Notes on Gardens at Brighton. 343 



that in ryding by these sandis, both he and his horse quhuairon he raid were 

 sunkin in these quick sandis and drowned, nane being privy to this, bot his 

 lady and his man servand. This report passed in all pairtes as guid cunzie, 

 that he was deid and perisched, for the space of six yearis and moir ; and to 

 mak this the moir probable and lykelie, his lady and chyldrene went in dule 

 and murning the first two yeiris of his absens, so that during these six yeiris 

 it was certifyed to the haill cuntrey that he was deid and perisched ; all this 

 wes done of set purpos to eschew the danger of the cautionary quhairin he 

 lay for that Hous of Hamiltoun. Eftir his ingoing to England, he strypit 

 himselfF of his apperell, clothed himselfF in ane base servill sute, denyit his 

 name, and became servand to ane gairdner, and laborit in gardenes and yairdis 

 during the haill space of his absence ; na person being privy to this cours bot 

 his Lady, (as for his servand he went to other service, not knowing that his 

 old Lord haid becum a gairdner,) till efter six yeiris absens ; efter quhilk tyme 

 and space the Dutches of Hamiltoun haiffing takin ordour with the dettis, 

 and compereit and aggreyit with the creditouris, than he returned to Scotland 

 in Januar last 1659, efter sex yeiris service in England with a gairdner, to the 

 admiratioun of many, for during that haill space it was evir thocht he wes 

 deid, no persone being accessorie to his secrecy bot his awin Lady to hir great 

 commendatioune. By this meanis his landis and estait wer saiff, and his cau- 

 tionarie for the Hous of Hamiltoun wes transactit for, as is afoirsaid, and his 

 estait both personall and reall fred and outquytt.' 



" I believe that it was owing to my friend Mr. Kirkpatrick Sharp having on 

 one occasion directed Sir Walter Scott's attention to this most singular story, 

 that the first idea occurred to the great author of the Bride of Lammermoor, 

 that he should terminate the existence of the Master of Ravenswood by a 

 death similar to that which was thus feigned by Lord Belhaven, and which 

 Sir Walter has made so sublimely affecting as the final fate of his hero. But 

 the object which I have most particularly in view, in my present introduction 

 of this piece of history is, that I may be enabled to mention, that it was the 

 knowledge which Lord Belhaven thus acquired, during his six years' hard 

 horticultural labour in England, that enabled him to lay out and construct 

 this beautiful old terrace garden of Barncleugh." 



However creditable this history may be to the Lord Belhaven 

 of the 1/th century as a gardener, it does not say much for him 

 as a man. It is singular that a Scotch gentleman very fond of 

 gardening, and who possessed one of the finest old places in the 

 neighbourhood of Edinburgh, should have, a few years ago, en- 

 deavoured to defraud his creditors in a somewhat similar manner 

 to Lord Belhaven, by inducing it to be believed that he was 

 drowned in England, and in which he in part succeeded. He 

 had not, however, like Lord Belhaven, taken the precaution of 

 making his lady privy to his intentions, and, in consequence, 

 after a certain time had elapsed, she was about to marry, which 

 soon brought the supposed dead man to life. 



( To he continued.) 



Art. II. Notes on Gardens at Brighton, and in its Neighbourhood. 

 By the Conductor. 



The views from the Brighton Railroad exhibit an undulating 

 country, with a general sameness of character, and uninterrupted 



z 4 



