THE EUROPEAN JOUI VALS 



219 



breakfasted with the famous Mrs. Grant,^ an old lady very 

 deaf, but very agreeable withal. Her son and daughter 

 and another lady formed our party. We talked of nothing 

 but America; Mrs. Grant is positively the only person I 

 have met here who knows anything true about my country. 

 I promised to call again soon. This evening I dined at 

 Sir James Riddell's, and I do not know when I have 

 spent a more uncomfortable evening; the company were 

 all too high for me, though Sir James and his lady did all 

 they could for me. The ton here surpassed that at the 

 Earl of Morton's ; five gentlemen waited on us while at 

 table, and two of these put my cloak about my shoul- 

 ders, notwithstanding all I could say to the contrary. 

 Several of these men were quite as well dressed as 

 their master. What will that sweet lady, Mrs. Basil 

 Hall think of a squatter's hut in Mississippi in contrast 

 with this? No matter! whatever may be lacking, there 

 is usually a hearty welcome. Oh ! my America, how 

 dearly I love thy plain, simple manners. 



March 1^. I have been drawing all day, two Cat-birds 

 and some blackberries for the Countess of Morton, and 

 would have finished it had I not been disturbed by visitors. 

 Mr. Hays came with his son ; he asked me if it would not 

 be good policy for me to cut my hair and have a fashion- 

 able coat made before I reached London. I laughed, and 

 he laughed, and my hair is yet as God made it. 



March 17. I had long wished to visit Roslyn Castle 

 and the weather being beautiful I applied to Mrs. Dickie 

 for a guide, and she sent her son with me. We passed 

 over the North Bridge and followed the turnpike road, 

 passing along the foot of the Pentland Hills, looking back 

 frequently to view Edinburgh under its cloud of smoke, 

 until we had passed a small eminence that completely hid 

 it afterwards from our sight. Not an object of interest lay 



^Mrs. Anne Grant, poetess and miscellaneous writer. Bom 1755, died 

 1838. 



