29-i MEMOIR OF JOHN WILSON. 



porters of the Review. Give my love to Cay, and do now write, 

 write, write to yours affectly., J. G. Lockhart." 



During the following year my father contributed no less than 

 twenty-seven articles, or portions of articles, to the Magazine, in- 

 cluding the folio whig, afterwards republished, in the collected works 

 by Professor Ferrier: — "Cottages," "Streams," "Meg Dods," 

 " Gymnastics." The only month in which nothing of his appeared 

 was May ; the month of April, which closed the session, being his 

 busiest at the College, except November. During the autumn of 

 this year, business of some importance obliged him to go into 

 "Westmoreland. He was accompanied by his daughter Margaret 

 and his son Blair, and during his absence wrote regularly to his 

 wife, giving pleasant local gossip and descriptions of the improve- 

 ments at Elleray. The dinner at Kendal, of which he speaks, was 

 one of political interest connected with the Lowther family, at 

 which he, as a matter of course, was desirous to be present. Mrs. 

 Wilson's brother-in-law, Mr. James Penny Machell of Penny Bridge, 

 was High Sheriff that year at the Lancaster Assizes, which accounts 

 for the allusions to the trials, besides that some of them excited un- 

 usual interest. 



"Kendal, 22d August, 1826, 

 Tuesday Morning, Half-past Three. 



" Mv dearest Jane : — I wrote you a few lines from Carlisle, 

 stating our successful progress thus far, and we arrived here same 

 night at half-past eleven. Not a bed in the house, nor any supper 

 to be got, the cook having gone to bed. I however got Maggie 

 and Blair a very nice bed in a private house, and saw them into it. 

 I slept, or tried to do so, on a sofa, but quite in vain. In a quarter 

 of an hour we set oif for Elleray in a chaise, which we shall reach 

 to breakfast about half-past ten. We are all a good deal disgusted 

 with our recejition last night in this bad and stupid inn. 



" It is a very fine day, and Elleray will be beautiful ; I should 

 think of you every hour I am there, but to-morrow you know I am 

 to be in Kendal again, and shall write to you before the dinner. I 

 have seen nobody in the town whatever, and, of course, heard 

 nothing about the intended meeting. The Mackeands were hanged 

 yesterday (Monday), and I have just been assured that the brother 

 Wakefield, who was to have been tried on Saturday, has forfeited 



