upper view, and, with an ornamental
garden, I think it may be made the prettiest place in Scotland.

_January_ 19.--Posted to Edinburgh with John Lockhart. We stopped at
Allanton to see a tree transplanted, which was performed with great
ease. Sir Henry is a sad coxcomb, and lifted beyond the solid earth by
the effect of his book's success. But the book well deserves it.[240] He
is in practice particularly anxious to keep the roots of the tree near
the surface, and only covers them with about a foot of earth.

_Note_.--Lime rubbish dug in among the roots of ivy encourages it much.

The operation delayed us three hours, so it was seven o'clock before we
reached our dinner and a good fire in Shandwick Place, and we were
wellnigh frozen to death. During this excursion I walked very ill--with
more pain, in fact, than I ever remember to have felt--and, even leaning
on John Lockhart, could hardly get on. _Baad that, vara baad_--it might
be the severe weather though, and the numbing effect of the sitting in
the carriage. Be it what it will, I can't help myself.

_January_ 20.--I had little to do at the Court, and returned home soon.
Honest old Mr. Ferrier is dead, at extreme old age. I confess I should
not wish to live so long. He was a man with strong passions and strong
prejudices, but with generous and manly sentiments at the same time. We
used to call him Uncle Adam, after that character in his gifted
daughter's novel of the _Heiress_ [Inheritance]. I wrote a long letter
after I came home to my Lord Elgin about Greenshields, the
sculptor.[241] I am afraid he is going into the burlesque line, to
which sculpture is peculiarly ill adapted. So I have expressed my veto
to his patron, _valeat quantum_. Also a letter to Mrs. Professor
Sandford at Glasgow about reprinting Macaulay's _History of St.
Kilda_,[242] advising them to insert the history of Lady Grange who was
kidnapped and banished thither.

I corrected my proofs, moreover, and prepared to dine. After dinner we
go to Euphemia Erskine's marriage. Mr. Dallas came in and presented me
with an old pedigree of the M'Intoshes. The wedding took place with the
usual April weather of smiles and tears. The bridegroom's name is
Dawson. As he, as well as the bride, is very tall, they have every
chance of bringing up a family of giants. The bridegroom has an
excellent character. He is only a captain, but economy does wonders in
the army, where there are many facilities for practi