THE LADIES’ MAGAZINE OP GARDENING. 
289 
Scotland, that we had seen a celebrated place that fully answered the 
expectations we had formed of it. 
August 3rd .—Melrose to Dryburgh and Dalkeith .—We were now 
completely on classic ground, and we traversed the beautiful road between 
Melrose and Dryburgh in high spirits, skirting the Eiidon Hills so cele¬ 
brated in the Border poetry, and looking with delight on the varying 
scenes presented by the lovely and romantic country we were passing 
through. The first shock to our romance was given by the ruins of a 
suspension bridge; which having been broken by a high wind, hung 
dangling over the stream, in a most disconsolate manner. I was very 
much struck with the ludicrous effect produced by this broken bridge ; 
and for the moment I was puzzled to discover why the feelings it excited, 
were so very different from those produced by the ruins of an old abbey 
or castle. The reason, however, I believe, is the different nature of the 
materials of which the edifices were formed; aided of course, in many 
cases, most decidedly by the historical association connected with the 
building we are looking at. The massiveness of the materials goes, 
however, very far; as a ruined cottage in Scotland is often a very pictur¬ 
esque object, from the large size of the stones of which it is composed ; 
while a ruined brick cottage only presents a miserable appearance of 
poverty and neglect. Thus the broken bridge, with its chains hanging 
loose, and its unfastened planks projecting, of different lengths, could 
inspire no feelings of sublimity, from the frippery nature of the materials 
of which it was composed. 
The banks of the river at Dryburgh were covered with fine sand ; and 
on them grew some beautiful wild plants, among which I noticed 
Potentilla verna, and an Ambrosia , with flowers of a most brilliant blue. 
The colours of all these flowers were remarkably intense; no doubt from 
the roots of the plants having reached the water, while their foliage and 
flowers were exposed to the full influence of the sun and air. Having 
been told that the ford was dangerous, we hailed a boat, which was 
rowed across by a woman. We asked her if the ford was passable by a 
carriage. 44 Oh yes,” said she ; 44 she (that is, the ford) is not very deep. 
You will get across easy enoughand so saying, she was going back 
again quite contentedly. As we had given her the trouble to come, 
however, we let the carriage and horses cross without us, and passed 
the stream in her boat, paying her sixpence, instead of threepence, which 
she asked for our passage. 
Dryburgh Abbey is the very reverse of Melrose. The ruins are fine 
in themselves; but they are choked up by a small garden, with a paltry 
little greenhouse, such as would suit a third-rate suburban villa near 
