286 MEMOIR OF JOHN "WILSON. 



time, owing to the putting off of the expedition, but are now re- 

 signed to their fate. 



" Edinburgh is at present very dull, and very stupid, and we are 

 only kept alive by the visits of interesting strangers. 



" The adventures of the regatta have reached this, and my sisters 

 expect to hear from Miss Wilson, who, they presume, acted a dis- 

 tinguished part in the naval conflict, an animated account of all that 

 befell the admirals. Some German philosophers say that a man — 

 that I presume does not exclude a professor — may be in many places 

 at the same time. I was rather inclined to doubt the accuracy of 

 this notion, but now it seems to be confirmed in yourself, for, on 

 the same day, you were bui-ied at Edinburgh, and alive and merry 

 at Elleray.* 



"All here join in best wishes to your family and Mrs. Wilson, 

 and believe me to remain yours faithfully and sincerely, 



" Eob. Jameson. 



" My dear sir, I hope you will not forget your promise of a paper 

 for Tlie Edinburgh Philosophical Journal. The effects of the 

 scenery of a country on its population would form a very interest- 

 ing topic, and one w T hich affords an ample field for interesting ob- 

 servation." 



Soon after returning to Scotland, Lockhart writes, not in the best 

 of spirits. What the opening allusion is to, I do not know : — 



" Chiefswdod, Wednesday, 1825. 

 " My dear Wilson : — I have received your letter, and shall not 

 say more in regard to one part of its contents than that I am 

 heartily sensible to your kindness, and shall in all time coming re- 



* This refers to a practical joke of Mr. Loekhart's, but not known at the time to have origin- 

 ated with him ; a joke which might have ended in painful results had it come untimeously to 

 the ears of any one nearly connected with its object. It was no less than a formal announcement 

 of Professor Wilson's sudden death in the leading columns of The Weekly Journal, along with a 

 panegyric upon his character, written in the usual style adopted when noting the death of cele- 

 brated persons. I have not been able to find the paper, but I believe it was only inserted in a 

 very few copies. On a later occasion Mr. Lockhart amused himself in a similar manner, by ap- 

 pending to a paper on Lord Robertson's poems in The Quarterly lieview, the following distich: 



" Here lies the peerless paper lord, Lord Peter, 

 Who broke the laws of God, and man, and metre." 



These lines were, however, only in one copy, which was sent to the senator; but the joke lay in 

 Lord Robertson's imagining that it was in the whole edition. 



