THE EUROPEAN JOURNALS 



223 



scqiiently no smoke interfered with the objects I wished 

 to see. We passed a place called the " Mound," a thrown- 

 up mass of earth connecting now the New with the Old 

 city of Edinburgh. We soon reached the gates of the 

 Castle, and I perceived plainly that I was looked upon as 

 an officer from the contineiic. Strange ! three days ago I 

 was taken for a priest, quick transition caused only by the 

 clipping of my locks. We crossed the drawbridge and 

 looked attentively at the deep and immense dried ditches 

 below, passed through the powerful double gates, all 

 necessary securities to such a place. We ascended con- 

 tinually until we reached the parapets where the King 

 stood during his visit, bowing, I am told, to the gaping 

 multitude below, his hat off, and proud enough, no doubt, 

 of his high station. My hat was also off, but under differ- 

 ent impulses ; I was afraid that the wind would rob me of 

 it suddenly. I did not bow to the people, buc I looked 

 with reverence and admiration on the beauties of nature 

 and of art that surrounded me, with a pleasure seldom felt 

 before. The ocean was rugged with agitated waves as far 

 as the eye could reach eastwardly; not a vessel dared 

 spread its sails, so furious was the gale. The high moun- 

 tains of wild Scotland now and then faintly came to our 

 view as the swift-moving clouds passed, and suffered the 

 sun to cast a momentary glance at them. The coast of 

 the Frith of Forth exhibited handsome villas, and noble- 

 men's seats, bringing at once before me the civilization of 

 man, and showing how weak and insignificant we all are. 

 My eyes followed the line of the horizon and stopped at a 

 couple of small elevations, that I knew to be the home of 

 the Countess of Morton ; then I turned to the immense 

 city below, where men looked like tiny dwarfs, and horses 

 smaller than sheep. To the east lay the Old Town, and 

 now and then came to my ears the music of a band as the 

 squall for a moment abated. I could have remained here 

 a whole day, but my companion called, and I followed 



