NIMROD'S NORTHERN TOUR. 109 



hunters at Dickinson's stables — hunts every day with the duke. Dinner 

 ordered exactly at seven; hopes to have the pleasure of your company." 

 Now this was very pleasing intelligence to myself, and nothing out of 

 Peter's way, as, but for it, I was booked for the Cock and Gridiron in the 

 village of St. Boswell's — close to the kennel, — the very next mornin^• 

 intending only to have one day's experience of Peter and his inn, both of 

 which are excellent in their way*. To the hospitality of Mr. Callander 

 then, whose acquaintance I had the pleasure of making some years back 

 when at Brighton, was I indebted for most agreeable evenings during my 

 residence at Kelso, as he would not hear of my dining by myself, so long 

 as he was sojourning in the house ; and, as insisted upon by Peter, dinner 

 was each day served in the hunt room. It is a handsome room, comfort- 

 ably furnished, having its walls adorned with some good pictures, and 

 displaying other ornaments tastefully blended with the various insignia 

 of the chase. 



Even supposing the character of my Tour to have been strictly sporting 

 I could not omit a short description of the town of Kelso and its immediate 

 neighbourhood, each of which is full of interest to those who occa- 

 sionally look back upon past times. The town itself indeed, is one of the 

 prettiest in Scotland — at all events of those towns I saw ; and the ruins 

 of the abbey — the transept and towers of which are still complete, at 

 the end of nearly a thousand years f — exhibit as beautiful a specimen of 

 Saxon architecture as is to be seen any where. Old Camden's notice of 

 this abbey, by the bye, is not much amiss. '' Not far off Hume castle," 

 says he, "lieth Kelso, formerly famous for a monastery, — founded by King 



* " Go to the Cock and Gridiron fit St. Boswell's," said Lord Kintore in one of 

 liis letters. " It will suit your pocket better than Kelso, Barclay and myself once 

 lived tliere for a fortnight." 

 t Founded 1128, 



