the pair upon the mountains
of Tipperary--John with a beard of three inches, united and
blended with his shaggy black locks, an ellwand-looking cane with
a gilt head in his hand, and a bundle in a handkerchief over his
shoulder, exciting the cupidity of every Irish raparee who passes
him, by his resemblance to a Jew pedlar who has sent forward his
pack--Linton, tired of trailing his long legs, exalted in state
upon an Irish garron, without stirrups, and a halter on its head,
tempting every one to ask--

"Who is that upon the pony,
So long, so lean, so raw, so bony?"[119]

--calculating, as he moves along, the expenses of the salt
horse--and grinning a ghastly smile, when the hollow voice of his
fellow-traveller observes--"God! Adam, if ye gang on at this
rate, the eight shillings and seven-pence halfpenny will never
carry us forward to my uncle's at Lisburn." Enough of a thorough
Irish expedition.

We have a great marriage towards here--Scott of Harden, and a
daughter of Count Bruehl, the famous chess-player, a lady of
sixteen quarters, half-sister to the Wyndhams. I wish they may
come down soon, as we shall have fine racketing, of which I will,
probably, get my share. I think of being in town some time next
month, but whether for good and all, or only for a visit, I
{p.216} am not certain. Oh, for November! Our meeting will be a
little embarrassing one. How will she look, etc., etc., etc., are
the important subjects of my present conjectures--how different
from what they were three weeks ago! I give you leave to laugh
when I tell you seriously, I had begun to "dwindle, peak, and
pine," upon the subject--but now, after the charge I have
received, it were a shame to resemble Pharaoh's lean kine. If
good living and plenty of exercise can avert that calamity, I am
in little danger of disobedience, and so, to conclude
classically,

Dicite Io poean, et Io bis dicite poean!--
Jubeo te bene valere,

GUALTERUS SCOTT.

[Footnote 118: _Crab_ was the nickname of a friend who had
accompanied Ferguson this summer on an Irish tour. Dr. Black,
celebrated for his discoveries in chemistry, was Adam
Ferguson's uncle; and had, it seems, given the youn