UC-NRLF B M DID STE BRITISH ISLES Rev. R. Harcour THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESENTED BY PROF. CHARLES A . KOFOID AND MRS. PRUDENCE W. KOFOID r^T^cf' "The drying up a single tear has more Of honest fame, ^°^5^ before the victory. His work was accom- Y^ IJlished, and God called him home ! At the base i^vjijSi of the shaft are several large cannons, which were used in the siege of 1649, when Sir Charles ^' Coote's army, which had espoused the side of the Rump Purliameut, was besieged for five months, and in 1G89, 28 Bamhles ilwoiujli the British Isles. "wlieii the Protestants of the north, declared themselves in favor of William, Prince of Orange. "Roaring Meg "is the largest cannon on the wall, and measures four feet six inches in girt at the thickest, and eleven feet in length. It bears the following inscription, on its back, " Fishermongers, London, 1G42." berry's cathedral has one of the most imposing sites of the city. Standing, as it docs, upon the highest pinnacle, and having a lofty spire, it gives great eftect to the whole place. Here, in this venerable temple, seventeen Episcopalian,* and eight Presbyterian clergymen, who voluntarily encountered the danger of the siege, assembled daily, in their turn, to encourage and comfort the multitude under their care ; and to implore the protection of Almighty God. The style of the building is that which is usually known among antiquarians as the "Perpendicular, or Tudor style." The length of the church, independent of the tower, is one hundred and fourteen feet ; the breadth sixty-six feet, and the height forty-six feet. The spire measures, from the ground, one hundred and seventy-nine feet, or two hundred and ninety- seven feet, above the river. Inside the cathedral, by the east window, is to be seen the following inscription : ^ "This city was besieged by the Irish army, the 18th of April, 1689, and continued so till the first of August following, being then relieved with provisions by Major General Kirk. On the the 7th of May, about one in the morning, the besiegers forced out ye guards of ye garrison, and intrenched themselves on the Windmill Hill, commanded by Brigadier-General Ramsey. At four, the same morning, ye besieged attacked ye Irish in tlicir trenches, and after a sharp engagement the enemy gave A Stroll Hound (he C'iti/ of Londonderry. 29 grouml and fled. Ramsey, their general, was killed, with others of note; the Lord Netterville, Sir Garret Ayhner, Lieutenant-Colonel Talbot, son to ye Lord Mouutgarret, and several others, taken prisoners, with live colors, two of which fell into ye hands of Colonel John Michelburn, who placed them as they now stand, with the consent and approbation ot His Lordship, William King, then Lord Bishop of this city, now his Grace Lord Archbishop of Ireland, the said Colonel Michel- burn being at that time governor : to perpetuate ye memory of which siege, when ye colors shall fail, his Lordship, John Hart- strong, now Lord Bishop of Derry, at ye request of ye said Colonel ]Michelburn, is jjleased to give leave that this inscription be placed under the said colors, in remembrance of the eminent and extraordinary service they performed." The flags, mentioned in this inscription, were captured by a detachment of the garrison, from a strong body of the besieg- ing army, in a desperate sortie on the 7th of May, 1689. The poles and tassels are alone genuine ; the flags having, by the rougli hand of old time, become mere slireds, were renewed by the careful hands of the ladies of Londonderry, ti the tower there is a tablet, bearing the following inscription, which refers to the building of the city and cathedral by the citizens of London. : Ano. Do. 1623. Cai{. Regis 9. If stones could speake Then London's pi-ayse Should sound who Built this church and Cittie from the ground. On the right, as you enter the tower, may be seen a large bomb-shell, that once contained the infamous " Declaration," to 30 Ramhles iJirou(/h the British Isles. (lie o-:irrison aiul citizens to surrcutler, and wliicli drew out the evcr-mcmorablc response, " No surrender ! " " When bcr larave sons undaunted stood, Embattled to defend her, Indii;iiant stemmed oppression's flood. And sung out, 'No surrender.' " Old Derry's walls were firm and strong, Well fenced in every quarter, Each frowning bastion grim, along, With culverin and mortar ; But Berry had a surer guard. Than all that art could lend her, Her 'prentice hearts, the gates who barred, And sung out, ' No surrender.' " On came the foe in bigot ire. And fierce the assault was given ; By shot and shell, 'mid streams of fire, Her fated roof was riven. But bafiled was the tyrant's wrath, And vain his hopes to bend her, For still 'mid famine, fire, and death. She sung out, 'No surrender.' " Long may the crimson banner wave, A meteor streaming airj', Tortentous of the ft-ee and brave, Who guard the gates of Deny. And Derry's sons alilie defy. Pope, traitor, or Pretender, And peal to heaven tlieir 'prentice cry, Their patriot ' No surrender.' " lu June, 1772, the first newspaper was published in Derry, and called the " Londonderry Journal and Donegal and Tyrone A Stroll Hound the City of Londonderry. 81 Advertiser," hy George Douglas, a Scotcbman, -who edited it until 1T96. A copy of it is still to be seen in the city Library. The following are a fiew extracts, which show, somewhat, the' spirit and customs of the days of yore, and which, we trust, will not be without interest, to those w^ho may read these pages : " 1772, July 25. Last Monday afternoon, a butcher in this city was put in the stocks, for the space of one hour, and fined the sum of lis. 4d., being convicted of selling ram instead of ewe mutton contrary to law." Under the same date, is the- following : "Last Friday arrived in the river, from Philadelphia, the ship Jupiter, Capt. Ewing. All well. It is remarkable that they went there in twenty-seven days, and returned in the like number, the quickest passage ever made from this port to America." Following it is one referring to the commencement of Sunday- school labor : "1785, October 8. The idea of Sunday-schools is at length seriously adopted in this city. The Phoenix club entered into a very handsome subscription for that purpose. Benefactions will be received by the Rev. David Young." Here is another, and because of the name of Washington, and its spirit for Liberty's cause the world over, I think it worthy of a place : "1793, August 21. The first of August ftdling on Sunday, the anniversary of the relief of Derry was observed here on the Monday following, the 13th inst., with the accustomed expres- sions of festive exultation. In the afternoon a numerous com- pany, consisting of all the principal citizens the officers of the 70th Piegiment, and such respectable strangers, as happened together, met in the Town Hall. PcFhaps never before, in a com- 82 Rambles through i/w British Isles. paiiy so numerous and so mixed, did llie spirit of liberality more i4)p!neiitly predominate. The meeting was considered as sacred to the general principles of civil and religious freedom and Jio political discussion whatever was introduced, nor was a single toast drunk which could give just ollence to either Churchman, Dissenter, or Roman Catholic." Among the toasts^ Were the following : "The lievolutiou of 1088; and may we never have occasion for another." "The Indepemlcnce of the Irish Legislature." " May we always have courage to assert our rights and viituc to perform our duties." " May the lIou.se of Commons be, in iiict, us well as in name, the representatives of the people." "An c(iual defeat to Faction and Corruption." " Civil and Religious Li))erty to all the world." '• Peace mul Liberty to Poland." "Peace, Liberty, and good Oovernment to France." "The Rights ol Juries." "The Liberty of the Press." "The Aboli- tion of the Slave Trade." "President Washington." "Magna Charta, and the Memory of the Barons who obtained it." "The Memory of Lord Ru.ssell and the Exclusioners." "The Memory of Hampden, Sidney, and Locke." "The Memory of William Molyneux." " The Memory of Lord Chatham." Good lor 1088 1 The bridge that .spans the River Foyle, is a beautiful struct- ure, and is known among engineers as a "Rigid Girder Bridge." Its length, from abutment to abutment, is one hun- dretl and twenty feet; its breadth from railing to railing is thirty feet, and it is said to have cost over three hundred and twenty thousantl dollars. About three-fourths of a mile to the west of the city, on the side of a hill, is liiid out a lu \v cemetery. It is a beautiful spot, with walks, tastehiUy iilanned, and lots, well-dotted with slu-ubs, flowers, and evergreens, giving to the whole a garden- A Stroll Hound the L'Uij of Londonderry. 33 r.kc appearance. It occupies an area of about forty acres. In company with a friend, II. G., from U. S. A., I went there in search of Derry's heroic dead, but found them not ! Feeling somewhat sad at not discovering tlie faintest trace of anything in the old cathedral-yard, or here, to tell me where lay the sacred dust of those who perished in the siege, I was com- forted by an angel messenger, who, swifter than the Jiglit- niiig's Hash, came to my aid, and said, " Why seek ye the living am< ng the dead ? They are not here, but have risen." "Can that man be dead, WJiose spiritual influence L» upon his kind? lie lives in glory: and his epeakinK duet Has more of life than half its breathing moulds 1" About half-a-mile north of the city. Ls the high-school, situ- ated in a group of good old English oaks. It is said to be one of the best classical and mathematical seminaries in either island. A little farther north is to be seen the Magee College. The situatWh is charming. It was built by the gift of Mrs. Magee, of Dublin, and has, as its object, the education of young men of the Presbyterian Church. Londonderry has a good number of religious edifices — six Presbyterian, two Independ- ent, and two Weslej'an-Methodist. The Roman Catholics have three or four churches outside the city walls, and one nunnery. The BiiiisUue. IV. DuNLtrcE Castle. ' Oh, lone Dunluce I thy requiem's sung! Time o'er thy roofless walls has flung The waste of years 1 " r^^^^N our way from Port Rush to the Causeway, 4° we made a short stop at Dunhice — long '/V^ enough to see its many rooms and apart- / ments. The Castle is situated about three luiles west of the Causeway, and only a few steps ^^ ^ from the main road. At the gate, which opens C^ fi-om tne highway into an open space, leading to the ruin, wc were met by an old man in rags. Dunluce Castle. 35 With a politeness which would have done honor to a French- m;iu,' and which seems to be natural to the true son of the soil, he tipped his hat — or rather I should say that which covered the place " where the hair ought to grow," for, to call it a hat would be doing great injustice to the tra'de — and exclaimed : "I saw yes coming and I came to meet yes, that I might be after showing you the Castle and the Banshee's room which she always keeps clean for her own convenience ! " There was such a good nattu'ed expression upon the old man's face, we could not help but say to him : "Go ahead and well follow," so off before us he started, jumping and skipping as if he was a lad of sixteen. The position of Dunluce makes it one of the most picturesque rums in Ireland, and in historic and roman- tic associations it is not surpassed by any in Europe. It stands upon an isolated rock that rises one hundred feet above the level of the sea, and is separated "from the main land by a chasm over twenty feet broad, which was at one time spanned by a draw bridge, but is now permanently joined by a stone walk for foot passengers. How impregna- ble it must have been at one time, may be easily judged from its position. Long ago Dunluce was one of the strong holds of the Irish Chieftans — one of their feudal halls, in which was heard the voice of song and the noise of jubilee — now nothing remains but faint outlines of its past greatness, naked walls which are fast yielding to the slow but sure destroyer time. Feudal oppression, robbery and violence seem to be the ingre- dients that- make up the history of Dunluce. Our guide, who told me he was over seventy-five years of age — and never twenty miles fi-om that ueigliborhood — had the history of the 36 Ramlles through the British Isles. castle upon his tongue's end, whicli was about as follows. Up to the tenth century, this was the princely residence of the McQuillan family, the fame of whose hospitable board had spread to distant lands. Once upon a time, when the Mar- chioness of Antrim was on a visit to the Castle, and the ser- vants were engaged in the kitchen, preparing the viands for the banquet, a portion of the rock on which the apartment stood having been undermined by the waves, gave way, the foaming waters engulfing all who were in the kitchen except a piper, who escaped by being seated in a niche of the wall, which did not share in the fate. "There " said our guide, pointing to a cubby hole in the wall," is where the piper was seated who did'nt get kilt when the rock gave way." He also pointed out a small room, said to be the familiar haunt of the Banshee, named " Mave Roe " (or red-haired Maud or Matilda) she was one of the serv^tnt maids who perished on the night of the disaster, and ever since that sad occurance her ghost has haunt- ed the castle, and her voice is often heard amid the surging of the waves. "The Banshee" Mrs. Hall says, "is the wildest and grandest of all the Irish superstitions. The spirit assumes the form of a woman, sometimes young, but, more generally, very old; her long, ragged locks float over her thin shoulders ; she is usually attired in loose white drapery, and her duty upon earth is to warn the family upon whom she attends of some approaching misfortune. This warning is given by a peculiar mournful wail — at night — a sound that resembles the nielnncholy lough of the winds, but having the tone of the human voice, and distinctly audible at a great distance. She is sometimes seen as well as hea.ntion was directed was Port Coon Cave; we entered it, to the distance of about one himdred yards or more. The walls and roof are composed of masses of rounded basalt, covered over with a greenish substance, and in shape, bearing somewhat the appearance of some dingy lighted Gothic Cathedral. "The pillared vestibule Ex])anding, yet precise, the roof embowed, Might seem designed to humble man, when proud Of his best workmanship by plan and tool. Down-bearing with his whole Atlantic weight Of tide and tempest on the structure's base, And flashing to that structure's topmost height, Ocean has proved its strength— and of its grace In calms is conscious, finding for his freight Of softest music some responsive place." Our guide shouted at the top of his voice, and the sound reverberating with the roaring of the waters, produced a grand effect. To the west of Port Coon is Duukerry Cave, not so imposing or grand as the former, but the noisiest of all, and during a storm, it is said that its voice can be heard for more than a mile inland. 44 Ramhles through the British Isles. I was told that when Sir Robert Peel, with a number of his friends, visited the Causeway, he had a cannon fired in this Cave; the effect of which is said to have been awful; and so great was the concussion, that the poor fellow who served on the occasion was dei^rived of hearing. Most of the columns of the Causewav have received the names of objects or things to wnich they bear, some faint resemblance. Here is one called the " Priest and his Flock," and there is the Giant's Loom, The Giant's Organ, the Giant's Chair, the Giant's Theatre, the Giant's Honey Comb, the Giant's BagiDijDes, and the Giant's Granny. Indeed everything in this wonderful place, is assigned to the Giants, either as articles of their manu- facture, or objects formed lor their especial accommodation. These whuns, for whhns they are — many of the pillars having but very little, if any resemblance to the names they bear — serve to distinguish the many points of interest, which could not very well be done without something of this sort. After examining these wonderful sights from the sea, we came to land, not however, without having our pockets light- ened somewhat of a few shillings, which by the persuasive blarney of the boatmen we were compelled to yield ujd for a few of their specimens and curiosities. The Causeway proper is not the high cliffs or palUsades which are seen to so good advantage from the ocean. This is but the backgj-ound ; the most wonderful formation is almost as level as the beach, and partly covered by the water at high tide. There are three tiers or clusters of pillars running out into the sea, called the Little, the Middle, and the great Cause- ways. Their surface is by no means even ; some being much Ilie GianVs Causeway. 45 higher than the others, and hence giving room for the imagin- ation to form among them all sorts of rooms, seats, and fan- tastic things. In the middle group, our guide pointed us t6 what he called " The Ladies' wishing chair," which is formed by a number of pillars, gathered round a single one, and so arranged as to make a comfortable seat. The story is, that the young woman who while sitting in that chair wishes for any- thing, she can have it, no matter what it may be ! If this were true, how many of the single daughters of Erin would be married, and how many of the married would be single I In the great Causeway, we were shown a place, called, "Lord Antrim's Parlour," this is a space surrounded by pillars in which seats have been formed, by breaking away some of the pillars, so as to form a level surface. Shame ! shame on the visitors who have taken no little pains, to cut with sacri- legious hands, their names upon some of these columns. While walking over the heads of about forty thousand of them the guide called our special attention to one— the only one among all that great army of pillars, which had been found with three sides, the more common forms being the pentagon and hexagon. The pillars, it must be remembered do not stand apart, but are squeezed compactly together, so close that water will not pass between them. And though the columns are far from being sided alike, yetthe contiguous sides are always equal. This is indeed wonderful, and clearly shows the hand of a mas- ter workman ! Each pillar is made of several joints, or blocks, from eight to ten inches in length, with alternate concave and convex surfaces; the upper section, generally speaking, is con- cave and the lower convex — perfectly fitted; yet actually 46 Ramiles through the British Isles. disjunct. As we stepped from pillar to pillar toward the sea, new interest seemed to gather around them, until sinking in the ocean they were lost to sight. How far they extend under the water, who can tell ? And how far back into the land, that throws a veil over them, who can tell ? Well might the true lover of geology wish in his despair—" Oh, that I were able to transform myscif into a mole, that I might burrow my way into a solution of this problem, or into a fish, that I might trace them beneath the waves of old ocean." So much then, in ref- erence to the outward form and position of the Giant's Cause- way. But how are we going to account for the formation of this vast group of pillars? Is it possible that they received their forms by the laws of crystalization ? If so, how came they to crystalize in ):)locks, or joints, with ball and socket? Who in looking at the Giant's Causeway, and then at a similar formation, on the opposite coast of Scotland, and on the isle of StafFa, can resist the conviction, that the three wonders are part of one stupendous whole ; and it is by no means unlikely, that colonnades, connecting the points, are continued beneath the green waves of the tossing sea. " From Albin oft, when darkness veiled the pole, Swift o'er the surf the tartaned plunderers stole, And Erin's vales with purple torrents ran, Beneath the claymores of the murderous clan ; Till Cumhal's eon, to Dainada's coast, Led the tall squadrons of his Finnian host, Where his hold thought the wonderous plan designed, The proud conception of a giant mind. To bridge the ocean for the march of war, And wheel around Alhin's shores his conquering car. For many a league along the quarried shore, Each storm swept cape the race gigantic tore; The GianVs Causeway. 47 Ami though untaught by Grecian lore to trace Tlie Doric grandeur or Corinthian grace ; Not void of slvill in geometric rules, "With art d sdaining all the pride of schools, Each mighty artist, from the yielding rock. Hewed many a polished, dark, prismatic block: One end was modeled like the rounded bore, One formed a socket for its convex stone ; Then side to side, and point to point they bound, Co'umns on columns locked, and mound on mound; Close fc the golden cells which bees compose, So close they ranged th. m in compacted rows. Till rolling time beheld the fabric rise, Span the horizon and invade the skies. And, curved concentric to the starry sphere. Mount o'er the thunder's path, and storm's career. % To Staffa's rock the enormous arch he threw. And Albin trembled as the wonder grew." "We are not at all surprised, that the early inhabitants of the north of Lx'laud should attribute it to the work of giants, and that the Scotch also, should have a similar belief, in refer- ence to Fingal's cave. The Causeway, they say, is but a part of the bridge which was built by Fin MacCool, the Ancient Irish Hercules. Fin, feeling out of sorts with the Scotch, for the many wrongs they had done his native land, sent over a challenge to the kilted Giant, Benandomer, to come over and. receive a " beating." And having extended the invitation, he thought it only polite on his part, to prevent the stranger wet- ting his feet ; therefore he built a bridge for the Scotch GoUath to cross dry shod, in order " to get broken bones." During more recent times, the giants having disappeared and none of the Lilliputians left behind, being able to take care of the bridge, it sank down, and was covered over by the waters. 48 Rambles through the British Isles. Well after all, this is about as near a satisfactory solution, as most of our modern geologists have brought it. One thing more worth adding is, that upon the basaltic or trap rock of which the Causeway is composed, time and tide have made no impression. And though it has been exposed to one of the roughest seas, and most penetrating winds, from the creation, it may be, to the -present time, yet the angles of the columns still retain their sharpness, having met unshaken and unharmed, the storms of ages. " Dash, foam, and toss, wild, troubled sea! thou can'st not fret away The bulwark firm by sullen wave, nor yet by drifting spray; Sweep over it and under it ; alike unchanged it seems. Amid the tempest's rushing wrath, or 'neath the pale moonbeams. Far down, where wild sea-monsters o'eniangles, dulse and sheila^ Its echos wake a music wild as long forgotten song, That Ossian's ocean muse inspired its dark wild rocks among. "We gaze on it in silence— our veiy breath is hushed; For silence here is eloquence; the purest ever gushed From patriot in his praise of home, or scorn of traitor's deed, Is Hot moie fraught with nobleness than is the wordless meed: We would not, dare not, break the spel', by mingling human sounds, Where the stupendous work attests a deity profound. But, leaving myth and legend of the ages dark and dim, We bow iu adoration at the glorious work of Him." s-CttjfC)'^ iii '^^ il I I \M, bi'iiii'™'! .if m'^v VI. A Day IX Belfast. Stranger I if e"er thy steps should turn To the deep dells of fair leme, Their dark-haired sons mark well ; For -warmer heart or stouter hand Ke'er maiden woo'd, ne'er w elded brand, Than theirs who tread this northern land. —MuUer. ELF AST sustains the sf\me relation to Ireland, that Liverpool does to England, or Glasgow to Scotland. It has regular steam intercourse with almost all the leading seaports of the British Isles, and, in point of life, trade, and commerce, is much in advance of Dublin. Its people are full of energy, and the stranger can not go through its streets, without discovering at once, that he is in a live place. The hoitses are composed of brick or stone, and the streets are straight, well paved or macadamizctl. The population is now over one hundred and fifty thousand, and is raj^idly increasing, having quadrupled within the last forty years. Much of the city is low and j3at, being built on 52 RamUes through the British Isles. land, reclaimed from the river Lagan, which detracts greatly from its appearance, especially, as seen from the bay. The sm-rounding scenefy is charming. Tlie mountains, which lie west and north, screening from the cold winds, are majestic and beautiful. The most distant is not more than two miles oflf, and rises to an elevation of sixteen hundred feet above the level of the sea. The river Lagan, which divides County Down from Antrim, is seven hundred and fifty feet wide, and was formerly crossed by a bridge of twenty-one arches, erected in 1683. In 1840, this was replaced by a magnificent structure, built of granite, having five semi-circular arches, each of fifty feet span. Belfast is the great linen emporium of the world. The bleaching greens, all around the city, are very extensive, and at a distance appear like long ridges of virgin snow, lying in the midst of ripening harvests and pasturage of the richest verdure. In one manufactory, where they spin the flax into yarn, they employ about two thousand hands; and it is thought that there are fifteen or twenty thousand persons employed at this work within the limits of the city. Home-growth Is not sufficient to meet the demand, and over fifty thousand tons of flax are said to be imported yearly. The value of the linen cloth and yarn annually exported exceeds seventeen million dollars. Strange that from the land where so many go shirt- less, should come snow-white linen, to satisfy the want of the world ! Judging from the number of churches which I saw, the Belfasters must be a rehgious people. Presbyjerianism has a strong foot-hold here. Doctors Cook, Morgan, Edgar, and M'Cosh have not labored in vain. A Day in Belfast. 53 More than half a century ago, Belflist was classically named " The Northern Athens," and when we look at the long list of her noble sons, which she has sent forth, we think the title was not conferred amiss. Queen's College is one of the ornaments of the city ; it was built in 1810, and gave a new impulse to classical education in the north of Ireland. Since that, others have sprung into existence, which have in them the promise of still greater good. Queen's College is remarkable for its tasteful architecture. It is built of bright red and blue" brick, with stone trinmiing, and has one of the best sites in the city. Back of the College is the Theological School of the Presbyterian Chtirch. It was during vacation when I visited the Seminary ; all the professors and students were absent, and the building was in charge of an elderly lady, who, with the greatest politeness, took me through the same. The material of which the building is composed, is polished freestone, and in style of architecture, it is chastely classic. The internal arrangements are somewhat behind the times, but commodious and comfortable. Just over the way from Queen's College, is the new Methodist College, occupying one of the finest sites in the place. It is indeed a glorious monument, an honor to Irish and American Methodists ! Situated on an elevated position, it seems to have one eye on the Botanic Garden, while the other rests upon Queen's College. This is just as it should be. Its mission is the cultivation of the heart, as well as the head; for, after all, " It is the heart, and not the brain, That to the highest doth attain." Her work is to cultivate the mind, and sanctify the nature, for 5 54 Rambles ihroiujh the British Isles. God's glory and man's good. May all they who have con- tributed toward the erection and endowment of the same, share largely in the favor of God here, and in heaven's glories here- after ! And in coming years, may many rise who shall call them blessed! May all her sons go forth, spreading the fragrance of a sanctified cultm'e, making many of the dark and waste places of our world blossom as the rose ! The day on which I visited the College, I jvas fortunate in meeting one of the Faculty, the Rev. Robert Crook. A more agreeable i^Ri'^on than the doctor, is not often to be met with. Learning that I was from America, he spared no pains in show- ing me through the College, and explaining the use of every room, nook, and corner. No expense has been spared, to make the arrangements of the buiiding as nearly perfect as possible, and not without success; for I know of no seminary of learning so thoroughly furnished, with every thing, pertaining to the students' elRciency and comfort. The length of the building is two hundred and sixty feet jfrom cast to west, by one hundred and seventy from north to south, and the materiails used in its construction, are red brick, with cut-stone dressing. The style of architecture, is a combi- nation of thj Tudor and Gothic, which is much in keeping with its surroundings. It is said to have cost about one hun- dred and fifty thousand dollars. American Methodists have contributed sixty thousand dollars toward the endowment- fund. A noble ofFerins; l)ut not too much, when we remember wli^it Irish Methodism has done for us! The friends of Meth- odism are more than pleased with the .aiDpointments to tlie college chairs. A Bay in Belfast. 55 They are as follows : President, Rev. William Arthur, A. M., best known in America as the author of that live book, " The Tongue of Fire ,"' Theological Tutor, Rev. Robinson Scott, D.D., who is by no means a stranger, to many American families ; Head Master, Rev. Robert Crook, LL.D., T. C. D., whose remarkable success in the past, as an instructor, gives much promise for the future. Assistant blasters : First Classical Master, Benjamin Ralph, Esq. ; English and Commercial Master, John A. Hartly, Esq., of University College, London; French Master, Mons. Festu; Professor of Music, Herr Schwarz. There are several chairs as yet unfilled. As a whole, the College has few equals. Their system of education is admirable. It comprises two departments, the college and the school — " The college, for those who are pre- paring for the Clu-istian ministry, and imder-graduates of Queen's College other than theological students." The school is conducted in three divisions : The Preparatory for boys, from seven to nine yfears of age ; the Intermediate, where a higher course is pursued, including the languages; and the upper, which is subdivided into the collegiate and commercial, accord- ing to the objects aimed at in their education. Another advantage, is the relation which exists between this and Queen's College, allowing the students of one, to attend regularly the classes of the other, thus enaljling the child in the Preparatory dc'partmentj to pursue his studies in a regular course, till he shall have taken his degree in the University. Another object, to which all others shall be held subordinate, will be, to lead the pupils into a knowledge of the higher sciences, the truths of religion, their power to sanctify the heart and life. 56 Ramlles through the British Isles. But time and space -would fail me, to tell of the many places of interest, ■which attract the eye of the traveler in this place. It's academies, seminaries, and schools; its museum, library, and reading-room; its charitable institution and commercial buildings ; its prisons and law courts, are each worth of notice. My recollection of Belfast will always be delightful; and if I were going to live in Ireland, and had to choose between the two places, Belfast and Dublin, I would say Belfast. During Queen Victoria's first visit to Ireland, in 1849, she spent part of her time in Belfast. The following lines were written for the occasion, and show the place her Majesty held, and still holds, in the hearts of the loyal people of the North : " O come, lady Queen, to our isle of the ocean— The greenest, the fairest, the gayest on earth ; We -welcome thy coming with heartfelt emotion ; Thy presence -n-ill gladden our home and our hearth ; We love, we revere thee. In homage draw near thee. With a cead mille faiUie wc give thee good cheer ; Victoria, we hail thee I Our harps shall regale thee— The hai-p is the music for royalty's ear. " We sighed for thee oft when the hig clouds were looming— When the famine was heavy and sore in the land, We shared of thy bounty and longed for thy coming; Where the Irishman's heart gives the press to his hand, Though many behe him, He's true when you try him ; His love, like the mountains, is lasting for aye — More prone to believe thee, Than e'er to deceive thee, He oft may be doubted, but ne'er can betray. A Day in Belfast. 57 " We hail thee among ws, fair Queen of the Islands! Bright gem of the ocean, Victoria agragli ! Our sons will go with thee o'er valleys and highlands, Our daughters enchant thee with " Erin-go-hraghl" Then come see our fair ones, For they are the rare ones ; Our mothers, and sisters, and wives by our sides, Will go forth to meettl.ee, With blessings will greet thee. And boast of Victoria with womanly pride. " Then hurrah for the Queen I and for Albert the royal I For all in their train, of whatever degree I Our hands they are strong, and our hearts they are loyal. And warm is our welcome, dear Cushla Machree ! -, Victoria, come near us. Thy presence will cheer us ; Though Albion be wealthj', and Scotia be wise, Our hearts you will find them In warmth not behind them, And sooner made glad by the light of thine eyes. " Our shamrock is softer by far than the heather, When sparkles the dew on its emerald breast; It will yield to thy tread like the down of the feather, No queen of the Isles has its triple leaf prest. O come and entwine it, With the thistle combine it. And mingle its green with the blush of the rose ; From thy bosom-forever, No rude hand shall sever This bright pledge of union and Erin's repose." Since returning home, I liave read with great pleasure in The Christian Advocate^ a report of the opening of the College, ■which I think worthy of a more permanent form. '• The inau- gural exercises were held ou Wednesday, August 19. The con- 58 Rainhlcs throiujh the British Isles. gregation was iiumense. R.v S. R. Hall, President ol the British Wesleyan Couiercuce, occujiied the chair, and made a very hapj^y opening speech. Rev. William Arthur then deliv- ered his inaugural address. He used no notes, but spake such eloquence and power of thought as to receive the highest eulo- gies from the most distinguished scholars who heard him. He discussed the question of ' liberal education,' and directed his remarks upon its range and process; its methods, limits, and practical object. In speaking on the last j^oint, he urged with great emphasis, ' The jsractical object of ordinary education is to train happy and useful men for the ordinary services of life, and of the higher education to train happy and useful men for the higher services of -life. Among tutors the most enviable is he who sends out into the world the greatest number of pupils whose lives shall be a joy to themselves and a blessing to others. Among pupils the most enviable is lie who, leaving college, carries within his own breast to his native village, or up to one of the less or higher summits of public life, a Avell-spring of blessing that shall carry good to all Ijelowhis level. The object is not to make a great classic, a great mathematician, a great national philospher, a great poet, a gi'eat orator, or a great statesman. A man may be a great classic and an ignoramus, may be a great Tnathematician and a simpleton, may be a jaoet — a great poet — and a wretch; a man may be well versed in poli- tics and a public plague. When the pupil shows mental incom- petence or social imjiropriety, the work of the tutor is marred. A learned ignoramus is in some respects more helpless than «ne who knows not letters ; a learned boor is not less disagreeable than his brother Avho holds the plow, and of ufipleasant things A Ddi/ in Belfast. 09 very few would you wish to keep at a distance more than a learned 'prig.' When the pupil is soiled by moral stains, the work of tiio tutor is not only marred but perverted.' ;Mr. Arthur was I'ullowed by llev. Dr. Henry, President of Queen's College, Galway. He commenced by complimenting liev. "W. Artliur on the address he had just delivered, and a^kod amid nuich applause, that an opportunity might be given him of placing it in the hands of the teachers over whom he (Dr. Henry) had the happiness to preside. He greatly rejoiced that the Methodist body had thought it right to take a distinc- tive position as a Church in Ireland. Wm. M'Arthur, Esq, High Sheriff of London, (a Methodist layman, and one of the most generous donors to the college enterprise,) was next called out for a speech. He spoke as usual with marked appropriateness and force. His speech includes the following reference to American friends 6f the new college enterprise : ' Sir, I appreciate the extraordinary liberality of Irish Metho- dism, but it would be ungrateful were I not to acknowledge the help we have had from other quarters. There is. one draw- back to the enjoyment of the day, and that is that there is not on the platform some representative of the Methodist Ejjiscopal Church of America. We are under very great obligation to that Church. They have taken the deepest interest in this matter from the commencement, and it would have gladdened our hearts to have seen some of the distinguished men of that Church with us on that occasion. Our excellent friends. Bishop Snnpson, Bishop Janes, Dr. M'Clintock, and a host of other noble men, have aided us in every possible way. The 60 Rambles through the British Isles. same remark will apply to the laity of that Church, especially those gentlemen who were originally connected with Ireland, and whose affections and sympathies still tm"n to their iather- land. It would be invidious to mention names, but I cannot but refer to two, who from the first have been our ste.idy, unwavering friends — John and George Elliott, of New York. We are also indebted to our friends in Canada. I only regret, on their own account as well as ours, that they should have passed a resolution limiting the amount of their grant."' Rev. Dr. M'Cosh, President elect of Princeton College, N. J., was the next speaker. He was received with prolonged applause. He said the most fervent Methodist present did not rejoice more than he in the success of that undertaking. He felt an interest in the college from the commencement. He had held conference after conference with Mr. Arthur and others as to how it might be made effectually to accomplish the great end for which it was destined. He rejoiced in the crea- tion of that college on a variety of grounds. It would be the means of elevating the Methodist Church, not only jn Ulster or Ireland, but in the three countries, and in the missionary field throughout the world. He had great doubts, after look- ing to the magnificent building, the President, the other teach- ers, and the prestige the college had acquired, whether the Methodist body had any institution equal to it in any country. He was sure there was none superior to it. He believed that the example set in Belfast that day, would be copied in England and otiier places with the best results ; it would be the means of increasing the usefulness of the Methodist body. Many years ago, he had resolved to render service to the people A Day in Belfast. 61 called the Methodists, if it were ever in liig power. "WTion ho and otlier ministers left the Established Church of Scotland, and Ibrmed the Free Church of Scotland, they were in cir- cumstances of great difficulty. They had to provide for the minister from a people who were not accustomed to the burden. There were two bodies from which they met comfort and sym- pathy and powerful aid — one was the Presbyterian Church and the other was the Methodist body in the three countries. He went thi-ough the counties of England, and received the warm support of the Methodist ministers, and he felt if he ever had an opportunity of doing good for their body, he was bound to attempt it. He rejoiced in the cause, for it would be the means of sending forth an educated ministry. . He did not reckon a collegiate education as being the most essential thing, in order to get a man to become a minister of the Gospel of Christ. There was a higher teaching than could be had in any college, and that was, to be taught of God (Hear, hear.) But being called and taught of God, he believed a young man might receive an immense strength and great increase of use- fulness, from the circumstance that he was brought up in a college, with its many influences. They were aware that at the present time there was a discussion of an important de- scription, and he did believe it would lead to excellent results, as to how an education given in the national colleges and universities might be combined with religious instruction. That, he believed, was the great question of the day ; it was inferior to no other. (Hear, hear.) He would not enter into the sectarian question; he would depart from the spirit of Wesley anism if he did ; but he might appeal to facts. It was 62 RamUes through the British Isles. said that every man appointed to a cliair in the college should be a spiritual teacher ; it was a theory, but he was sorry to say that in most of the colleges it was little less than theory. Those men who taught their own branches, did not feel any interest in religion themselves ; and not feeling any interest in religion, how could they find any interest in imparting it to others ? Only a few weeks ago, it was acknowledged to him by some Scotch professors, that the Scotch colleges were now merely secular institutions. He would not wonder if this were to turn out to be the solution of the difficulty in which they were ; they should have secular instruction given by tlie men most competent for it ; the national universities should be open to all — (applause) — to Wesleyans and every other com- munity. (Applause.) All should be put on an equal footing, on the most perfect equality. (Applause.) They should also have religious instruction. They should have something for the spiritual man. (Hear, hear.) How was this to be pro- cured, if not by the colleges and all Christians associating for this purpose? This was being accomplished in this place. There was the Queen's College, in which instruction was given by men eminent in their several departments, and thoroughly competent in their work. (Applause.) Spiritual instruction must come from religious men, hoving the sanction of the bodies with which they are connected; and this was provided in the Methodist College. The last pul)lic work in which he had been engaged was something of the same kind in connec- tion with the Presbyterian College, and the members of the Episcopal Churcli were looking forward to such an institution in their own Church. The mixed system was a beautiful one. A Day in Belfast. m in which Protestant wrestled with Catholic, and Methodist v.ith Presbyterians. Subsequent to the inaugural exercises, a business meeting was called, and several generous subscriptions were miidc by the friends present in aid of the funds. The whole occasion was a glad one for Irish Methodists in particular, and for the friends of Irish Protestantism in general." ^.^^ VII. Dublin. Dublin ! a thousand recollections lise Witli thy dear name 'mid foreign seas and skies ; Still should my heart for thee a spot contain : Oh I let thy beauties now inspire my strain. Bayley. EELAND may well be proud of ter capital. ^ Situated on the banks of the beautiful Liffey, |^y\ about a mile from the entrance, it presents to ^W^^S^ the eye a prospect, which is but seldom ex- ceeded for richness and variety. The scenery on > Q entering the river is unlike any I ever saw before ; running out into the sea, are two peninsulas, which look like arms stretched out to receive the wave worn and sea tossed vessel into shelter, security, and quiet. The morning on which my eyes first looked upon this novel sight was one of peculiar loveliness, and no doubt added much of jbuhlin. 65 beauty to the scene. On the right of the bay, is the hill of Howth : " ' Twas on the top of that high place St. Patrick preached the sarment, Which drew the frogs into the bogs, And banished all the varmint " On the left is Dolky Island and the Black Eock — which places Dr. Crook charged me to be sure and see during my stay in Dublin. The Liffey divides the city into almost two equal parts, and is spanned by eight or nine bridges, which add not a little to the appearance of the bay. Carlisle bridge — which is the lowest on the river, as well as the largest and handsomest — is built of stone, and has three arches of moderate width. From this bridge may be seen as glorious a panorama as the eye may wish to rest upon. To the east and west is the Liffey, with its forests of masts and granite sides running for a distance of from two to three miles, while the magnificent Custom House, prince-like in her stateliness, keeps watch on all ; southward is Westmoreland street, with the Bank of Ireland and Trinity College visible in the distance; while to the north is Sackville street, which will compare with any in the empire, and which has been called ♦' the grandest thoroughfare in Europe." In respect to location and classic beauty, Dublin stands second only to Edinburgh in the United Kingdom. It has many handsome squares, parks, and pleasure grounds — among which are St. Stephen's Green, College Park, Merrian, Mount- joy and Eutland Squares, with the Coburn and Botanical Gar- dens; these are beautifully laid out in shaded walks, weU- 66 Rambles throucjh the British Isles. filled flower beds dotted witli flowering shrubs, and ever- greens, which please the eye and till the air with perfume. But the glory of the place is its PHCENIX PARK. Seventeen hundred acres of land, laid out as a pleasure ground and enclosed by a stonewall, is what few other cities, if any, can show. Here infinite variety and beauty of scenery abound; its shady walks and bandsome drives; its bills, ravines, and extensive woodlands ; its rare fiowers and sweet scented hawthorn; its lakes, bridges and velvet lawns, over which rove beautiful deer, go to make up a picture which might sat- isfy and afford pleasure to the most critical visitor. In the center of tbe iDark are the residences of the Viceroy, the chief and under secretaries; the Hibernian school, for the education of children- and orphans of Irish soldiers ; the Barracks and the Royal Military Infirmary. There in One corner of the park are the Zoological Gardens, containing a very fine collec- tion, and possessing a large and beautiful lake, Avell stocked with a variety of rare water fowl. Xear this is Wellington's monument, a heavy obelisk of two hundred and ten feet in hight, said to have cost about one hundred and twentv-five thousand dollars. Not far from this stands the Phoenix Column, from the top of which may be seen the " Magazine " tor the storing of ammunition, which is thus sarcastically immortalized by Dean Swift: "Behold a proof of Irish sense ; Here Irish wit is scon : When nothing's left that's Tvorth defense We huild a magazine." Phoenix Park, take it all in all, has no equal in Europe ! Dublin. 67 The next place worthy of note, and which is not without historic importance, is a Romish looking Gothic pile called ST. PATRICK'S CAXHEDKAL. It is thought, by some, to have been founded in 1169 by Archbishop Comyn, on the site of a church said to have been built by St. Patrick in 448. It has now the form of a cross, and is surmounted by a lofty spire. I'hc interior arrangements ai-e highly ornamented, and present a specimen of mediseval architecture which is called the finest now remaining in Ire- land- 111 f^ie aisles are numerous monuments and marble tombs of every fashion, with carved work, curious and antique, look- Lig the repose of ages. And here also may lie seen the banner, helmet and insignia, of many a lord and knight now moulder- ing in the dust beneath. Perhaps the most ancient tomb in this venerable building are those of Archbishops Michael Tre- gury and John Comyn, the former in full pontifical robes, with mitre, crosier and crucifix, that of the latter being im- pressed in brass on a large stoue slab. Strange to say, Saint Patrick was not an Irishman ; he was born in Scotland, not far from the town of Dumbarton, It is true that he spent most of his life in Ireland, and was eminently successful as an Apostle in doing good — yet not as a Romanist ! St. Patrick was a Protestant ! All his writings prove him to have been a worshiper of God, not of saints or angels. In Archbishop Hamilton's Conversion of St. PatricTc, we find the following which serves Avell to show in whom the saint was wont to trust. SAINT PATRICK'S CREED. " There is no other God, nor ever was, nor will be after Him, except God the Father, witiiotit beginning, from whon\ is all 68 Ramhles through the British Isles. beginning, who upholds all things ; and his Son Jesus Christ, whom, together with the Father, we testify to have always ex- isted, who was before the beginning, by whom were made all things, visible and invisible, who was made man, and having overcome death was received into heaven to the Father; who will render to every one according to his deeds; and has poured out abundantly on us the gift of the Holy, Ghost, the earnest of immortality; who make those that believe and obey to be sons of God the Father, and joint heirs with Christ ; whom we confess and adore, one God in the Trinity of the sacred name." SAINT PATBICK'S ARMOR HYMN. " I bind to myself to-day, The power of God to guide m", Tiie might of God to uphold me, Tlje wisdom of God to teach me, The eye of God to watch me. The ear of God to hear me. The word of God to g ve me spirit, The hand of God to protect me, The way of God to prevent me. The shield of God to shelter me. The host of God to defend me. Against snares of demons, Against the temptations of vices, Against any man who injures me, Whether far or near, "With few, or with many. Christ with me to-day, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ within me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ at my right hand, Christ at my left hand, Christ at the fort, LuUin. t>9 Christ in the poop, Christ in the Chariot seat. Christ in the heart of eveiy man who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me, Christ in the eye of every man that sees mc. Christ in every ear that hears nie. " I bind to myself to-day the strong power of an invocation of the Trinity, the faith of the Trinity in unity, the Creator of the elements. ^ Domini est Salus, Domini est Salus, Christi est Salus, Salus tua Domini sit semper nobiscum. TRANSLATION. Salvation is of the Lord, Salvation is of the Lord, Salvation is of Chrst, Thy salvation, O Lord, is always with us Not on^ word about saints, angels^ or the Virgin Mary! But I have wandered somewhat away from the direct route ; let us go back again to the old Cathedral. Here upon the wall is a black marble tablet, sacred to the memory of Duke Schomberg, the noble leader of King William's army, who fell at the battle of the Boyne, in the eighty-second year of his age, when leading his men across the river, 1690. Suspended above Schomberg's tablet, is the cannon ball by which General St. Ruth was killed &t Aughrim. A little farther on, is the grave of " Stella," (Miss Johnson), whom Dean Swift has introduced to the wide, wide world , and here too is the Dean's grave, the distinguished author and eccentric 70 Hambles through the British Isles. wit, who was finally outwitted by death ! "While I stood before it, the words of Dr. Young came to mind : Sense is the diamond, weighty, solid, sound ; Wlien cut Ijy wit it casts a brighter beam ; Yet, wit apart, it is a diamond still. "Wit, widowed of good sense, is worse than naught ; It hoists more sail to run against a rook." At present, St. Patrick's Cathedral is far famed for its artis- tic music ; tlie organ is one of the largest and best in the kingdom, and the well trained choir never fail to caU out a full house — for it is to hear the singing, not the preaching, that people flock to this ancient temple. And with some truthful- ness have a portion of the citizens called the church " Paddy's opera." One of the principal ornaments of the city, and indeed of the nation, is TRINITY COLLEGE. This is the Alma Mater of Young, Gould, Smith, Swift, Ham- ilton, Congrove, Burke, Dodwell, Grattau, Coulter, etc., and though belonging to the Establishment, is not so exclusive as either Cambridge or Oxford. " This great seminary of learning, the worthy rival of the English Universities, and in usefulness and liberality far surpasssing them, is an object of just pride to the Irish nation. There are one or two important diflfer- ences between the Dublin and English Universities, which must not be j)assed over in siience. The most important of these is, that the Dublin College receives within its walls dis- senters of every denomination, and refuses to them no col- legiate honors or degrees, except such as are by statute cou- Dublin. 71 nccted witli the ecclesiastical discipline of the University. This liberality lias been attended witli the best effects ; the friendships formed at College, have in countless instances soft- ened the asperities of the mixed political and religious contro- versies by which Ireland is agitated, and has preserved a link of social*onnection, v^rhen all other bonds were broken. An- other essential difference is, that the study of the modern lan- guages form a part of the education of Trinity College. Prizes have been established for proficiency in the French, German and Italian languages." The building is made up of three quadrangles, and built of Portland stone, after the Cor- inthian order. The principal front, measures about six hun- dred feet. The library is considered the finest in the empire. It occupies the whole length of the second quadrangle, and contains about two hundred thousand volumes. Between the windows, on both sides, are partitions of oak, projecting at right angles from the side walls, and forming recesses, in which the books are arranged. Here too, finely executed in white marble, are the busts of poets, philosophers and sages, of all lands, including sevei'al 'of her most distinguished sons. Heroes in animated marble frown, And Legislators seem to tliink in stone. The museum is a very handsome apartment, about sixty feet long, and forty wide. It contains over nine thousand mineral specimens. And here, hanging high and dry, is the harp of Brian Boru. " He touched hia harp, and nations heard enchanted." Brian was the great Irish hero, who raised himself to be 72 Rambles through the British Isles. King of the Islands, and defeated the Danes at the great battle of Clontarlin, in 1014. " Oh give me one Strain, Of that wild harp again, In melody proudly its own. Sweet harp of the days that are gone." ♦ Trinity College — with its princely endowment, its spacious building, and able corps of professors, its ably selected library, and well filled museum, its park, containing twenty acres of land, a mile and a half in circuit — may safely be pronounced one of the best institutions of learning in the world ! In 1591, it was founded by Queen Elizabeth, " to endure for- ever, for the instruction of youth in the arts and sciences." But alas ! alas ! how few of Erin's sons can enter this Hall of Learning! It requires money to fit for and pass through Trinity, and this is the want of the masses in Ireland ; conse- quently only the favored few can avail themselves of the drill and culture of the college, and so far as the poor and middle classes are concerned, they might as well be without Trinity College. " O, for the coming of that glorious time. When, prizing knowledge as her noblest wealth And best protection, this imperial realm. While she exacts allegiance, shall admit An obligation, on her part, to teach Them who are bom to serve her and obey ; Binding herself, by statute, to secure For all the children whom her toil maintaining. The rudiments of letters, and inform Duhlm. 73 The mind with moral and religious truth, Both understood and practiced— so that none, However destitute, be left to droop, By timely culture unsustaiued ; or run Into a wild disorder; or be forced To drudge through a weary life, without the help Of intellectual implements and tools ; A savage horde'amongthe civilizi d, A servile band among the lordly free." Standing on College Green, quite close to the University, is the BANK OF IRELAND. It seems too bad, that this grand legislative pile, which once echoed with the eloquence of such men as Flood, Fitz- gerald, Curran and Grattan, should be turned into a money- exchange ; I do not wonder that at the sight many a patriot is said to have wept. Indeed, the carman who conveyed me from one place of interest to another, wben he drew up in front of this noble building almost wept, while he exclaimed — "Ah Sir, poor Ireland has not seen a well day since she lost her Parliament, and it is my opinion, she never will, until she is herself again." It was erected in 1739, and is built in the form of a crescent, witli a fine portico, supported by a beautiful colonade of Ionic columns, which calls forth the admiration of all beholders. Its central pillars support a pediment bearing the royal arms, and statues of Hibernia, Fidelity and Commerce. The eastern front on CoUege street, consists of a portico of the Corinthian order, with pediment and statues of Fortitude, Justice and Liberty. In this mag- nificent building we have an index to the generous impulses of the Irish heart. 74 RamUes tlirough the Briiish Isles. It is not Tvitliout some resemblance Moore has likened the fate of his unhappy country to the " Sad one of Zion." " Lite them dotli our nation lie conquered and broken, And fallen from her head is the once royal crown ; In her streets, in her halls. Desolation has spoken, And while it is day yet, her sun has gone down." ' It puts Uie world in it wliirls along." VIII. In and Akouxb Dublin. This city now doth, like a garment, wear The heauty of the morning ; silent, fair, Ships, towers, domes, theatres and temples lie Open unto the fields and to the sky. ?fe^y^^s=|^^^N the north bank of the Liffey, V "'^'^^^'a^^.'^o Quay, is situated a noble buildii near Usher's Quay, is situated a noble building. Here the § Lord Chancellor, Chief justice, and other officers hold their courts. Indeed, it may be ,# called the Head Center of tbe Irish bar. To it /'^ all difficult cases are brought for final settle- „ , ; ment ; and in it has many a man lost his Inst shil- i^-^^li^o ling. It has been truthfully said — " To go to law, is for two persons to kindle a fire at their own expense to' warm otliers, and singe themselves to cinders; and because they 76 Jtainlles throuyh the JJi itixli, Isles. *" cannot agree as to what is truth and equity, they will both agree to unplume themselves, that others may be decorated with their feathers." Many have found out the verity of these words by a sad experience, and when ever they think of the Four Courts of Dublin, they curse inwardly. The plan of the Courts comprises a central building, one hundred and forty feet square, crowned by a dome, and surrounding this are the buildings containing the different law offices. It is said that this sight was once occupied by the Monastery of St. Saviour's, " where some solitary beings Avho became tired of mankind, here met the devil in private." And now when men are unable to agree with each other at home, they come here to meet the devil in public. The front of the principal building has a beautiful portico, six Corinthian pillars, with pilasters supporting a pediment surmounted by a statue of Moses, with Justice and Mercy at its extremities, while above the pilas- ters are representative figures of Wisdom and Authority. In- side is a circular hall, sixty-four feet in diameter, from which the Four Courts radiate to the angles of the square. Over this hall rises a circular lantern, with twenty-four pillars sup- porting a magnificent dome. In this lantern there are twelve windows between which are statues representing Liberty, Jus- tice, Wisdom, Prudence, Law, Mercy, Eloquence and Punish- ment ; also medallions of eight of the world's greatest law- givers: Moses, Lycurgus, Solon, Numa, Confucius, Alfred, Mancho, Capac, and Ollamah Fodhla. Beneath the dome is a colossal statue of Truth, holding a torch, which by means of gaslight serves the purpose of illuminating the Hall during the evening sittings of the courts. Under this roof was often In (Old Around Dublin. 77 hoard the eloquence of Curran, O'Conncll, Shiel, and others of like caliber. To the south of the Liffey, and but a short distance Irom the Bank of Ireland, stands DUBLIN CASTLE. Having reached a wide gatewayf my driver said : " Sir, this is the entrance to the castle yard," and giving his horse a cut with the whip, he drove through into an open couit, in which were soldiers pacing up and down. The Castle was founded in 1205, and completed in 1220, by Henry Lenders, the noto- rious Archbishop of Dublin, whose name has been handed down to posterity- from his having treacherously burned the writs and papers by which his tenantry held their houses and lands. The Castle has passed through many changes, and is now a combination of old and new masonry. In 1534, Lord Thomas Fitzgerald, Vice Deputy of the Island, tried in vain to storm it ; the loyal people being more than a match for him. Over the entrance to the Coui-t are figures of Justice and For- titude. Here also is the Chapel Eoyal, which was rebuilt about fifty years ago, and is regarded as an exquisite specimen of English Gothic. The building is small, and consists of a choir, with a series of buttresses, ending in crochets, pin- nacles and crosses. Over the northern doorway, are two busts, one of St. Peter and the other of Dean Swift ; above the eastern door are those of St. Patrick, the Virgin and Brian Boru. A strange group this! Indeed every thing about this Royal Chaj)el savors of Popery, and I could hardly make my- self believe it to be a Protestant place of worship. On its stained glass windows, through which comes a dim, religious light, are many popish symbols and signs all pointing Home- 78 Ramhles through the British Isles. ward ; as I gazed at tlie same I coiild not help tliinking o£ the words of Latimer : " When the Devil is resident, and boih his ploughs going, then away with books, and up with candles ; away with Bibles, and up with beads; away Avith the light of the gospel, and up with liie light of candles ; yea, at noon- day." On my way from Dublin 1 crossed the river Boyne, memor- able as the spot where,on the 12th of July, 1690, William III. gained the victory over James the II, which led to the i-e-estab- lishment of Protestantism in Ireland. On the rock that juts out a little into the stream, is erected a monument which has an altitude of one hundred and fifty feet above the level of the river; on the pedestal is the following inscription: " Sacred to the glorious memory of King William the Third, who, on the twelfth of July, 1690, passed the river near this place, to attack James the Second, at the head of a Popish army, advan- tageously posted on the south side of it, and did on that day, by a successful battle, secure to us and our posterity our liberty, laws and religion. In consequence of this action, James the Second left this kingdom and fled to France. This memorial of our deliverance was erected in the ninth year of the reign of King George the Second, the first stone being laid by Lionel Sackville, Duke of Dorset, Lord Lieutenant of this kingdom, MDCCXXXYI." No river in Ireland has so many historic events connected with it as the Boyne. There is scarcely a rock, mound, or ford, but has its legend. Here it was, that Erin's petty kings and princes loved to dwell. Here too, Saint Patrick first landed, and after him came the Danes and Norsemen. ' Drogheda is la and Aromul Dahlia. 1\) situated on tlie Boyue, about four miles from the opening. It is one of the ancient fortilied. towns, and its past record occu- pies not a little space in Irisli and English History. It is one of the many places that suffered much from the hand of Cromwell : the spot where he first commenced his work of destruction, is still known liy the name of "Cromwell's Fort."' The town is almost entirely made up of mud-walled cot tages, and thatched roofs, with a population of about fifteen thousand — largely Eoman Catholic. For situation and beauty of sur- roundings, Drogheda cannot be surpassed, and yet, with all this, I know of no other town in Ireland, of the same size, in which is to be seen so much poverty and wretchedness. Of the old walls and fortifications of the town there are still some interesting remains, the most perfect of which are a square tower of most elegant proportions, called the Magda- len's steeple, a Carmelite Convent, and the St. Laurence gate. \MiiA IX. The Yale of Avoca, There is not in the •wide world a valley so sweet, As that vale in whose bosom the bright waters meet; Oh, the last rays of feeling and life must depart, Ere the bloom of that valley shall fade from my heart I Moore. ^^Ay^^^CXlMA ^ "^^^'^ Dublin, witbout going to see the Vale >>\iy^it^i~\4fl of Avoca, would be to pass by the most interesting and romantic place in all Ireland. ^;. . d^ Through the writings of Mr. Thomas Moore, the Irish have^me to look upon this Vale as the loveliest spot on earth ! Taking a "heck-car" in Dublin, which will cost from fifty to seventy-five cents, you may see all of the Vale, worth seeing, in half a day. Through the center of the valley, which is eight miles long, and about a quarter of a mile in width, runs a little bright, sparkling stream, whose banks are covered with picturesque groups of trees, and on either side of which rise lofty hills, time-worn and ivy-mantled rocks — the whole making up a picture rich in landscape beauty. 82 Rambles through the British Isles. Before returning, Ave visited a small cave, wliere, tradition says, Saint Kevin fled, to escape from an enamored maiden, with " eyes of most unholy blue," Near this is an echo, said to be the finest in Ireland, save that one in Killarney, which, when ye shout, "Paddy Blake, how do ye do?" answers, "Purty well, I thank you." Here, also, are the ruins of the seven churches, reputed to have been built during the sixth century, and about which there arc any number of legends. It is said, that wlien the seven churches were being built, the workmen were called every morning to their labor, by the skylark. " They had no watches in those days, and the song of the lark served as a signal that it was time to begin their labor. So when the holy work was at an end. Saint Kevin declared that no lark was worthy to succeed those piou^^ birds that had helped in the buiding of tlie churches." Here, too, are a couple of small lakes, (ponds they would be called in America), about one of which Moore writes, " By that lake, -whose gloomy shore. Skylarks i.ever warbl^'cr. Where the cliff hangs high and steep, Young Saint Kevia stole to sleep." One of these is called "The Lake of Serpents," from the flict, that into it Saint Patrick banished all the snakes of Ireland. Tradition says, " The snakes were little pleased with such damp lodgings, and one big one, in particular, used often to put vtp its head, and prayed the saint to grant it a little more liberty. So Saint Patrick, in his good nature, drew a circle on the ground, and told the serpent to consider that as its own land. Now, when they began to build the seven churches, the The J 'ale of Avoca. 83 serpent was very angry at what it considered an invasion of its territory; and at midnight it used to come out of the water, and destroy whiit the workmen had built during tlic day. At last, Saint Patrick prayed to dispense him ti'om the promise he had made to the snake, and God allowed the saint to banish the reptile into the lake again, and then the workmen got oH fast enough with their building." But I must not fail to let fall a word in praise of an institu- tion which did me good service during my visit — I mean the ^'■Jaunting-car.'''' This is a vehicle peculiar to the Irish nation, and not by any means the most uncomfortable. It has but |,wo wheels, on the axle of which rests two springs, which support a platform that extends a few inches above and over the same ; hinged to this on either side, are foot-steps, which, when let down, hide the wheels, so that they can only be seen from the back or front ; between the seats is a platform six or seven inches higher, and about eighteen inches wide, which serves as a back, and repository for whatever the traveler may wish to dispose of during the journey. Tlie seats and " well,'" as the platform is commonly called, are cushioned, giving an ease and comfort to the institution, unsurpassed by any other. The Ii-ish do well in holding on to the jaunting-car, for I know of no other vehicle that could take its place. The roads are so hilly, and many of the horses are so halkij, that to introduce the American buggy, or even the English gig, would be likely to break so many necks, that it would make an end of all the Accident Insurance Companies in a short time. There is no mode of conveyance in Ireland, or anywhere, safer than the jaunting-car, for in riding up a steep hill, (which 84 Rambles through the British Isles. by-the-way, you will meet with, in almost every mile of travel) il you have any sympathy for the noble animal, the horse, you will step oif and walk to the top, and then, if your life is of any consequence to yourself or friends, you willnot be persuaded, no, not even by the hlarney of Pat, to get on until you reach the bottom. Unlike all other modes of conveyance, you can jump on or ofl' the jaunting-car, even when going at a good rate, with the greatest ease. This is the felfture, above all others, that commends it to all who are conversant with Irish roads. Ireland is noted for her Round Towers. There are about one hundred and eighteen of them in all, in different states of preservation. It is said that these mysterious remains of anti- quity are not to be met with elsewhere, except two in Scotland, and two in Hindostan. They are built of stone, and when seen at a distance, look like lofty chimneys, or shot towers. Some of them are over a hundred and twenty feet high, and from forty to fifty feet in circumference. They all resemble each other, and appear as if built by the same hands. The door, or aperture, is generally eight or ten feet from the ground, and at the top, all of them that are perfect have four windows, opening toward the four cardinal points. No true idea of the time when these towers were built has as yet been arrived at, only that they have existed from a very remote age. It is quite plain they were not erected by the Danes, as some have sup- posed, for they are to be found where the Danes never gained a footing; nor were they raised for bell-towers for spireless churches, for in tlie top there is no room for a bell to swing. Nor were they built for beacons, for many of them are in the lowlands. Another theory is, and one which is not without a The Vale of Aioca. 85 sliadow of reason, tliat they were intended as sanctuaries for the preservation of tlie sacred fire, in tlie days of the Piioene- cians. Mr. Thomas Moore is an advocate of this theory. He says, " as the worship of fire is known, unquestionably, to liave formed a part of the ancient religion of tlie country, the notion that these towers were originally fire-temples, appears the most 'jirobable of any that have yet been suggested. The part of the (Persian) temple called the Place of Fire, is accessible only to the priest ; and, on the supposition that our towers were, in like manner, temples in which the sacred flame was kept free from pollution, the singular circumstance of the entrance to them being rendered so difficult, by its great height from the ground, is at once satisfactorily explained ;" and tradition asserts that, "at daybreak, the priests of the fire-worshipers used to mount *to the top of the tower, and cry, 'Baal, Baal, Baal!' to the four quarters of tlie compass, by way of announcing the arrival of the sun, and summoning the faithful to prayer." Another theory is, that they are monuments raised over the dead, for it is afliirmed on good authority, that in all of them, that have been explored, human bones have been found under the foundation. But none of these theories are satisfying, and it yet remains for some one to solve the mystery. Glendelough Round Tower is one of the most perfect on the island. It stands near the seven churches, in tiio Vale of Avoca, and has an altitude of one hundred and ten feet, and aI)out fifty- one in circumference. It is now surrounded by graves and grave-stones. This old burying-ground is held in great rever- ence by the Romanists, because Saint Kevin is said to have prayed to Heaven, that all buried within the compass of the seven churches should 1)0 saved, or, at least, dealt favorably with on' the other side ! " I saw an aged beggar in my walk, And he was seated by the highway side.' X. l<4^ Glimpses or' Ireland. By Mc and O, you'll surely know, Trae Irishmen, they say, But if they lack both O and Mc, No Irishmen are they.-^lHO». HO has not heard of the bogs of Ireland ? In all i^arts of the island they are to be seen, iS^ and well that it is so ordered, for they afford T^a- ^" ^ cheap, healthful and pleasant fuel for the ^''-il poor. It is said, if all the bogs in Ireland Avere ^ brought together, they wovild cover a space of • over three millions of acres. The word "bog" is Irish, and means soft, marshy or swampy. They are not always situated in low lands, a'? some suppose, for often they are to be me^ with on the tops of hills and mountains. There are two kinds of bog, the wet and the dry, and these are of all depths, from a few inches, to thirty or forty feet. In the lowlands, the arable ground comes close to the edgo of Glimjiscs of Ireland. 87 the peat, and sometimes covers it for acres around. It is quite common, in some places, when the bog proper is used up,- to see the farmer digging down for several feet through the soil, in land adjacent to the bog, for the hidden treasure. In many parts of Ireland, particularly the north, the bogs have been used up, and the people are now compelled to burn coal. Many theories have been advanced to account for the for- mation of these bogs. Borne think that the land they cover was originally a dense lorest, and that tlie moss called Sphag- num palitstre, which IS more abunciant than all the other species, crept over the ground, and prevented the growth of all the other kinds of vegetation. In the coiu't^e of time, the forest trees decayed and fell, and were soon covered. over by this moss, which grows higher and higher from year to year, the new growth building upon the old, and now, after the lapse of centuries, we have the result of this slow but steady work of the fungus moss. Another theory is, that during the reign of Richard the Second of England, it was discovered that the forests of Ireland, were the strongholds of the natives, rendering the island difficult of oonquest. So the king, in order to have these strongholds destroyed, gave to all his Eng- lish subjects, who would go over and settle in Ireland, as much land as th&y would fell the wood upon. The offer was a very Hberal one, and was embraced by many, who in their desire to extend their acres, made provision for the future wants of Ireland. If this theory be true, how shall we ac- count for the bogs of England, France and America r In the county of Lancaster, England, is the Chatmoss bog, which is six miles long and three miles broad, and contains seven 88 RamUes through the British Isles. thousand acres. The great peat marsh of Montoire, in France, is said to have a circumference of fifty leagues. In Virginia and North Carolina are immense bogs, also in New England and Canada. Another theory is, that they were founded during Noah's flood, which is about as satisfactory a way of accounting for them as the two former. The true theory, I think, has yet to be made known. One thing in connection with peat or bog, which is remarkable, and worthy of note, is its ^>rese?'i)a^i«<3 proxiertij. In all the bogs of Ireland are to be foui^d trees of different kinds, the oak and the fir being the most common. The oak, which, by some chemical process, has become black as ebony, is now much used in the manufacturing of ladies' ornaments. Several instances are on record, where bodies that had been buried for centuries in the bogs, when discovered, presented the appearance of persons just deceased, tlie form, hair and color of the skin, as natural as life. In the year 1 747, the body of .a female was taken from a bog in Lincolnshire. Uj)on the feet were shoes or sandals, each cut out of a single piece of hide, and fastened around the ankle with an iron pike. Implements of warfare and husbandry, also the bones of animals, of which no mention has been made in history or tradition, have been discovered. Ireland seems actually filled with beggars ; one Avould suppose that as the work of emigration has been going on for over fifty years, it would now be pretty well cleared of them, but this is not so. They meet you wherever you go, on every street, walk, and highway, and such beggars as are no whei-c else to be Glimpses of Ireland. 89 seen — so ragged, and so importunate, that they seldom fiul to call out from every stranger, feelings of pity and compassipn Khol, tlio German writer, lias so graphically and truthfully p ctured the customs of the Irish poor, that to attempt better- ing it, would be simply absurd. "As an Irishman seems to live in a house as long as it rema.ns habitable, and then aban- dons it to its fate, so he drags the same suit of clothes about with him as long as the threads will hold together. In other countries there are poor people enough, who but seldom exchange their old habilaments for new, but then they endeavor to keep their garments, old as they are, in a we iralale condi- tion. The poor Russian peasant, compelled to do so by his climate, sews patch upon patch to his sheepskin jacket, and even the poorest will not allow his nakedness to peer through the apertiu-es of his vestment, as is frequently seen in Ireland, among those who are far above the class of beggars. In no country is it held di- graceful to wear a coat of a coarse tex- ture, but to go about in rags is nowhere allowed but in Ireland, except to those whom the extreme of misery has plunged so deeply into despair, that they lose all thought of decorum. In Ireland, no one appears to feel offended or surprised at the sight of a naked elljow or bare leg. " There is something quite peculiar in Irish rags. So thor- oughly worn away, so completely reduced to dust upon a human body, no such are elsewhere to bo seen. At the elbows, and at all the other corners of the body, the clothes hang like the drooping petals of a faded rose ; the edges of the coat are formed into a sort of fringe, and often it is quite impossible to distinguish the inside from the outside of the coat, or the 90 Rainhk's ihrou(jh the IJritinh Ides. sleeves from the body. The legs and arms are at last unable to find their accustomed way in and out, so that the drapery is every morning disposed after a new fashion, and it might appear a wonder how so many varied fragments are held to- gether by their various threads, were it not perfectly a matter of indifference, whether the coat be made to serve for breeches. or the breeches for coat. What in the eyes of a stranger gives so ludicrous an effect to the rags of an Irish peasant, is the circumstance that his national costume is cut after the fashion of our gala dress, of the coats worn among us at balls and on state occasions. The humbler classes, with us, wear either straight frock coats, or when at work, short round jackets. In Glimpses of Ireland. 91 Belgium, France, and some other countries, tlie working men have a very suitable costume in their Nouses, and a very simil3,r garment, the smock frock, is worn in most of the rural districts in England. Paddy, on the other hand, seems to have thought the blouse, or short jacket, not elegant enough for him, so he has selected for his national costume, the French company dress coat, with its high useless collar, its swallow tail hauging down belund, and the- breast open in front. With this coat he wears short knee breeches, with stockings and shoes, so that, as far as the cut of his clothes is concerned, he appears always in full dress, like a rale gciitlemcm. Now, it is impossible tliat a working man could select a costume more unsuitable to him, or more absurd to look upon. It affoi-ds no protection against the weather, and is a constant hindrance to him in his work, yet it is genertdly prevalent through the island. It is said that a mass of dress-coats are constantly imported from Eng- land, where the working classes never wear them. If so, the lowness of the price at which they are sold may have induced the Irish peasants to purchase these cast off habllaments, and, laying aside their original costume, which cannot but have been more suitable, to mount the dunghill in a coarse and tat- tered French ball costume. The fact, however, is, that most of these coats are not imported, but are made in the country of a coarse gray cloth called ' frieze,' from which the coats themselves derive the name of "fi-ieze coats.' It is only on Sunday, and among the wealthier peasants, that the frieze coat is seen in its complete form, with four buttons behind, and six in front. On working-days, not only the buttons are wantinfr, but the whole gear resolves itself ihto that indescrib- 92 Rambles through the British Isles. able condition, of whicli I have endeavored to communicate some notion. Often the one-half of the swallow-tail is gone, and the other half may be seen drooping in widowed sorrow over its departed companion, whom it is evidently prepared to follow at no very distant day. It seems never to occur to the owner, when one of these neglected flaps hangs suspended, only by a few threads, that half a dozen stitches would renew its connection with the parent coat, or that one bold cut would, at all events, i)ut it out of its lingering misery. No, morning, after morning, he draws on the same coat, with the tail drooping in the same pity-inspiring condition, till the doomed fragment drops at last of its own accord* and is left lying on the spot where it fell. "The head gear harmonizes with the ball-room suit. Paddy scorns to wear a waterproof cap,but in its place he dons a strange caricature of a beaver or silk hat, that many a time and oit- how often heaven alone knows — has been reduced to a com- plete state of solution by the rain, and then been allowed to dry again into -some new and unimagined shape. How mil- lions of working men can have endured, for so many years, to wear so inconvenient and absurd a head-dress, is quite incon- ceivable to me, and utterly irreconcilable to that sound, com- mon sense by which the masses are generally characterized. Paddy, it must be owned, pinches and flattens and twists the uncomfortable appendage into a fashion of his own. He dashes up the brim away from his face in front, while behind it soon hangs in festoon fashion. The crown in time falls in, but being deemed an important part of the concern, is kept in its place for some^time longer by the aid of a packing thread. GUm])S('s of Ireland. 93 The crown goes, liowevtr, at last, and the hat, one would then suppose, would be deemed useless ; no such thing, the owner Avill coutinue to wear it for a year or two afterwards, by way of ornament. It is impossible for a stranger to see a peasant at his work, thus accoutred, like a decayed dancing master, and not be tempted to laugh at so whimsical an apparition : I say Avhimsical, for in his deepest misery Paddy has always so much about him that i3 whimsical, that you can sc.ircely help laugh- ing, even when your heart is bleedmg for him." Pauperism is popular in Ireland, and begging is not looked upon as disgraceful. The cruel treatment which many of the peasants receive from the hand of the landlord,seems to be reason and license enough why they should present themselves in the most squalid and frightful forms before the public. "Workhouses, and poor farms have accomplished but little for Ireland, and there is no sight so hated and detested by the beggars as that of oneot these institutions. Such houses have a language which is well understood by the ijoor: they speak first of all, of a good washing and scrubbing, of clean "cloth- ing, of regular habits, of labor for the strong and able-bodied — and therefore they arc loathed by the pauper, who has become wedded to his unwashed state, his rags, and his idle life. ^mMmimm^'^ ^—-i^^^ I..:' ''/^^m'i*id)«SfMI! "'iii \V*'t!;-* XI. My Childhood Hojie. This fond attachment to the well-known place, "VYlience first wu started into life's long race, Maintaining its hold with such unfailing sway. We feellt e'en In age, and at our latest day. — Cou-pc PJ^-'^/r^^o^oyvgOME is a, word we all love. Home of our '/^"y-^^'^^^ childhood, our early home. How affection M^S^r^^fesV clings to its memories ! The picture of its "^■' "'(^ ); fe quiet surroundings is ever refreshing. We remember the briglit faces, w^ldch made sunshine for us; the windows through wdiich we first looked out upon the world ; the scenery that painted its bright colors upon the canvas of our youthful minds ; the hills and valleys, lakes and rivers ; the open field and shadowy woodland, the oj'chard and garden, where we were wont to gambol, the blazing fire, the evening tale, the well-worn Bible, and its companion in years — the hymn-book ; 96 RamUes through the Britkh Isles. tlie devotions oflered at the family-altar, the lessons of instruc- tion, the social gathering, and the walk to church, are images that live in memory — they follow us into the busy cares of lite, making sunshine all along our pilgrimage-journey! " The free, fair homes of England Long, long in hut and hall. May hearts of native proof be rear'd, To guard each hallowed wall I And green forever he the groves, And bright the flowery sod. Where first the child's glad spirit loves Its country and its God I " No one but he who has been away from the home of his childhood, and again returns, after an absence of many years, can fully realize the varied emotions that rise in the breast, on visiting the time-honored spot — emotions too big for utterance well up within the soul while gazing on the old familiar scenes of by-gone days. Having gazed at the many memorable places, in and around Londonderry, and the Giant's Causeway, I turned my face homeward. The morning was clear and pleasant, and the ride from the Causeway to Port Rush, xia jaunting-car, braced me up for the journey of the day. The country between Port Rush and Belfast, is rich in pleasing- scenery. Every two or three miles of the waj^, we passed through a little village or town, and after a brief stop, out again among the green and golden fields — many of which seemed cultivated with the care of a garden. Now we pass a handsome cottage or farm-house, looking jjrosperity, and anon a costly mansion, speaking cf luxury and ease, wliile here and there among the hills and on the roadside, ajipeared huts as Ml/ Childhood Home. 07 miserable looking', as were needed, to make up a varied picture. Near Belfast, we pai^sed bj' one of the largest lakes in tlic British Isles — Lough Neagh. It is said to be fifteen Ii'isli miles in length, and nine in breadth. It is surrounded by live of the wealthiest counties of Ireland, and were it not for the marshes by which it is beset on every side, might be called l)cnutiful. Many curious and note-worthy traditions are held in relation to the origin of this lake. One is, that in the sixth century an earthquake threw up a barrier of rock in the river Toome, which stopped the flow of the wa!er, causing it to over- flow, and so forming the Lough. Another is, that it is the work of the renowned Finn McCool, who for some cause not known, scooped out a handful of earth, and cast it into the sea. Thus he became at once the father of Lough Neagh, and the builder of the Isle of Man ! The third theory is, that Saint Patrick, having bestowed miraculous healing virtue to the water of a certain well, which Avas free to all who complied with the condition of keeping it covered with a flat stone, it so happened, on one occasion, that an unfortunate woman failed to comply with tlie said saint's request, and in consequence, the waters burst out and followed her just the length of the lake, when she becoming exhausted fell, and was overtaken by the angry element, which gave her a watery grave, and at the same time a lasting monu- ment. Another theory is, that where is now the lake, once stood a flourishing city, in which were many churches and round towers, which on a certain night disappeared, the lake taking 98 Ramhles through the British Isles. its place. This legend has been embodied in verse by the Ii-ish bard, Mr. Thomas ]\Ioore : " On Lough iSTeagh's 'banks, as the fisherman strays, When the clea'', cold eve's reclining, He sees the round towers of other days, In the waves heneath him shining." The evening shades were thickening into night, just as I came in sight of the natal cottage. Every thing was still and quiet — ^mt my heart. The hour for slumber had fully come, and yet my aged parents still lingered around the blazing fire, long past their accustomed hourfor retiring; they could not tell why, until I entered — when the cause, with them, was clear as noon-day. Tlie scene which took place on going into the house beggars descriiJtion. I can only compare it with the reception given to the wanderer of old. The arms of love were extended, the fatted calf was killed, joy became vocal, feasting and songs of gratititde filled the old mansion. " 'Tis sweet to hear the watch-dog's honest "bark, Bay deep-raouth'd welcome as we draw near home ! 'Tis sweet to know there is an eye will mark Our coming, and look brighter when we come." Near my early home is the town of Newry. Tliis iDlace is supposed to have derived its name from the numerous yew- trees, which once adorned it — 7ui yur, the yew-tree — from which came " the newries," and lastly Newry. In enterprise it stands next to Belfast, and is situated at the head of Carling- ford Bay ; on the east of it are the Mourne Mountains, keeping watch, and on the west, the counties Louth and Armagh, both rich in picturesque scenery. Tlie population of Newry is about My Childhood Rome. 99. twenty thousand— half of which is Protestant. IMuch of (lie city is built on low ground, and when the we:itiu;r is d:inip or rainy — which is the case about two-thirds of the time — the streets seem to call for the labor of a scavenger at every cross- ing. Doubtless this was the condition of things at the time Dean Swift visited the place ; at any rate, we think he must have felt much out ot sorts with the city or people, or he never would have written the couplet, " High church, and low stecjilo, Dirly streets, and proud people." A few miles from Newry down the l.)ay, is situated the New- port of Ireland — cahed Warren Point. This is the most popular watering-place in the North. Its surroundings are very attractive, and do not fail to call out, during the summer months, a full quota from city, hamlet, town, and country. A little f irther east, lying in the heel of the bay, is the little village of Rosstrevor, calmly resting under the shadow of Slicve Donard. Here is the Ross monument, a quaint obelisk, erected to the memory of General Ross, a distinguished officer in the American war of 1812, who fell in a battle near the city of Baltimore. One of the pleasantest days of my stay in Ireland, was spent on the mountain which overhangs Rosstrevor. For my especial benefit, a pic-nic party was arranged, by my Newry friends — cousins, A. D. G. H. L., &c., and at quite an early hour in the day, two parties might haye been seen apiiroaching the quiet village — one by boat and the other b}' jaunting-car. At the base of the mountain the parties met, and in company began the journey to the airy height. The mountain is covered with a 100 RambUs through the British Isles. dense forest, two-thirds of the way up, so that our walk was under shadowy trees, of almost every species common to the island. " I have loved the rural walk through lanes Of grassy swath close cropt by nibbling sheep." Before we reached that part of the mountain where the canopy of trees would no longer be over us, we rested on a beautiful mossy patch of ground, in the center of which was ■ spread out a snow-white cloth, and upon it lay temptingly arranged all the luxuries of the season. After partaking of the sumptuous repast, we continued our journey toward the sum- mit. Soon we reached the object of greatest attraction on the mountain, " Cloughmore." This is an immense block of granite, of perhaps one hundred tons weight, and is thought to have had something of a place in Druidical rites, in the years of the past. How it came to occupy its present position, is somewhat a mystery. Tliat it could have been placed where it now stands, by the power of man, is beycmd probability — a probability which none but the Ii-ish could think possible. But as all the wonders of Ireland are supposed to have been brought abput by the giants, so tra- dition says that Finn McCool, having been challenged by a big Highland giant to fight, accepted, and longed for the day to come, when he should be after giving broken bones to the kilted upstart. The day on which they were to meet having come, the Scotch giant was observed by Finn from a neighbor- ing hill, walking about on Slieve Donard, in full readiness for the work for which he crossed the channel. Before crossing the Carlingford Bay Avhich lay between, them, Finn picked up My Childhood Home. 101 " Clonuhmore," which to him -was but a pebble, and flung it at his loe, but not being a good marksman, the stone did not strike the Highlander, but fell at his feet, on the spot where it now lies. At this act of McCool's, the Scottish giant aban- doned the field, and hastened back to the shelter of his own native hills. Tills '• Cloughmorc,"' or " big stone," as tlie meaning of the word imports, is visited almost every day during tlie summer months by pic-nic and other pleasure-seeking parties, and here many a gentle word has been breathed into lady's ear from the days of "auld lang syne." By the hands ot visitors and tourists, the old stone has been shamefully marred and scarred. On its sides are names and dates enough to fill a book. It is said of Bonaparte, when on a visit to the picture- gallery of Soult with D'enon, he was struck with one of Eaftaelle's pictures, which D'enon complimented with the term "immortal." "How long may it last?" asked Napoleon. " Well, some four or five hundred years longer," said D'enon. "Belle immortalite ! " said Bonaparte, disdainfully, and so of the immortality which men gain by carvias their names upon " Cloughmore," it may be said, "Belle immortalite!' S^' ^- ^1%' :i XII. Ieelaxd Mm IHE Irish. The harp that once through Tara's The soul of music shed, Now hangs as mute on Tara's walls, As if that soul were fled. — Moore. s^'Ty^l^'^C^ lAIE and space will not permit me to enter into ^ ' ^'^^raf -Aj. f a lengthy £yeoOfr-"o ^^EAVj^laces in the world, luive a more bloody liiitoiy than this hoary strong-hold. , , ^ «-' Julius, London's lastinsj sh.ime." r i. Y~y ^ history than this ' / ' £1 , - , A "Ye towers of . k/j^7^Ti^t On the north bank of tlie Thames, at thobot- >!l^ tom of Tower Hill, stands this irregular pile of buildings, called " London Tower." What a crowd of '■Oj^/ awful deeds rush upon the memory, at the very men- tion of the name. Here, kings, queens, statesmen, patriots, l)liil()sophers, poets and martyrs, suffered imprisonment — and many of them deatli of the mo.-t cruel form. Indeed, tliere is scarcely a single great event in English history, in which tliis horrid prison does not appear with its ghostly sliadow. After waiting for some time iu a little office within tlie entrance gate, until quite a company }iad ga hered, who Avishcd to see the Tower, we were conducted by a clown-looking warden, who in a luirried manner sliowod us from one place of interest to an- other, giving at the same time a rapid history of each room and 144 Rambles through the British Isles. object. The little apartment in which is kept the regalia, is of recent date, and is called the " Jewel House." To this place, in 1842, tlie jewels were removed ; formerly they were kept iu another part of the tower. Here are no less than five crowns ! Oh, what a world of trouble has this group of royal trash brought aljout ? Victoria's crown, which is simply a purple velvet cap, with silver bands, surmounted by ball and cross, and studded with diamonds, is said to be worth one and a quarter million pounds sterling. There too, are four or five scepters of gold, and two swords, one called the sword of Mercy, and the other the sword of Justice ; also a golden wine foun- tain and baptismal service, for the use of the royal family ; the value of the whole is said to Ije about twenty millions of dollars ! After all, crowns and scepters seem to be but trifling atiairs, to have caused so much teart-barning and bloodshed. How true are Milton's words — '■ A crown, Golden in show, is l)ut a wreath of thorns ; Bring? dangers, troubles, cares and sleepless nights To liim who wears the repeal diadem, When on his shoulders each man's burden lies ; For therein stands the office of a king, His honor, virtue, merit, and chief praise, That for the public all this weight he bears." Leaving this place, we pass into the Horse Armory, which is filled with specimens of old armor of field and fort. Here are the figures of the kings and knights of England on horseback, each dressed up in the armor worn under each successive reign, from the time of Edward I., A. D. 1273, to James H., 1685. In trout of the equestrian figures stand a number of bow and pike- Ty Tower of London. 145 men at arms. Behind is a large collection, from the 15th, IGtli ami 17th centuries. The most magnificent armor is that worn by the effig-y of Henry YHI. Farther on, we saw a horrid machine for binding together the head, hands and feet. This devilish instrument was often put into practice during Henry VHI.'s day. One prisoner by the name of Miagh, was the subject of its torture ; on the wall of the cell, in which he was confined are the following lines : " Thomas Miagh, which lieth here alone, Tliat faine ■would from hence begone. By torture strange my truth was tried, Yet of my liberty denied." Also the block on which was laid the heads of so m:iny j^oljle men and women, who feared not them who liad only power to kill the body, and after that had no more that they could do. And here, too, is shown the axe used in the bloody work. At the upper end of the room is an equestrian figure of Queen Elizabeth, clothed in the same attire worn by her when she went to St. Paul's to return thanks for her deliverance from the Spanish Armada: • " Now glory give to God on highjivho saved our church and state From Rome's degrading tyranny, and Philip's jealous hate; And honor to our good Queen Bess, and honor ever more, To Howard, Lord Effingham, and all who guard our shore." We next visited the Tower Chai^el, and on our way to it, we passed over a paved space, in which is ni;uked, by a small brass plate, the very s2')ot Avhere kings, queens, lords and 146 Rambles throuyh the British Isles. knights were executed ; formerly tlie space was covered with grass, except that spot onwhich it is reported nothing would grow. This was the green mentioned by Sir Thomas More, as the place where Hastings was brought from the Council Chamber, in the white Tower, " and there, without time for confession or repent- ance, his head was struck off upon a log of timber." The Chapel is a little, plain stone buildmg of great antiquity, said to have been built in 1273. In its vaults are the bodies of many distinguished dead. Here sleeps the dust of Thomas Cromwell, put to death by Henry VH. ; of Queen Catherine Howard ; of Lady Jane Grey, and her husband, Lord Guilford. When Lady Jane was being led forth to the green for execution, history says, she met the headless corpse of her husband, which tliey were carrying in a cart to the Chapel ; when she ex- claimed : " O ! Guilford, Guilford, the antepast is not so bitter that thou hast tasted, and which I shall soon taste, as to mak? my flesh tremble ; it is nothing compared to the feast of which we shall partake this day in heaven;" and with firm pace she went on toward the block. The executioner 2)utfortli his hand to assist ill disrobing, Ijut she told him to let her alone, and turning to two of her waiting maids, she gave them the gar- ment with as much composure, as if in her own chamber. Hav- ing bound a handkerchief about her eyes, she laid down her head upon the block and exclaimed : " Lord, into thy hands I commend my spirit." Under the chapel, we were shown the cell in which Sir Wal- ter Raleigh spent thirteen years, and where he wrote his "His- tory of England." Over the entrance, is the following inscrip- tion : *' He that endureth to the end shall be saved. Be faith- ful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life." The 'Tower of London. 1-47 During liis la^t iiiglit in the cell, tlio night before hi:^ execu- tion, he -wr^e the following on the ))lank leaf oi his Bible ; , "Even such is Time, that t;ikc8 oil trust, Our youth, our joys, ourivll we have. And pays us, but with aac anil dusk ; Who in the dark and silent grave When we haw wandered all our ways. Shuts up the story of our days 1 " Passing from the chapel, we entered the White Tower : tliis is the room once occupied as council chamber ; it is very large ; the roof is supported with two rows of oaken beams, with windows 0:1 one side and arches on the other; of the rudest con- struction. In it, some of the most important events of English history, and the most bloody deeds of English tyranny, have taken place. Here it was that the deposition of weak-kneed Richard II. was enforced, and which is so well described by Shakspeare, I will give his w^ords: " I give this heavy weight from ofl' my head. And this unwieldy scep'ter from my hand ; The pride of kingly atvay from out my heart ; Wi h mine own tears I wash away my halm. With mine ovm hands I irfve away my crown. With mine own tongue deny my sacred state, With mine own breath release all duteous oaths ; All pomp and majesty I do forswear ; My manors, rents, revenues I do forego ; My acts, decrees, and statutes I deny : God pardon all oaths that are broken to me ! God keep all oaths unbroken that are made to thee 1 Make me that nothing have, with nothing grieved ; And thou with all pleased, that hast all achieved I Long mayest thou live i i Richard's seat to sit. 148 Rambles through the British Isles. And soon lie Richard in an earthen pit I God eave king Henry, unkinged Richard says, • And send him many years of sunshine days I " A few steps from here, is a small room, having but one little window, which looks out ixpon the Traitor's gate ; in this cham- ber "the child king and his brother" were cruelly put to death, by their fiendish uncle. Sir Thomas More gives an ac- count of it — a part of which will not be without interest. His account is as follows: "King Eichard III., after his cor- onation, taking his way to Gloucester, to visit in his new- honor the town of which he bore the name of old, devised as he rode to fulfill that thing which he had before intended. And forasmuch as his mind misgave him that his nephews living, men would not reckon that he would have right to the realm, he thought, therefore, without delay to rid them; as though killing of his kinsmen might aid his cause and make him kindly king. Thereupon, he sent John Green; whom he specially trusted, unto Sir Robert Brakenbury, Constable of the Tower, with a letter and credence also, that the same Sir Robert, in any wise, should put the two children to death. This John Greene did his errand to Brakenbury, kneeling be- fore our Lady in the tower, who plainly answered that he would never put them to death to die therefoi-e. With which answer Gk-eene returned, recounting the same to King Eichard at "Warwick, yet on his journey; wherewith he took such dis- pleasure and thought, that the same night he said to a secret page of his, ' Oh ! whom shall a man trust ? They that I have brought up myself, they that I thought would have most surely served me, even those fail, and at my commandment I The Tower of Londo)i. 149 will do nothing for mo.' 'Sir,' quotli tlio pngc, 'tlioro livelh one in the pallet chamber without, tU;il I dure will say, to do your yrace pleasure : tlio thing were right liard that lie would refuse,' meaning by this Sir James Tyrell. Th s man was seen and tempted, and the result was that he devised that they should be murdered in their beds, and no blood shed ; to the execution whereof he appointed Miles Forrest, one of the four that beiore kept them, a fellow fresh-bred i\\ murdtr be- fore times ; and to him he joined one John Dighton, his own horsekeeper, a big, broad, square and strong knave. Then, all tlie others being removed from them, this Miles Forrest and John Dighton, about midnight came into the chamber, and suddenly wrapped them up among the clothes, keeping down by force the feather bed and pillows hard upon their niouths, that within a while they smothered and stifled them, and their breaths failing, they gave up to God their innocent souls into the joys of heaven, leaving their tormentors their bodies dead in bed ; after which, the wretches laid them out upon the bed, and fetched Tyrell to seethem: and when he was satisfied of their death he caused the murderers to bury them at the stair foot, neatly deep in the ground, under a great heap of stones:" The same is graphically pictured by Shakspeare in his life and death of Richard III. Act IV., Scene III. "The tyrannous andMoorly net is dono, The most arch deed or piteous massacre, That ever yet this land was guilty of. Dighton ai^ Forrest whom I did suborn To do this piece of ruthful butchery, Albeit they were fleshed villains, bloody dogs, Melted with tenderness and mild compassion, 11 150 Ramlles through the British Isles. Wept like two children in their death's sad story. ♦ O 1 thus,' quoth Dighton, ' lay the gentle babes, ' — ' Thus, thus,' quoth Forrest, girdling one another Within their alabaster innocent arms ; Their lips -were four red roses on a stalk, And in their Buinraer beauty kissed each other, A book of praytrs on theirpillow lay ; ' Which once, ' quoth Forrest, 'almost changed my mind; But, O I the devil ' there the villain stopp'd ; When Dighton thus told on,— 'we smothcrtid The mostrepleiiished sweet work of nature, Th.it from the prime creation, e't r she fram'd. Hence both are gone ; wiih conscience and remorse T.iey could not speak; and so I left them both, To bear this tidings to the bloody king." At tlie end of the passage, whicli leada from the outer door to the front of the circular staircase, is pointed out tlie spot where the children, wtre buried. In 1674, their bones were discovered, and by the order of Charles II., were inclosed in a marble urn, which now stands in Henry YII.'s Chapel, Wo-t- minster Abbey. During the reign of Henry YIII., many eminent prisoners were incarcerated in Bucamp Tower. Here Sir Thomas More spent some time, and amid all the gloom and horrid scenes by which he was surrounded, it is said, he maintained his accus- tomed buoyancy of spirit, and playfulnessof manner. When he first entered, being asked by the porter, which was the cus- tom, for his uppermost garment, as a fee, meaning his coat. Sir Thomas took off his cap, and han&ing it to him said: "This is my uppermost garment, 1 wish it were better for your sake." And when he was led forth to the scafi:bld, he re- The Tower of London. 151 marked to tlie executiouer, as he laid his head ou the block, *' Prythee, let me put my beard aside, for that hath never com- mitted treason." Within these gloomy walls were incarcerated, for a time, Cranmer, Ridley and Latimer. Beneath this tower is the famous passage to the Thames, l)y which State prisoners were carried to and from Whitehall and Westminster, called the " Traitor's Gate." " On through that gate misnamed, through which before Went Sidney, Kussell, Kaleigh, Oranmer, More." It was while passing imder this dark archway that the strength of Thomas Cromwell gave way. Here, in this gloomy strong- hold, he who was the chief agent in the overthrow of the Papal supremacy was confined. Having offended the King, he was imprisoned on a charge of high treason, and, notwithstanding the most humble supplications for mercy, was beheaded in 1540. During his confinement he addressed the following letter to the King, which is said to have brought tears to Henry's eyes : " I, a most useful prisoner, am ready to submit to death when it shall please God and your majesty ; and yet the frail flesh invites me to call to your grace for mercy and pardon of mine offences. Written at the'Tower with a heavy heart and trem- bling hand of your highness's most miserable prisoner and poor slave, Thomas Cromwell. Most gracious prince, I cry for mercy ! mercy ! mercy ! " Thus in this place have perished, icithoiit mercy, many of England's proudest sons and foirest daughters, the date of whose sufferings mark the outlines of the nation's history. *• •I XVI. The Eoyal Hoiie. High in the midst, upon his urn reclined, His sea-green mantle waving with the wind, The G-od apjieared; he turned his azure eyes Where "Windsor-domes and pompous turrets rise, Then bow'd, and spoke : the winds do roar, And the hush'd waves glide softly to the shore. —Pope '^^:^i K INDSOR CASTLE is truly a royal building, and worthy of the country. It bears tlie aspect of firmness and durability, beyond any ^ 3?= I have seen — and ii just far enouoh from the ' ^ ^ * city to ^ free from its noise and smoke. About ^ one hour's ride from London, by rail, lirought me to ,^^ the palace. The country -which intervenes, is under •i!/ Lucas. Passing on, we enter the Elgin Department, in which are many beauti- ful specimens of sculpture from the Parthenon. Oh, if these lifeless stones could but speak, what tales they might unfold I Passing hurriedly through tlie Lyceum room, in which are sculptured slabs, tombs, lions' heads, winged lions, and jiillars covered with inscriptions — all of which are in the neighbor- hood of three thousand years old — ^e come to the Nimrod 162 Rambles through the British Isles. Saloon; in which are specimens of Sculpture from the ruins of ancient Nineveh. Most prominent among them, are the stone slabs, ou •which scenes are sculptured in very low relief. One is a battle scene ; another a beseiged town ; another a besieged castle, and another a lion hunt — all of them representations of some excitement. Ascending the grand staircase, and taking a hun-ied glance at the Zoological and Mineralogical departments — which are called the finest in the world — we pass on to the western gal- leries. Here are many curious things, among which are mum- mies, that were mummies prior to the days of Moses ! Some of them are partly unrolled, and others entirely exposed. The skin bears the appearance of tanned leather, of an olive tint, and the teeth, hair and features, in some are quite perfect. " If that -withered tongue Might tell us what those sightless orbs have secii, How the world look'd when it was fresh and young, And the great deluge still had left it green ; Or was it then so old, that historj-'s i ages Contained no record of its early ages ? Still silent, uncommunicative elf? Art sworn to secrecy ? then keep thy vows ; But, prythee, tell us something of thyself. Reveal the secrets of thy prison house I Since in the world of epirits thou hast slumbered, What hast thou seen, what strange adventures numbered ? Since first thy form was in the box ejrtfndcd, We have, above ground, seen some strange mutations — The Roman empire has begun and ended. New worlds have risen, v e have lost old nations ; And countless kings have into dust been humbled. While not a fragment of thy flesh has crumbled 1" llic British Museum. 1G3 There is one, said to be the Priestess of Amcra; she is \vrai)i)ed. iu liuon, which is ornameated with the likenesses of the Egypt- ian gods. Here are wooden figures brought from tombs; bronze and porcelain figures, used at private worship ; and here are strange looking figures, half man and half brute — household gods. In the bronze room are the family and do- mestic deities of the Komans, with any amount of trinkets, and ancient ornaments. From this we puss into the Ethnographical department, in which are represented the dili'erent nations of men, their man- ners, customs, arts and implements. Passing out of this de- partment, I next visited that part of the museum which I most desired to see — the Uhrary. It contains over a million of volumes, ten thousand maps, thirty thousand manuscripts and about five thousand parchments. In the Great Library, the wails are lined with book-cases from the floor to the ceiling. Here are the original manuscripts of Tasso, Pope's Iliad, the works of " rare Ben Jonson ; " also letters written by Napo- leon, Catharine de Medici, Peter the Great, Nelson, Mary, Queen of Scots, Washington, Bacon, Locke, Newton, Addison, Fra7iklin, Calvin, Luther, Cranmer, Latimer, Shakspeare, and others of like fame. In the king's library — the gift of George IV. — are many rare books, some of wliich are worth more than their weight in gold. Most of the volumes in this depart- ment are elegantly bound, though some of them begin to show the wear of years. In the center of the room, are table cases, holding books of the rarest kind, which are laid open, so that the paper, tj'pe, and manuscript additions, can be seen, but not touched. One is the first printed edition of Dante, dated 164 Ramhles through the British Isles. 1473. Another is a copy of Virgil, in Italic tj-pe. Kext is a French romance of "Les Quatre Fitz Ayman," printed in 1480. Close to it, is a Hebrew Commentary on Daniel, printed in Asia, in 1489. And here is a Mazarine Bible, as it is called, printed by Guttenberg and Faust, at Mentz, which is the earliest printed book now known. One department that I must not fail to mention, is the Beading Room. This is a rotunda, one hundred and forty feet in diameter, and of a height nearly equal. Here are seats, desks, and writing materials, to accom- modate over five hundred persons. In the center of this room, is a desk, containing a catalogue of the library in manuscript, which numbers over three hundred folio volumes. To this grand library, are admitted the high and the low, the citizen and the stranger, without money and without price ! Po^(.i show5 til xvin. Crystal Palace — The World in a Nut Shell. High on a hill far blazing, as a mount Raised on a mount, with pyramids, and towers, From diamond-quarries hewn, and rocks of gold. —Milton, N less than thirty minutes, after taking my seat ^ in one of the steam-cars at Victoria Station, ^ I found myself at the entrance of this beauti- /"-, ,5v^5v^^_^ ful palace. Before reaching the main buikl- ' i-,- Hi^'- /' 1 ing, I passed throuijh a glass colonnade, almost r'^^'lr^^ eight hundred feet in length, on each side of I i it'j which are flowers and shrubs of every variety, filling ViiJi^il) the air with most delicious fragrance. After entering, I stood for some time looking around me", and never shall I forget what commingled feelings of vastness, splendor, and novelty, burst upon my mind ! Tliis, as far as 12 ^ . 166 RamUes through the British Isles. appearance is concerned, indeed, might well be callei a second Paradise. Here, nature and art combine to make a perfect pictm-c of life and beauty ; and so numerous are the objects of attraction, that it would be absurd to attempt anything beyond a faint outline description. To see the Crystal Palace as it should be seen, one ought to stay here, not less than a week ; and yet a fair proportion of it may be seen, by the hurried traveler, in one or two days— if he make good use of his eyes. The Ijuilduig is com2:)osed wholly of iron and srlass, and in winter is heated by means ot hot water. It covers seven hun- dred and forty-three thousand, six hundred and fifty-nine superficial feet of ground, cost over seven million dollars, and is a marvellous achievemeut of human genius, skill and taste. The name of Paxt«n will not soon be forgotten ; his triuni]-)u in the construction of this crystalline castle, is glory enough, for one man to carry. A few of the sights on the first floor, are worthy of notice. The popular promenade of the palace, is the main aisle, which is very broad and beautiful. In the middle of the transept, which is the center of the building, is one of the handsomest fountains I ever looked at. It is composed of glass, and so constructed that the water, after ascending to a height of about thirty feet, is caught in its descent by a succession of glass basins, which do not retain it long, but pass it front one to another in silver spray, until it reaches the magic lake at its b'lse. Here too, are several large elm trees, from two to three hundred feet in height — which add not a little to the scene. In the Egyptian court, are sculptured lions from the Nile, The World in a Nut Shell. 1G7 cohunns of celebrated temples, some of them, said to date back tbiitoeu huutbed years before CUrist ; tombs and ligm-es of the great and forgotten of the jjast, ornaments and hideous-looking nnagmarj- creatm-es, taken froin the palaces of Senuecharib, Nebuchadnezzar, and Semiramis. From these we pass into the Grecian court, in -which is a part of a Greek agora, (or public-square), with its porch and pillars ; here also is a model of the Parthenon, and the temple of Neptune, paneled ceiling, fashioned after the temple of Apollo, and many pieces of wcU-wi'ought antique sculi)ture, which cast mto the background all the samples from other " lanils. In the Roman section, are models of the outer wall of the Coliseum and the ancient Forum ; also, several well-executed copies of the great works of Michajl Angclo, Bcnevento, Cellini, and others. Having satisfied myself in the courts of the ancients, I spent some time in looking at the wild animals, birds, and fish. One thing, with which I was highly jileased, is the profusion of trees, shrubs, and flowers, iirom all jjarts of the world. Among the trees, I might mention the orange, the palm, the date, the olive, and the cedar from Lebanon. And m the midst of these trees, shrubs and flowers — most ingeniously arranged — are specimens, cast in bronze, of diflercnt nations of men, beasts, and' reptiles — all life-hke. Ascending a stairway, in the south end of the building, I found myself in the picture-gallery. Among the oil-paintings, which number over eleven hundred, I could have spent a week ; each one in itself is a study, and I regretted much that my time was so limited, that I could only give them a passing look. 168 Rambles through the British Isles. Next is one, entitled the "Lullaby," bi/ Mrs. E. Brotmihno King. None but a woman, with a mother's soul, could have painted such a master-piece. " Let music mingle with the mother's smiles, Lulling her habe to Bleep with songs at even : Songs that will he remembered in the day When the child's flaxen locks have turned to gray." Farther on, is " Isabel," by E. T. Haynes. This is a paint- ing before which even the hurried visitor cannot help but pause : '• Eyes not downcast nor o'er bright, but fed With the clear pointed flame of chastity; Clear without heat, undying, tended by Pure vestal thoughts, in the transcendent flame Of her still spirit." There is one, by HuysThans, "The Eruption of Vesuvius, A. d. 79, in which Pliny was destroyed." Of the old philosopher, history says, " In spite of warnings, Pliny remained near the mountain during the night, the better to observe the eruption, which during the obscurity, appeared to be one continual blaze. * * * * " At last the fire approached the place where the philoso- pher made his observations. Pliny endeavored to fly before it ; but though he was supported by two of his servants, he was unable to escape, and soon fell down, suffocated by the vapor that surrounded him." This is called, by many, the finest painting in the gallery. Among the water-colors, are some of rare loveliness. In one part of the collection, are seven superb copies of the celebrated ctu-toons of Raphael; they were painted by Antonio Verrio, The IVorhl in a Nut Shell. 109 about the year 1700, hy order of William III., avIio inlcndcd to Ki'iul them to Holland for the improvoment of his coiiiitryiuun, l>ut the king dying before they were finished; they were not stilt. A little farther south, is a very fine collection of copies from all the old masters — making even Addison say : '• Fain would I Rapliasl's godlike art rehearse, And show the immortal's labors in my verse : Where, from the mingled strength of shade and light, A new creation rises to my sight : Such heavenly figures from his pencil flow, So warm with l.fe his blended colors glow." The gardens, i^arks, and pleasure-grounds around the Crystal Palace, are all that might be expected. Here are fountains, large and small, making the air cool with their refreshing showers, and flowers from all lands filling it with their richest perfume. Scattered through the pleasure-grounds and gar- dens, are copies in bronze and stone, of the most celebrated sculpture of the world. Here is Francis, Hercules, the graceful Mercury of Thorwald- sen, the Venus of Milo, and the Paris Conova; here, also, are numerous allegorical statues, as of Glasgow, Liverpool, Belfast, ]\Ianchester, Sheffield, Birmingham; and of South America, Turkey, Greece, China, India, Russia, Canada, and the United States. AU around are beautiful temples, vases and urns, of various fashions and forips. As a whole, this fairy-like struc- ture, with its park, pleasure-grounds, gardens, and fountains ; its rich collection of sculpture, both ancient and modern ; its picture-galleries, combining the new and the old; its many wonders, trom near and far-off lands, is the j^ar excellence, the greatest sight in or about London — yea more, the greatest in the Avorld ! #- " Witli joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation." XIX. A Sabbath in London. Sabbatbs, like way-marks, cheer the pilgrim's path, His progress mark, and keep his rest in view. — Wilcox. (^%P )sjVATE on Saturday evening, I reached London, -) and was therefore unable to procure a ticket of admission to Spurgeon's Church. Sunday- morning having come, I left my hotel quite early, passed down to the river, where I went on ^ board one of the passenger boats, which in a few minutes took me to the London Bridge. The Tab- ernacle is a little more than a mile south of the On my way thither, I entered into conversation with a gentleman who was journeying in the same direction. Making some inquiry as to the location of the church, he bridoje. ^i tSdhhdfh in I.ondon. 171 tokl mo ho was a memljLT ol it ami was y,i>iu<^- there. I in- formed him of my dosirc to hear 8purgc()u, and that, being a stranger without a tieket, I entertained some fear about get- ting in. ''Well, sir," said he, " I will do all in my power, see- ing you have come so far, to obtain an entrauee for you ; but," he added, " 1 may fall, for, although a member, I am about as much-of a stranger to the door-keeper, as you will be." On coming in sight of the church, we saw quite a crowd as- sembled around the front entrance, who were biding their tmie, though almost an hour before the service was to com- mence. My friend took me to a door in the rear of the build- ing, before which was stationed a group of men, with bright buttons on their coats — their uniform giving them the appear- ance of a corps of our city policemen. To these door officials, I was introduced as an American, who was anxious to hear Mr, Spurgeon, when, with the greatest i^oliteness, they touched their hats to me, and said, '' Walk in, sir." I was told by my worthy guide, I had better secure a position in that part of the church, where I would like a seat. I did so and had not waited long, before a lady invited me, to take a seat in her pew, which I did with a right good will. The building has very little of the church appearance, and a stranger would be more likely to take it for a law court, or commercial edifice, than for a house of worship. It is an immense square structure, with entrance on both ends and on each side. The exterior of the building presents nothing verj^ attractive to the eye, except in the magnificent facade. The lofty frontage, supported by six Corinthian pillars, forms a noble jiortico, the ascent to which is made by a broad flight 172 Ramhics tlirouijh the British Isles. of steps. The grandeur and boldness of this part of the l3uild- ing are deserving of the highest praise, and ai-e, of their kind, altogether unrivaled. The length of the Tabernacle, on the outside, is two hundred feet ; its breadth is one hundi-ed and four feet. It is provided with sixteen doors, for the exit and entrance of the congregation, besides one or more private en- trances ; and it is lighted and ventilated by a number of hand- some windows and Louvre lights in the roof. The inside di- mensions of tbe chapel are one hundred and forty-six feet long, by eigbty-one feet wide; the height is sixty-two feet. The roof is concave ; the ceiling supported by sixteen iron shafts; the pillars being oriiamented with capitals, and united at the top by semicircular arches. There are two galleries of light iron-work, painted white, and relieved with gilding. The walls are painted a light green, and the pews are of an oak color, without doors. The rostrum is reached by a private staircase at the back, as well as by a double flight of stairs from the platform below. The baptistry is of white marble. The effect of the whole appearance of the building is exceed- ingly light and agreeable ; there is no extravagant display — no ostentatious ornament, neither is there any barrenness or show of poverty — every thing is well done, and the place is made to seat six thousand persons, with standing room for two thousand. A building such as this is unquestionably one of the sights of London, and it is well worthy of a visit on its own account, to say nothing of the minister. But a visitor who would ob- tain admission, had better procure the entree of a seat-holder, so as to secure an early admission ; failing in this, he must be -4 Suhhath in London. 173 content to go early, wait long, and take liis chance of stand- ing when tlie doors are opened. Mr. Spui'geon has no pulpit. He simply jjpcupies a little spot in the heel of the first gallery ; from which place, he has as good a command of his congregation, as it is possible to have iii so largo a house. His congregation is above, below, and all around him. The seats on the main floor are amphithe- « ater style; so also are the galleries. When I entered the house, there was not more than a hun- dred people there, but they came pouring in from every side, so that in a very short time, every part of the house was well taken. A few moments after the doors were opened for the multitudes who stood before them, the aisles were filled to suffo- cation. Soon the pi*eacher made his appearance, in company with his wife and two sons. He seemed, as he came forward and took his seat by the table; on which lay the Bible and Hymn-Book, as if wholly unconscious of being looked at, by about seven thousand persons. During the reading of the hymn, he entered earnestly into the spirit and sentiment of every line ; and before singing, he exhorted all the people to praise God. The singing was con- gregational, as all church music should be, and seemed to lift the people on angel pinions, up to the third heaven. At the close of the hymn, he read a portion of Scripture, stopping occasionally to make an apt and spiritual application. An- ^ other hymn was sung, when prayer was offered, simple, child- like, full of fervor, and thoroughly spiritual. Before announc- ing his text, he offered up a short invocation for the assistance of the Holy Ghost. The sermon was good, and with it, as a 174 Ramhles through the British Isles. whole, I was much, pleased ; although there were some things which I could not indorse, yet there was so much directness, honesty, and holy ardor in it, that my heart went out in prayer, that God would send into the world a great many just such preachers as C. H. Spurgeon. Before he began his discourse, he made the followii^g an- ^nouucement : " After the sermon we will brealc bread, in remem- berance of our blessed Lord. All members of the Christian Church are invited to unite with us." So, thinking I might never again have an opportunity of drawing near to the table of the Lord, in a Baptist church, I passed down to the basement room, in company with the lady and her husband, whose pew I shared during the morning. "When I reached the foot of the stairs, a gentleman handed me the following ticket : Newington' METEOPOLITAN TABEENACLE. " Love unto all the saints.'''' Soon the room was filled. Then, Mr. Spurgeon and the elders of the Church, took their seats around a table on the platform, whicb was covered with a white cloth, and on which was placed the bread and wine. A hymn was sung, in which all united. It was indeed good to be there, for " Heaven came down our souls to gieet, While glory crowned the mercy-seat." The singing over, the preacher said : " After the manner of our blessed Lord, who, in the same night in which he was be- A Sabhatli in London. 175 trayod ' took bread ; and when lio had given thanks' — let us givo thanks ! " Then followed a prayer of thanksgiving, so full of love to the Saviour, that we forgot, for a time, where we were, and thought only of our blessed Lord, his sufferings and death. "And when he had given thanks, he brake the bread, and gave thereof to his disciples " — aijd after the num- ner o£ our Saviour, he broke the bread, which was carried from pew to pew, by the waiting elders. Tlien was offered up another prayer, after which, the elders passed around the cup, of which we all drank. All being waited upon, the minister's voice is again heard, still in the language of Holy Writ : " And afterwards they sang a hymn — let us too sing ;" when, with tearful eye, and tremulous voice, lie read : '• If in life I have tlij' grace, And al death behold thy face, Life may stay, or life may flee, Lord, 'tis all alike to me." And, still sitting in his chair, he closed the service with a short exhortation and the benediction. This short, simple, Clirist-like service was very refreshing; I enjoyed it very much. And often shall memory wander back to the season I sjient under the instruction of one of the greatest preachers of the day. Just before the morning service commenced, I asked the gen- tleman in whose pew I sat, " what is the great secret of Mr. Spurgeon's success V His answer was one not hastily formed, but arrived at after many years' observation, and is well worthy of thought. Said he, " Not so much in his preaching, as in 176 Rambles through the British Isles. his power to keep liis people at work ! " Then pointing me to two little boys in the gallery, sons of Mr. Spurgeon, he said, " Even those little fellows are at work every day, in leading prayer-meetings, and exhorting sinners to turn to God ; and not without success, for many in this Church have been led to Christ through their labors." I could not help thinking, well after all, this is what wo ministers need more than anything else — ability to bring out and develop the latent power of our churches. If I should be asked to state in a word, in what Mr. Spur- geon's power lies, I should say, laptized earnestness! He is thoroughly awake, and has the holy unction, which gives him boldness to stand before, and success in laboring for the good of, perishing humanity. " How beauteous are the feet of those who bear Mercy to man, glad tidings to despair 1 Far from the mountain-top, they lovelier seem Than moonlight dews, or morning's rosy beam ; Sweeter the voice than spell, or hymning sphere, And listening angels hush their harps to hear." "Shii5S— ships overy where 1" XX. The Thames and its Sights. I have loved the rural walk, O'er hills, through valleys, and by river's brink, E'er since a truant boy I passed my bounds, To enjoy a ramble on the bank of Thames. —Coivper. WTY'^CXtW* HIS noble river takes its rise in the Cotswold h Hills. On its seaward course, it scj^arates BerksMre, first from Oxfordshire, aud tlien (f"^ from Buckinghamshire. It also divides the counties of Surrey and Middlesex, Kent and Essex, and after a course of two hundred and ten miles, empties into the sea at the Nore. It ebbs and flows **^-© as far up as Richmond, to which place, also, it is navigable for large craft. At London, the Thames is the great- est of all thoroughfares ; and this is owing in a great mgasure to two facts : First, the cheapness of the boat-fare, and in the second place, to the absence of dust. One fact, which will show ■ how well the river is patronized as a great highway of travel, 178 Rambles through the British Isles. is, that the steamboats, passing under Waterloo Bridge, average over one every minute. Just think of this — over sixty steam- vessels every hour, with other craft besides! How the many steam and sailing vessels pass and repass each other, without more frequent accident, is to me a matter of perfect astonish- ment. The river is spanned by a host of elegant bridges, such as are to be seen nowhere else. Indeed, it is Avorthy of a trip to London, just to see the currents of carriages and foot- passengers, pouring to and fro from morning till night, and from night till morning, over these bridges. One of the greatest curiosities of the Thames, is the tunnel which runs under it, from Wapping to Rotherhithe, in Surrey. It is twelve hundred feet ia length, and consists of two arches, side by side, fourteen feet wide and seventeen feet high ; the wall dividing the arches is pierced with connecting archways, and the whole is lighted with gas. A brief history of the tunnel will not be out of place just here. "In March 1825, a space being marked out one hundred and fifty feet distant from the river, the bricklayers began raising a round frame, or cylinder, three feet thick, and one hundred and fifty in circumference. This was strengthened in various ways, by iron rods, &c., passing up the center of the thickness ; and was continued to the height of forty-two feet. The excavators now commenced their work on the iuside, cutting away the grouiTd, which was raised to the top of the shaft by a steam- engine there placed, and which also relieved" them from the water that occasionally impeded their descent. We may im- agine the wonder with which a person unacquainted with the " The Thames and ih Sir/hts- 179 object of these preparations, must have l)ehel(l that enormous mass of masonry, at hist beginning to descend regularly and peacefully after the busy pigmies who were carving the Avay for it, and at the same time, as it were, accommodating itself to the convenience of tlie bricklayers, who, in order to give it the additional height ro(xuired, had merely to keep adding to the top as it descended. "This is the history of the great circular opening, into which the visitor passes from the little lobby, and where he beholds, in the center, an elaborate machinery of pumps, connected with a steam-engine, raising its four hundred gallons per minute. We must not omit to observe, with regard to the shaft, that by its means the bed of gravel and sand, twenty-six feet deep, full of land-water, in wliich the driftmakers of the earlier attempt had- been compelled to narrow the dimensions of their already small shaft, was passed without inconvenience. We may add, ■also, that when the shaft was sunk to its present depth of sixtj-- five feet, another shaft, of twenty-five feet diameter, was sunk still lower, till, at the depth of eighty feet, the ground suddenly gave way, sinking several feet, whilst sand and water were blown up with some violence. "This confirmed the statemer^ of the geologists, and satisfied the engineer as to the propriety of the level he had chosen. The shaft accomplished, the tunnel itself was begun at the depth of sixty-three feet. The excavation Mr. Brunei pro- posed to make from bank to bank, was to be about thirty-eight feet broad, and twenty-two and a half feet high, which 1)eing defended by strong walls, was to leave room Avitliin for a double archway, each fifteen feet high, and wide enough for 180 Rambles through the British Isles. a single carriage-way and a foot-path. Tlie mode in whicli this great excavation was accomplished has been the wonder and admiration of the most experienced engineers, and will forever remain a monument of the genius of its author. "The principal instrument employed by him, was a huge frame, or sliield, by means of which the weight of the superin- cumbent bottom of the river was supported, whilst the men who were undermining the river were sheltered in the little cells of the shield below. This mighty instrument — one in idea and object, but consisting of twelve separate parts or divisions, each containing three cells, one above the other — was thus used. We will suppose that, the work being finished in its rear, an advance is desired, and that the divisions are in their usual position — the alternate one a little before the other ; these last have now to be moved. The men in their cells pull down the top poling-board, one of these small defences, with which the entire front of the shield is covered, and immediately cut away the ground for about six inches. That done, the poling-board is replaced and the one below removed, and so on till the entire space, in front of these divisions, has been excavated to the dejjth of six inches. Each of the divisions is now advanced, by the application of two screws, one at its head, and one at its foot — which, rcstmg against tl^e finished brick- work, and turned, impel it forward into the vacant space. The other set of divisions then advance. "As the miners are at work at one end of the cells, so the bricklayers are no less actively employed at the other, forming the brick walls of the top, sides, and bottom— the superincum- bent earth of the top being still held up by the shield till the bricklayers have finished. The Thames and its Sights. 181 "This is but a rude description of an cugine, almost as remark- able for its elaborate orgauization, as for its vast strength. Beneath those great ii'on ribs, a kind of meehauical soul really seemed to have beeu created. It had its shoes and its legs, and used them, too, with good effect. It raised and depressed its head at pleasure ; it presented an invincible buttress in its front, to whatever danger might there threaten, and, when the danger was past, again opened its breast for the further advances of the indefatigable host. In a word, to the shield the successful formation of the tunnel was entirely owing. But, great as was the contidence of !Mr. Brunei in his shield, and the resources which he must have felt he had within him- self, ready for evci-y difficulty, it is impossible that he could have ever anticipated the all but overwhelming amount of obstacles that he actually experienced, jDrincipally from the character of the soil, and the extraordinary influence which the tides exercised, even at the tunnel's depth. The tirst nuie feet of the tunnel were jjassed through firm clay ; then came a loose Avatery sand, where movement was made with imminent hazard. Thirty-two anxious days passed in this part. Sub- stantial ground again reached, matters went on jarosperously till S^tember following, by which time two hundred and sixty feet had been completed. "On the 14th of that month, the engineer startled the Directors with the information that he expected the bottom of the river, just beyond the shield, would break down with the coming tide. It appears he had discovered a cavity above the top of the shield. Exactly at high tide, the miners heard the uproar of the falliug soil upon the head of their good shield, and saw 13 182 Ramlles tJirough the Briiish Isles. bursts of water follow ; but so complete were the precaution!?, that no injury ensued, and tlie cavitj' was soon filled by tlie river itself. Another mouth, and a similar occurreuce took place. "By the 33d of January, 1827, three hundred and fifty feet were accomplished, Avhen the tide, during the removal of the poling-boards, forced through tlie shield a quantity of loose clay ; but stiil no iiTuption of the river itself followed — the fear of which, from the coimuencement to the termination of the work, was continually upon every one's mind. "This was the first of a series of disasters, wliich continued to obstruct their progress for eight long years. Difficulties enough to discourage the stoutest heart, and would have discouraged Brunei, had he been an ordinary man. "At last, August 13th came, and the undertaking, which for years had been called a " failure," was completed ; and he who was thought to be worse than a fool, for undertaking the work, now stood up a victor over all the elements — earth, fire, air, and water!" As a work of art, of perseverance, and of the genius of Brunei, the Thames Tunnel is a grand and glorious achievement. No one should think of leaving London without visiti«g the docks ; they are one of the greatest sights in the metropolis. In them is seen the wealth of nations, with but little display ; for it does not show itself in the shape of gold and silver, and glittering gems, but under the guise of huge misshapen bales of merchandize ; rough, ugly, patched, and broken hogsheads; dirty casks, and ill-made grassbags, nauseous hides, and musty oil-cake. Here are represented the nations by the different The Thames ami its Siejhts. 183 exports — Ireland, liy l)attL'r and hams ; Scotland, l)y grain, spirits, and crockerj- ; France, l)y wines and fruits; India, 1)y bags of rice, and casks of cocoa; China and Japan, l)y tea and coftee; West Indies, by sugar, molasses, and rum; Canada, l)y timber and furs; Africa, by ivory, palm-oil, and nuts; South America, by dried fruit, and dye-woods ; and the United States, liy sugar, cotton, tobacco, and grain. Here come jieople of all nations and tongues, strong believers in the religion of commercial gain. For this interview, men have toiled under Africa's burning sun, and in the Baltic's icy billows ; for this, they have braved the storm, and wreck, and danger, of "Old ocean's gray and melancholy waste." It must not be supposed that the London docks, bear any resemblance to the docks of New York, or Boston, which are simply piers, or openings between piers. The London docks are vast inland harbors, and only connected to the river by canals, enclosed by heavy gates, which open when the tide is in, and close when it begins to ebb, so that the shipping in the docks are never troubled liy low water. Just a little below the Tower, are the St. Catherine Docks, and though the first I will notice, yet they are not by any means the largest in the port of London. At the entrance, arc thousands of carts and wagons, waiting to l)e employed by whoever has merchandize to be removed. The first thing which drew my attention here, were the lofty walls, speaking security. The sjiace enclosed, is about twenty-three acres, divided into the wet and dnj docks — the former will accommodate one hundred and twenty ships, beside barges, and other craft. Under the warehouses, are vaults, which serve the double purpose of 184 Rambles through the British Isles. store-liouses for tlia wines, and at the same time keeiiing them cool; these are five stories high, and capable of holding over one hundred thousand tons of goods. The caua], leading from the river, to the harbor, is one hundred and five teet long, forty-five feet broad, and •wUl float with ease a ship of seven hundred tons burden. The London Docks are separated from St. Catherine's by Nightingale Lane ; they comprise an area of over one hundred acres, and cost over twenty million dollars; and the wall alone, by which they are surrounded, three millions more. The tobacco warehouses alone, cover five acres of ground, and are rented by the government at seventy thousand dollars a year. They can hold twenty-four thousand hogsheads of tobacco, averaging twelve hwadred pounds each, besides having room in tlie vaults beneath for seventy thousand pipes of wine. The alleys and passes, through the different floors, are bordered on both sides by hogsheads of the pernicious weed. On the first floor, near the northeast corner, is a door, on which are the words, " To the Kiln." This is a place where damaged tobacco, and many other tilings, not worth paying duty on, are burned ; the long stack which carries off' the smoke from this fire, is called the " Queen''s Tobacco-pipe.'''' "Would that all pijies were like this ! The Commercial Docks lie on the south side, and are in point of extent greater than the London Docks. They have no expensive warehouses, and are principally used by the timber trade, and such things as will not be injured by exposure. About a mile and a half from the London Docks, situated on the " Isle of Dogs," are the East and West India Docks, which cover tico hundred and ninety-Jive acres of ground. At the en- The Thames and its Sights. 185 trance on the east, is a statue of the ofRccr who presided wlicn Pitt laid the first stone. The vaults here, arc said to be the largest in the world, and the warehouses are capable of holding- over two himdred thousand tons of merchandize. All arrangements connected with these docks, secure the two great desiderata of commercial s^tccess — economy and dispatch. The grand floors of most of the warehouses, have an oi)eumg towards the basin, througli which the cargoes arc raised directly out of the ships — thus saving the time and labor of the old plan of depositing them on the quay. In rambling through these store-houses of the nation's wealth, and in studying the eflFects of the commingling of nationalities in this busy mart of commerce, I thought of the beauty and force of Addison's words, where he says, in referring to the advantages of com- merce upon nations : " I am wonderfully delighted to see a body of men thriving in their own fortunes, and at the same time promoting the pub- lic stock ; or, in other words, raising estates for their own fam- ilies, by bringing into their country, whatever is superfluous. Nature seems to have taken a particular care to disseminate her blessings among the regions of the world, with an eye to their mutual intercourse and traffic among mankind, that the nations of the several parts of the globe might have a kind of depend- ence upon one another, and be united by their common in- terests." ' Thcic the wicked ce isc fiom tioiibling" XXI. Graves of the Giieat anb Good. The dead, how sacred I sacred is the dust Of this heaven-lahored form, erect, divine \— Thomson. ^J^ fy^ "o" -^ AVING a great desire to see City Eoacl Chapel ^ ^ifS^'-'^iP while in London, I made out to spend a part ^^KS °^ ^ Sabbath within its sacred walls. The lOi >^ day I visited it, tbe regular minister was absent, and his place was supplied by a stranger Here it was, on the occasion of the laying of the foundation in 1777, John Wesley preached a ser- mon from the words, " According to this time, it sball be said. What hath God wrought ! " And now, after the lapse of almost a hundred years, his sons in the gospel take up the same text, and in looking at what has been accomplished, ex- claim in holy triumph, ♦' What hath God wrought ! " The building is composed of brick, with cut stone trimming, and is still good ; it must have been considered more than common in its day. It stands in from the street, about one hundred feet, and cannot be seen until it is reached. The in-* Graves of the Great and Good. 187 ternal arrangeiuents are neat aud comfortable. I believe the only material change which has taken place, since Mr. Wesley's day, is the lowering of the pulpit, which is still high enough. I spent some time in the old graveyard, in the rear of the chapel. Here sleeps the dust of Wesley. A stone monument is erected over his giave, on which is inscribed the following : The grateful Record of the place made sacred by the Mortal Remains of the venerable and Apostolic "Wesley, Was fii-st erected, A. D.,MDCCXC. But modified and enlarged, A. D., MDCCCIV., During the centenary of Methodism, At the expense and tinder the direction of His sous and successors in the Christian ministry, The Methodist Conference, in token of Their filial admiration ,*reverence and love. On the pedestal is the following : To the memory of The venerable John Wesley, A. M., Late Fellow of Lincoln College, Oxford. * This Great Light arose (By the singular Providence of God) To enlighten these nations, And to revive, enforce and defend, The Pure Apostolic Doctrines and Practices of The PRiiiiTivE Church, 188 Rambles through the British Isles. Which he continued to do, by his Writi>'GS and his L^LBorES, For more than Half a Centuby, And to his expressible Joy, Not only beheld their I^^fluexce extending, And th^ Efficacy witnessed, In the Hearts and lives of many tuousands, ' As well in the Western World as in these Kingdoms; But also, far above all human Power or experience, Lived to see provision made, by the Singular Gkace op God, For their Continuance and Establishment, To the Joy of Future Gexeratioxs ! Reader, If thou art constrained to bless the Iis'STRUMENT, Give God the Glory! After having languished a few days, He at length finished his Course and his Life together: gloi'iously triumphing over#DEATH, March 2, An. Bom. 1791, in the Eighty- eighth Year of his age. Near by, are the tombs of Clarke, Benson, and Watson. Fellow-laborers in life — keeping company, even in death. Who could stand in such a place as this, without the deep- est emotions ? They are not dead ! they live, " and hold their way in glory through the sky." Having satisfied myself in strolling among the tombs of this sacred spot, I crossed over the street in front of tlie chapel, to the celebrated Bunhill Fields, where the bodies of so many Graves of tlm Great and Good. 189 of the old nonconformist ministers, await the voice of God. and the Archangel's trump. Here is the grave of the immortal Bunyan, of itself worthy of a pilgrimage. A common stone slab, mutilated, time worn, and much neglected, covers it, Looking at it, my first impres- sion was one of sadness, but on second thought, this feeling gave place to joyous emotions. What though the inscription ou his tombstone be eifaced, his memory is fresh and more fragrant than ever ; his true monument cannot be touched by the wasting hand of time; it shall never crumble,*its inscrip- tion shall never grow old — for it is writen upon the heart of a christian world ! And there is the grave of him whose sacred poetry is sung in all our churches — Dr. Watts. Under his name, age, and date of his death, is the following touching in- scription, which at his own request was thereon inscribed: "Iiumo Jesu omiiia." Close to it is the sleeping dust of Mrs. Susannah Wesley, the mother of John and Charles. At the head of the grave, stands.a plain stone, with the following in- scription : HERE lies the body of Mrs. Susannah Wesley, the youngest and last surviving daughter o£ Dr. Samuel Annesly, who died July 23rd, 1742, Aged 73 years. 190 Rambles through the British Isles. " In sure and steadfast hope to rise And claim her mansiou in the sliics A Christian here her flesh laid down, The cross exchanging for a crown. True daughter of affliction i she Inured to pain and misery, Mourned a long night of griefs and fears, A legal night of seventy years. The Father then revealed 1^ Son— Him in the broken hiead made known ; She knew and felt her sins forgiven, • And found the earnest of her heaven. Meet for the fellowship above. She heard the call, Arise my love ! I come I her dying looks replied, And lamb-like as her Lord she died." John Newton sleeps in St. Mary's, where he labored for many years. A tablet, bearing an inscription written by him- self, reads as follows : " John Newton — once an iufidel and libertine, a servant of slaves in Africa — was, by the rich mercy of cm- Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, preserved, restored, pardoned, and ap- pointed to preach the faith he once labored to destroy." In All Hallow's Church, Milton was baptized, and in St. Giles', his dust rests in peace. In the latter church sleeps Fox, the author of the Book of Martyrs, a work which should have a place in the home of every Protestant family of the jjresent day. In Christ's Church, the body of Eichard Baxter waits the morning. In St. Paul's churchyard, Drs. Donne, Marlow and Butler await the resurrection of the just. Pope is buried in the old graveyard at Twickenham, along with his • Graves of the Great and Good. 101 parents and relations. Ou his mouumeut arc tho following lines: Alexander Pope. M. H. Gulimas Episcopus. Glouccstcriensis Amiciti09 Causa. Fa'c. Cur. ^IDCCLXI. Pocta Loquitur. Yox who would be buried in Westmiuster Abbey, Heroes and kings, your distance keep, In peace let one poor poet sleep, Who never flattered folks like you : Let Homer blush, and Virgil too I In the old church of St. Mary's, Eiclimond, in a dark corner, is a plain brass plate, tarnished and time worn, bearing the following inscription : In the Earth below this Tablet, are the remains of James Thomson, Author of the beautiful Poems entitled the Seasons, Castle of Indolence, etc. Who died at Richmond, on the 2Tth day of August, and was buried here on the 29th, old style, 1748, The Earl of Buchau, unwilling that so good a man, And so sweet a Poet, should remain without a memorial, has denoted the place of interment for the satisfaction of his admirers, m the year of our Lord, 1792 Father of light and life I thou Good Supreme I O teach me what is good ' teach me Thyself I Save me from folly, vanity and vice, From every low pursuit, and feed my soul With knowledge, conscious peace, and virtue pure ; Sacred, substantial, never-fading bliss l—irtn(«r. '= Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord." ■ Family puiluculeUaiUB manj uu-oaal oijinione." XXII. The Haunts of Eotalty. A Sovereign's great example forms a people; The public breast is noble, or is vile, As he inspires it. — Mallet. ITUATI;D at tlie west end of St. James' Park, is Buckingham Palace, the city residence of Victoria — by no means a kingly structure. I was much surprised when told that it was th^ metropolitan home of the Royal Family. It bears more the appearance of a large hotel, or com- mercial building, than the residence of England's Queen. They call it " Buckingham Palace," from the fact, that on the site where it is built once stood the house of John Sheffield, Duke of Buckingham. The front is ornamented with statues of Prudence, Temperance, Fortitude, Faith, Hope, and Charity ; and in the center of the facade is an arch, with a balcony, on either side of which are colossal figures of St. George and the Dragon, and Britannia, with the British Lion. On St. James-street, is the o'lce noted St. James' Palace, the very mention of which makes one think of blood, murder, and hobgoljlins. TJu} Haunts of Royalty. 193 It looks much like an old brick and stone foctory, and I could hardly m^ke myself believe that it was the city home of kings and queens, down to the days of George IV. In it died Queen jMary and Caroline, wife of George II., and here James the Pretender, Charles 11., and George IV., fii'st saw the light. Many are the dark and scandalous deeds once enacted in this old pile, over which Time, in mercy, has thrown her mantle of mist and clouds. On our way from the castle, we passed by the house in which Lord Byron lived, and where Gibbon, the historian, died. Situated on the Thames, near Westminster, is Whitehall, the old Banqueting House, or York Place, where Charles I. was executed. Whitehall was built during the reign of Henry IH., who bequeathed it to the convent of the Black Friars. Time has robbed it of all its attraction, if, as a building, it ever had any, and it is only in connection with its past history, that it is at all worth the traveler's time to turn .aside to notice it. Its last archiepiscopal owner was Wolsey, who rebuilt it and gave it to the king, who changed its name from York Place to Whitehall. Shakspeare refers to this change in his " Henry Vin.," where one gentleman gives to two others, a description of the coronation of Anne Boleyn : \st Gent. So she parted, And with the same full state, paced back again To York Place, where the feast is held. 3d Gent. Sir, You must no more call it York Tlace, that is past : For since the Cardinal fell, that is lost; 'Tis now the king's, and called Whitehall. 1st Gent. I know it; But 'tis so lately alter'd, that the old name Is fresh about me. 194 RamUes through the British Isles. The only thing worthy of notice is the ceiling of the princi- pal room, now the chapel, which was painted % Rubens, who received fifteen thousand dollars for his work. Over the chapel altar are arranged various flags and eagles, which were cap- tured in battle. During the time of George I., he granted a yearly salary of fitteen hundred dollars, to twelve clergymen (six from each university) who officiate here, monthly, in due succession. One of the most noted old castle-like buildings in London, is Lambeth Palace. It is situated on the south bank of the Thames, almost opposite the Houses of Parliament, and is the residence ot the Archbishop of Canterbm'y. It was built by piecemeal, and lacks regularity. In this palace, for a time, lived Archbishojjs Abbot, Juxon, Laud, Sheldon, Tenison, Seeker, Craumer, and others. For a minister of the Gospel to support such an establishment as the Fathers were wont to do, would require a wition of Church and State, and that a pretty strong one. For instance, look at the list of Bishop Cranmer's household. It is said to have comprised a steward, treasurer, comptroller, janitors, clerk cf the kitchen, caterer, clerk of the spicery, yeoman of the ewry, bakers, pantlers, yeoman of the horse, yeoman ushers, butlers of wine and ale, larderers,- squilleries, ushers of the hall, porter, usher of the chamber, daily waiters in the great chaml^er, gentlemen ushers, yeomen of the chamber, carver, cup-bearer, groom of the chamber, marshal, groom-usher, almoner, cooks, chandler, butchers, master of the horse, yeoman of the wardrobe, and harbingers. The state observed, of course, corresponded with such a retinue. There was generally three tables spread in the hall, and served The JIatuifs of Moi/a/ti/. 195 at the same time, at the first of wliicli sat the Avchljishoji, siir- i\)unde(.l by peers of the reahu, privy couucillors, and gentle- men of the greatest quality ; at the second, called the almoner's table, sat the chaplains, and all other clerical guests below the rank of diocesan bishops, or abbots; and at the third, or stew- ard's table, sat all the other gentlemen invited. The suffragan bishops, by this arrangement, sat at the second, or almoner's table; and it was noted, as an especial aggravation of the ingratitude of Richard Thornden to Cranmer, in conspiring against him, that the Archbishop had invited Thornden, his suti'ragan, to his own tal)le. Shortly after the thorough establishment of the Church of England, these suffragan, or rather assistant, bishops, were discontinued. Cardinal Pole had a patent from Philip and Mary to retain one hundred servants, hence we may judge that, in his hands, the magnificence and hospitality of Lambeth Palace did not degenerate much. The dining-hall, which was one of the largest and most ele- gant of its day, has been turned into a library, and contains some thirty-five or forty thousand volumes. This library had its origin with Archbishop Bancroft, who dying in 1610, left it to " his successors, the Archbishops of Canterbury, forever, a great and famous library of books of divinity, and of many other sorts of learning." In the chapel of the palace, which was erected in the twelth century, sleeps the dust of a munber of the early Archbishops, and at the western extremity of the same, is the infamous Lollard's Tower. The place in which so many were cruelly incarcerated in the miscalled " good old days of yore," is a small room, wainscoted 196 Rainhles tlwoiujh the British Isles. with oak, on which are still to be seen the names of Some who suliered here. As I gazed at the large rusty iron rings iu the walls, to which the Lollards and others were fastened, I could not but thank God for living in the nineteenth century ! Could we but know the separate liistory of the men whose hand- writing is on the walls of this prison, what glorious revelations might be brought to light, of faith, patience, and long-sufiering! Hampton Court is about twelve miles from London, and situated in one of the most delightful spots in the kingdom. On our way to this old palace — once the home of royalty, now of decayed aristocracy — we passed the houses in which Thom- son, Pope, Gay, and Cowley, lived and sung. We no longer wonder that these poets should have so much of nature in their songs, for here she clothes herself in her most attractive gtirb. Here, indeed, she is adorned with loveliness beyond comparison. " Heavens I what a goodly prospect spreads around, Of hills, and dales, and woods, and lawns, and spires, And glittering towers, and gilded streams, till all The Btretchlng landscape into smoke decays." Hampton Court is now one of the many resorts for the Lon- don public, for whom its doors, parks, and gardens have been thrown open. In it on every day of the week, except Friday, may be seen thousands of visitors from London, and the sur- rounding cities and villages. To this place, come lovers, of course, and brothers and sisters, and whole families, down to the " baby in arms." " Forth from the crowded city's dust and noise, Wander abroad to taste pure nature's joys ; To laugh, and sport, and spend the livelong day In harmless merriment and jocund play." ^^b^. The Jl.uuit^ of Royalty. 197 Of all the houses in England, Hampton Court is the richest in plans of shame, crime, and bloodshed. - It was built by Cardinal Wolsey, the prime-minister of Henry VHI., wl;o rose fi-om obscurity to be the owner of a palace more gorgeous than that of his king. Wolsey, liowever, did not enjoy it as his own for many days; his style ot living, and magnificence of state, created much envy on the part of the nobility, and Henry him- self grew jealous that a subject should have a nobler palace than his king. In 1526, Wolsey, feeling the pressure of circum- stances, surrendered the whole to — his master. After it became the,home of Henry, one building after another was added to it, "until it became more like a city than a home." Here Edward VI., was born, and his mother, Jane Seymour, died. In this palace, was held the famous conference between the Presby- terian and Established Church, which resulted in the i^resent translation of the English Bible, James I. presiding; and in it, Charles I. spent many of his earlier and happier days, as well as some of his litest and most anxious. William IH. made this his ordinary residence, and to him it owes much of its present attractiveness. It was in the beautiful park to the west of the court, where he received his fatal injury, his horse falling under him. In this place. Queen Anne Itept her court for some time. Pope has immortalized her name and fome, in the following lines : " Here thou, great Anne I whom three great realms obey, Dost sometimes counsel take— and sometimes tea. Hither the heroes and the nymphs resort, To taste awhile the pleasures of a court ; In various talk, th' instructive hours they past, Who gave the ball, or paid the visit last : 14 198 RamUes through the British Isles. One speaks the glory of the British Queen, And one describes a charming Indian screen; A third interprets motions, looks, and eyes; At every word, a reputation dies. Snuff, or the fan, supply each pause of chat, With singing, laughing, ogling, and all that."' Tlie palace is divided into three courts ; namely, the outer court, which is one hundred and sixty-seven feet by one hun- dred and sixty-one feet ; the Clock Court, which is one hundred and thirty-three feet by ninety-two i'eet ; and the Fountain Court, which was built by Sir Christopher Wren, the architect of St. Paul's, and in which are the state-rooms, is about one hundred and ten feet by one hundred and seven. The whole building is of red brick, with cut-stone trimming. The west front is called one of the finest specimens of the Tudor archi- tecture extant. In the main state-room, which is gorgeously decorated, and which is open for public inspection, are a num- ber of pictures, by masters of all schools, from the days of Raphael and Holbein, to the commencement of the present cen- tury. Having taken a hurried glance at the king's j^resence- cliamber, audience-chanil^er, drawing-room, bed rooms, and many others too numerous to mention, we passed out to the great eastern front, where the prospect is singularly imposing. In the distance is Bushy Park, abounding with deer, and skirted by beautiful chestnut trees. To the right, is a broad" terrace, bounded by velvet lawns, with here and there a knot of the gayest flowers; the view terminating on each side in a group of fine old English yews. At the south-west corner, is the entrance to the private gar- den, with its raised terraces, formal flower-beds, and long The Haunts of lloijaUy. 199 arcades. IIli'c, too, is the celebrated grape viuc — the largest ill the world. It is a black Hamburg grapc^ and bears annually over half a ton's weight of delicious fruit As a whole, Hampton Court is without ct)iiiparisou ; its royal park, cousisting of over a thousand acres, through which runs one of the most superb avenues of limes and chestnuts in the world ; its gardens and parks are beautiful — the whole a national monument much in keeping with the good sense of the English people XXIIL Oxford. Fair city, wherein they make So many learned imps, that ehoote abrode, And witli tlieir tranches spread all Brittany.— .Spewser. OXFORD, tlae seat of classical learning, of lofty spires, pinnacles, and Gothic towers, is situated in the midst of a group of grand old trees, on the bank of the Isis. As you ap- proach the place, the ■whole city lies out be- fore you — its numerous steeples and domes giv- ing it a grandeur of appearance extremely rare. The houses are of stone and -vrell finished ; colleges are to be met with on almost every street, with their high walls, vener.ilile and warlike. He who could ramble through these quadrangles of ancient masonry, without emo- t.ons strong and moving, is beyond hope. No one at all sus- ceptible of feeling, can think of the men, who once walked those streets, and were drilled within these crumbling walls. \Iisi*=** Oxford. 201 ■witlioiit being deeply impressed with tlic cluiractor of the phice. Here were sehooled men whoso names stmul highe.>t on the roll of fame; men who achieved some of the greatest deeds, made some of the most triumphant discoveries, and Avho have written some of the most important pages in the world's history. All Hail ! thou Alma Mater of Wickliflf, Wol- sey, Raleigh, Blackstone, Hampden, Hooker, Taylor, Butler, Young, Johnson, South, Harvey, Peel, Whitelield and the Wesleys. In Oxford they have what no other city in the world can boast, ni/ietecii collctjes and one university. A month would not suflB.ce for a description, and no pen can convey anything but a very faint idea of thoughts awakened, and emotions kindled, by a ramble among these glorious old literary haunts. The University is a school for all the colleges, and its corpo- ration is styled ".the Chancellor, Masters, and Scholars of the University of Oxford." Connected with, or more properly speaking, constituting the imieerdty, are the nineteen colleges, with various halls. Each college "is governed by a head elected for life, and called principal, president, master, warden, rector, provost or dean, and has its own statutes, though all the members are bound by the common rules of the univer- sity. The foirndations of these colleges support five hundred and lifty-seven fellows, who correspond to the poor scholars of ancient times. Except at Wadhanx College, they have the option, if they remain unmarried, of retaining their fellow- ships for life, or receiving a church benefice. Until the pass- ing of the reform act of 1854, they were not required to reside at their colleges. Some of the fellowships are of small value ; others are comparatively munificent, though by the founders' 202 RuDihks throujh thi British Isles. statutes they are expressly restricted to tlie poor : tlie posses- sion of ten marks (about thirty-three dollars) was to vacate a fellowship at Brasenonse. Fellows are generally chosen after receiving their bachelor's degree; they are the tutors of the college, and with the bead the corporate proprietors. The government of the university was formerly exercised by the heads of the colleges, who formed what was called the board of heads. Under the new reform act, there are three legisla- tive bodies ; the hebdomadal council, consisthig of the chan- cellor, vice-chancellor, six heads of colleges or halls, six pro- fessors of the university, and six members ot convocation, having executive control, with the right of initiating new measures ; the house of congregation, composed of all tlie principal officers of the university, heads of cjlleges and halls, professors and assistants, public examiners, and all resident members, having the power to grant degrees, graces and dis- pensations; and the house of convocation, consisting of the house of congregation, with the addition of all masters of arts in- their first year, and persons who have been regents, but have retired from the university. The last is engaged only with the more important affairs. Statutes framed by the heb- domadal council, must be presented for approval to both the other boards. The professors are thirty-five in number, viz. : regius professor of divinity, jiastoral theology, Hebrew, Greek, civil law, medicine, ecclesiastical history. Lady Margaret's pro- fessor of divinity, Saville's of astronomy, Saville's of geometry, Camden's of history, Laud's of Arabic, Lord Almonsis of Arabic, Linaire of physiology, Viuer's of common law, Lord Lichfield's of clinical medicine, Aldrich's of chemistry, Boden Oxfdrd. 203 of Banscrit, Dean Ireland's of exegesis of Holy Scripture, the EuiU-liiic observer, imd professors of botany, natural philoso- phy, experimental philos(>phy, mineralogy, geology, political economy, rural economy, Latin literature, logic, poetry, modern European languages, Anglo-Saxon and music. Attendance on their lectures however, is not compulsory, and in point ot fact, the entire education of the students has been transferred from the university to the separate colleges. lu these the fellows act as tutors, each one giving instruction in the wliole curriculum of study. The result of tliis system has been the practical annihilation of the university pi'oper, and the lower- ing of the standard of education to the level of the tutors, who are generally young, holding fellowships only until some bet- ter opening in life presents itself. Students are consequently obliged to resort to the aid of private tutors. The students are compelled to connect themselves with and reside in some college or hall. By the act of 1854, any master of arts was entitled to open a private hall, under regulations made by the university ; but this measure has proved inoperative. There are four terms, viz : Michaelmas, from October 10th to Decem- ber ITth; Hilary, from Jan. 14tlitothe day before Palm Sunday; Easter, from the tenth day after Easter to the day before Whit- sunday; and Trinity, from the Wednesday after Whitsunday, to the Sntui'day after the first Tuesday in July. Before pro- ceeding to the examination for the degree of B. A., a student must have kept sixteen terms, unless he be a member of the peerage, or the eldest son of a baronet. Practically, however, terms are so reckoned that not more than three years' residence is required of anyoody. Three public exnminations have to 204 Rambles through the British Isles. be passed before obtaining the degree B. A., and those who have distinguislied themselves are distributed into lour classes, under the four great divisions of literce kumaniures, discqjlinie wathematiccB' et physicoe, scienticB naturales, and jurisprudentia et liistoria moderna." The University College, par excellence, is supposed to have been founded by Alfred the Great. It is, like all the others, quadrangular in form, reminding one somewhat of an old prison or insane asylum. Over the iwinoipal gateway towers the belfry, whicli holds the great bell, the pride of the Uni- versity, called " Great Tom of Oxford," seventeen thousand pounds in weight, besides the clapper, which is three hundred and forty two pounds more. Tom's tolling calls all the scholars of the university to their respective colleges at 9 o'clock every night. The kitchen and dining hall connected with the university are said to be the largest in Britain; they are complete in all their arrangements, and in themselves an index to the Englishman's life, a good share of which is spent in devouring beef, mutton and i)lum pudding ! In the building where all the public acts of the university are celebrated, is the Bodleian library, it contains over four hundred thousand volumes, and seventy thousand manuscripts ; in it has been placed a copy of every book published in the British empire for the last century. What a place ! the very atmosphere seemed filled with the voices of the past. Truly there is much truth in Solomon's words, " of making many books there is no end ;" and why should there be ? The Eadcliff Library is on a magnificent scale, and from the base of its dome, is to be had one of the finest views of Oxfox'd Oxford. 205 city and its surroundings. No visitor should fail to take this view ; it will uioru thuu doubly pay hiui for the cost and trouble of ascending. The library consists wholly of medical works antl natural history. The printing house is one of the greatest iu the kingdom, and is one of the three houses in England, which are alone allowed to print the Bible. The chief thoroughfare of the city is High street, said to be one of thetlnest in tlie kingdom, and not without some truth. It is literally Imetl with churclies and colleges. Here is St. Mary's church, a substantial, dingy, out of date old building. In it the university sermons are still delivered. It was from this church that John and Charles Wesley Avere excluded — be- cause they preached justiiieation by faith. It was God's will that they should be cast out of it, for they never could have ac- complished anything in it. The world was Wesley's field, not Oxford nor the English church ! In Oxford there is one spot more sacred to me than all the others — the place where Cramner, Latimer and Eidley Avere burned. This hallowed ground is Justin the rear of Baliol College, and on it, a beautiful monument has been erected to their memory. It is composed of yellow sandstone, seventy- three feet high, and spiral in form. The work is of the first order, an appropriate tribute of reverence to the noljle heroes it is designed to commemorate. As I stood gazing upon it, I thought of Cranmer's heroic words, " So long as the breath is in my body, I will never deny my Lord Christ, and his known truth , God's will be done in me." Here it was he offered up the following prayer : " O heavenly Father, I give unto thee most hearty thanks, for that thou liast called me to be a profes- 206 Rambles through the British Isles. sor of the truth, even unto death. I beseech thee, O Lord God, take mercy upon this realm of England, and deliver the same from all he^ enemies." Here, too, Latimer, another martyr for the truth uttered the prophecy — " Be of good comfort. Master Eidley, and play the man ; we shall this day lightsuch a candle, by God's gr.ice, in England, as I trust will never be put out." And so it has come to pass ; the candle there lighted has been burning ever since, and we hope in God, may continue to burn, until the last vestige of Romish idolatry and priestcraft shall be done away. " Rome thundered death : hut Ridley's dauntless eye Stared in Death's face and scorned Death standing by ; In spite of Rome, f i r England's faitli he stood, And in the flames, he sealed it with hii hlood." --■■- — X'-.-:^- ^Jij. XXIV. EXGLAXD AXD THE ExGLISH. Aye, there in truth they arc, the quiet lioines, ' And hallow'd birtlispots of tlie English Ya.oc.—Etha-t. NGLAND, mother England! What shall be ^f'S^'))' said about thee, that is not already said. Thy '''j">'^ broad acres, taking in an area of fifty-eight 4 g£> ^7^"^ thousand square miles, rich in produce, and f-/ mmeral wealth. Thy noble hills, and majestic mountains, lifting their heads up four thousand feet above the level of the sea. Thy valleys, filled with fields of living green, and dotted with groups of nolile trees — old foresters that have passed through a thou- sand sunnners. Thy lakes and rivers, few in number, yet far- fimicd in song. As a whole, thy wide meadows, well-cultivated 208 RamUes through the British Isles. fields, smooth roads, cozy villas, neat cottages, with their usual adorumeut — shade and fruit trees, inviting to rest and refresh- ment ; humble antique churches, lofty elms and well-cut hedge- rows, is a picture iiot soon to be forgotten. " Britaunia ! happy, if tliy bons would know Their happiness. To these thy naval streams, Thy frequei.t towns, superb of busy trade, And ports magnific, add, and stately ships Innumerous." The climate of England is not so subject to sudden changes as our American. The annual temijerature of the southern coast is about fifty-two degrees, and at Greenwich about forty. The principal crops are wheat, oats, beans, barley, rye, turnips, potatoes, clover, hops, and flax. Intelligence has done much in promoting the productions of the soil. Of late years, much attention has been given to draining, and the means of accomplishing this in the most efficient manner. Some attention has been bestowed upon agricultural implements and improvements ; yet the value of new and improved tools is not generally appreciated by a majority of the farmers ; in this respect they are for behind their American brethren. In con- firmation of this assertion, I give the words of Mr. Willard, who recently visited England for the sole purpose of observation in this field. He says . " When in England, going among the farms, I visited an intelligent and extensive farmer, having many acres of wheat, which the continued wet weather had spoiled. We walked through a field where a great force of workmen were emijloyed in opening the sheaves to get them dry. This had been done l£n(jl(md mud the English. 209 over and over again ; but each time before they could he made ready lor the stack, the rain would come, Avetting them again, and now the wheat was sprouted. I said to him, it made me sad to see such a waste of grain, in a country where there Avere so many poor and needy people that required it, and that thou- sands of acres of wheat in Great Britain could have Ijeen savcft this year by the adojitioa of a little Yankee contrivance, called the ' Hay Cap,' and then I explained its construction and use. ' Oh ! ' said he, ' that suggestion, a few weeks ago, would have saycd me hundreds of pounds, and I shall adopt it at once ; but why could you not have told our English fermers of this through the papers, in time to have spared us this great calamity V You see he blamed me for not anticipating his Ijad luck and want of knowledge. And so it often is at home. Men cannot see Avhat a simple suggestion is sometimes worth, until too late. This is one reason why progress is slow." The farms in general throughout England are small, and by the majority only rented. This doul)tles3 is one of the causes why the capabilities of the soil are not more thoroughly developed. England is rich in resources. In her coal fields arc hidden vast stores of wealth, and among the coal producing countries, she stands first on the list in Europe. Among the chief articles of Britain's exports are the fol- lowing : cotton, wool, silk, linen, hardware, machinery, copper, brass, lead, tin, spu'its, beer, butter, cheese, leather, plate, watches, silver, gold and books. England has done much for herself; her commerce and wealth eclipses that of Alexandria and Tyre. She has extended her domain over continents, and 210 Rambles through the •British Isles. reared an empire greater tlian that of old •Rome. By her on. ward march, civilization has been advanced throughout the world. The parliamentary returns for last year, give a statement of the quality and quantity of books printed in and exported iiwn Great Britain, and the increase in each ten years, conunenc- iug with 1858. Tue books exported from the United King- dom in -1858, amounted to over twenty-seven thousand hundred weight. "'During 1868, they had increased to almost sixty-two thousand hundred weight, and the value during the same period rose from three hundred and ninety thousand dollars, to over six hundred and eighty-four thousand. Of these amounts, the United States took the largest portion, next Austraha and Egypt. An interesting parliamentary paper has been iDublished, showing that the estimated population of England, at the middle of the year 1868, was about twenty-one and a*lialf millions, for Scotland about three aiid one half millions^ and for Ireland five and a half millions ; the total estimate for the United Kingdom Ijeing over thirty millions. The returns also show the amount of revenue derived from taxation, in the two years end- ing December 1867. In 1866, the total for England was about two hundred and sixty-nine million dollars ; in 1867, about one million less ; the aggregate for two years amounts to five hun- dred and thirty-five million dollars. Taking the above figures as a basis, a calculation has been made of the number of repre- sentatives, which each division of the United Kingdom would hive, if the six hundred and fifty-eight members of the House were proportionately allotted ; England would have/om- hundred EmjUind ami the J^Jui/iish. 211 and S'ixty-niue representatives, Scotland, uinety-tUrec, and Ireland Qiiehundred and twenty. At present, England- has Jive hundred members, Scotland fifly-lh ee, and Ireland one hundred and five. The people of England may be divided into three classes, which are as follows : the aristocracy, the middlemen, and the 2}oor. The first class live upon the second, and the second upon the third ; consequently the rich are becoming richer, and the poor poorer. The aristocracy, or first class, is composed of six orders of nobility — dukes, viscounts, marquises, earls, and bishops, who are spiritual lords, possessing all the rights and privileges of jjeers. The roll of " the Lords Spiritual and Temporal,"' for the first session of the twentieth Parliament, contains a list of four hwn- dred and seventy peers in all, including the English Bench of Bishops, and the four Irish representative prelates, the twenty- eight Irish representative temporal peers, who at present, it np- pcars, are only fifteen. The first in order, is the Prince of Wales, who sits, however, as the Duke of Cornwall. Next come other members of the royal family ; next according to the custom dating back to the middle ages, follow the highest dig- nitaries of the church, headed by the Archbishop of Canter- bury. Then follow the peers who are members of the minis- try ; then the dukes, twenty in number, headed by the Roman Catholic Duke of Norfolk; then the one hundred and twenty- seven earls; the thirty viscounts ; the bench of bishops, twenty- nine in number ; and finally the two hundred and thirty-four barons. The later, it will be seen, constitute almost exactly one half of the whole body of Peers. The general idea is, that most of these noblemen arc of very ancient descent ; but it is 212 Hamhles through the British Isles. stated that the Duke of Norfolk, and tlie Earls of Shrewsbury aud of Derby, are the only direct male representatives in the three highest grades of the peerage, of titles conferred prior to the reign of Henry VIII. "What a dull world thisAvould be, if men were not allowed to see things by a light of their own ! Here are two gentlemen, each of whom, we fancy, knows more al)out English history than nine in every ten persons you meet at your club, or in your fricnrVs house, so strangely denying their own knowl- edge, as to make sport, not merely for the literary Philistines, but for grocers' boys and ladies' maids. Lord Lindsay, ' a man of letters as well as an aristocrat,' replies to the impeachment of his order — flinging away in a fashion to remind warriors of Don Quixote, and logicians of Lord Peter. He mistakes wind- mills for giants, and swears the brown loaf is good mutton. Mr. Bright makes observation on the genius of an hereditary peerage, concluding with peremptory emphasis,, that such a peerage cannot forever exist in a free country. What docs Lord Lindsay answer ? ' Look at history,' he cries, ' and you well there find that the institution you decry has been the sal- vation of England. Who does your work — fight your battles — write your books — guide you in storm and darkness?' And holding the mirror to the past, he bids the immortal shapes rise up with their crowns upon them, to rebuke ignorance, silence impeachment. A fine array of names, no doubt ; but wind- mills, not giants; though the crusade is against giants, not against windmills. Of the great dead, under whose shield Lord Lindsay would place the peerage, not one was born a peer, not one would have become a peer in the course of direct England and the English. 213 succession. Only two — Russell and Wellington — were sons of jseci's. Some of the rest were very liunibly Ijorn. Latimer was the son of a jjoor yeoman ; the Bacons were small squires in Suffolk, the Raleighs in Devon. Blakis's father was a merchant, Cromwell's a malster. Neither the Hampdens, nor the Chur-rmance of the covenant ; they do not ask for marks of respect ; they do not claim their love or devoted attachment ; it is enough that as servants they are exact and honest." This is true ; and why should it be otherwise ? Who would have it exchanged ? Who but those who sigh for the days of the past; the days that have passed never more to return — the servile age of body and mind. " God gave us only over beast, fish, fowl, Dominion absolute ; that right -we hold By his donation ; but man over man He made not lord ; such title to himself Resei-ving, human left from human free. " Illustrative of the American feeling of eqitality, a good story is told by Johnson, in his notes on North America. " At Boston, I was told of a gentleman in the neighborhood who having en- gaged a farm servant, found him very satisfactory in all respects, except that he invariably came into his master's room with his hat on. ' John,' said he to him one day, ' you always keep your hat on when you come into the room.' ' Well sir, haven't I a riglit to ?' 'Yes, I suppose you have.' 'Well, if I have a right to, why shouldn't I?' This was a poser from one man to another, where all have equal rights. So after a moment's reflection, the gentleman asked, 'Now, John, what will you take Emjhml and the English. 223 — liovr much more wages will you ask, to take off your hat when you come iu ? ' ' Well, that reqmres consideration, I guess.' Take the thiug mto consideration, then, and tell me to-morrow morning.' The morrow comes. ' Well, John, have you consid- ered what additional wages you are to have for taking off your hat ? ' ' Well, sir, I guess it's worth a dollar a month.' ' It's set- tled then, John, you shall have another dollar a month ;' and the gentleman retained a good servant, while John's hat was always in his hand when he entered the house in future." John was right ; it was worth something to take off his hat every time he came into the presence of his master, a^d a dollar a month was little enough. If a man takes off his hat to a man, he ought to be i^aid for it ! But in England the servant is will- ing to carry his hat in hand, all the live-long day, if by so doing he may manage to keep on the right side of his lord and master, and this too, without the slightest compensation. Now such crouching and submission is beneath the true man; it feeds the pride of him who thinks himself superior to his fellows, debases manhood, and should be spurned by all wholove justice, equality and good government. The state of society, in England, is one cause of the misery and destitution which e:ysts among her jioor. For ages they have been suffering under the cruel hand of unjust laws Their substance has been made meagre by restriction, their industry has been cramped by legislative shackles, and. their vigor has been sapped by first hampering, and then protecting them, by first rendering it impossible for them to support themselves, and then engaging to support them at the cost of others ; thus have they been made dependent and helpless as children ! 22-1 Ramhles through the British Isles. England's poor have a claim upon England's rich, to be sup- ported and cared for, which is based upon those enactments which have incapacitated them from supporting themselves. '' A people to whom suitable instruction had given the full pos- session ol their natural capacities, and who were lett free to exercise their industry in the manner they deemed most profit- able, would have no shadow of a title to maintenance out of the industry of others. But the consequences of injustice are awful, and haunt the steps of the perpetrator everlastingly. The moment you wrong a man, you become his debtor. The moment you rob a man, you give him a perpetual mortgage over all your possessions. The moment you tie a man's i-hands and feet, you bind yourself to work for him, and walk for him. The moment jou deprive a man of freedom, you become, in the eye of morality, his slave." This is now the position of the landed proprietors and capitalists of England. By their unright- eous hold upon the lands and commerce of the nation, they have brought upon themselves the duty of caring for over half a million paupers ! True, there are other causes, besides unrighteous legislation and caste, for the miserable condition of England's poor. It is said by the rich that they are improvident, they do not economize, for if they did their circumstances would be comfortable. This doubtless, to an extent is true, but as an excuse for the poverty -of the poor it is more specious than solid, and its feebleness may be readily seen by the following drama: First Scene — Rich man seated in an easy chair j hy him stands a jMor man in sti.p2ylicating attitude. Rich man : Ahem ! very sorry, my friend, that I can do noth- HugJand and the English. 225 ing for yon. But I can give yon a word of good advice — econ-- mize ! Poor mmi : Bnt when a man has nothing — Rich man : Nonsense ! Under certain circumstances, a man must know how to save. Second Scene — The rich man droicniny in a pond : 1 he poor vian calmly regarding him from the shore. Poor man : Sorry, my friend, that I can do nothing for you, but I can give you a word of good advice — strim ! Rich man: (cliolcing) But — but — but — wh- — when a man can't swim ! Poor man : Nonsense ! Under certain circumstances a man must know how to swim. Now while I do not say that legislation and society are tlie sole cause of the jioverty of the poor, yet I do believe them to be the stepping stones to it. " They are not as prudent as they might be ;" this is too true. But what is the cause of it? "They are indolent,'' acknowledgecL But what robbed them of their energy ? What is the tendency of slavery everywhere ? What but to render labor disreputable. They are imprudent, indolent, immoral, and who is to blame? Not long ago, a jjoor, half-starved laborer, on his way home from his daily toil, to his famishing family, yielded ti) the temp- tation of securing something good for supper, for once, by kill- ing a hare that chanced to cross his path. The fiict reached his master's cars ; he was seized by the strong hand of the law,' tried and found guilty. He was sentenced to imprisonment in Gwetfham goal, for three months, and to be sent back for six 226 Eamlles tlwough the British Isles. months, at tlie end of that time, unless he found surety for good behavior during twelve months longer. He had a wife and child, who entirely dei^ended on his slender earnings. The wife, during his confinement was taken sick ; and in her utter destitution — money, food, coal, all were wanting — she was forced to aj^ply to the parish authorities for help ; but the application was ineffectual, or the response came too late ; she died, leaving her child, of three years, to the tender mercy of those who incar- cerated her husband, robbed her of bread, and drove her into the grave. Who was to blame ? Who ? " I would not enter on my list of friends, (Though graced with polished manners and fine sense Yet wanting sensibility) the man Wlio needlessly sets foot upon a worm, An inadvertent step may crush the snail That crawls at evening in the public path ; But he that has humanity, forwarned, Will tread aside and let the reptile live." Intemperance is one of the greatest sources of ^jo«- erty and crime among the English poor. Thi# has become the heaviest tax of the laboring class — their worst enemy. In proof of this, we have the testimony of some of her foremost men. The Hon. Charles Buxton of London, says, " It is intoxication that fills our jails. It is intoxication that fills our lunatic asy- lums. It is intox-catioa that fills our workhouses with poor. Were it not for this one cause, pauperism would be nearly extinguished in England." The Westminster Review says, " Drunkenness is the curse of JEngland and the English. 227 England, a curse so great, that it far eclipses every other calam- ity under which we sutler. It is iniijossible to exaggerate the evils of drunkcuuess." Judge Patterson, of Norwich, England, addressing a grand jury said : "If it were not for this drinking, you and I would have nothing to do." Mr. Wakely, Coroner of Liverpool, said, "Gin maybe thought the best friend I have ; it causes me to liold annually one thousand more inquests than I should otherwise hold. But besides these, I have reason to believe that from ten to fifteen thousand persons die in this metropolis annually, from the etleets of gin-drinking, upon whom no inquests are held. Since I have been coroner, I have seen go many murders by poi-son, by drowning, by hanging, by cutting the throat in consequence of drinking ardent spirits, that I am astonished that the legislature does not, interfere. I am confident they will, before long, be obliged to interfere with the sale of liquors containing alcohol." We often hear of the heavy taxes which the people of Eng- land have to bear : " Taxes upon everything that enters the mouth, covers the back, or is placed under the feet ; taxes upon everything that is pleasant to see, hear, feel, taste, or smell ; taxes upon warmth, light, and locomotion ; taxes upon every- thing on the earth, in the waters under the earth — upon every- thing that comes from abroad, or is grown at home ; taxes upon the raw material, and upon every value that is added to it by the ingenuity and industry of man ; taxes upon the sauce that pampers man's appetite, and on the drug that re- stores him to health — on the ermine that decorates the judge, 228 Rambles through the British Isles. and on the rope that hangs the criminal — on the brass nails of thg coffin, and on the ribands of the bride — at bed or at board — couchant, or levant — we must pay. The school-boy wMiys his taxed top ; the beardless youth manages his taaxd horse by a taxed bridle on a taxed road ; and the dying Eng- lishman, pouring his medicine, which has paid seven per cent. into a spoon which has paid thirty per cent., throws himself back upon his chintz bed, which has paid twenty-two per cent., and, having made his will, the seals of which are also taxed, he expires in the arms of his apothecary, who has paid £100 for the privilege of hastening his death. His whole property is then taxed from two to ten per cent., and besides the expenses of probate, he pays large fees for being buried in the chancel, and his virtues are handed down to prosterity on taxed mar- ble. After all which he may be gathered to his fathers to be taxed — no more." Now this is bad enough. Bat of all the taxes which the laboring class in England are called to bear, the self-imposed tax of tohacco, heer, porter and spirits is the heaviest. Dr. Lees, of London, speaking of the loss sustained by Eng- land in consequence of the drinking system, says : " £100,000,- 000, which is now annually wasted, is a sum as great as was spent in seven years upon all the railways of the kingdom — in the very heyday of railway projects ; a sum so vast, that if saved annually for seven years, would blot out the national debt ! " Another writer says, " that in the year 1865 thirty -one million dollars, or a tenth part of the whole national revenue, was required to support her paupers." Who wonders that .such a state of affairs should be the cause of much alarm ? Bnr/Iaud and the English. 229 In the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in 1867, there were destroyed in the manufacture of beer and spirits sho\xt Jifty-three million bushels of grain. For the sale of beer and spirits there are more than one hundred and fifty thousand public houses, which, on an average of a frontage of ten yards, would form a row of houses upwards of eight hun- dred and fifty miles tong, or one continuous street extending from Edinburgh to London. In addition to the money spent on the drink there is also the cost of the crime, pauperism, and disease, with the loss of time, property and life, which, estimated at iuWj fifty million more, and added to the above, makes a total cost of one huwlred and fifty million sterling, to gratify the national love for drink. Now look at what this traf&c does for the United Kingdom yearly : It makes one and a half million paupers, or one in twenty of the entire population. It created six hundred thousand drunkards ; each one a source of sorrow and annoyance, both to his family and com- munity. It is the cause of more than sixty thousand murders. It sends to the lunatic asylum owev forty -three thousand men and women. It throws into an untimely grave more than twenty-five thousand. It gives to the keeping of the nation one hundred and forty thousand criminals. It sends out upon the charities of the world fifty thousand widows. 230 RamlJes tJirouf/h the British Isles. It consigns to the walls of the poor-house and orphan asy- lum one hundred thousand children. This is but a part of the work which the traffic in leer and spirits is doing for Great Britain yearly. " O thou invisible spirit of wine. If thou hast no name to be known by, let us call thee devil." THE ENGLISH CHURCH AND ROHANISM:. The Church of England is an establishment. The Queen is its head, and sustains about the same relation to it that the Pope does to the Church of Rome. By her royal authority all ecclesiastical conventions are convened, prorogued, regulated, restrained and dissolved. Though but three orders of clergy, bishops, priests and deacons, are essential to the Episcopal government in England, other officers have been gradually introduced ; such as archbishops, deans, prebendaries, minor canons, archdeacons and church-wardens, &c. The field is divided into two Episcopal provinces, Canterbury and York, with an archbishop in each. Next to the archbishops in rank stands the bishop of London. The Archbishop of Canter- bury is the primate of all England. It is his prerogative to crown the Kings and Queens of the Realm, and to take rank next after the royal family. The King or Queen, as the head of the Church, appoints the archbishops and bishops, by what is called a conge cVelire, or leave to elect. The revenues of the church are immense. She holds in fee simple the right of property worth one hundred and forty million dollars in gold, the anntial income of which goes to support the clergy. And yet not more than 7t«^the population of England and Wales is loyal to the Established Church, and but forty per' cent, in England and the English. 231 Scotland and twelve per cent, in Ireland. The Archbishop of Canterbury has a yearly income of $100,000 ; .the Archbishop of York IGO.OOO ; the Bishop of London $60,000 ; the Bishop of Durham $48,000 ; the Bishop of Winchester $48,000 ; the Bishop of Bath and Wells $30,000 ; the Bishop of Carlisle $26,500; the Bishop of Chester $26,500. In St. Davids the Bishop TGcevM $26,500 ; in Ely $33,000 ; in Gloucester $30,- 000 ; in Litchfield $26,000 ; in Lincoln $30,000 ; in Norwich $26,000 ; in Oxford $30,000 ; in Peterborough $26,000 ; in Eipon $26,000 ; in Eochester $30,000 ; in Salisbury $30,000 ; in Worcester $32,500. Now, while the dignified clergy have such immense salaries, it is a burning shame that many poor curates and vicars, who perform most of the labor, have not anything like a comfortable support. Not long ago the Archbishop of York made an address, in which he set forth the smaUness of the incomes of many of the clergy in the diocese of Carlisle. He said : " In this diocese there are al- most 500 parishes, yet no less than 175 of them provided their incumbents with incomes under £150 a year. Two of these incumbents have less than £40 per annum of income ; six have less than $80 ; ten less^than £90 ; fourteen less than £100 ; six less than £110 ; three Ifess than £120 ; six less than £130 ; and three less than £120." By these statistics we see the unfairness of the system ; the clergy who do the work receive barely enough to live upon, while those who do but lit- tle and are seldom found in their parishes have incomes from twenty to one hundred thousand dollars per year. In comparing the salaries with the a«iount of labor per- formed, we cannot but exclaim with the Prince of Couti : 232 Ravibles through the British Ishs. " Alas ! our good God is but very ill served for his money." It is perfectly unaccountable bow men could tolerate so long such a system of pious fraud and favoritism. Surely its days are numbered. It must come to an end. The disendowment of the Irish Church was the entering wedge between the English Church and State. It is the cur- rent opinion of many to-day, even within Hfc pale, that dis- estaUishment is not far in the distance. Indeed, the present controversy, which is going on between high and low church- men, in reference to the teachings of the common prayer- book, is indicative of the coming struggle. And the anti- church feeling which has existed in England for years, has been augmenting rapidly since the passage of the Irish Church Bill. A cry has been raised, about the ascendency of popery, with the weakening of the Establishment. And fearing this, many quake and tremble. It is well known that if the prayer-book be remodeled, popish teachings being expunged, bringing it more into accordance with the i^rinciples of primitive Christi- anity, the high churchmen will go over to Eomanism, — they would not have far to go ! — which, instead of being a loss to the Protestant church, would be a great blessing. No one will dispute the fact that within the English Church to-day, there is a class of Ritualists, who are doing more to retard the onward march of Protestantism, than these same persons could do, did they belong to Rome by name as they now belong to her by deed. The wall between Ritualism and Romanism is very tbiu ! ^ At an educational meeting in Liverpool, not long ago, the Hugland and the .Em/lisk. 233 Rev. Hugh McNeil told a story wliich shows tlic feeling which exists between Puseyism and Romanism : "A child was taken into one <3f the union work-houses, but its parents could not be found, no one could tell what religion it was of. A debate arose whether it should be entered as a Protestant or as a Roman Catholic. While they were debating, the priest camo in, and on being informed of the difficulty, 'Why,' said he, ' split the difference, and enter it as a Puseyite.' " A bill of divorcement is now being prepai'ed for the Eng- lish Church and State. They must be separated ! So, too, must English Protestants and the common prayer-book. " The Church of England embraces within her bosom the widest possible varieties of opinion. She shelteraf in fact, nearly every possible form of belief lying between the doc- trine of the papal supremacy and the denial of the possibility of the miraculous, and between extreme Sacramentalism and the lowest churchmanship. She cannot help, therefore, being the subject of constant party struggles. Instead of alternately inserting passages to please opposite shades of opinion, she ought wholly to have abstained from attempting definition on points where she intended to be comprehensive. But she lacked the courage to pronounce certain dogmas in- different, and to refuse to define them. And, indeed, at the time of the Reformation it was hardly possible that a church , should have been based upon truly comprehensive principles. A wide interval separated such a church from the line of thought in which the reformers had been brought up. Though they had shaken themselves clear of the forms of the old faith, they were still animated by the spirit of scholasti- 234 Ramlles throucfh the British Isles. • cism. Tbey had never been led to question the omnipotence of the syllogism for the discovery of truth. Natural science was then unborn. The limits of human intellect wdl-e unde- termined. A critical knowledge of history was unthought of. The principles of toleration were yet in their cradle. To have refused to assume the appearance of attempting to em- body in formal statements all credenda, whether within or beyond the limit of the human understanding, would have been viewed as little else than heresy. But such a mode of com- prehension is no longer suited to the genius of the age, which requires that what was attempted in former times by insert- ing incongruous statements, to please different classes of opin- ion, should now be accomplished by a careful removal of every thing which clashes with the fundamental opinions of any whom the Church intends to comprehend. If she is to be a Protestant State Church, then a necessary condition of the union is, that neither the State nor the Church shall recognize the interpolation of the priest as between man and God. No state in a free land can with safety encourage a church whose priesthood claims to be a caste separated from the rest of mankind by the possession of exclusive power. Such an ac- knowledgment at once introduces an element into politics fatal to the supremacy of civil power, tending ever toward •temporal anarchy and spiritual despotism." The sooner the Protestants who are found within the pale of the English Church C(9wieo2/^/;'om /if?" the better for themselves and the world. For ages she has been moving step after step Eomeward, until now she stands knocking at the gate, wait- ing for an entrance. Unghnul and the English. 235 On the alarming i)rogress of Bomanisin in England I will give the opinion of one of her most wide-awake sons, Rev. Charles H. Spurgeon. He says : «' It is a most fearful fact that in no age since the Reformation has Fcpeinj made such fearful strides in England as during the past few years. I had com- fortably believed that Popery was only feeding itself upon foreign subscriptions, upon a few titled perverts, and import- ed monks and nuns. I dreamed that its progress was not real. In fact, I have often smiled at the alarm of many of my bf ethren at the progress of Popery. But my dear friends, we have been mistaken, grievously mistaken. If you will read a valuable paper in the magazine called Christian WorJc, those of you who are not acqujiinted with it will be perfectly startled at its revelations. This great city (London) is now covered with a net work of monks, and priests, and Sisters of Mercy, and the conversions made are not by ones or twos, but by scores, till England is being regarded as the most hopeful spot for Eomish missionary enterprise in the whole world ; and at the present moment there is not a mission which is succeeding to anything like the extent of the English mis- sion. I covet not their money, I despise their sophistries, but I marvel at the way in which they gain their funds for the erection of their ecclesiastical buildings. It is an alarming matter to see so many of our countrymen going off to that superstition, which, as a nation, we once rejected, and which it was supposed we should never again receive. Popery is making advances such as you would never believe though a spectator should tell it to you. Close to your very doors, per- haps even in your own houses, you may have evidence ere 236 RamUes through the British Isles. long of -what a march Romanisni is making. And to what is it to be ascribed ? I say, with every ground of probability, that there is no marvel that Popery should increase when you have two things to make it grow ; first of all, the falsehood of those who profess a faith which they do not ielieve, which is quite contrary to the honesty of the Eomanist, who does through evil report and good report hold his faith ; and then you have, secondly, this form of error known as baptismal regener- ation, and commonly called Puseyism, which is not only Pusey- ism but Church-of-England-ism, because it is in the PrUyerSooTc, as plainly as words can express it. You have this baptismal regeneration preparing stepping-stones to make it easy for men to go to Pome. I have but to open my eyes a little to foresee Eomanism rampant everywhere in the future, since its germs are spreading everywhere in the present. In one of our courts of legislature but last Tuesday, the Lord Chief- Justice showed his superstition, by speaking of the ' risk of the calamity of children dying unbaptized !' Among Dis- senters you see a veneration for structures, a modified belief in the sacredness of places, which is all idolatry ; for to believe in the sacredness of anything but of God and of His own Word, is to idolize, whether it is to believe in the sa- credness of the men, the priests, or in the sacredness of the bricks and mortar, or of the fine Unen, or what not, which you may use in the worship of God. I see this coming up every- where, a belief in ceremony, a resting in ceremony, a venera- tion for altars, fonts, and churches ; a veneration so profound that we must not venture upon a remark, or straightway of sinners we are chief. Here is the essence and soul of Popery, England and the Unglish. 237 peeping up under tlie garb of a decent respect for sacred things. It is impossible but that the Church of Rome must spread, when we who are the watch-dogs of the fold are silent, and others are gently and smoothly turfing the road, and making it as soft and smooth as possible, that converts may travel down to the nethermost hell of Popery. We want John Knox back again. Do not talk to me of mild and gentle men, of soft manners and squeamish words, we want the fiery Knox, and even though his vehemence should ' ding our pul- pits into blades,' it were well if he did but roT#e our hearts to action. "We want Luther to tell men the truth unmistakably, in homely phrase. The velvet has got into our ministers' mouths of late, but we must unrobe ourselves of soft raiment, and truth must be spoken, and nothing but truth ; for of all lies which have dragged millions down to hell, I look upon this as being one of the most atrocious, that in a Protestant Church there should be found those who swear that baptism saves the soul. Call a man a Baptist, er a Presbyterian, or a Dissenter, or a Churchman, that is nothing to me, if he says baptism saves the soul, out upon him, out upon him, he states what God never taught, what the Bible never laid down, and what ought n^ver to be maintained by men who profess that the Bible, and the whole Bible, is the religion of Protestants." The English Church is not without some good and great men to-day. They are the salt ; her rotteness and putrefaction would soon appear should they be removed. Nor are we for- getful of the good and the great who belonged to her in the past ; we think of Butler, Stillingfleet, Brown, Tillotson, Beveridge, Boyle, Law, Leightou, and many others whose 238 Ramlles through the British Isles. names are as precious ointment poured forth. And in still later days her Newton and Scott, Cecil and Richmond, Milner and Martyn, men honored of heaven in " turning many from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God ;" and to whose labors the whole Christian world is greatly in- debted. Yet still we say, let the Establishment go. Let the Church be disenthralled from the yoke of bondage, and puri- fied from her defilements ; let her take a stand side by side with the Protestant Churches of the land. The signs of change are manifest, ^ghty central fires are glowing beneath the crust of rites and ceremonies, which in the days of ignor- ance God suffered ; they are forcing themselves up to sight, and by their purifying touch she must perish or be set free from her tin and dross. God speed the day ! and bless the cause of Protestantism the world over ! The English are not without their feculiarities. An Irish- man, it is said, fights bofore he reasons ; a Scotchman reasons before he fights ; but an Englishman is not so particular ; he is ready for either to accommodate his customers. He has a sharp eye to business, but not so wedded to it as to forget pleasure. He will eat veal or mutton, but has a decided preference for roast beef. He is loyal throughout, and when shouting " God save the Queen ! " at the top of his voice, all who know him, understand full well that he means himself, his estates, his rents, his shares, his wares and his ships. He is religious, but not over much. He prays through the forms of the church book, but occasionally wanders off into a form fashioned by himself, and more after the desire of his England and Ih English. 239 own lieart. Doubtless not differing much from the following which Wiis made by John Ward, of Hackney, England, and found in his own handwriting; "O Lord, thou knowest that I have nine estates in the city of London, and likewise that I have purchased an estate in fee simple in the county of Essex. I beseech thee to preserve the two counties of Middle- sex and Essex from fire and earthquakes As I have a mort- gage in Hertfordshire, I beg thee to have an eye of compas- sion on that county, and for the rest of the counties thou mayest deal with them as thou art pleased. O, Lord, enable the banks to answer all their bills, and make my debts on good men. Give a prosperous voyage and return to the Mer- maid sloop, because I have insured it. And as thou hast said the days of the wicked are but short, I trust in thee that thou wilt not forget thy promise, as I have purchased an estate in reversion, which will be mine upon the death of that profligate young man, Sir I. L. Keep me from sinking, and preserve me from thieves and housebreakers, and make all my servants so honest and faithful that they may attend to my interests, and never cheat me out of my property, night or day." Home is the most attractive spot on earth to an Eng- lishman. Lamartine says : " The citizen of Great Britain is a patriarch in his home, a poet in his forest, an orator in his pub- lic places, a merchant at his counter, a hero in his navy, a cos- mopolite on the soil of his colonies, but a cosmopolite, carry- ing with him to every continent his indelible individuality In the ancient raofc there are none to resemble him. One 2-iO Ramhles through the British Isles. cannot define him, in politics or in literature, but by his name — the Englishman is an Englishman.'" The English live laore out of doors than do Americans. Hence they are more robust and rugged, and upon almost every cheek may be seen the impress of health. They are lovers of sport, and for it they are willing to sacrifice time and money. Their faith in muscular developements is strong, and with Quater they think that manly exercises are the founda- tion of ihat elevation of mind which gives one nature ascend - ance over another ; or, with the Arabs, that the days spent in the chase are not counted in the length of life. They box, run, shoot, ride, row, and sail from pole to pole. They eat and drink, and live jolly in the open air, putting a bar of solid sleep between day and day. They walk and ride as fast as they can, their head bent forward, as if urged on some pressing affair. The French say that *' Englishmen in the street always walk straight before them like tnad dogs." Yet with all their love for pleasure they differ very materially from the French in that they are not carried away, and made for- getful of business by it. In one of the latter days of Fox, the conversation turned on the comparative wisdom of the French and English character. " The Frenchman," it was observed, " delights himself with the present ; the Englishman makes himself anxious about the future. Is not the Frenchman the wiser ? " " He may be the merrier," said Fox, " but did you ever hear of a savage who did not buy a mirror in preference to a telescope ? " The English are a practical people. T^ey like fact much better than fiction ; and with the matter-of-fact speech — dry England and the Unglish. 241 statistics huddled together, which the American people would not tolerate"*— they are more pleased than with figures or flow- ers gathered from the fields, forests and gardens of the world's broad acres. Like the Irishman who avus once committed to the House of Correction for a misdemeanor, and sentenced to work on the tread-wheel for the space of three months, at the expiration of his term he observed that he saw no practi- cal use in the thing : " What a great dale of fatigue and both- eration it would have'saved us poor crathers, if they had but invinted it to go by stheeme, Ws.e all other water-mills ; for burn me if I have not been after going up stairs for this four weeks, but could not reach the chamber door at all, at all." Houses and lands, stocks and consols are to them things of potency and pathos. " They love the lever, the screw, and pulley ; the Flander's draught-horse, the waterfall, windmills, tidemills , the sea and the wind to bear their freighted ships. More than the diamond Koh-i-noor, which glitters among their crown jewels, they prize the dull pebble, which is wiser than a man, and whose poles turn tliemselves to the poles of the world, and whose axis is parallel to the axis of the world. Now their toys are steam and galvanism. They are heavy at the fine arts, but adroit at the coarse ; not good in jewelry or mosaics, but the best iwx masters, colliers, "woolcombers, and tanners in Europe. They apply them- selves to agriculture, to draining, to resisting encroachments of sea winds, travelling sands, cold and wet subsoil ; to fishery, to manufacture of indispensable staples, — salt, plumbago, leather, wool, glass, pottery, and brick, — to bees and silk worms ; and by their steady combinations they succeed. A 242 RamUes through the British Isles. manufacturer sits down to dinner in a suit of clothes which was wool on the sheep's back at sunrise. Yoft. dine with a gentleman on. venison, pheasant, quail, pigeons, poultry, mushrooms, and pineapples, all the growth of his estate. They are neat husbands for ordering all their tools pertaining to house and field. All are well kept. There is no want, and no waste. They study use and fitness in their buildings, and in their dress. The Frenchman invented the ruffle ; the Eng- lishman added the shirt. The Englishman wears a sensible coat, buttoned to the chin, d? rough but solid and lasting text- ure. If he is a lord, he dresses a little worse than a common- er. They have diffused the taste for plain, substantial hats, shoes, and coats, through Europe. They think him the best dressed man, whose dress is so fit for his use that you cannot notice, nor remember to describe it. They secure the essen- tials in their diet, in their arts and manufactures ; they have impressed their directness and practical habits on modern civilization." The women of England are more muscular, and less beauti- ful than our American. They have more rose-colored cheeks and cherry lips, of nature's own adorning? Few of the Eng- lish women paint their faces. They exercise so much in open air, and give themselves up so much to the obedience of na- ture's primitive laws, that they need it not ; nature gives their cheeks and lips a beauty of finish which cannot be copied by the artist's brush. In dress and manners they in general avoid peculiarities ; being more desirous to have their garments rich and comfort- able than to fall in with the miserable fashion which compels Migland and the Eiujlish. 243 a lady to wear such things as will call forth the gaze of tho sensual crowd. There is a gruffness and stiffness about the men of England which is anything but agreeable to a stranger. They are not so obliging as either the Scotch or Irish. To make an inquiry of a stranger you should happen to meet is only just so much lost time. You will know about as much before you ask tho question as after you receive the an- swer. If your question is responded to, the information will be about as clear as the evidence which a Yorkshire man gave at one time in a case of assault, where a stone had been thrown by the defendant : " Did you see the defendant throw the stone V '' "I saw a stone, and I'ze pretty sure the defendant throwed it. " " Was it a large stone ? " " I should say it was a largish stone.'' " What was its size ? " " I should say a size- able stone. " " Can't you answer definitely how big it was r " " I should say it wur a stone of some bigness. " " Can't you compare it to some object ?" " Whji, if I war to compar it, so as to give some notion of the stone, I should say it wur as large as a lump of chalk." Thfey are a proud, self-complacent people, proud of every- thing that belongs to England, even of her follies ; and this is more true o^^ the second class than of the first, who avoid strenuously the peculiarities of the class " below stairs " and ape with all their might the class above them. This is not only shown by their conversation and manner of dress, but even by their gait. An Irishman, seeing one of this class walking with more pomposity than a lord, in front of a grand row of houses, stepped up to him and inquired, " What 244 Ramlles through the British Isles. rent do you ask for these houses ? " " Why do you ask me such a question ? " said he. " Faith, and I thought the whole ter- race belonged to ye V " replied Patrick. But after all, simi- lar things might be said of us. For who are we ? "Whence came our fathers ? Were they not English ? "Indeed this world was a brave old world, In the days lon^ past and gone ; And the sun he shone, and the rain it rained, And the world went merrily on. The shepherd kept his sheep, And the milkmaid milked her kine. And the serving-man was a sturdy loon In a cap and a doublet fine. "And I've been told, in this brave old world. There were jolly times and free ; And they laughed and sung till the welkin rung, All under the greenwood tree. The sexton chimed his sweet, sweet bells. And the huntsman wound his horn, And the hunt went out with a merry shout. Beneath the jovial morn. • "And so went by, in this brave old world. Those merry days and free; The king drank wine, and the clown drank ale — Each man in his degree. And some ruled well, and some ruled ill — And thus passed ou the time, "With jolly ways in those brave old days "When this world was in its prime." 'i^0tta«l. " Land of brown heath and shaggy woods, Land of the mountain and the flood, Land of my sires." n 1^ I'll Glasgow Univeksixx. XXV. City of Glasgow. m view the manners of the town, Peruse the traders, gaze upon the buildings. And then return and sleep within mine inn, For with long travel I am stiff and weary. Shakespeare. ?fe^^p^^ N approacliing Glasgow, by way of the Clyde, -'^^/^^SM *^® ^^^^ things which attract the attention, - 'I ^^1 ' '^y'/f •1' ^^^ ^^ innumerable high chimneys, towering '^ -'J above the mist and smoke. One of these himneys stands as a giant among all the rest, and is called " Tennant's Stalk." It is erected ^ Liius high for the purpose of carrying off the many ■d^^ th Ml »,. ^ ^},^^J:^^ noxious vapors which rise from one of the largest chemical works in Great Britain; its altitude is over four hundred and fifty feet. My first impression on entering the city, was unfavorable ;' having spent the previous day in attempting to see all the objects and places of interest in Belfast, Ireland, and failing to secure a good night's sleep while crossing the channel, I was not in a very good mood for sight-seeing when I reached Glasgow. It seemed to me, that the atmosphere was so filled with 248 Ramhhs through the British Isles. vapor and smoke, that you could cut it with a knife. I really- thought I should have to leave the city without seeing it, because of the difficulty experienced in breathing, but after a few hoiu-s had passed I did not notice it so much, and before my visit was ended I had almost forgotten it. Glasgow is situated on the banks of the Clyde, about twenty miles from its mouth ; and in point of wealth, popu- lation, enterprise, and commercial importance is the third city in the British Isles. The city proper is on the bank of the river, which is spanned by five bridges, one of which is a slen- der suspension bridge, and only used fox foot passengers. The Clyde, which naturally was not navigable to the city, except by shallow or flat-bottomed craft, has been deepened so as to admit ships drawing from twenty to thirty feet of water. Eunning along the stream is a wide street, open toward the river, with sheds, called the Broomielaw, Here may be seen steam and sailing ships, from every civilized country in the world — both great and small. The labor required to dig out this noble harbor, must have been immense ; and is in itself an index to the spirit of enter- prise which marks this people. A gentleman whose hospi- tality I shared during my stay in the city, told me that when he was a boy he often waded across the Clyde, where now almost any of our ocean steamships can j^ly about with the greatest ease ! Little of the early history of this ancient city is known ; and up to the eleventh century almost everything connected with it is, like itself, involved in clouds and smoke. It now contains over one hundred miles of paved and macadamized City of Glasgow. 249 streets, with a population of about five hundred thousand. Several of its streets are more than common, they are grand ! The mercantile capital of Glasgow, up to 1775, was chiefly- employed in the tobaccs trade with the American colonies, which added much to their wealth and gave to them the name of " Tobacco Lords," but this was arrested by the breaking out of the Eevolutiou. Even now one may see evidences of their former glory in many fine residences and elegant streets which remain. After the Revolution the citizens began to turn their at- tention to the manufacture of cotten and linen goods, for which Glasgow is now pre-eminent. It was at the close of the last century that this branch of trade began to increase rapidly in importance. This doubtless was owing, in a great measure, to the breaking out of the French Revolution, which for a time limited the manufacturers on the continent, thereby giving an impetus to those of Great Britain, in which impe- tus Glasgow largely shared. It is impossible to form a correct estimate of the large num- ber of hand-loom weavers employed in Glasgow, but they are supposed to number about forty thousand, and the produce of their labor is valued at about three millions sterling per annum. Power loom weaving was introduced into Glasgow in 1792, but did not accomplish much for about ten years. " At pres- ent, about 25,000 steam-looms produce a daily average of 625,- 000 yards of cloth, making in a year of 300 working days, 187,500,000 yards," the probable value of which must be about four millions sterling a year. 250 Rambles through the British Isles. About the same time tliat steam power was introduced for weaving purposes, the spinning of cotton yarn was commenced in Glasgow. This branch of industry has also rapidly in- creased, there being now 1,800,000 Spindles in constant mo- tion. The value of the products are assumed to be between four and five million sterling. "In 1818 only 46,565 bales of cotton were consumed, while in 1861 the amount had increas- ed to 120,000 bales." But cotton is not the only article of manufacture ; silk and rich foreign wools are used with much success. Another source of wealth to Glasgow, is the iron trade which has been greatly augmented within the last few years, indeed, the " iron lof ds threaten to eclipse the cotton lords, as the cotton lords formerly eclipsed the tobacco lords." In 1830 there was-only sixteen smelting furnaces, which sent out on an average two thousand five hundred tons, amounting in all to about forty thousand tons for the year. This amount was greatly increased by the invention of the hot blast, by which one-third more iron is produced with less than one-half of the fuel. So that in 1860 the enormous quantity of one hundred thousand tons of pig iron and ninety thousand tons of mallea- ble iron was produced. Ship building has arisen to great importance ; and Clyde- built steamships are of world-wide notoriety. For over a mile below the city, both sides of the river are covered with ship yards, where many hands wield many hammers, creating a jargon which is anything but agreeable. But enough in reference to the commercial aspect of the city. In George's Square, which, by the way, is the hand- Citij of Glasgow. 251 somest and largest in the city, arc the principal monuments, lu the centre rises a Grecian column to Sir "Walter Scott, one hundred feet high. Just in the front of this is a pedestrian statue, in bronze, of Sir John Moore, a native of Glasgow, who fell at Corunua, in Spain, 1009. Who has not read the poem written on the burial of Sir John ? " Not a drum was lieard, nor a funeral note, As his corpse to the rampart we huiried." On the right of Sir John Moore's is a bronze figure of James AVatt, the inventor of the first practical steam engine in Europe. To the left is one of Sir Eobert Peel, from the studio of Mossman. On the right is an equestrian statue of the good Queen Victoria, to commemorate he% visit to the city, in 1849, and one to the late Prince Consort. While in the city I spent some time in the University, which was founded in the fifteenth century, and whose history is one of great honor. The average annual attendance of students is one thousand. This antique, venerable, and monastic looking building, is situated in the oldest part of the city, and was erected in the seventeenth century, as is seen from the following inscription : H^. ^DES. EXSTRUCT^. SUNT. ANNO. DOM. MDCLVI. The structure is of stone, made black by age and smoke. Doubtless at one time it bore a very imposing appearance, but time and progress in building have left it in the background. The stone balcony in front is rather a peculiar kind of an- cient ornamentation which cannot be appreciated in our day. After gazing at the exterior I passed through the central gate into the courtyard, and having secured a ticket entered the 252 Mamhles through the British Isles. Hunterian Museum, so called, being founded by the celebra- ted anatomist, Wm. Hunter, who presented it to the Univer- sity. To go into detail would be imposibie— I will not attempt it. Suffice to say, the collection as a whole is one of the first in the kingdom, and is particularly remarkable for its Ana- tomical Museum. Among the may things of interest are several little ma- chines on which it is said, Watt, when a boy, developed his genius. Little did he think what a power steam would be- come — and to what perfection his engine in embryo should be brought, even in his own day — while working over these first principles ! And little did his aunt think that her nephew would ever accomplish anything for himself — much less for the world ! History relates that one day she admonished him after this manner : "Are you not ashamed of yourself, James, to sit moping and idling there ? I do believe that at times you don't know what you are doing. I have noticed you this long time, and not a thing have you done but look at the steam of the kettle, taking off the lid and putting it on again, and watching the steam turn into drops of water. Do, for good- ness' sake, leave off this idleness, and set about something useful." How strange are the unfoldings of genius ! On the right of the court is the library, containing about sixty thousand volumes, and on the left are the homes of the professors. The class and lecture rooms are very old-fashioned, and in general much out of repair. It seemed strange to me that a place so richly endowed, as the University, should lin- City of Glasgow. 253 • get so far beliind tlie age in modern improvements ; but when I remembered that on these old seats and in these class and lecture rooms were trained such men as Melville, Baillie, Bur- net, Simpson, Hutchison, Black, Cullen and Miller, I felt as if it would be next to sacrilege to touch a single seat, or re- move a single table ! <^y% /^, The small and the great are there." XXVI. Glasgow CATHi?DKAL. The wrought oaken beams, Pillars, and frieze, and high fantastic roof. — Keats. HIS is one of the best specimens of old eccle- siastical architecture north of the Tweed. Few cathedrals, if any in the kingdom, have A '1 M^Ai' ^-^ stood the storms of so many centuries, and > iFxl^r^?/ come off with so little injury. Built in the middle ages, yet its brow bears but few of the furrows of time. Its position is on nearly the highest ground in the city, and at one time it must have been sin- gularly imposing. The yard by which the cathedral is surrounded, is not ex- tensive ; yet judging from the many gravestones, which cover it so closely, leaving scarcely room for a blade of grass, it must contain more of the sleeping dust than the Necropolis. 1 wandered for some time over these time-worn, and letter- Glasgow Cathedral. 255 effaced tablets, and thought : " Thus man passes away ; his name perishes from record and recollection j his history is as a tale that is told, and as a dream of the night." Near the entrance gate are several very old tombs, and the quaintpess of the epitaphs inscribed thereon, is worthy of note. From a stone veiy much mutilated, I copied the following : " Ye Gazers on This Trophie Of a Tomb. Bend out one Groan For want of Her Whose Life Once born of Earth » And now Lyes in Earths Wombe Lived Long a Virgin Then a Spotless Wife Here Lyes Enclosed Mans Grief Earths Loss Friends Pain, Religions Lamp Virtues Light, Heavens Gain," 1616. Here is another : ' Dumb Senseless Statue Of some Lyfless Stone, Beared up for Memorie Of a Blessed Soul. Thou Holds but Adam, Adam's blood bemones Her Loss. She's Fled, None Can Her Joys Control. O Happy Thou for Zeal And Christian Love. On Earth Beloved And nowin Heaven Above." 1616. 256 Rambles through the British Isles. The Cathedral is three hundred and nineteen feet in length, and sixty-three feet in width, having a spire which rises to an altitude of two hundred and twenty-five feet ; in it there is a bell which speaks for itself; upon its side is the following in- scription : In the Year of Grace 1594, Marcus Knox, A merchant in Glagow, Zealous for the interests of the Eeformed Eeligion, Caused me to be fabricated iu^Holland, For the use of his fellow-citizens of Glasgow, And placed me with solemnity In the tower of their Cathedral. My function Was announced by the impress on my bosom, Me audito venias dodrinam sanctum tit discas. And I was taught to proclaim the hours of unheeded time 195 years had I sounded these awful warnings. When I was broken By the hands of inconsiderate and unskillful men, In the year 1790. I was cast into the furnance, Eefounded at London, And returned to my sacred vocation. Eeader, Thou also shalt have a resurrection. May it be unto eternal life. TJiomas Mears, fecit, London, 1790. Qlmgow Cathedral. 257 The Cathedral, like all similar buildings, has but a small space allotted to the celebration of worship ; the rest is for show ! Such superstructures are not erected for the glory of God, but of man ! History relates that during the Reforma- tion, when everything that savored of Popery was obnoxious in the eyes of Protestants, the Cathedral was saved from de- struction through the efforts of the tradesmen of the city, who threatened the Hfe of the first man who would put on it a hand of violence. In it, in 1668, was held the General Assembly, by which Scottish Episcopacy was abolished. It would not be doing justice to the Cathedral to pass by the windows in silence ; these are of stained glass, and the finest I ever looked upon. They are the work of Chevalier Maximilian Ainmiller, architect and inspector of glass paint- ing at Munich. The subjects or characters on the windows are all Scriptural, and arranged according to their chrono- logical order, commencing with the expulsion of Adam and Eve from paradise, and going through the Old and New Testaments, the last being that of the Apostles and Evangel- ists. On the north side of the Cathedral is a sacred spot, where lies the bodies of many of the Covenanters who were cruelly put to death in the city, for conscience' sake. Over their dust is erected a tablet bearing the following inscription : " These nine, with others in^this yard, Whose heads and bodies were not spar'd ; Theii' testimontcs, foes to bury, Caus'd beat the drums then in great fury. They'll know at resurrection day To murder saints was no sweet play." 258 Ramhles tliroiujh the British Isles. Just back of the Cathedral is the Necropolis, the Pere la Chaise of Glasgow. The way to it is by a narrow road lead- ing to a little stream called " Molendiuar Burn," which is spanned by '• the Bridge of Sighs." In front of the bridge is a handsome gate-way, built after the Italian style, and bear- ing the following inscription . " There shall bk a EESURRECxioisr of the just, WHEN THAT WHICH IS BORN A NATURAL BODY SHALL BE RAISED A SPIRITUAL BODY," etc. A. D. MDCCCXXXTII. The Necropolis is a high mound, or hill, the sides of which are filled up with trees, shrubs, flowers, and elegant monu- ments. On reaching the summit by a circuitous walk, the venerable Cathedral and smokj^ city lay at my feet; the view from this point is one of the best and most pleasing in Glasgow. In- deed, I might safely say, as far as beauty of situation, design in arrangement, and variety and elegance of monuments are concerned, the Necropolis stands first in the British Isles ! The most conspicuous monument, and the one which never fails to arrest the attention of every visitor, is the column erect- ed to the memory of John Knox, which crowns the eminence. Here also are costly monuments of McGavin, Dr. Dick, Charles Tennant, James Knowles, Principal McFarland, and others. On one monument I noticed a bust, which interested me more than all the rest ; not because of its beauty of form or feature, but because of the striking resemblance it bore of our martyred President, Abraham Lincoln ! I never saw two Ghsfjoiv Cathedral, 259 faces more alike, and I should have taken it for granted that here, in the heart of this commercial capital of Scotland, was erected a monument to hh memory, had I not noticed under it the name — " John Alexander." The words, too, were much in keeping with the resemblance. I could not help copying them : • " Fallen is tho curtain— the last scene is o'er. The favorite actor treads life's stage no more ; Oft lavish plaudits from the crowd he drew, And laughing eyes confessed his humor true. Here fond affection rears this sculptured stone. For virtues not enacted, but his own. A constancy unshaken unto death, A truth unswerving, and a Christian's faith. Oh, weep the man more than the actor lost. » Unnumbered parts he played, yet to the end His best were those of husband, father, friend I " • Amusements to viitue aie like breezes ot an to the llame." XXVII. Ik and Around Glasgow. Sweet recreation barred, wbat doeth ensue, But moody and dull melancholy, Kinsman to grim and comfortless despair ; And at their heels, a huge infectious troop Of pale distemperatures, and foes to life. Shakespeare. ESTERDAY, when walking in one of the principal streets of the city, my eye caught a sight of the old flag — " the Star Spangled Banner " — floating from the balcony of a hotel. Yes, there it waved as gayly and freely as ever I saw it in its own native land ! For a lit- tle time I was bewildered and said to myself, " Can this be a dream ? am I in America ? can it be that I still in New York city ? Is what I see real, or only a In and Around Glasgow. 261 phantom ? Has the banner of ihefrce tal«!n the place of the " Eed, White and Blue ? " While thus musing, I was instinc- tively, I might almost say, drawn toward the place, when, to my great satisfaction, without asking a single question, every- thing was clearly explained by a sight of our brave naval officer. Admiral Farragut ! Glasgow Green is one of the most popular places of resort in the city ; it is situated on the bank of the Clyde, and con- tains an area of about one hundred and forty acres. This may well be called the " Lung of the City." To this place, after the day's work is over, come thousands of black- faced men from the machine shops and factories, to breathe for a time the free air ; and to discuss the various subjects of the day, political and religious. Here, too, may be seen, by night or by day, " unfortunate females, with faces of triple brass, hiding hearts of unutterable woe — sleeping girls, who might be mistaken for lifeless bundles of rags — down-looking scoundrels, with felony stamped on every feature — owlish looking knaves, minions of the moon, skulking, half ashamed of their own appearance in the eye of day ; and, alas ! poor little tattered and hungry looking children, with precocious lines of care upon their old-manish features, tumbling about the brown and sapless herbage. The veriest dregs of Glasgow society, indeed, seem congregated here. At one place a band of juvenile pickpockets are absorbed in a game of pitch and toss ; at a short distance a motley crew are engaged putting the stone, or endeavoring to outstrip each other in a leaping bout, while oaths and idiot laughter mark the progress of their play."' There also is a group standing round a couple 18 262 . Rambles through the British Isles. of greasy looking mechanics, who are debating the question of " the true Church ;" one of them is a genuine son of Erin, who, with more noise than logic, is trying hard to carry his side, and the other is a " canny " Scotchman, who, with well weighed words is letting fall some heavy blows on the Roman citadel. A little farther on are assembled a large number of men and women, listening to a female preacher. As I stood on the outside of the circle for a few minutes, I heard her say, " Yes, my hearers, Samson glorified God when he slew three hundred Philistines with the jaw bone of an ass " — then, as if she had made a mistake, or perhaps from fear of the laugh from the crowd, she again exclaimed : " Yes, my hearers, God was glorified by Samson, when he slew three hundred of the ungodly Philistines with the jaw bone of a lion ! " This is the kind of preaching which the inimitable Gough pictures out to perfection in his " Street Life in London : " " Jacob had twelve sons." " My hearers, Jacob had twelve sons. I tell you, my friends, Jacob had twelve sons ! And they were all boys ! " In company with my friend Graham, I spent part of a day in visiting Cathcart Castle. This historic spot is about a mile and a half southwest of the city, and the road to it is one of the pleasantest walks around Glasgow. I was highly de- lighted with the beautiful fields, and well-trimmed hedges, the swelling hills and verdant meads, through which we passed, on our way thither. There is but little picturesqueness about the Castle ; it is simply a strong square tower, with no archi- tectural features worthy of note, only that its walls are from eight to ten feet thick, and seem destined to stand for agog. la and Avound Ghugow. 'liV.j The broken masonry, both inside and out, is draped with ever- green. " Creeping where no life is seen A rare old plant is the ivy green." From its window is a grand view of the Vale of Cart, and the surrounding country. Time-worn and roofless, it stands as a monument of the measures taken for safe-keeping, in ages past. " All ruin'il and wild is this roofless abode. And lonely the dark raven's shelt'ring tree; And traveli'd by few is the grass cover'd road, "Where the hunter of deer and the warrior trode To his hUl that encircles the sea." The time of its erection and much of its early history are lost in the darkness of the past. It is said to have long been in possession of one Allen de Cathcart, a strong defender of the rights of the Scotch. Having fallen into other hands, it was in 1801, purchased by Earl Cathcart, father of its preserb owner. A short distance from the old castle is the " Court Knowe," where Queen Mary stood and witnessed the battle of Lang- syde. In the place of the old thorn tree, which up to the close of the last centui y marked the spot, is erected a stone slab, on which is rudely carved the Scottish crown, and under it are the letters M. R., 1568. Here, with my companion, I rested and thought of the bat- tle and tho beautiful but hapless Queen. lifilllllllljll > ^ ' Like a long wiutery torc&t, giovos of XXVIII. The Clyde and its Sienxs. And call they this improvemenfc ? -to have changed My native Clyde, the once romatic shore.— ^?iora. Y first trip on the Clyde did not make a very favorable impression. Having spent the dark hours of- the night in crossing the Irisli Channel, I entered the Clyde just as the light of morning came streaming up from the ?^ east. The air was clear, the sky free from clouds, and I anticipated much in my sail up to Glasgow. Perhaps I was not in a fit mood for forming a cor- rect judgment of the scenery ; for I carried in my mind's eye our beautiful Hudson, with its banks covered with picturesque to>vns and villas, costly mansions of merchant princes, and f liry like cottages, with hill and vale, rock and crag, tree and shrub of exquisite loveliness ! And yet, having heard so much The Vli/de and its Sights. 265 about the Clyde, its richness of scenery, and its water so pure, so amber, so gentle, and so what not, I expected to find the Hudson take its place as a secondary affair. But oh dear ! how I w.as taken back ! Instead of being carried away with its sights, as I anticipated, I was anything but pleased ! From the entrance, up as far as Greenock, the Clyde is wide, and the scenery is passable ; but from this point up to Glasgow the water of the river was so filthy, and sent forth such an un- pleasant odor, that if there were any sights of interest, I felt so uncomfortable, that I did not see them ! This very unhappy feature is caused by the deepening of the river for the accommodation of sea-going ships. A few years ago the Clyde at, and for several miles below, Glasgow, could be easily forded by boys with their " breeks scarce buckle aboon the knee," now it is not less than from fifteen to twenty feet in depth ; consequently all the filth from the sewers of Glas- gow empty into it, and remaining there is kept in a continual boil by the wheels of the many steamships. As far as commercial enterprise and brilliancy of result are concerned, this deepening of the Clyde is one of the grand- est accomplishments of the day. And yet I do not wonder that the lover of nature's green banks, pure water, and clear air, should give expression to his sorrow, after lookjng at Glasgow and the Clyde, in the following lines : " Is this improvement, where the human breed Degenerates as the swarm and overflow, Till toil grows cheaper than the trodden weed, And man competes with man, like foe with foe, • Till death that thins them scarce seems public woe ? Improvement : Smiles it in the poor man's eyes, 266 llamolen ihrougli the Lritinh Inks. Or blooms it on the clieek of labor 1 No ! To gorge a few with trade's precarious prize, We banish rui-al life and breathe unwholesome skies." During my second trip«on the Clyde, I tried to cull out a few sights worthy of note, and the first after leaving Glas- gow is Dumbarton Eock and Castle. Down to this point both sides of the river are built of gran- ite, which, to the eye, are tedious and wearisolne. The castle is built upon a basaltic rock, which rises steeply out of the water to an altitude of two hundred and sixty feet ; its situa- tion is one of the greatest romantic wildness, and the accounts of its past years occupy not a little space in Scottish his- tory. The highest point over which floats the " red white and blue " is called " Wallace's Seat," and lower down is another portion of the castle called " "Wallace's Tower," from the fact that here Wallace was confined for some time. In the days of yore this was a Eoman stronghold for the Romanized Britons, and since then it has served as the royal fort of Scotland's kings. It is now of but little practical use, and only noticed by the traveler and antiquarian. From the summit, the prospect is rarely exceeded for rich- ness and variety. At this point, the river begins to lose its contracted form ; on the north are the steep hills of Kilpat- rick, near which, Saint Patrick, the Irishman, was born ! On the south are the slopes of Renfrewshire, in the distance, and, forming a grand background to the picture, are the lijfty mountains of Argyle. The Clyde and its Sights. "267 The first and ouly stopping place between Belfast, Ireland, and Glasgow, is called Greenock. In'Hhe seventeenth century this was but a single row of thatched huts, having hardly a name among the places on the Clyde ; now it has a population of about forty -three tTiousand, and is among the first marine towns in the kingdom. It is noted as being the birthplace of James Watt, in whose honor has been erected a very handsome structure bearing the name of "Watt's Institution, which contains a public library, with a statue of the inventor by Chantry. On the pedestal is a sim- ple inscription from the pen of Lord Jeffrey ; also the figure of an elephant, Jeffrey's simile of the steam engine, which, like that animal's trunk, " is equally adapted to lift a pin or rend an oak." About half an hour's sail from Greenock and we enter Loch Long. This is a branch or inlet of the Firth of Clyde, at whose entrance are the popular watering places of Rilcreg- gan and Cove. Farther up the lough is Ardentinry, cele- brated by Fannahill in his song " The Lass O' Arrantee- nie." All around are bold, rugged, heath-covered mountains, keeping -watch, while here and there, by the aid of a field glass, may be seen a highland cottage, which " midst nature's wildest grandeur "' breaks in upon the native simplicity of the scene. Conspicuous among its fellows is Ben Arthur, sometimes called the " Cobbler," from its jagged summit having taken somewhat the form of a shoemaker at work, and while chang- ing our position, he seemed to have got through with his toil. 268 Rambles throtigh the British Isles, and now we see the Cobbler at rest. From this point the face bears a striking resemblance to the old man of White Moun- tain notoriety. I shouldn't wonder but they are related in some way, though they know it not ! One of the pleasantest and most popular watering places in the British Isles, is Dunoon. This indeed, is the Netoport of Scotland ; and here, during the summer months, may be seen visitors from the chief cities of the United Kingdom. It is four miles in length, and made up of one row of houses, which stretch all along the beautiful bay. In general the buildings are neat and attractive, with here and there one of more than ordinary ornamentation. Overlooking the landing is an old castle, once the home and stronghold of royalty, now dilapidated, friendless, and forsaken, only visited by the stranger and sight-seer. To the south of Dunoon, is a romantic little bay called EOTHESAY. At the head of the bay is the town, a most delightful sum- mer resort, in the centre of which are the ruins of the old Eothesay Castle, where once resided in great splendor, the kings of Scotland. Its ruins are all heavily draped with ivy, which not only adds much to its picturesqueuess, but, shielding it from the summer's heat and winter's cold, bids defiance to the mouldering hand of time. To the west of the island of Bute, is a narrow circuitous belt of the sea, forming a passage from the mouth of the Clyde to the mouth of Loch Fyn, called the The Clyde and its Sif/hts. 269 KiLES OF Bute. All the shores of this strait are beautiful, and present a suc- cession of landscape scenery but rarely surpassed. For some time I was at a loss to know what " Kiles " meant, so I went from one to another until I had spoken to over a dozen persons, but without success ; finally I came to a rough looking old Scotchman, and putting my hand upon his shoul- der, I said to him, " Friend can you till me what is meant by ' Kiles ? ' Here is the isle of Bute, but where, or Avhat is the thing, or things you call ' Kiles ?' " " Well, mon, I can tell you ; do you ken what the kiles of a rope are r* " I answered, "Yes, I know whafrthe coils of a rope are." " Then, mon, you have it ! " This was quite clear, Tciles is the Scotch word for coil, and this narrow neck of water has so many windings in it, as to make " Eliles of Bute " a name very appropriate. :^^^^ XXIX. A Sabbath in Glasgow. The halt of toil's exhausted caravan Comes sweet with music to thy wearied ear: Else, with its anthems, to a holier sphere I —fib/niM. HE day was delightful, and the melody of the inorniug bells fell with peculiar welcome on my ears. Having heard much from Cap- O-^r^ tain Craig about one of the ministers of Glasgow, who, because of his earnestness and ec- centricity, is called " Daft " WoUcy Anderson, I resolved, if possible' to hear him. Saturday even- ing having come, I noticed an announcement in the paper which stated that he would preach on the morrow ; so in good season on Sunday morning I found myself in John street United Presbyterian Church, which was well filled. When it was time to begin the service, a tall man, with gown and bands, came out from one of the side doors, leading into the studio, or sanctum, and entered the pulpit, a much younger man than I expected to see. During the reading of the hymn, lesson, and the offering up of the prayer, I was not struck with anything very peculiar, which caused me to en- tertain some fears that he was not the man I wanted to hear, and not without some reason, for before the sermon, he stated A iSabbath in Gla>iyow. liT I that Mr. Anderson had a son dangerously ill, and couso- queutly could not fill his e^agement. You can better imagine my feelings than I can describe them. There I was, part of the service over, and to go and look up some other celebrity at that late hour would have been of little use, so I determined to remain and hear a ser- mon from Mr. Anderson's assistant, Eev. Mr. McEwcn. He took as his text a portion of Scripture from second Samuel, 23d chap., 1-5 v. After giving a brief sketch of David's life, he called the attention of his hearers to two heads, first the fjov- eming principle of David's life, and secondly, the testimony he gate of Christ. There were some things quite peculiar about the service, which pleased me. After the minister announced and read the psalm, the presenter, or leader, stood up in front of the congregation, just a little to the right of the pulpit, and led off, when all the people, men, women and children, joined in the singing with heart, and soul, and voice. Then came the prayer, which was scriptural and sj)iritual. After the ptayer, the portion of Scripture to be read was announced, and, oh, dear ! what a fluttering of leaves all over the house ; almost every person in the congregation, both young and old, opened their Bibles, and, having found the place designated, followed the minister as he read from the beginning to the close. This was the case also when the text was announced, and whenever any reference was made in the sermon to any portion of the Old or Xew Testament. I was told that this is a custom which prevails throughout Scotland, and also in some parts of England. 272 Humbles through the British Isles. In the afternoon I had the good fortune to hear Eev. Nor- man Macleod, whose name is a^ost as well known in the New as the Old World. Having secured a good seat in the roomy, old-fashioned, uncomfortably-seated edifice, which was fast filling up, I waited with patience to see him of whom I had often heard, and in the reading of whose pen- talks I was so often profited and pleased. When the time ar- rived for the service to commence, in came a ministerial look- ing personage, bearing a Bible and hymn-book, which he placed in order on the pulpit cushion, then coming down again, waited at the foot of the pulpit steps until the minister came in, when he followed him up and closed the door after him. The Doctor had on a black gown and bands. At first I con- fess I was a little disappointed ; his appearance seemed to lack in ministerial dignity, and the reading of the first hymn did not take away from this impression. Then followed the Scripture lesson, which was well read, calling forth the deepest atten- tion from the crowded congregation. Leaning over the Bible he led in prayer, during which all my gathering clouds of pre- judice passed away like mist before the morning sun. His ap- proach to God was so much like that of a beloved child to a loving father, that I could not help saying to myself, " How he talks with God! " Such humility in approaching, such confidence in asking, such faith in taking hold, could only he manifested by one who daily walks with God. Dr. Macleod is of medium height, quite corpulent, with a well-developed head, over which hangs well-arranged locks of silver gray. He has a round face, and wears a full beard. A Sabbath in Glasgow. *073 His voice is rather husky at first, but clears \i\y as ho enters into his subject. He used no manuscript or notes, but acqiiit- tecl himself like a icell man, who needed not a staff or crutch to lean upon. His manner was pleasing and his gestures in keeping with his words. His illustrations were numerous, but well chosen and practical, with point and edge, carrying home the truth. His style is colloquial ; he talks to his hearers in- stead of preaching over them. He is a live man in the right place ! In the evening I heard a sermon from a "Wesleyan minister, with which I was anything but pleased. The church was good, the internal and external arrangements neat and attractive, the congregation and the singing passable, but the sermon was very ordinary. I confess I was much surprised to find a man who could preach so poor a sermon, pastor of such an intelligent looking congregation. But perhaps it was not all in the preacher ; it may in part, if not in whole, have been in myself. Doubtless, hearing Dr. Macleod in the afternoon unfitted me for hearing an ordinary sermon in the evening. XXX. Paisley. There are no more useful members in the common-wealth than merchants. They knit mankind together.— Addison. Aloit seven miles from Gl isgow, on the Eiver Cart, ind ibout three miles from its junction with the Clyde, situ ited the great shawl emporium of the world — Pciislpy ' Where is the woman who has not heard of Paisley ! A few years ago it could*hardly be called a village, now it has a population of over forty-nine thousand. Its rapid growth of late years is owing in a great degree to the colonies sent out from overgrown Glasgow. In the twelfth century Walter' Stewart founded a monastery here, when not a single house was in sight ; soon, however, house after lionsc went up until ---gn Paisley. 275 it grew into a village, whose principal moans of support was that of waiting upon the holy pilgrims. Not until after the union of England and Scotland did Pais- ley begin to show any real signs of life and enterprise. For many years she was not known among the manufacturing cities of the Old World ; now she takes her place among the first. 'Her most important branch of the manufacturing business is that of shawls. She also sends into the market silk, cotton, wollen and mixed fabrics, which are said to be equal in texture and much superior in beauty and durability to any in Europe. Her muslins, plaids, chenille handkerchiefs and Persian velvets, take the first place in the world's fairs. Like most important manufacturing cities. Paisley has but little to attract the eye of the traveler. Most of the houses are lacking in arrangement and architectural design, and the few that might be called respectable have become so begrimmed with smoke that they look as if clad in the habili- ments of mourning ! , Indeed, there are but two sights in Paisley which will pay the traveler for the trouble of going there ; one is the nave of the old Abbey Church, which was built in the year 1160, and dedicated to St. James. The other, the cemetery, in which sleeps the dust of luany who gave up their lives for the truth's sake. The abbey still bears marks of its former grandeur. It must have been built on a grand scale, measuring, as it does, not less than two hundred and seventy feet in length. The chancel, now used for a parish church, remains almost as per- fect as when it came from the hands of the workmen. 276 Ramhles through the British Isles. Like most other buildings of this sort, the abbey suffered by- despoiling during the Eeformatiou. Yet though shorn of its former splendor, it still retains marks of dignity and beauty. On the south side is a small but lofty chapel, in which almost the faintest whisper is returned, as if some unknown spirit mocked you. In the centre aisle is an altar tomb, surmounted by a recumbent female figure, with hands folded as if engaged in prayer. This, by some, is supposed to represent Margery, daughter of Robert Bruce, and mother of the royal Stuarts. What lessons of wisdom may be learned from these costly mementoes of departed ones ; beauty, fame, fortune, name, all gone ! not a trace left, a tale to tell ! After bidding the old abbey adieu, I started for the cemetery, which some think more worthy of a visit than even the abbey. On my way thither I was shown the house where, on the 6th of July, 1776, Alexander Wilson was born. The building is small and unattractive. I should have passed it by, had not my attention been called to the following inscription on a stone in the wall : "This tablet was erected in 1841, by David Anderson, Perth, to mark the birth-place of Alexander Wilson, Paisley poet and American ornithologist." Passing on toward the west, I left the city of the living for that of the dead. Beautiful for situation is the Cemetery of Paisley. It covers a neighboring hill, and has an area of about fifty a,cres. Its walks, hedges and flowers are arranged with much taste, and . were it not for the monuments and grave stones, which rise on every hand, one might take it to be a princely garden or pleasure ground. Faisleij. 277 Among the many monuments, tombs and headstones worthy of notice, is an obelisk erected in memory of two, who, iu the days of Charles Second, yielded their lives rather than break their solemn league and covenant. On one side of it are these words: "Here lie the corpses of James Algie and John Park, who suffered at the Cross of Paisley for refusing the Oath of Ab- juration, Feb. 3, 17G8. " stay, passenger, as thou goest by. And take a look where these do lie, Who, for the love they bore to truth, "Were deprived of their life and youth. Though laws made then caused many die, Judges and 'sizei-s were not free ; He that to them did these delate The greater 'count he hath to make ; Yet no excuse to them can be, At ten condemned, at two to die. So cruel did their raije become, To stop their speech caused beat the drum : This may a standing witness bo 'Twixt Presbytrie and Prelacy." On the west side is a beautiful selection from Cowper : " Their blood was shed In confirmation of the noblest claim— Our claim to feed upon immortal truth. To walk with God, to be divinely free. To soar and to anticipate the sky ; Tctfc-w remember them— they lived unknown Till persecution dragged them into fame. And chased them up to heaven." 19 The Poet's Curse. XXXI. The Land op Buests. Ayr, gurg-ling, kiss'd his pebbled shore, O'erhung with wild woods, thlek'nlng green.— Burns. Ji^f^ FTEE. a two hours' ride by rail from the city \^ of Glasgow, I reached the little town of Ayr. Vfl This place would be without much interest ^°^ were it not for the life and writings of Robert l'Jf4/f'^' Burns. It is situated on the sea-coast, at the ^■^ mouth of the Eiver Ayr, and is said to contain i^(] ^fv^R about eighteen thousand inhabitants. The priuci- ^A^^^-^ pal departments of industry carried on are ship- building, shoemaking, woolen manufacture, and carpet- weav- ing. They have thirteen places of worship, a large public Tlw Land of Burns. 279 academy, a mechanic's institute, a public library, a theater, a race-course, and four hotels. The river divides it into two almost equal parts. One half is called Ayr, and the other Newton-upon-Ayr, Wallacetown, and Content. The bridges which span the river are termed respectively the " Auld and New Brigs," and called out from Burns one of his most vigor- ous poems, the " Twa Brigs." The " Auld Brig " is said to have been built in the reign of Alexander III., and beais on its brow the mark of years. The " New Brig " is a geod structure, with five arches, handsomely ornamented. It was built by one Ballantyne, to whom Burns dedicated his " Brig " dialogue. As I leaned on the New and gazed at the Old, I thought of his description : " AuUl Brig appeared of ancient Tictisli race, The vera wrinkles Gothic in his face : He seemed as ho wi' Time had warsl'd lang, Yet toughly doure, he bade an unco' bang. New Brig was busJiit in a braw new coat, That he, at Lon' on, frae ane Adarns got ; In 's hand five taper staves as smooth 's a bead, Wi' virls and whirly-gigums at the bead." There, too, is the Wallace tower, occupying the site of an old edifice, in which Wallace is said to have been confined. It is a tall, square steeple, and in it is placed the " Dungeon Clock," to which Burns thus alludes : " The drowsy Dungeon Clock had numbered two. And Wallace tower had sworn the fact was true." Situated on the side' of the town, fronting the sea, is the old church of Ayr, remarkable in history as the place where Robert Bruce's Parliament decreed the succession of the crown to 280 Ramhks through the British Isles. Lis brother Edward. Crouiwell, who had more faith in pow- der and shot than in moral sausion, converted the church into an armory and guard-room, and erected around it an exten- sive fort to hold in subjection Ayrshire and its surroundings. Having seen everything in the town worthy of notice, I started out on a pedestrian tour, for the home of the poet and " Auld Alloway Kirk," which is two or three miles ^distant. Soon I came to a place where two roads met, an«l was at a loas which one to take. While in this dilemma I saw a man approaching. I waited until he came up and then said, "Friend, which way to Alloway Kirk?" He answered, "I am going past it, and will show you." So on we journeyed together. As we approached the place we came upon vari- ous localities mentioned in "Tarn O'Shanter's" route, and with which my companion was quite familiar. " There," said he, pointing to a place about a hundred yards off, "is " ' The ford "Whare in the snaw the chapman smood.' Still further on we came to a little cottage on the way -side, now occupied by the Eosell, game-keeper, behind which may be seen the " Birks and meikle stane WLare drunken Charlie brak's neck-bane, And thro' the -whins, and by the cairn, "Whare hunter's fand the murdered bairn. And near the thorn, aboon the well, ■Whare Mungo's mither hanged hersel." How true to nature are all of Burns' descriptions ; and to visit the places described is to bring much of his poetry to re- membrance. My companion, . pointing a little way ahead. Th' Land of Jinnis. l>81 said : " That bouse we are approacliing is where the poet was born." Ami am I already two miles from Ayr ? Is it possi- ble ! I exclaimed. I could hardly realize it. The stranger was so companionable, and the way so charming, that I did not think of the passing time or journey. This humble cot is situated on the west side of the road leading to AUoway. The barn, stable, and cottage are all under one continued roof of straw. The house at first had but two apartments — kitchen and sitting-room — and was built by the father of the poet, who held in connection with it, a seven- acre farm on perpetual lease. Having satisfied my curiosity in looking at the exterior, in company with my friend, I ven- tured into the cabin, and received a hearty welcome. The kitchen is said to have met with with but little alteration, if any, since" the day on which Scotia's greatest poet first saw the light. The floor is composed of rough stone, not very evenly laid. An old-fashioned grate, a dresser adorned with antiquated dishes, a recess holding a bed — but not this one on which the poet was born — go to make up the outfit of the kitchen. The sitting-room is now occupied as an ale and curiosity shop, where all manner of curious little things, made from the tim- ber of " Auld AUoway Kirk," and from wood grown on the banks of the Doon, may be had, not without money, but for a good price. In sight of the natal cottage stands the Mount Oliphant farm and house ; to which place the poet's father removed soon after the birth of his son, and where was laid the scene of the " Cotter's Saturday Night," Burns' best poem. And there, too, upon the eve of his intended visit to 282 Ranibhs through the British Isles. India, lie wrote this beautiful, touching prayer, in behalf of his Highland Mary : " Powers celestial, whose protection Ever guards the virtuous fair, While in distant climes I wander, Let my Mary be your care ; Liet her form sae fair and faultless — Fair and faultless as your own- Let my Mary's kindred spirit Draw your choicest influence down. " Make the gales you waft around her Soft and peaceful as her breast , Breathing in the breeze that'fans her. Soothe her bosom into rest : Guardian angels, O protect her, WTien in distant lands I roam ! To realms unknown while fate exiles me, Make her bosom still my home." Leaving the early home of Burns, I proceeded onward amid leafy hedge-rows, dappled with flakes of bloom, which filled the air with sw.eetest perfume. Now we pass a comfortable farmstead with daisied pasture-fields and picturesque groups of kine. Thus 6ne pleasing sight after another came up be- fore my enraptured vision, when my friend told m.e "^ " Kirk AUoway was drawing nigh, Where ghosts and houlets nightly cry." We are in sight of the " Auld Haunted Kirk." It is quite small and roofless. The old bell still hangs in its place. The wood- work of the building has all been carried off" to make snuff boxes and other memorials, but the walls are in remark- able good repair. Near the entrance is the grave-stone of The Laud of liurns. 283 ♦' 'William Burns, farmer of Lochlea,"' the father of the poet. This is comparatively a new stone,' the original one being de- molished and carried away in fragments by visitors. While looking through the iron grating of the gate, which serves the place of a door to the auld kirk, my guide said, " This is where poor Tam saw ' Auld Nick in shape o' beast, A towzie tyke, black, grim, and large ; To gie them music was his charge; He screwed the pipes and gart them skirl, Till roof and raftei-s a' did dirl ; Coffins stood round like open presses, That show'd the dead in their last dresses, And by some devilish cantrip sleight, Each in its cauld hand held a light.' " Having wandered among the grave-stones until I was satisfied, I passed on to the beautiful garden on the bank of the Elver Doon, in Avhich is erected a costly monument in memory of Burns. The monument is an open temple on a high base of granite, having nine pillars to represent the nine muses, and surmounted by a handsome dome. In the base is a room Avhere may be seen many articles of interests, among which are various editions of the poet's works, a copy of an original portrait of Burns by Nasmyth, a snuff-box made of Avood from the timber of Alloway Kirk, etc. What pleased me more than all the rest was the Bible given by Burns to his Highland Mary. It was on the scene of his final parting with her — intending to sail for Jamaica — when, '« standing one on each side of a small brook, they laved their hands in the stream, and holding a Bible between them, pronounced a 284 Rambles throtigh the British Isles. vow of eternal constancy." This interesting relic having been carried to Canada by its possessor, was purchased by a number of gentlemen in Montreal for the sum of twenty-five pounds sterling, and forwarded to the Provost of Ayr, to be placed in the cabinet of the Burns monument. Here, too, are Bhown the far-famed statues of Tam O'Shanter and Souter Johnny, " His ancient, trusty, drouthy crony. Tam lo'ed him like a vera brither, They had been fou tor weeks thegither, The night drave on wi' sangs and clatter, And ay the ale was growing better ; The landlady and Tam grew gracious Wi' favors secret, sweet, and precious ; The Souter tauld his queerest stories, The landlord's laugh was ready chorus ; The storm without might rair and rustle, Tam didna mind the storm a whistle." Coming out of the garden, which is kept in perfect trim, and where I would willingly have spent many hours, I walked down the hill to " Auld Brig o' Doon," the keystone of which was Tarn's salvation. I could almost imagine I saw the poor fellow as he left " Kirk Alloway," pursued by an innumerable multitude of witches, spurring on " Meg," the good mare he rode, and hear him say, " Kow do thy speedy utmost, Meg. And win the keystane o' the brig ; There at them thou thy tail may toss, A running stream they darena cross ! " The scenery from the bridge is charming, and I do not won- der that Burns, such an ardent admirer of the beautiful, should write as he did. The Doon is indeed a beautiful stream, The Land of Burns. 285 "witli its gentle currenj leaping joyfully from stone to stone, and its " banks and braes " covered with trees and flowering shrubs. Here wandered Scotia's bard, drinking inspiration, from the scene. " Oft hae I roved by bonnie Doon To see the rose and woodbine twine ; And ilka bird sang o' its luve, And fondly sae did I o' mine ; Wi' lithsome heart I pu'd a rose, Fu' sweet upon its thorny tree. And my fanse lover stole my rose. But ah ! he left the thorn wi' me." Robert Burns was a remarkable man — brilliant, pathetic, unrivaled ! His poetry is but the outgushing of a heart more tender and susceptible than that of woman's. His life one continued struggle with caste and pov^ty ; its errors but the natural result of his early training. I admire his genius, his warm-heartedness, aud generous impulses, yet not forget- ful of his many faults. But when I remember Scotland's so- cial drinking customs, which perverted his thoughts, debased his life, and cut him off at the early age of thirty- seven, I pity the man, and offer up a prayer for the speedy destruction of that which has put out so many bright hopes, and shut up in eternal darkness thousands who might have rejoiced in the light forever. r" ■'111^^^^^^^^ Wh: I lifriF ° =) XXXII. Edikbukgh. Here architecture's noble pride Bids elegance and splendor rise.— Burns. A^y'^AVING heard much of the unrivaled beauty it I should be disappointed ; but in- "^['"^i stead of this being the case. I am now ready ^ to say, the half was not told me. On my arrival (f { ■ ,-- in the city, I took the advice of one who has seen 11% 'A', iiot a little of the world, and by experience has a) learned the art of sight seeing—" 1^ would be wise," says she, " in travelers to make it their first business in a for- * eign city to climb the loftiest point they can reach, so as to have the scene they are to explore laid out as in a living mass beneath them. It is scarcely credible how much time is saved, and confusion of ideas obviated by this means." After learn - ing that the castle was the highest jjoint in the city, and hav- ing secured a room in a good temperance hotel, I started out, with guide book in hand, to see the Queen of the British Isles. Crossing over the deep ravine which divides the old city from the new, and after spending considerable time and strength in climbing, I found myself on the very summit of this once strong fortification. Here, elevated three hundred and eighty- 288 Ramhles through the British Isles. three feet above tlie level of the sea, is a point admirably fitted to gratify the taste of the most fastidious spectator. " Saint Margaret ! what a sight is here ! Long miles of masonry appear ; Scott's Gothic pinnacles arise And Melville's statue greets the skies." Eight well was I paid for my time and toil spent in work- ing my passage up to this lofty rampart. The view which spread itself out before me was novel, romantic, beautiful. At my feet lay the " Modern Athens," with its gigantic build- ings, wide and narrow streets, squares and gardens, monu- ments and towers, all scattered around in seeming wild confu- sion. Eunnmg between ancient and modern Edinburgh is a deep ravine, once a hiding-place for the burglar and bandit, now the highway of commerce and travel. On the north there is a gentle declivity leading to the village or port of Leith, with its bj:oad estuary laughing in the sunlight ; while all around are noble residences, with handsome lawns. On the east is Arthur's seat, kingly and majestic; Salisbury Crags,' bold and rugged; and Calton Hill, covered with monumental glory. The old town presents a jumbled and confused appearance, which contrasted with the elegance and regularity of the new, forms a picture of unusual beauty. Indeed, it would be im- possible for any one, at all susceptible of the beautiful in na- ture or art, to stand here without being overcharmed — yea, ravished, with the sight ! I believe that for picturesqueness of situation and scenery, mountains near and far off, rocks and glens, and the sea itself within hearing and seeing dis- Edinhnrgh. 289 tauce, Ediiibuigh has no equal ! To give a minute descrip- tion of everything that attracts the i^ttention of the eye would be to give a description of the whole, for " every prospect pleases," and would require a large volume. I shall only at- tempt to sketch a few of the many places of interest connect- ed with "Auld Eeekie," in the order in which I saw them. On the west terminus of High street, on a lofty rock that rises on three sides several hundred feet above the level of the ground, stands Edinburgh Castle. Tradition says that it was once occupied as a fortification by the aboriginal tribes, long before the conquest of the country by the Romans ; if so, its situation must have rendered it impregnable. But much of the early history of this ancient stronghold is unknown ; time kindly shuts out many of the dark actions of the past. When Dr. Johnson visited the castle, the guide mentioned that tradition asserted that a part of it had been standing three hundred years before the birth of Christ. "Much faith," replied the Doctor, in his usual manner, "is due to tradition, and that part of the fortress that was standing at so early a period must undoubtedly have been the rock upon which it was founded ! " On my way up to the top, from the lower yard 1 met fif- teen or twenty soldiers, some on duty, and others lounging lazily around. They were dressed, not in kilts, as I expected to see them, but in the English red and black. Having passed through the outer aifd inner yards, and then up a long circuitous alley, I found myself in a broad open space, with soldiers, citizens and great guns. On the Bomb Batterj' is quite a large cannon, called " Mons Meg." It is 290 RamUes through the British Isles. eighteen feet long, hooped like a barrel, and can carry a ball five feet in circumference. According to history, " Mons Meg " was forged at Castle Douglas, in 1486, and presented to James II. by the McLellans, when he was besieging the Castle of Threave. " Meg " was rent in 1682, when firing a salute in honor of the Duke of York's visit to the city. Too great a quantity of powder had been put in, and, as the charge was made by an English cannonier, the Scotch say that it was done out of malice, there being no cannon in Eng- land so large. At the southeast corner of the castle top, is a little room, not more than twenty feet square, and adjoining it is a bed-room not ten feet square, where Mary Queen of Scots became a mother. Here James the Sixth first saw the light, and tradition asserts, that when he was eight days old he was let down from this little window in a bas- ket, two hundred and fifty feet, and carried off to Sterling Castle, there to receive Catholic baptism. On the wall of the chamber is the prayer Mary is said to have offered up on the birth of her son. It is painted in old English. The following is a copy of it : Lord Jesu Chryst that Crownit was -with Thornise Preserve the Birth whois Bodgie heir is borne. And send Hir Sonee Successione to Reigne still Long in this Realme, if that it be Thy will Als Grant O Lord whatever of Hir proseed Be to thy Gloi*e Honer and Prais sobied. Year 1566-Birth ot King James— Month 19 Junii. The room in which the Scottish regalia are stowed is on the east side of the quadrangle, but not having an order from the JEdinhurgh. 291 council chamber, I was unable to see it, and my time being limited. I did not think it provident to go ar.d get one. The regalia consists simply of a crown, sceptre, sword of state, and other crown jewels, symbols of Scotland's ancient glory, now of her submission ! These were long supposed to have been lost, but after lying in an old oak chest from the date of the union, they were brought to light by Sir Walter Scott, in 1818. While on my way down from the airy top, I thought if the old castle could speak, what tales she might tell mo of olden times. These walls, now weather-beaten, once surrounded in- furiated mobs, and by them have passed the funeral train of successive generations ; and through these streets have marched kings and queens, some in honor and some in dishonor ; yes, and here upon these pavements Buchanan and Eobertson, and Hume and Mackinzie, and Enmsey and Chalmers, and Knox and Miller, and^urns and Scott, have often strolled ; visions of the past came up before me, a sacred antiquity looked out from every crevice, and touching memories were inscribed on every stone ! Passing down High street toward O&nong.ate, my attt-ntion Avas called to the first house on the right, a mis- erable looking old building, b\it worthy of a passing notice. This was once the residence of the first Duke of Gordon, and in the gable wall is to be seen a cannon-ball, which is said to have been shot from the castle, while the Pretender had pos- session of the town. Continuing my journey down tho street I passed the Canongate Church, where repose the bones of Ferguson, the poet, and Adam Smith, the political econo- mist, and a little farther down, where Canongate contracts 292 Ramlles tlirough the British Isles into a narrow lane called the Netherbow. Here at the com- mencement of this narrow street stands a queer looking old building, called John Knox's house. " Where is the God of Salem? where Our Scottish glory given? Where Knox's spirit — Melville's care — The soul of fire, the hand to dare, Eefonning gifts of Heaven 1 " When Scotia, from her hills of blue, Her glens and mosses given. Beheld the truth burst on her view, Aside the crucifix she threw. And seized the Book of Heaven ! " Her chieftain Knox her banner led. From Popery now riven — The field she took — no blood she shed — The cause was won — she raised her head Amid the blaze of heaven I " The nations saw — nor saw in vain — • Away the foe was driven ; And Europe from the gloomy reign Of terror rose, and blessed again The holy light of heaven ! " Thus Salem wept at Babel's stream, Where foemen her had driven — She wept, she sighed, she saw the beam Of hope descend — it looked a dream, But 'twas the God of heaven 1 " '^'1''^ m John Knox's XXXIII. IIoilE OF THK GlCEAT EeFORJIER. Time consrcrates ; And what is sray with age becomes religion. - Schil 'yF the the houses in Edinburgli this is the Here in this ' --' one I wanted to see most .' ,'/ '\ quaint old building lived and labored one of /.''sj the boldest spirits of the Eeformation, a W^^Sr^^J ™"''^ over whose grave tlie Regent of Scotland, M jJN'''^'^ truthfully pronounced this noble eulogium : — ° fl«>^ " ^^^^ ^^^s he who never feared the face of man." [■'■^'^l Next to the house is the church in which he preached fearlessly and eloqixontly to kings and quiiens. James Melville, 20 294 Ramlles through the British Isles. speaking of John Knox as a preoxher, says : " In the opening of his text he was moderate the space of an half-hour ; but when he enterit to application, he made me sa to grew and tremble that I could nocht hold a pen to wryte. Mr. Knox wald sumtymes come in and repose him in our college yard, and call us scholars to him and bless us and exhort us to know God and His work in our country, and to stand by the guid caus. I saw him every day of his doctrine (preaching) go hulie and fear (cautiously) with a furring of martriks about his neck, a stafif in the ane hand, and guid his godlie Richart Ballenden, his servant holdin up the other oxtar, from the abbey to the paroche Kirk, and by the said Eichart and another servant, lifted up to the pulpit where he behovit to lean at his first entrie, but or he had done with his sermon, he was sa active and vigorous that he was like to ding that pul- pit in blades and flee out of it." Here in this church, it is said, the second Reformation re- ceived new life, through the action of a woman. Jennie Geddes had brought her stool with her to church, on the memorable day in 1637, when the obnoxious liturgy of Laud was to be introduced into Scotland by authority. The Bish- op of Edinburgh had just asked the Dean to read " the col- lect for the day," when Jennie exclaimed, ♦' Colic, said ye ; the dei'l colic the name o' ye ; would ye say mass at my lug ? " and, having finished her speech, she lifted her stool, and sent it flying at the Dean's head. There is nothing very remarkable about Knox's house ex- cept its great antiquity. Over the lower door are the nearly obliterated remains of the following inscription Home of the Great Reformer. 295 Ltfe. God. Above. Al. And Your Nichtbour As. Ye. Self On tlie corner, under a sort of canop}', is a figure of a man on his knees, supposed to represent Moses on the Mount re- ceiving the law, with hand raised, and finger pointing to a stone on which is cut the name of God in three languges, thus : 0£O?, Deus, God. Above the inscription is a coat of arms, to which no clue can now be found. It is a wreath of fiowers encircling three trees and three crowns, bearing the initials J. M. and A. M., at the four corners. "What changes has the hand of old Time brought about in this street ? Here in these dingy houses, that surround me, once lived proud princes and nobles, now filled with the poorest of the poor ; and where once was heard the voice of song and the merry laugh, now only the wail of misery and want. Princes, knights and nobles have given place to toiling artisans and emaciated children of poverty. In this street was once witnessed the clash of arms, foe met foe in deadly grasp, and the gathering war clouds of angry passion often emptied themselves without law or justice. Sir Walter Scott thus refers to such : " ■When the streets of high Duneden, Saw lances gleam, and falchions redden. And heard the Slogan's deadly yell." On most of the old hovises may be seen rudely carved in scriptions, some in old English, but the majority in Latin, 296 Mamhks throwjh the British Isles. telling of the times previous to the Eeformation. Few of these can at all be deciphered. The waste of years and the hand of the scavenger have put out of sight many records of the past. " Time lays his hand On pyramids of brass, and ruins quite What all the fond artificers did think Immortal workmanship ; he sends his worms To books, to old records, and they devour Th' inscriptions. He loves ingratitude, For he destroys the memory of man." Having looked at the exterior of Knox's house, I passed up the outside stairs, at the top of which is a door opening into a small hall. Hero I was met by the lady who has the house in charge, and who for dxpence showed and explained to me everything, from sitting-room to garret. From the hall below there is a narrow circular stairway leading first to a room fitted up as a museum, and then higher still to the chamber in which the Reformer slept. The recess in whicii stood his bed was pointed out. Here he laid down the armor and took up the crown. Just a little before he died he said to his wife who stood by, " Eead me the chax:)ter (17th chapter of John) where I first cast anchor." Dr. Preston being with him, offered up prayer, and then asked hiui if ho heard it. " Would to Go*d," said he, " that you and all men could have heard as I have. I praise God for the heavenly sound." Then his friend Eichard Bannantyne, drawing near his bed, said, " Now, sir, the hour that you have longed for, to wit, an end of your battle, has come ; ajid seemg now all natural powers fail, remember the comfortable promise which often- Home of tlw Great Reformer. 297 times ye have sliown to us of our Saviour Christ ; that we uiay know ye understand and hear us, make us some sign.'' Upon this he lifted up his hand twice, and died without a struggle. " Is thot a death-bed where the Chi-istiiin lies ? Yes, but not his; 'tis Death itself there dies! " John Elnox is not dead ! he still lives — lives in the hearts of Scotia's sons and daughters ! Lives to-day in the actions of a Protestant world, more powerful than ever. From the bed-chamber I was taken into a little room not more than six or eight feet square. This is called his study. Here he was wont to clothe himself with strength for battle. On the window of this little room is a likeness of Knox, also his crest, the year of his birth, 1505, and of his death, 1572. And here is an old chair, said to be the only article of furniture in the house which belonged to him. My guide called it his study chair. I took a seat in it for a little while, and thought of the inspiration which filled the soul, nerved the arm, and made brave the heart of the Reformer ! If the date on the window be correct, Knox came into the world just twenty-two years later than Martin Luther, and four years earlier than John Galvin. He was the leading spirit of the Reformation in Scotland, as Luther was in Ger- many, and Calvin in Switzerland — men raised up and anoint- ed from on high to battle with error in high places. Next I was shown into the sitting-room, or what was once called the drawing-room. This is the largest apartment in the house ; its ceiling and walls arc lined with oak. In tliis room there is an old-fashioned fire-place, lined with poroclain 298 Mamhks ihrouyh the Briiisk Isles. tiles ; each tile lias a picture of some Bible character or scene, done, I suppose, after the same manner as the pictures you and I were wont to see on grandmama's cups and saucers. In the museum there are only a few articles worthy of no- tice, the collection being made up, in a great measure, of old relics from abroad, such as ancient implements of warfare, models of canoes, idols of wood and stone. A few of the arti- cles which I will mention are those connected with the his- tory and customs of Scotland in the days of " Auld laug syne." Here is a "piece of hark from the tree at Cassils omohich John- ney Faa was hanged.'''' A sad romance is connected with this little piece of wood. A young knight of Dunbar, Sir John Faa, was attached to Lady Jane Hamilton of Tynningham. Her father, the Earl of Waddington, opposed his suit and married her to the Earl of Cassils, a stern and cruel man. While suffering under these arbitrary measures, and during the absence of her husband in England, she eloped with her lover, Johnny Faa, who came to the castle disguised as a gipsy. The Earl, soon returning, pursued the fugitives, and overtook them before they had time to cross a ford in the Eiver Doon. He brought them back and hanged Faa and his companions on a Dule tree, which grew on a mound befoi-e the castle gate. To punish the countess he compelled her to witness the execution. Following this is " a cast of the head of Robert Bruce.'''' It is said a few years before Bruce's death, he met the Eed Comyn in a church at Dumfries, and in the heat of passion Bruce stabbed Comyn so that he fell dead before the altar. This sin lay so heavily upon Ilome of the Great Itefonner. 299 his conscience, that in order to expiate his crime, he made a vow to enter the holy wiu-, then waging against tho Saracens. This was prevented by troubles in his kingdom and failing health. He determined, however, that the vow should be accomplished, and requested his iriend, Sir James Douglas, to undertake the pilgrimage for him. To this he consented, and set sail for the Holy Land soon after the Kino-'s decease, carrying with him the heart of Bruce. On their way Sir James and his knights turned aside to aid the King of Ar- ragon, who was fighting the enemy, but being overpowered ' by greater numbers in a skirmish, "he snatched the heart from his bosom and throwing it before him, fell, saying, ' lead on first as thou wert wont, bravo heart, and Douglas shall follow thee or die.' '' Next are several instruments of punishment hanging from the wall, which belong to a later period. Here is one labeled BRAKK.SFKOM MoAlSi jUoUSE. An old writer says " the branks was an instrument of ecch'siastical punishment for female scolds, or those adjudged guilty of defamation." It is made of iron, and surrounded the head, while a large triangular piece was put into the mouth. 300 Rambles throKr/h the British Isles. InWalih'oic^s Biographical Collection we find that persons guilty of uttering scandalous reports without ground, were obliged to wear one of these branks standing on a scaffold erected in the market-place, exposed to the gaze of the multitude, and on taking off the machine, were obliged to say three times, " Tongue, thou hast lied." In the same collection is the follow- ing notice, under date of June 15th, 1596: " The session (of Glasgow) appoint jougs and branks to be made for punishing ilyters." The jougs are made of iron, in the shape of a collar, and fastened around the neck, having two chains which at- tach it to the wall. They were generally found in churches, and those persons who behaved improperly during the ser- vice were made to suffer by them, Such instruments might be brought into good service in some of the churches of the present day ! Close by is another instrument called " thitmUins.''' One of its last victims was Mr, William Carstairs ; in time the fortune o£ this man changed, and he became the adviser of King Wil- liam, regarding the affairs of Scotland, and also the principal of the University of Edmburgh. The thumbkins by which he had been tortured were afterwards presented to him and kept in the family until sent to the Knox Cabinet. Chambers narrates an anecdote in connection with the Carstairs' thumb- kins, which is worthy of a place : " 'I have heard. Principal,' said King William, ' that you were tortured with something called thumbkins ; pray, what sort of an instrument of torture is it ? ' 'I will show you it,' answered Carstairs, ' the first time I have the honor to wait upon your Majesty.' " Soon after, the principal brought the thumbkins to be Home of the Great liefurmcr. 30 1 shou'ii to the Kiug. 'I must try it,' said the King; 'I must put it on my thumb; here, now, Principal, turn the screw. Oh ! not so gently, another turn, another. Stop, stop, no more ; auollier turn, I'm afraid would make me confess any- thing.' " Here is another instrument which brings to mind some of the cruel acts of Scottish Christians in the days of yore. It is labeled jj.^ ■ "Witch's Girdle fiuoi DrxBAr.TON Castle. This is simply a strong belt of iron, which was placed around the witch's waist, with a chain to attach it to the stake, or wall. Passing on, we notice "2)art of the pastoral staff of Cai'dinal Beaton,, found in his chaviber in the Castle of St. Andretcs.'^ Car- dinal Beaton caused that good man, George Wishart, to be 302 Ramlles through the Bnlisli Isles. Durned at the stake, witnessing the cruel deed from his pal- lace window. Not ' long after the cardinal was assassinated. He died saying, " I am a priest. Fie— fie I All is gone ! •' Sir David Lindsey, writing of the murder, says : " As for the Cardinal, I grant He was a man weel could want, And we'll forget bim soon : And yet, I think, the soothe to say, Although the loon is weel away, The deed was foully done." '"■■"^>^ ^^^^^^^.^^^^^^^ 'I i t '^^j T,<> - ,-' XXXIV. HoLYHooD Palace. " The boast of heraldry, the pomp of power, And all that beauty, all that wealth e'er gave- Await alike th' inevitable hour— The paths of glory lead but to the grave ! " A'^^W localities in Scotland call up so many F - 'S historic and romantic associations as this not ' ""^ very magnificant house. The building itself i/^ ^o*-"^ v"^ is of stone, and quadrangular in form. The ^cr;;^, V length from north to south is about two hundred '■^^ and thirty feet, and a little less from east to west. Its castellated turrets give it a military appearance, rt^ much in keejjing with the character of its past his- tory. On my way from John Knox's house I passed by an old building with the following inscription over the door: " /«, Sudore niltus tui, vesceris pane,^^ and is thought td have once been the home of a pious baker. And just a little below this is tlie Canongate jail and court-house, on the front of which is the motto, " Sic itur ad astrn.''^ What a motto for a prison and court room I Almost opposite this is a stone pillar, to which in olden times, scolds, slanderers and the like, were fastened with 306 Rambles through the British Isles the " jougs," for public gaze and reproach. The iron staple to which the jougs were attached, though feeling somewhat the wear of years, is still to be seen. After taking a hurried glance at these things of other days, a few minutes walk brought me to Holyrood Palace, Much of the interest which clusters around this old house, strange to say, grows out of the- fact, that in it once lived the beautiful, but frail and unfortunate Queen of Scots, and here also is the scene where her jealous husband, Darnley, vented his spleen upon the defenceless Rizzio. The only portion of the palace which is of much antiquity is the north-west tower, in which are the Queen's apart- ments. The first room into which I was shown is called the "Picture Gallery." This is a hall running the whole length of the building, and is about twenty or thirty feet broad. The walls are decorated, or disfigured, I hardly know which, by the portraits of over one hundred Scottish sovereigns, who lived from the time of Fergus I. to James I. of England, and VI. of Scotland. Most of these are merely fanciful, a few were taken from old coins and others from private pic- tures, and are said to have been painted during the reign of Charles II. The portrait before which visitors stand and gaze is that of '^ Maria Stewartus," and though old and dark like the rest, there is enough of beauty about it, to cause the most careless looker-on to pause. Mary must certainly have been very handsome, and I do not at all wonder that on a certain occasion when she was walking in procession of the Host, a poor woman should rush unconscioixsly through the crowd to touch her, that she might convince herself that she was human ! ITohjrood Fakce. 307 " A lavish planet reigued -when she was bom, And made her of such kindred mould to heaven, She seems more heav n's than ours." In this hall Prince Charles was wont to hold his levees and balls ; it is still used for the High Commissioner to the Gen- eral -Assembly of the Church of Scotland, and for the election of Peers. At almost the rear of the hall is a suite of rooms once occupied by Charles X. and his family. This part of the palace was destroyed by the soldiers of Cromwell, but has since been rebuilt. In these rooms there is nothing worthy of notice, and it requires quite an effort to make one's self believe that these eight-by-ten, poorly-lighted and still more poorly -furnished chambers once entertained kings. Next, I was shown into Queen Mary's audience room, the room in which the poor Italian was cruelly put to death. Here is a bed and furniture which have stood the wear and tear of nearly three centuries. It was in this room that John Knox used to talk to the Queen for being so vain ; and where Mary asked him, " Think you that subjects, having the power, may resist their princes ? " and received the bold reply, " If princes exceed their bounds, madam, no doubt, they may be resisted even by power." And here it was he addressed the maids of honor in these words : " O fair ladies, how pleasing were this laffe of yours, if it would always abyde, and then, in the end, that ye might pass to heaven with all this gay gear. But fye upon that knave Death, that will come, whedder we will or not." In another room was pointed out an old fire grate, the first in- troduced into Scotland. From the audience chamber we 308 Rambles through the British Isles. entered the bed-room. This apartment is small, about ten or twelve feet square, and bears a very time-worn expression. The Queen's bed, said to be just as she left it, looks miserable enough. Its hangings are of crimson damask, bordered with green silk fringe and tassels ; but how faded, how mouldy, liow desolate ! Ah me ! and there is her little work-table and her baby -haslet, which once held the tiny wardrobe of the infant king. Close to the wall is the stone on which she was crowned, and over it hangs a picture of herself before mar- riage. The walls of the chamber are covered with tapestry, hung like a loose curtain, behind which is a door opening into a closet, in which is the secret stairway, through which it is said Lord Darnley and " hollow-eyed " Euthven, with other lords, entered on the 9th of March, 1566, and effected the murder of the unarmed boy, David Rizzio. And in this little room, in the presence of the Queen, they plunged the fatal dagger into the bosom of the poor Italian, while he strove to shelter himself behind the Queen ; then dragging him into an adjoining apartment they left him with his life blood flow- ing from fifty-six wounds, " In the blossom of his sins, "With all his imperfections on his head Unhouseled, disappointed unanelea !" Mary, failing to save his life by her cries, entreaties and threats, dried her tears and said, " I will now study re- venge." The subsequent murder of her cousin-husband, Darnley, and her marriage with his infamous murderer. Both- well, showed that she meant all she said. Rizzio's blood, either preserved or renewed, is still pointed out, bringing fresh RoJijrood Fahue. 809 before the vision the horrible tragedy of three hundred years ago "Foul deeds will rise, Though all the earth o'erwhelmed them to men's eyes, For murder, though it have uo tongue, will speak "With most miraculous organ." A little back of the palace stands the last relic of the once noted Abbey of Holyrood. No one in looking at the ruin can help concluding that at one time it must have been a beauti- ful specimen of the Gothic architecture. It was founded by David I., in 1128, under the order of Saint Augustine, and was one of the richest establishments in Scotland. This old church has been the scene of many irrteresting historical events. In it Charles I. was crowned king of Scotland, and James II., James III., and here Queen Mary and Darnley were married. Here the Papal Legate presented to James IV., from Pope Julius II., the Sword of State, which is preserved among the regalia of Scotland, and for a time its roof sheltered the buried dust of kings, queens and nobles. The abbey is now roofless, and only a few broken walls remain to tell of its vast greatness and splendor. In a little vault at the south- west cornermay be seen through the grating of the door, two skulls and some arm and leg bones, with this inscription above : " Only remains of the Kings and Queens of Scotland, David II., James II., Arthur, James V., Magdalene, Queen of James V., Arthur of Albany and Lord Darnley." In sight, and far above the palace is Calton Hill. This is the highest point in the new town ; its elevation is almost equal to the castle summit of the old. The Scotch 21 310 liainhli'n iJiiumjJi tliAi British Ides. have been trying, it would seem, to cover it, like the Acropo- lis of Athens, with monuments of their warriors, statesmen and poets. Of these the most conspicuous are Lord Nelson's and the National monuments. The former is about one hun- dred and twenty feet high,, which, with the hill, gives it an altitude of over five hundred feet above the level of the sea. It is built after the form of a light-house, and serves the dou- ble purpose of monument and prospect tower for si^t-seers. By the payment of ten cents the visitor is admitted to the summit, from which there is a magnificent panoramic view of surpassing beauty and variety. On the flag-stuff there is'a large Time-ball which drops exactly at one o'clock, Greenwich time. And in connection with this there is a gun fired by electricity at the same moment from the castle. But the most noteworthy object on Calton Hill is the Na- tional Monnjjaent — a monument to the nation's folly, for having commenced the work without counting the cost, or measuring their strength. After the battle of "Waterloo, gratitude welled up within the Scottish heart, and they " re- solved at a great public meeting in Edinburgh, to erect some public building, which should perpetuate the remembrance of events, in which the heroism of Scotsmen, was so conspic- uous." The work of erecting the same was commenced in 1822, during King George's residence in Scotland. ' And the idea was to produce an exact model of the Parthenon at Ath- ens. At the expiration of two years over ninety thousand dollars were spent in the erection of three steps and ten ex- terior columns, and, for want of funds, here it has rested for almost fifty years, and doubtless will rest for many more. Cal/olfJIilJ. 311 It has been thought by some that the mouumeiit, as it now stands, is more picturesque than if completed. But I can't see it in that light ! It is all very well for the Scotch to make the best of their failure. The fox said "The grapes are sour" when he found out he could not reach them. And we often iind out what we will do by learning what we can't do. The handsomest monument in the city is Scott's, situated on the finest street in the empire, and well worthy of such a place. It was erected in 1844, at an expense of over one hun- dred thousand dollars. This stately pile, rising inrich artis- tic beauty, might almost be worshiped without sin, for its liJce is not in heaven above nor on the earth beneath, nor in the waters under the earth ! It was designed and partly built by George Meikle Kemp, a self-taught genius, who fell into the Union canal and was drowned before its completion, but his name will live as long as the monument stands. In form it resem- bles an open spire about two hundred feet high, and has in its base a beautiful ground arch, in which is a colossal statue of Sir Walter and his dog " Maida," in gray marble, sculp- tured by Sfecl. The figures, occupying the little arch(>s which unite the base to the running spire, are mostly filled up by statues, cut in red sandstone, of the most familiar characters in Scott's works. There is also an inside stairway which leads up to a gallery a few feet from the top, from which place some think the best view of the city may be had, but I don't believe it. As a whole, the monument is not to be equaled in the British Isles, if in the world ! The gardens around the slope, on the brow of whicli it stands, are elegantly laid out, and free to all. To 312 Rambles througH the British Isles. the right of the monument, as you stand facing the old town, on one of the bridges spanning the valley, is built the art gal- lery, a solid stone structure, pillared on every side, and might well be called the Parthenon in minature. The view from this place at night is one of the finest I have ever witnessed. Facing the east, on the right are the houses of the old town running up eight, ten and twelve stories high, and then rising one above another as if desirous to reach the skies. These are crowded with the poorer classes from the cellar to the garret ; every room has its separate occupant and consequently every window in this immense pile of buildings is illuminated. On the left is Prince street, with its long row of well-lighted, beautiful stores, looking over the flower and tree filled valley. The illumination of the old city is the consequence of poverty and wretchedness, and in the new of wealth and lux- ury ; both uniting make an illuminated picture of remarkable effect. Here poverty and wealth have met together, wretched- ness and luxury have kissed each other ! " You i^is'd these XXXV. Outside the City. Strang-er, if e'er thine ardent step hath traced The northern realms of ancient Caledon, Sublime delight thy soul hath known.— Lord of the /sles. ^ O one visiting Edinburgh should fail, if he o"^/-77TV T/ciX ^^^ spare the time, to spend a few hours 'z:0 on Arthur's Seat, or Salisbury Crags. Back J7% of Holyrood Palace stands this rocky emi- nence. A romantic and historic walk of two ;. jS^ hours, brought me to its summit. After passing ' .. - .^ the old ruin of Saint Anthony's Chapel, which lies o'-^G^^^ a little out of the way, is a noted spring, or well, where a number of boys and girls stood anxiously waiting to help the passing stranger to a cup of cold sparkling water. For this favor they generally receive a few half-pence in re- turn. At this well, which is called St. Anthony's, and famed m 314 Ramhles througli tlie British Isles. in Scottish song, did many a way-worn traveler quench his thirst, and of its waters, too, have kings, queens and nobles sipped in the days of Scotia's royalty. And just in sight is a small lake which would charm the eye of a Michael Angelo, or Raphael. From this point to the top of the hill the path is steep and circuitous, but the evershifting variety of the scenery made me forget the toil. And the " Blue Bells " that bordered my path often called to remembrance the land in which I was sojourning. The little daisy, beautiful in its simplicity, is here, bringing fresh to mind the words written by Burns, after turning one down with the plough : " Wee, modest crimson-tipped flower, Thou'st met me in an evil hour." The summit being reached, the air was so pure and brac- ing, and the sights so novel and grand, I felt light as a feather and strcfag as a lion ! On my way up, I made the acquaintance of a very compan- ionable middle-aged man, who pointed out the many places of interest, as they lay within the range of our vision from this God-made observatory. He seemed much at home with the name and history of almost every place in the vicinity of Edinburgh. All around us lay sights beautiful and sublime ! At our feet the " Queen of the British Isles," peaceful and quiet. In the distance Leith and its well-filled harbor, and a little beyond the Firth of Forth with its blue waters. In another direction lay a large tract of rich, well cultivated farming land, with a good sprinkling of well-sheltered, com- fortable looking homesteads. To the south, the Lamnicinioor and Pentland Hills, keeping watch over the town of Dalkieth. Outside the City. 315 with Craig Millar Castlo just in sight. On the north the tall spires of the Highland family, with Bon Nevis in the midst, fatherly and majestic. " Vales, lakes, woods, mountains, islands, rocks and seas, Huge hills, that heap'd in crowded order stand, Vast lumpy gi-oups— ■while Ben, who often shrouds His loity summit in a veil of clouds. High o'er the rest displays superior state." In the distance is the Xorth Sea, which rolls between the mouth of the Forth and the Baltic ; the sea over which sailed the proud fleets of other days. Hour after hour I lingered on the summit, nor did I turn my face homeward until the king of day hid himself behind the western hills. I am now, as never before, able to enter into the spirit of the language of one of Scotland's most hon- ored sons, who said : " If I were to choose a spot from which the rising or setting sun could be seen to the greatest possible advantage, it would be that wild path winding around the fo3t of the high belt of semi-circidar rocks, called Salisbury Crags, and marking the verge of the steep descent which slopes down into the glen on the south-eastern side of the city of Edinburgh." On my way into the city, I saw for the first time in Caledon, what I expected to see in every high- way and byway, a Highlander piping with his pipes. He was a tall, able-bodied man, dressed in kilts and sash; cover- ing his flaxen hair, he wore a bonnet, or what is better known by the name of Scotch cap, adorned with a few feathers from a peacock's tail. I once was of the opinion that the unpleas- 316 Rambles through the British Isles. ant squeaking of the bagpipes, was perhaps owing to their absence from home, and if played in their own nalive land, they would have a sweetness and a charm for me of which in America I was wholly unconscious. But instead of this, it seemed as if I never heard them give forth such horrible sounds. I am a lover of music, but the bagpipes, to my mind, and in my ears, make nothing but discord, intolerable noises, and dismal drones ! and are only fit to be used as an instru- ment of torment ! Butler has, in my judgment, given a good description in the following : " The bagpipes of the loudest drones, With snuffling', broken-winded tones, Do make a viler noise than swine In windy weather, when they whine." On the banks of the North Esk, about eight miles from Edinburgh, is situated the beautiful and romantic EOSLIN. The day was delightful on which I visited the place. The birds-eye view which I had of it from Salisbury Crags, did not satisfy, so I resolved to see more closely the place that has so often excited the admiration of the stranger. Taking the coach which leaves Edinburgh at 11 o'clock, we passed through the suburb of Newington and the small village of Liberton. The sights on our way were many and various, causing us to be forgetful of the passing hours. And now we are in sight of the place to which Campbell in his beautiful ballad thus alludes: Out side the City. 317 " Oh, Gildcroj-, bethought we tlion So soon, so sad to part, When first in Roslin's lovely glen You triumphed o'er my heart." Eoslin at one time held a high rank among the cities of Scotland ; now there are but a few houses ; not enough to be called a village. Hay, its historian, says : " About that time "' (that is, at the building of the chapel) " the town of Eoslin, being next to Edinburgh and Haddington, in East Lothian, became very populous by the great concourse of all ranks and degrees of visitors that resorted to this prince at his palace of the Castle of Eoslin ; for he kept a great court, and was roy- ally served at his own table in vessels of gold and silver : Lord Dirlington beinghis master of the househould. Lord Borthwick his cup-bearer, and Lord Fleeming his carver ; in whoso ab- sence they had deputies to attend, viz., Stewart, Laird of D;ft-- lington, Tweedie, Laird of Di'ummerline, and Sandilands, Laird of Calder. He had his haU and the apartments richly adorned with embroidered hangings. His Princess, Elizabeth Douglas, already mentioned, was served by seventy-five gen- tlewomen, whereof fifty-three were daughters of noblemen, all clothed in velvets and silks, with thin chains of gold and other ornaments ; and was attended by two hundred riding gentlemen in all her journeys ; and if it happened to be dark when she went to Edinburgh, where her lodgings were at the foot of Blackfriar's "Wynd, eighty lighted torches were carried before her." Eoslin Chapel is not large ; but unsurpassed by any, either great or small, thoughout the kingdom, as a mas- ter piece of Gothic architecture. It was built by William De 318 Ramhks fhro^igh the British Isles. Saint Clair, Prince of Orkney, in 1446. Britton pronounces it " unique, curious, elaborate and singularly interesting." In- deed, the ornamentation is astonishing, and would require a long article should I go into detail. During the Eevolution and Reformation the building sustained some injury, but not so much as most other buildings of the kind. This may have been owing to its having fewer crosses and Eomish fixings in its adornment than the other churches of its day. Cromwell and his co-workers seemed to have sworn eternal hatred to all images, indeed, to everything that savored in the least of Popery, and fi.nding little of the kind here, they in mercy spared it. But time has made some inroads upon its beauty. What will not time destroy ? A few years ago it was partially re- stored, and is now used as a place of worship. A short distance from the chapel stands the ruins of the once great stronghold, EosLix Castle.^ It is supposed to have been built by the same nobleman who founded the chapel. It has a position of singularly roman- tic beauty, being a steep promontory of rocks, overhanging the bed of the Eiver Esk, and at one time only accessible by a drawbridge. The surrounding scenery is enchanting, though not so grand or picturesque as it must have been in the days of yore. " High o'er the pines, that with their darkening shade. Surround yon craggy bank, the castle rears Its crumbhng turrets, till its towering head A warlike mien, a sullen grandeur wears. Jlaidhorndcn. 319 So, 'mitlst the snow of age, a boastful air Still on the -war-worn veteran's brow attends ; Still his big brow his youthful prime declares, Though trembling o'er the feeble crutch he bends." A few minutes' walk from Koslin, along the banks of the beautiful Esk, brought me to the classic walls of Hawthornden. Here lived and labored the noted historian and poet, Wil- liam Drummond. In it he wK)te his history of the five Jameses, his Cypress Grove, and his Flqwers of Sion, and to this place Dr. Johnson is said to have come all the way from Lon- don, on foot, to see him. It was during this visit Johnson dined with a Scottish lady, who, as a compliment, prepared some " hotch-potch," a celebrated Scotch dish, for his dinner. After the doctor had tasted it, she asked him if it was good ? To which he replied, " Very good for hogs ! " " Then pray," said the lady, "allow me to help you to a little more of it." The old house stands as the crowning glory of a lofty ledge of freestone rocks, at the foot of which runs the river, which has not grown old, but is as noisy, sparkling and playful as when the poet mused on its banks and gathered inspiration from its song. Below the precipice, upon which the house is built, are several deep caverns, whose construction tradi- tion assigns to the Pictish monarchs, who used them for places of refuge during the terrible wai's which so long raged between Scots and Picts, or the English and Scotch. Here, as at the Giant's Causeway and Fingal's Cave, each cavern has received a name ; one is called the King's Gallery, anotlier the Kinjr's Bedchamber, and a third the Guard-room. Tliort! ic! 320 Ramlles throucjh the British Isles. also another a smaller one, called th.e Cypress Grove, in -which Drummond is thought to have composed his poem of that name. The poet's memory remains ever fresh and fragrant. His songs and sufferings still linger about these rocks and caves, and doubtless will continue so to do while water runs and grass is green. " Eoslin's towers and braes are bonnie ! Crags and water ! woods and glen ! Eoslin's banks ! nnpeered by ony, Save the muses' Hawthornden." Ckichton Castle. About twelve miles fi-om the metropolis, on the banks of the Tyne, stands an ancient and magniflceut ruin called Crichton Castle. It is quadrangular in form, very strong and massive, with a court in the center. Its appearance would indicate that it was built in different ages, and yet upon a systematic plan. On the east side is a strong old tower, which apjiears to have been the original part of the building. The walls and rooms of the central jjart exhibit traces of taste and skill in the art of architecture ; indeed, all j)arts of the old castle beai* outlines of its once remarkable elegance and strength. The surround- ings are caj^tivating. From its windows we look out upon a beautiful glen, through which the sj^arkling waters of the Tj-ne slowly meanders. Beyond are beautiful groves and pasture- fields, with mountains in the back ground, giving strength and finish to the prospect. Sir Walter Scott, in his fourth canto of "Marmion," has graphically pictm-ed this old stronghold of other days : Crichton Castle. " Tliiit oastlo rises on the steep Of the green vale of Tyuo ; And far beneath, where slow they creep From pool to eddy, dark and deep, Where alders moist, and willows weep, Ton hear her streams repine. The towers in diflfercnt ages rose ; Their vmious lU-ehitectiirc shows The builders' various hands ; A mighty mass, that could oppose, When deadliest hatred fired its foes, The vengeful Douglas' bands. Crlchtoun 1 though now thy miry court ]5ut pens the lazy steer and sheep, Thy turrets rude and tottered Keep Have been the minstrel's loved resort. Oft have I traced within thy fort, Of nfoldering shields the mystic sense. Scutcheons of honor, or pretence, Quartered in old armorial sort, Kemains of rude magnificence." JtI.ybbie's Howe. Before returning to Edinljurgh we visited " Ilabbie's Howe," the scene of Allan Ramsay's " Gentle Shepherd." The place is a seciuestered glen, through which runs a small stream, having a fall at one point of about twenty feet in height. The place and its surroundings, of themselves, are wholly withoi;t attrac- tion ; and yet this is the most popular resort of the citizen and the traveler, which shows conclusively the poet's power. To read Ramsay's description in his pastoral is to see the place with all, and more than all, its charms, without the fatigue and expense of the journey : " Thefc. 'tween twa birks, out ower a little lln, The water fa's and mak's a singin' din ; A pule, breast-deep, beneath, as clear as glass, Kisses wi' easy whirls the bord'ring grass." 322 Rambles through the British Isles. Further on it runs beneath several romantic crags, whose crev- ices are filled mtli birches and other shrubbery, leaving here and there the most inviting resort. " Beneath the south side 'of a craggy bleld, Where crystal springs their halesome water yield, Twa youthfu' shepherds on the gowans lay, Tenting theii- flocks ae bouny morn o' May." A crag, called h\ some " The Harbour Craig," and by others '' The Lover's Loup," li^s just before us. " Tounder's a craig — sin ye hae tint a' houp, Gae tiirt your wa'S and tak' the lover's loup." Still on, and we come to where the glen widens into an open field of most luxuriant green. At the head of this "howm," and close to the stream, stands the ruins of an old washing-house. "A flow'rie howm, between twa verdant braes. Where lasses use to wash and spread their clae~s ; A trottin' burnie wimplin thro' the ground, Its channel peebles shining smooth and round." A little to the west is the Carlops Hill, in a niche or dell of which once hved a carline or witch. She was, it is said, often seen " frisking " on her broom across the entrance. Here, too, were jaointed out the old ash tree, blasted and broken, tJie cottage, and the well. " The open field ; a cottage in a glen ; An auld vnia spinning at the snnuy end : At a sma' distance, by a blasted tree, Wi' faulded arms and half-raised look, ye see." ^^'i ' Glances on every side of fresh couiil r> XXXYI. ■ Melkose Abbey. Like some tall rock, with lichens gray, Seemed, dimly huge, the dark Abbey. — Scott. ■ ^^y^-^^^j^^ HE day on which I visited Melrose was one of peculiar loveliness. Not a cloud darkened a N< the sky. The air was clear, and filled with """^ the balmy perfume of Juno's opening buds ^im y^f~'^''wJ ^^^ laughing flowers. The distance between '•' /i I'l^ Edinburgh and Melrose is about thirty-six or iv I * ':|jj seven miles, and the scenery on the way is charming. tt"g%*'Si Hill and valley, glen and river, were passed by in . quick succession, and before it seemed possible that we had reached our destination, the train stopped, and the officer shouted, " Melrose ! " Eight well was I paid for the time and expense of my journey. This, truly, is the most magnificent ruin in Scotland, and to visit " the land of brown heath and shaggy woods," without coming to see Melrose Abbey, would bo like a traveler visiting Buffalo without turning aside to see Niagara. Melrose Abbey was founded by David 1. of Scotland, and dedicated to the Virgin Mary. In 1322 it was destroyed by 324 Eamhles tliroucjli iJie British Isles. Edward II. 's army, and was again rebuilt by Robert Bruce. In 1545 it was partially despoiled by an invading English, ai-my, and during tlie Eelbrmation it was robbed of much of its former splendor. The material of which, it is composed is red stone, and if I were going to judge of its age by its ap- pearance, I should be apt to think it had its origin in the eighteenth century, rather than the thirteenth. Many of the columns, arches, doors, and windows are entire, and much of the ornamentation, the curiously carved flowers, and leafy workmanship, seems more like the Avork of yesterday than that of six hundred years ago. It is situated in the midst of an open space of ground, which is used as a grave-yard, and very much neglected. It is built in the form of a Latin cross, two hundred and eighty-five feet by one hundred and thirty, with a square tower eighty-four feet high in the centre, of which only a part is left. The present entrance is by a Gothic door in the base of the southern transept. It is now almost roofless, except three small chapels, which retain their original canopy, and the part which in 1816 was fitted up for a parish church, and covered with stones which were once used in the old. In the grave-yard the portress pointed me to the .graves of Alexander, one of Scotland's most illustrious kings ; James, Earl of Douglas, who fell at Otter- burn, and several members of the house of Douglas, of Scott, and of other noted border families. Here, too, according to tradition, is deposited the heart of Robert Bruce. On almost every wall are seen marks of the balls from Oliver Cromwell's guns. Even this fair temple, with all its beauty of construction and workmanship, was not spared by the hand Jlcirim' Ahbci/. 3li5 of the Reformer, whose creed was to put down and blot out of the laud pi-iestcraft and idolatry, root and branch. On the east side of the choir is a stately window, twenty-four feet in height, of which Sir Walter Scott says : " It is impossible to con- ceive a more beautiful specimen of lightness and elegance of Gothic architecture when in its purity." Indeed, the whole, with its arches and pillars, exhibits the richest tracery and adornment, and shows a skill in sculpture upon which even six centuries have made no advancement. Who that has ever read the "Lay of the Last Minstrel," could look at the ex- quisitely chiseled columns of this beautiful pile, without feeling the full force of these lines : " The moon on the east oriel shone Through slender shafts of shapeless stone. By foliaged tracery combined ; Thou wouldst have thought some fairy's Iiand, 'Twixt poplar straight, the osier wand, In many a freakish knot, had twined ; Then framed a spell, when the work was done, And changed the willow wreaths to stone." Surrounding the Abbey is the old burying-ground, with its many time-worn and letter-effaced head-stones; these, with the ivy-mantled ruin in their midst, go to make up a picture of peculiar sadness. With my sunlight view of the Abbey, both interior and exterior, I was very much pleased ; but what must it be by moonlight ? " If thou wouldst view fair Melrose aright. Go visit it by the palemoonIi<;ht; Por the gay beams of lightsome day Gild,but to flout, the ruins gray." 22 i', i jiii I ! y i Hi fel w \\ ''^ ' ^^"^ { ^ ?IM' XXXYII. Home of Sik Walter Scott. The first sure symptom of a mind in health, Is rest of heart, and pleasure felt at home.— rbun^. ^^^^d-^^ '^'^'^ *^® scenery from Melrose to Abbotsford ^' -^^Xff^—'^ I was delighted. The fields on either side of \ ; Ai^^ -f the way seemed to haye clothed themselves in their best attire, and the hedges, made up ^l of flowering thorn and wild rose, vied with each ■ f ; /ki-~J^ji>' other in beauty. The oat and wheat-fields were O ;".o changing their youthful greenness for the golden \B^"/-N color of the autumnal harvest, while the long wav- ing grasses of the meadows whispered their song of content- ment, and the genial winds, laden with the valley's smiles and the breathings of the opening rose, seemed sweeter than ever before. In ax^proaching the house, its turrets, which rise above the trees, stood full in view, and when we reached the gate I was not a little surprised to find several carriages there waiting for parties that were within, biding their turn to be shown through the mansion. Abbotsford takes its name from a ford over the river Tweed, once owned by abbots, near which the poet's home is situated. 328 RarnUes throucjh the British Isles. The building is of stone, irregular in style, and not so impos- ing as I expected. Association lias done more for Abbotsford than nature or art. Around the front entrance are many antique carved stones, taken from old castles and abbeys. The interior of the portico is adorned with the horns of Highland stags, and other symbols of the chase. The hall into which we were first shown is well stocked with ancient armor, coats of mail, shields, swords, helmets, and the banners of Scottish clans — all of them bearing a history and speaking the lan- guage of the " auld time." In one end of this hall stands a knight in full armor, which is said to have been found on the field of Bosworth, and on the opposite side another, dressed out in full hunting ri^. Here is an old-fashioned grate, once the property of Archbishop Sharp, before which poetry and romance, as well as theology and homiletics, often received- new inspiration. Next we were shown into the dining-room, in which are sev- eral rare pictures: one of Cromwell, said to be a correct like- ness ; one of Charles XII. of Sweden ; one of Scott's grand- father, who never trimmed his beard after the execution of Charles I. ; one of Lord Essex ; and one of the head of Mary Queen of Scotts, after her execution — from v/hich it is said Sir Walter would never allow a copy to be taken. In the library there are about 20,000 volumes, all of which are well protected from the hands of visitors by a wire grating. Here are several fine busts, one of Wordsworth, and one of Shakespeare — said to have been taken from his tomb at Strat- ford — and one of Sir Walter, speakingly full of expression. There is a bronze cast of the poet after his decease, which is Home of iSi'r Jl 'alter Scott. oli9 not without merit ; also a set of ebony chairs and an ebony- writing-desk, the gilt of George IV. On a little table stands a silver vase, filled with bones from Pirseeus, and presented by Lord Byron. In the cabinet of relics are to be seen a shirt of mail worn by Cromwell when reviewing his troops ; Eob Eoy's musket ; Bonaparte's pistols, found in his carriage after the battle of Waterloo ; a hunting flask of James I. ; and a Roman kettle, supposed to have been made long before the birth of Christ. But time and space forbid my noticing the many '• Auld nick-nackets, Rusty airn caps, and jingling jackets Would hold the croudai-s there in tacketa A towmond gude, And parritch-pats, and auld saut lackets Afore the flude." From the library we passed into a room, not quite half as large — this is his study. The walls are well filled with books, and around the whole is a small gallery and a private stair- case, by which he was wont to come from his bed, or dressing- room, without having to pass through any of the other apart- ments. It was when referring to this stairway he told the Duchess of Saint Albans that he could go into his study and work and write as much as he pleased "without one's being the wiser for it." " That," she replied, "is impossible!" This was a compliment most fitting, and certainly not unappreciated by Sir Walter. Here, too, is the desk on which he wrote, and by it the old leather-covered arm-chair in which he was wont to sit, and from which he stretched out his scepter over ail lands 330 Rambles through the British Isles. and all time ! Scott was truly a great man, a gift to tbe world for whicli centuries yet unborn will be glad ! His pow- er of description is unequaled ; his delineations of landscape and character almost perfect ; his specimens of moral painting — as in the sin and suffering of Constance, the remorse of Marmion and Bertram — are equal, if not superior, to anything ever written. But in no one, nor all of these taken together, does his greatness so much appear as in his upright character. " His behavior through life was marked by understanding, in- tegrity, and purity, insomuch that no scandalous whisper was ever yet circulated against him. The traditionary recollec- tion of his early life is burdened with no stain of any sort. His character as a husband and father is altogether irreproach- able. Indeed, in no single relation of life does it appear that he ever incurred the least blame. His good sense and good feeling, united with an early religious training, appear to have guided him aright through all the difficulties and temptations of life ; and even as a politician, though blamed by many for ■his exclusive sympathy in the cause of established rule, he was always acknowledged to be too benevolent and too unobtru- sive to call for severe censure. Along with the most perfect uprightness of conduct, he was characterized by extraordinary simplicity of manners. He was invariably gracious and kind, and it was impossible ever to detect in his conversation a symptom of his grounding the slightest title to consideration upon his literary falne, or his even being conscious of it." In 1811, when he purchased one hundred acres of moor land on the banks of the Tweed, it was without any attrac- tions ; the neighborhood, true, had many historic associations. Home of Sir Jf'al/ir Scott. ' ^31 but the situation was auj'-tliing but inviting. So that this haunt of the pilgrim, with its shady grove and open lawn, its romantic walks and flowering dells, is but the creation of the poet's genius. Indeed, he has thrown a charm around every place he touched, and filled with interest every object which he described. Under bis pen, lake and valley, crag and cave, castle and ruin, church and abbey, once* void of name and fame, are now eagerly sought after by tourists, from all parts of the world. Scotland to-day would not have so much sunshine, and cer- tainly less melody, had not Scott been born ; and many parts of it would be lacking in interest, had not he touched them 'into beauty by his magic wand. Abbotsford appears still to live in the presence of its former master ; the very air seems calmer than other places ; yea, the groves and lawns look as if in communion with the de- parted spirit, and even the Tweed, with its laughing, spark- ling current, here pauses to kiss the pebbled shore with dove- like fondness. " Call it not vain ; they do not err Who say, that when the poet dies, Mute nature mourns her -worshiper. And celebrates his obsequies ; Who say tall cliff and cavern lone For the departed bard make moan; That mountains weep in crystal rill ; That flowers in tears of balm distill ; Through his loved groves that breezes sigh, And oaks, in deeper groans, reply, And rivers teach their rushing wave To murmur dirges round his grave.'' Hl&HLWDEr AND HI& COMrOrTER XXXVIII. Scotland and the Scotch. Oh, we have wandered far and wide O'er Scotia's land of firth and fell,. And many a lovely spot we've seen By mountain hoar and flowering dell.— ^Inoji. ^;o.^^°>^^E'W nations have so much romance, chivalry ^1^^^ and song in their history as Scotland, and ^¥^J^i'jJ/F(p 110 0^6 at all conversant with the past, can io^i^t^^Pi^^ travel through her highlands and lowlands without peculiar emotions. Her hills and dales, ■'^ hikes and rivers, are all identified with the most thrilling tales of bygone days. All her fields are rich in heroic action, and for firm conviction, unflinching faith, and valiant suffering her sons take a front rank in the world's history. Scot/diid (Hid the Scotch. V>)Vi Scotland is composed of three great divisions, the High- lands, the Lowlands, and the Islands ; tho whole comprising an area of thirty-one thousand three hundred and twenty - four square miles. Her population for 18G8 was about three and one-half mill ions, only a little more than half the popu- lation of Ireland. Her mountains are jagged and heatli- covered, and there is scarcely any section of the country from which they may not be seen looming up. Her rivers are numerous, though but few of them are large, and none are navigable above their estuaries save the Clyde. Her lakes, or loughs, as they are called, are picturesque and mostly scattered among the glens of the Highlands. Some of them are noted for their beauty, but the majority for their utility, affording great supplies of fish, and employment for a large number of her sons and daughters. The climate of Scotland is extremely variable, more so than that of England or Ireland, and the annual temperature ranges from forty-five to fifty degrees. Tho agricultural productions of Scotland are very similar to those of England. Oats, wheat, peas and beans are raised in great abundance, but of these the most prevalent crop is oats. This is the staff of life, and the red of strife for the lower classes. It fiirnishes them with bread, while at the same time from it is prepared the cup of death, all, or most all, of the whiskey and ale drank being brewed from malt made of this grain. It may be safely said that agriculture in Scotland is in ad- vahce of England, and yet the soil of the former is in general poorer than that, of the latter, but the Scotch have sliown 334 Ramllcs through the British Isles. tlieir skill in bringing it up to such a state, that it produces crops more abundant than either England or Ireland. The commerce of Scotland is about equal to that of Ireland; her exports consist chiefly of the products of the land, the water and her manufactories ; but to enter into a summaiy would be to write a list long, tasteless and tiresome. Scotland is a religious nation. The National Church is Pres- byterian, from which there are two seceding bodies called the Free and the United Presbyterians. " The principles of the latter body are opposed to state establishments, while the members of the Free Church, although in practice Noncon- formists, admit the lawfulness of State Churches, and object to be classed as voluntaries on principle. If a union could be effected between these three great re- ligious bodies, the external religious unity of Scotland would be very nearly complete; the Anglican Church, who are Dis- senters north of the Tweed, and the Eoman Catholics form- ing only a small, though without doubt, a wealthy and influ- ential part of the population. From the report of the pro- ceedings of the Free Church Assembly, we learn that the number of ministers in full position is seven hundred and forty. The Sustentation Fund is supported by all the congregations, and gurantees to each clergyman a minimum income of £150 a year, the manse being in addition. The effect of this ar- rangement is, that if a congregation cannot raise £loO a year, they are entitled to draw from the General Fund such an amount as will raise the pastor's income to that sum. On the other hand, if the congregation subscribes more than £150, the minister receives an agreed proportion of the surplus." Scotland (Old the Scotch. 335 The Free Church is supported by the same moilo as tlio Wesleyan, by the free-will offerings of her children. At the last Geuerul Assembly of the Established Kirk, Dr. Norman Macleod, the Moderator, made a speech on the Es- ta\)lishment question as connected with his own Church. Ho believed there were many who desired its downfall. " The United Presbyterians desired it because it was a State Establishment; the Free Church desired it because it was Erastian ; the Anglican Church desired it because in the High Church view, at least, it had neither true ministers nor Talid sacraments. It is odd enough that in this island of Britain there should be two Protestant Established Churches, and that one should utterly ignore the ministry of the othei*. "We really cannot say what fi-ightful consequences would fol- low if Dr. Macleod were to preach in an Anglican Church. It is true that he is a domestic chaplain to the Queen, who is also head of the English Church ; that he is raised, and de- servedly so, to the highest position which the Scottish Estab- lishment has to confer ; that in learning and orthodoxy, in ability and piety, he is not inferior to the celebrities of the Anglican Church. But what avails all this so long as he is outside the pale of the apostolical succession ? Humble folk among the Nonconformists of England are apt to suppose that the reason why the Anglican clergy ignore Dissenters is because they are a State Church, while Dissenters are not. But if they reflect upon the case of the Scotch Establishment, they will see that it is not so. Dr. Macleod and his reverend brethern are ministers of a Church which is as much es- tablished by law as the Church of England, and yet not one 336 Rambles througli the British Isles. of them can be permitted to minister at an Anglican altar or preach from an Anglican pulpit. It is not, after all, social pride, but an ecclesiastical heresy, which lies at the root of this exclusiveness — that Eomish heresy of apostolical succes- sion, upon which, whether her clergy as individuals believe it or not, the Church of England acts with a relentless and sui- cidal persistency." One of the most important questions discussed during the session was Church Patronage. By this the pulpits of the Es- tablishment are iilled by the will of a few patrons, and not by the people. So when a minister dies, or removes from his people, his place is filled not by the choice of the church, or congre- gation, but by some one who has acquired a legal right to be- stow the favor upon whomsoever he or she will, and the church has no lot or part in the matter — save submission ! Some of these patronages belong to the Queen, some to Episcopalians, some to Eomanist and some to infidels and lunatics. How so many of the people have borne so long with this most arbitrary infringement of sacred rites is perfectly unaccounta- ble ! But the signs of the times are hopeful. " By a majority of 193 to 88, the AssemUy declared in favor of the aloUtion of patronage, and recommended that the election of ministers be vested in the heritors, elders, and male communicants. By this step the Scotch Establishment has possibly delayed the date of its own downfall. Its leading men are wise enough to learn the lesson taught by current events, and to adapt their institutions to the exigencies of the times. By this act, also, the Church has brought itself nearer to the non-estab- lished forms of Presbyterianism. But whether Parliament Svothtnd and the Scotch. ;-J;]7 will sanction this cliango, or whether the House of Commons may defer it on the ground that the whole question of the Scot- tish Establishment may shortly have to come forward, is more than we can say. It is by no means impossible that this res- olution may prove to be the first step in a series of important changes which may issue in numbering the Scottish Establish- ment with the institutions of the past." This was the question which caused the secession of tlie Free Church branch about forty year^ ago. The preaching of "Wesley and "Whitefield awoke to life even in Scotland the clergy and laity. The spirit of John Knox was again revived, and many of the churches refused to accept the pastors which were chosen for them by the patrons. They fell back upon the authority of the first Book of Discipline, that was drawn up by John Knox and four other distinguished Eeformers, which says : " It appertaineth to the people and to every several congregation, to elect their minister ; and it is altogether to be avoided, that any man be violently intruded or thrust in upon any congregation ; but this liberty, with all care, may be reserved for every several church to have their votes and suffrages in election of their ministers." And to such a pitch did the opposition rise th;it on several instances the govern- ment had to send a, detachment of soldiers to enforce the in- stallation of a pastor. Kever was there anything so prepos- terous in all the records of Protestant Christendom. And yet from, these harsh measures good results were brought about. They only added fuel to the flame already kindled, and brought out more clearly than ever before, the fact, that ac- cording to the teachings of the Now Testament the will of 338 Ramhles through the British Isles. the people ought to be dominant in calling the preacher. Therefore in General Assembly it was resolved not to allow patrons to force upon the people such pastors as they might select. But this was overthrown when it came before the House of Lords and the decision given, " That the civil courts can control, forbid, and command the spiritual courts in all spiritual things ; ordination, preaching, sacraments, and ex- communication." This was too much for the true spiritual men of the establishment, and they could no longer stay in a Church which placed the voice of the Lord-Chancellor above that of the Lord Jesus Christ. On this question Jir.e hundred clergymen sacrificed their en- dowments rather than their principles. For freedom of con- science and to worship God after the teachings of the New Testament, they were willing to exchange manses for huts, to bid farewell to the graves of their children and the lands of their sires, not because they could not do otherwise, but for the sake of a principle which unites the beauty of Christian holiness with the highest interests of human civilization. " True Freedom is where no restraint is known That Scripture, justice, and good sense disown." This is true in all civil and religious interests, and for all peoples. " It is a broad, a universal, a Catholic principle — as old as Christianity itself, and held as a glorious, and all-im- portant doctrine by all the sincere men who have ever labor- ed or suffered for Christ. Paschal the Third wished to give up his endowments for it a thousand years ago. But it is not a principle peculiar to Christians. It is dear to all who love to be spiritually free. A Comte can contend for it as well as Scothmd ,oid the Scotch. 339 a Chalmers. That tbo moral and spiritual theory by which a man is to guide himself in life, shall not be a proscription of statecraft, but the adoptioil of a free and earnest soul — this is the very vital idea of all individual and social civilization. It is the first want of clear spirits. Nor is the importance or the nobleness of the principle lessened by the fact that in the case of the herd of men it can mean only a liberty to choose among the creeds which other and abler men draw up. Gen- ius alone can enjoy aught of the highest freedom of soul. Gcidus alone can attempt that work of fear — asking the uni- verse questions respecting the great spirit of it. But the free- dom — the independence — is for all. The spiritual views of genius ought to be free for the sake of human advancement. All men ought to be free in sj)iritual affairs, because whenever they are in earnest in them they will be free or die.'' God has set his seal of approbation upon this freedom of thought and action, for since the disruption of the Established Church, those who left her have more than doubled in num- ber and power, and in aggressive movement they have far out- stripped the endowed churches. They have carried the Gospel into the remotest parts of Scotland, and they are to-day sup- plying the spiritual wants of the Highlands and the islands, where the Established Church is little more than a name. Temperance in Scotland is the exception — interivperance the rule. Here all classes drink, the men and the women, the clergy and the people ! Not long ago a minister who was in the habit of taking occasionally just enough to unfit him for his pulpit labors, was summoned before his presbytery for this misdemeanor ; one of his elders, the constant participator in 340 RamhJes throurjh the British Isles. his drunken revels, was summoned to appear as a Avitness against him, " "Weel, John," said a member of the reverend court, " did you ever see Mr. C the worse for drink ? " " Weel, I wat, no," answered John ; " I've mony a time seen him the better o't, but never seen him the waur o't." " But did you never see him drunk ? " " That's what I'll never see," replied the elder; " for lang before he's half sloakened, I'm aye Uind foue?'' And yet, sad as this state of affairs is, the Scotch are not so intemperate now, as they were a few years ago. From good authority it appears that there has been a decreased consumption since 1854, when the Forbes Mackenzie Act came into operation, of no less than 2,036,924 gallons per annum, being about thirty per cent. But this comparison does not sufficiently indicate the favor- able change which has taken place in the habits of the peo- ple. "During the last fifteen years the population must luive increased at least ten per cent. ; and hence if no such change had taken place the quantity consumed would have been ten per cent, greater than during the average of the first period of four years, or 7,606,599 gallons. And the consumption during the average of the last period of four years being only 4,878,166 gallons, the comparative decrease is 2,728,433 gallons, or nearly forty per cent. In the city of Edinburgh the closing of the public houses on Sundays has caused quite a social revolution in favor of sobriety on Sundays. According to police statistics, published by the city magistrates, it appears that since 1853 the cases of drunk eness taken up on all the days of the week had diminished from 5,727 to 2,313 ; the number during Sun- days from 729 to 223 ; and the number from eight o'clock on Scotland and the Scotch. o\\ Sunday mornings to eight o'clock on Monday mornings from 401 in 1852, to 42 in 18G6. The price of whiskey has been con- siderably increased since the act came into operation, owing to successive advances in the amount of the excise duty ; and no doubt, on the well-known principles of political economy, tho higher price must to some extent have diminished the sale of the article. But from all inquiries I have made I am satis- fied that the diminution caused by the high price has not been nearly equal to that caused by the closing of the public houses on Sundays ; for all parties in Scotland are agreed, so far as I know, in opinion that more spirits were formerly con- sumed on Sundays than any other day of the week ; and that, in very many cases, the drinking which commenced on Sun- days was continued on the Mondays, and thus prevented pai-- ties from going back to their wQrk. The Sunday closing has then indirectly also diminished the consumption on Mondays ; and this fact, of course, partly accounts for the large decrease since the act came into operation in 1854." In these facts there is a lesson for all who love temperance and good order. It is just this — if by the partial enforce- ment of prohibitoiy measures intemperance has been abated in Scotland, the same results, by the same measures, can be brought about in other lands. If a prohibitory law will work well in Scotland, it will work well anywhere else. For next to the Irish, the Scotch are the most ardent lovers of drink in the world. A Highlander was once asked what he would wish to have, if some kind divinity would give him the three things he liked best. For the first he said, he should ask for " a Loch Lomond o' gude whiskey ! " " And for the second ? " 23 342 Huoilks throu(/h the British Ides. inquired his friend. " A Ben Lomond o' gude sneeshin," re- plied Donald. "And for the third?" He hesitated for a long time at this ; but at last, after his face had assumed many contortive expressions of thought, he answered, " Ou, just anither Loch Lomond o' gude whiskey." At a great tem- perance meeting, held not long ago in Belfast, Ireland, Dr. Guthrie, whose name is in all our homes, stated that he was converted to temperance by the example of an Irishman. " I was first led," he says, " to form a high opinion of the cause of temperance by the bearing of an Irishman. It is now, let me see, some twenty years since I first opened my mouth in the town of BeKast. Having left Belfast and gone round to Omagh, I left that town on a bitter, biting, blasting, raining day, cold as death, lashing rain, and I had to travel, I remem- ber, across a cold country to Cookstown. Well, by the time we got over half the road, we reached a sort of inn. By this time we were soaking with water outside, and as these were the days of toddy drinking, we thought the best way was to soak ourselves with whiskey inside. Accordingly we rushed into the inn, and ordered warm water, and we got our tumblers of toddy. Out of kindness to the cab-driver we called him in. He was not very well clothed — indeed, he rather belonged in that respect to the order of my ragged school in Edinburgh. He was soaking with wet, and we offered him a good rummer of toddy. He would not taste it. ' Why,' we asked, ♦ will you not taste it ? What objection have you ? ' 'Why,' said he, 'please your reverence, I am a teetdtaUr, and I won't taste a drop of it.' Now that was the declaration of the hum- ble, uneducated Eoman Catholic cabman. It went to my Scotland and the JScotch. 343 heart and went to my conscience ; and I said, if that man can deny himself this indulgence, not for his own sake, but for the sake of others, why should not I, a Christian minister ? I felt that I remembered that, and hav.e ever remembered it to the honor of Ireland. I have often told the story, and thought of the example set by that poor Irishman for our people to follow. I carried home the remembrance of it with me to Edinburgh. That circumstance, along with the scenes in which I was called to labor daily for years, made me a teeto- taler. I wish, ladies and gentlemen, that you should under- stand the ground on which I stand. There are two parties engaged in the total abstinence cause. We work to the same end, though we do not exactly embrace the same principles. I wish everything to be aboveboard. I do not agree with my friends of the total abstinence cause, who think that in the use of these stimulants there is anything absolutely sinful. No ; it is on the principle of Christian expediency I am a teetotaler. I don't quarrel with those who, as the Americans say, ' go the whole hog.' I don't see why we should quarrel. We may be on different rails, but the terminus is the same. This is the ground I stand on. I was driven to that ground h.y the feeling that if I were to cultivate what Dr. Chalmers called the outfields, if I were to bless humanity, if I were to win sinners to the Saviour's feet, if I were to bviild up souls from the wrecks of the Cowgate and the Grassmarket of Edin- burgh, I must become a total abstainer. I felt it necessary that these poor people should abstain, otherwise they could never be reformed — that drink was the stone between the living and the dead, and that stone must be rolled away. 344 Samiles through the British Isles. It was the demon that met me at every path." Dr. Guthrie having stated that, according to his experience, the vice of drunkeness prevailed less in the upper than in the middle and lower classes of society, entered into a lengthened and elo- quent explanation of the great service renderedto' Scotland by the operation of Forbes Mackenzie's Act, and concluded his address as follows:"-! am one of the few total abstinence ministers in Edinburgh. I am a total abstainer on principle, and I am bound to say it, that I do as much work upon water as any man on Avine, and far more than many of my brethren do on wine. I have tried wine, and I have tried water. I am far healthier on water than I was on wine. My adage is, and I want that to be the adage of every man — ' "Water, wa- ter everywhere, and not a drop of drink.' Since I became a total abstainer my head is clearer, my health hals been stronger, my heart has been lighter, and my purse has been heavier; and if these are not four good reasons for becoming a total abstainer, I have not a word more to say on behalf of total ab- stience." The Scotch, as a people, are more intelligent than the Eng- lish or the Irish. This is but the result of the common- school system, which had its birth in Scotland as early as the Eeformation. For before that period, when under the Romish yoke, they were as deeply sunk in ignorance as any of the sister kingdoms. In the year 1560 John Knox, assisted by Douglas, Willeck, Spottiswood aad others, drew up the following, which was adopted : " Seeing that God has determined that his kirk here on Scotland and the Scotch. 345 earth sliall be taught, not by angels, but by men ; and seeint^ that men are born ignorant of God and godliness ; and see- ing, also, that he ceases to illuminate men miraculously, of necessity it is, that your honors be most careful for the virtu- ous education, and godly bringing up of the youth of this realm. For, as they must succeed us, so we ought to be care- ful that they have knowledge and erudition to profit and comfort that which ought to be most dear to us, to wit, the kirk and spouse of our Lord Jesus Christ. Of necessity, therefore, we judge it, that every several kirk have one school-master appointed ; such an one at least, as is able to teach grammar and the Latin tongue, if the town be of any reputation. And further, we think it expedient, that in every notable town there should be erected a college, in which the arts, at least of rhetoric and logic, together with the tongues, be read, by sufficient masters, for whom honest stipends must be appointed ; as also that provision be made for those that are poor, and not able, by themselves or their friends, to bo sustained at letters. " The rich and potent may not be permitted to suffer their children to spend their youth in a vain idleness, as heretofore they have done ; but they must be exhorted, and by the cen- sure of the kirk compelled to dedicate their sons by good exercises to the profit of the kirk and commonwealth ; and this they must do, because they are able. The children of the poor must he supported and sustained on the charge of the kirk, trial being taken whether the spirit of docility be in them or not. If they be found apt to learning and letters, they may not be permitted to reject learning, but must be 346 Ramhles through the British Isles. charged to continue their study, so that the commonwealth may have some comfort by them. And for this purpose must discreet, grave, and learned men be appointed to visit schools, for the trial of their exercise, profit, and continuance ; to wit, the ministers and elders, with the best learned men in every town. A certain time must be appointed to reading and the catechism, and a certain time to grammar and the Latin tongue, and a certain time to the arts of philosophy and the other tongues, and a certain time to that study in which they intend chiefly to travel for the profit of the commonwealth, which time having expired, the children should either pro- ceed to farther knowledge, or else they must be set to some handicraft or some other profitable exercise." This is a most remarkable document to be drawn up at so early a date. It was this, more than anything else, which made the Scotch what they are to-day — the most thoughtful and intelligent of British subjects. How could they be otherwise than enlightened, when "every parish had a minister, every village a school, and every family a Bible." Thus the people were raised, reformed, and set free from spiritual bondage. From Scotland's School System, her early catechising of the young in the doctrines of the Church, and the general characteristics of her people I do not for*a moment hesitate to call her the " New England" of the British Isles ! The feamnlry of Scotland still retain many traits of charac- ter essentially Scotch. No people in the world can beat them for coolness and deliberation. An almost incredible story, which well illustrates their tranquillity, is told of a Scotch- Scotland and the Scotch. 347 man's tumbling from one of tbo loftiest houses in tbo old town of Edinburgh. He slipped, it is said, oif thcj roof of a habitation sixteen stories liigh ; and •when midway in his descent through the air, he arrived at a lodger looking out of the window of the eighth floor, to whom (as ho was an old acquaintance) he observed enpassant, " Eh, Sandy, mon ! sic a fa' as I shall ha'e ! " They are not a changealle people, they reach thoir conclu- sions slowly ; but when there, there your will ever find them fixed, settled, immovable. An old Scotchman used to say, " I am open to conviction ; but I'd like to see the man that could convince me." Old Minister Wells, the predecessor of the Rev. Dr. Storrs, of Braintree, Mass., himself a Scotchman, used to say : "It behooveth a Scotchman to be right ; for if he be wrong, he will be forever and eternally wrong." They are strong in their attachment to their own 2}cojjle and country. " Thomson ! ye maun be a Scot, Thomson, I'll warrant," said Wilkie to Henry Thomson, as they sat for the first time 'at an academy dinner. " I'm of that ilk, sir," was his reply ; " my father was a Scotch- man." "Was he really?" exclaimed Wilkie, grasping the other's hand quite brotherly; " and my mother was Irish ! " " Ay, a/; was she really ? " and the hand relaxed its fervor ; " and I was born in England." Wilkie let go Thomson's hand altogether, turned his back on him, and indulged in no fur- ther conversation. It is said that when the 42d regiment of Scottish High- landers were at Buenos Ayres, in British service, one of them had made up his mind to remain in the place on account of the great fertility of the soil, when one of his companions he;ir- 348 RamhJes through the British Ides. ing of it, came with the bagpipes, and without saying any- thing, sat down beside him, and played " Lochaber nae mair," on which he instantly started to his feet, exclaiming : " What ! Lochaber nae mair ! I maun gang back," and back he went to the " Land, of brown heath and shaggy •woods, Land of the mountain and the floods." As a whole the Scotch are singularly cautious in business, reserved in manners and plain in speech. And for these qualities the Scotchman stands as a proverb all the world over. " His Minerva is bom in a panoply. You are never ad- mitted to see his ideas in their growth — if, indeed, they do grow, and are not rather put together upon the principles of clock work. You never catch his mind in an undress. He never hints or suggests anything, but unlades his stock of ideas in perfect order and completeness. He brings his total wealth into company, and gravely unpacks it. His riches are always about him. He never stoops to catch a glittering something in your presence, to share it with you before he quite knows whether it be true to touch or not. You cannot cry halves to anything that he finds ; he does not find, but brings. You never witness his first apprehension of a thing ; his understanding is always at its meridian — you never see the first dawn, the early streaks. He has no faltering of self- suspicion. Surmises, guesses, misgivings, half intu- itions, semi-consiousness, partial illuminations, dim instincts, embryo conceptions, have no place in his brain or vo- cabulary. The twilight of dubiety never falls upon him. Is he orthodox — he has no doubts. Is he infidel — he has none Scotland and the 'Scotch. 349 either. Between the affinuativo and the negative there is no border land with him. You cannot hover with him upon the confines of truth, or wander in the maze of a probablo argu- ment. He always keeps the path ; you cannot make excur- sions with him, for he sets you right. His taste never fluctu- ates, his morality never abates He cannot compromise or understand middle actions : there can be but a right and a wrong. His conversation is as a book ; his affirmations have the sailcity of an oath. You must speak upon the square with him. Above all, you must beware of indii-ect expressions before a Caledonian." Scotland has produced many sons eminent in literature and science which are scarcely surpassed by any other nation. And first on the list might be mentioned her poets, Drummond, Eamsey, Burns, Scott, Campbell and others ; among her his- torians, Buchanan, Burnet, Hume, Eobei^on, Russel and Carlyle ; among her philosophers, Adam Smith, Rcid, Kames, Stewart and Brown ; among licr men of science, Napier, Fer- guson, Gregory, Hugh Miller, Eodorick and others ; among lier writers, Boswell, Smollet, Mackenzie, Blair, Chambers, Cullen, Abemethy, Forbes and Brougham, names familifir to the world at large, being written upon all its movements- names which will live forever ! IPINIONS OF THE The Author of this beautiful volume opens with a diary of his voyage out, which is graphically described, giving the uninitiated in ocean travel a vivid idea of its discomforts. Following this are the results of his observations in Ireland, England and Scotland, describing places of historic interests and peculiarities of the people, interspersed with anecdotes and reflections upon their social, political and religious progress. It is perhaps worthy of remark that although so much has been written concerning Albion, Caledonia, and the Emerald Isle, yet the narrative of each intelligent traveler who has surveyed these interest- ing countries from his own peculiar stand-point of observation, adds to our general stock of information, and intensifies our desire to visit for ourselves the land of our ancestors. As it is only in imagination, however, that by far the greater proportion of us American people can enjoy trans- Atlantic scenes, a well written narrative of travels is the best companion we can have in our imaginative rambles. It enables us, as it were, to make the " grand tour" in the retirement of our own cosy apartments, while at the same time we incur none of the fatigues or dangers which are ei^v incidental to real journeying, whether by sea or by land. IMi-. Harcourt's style of relating the particulars of his travels, is familiar, agreeable, and to the point; and his book is just adapted to ple-.i-antly while away a long winter evening, either to read to one's self or to a circle of appreciative lis:;eners. His sketches of Londonderry, the Giant's Causeway, the Vale of Avoci, Belfast, Dublin, and " Irel mJ and the Irish," are graphic and spirited, interspersed with historic reminiscences, poetical quotations and specimens of Irish humor. The last chapter on Ireland, somewhat philosophical in its character, presents several prominent caiises for Ireland's poverty and degredation ; and no one can read without emotion a history of the wretchedness to which a naturally genial, generous, and witty people are unhappily reduced. The sincere desires of every compassionate heart will be, that the cause of Ireland's enthrallment may be speedily eradicated ; whether that cause be the despotism of a government ; a .burdensome and superstitious relig-ion ; inteniporato liabita, superinduced upon a condition of sheer misery ; or all these reasons combined. In the chapters on the great world of London, embracing its Tower its magnificent "Wren house (St. Paul's Cathedral), Westminster Abbey, the British Museum, Windsor Castle and Sydenham Palace, the author fairly carries us away with him. Wo are almost beguiled into the belief that we are viewing the mementoes of bloody deeds in tlio Tower • that we are standing among England's mighty dead, in her great na- tional mausoleum ; that we are ranging through the superb apartments of the royal residence ; and that in St. Paul's we arc obeying the injunc- tion " circitmspicc," as we ask for the great Sir Christopher's monument. An extended and interesting account is given of the celebrated English preacher, Spurgeon ; his style of preaching, his mode of con- ducting services, his immense tabernacle, and the sublime and imposing spectacle of seven thousand persons listening to the ministrations of one man. There is a chai-ming chapter on the " Haunts of Royalty," giving us descriptions of Buckingham Palace, Lambeth, Whitehall, and Hampton Court. Then we have another chapter scarcely less enter- taining on the " Graves of the Great and Good," and among them particular mention is made of the graves of Wesley, Bunyau, Watts, Newton, Milton, Pope, Thompson, &c., — with several affecting epitaphs. A condensed description of Oxford, with her famous university and nineteen separate colleges, conveys much valuable information in regard to the constitutions of the several colleges, and the relation they sustain to the university. After a chapter on " England and the English," the panoramic scenes are shifted to the country of Sir Walter and Bobbie Bums. Scotland, the land of song and romance, is treated of under a number of separate heads, each one of which whets the appetite for a knowledge of its following contents. Nor docs a careful perusal of the separate chapters disappoint expectation. The author explores Glasgow and Edinburgh with the enthusiasm of a traveler, and presents us with well drawn satisfactory sketches of their main attractions. We get some familiar and distinct impressions of these cities of the Scotch, and shovdd we, years hence, visit them for ourselves, they will seem to us in some degree as places we have seen before, and are now revisiting. Approaching the end of the book, we are regaled with descriptive accounts of three memorable places, tlie mere names of wliich will ever charm all true lovers of history and romance. These places are Holy- rood Palace, Melrose Abbey and Abbotsford. A chapter is devoted to each, and when we have finished reading them, we only regret that the author had not lingered longer among these deeply interesting scenes, and told us a longer story. — From a review in the Newark Advertiser. The sketches are exceedingly well drawn, and will be read with no little interest, even by those who are familiar with the localities and route described. The book abounds in information. The author evi- dently travels with his eyes and ears open. — Christian Advocate. An interesting and agreeable account of a vacation tour, handsomely printed and well illustrated. — The Independent. The observations of the author are fresh and interesting. The work is beautifully printed and handsomely bound. — Home Journal. A book got up in good style, with many fine illustrations. The author graphically describes the manners and customs of the people, and gives sketches of objects of interest. — The Methodist. To an unusually keen observation, Mr. Harcourt adds great facility in communicating the results to others in an agreeable way. We have read it with great interest and cheerfully recommend it to others as a most instructive compend of useful information relating to Great Britain. — Baibj Advertiser. " The book is genial, natural, pure, and altogether interesting." — Central Christian Advocate. " The book is made up of instructive, descriptive and racy sketches of scenery and events in the United Kingdom. It will afford agreeable and profitable entertainment." — Weste,rn Advocate. " The Author traveled over three lands with his eyes open."-^iVor