MIKED IN A BOG. 69 



thor I have quoted says, also, f It is curious to reflect that 

 considerable tracts have by these accidents been perma- 

 nently sterilised, and that during a period when civilisation 

 has been making a great progress, large areas of Europe 

 have been rendered less capable of administering to the 

 wants of man.'" 



" I cannot quite assent to this latter remark of your 

 eminent geologist, since I opine that venison and moor- 

 fowl, which the moss now nourishes, are incomparably 

 better than oat cake and mutton, and that one of your 

 fine, straight-1 imbed, sinewy Highlanders here are worth 

 a thousand of such lazy fellows as Tityrus, and all that 

 class of piping milksops : ay, and Sir Walter Scott 

 would have made them more poetical too, or, at least, more 

 interesting. Hallo ! by Jove I'm in for it." 



" What rashness ! you should never put your foot in 

 such a place as that, particularly when you are detracting 

 from the Mantuan bard. Never mind, we will get you 

 out presently. Here, Sandy, take you the right arm, 

 whilst I lay hold of the other ; now then once twice 

 thrice and out you come, rather blacker to be sure, 

 but quite as well as ever. Sandy, give Peter the dogs, 

 and just scrape off the black dirt from Mr. Lightfoot with 

 your deer knife, unless he wishes to enact the Moor of 

 Venice." 



(Peter Fraser, tone king his bonnet.) " There's no such 

 moor here awa', yer honour." 



" These things will happen, but custom will make you 

 better acquainted with such traps: let the ground look 

 ever so bad, however, you may tread in perfect safety 

 whenever you see stones lying about it." 



F 3 



