doubt not, it is his dearest thought that he may come and end his days
upon the banks of Teviot, or some other of the Lowland streams--for he
is, like Mr. Scott, passionately attached to the district of the Borders.

Arrived at Hawick to dinner; the inn is a large old house with walls
above a yard thick, formerly a gentleman's house. Did not go out this
evening.

* * * * *

_Friday_, _September_ 23_d_.--Before breakfast, walked with Mr. Scott
along a high road for about two miles, up a bare hill. Hawick is a small
town. From the top of the hill we had an extensive view over the moors
of Liddisdale, and saw the Cheviot Hills. We wished we could have gone
with Mr. Scott into some of the remote dales of this country, where in
almost every house he can find a home and a hearty welcome. But after
breakfast we were obliged to part with him, which we did with great
regret: he would gladly have gone with us to Langholm, eighteen miles
further. Our way was through the vale of Teviot, near the banks of the
river.

Passed Branxholm Hall, one of the mansions belonging to the Duke of
Buccleuch, which we looked at with particular interest for the sake of
the Lay of the Last Minstrel. Only a very small part of the original
building remains: it is a large strong house, old, but not ancient in its
appearance--stands very near the river-side; the banks covered with
plantations.

A little further on, met the Edinburgh coach with several passengers, the
only stage-coach that had passed us in Scotland. Coleridge had come home
by that conveyance only a few days before. The quantity of arable land
gradually diminishes, and the plantations become fewer, till at last the
river flows open to the sun, mostly through unfenced and untilled
grounds, a soft pastoral district, both the hills and the valley being
scattered over with sheep: here and there was a single farm-house, or
cluster of houses, and near them a portion of land covered with ripe
corn.

Near the head of the vale of Teviot, where that stream is but a small
rivulet, we descended towards another valley, by another small rivulet.
Hereabouts Mr. Scott had directed us to look about for some old stumps of
trees, said to be the place where Johnny Armstrong was hanged; but we
could not find them out. The valley into which we were descending,
though, for aught I know, it is unnamed in song, was to us more
interesting than the Teviot itself. N