e them. It makes me quite sorrowful to think of
them. . . . Yesterday, sir, the lord provost, council, and magistrates
voted me by acclamation the freedom of the city, in testimony (I quote
the letter just received from 'James Forrest, lord provost') 'of the
sense entertained by them of your distinguished abilities as an author.'
I acknowledged this morning in appropriate terms the honor they had
done me, and through me the pursuit to which I was devoted. It _is_
handsome, is it not?"

The parchment scroll of the city-freedom, recording the grounds on which
it was voted, hung framed in his study to the last, and was one of his
valued possessions. Answering some question of mine, he told me further
as to the speakers, and gave some amusing glimpses of the party-spirit
which still at that time ran high in the capital of the north.

"The men who spoke at the dinner were all the most rising men here, and
chiefly at the Bar. They were all, alternately, Whigs and Tories; with
some few Radicals, such as Gordon, who gave the memory of Burns. He is
Wilson's son-in-law and the lord-advocate's nephew--a very masterly
speaker indeed, who ought to become a distinguished man. Neaves, who
gave the other poets, a _little_ too lawyer-like for my taste, is a
great gun in the courts. Mr. Primrose is Lord Rosebery's son. Adam
Black, the publisher as you know. Dr. Alison, a very popular friend of
the poor. Robertson you know. Allan you know. Colquhoun is an advocate.
All these men were selected for the toasts as being crack speakers,
known men, and opposed to each other very strongly in politics. For this
reason, the professors and so forth who sat upon the platform about me
made no speeches and had none assigned them. I felt it was very
remarkable to see such a number of gray-headed men gathered about my
brown flowing locks; and it struck most of those who were present very
forcibly. The judges, solicitor-general, lord-advocate, and so forth,
were all here to call, the day after our arrival. The judges never go
to public dinners in Scotland. Lord Meadowbank alone broke through the
custom, and none of his successors have imitated him. It will give you a
good notion of _party_ to hear that the solicitor-general and
lord-advocate refused to go, though they had previously engaged,
_unless_ the croupier or the chairman were a Whig. Both (Wilson and
Robertson) were Tories, simply because, Jeffrey excepted, no Whig could
be found who was adapted