44< Report of Meetings for 1879, by James Hardy. 



witli ivy. Little clumps of beech, faced with, silver firs, break up 

 the straight line of the extremely lengthened undulating grassy 

 lawn in front, which is 1 J mile long. Walks penetrate everywhere 

 among the grassy sward and cool shade, underneath the lofty 

 trees. On one approach there is a fine cathedral-like overarch- 

 ing of giant branches of beech, and a dense gloom between the 

 noble pillars, which increases to an intense darkness in a moon- 

 less night ; and then at a turn which terminates the vista, some 

 pale barked trees present a very spectral look. 



The members of the party were kindly received by the pro- 

 prietor, and invited to inspect what was interesting in the house ; 

 Sir Hugh Campbell himself acting as cicerone, and shewing him- 

 self to be a man of most refined taste and highly cultivated mind. 

 The chief attraction was the family portraits, which were very 

 numerous (some 50 or 60), ranging from Sir Patrick Hume, the 

 first Earl of Marchmont, and Grizel Kar, the first Countess, down 

 to the present representative of the family. There were also 

 many portraits of illustrious personages, and several paintings of 

 interest, including many good copies, but these it is impossible 

 to detail. There were also a number of busts, as well as 

 statuary, porcelain, &c. In the dining-room there were two 

 ancient " black jacks" — immense jugs made of one piece of 

 leather, handle -and all, and capable of containing from five to 

 six gallons of ale. There was also a smaller one of similar 

 material, called a "gill," which was silver mounted, and 

 accounted rarer than the " jacks."*' There are two libraries, one 

 for modern and the other for older books. Among the latter are 

 many old law books, and theological treatises, parliamentary 

 records, and historical works. There were several editions of 

 the Bible shown, one a Breeches Bible in small quarto ; a 



* The "Black Jacke " is mentioned in Brand's Pop. Antiq. ii., p. 206. It 

 occurs in the song of " Now Ancient English Melody," &c., as "the coal 

 hlack Jack ;" and there is a song elevating it above the bottle in Durfey's 

 Pills to Purge Melancholy, whose title is "The Bonny Black-Jack." It is 

 one of the stage properties of Brome's "Jovial Crew," London, 1652. Other 

 notices of it may be seen in Halliwell's Dictionary of Provincial "Words, i., 

 p. 181; and Wright's Dictionary of Provincial English, i., p. 217. The 

 Pomlum Fotatorimn in the family of Scott of Thirlestane (now part of the 

 Cherrytrees estate) near Yetholm, was in the form of a jaek-hoot. Each 

 guest was obliged to empty this at his departure. — Sir Walter Scott'' s Notes 

 to Waverley. 



