222 



AUDUBON 



of three hundred years past. Large volumes are written 

 on parchment, by hand, and must have been works of 

 immense labor. The volumes containing the mere trans- 

 fers of landed estates filed within the last forty years 

 amounted to almost three thousand, and the parcels of 

 ancient papers filled many rooms in bundles and in bags '^f 

 leather, covered with dust, and mouldering with age. The 

 learned antiquarian, Mr. Thompson, has been at great 

 pains to put in order all these valuable and curious docu- 

 ments. The edifice of the Registry is immense, and the 

 long, narrow passages proved a labyrinth to me. Mr. 

 Hays' allotted portion of curiosities consists of Heraldry, 

 and I saw the greatest display of coats of arms of all sorts, 

 emblazoned in richest style on sleek vellum and parch- 

 ment. 



March 21. Called on Miss D , the fair American. 



To my surprise I saw the prints she had received the 

 evening before quite abused and tumbled. This, how- 

 ever, was not Tiy concern, and I regretted it only on her 

 account, that so little care should be taken of a book that 

 in fifty years will be sold at immense prices because of its 

 rarity.^ The wind blew great guns all morniner. Finding 

 it would be some days before my business would permit 

 me to leave, I formed an agreement to go to see the 

 interior of the Castle, the regalia, and other curiosities of 

 the place to-morrow. I received a valuable letter of 

 introduction to the Secretary of the Home Department, 

 Mr. Peel, from the Lord Advocate of Scotland, given me 

 at the particular request of the Countess of Morton, a most 

 charming lady ; the Earl of Morton would have written 

 himself but for the low state of his health. 



March 22. After lunch the Rev. Wm. Newbold and I 

 proceeded to the Castle ; the wind blew furiously, and con- 



1 A distinguished ornithologist said of the book in 1895 '• " I' '^ °"^ °^ '*'* 

 few illustrated books, if not the only one, that steadily increases in price as 

 the years go on. ' 



