note when the dish goes round, but
in such a manner, that it may not be jealoused from whose hand it comes.

Since my last letter, we have been very thrang in the way of seeing the
curiosities of London; but I must go on regular, and tell you all, which,
I think, it is my duty to do, that you may let my people know. First,
then, we have been at Windsor Castle, to see the king lying in state,
and, afterwards, his interment; and sorry am I to say, it was not a sight
that could satisfy any godly mind on such an occasion. We went in a
coach of our own, by ourselves, and found the town of Windsor like a
cried fair. We were then directed to the Castle gate, where a terrible
crowd was gathered together; and we had not been long in that crowd, till
a pocket-picker, as I thought, cutted off the tail of my coat, with my
pocket-book in my pocket, which I never missed at the time. But it seems
the coat tail was found, and a policeman got it, and held it up on the
end of his stick, and cried, whose pocket is this? showing the book that
was therein in his hand. I was confounded to see my pocket-book there,
and could scarcely believe my own eyes; but Mrs. Pringle knew it at the
first glance, and said, "It's my gudeman's"; at the which, there was a
great shout of derision among the multitude, and we would baith have then
been glad to disown the pocket-book, but it was returned to us, I may
almost say, against our will; but the scorners, when they saw our
confusion, behaved with great civility towards us, so that we got into
the Castle-yard with no other damage than the loss of the flap of my coat
tail.

Being in the Castle-yard, we followed the crowd into another gate, and up
a stair, and saw the king lying in state, which was a very dismal
sight--and I thought of Solomon in all his glory, when I saw the coffin,
and the mutes, and the mourners; and reflecting on the long infirmity of
mind of the good old king, I said to myself, in the words of the book of
Job, 'Doth not their excellency which is in them go away? they die even
without wisdom!'

When we had seen the sight, we came out of the Castle, and went to an inn
to get a chack of dinner; but there was such a crowd, that no
resting-place could for a time be found for us. Gentle and semple were
there, all mingled, and no respect of persons; only there was, at a table
nigh unto ours, a fat Glasgow manufacturer, who ordered a bottle of
champaign wine, and did all he could in t