CHAPTER VII.

First Expedition into Liddesdale-Study of German-Political Trials, &c.—Specimen of Lau Papers-Bürger's Lenore translated - Disappointment in Love.

1792-1796.

SCOTT was called to the bar only the day before the closing of the session, and he appears to have almost immediately escaped to the country. On the 2d of August I find his father writing," I have sent the copies of your thesis as desired;" and on the 15th he addressed to him at Rosebank a letter, in which there is this paragraph, an undoubted autograph of Mr Saunders Fairford, anno ætatis sixty-three:—

west proved agreeable. You do well to warn your mother against Ashestiel. Although I said little, yet I never thought that road could be agreeable; besides, it is taking too wide a circle. Lord JusticeClerk is in town attending the Bills.* He called here yesterday, and enquired very particularly for you. I told him where you was, and he expects to see you at Jedburgh upon the 21st. He is to be at Mellerstaint on the 20th, and will be there all night. His Lordship said, in a very pleasant manner, that something might cast up at Jedburgh to give you an opportunity of appearing, and that he would insist upon it, and that in future he meant to give you a share of the criminal business in this Court, all which is very kind. I told his Lordship that I had dissuaded you from appearing at Jedburgh, but he said I was wrong in doing so, and I therefore leave the matter to you and him. I think it is probable he will breakfast with Sir H. H. MacDougall on the 21st, on his way to Jedburgh.”

This last quiet hint, that the young lawyer might as well be at Makerstoun (the seat of a relation)

The Judges then attended in Edinburgh in rotation during the intervals of term, to take care of various sorts of business which could not brook delay, bills of injunction, &c.

The beautiful seat of the Baillies of Jerviswood, in Berwickshire, a few miles below Dryburgh.

when His Lordship breakfasted there, and of course swell the train of His Lordship's little procession into the county town, seems delightfully characteristic. I think I hear Sir Walter himself lecturing me, when in the same sort of situation, thirty years afterwards. He declined, as one of the following letters will show, the opportunity of making his first appearance on this occasion at Jedburgh. He was present, indeed, at the Court during the assizes, but "durst not venture." His accounts to William Clerk of his vacation amusements, and more particularly of his second excursion to Northumberland, will, I am sure, interest every reader:

"To William Clerk, Esq. Advocate, Prince's Street, Edinburgh.

66

Rosebank, 10th Sept. 1792.

“ Dear William,

"Taking the advantage of a very indifferent day, which is likely to float away a good deal of corn, and of my father's leaving this place, who will take charge of this scroll, I sit down to answer your favour. I find you have been, like myself, taking advantage of the good weather to look around you a little, and congratulate you upon the pleasure you must have received from your jaunt with Mr Rus

sell. I apprehend, though you are silent on the subject, that your conversation was enlivened by many curious disquisitions of the nature of undulating exhalations. should have bowed before the venerable grove of oaks at Hamilton with as much respect as if I had been a Druid about to gather the sacred mistletoe. I should hardly have suspected your host Sir William† of having been the occasion of the scandal brought upon the library and Mr Gibb by the introduction of the Cabinet des Fées, of which I have a volume or two here. I am happy to think there is an admirer of snug things in the administration of the library. Poor Linton's § misfortune, though I cannot say it surprises, yet heartily grieves me. I have no doubt he will have many advisers and animadverters upon the naughtiness of

*Mr Russell, surgeon, afterwards Professor of Clinical Surgery at Edinburgh.

+ Sir William Miller (Lord Glenlee.)

Mr Gibb was the Librarian of the Faculty of Advocates. § Clerk, Abercromby, Scott, Fergusson, and others, had occasional boating excursions from Leith to Inchcolm, Inchkeith, &c.; on one of these their boat was neared by a Newhaven oneFergusson, at the moment, was standing up talking; one of the Newhaven fishermen, taking him for a brother of his own craft, bawled out, 66 Linton, you lang bitch, is that you?" From that day Adam Fergusson's cognomen among his friends of The Club was LINTON.

his ways, whose admonitions will be forgot upon the next opportunity.

"I am lounging about the country here, to speak sincerely, as idle as the day is long. Two old companions of mine, brothers of Mr Walker of Wooden, having come to this country, we have renewed a great intimacy. As they live directly upon the opposite bank of the river, we have signals agreed upon by which we concert a plan of operations for the day. They are both officers, and very intelligent young fellows, and what is of some consequence, have a brace of fine greyhounds. Yesterday forenoon we killed seven hares, so you may see how plenty the game is with us. I have turned a keen duck shooter, though my success is not very great; and when wading through the mosses upon this errand, accoutred with the long gun, a jacket, musquito trowsers, and a rough cap, I might well pass for one of my redoubted moss-trooper progenitors, Walter Fire-the-Braes,* or rather Willie wi' the Bolt-Foot.

"For about-doors' amusement, I have constructed a seat in a large tree, which spreads its branches horizontally over the Tweed. This is a favourite

* Walter Scott of Synton (elder brother of Bolt-Foot, the first Baron of Harden) was thus designated. He greatly distinguished himself in the battle of Melrose, A. D. 1526.