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reception which awaited her in Scotland has given a more than ordinary
impulse to every plan by which we might evince our loyalty, and
exhibit ourselves to our sovereign in a point of view not less
favourable than our worthy neighbours across the sea.

At first blush, nothing would seem more easy to accomplish than this.
A very cursory glance at Mr. O'Connell's speeches will convince any
one that a land more favourably endowed by nature, or blessed with a
finer peasantry, never existed: with features of picturesque beauty
dividing the attention of the traveller, with the fertility of the
soil; and, in fact, presenting such a panorama of loveliness, peace,
plenty, and tranquillity, that a very natural doubt might occur to Sir
Robert Peel's mind in recommending this excursion to her majesty,
lest the charms of such an Arcadia should supersede the more homely
attractions of England, and "our ladye the queene" preferring the
lodge in the Phoenix to the ancient towers of Windsor, fix her
residence amongst us, and thus at once repeal the Union.

It were difficult to say if some vision of this kind did not float
across the exalted imagination of the illustrious Daniel, amid that
shower of fortune's favours such a visit would inevitably bring
down--baronetcies, knighthood, deputy-lieutenancies would rain upon
the land, and a general epidemic of feasting and festivity raise every
heart in the island, and nearly break Father Mathew's.

If the Scotch be warm in their attachment, our affections stand at a
white heat; if they be enthusiastic, we can go clean mad; and for that
one bepraised individual who boasted he would never wash the hand
which had the honour to touch that of the queen, we could produce a
round ten thousand whose loyalty, looking both ways, would enable
them, under such circumstances, to claim superiority, as they had
never washed theirs since the hour of their birth.

Notwithstanding all these elements of hospitality, a more mature
consideration of the question would show how very difficult it would
be to compete successfully with the visit to Scotland. Clanship, the
remains of feudalism, and historical associations, whose dark colours
have been brought out into glowing brightness under the magic pencil
of Scott--national costume and national customs--the wild sports of
the wilder regions--all conspired to give a peculiar interest to this
royal progress; and from the lordly Baron of Breadalbane to the kilt