of the mansion. 

 The road from Berwick to Kelso passes over this bridge, which was 

 designed and executed by Captain Brown, R. N., and is said to be the 

 finest bridge of this description as yet erected in the North, being wide 

 enough for two carriages to travel abreast and with plenty of room for 

 foot passengers. 



There was something bordering upon phenomenon in the state of the 



