ALEXANDER WILSON, xix 
Mliat warmtli of enthusiasm he infoianed me that, in one of 
his journeys, he went considerably out of his way to visit 
t e village of Athelstiuieford, at one time the residence of 
'"t, author of The. Grave, and afterwards of Home, 
author of Dou^lm.” This proves Ids veneration for the 
sons of song and their consecrated haunts. And hi.s admi- 
tatiou of natural scenery cannot be better shewn than by 
quoting the strongly contemptuous expressions be applied 
to those tvho are not susceptible of the pleasures arising 
fiom contemplating the beauties of nature : — “ Pleasures,” 
says he, “ which the grovelling sons of interest, and the 
grubs of this world, know as little of, and are as incapable 
of enjoying, as those miserable spirits, who are doomed to 
]ierpetiial darkne.ss, can the glorious regions and eternal 
delights of paradise ! ’’ 
During these years of comparative idleness, his poetical 
talent, as might have been exi)ectcd, was not permitted to 
remain uncultivated. Many of his published poems, by 
their dates and incidents, furnish evidence that they were 
the composition of that period: and at length, in 1789, 
he began to prepare materials for a volume of poems. 
After submitting his manuscript to the private criticism 
of some friends, (to whose suggestions, however, like 
most young poets, he was far from being inclined to yield 
implicit deference — whose approbation, in short, not 
fteir opinion, it was that he wanted,) he contracted with 
Mr John Neilson, printer in Paisley, for the expenses 
uf the ])ress ; and set out afresh with his pack and a 
prospectus, in order to procure subscribers. On the 17th 
September, 1 789, he proceeded from Edinburgh, along the 
east coast of Scotland, to sell his muslins and solicit sub- 
scriptions, making the one the means and the otiicr the end. 
His hopes and purposes cannot be better shewn than by 
transcribing a portion from a journal which he kept during 
excursion ; and wliic'li eommences us follows, in a 
strain between jest and earnest ; — 
