LTTERARY AND DOMESTIC LIFE. 



431 



not altogether exclude Ins peculiar humorous style of illustration, 

 proposed the health of his friend, Professor Wilson. The Professor 

 replied with feeling, but, at the same time, gave Robertson a re- 

 joinder in Patrick's own style. 'I have known him,' said the Pro- 

 fessor, ' since his early manhood ; I remember his beautiful hair — 

 intensely red! Knew him ! I produced him ; I educed him; and 

 I occasionally snuffed him' (here the Professor stretched out his 

 arm in the direction of Robertson's head, making the motion with 

 his hand as if it held snuffers). 'It is said, I believe, my friend is a 

 wit ; this I deny ; he never was, is not, and never can be a wit ; I 

 admit his humor, humor peculiarly his own — unctuous and unmis- 

 takable.' In the course of the evening, the Professor sang his 

 favorite song of the ' Sailor's Life at Sea,' and with what power, 

 with what sailor-like abandon, and in the concluding stanzas, when 

 he describes the ' Sailor's death at Sea,' with what simple pathos ! 

 it is indescribable, but the effect was visible on every one who heard 

 him. Later on, he volunteered ' Auld Lang Syne,' and often as I 

 have heard the song, and by many good singers, I never heard be- 

 fore, nor ever will again, such a rendering of it. Burns himself 

 would have been glad and proud to have joined in the chorus ! I 

 met Wilson one or two days after in Hanover Street. He accosted 

 me. I remarked that never till that night at Robertson's had I ever 

 really met ' The Professor.'' He said it was a pleasant evening, and 

 that 'Peter' was very good. 'But, sir,' said he, ' a very curious 

 circumstance happened to myself; I awoke next morning singing, ay, 

 and a very accurate version too of the words and music of that quaint 

 ballad of yours, " The Goulden Vanitee ;" curious thing, sir, wasn't 

 it ?' and with a sly look of humor, he turned and walked away."* 



* This quaint ballad, the author of which is unknown, is worth giving in a note, but without 

 the magic of the singer's voice it reads but tamely. 



THE GOULDEN VANITEE. 

 There was a gallant ship, 

 And a gallant ship was she, 



Eek iddle dee, and the Lowlands low ; 

 And she was called " The Goulden Vanitee," 



As she sailed to the Lowlands low. 



