the variety there
was in Edward's character; how accomplished he was; what
knowledge he had on many subjects; his fine taste, his
gentleness and Christian piety; and then his strong sense of
humour and fun; how amusing he was, and such droll things
broke out every now and then! even to the very last so genial
and social, and altogether such a man that we "ne'er shall
look upon his like again."--Yours very sincerely, LAUDERDALE
BURNETT.
REMINISCENCES.
PREFACE
TO
TWENTY-SECOND EDITION.
In preparing another duodecimo edition of the "Reminiscences of Scottish
Life and Character," I gladly avail myself of the opportunity afforded
me of reproducing some of the materials which had been added to the
octavo edition, especially that part at page 322, etc., which advocated
a modified interchange of pulpits between Episcopalian and Presbyterian
clergymen; to add also some excellent Scottish stories which had been
sent to me by kind friends. I am desirous also of repeating the
correction of an error into which we had fallen in copying the account
of a toast in the Highland form, which had been kindly contributed by
the respected minister of Moulin, in the octavo edition at page 70. To
Lowland conceptions, the whole proceeding has somewhat the appearance of
a respectable company at once becoming insane; still it ought to be
correct, and the printer had, by mistake, inserted a word that has no
existence in the Gaelic language. The text reads--
"Lud ris! Lud ris! You again! you again!"
It should be
Sud ris! Sud ris! Yon again! yon again!
that is--"you cheer again."
The demand for a twenty-second edition of a volume of "Scottish
Reminiscences" embracing subjects which are necessarily of a limited and
local character--a demand which has taken place during the course of
little more than fifteen years since its first publication--proves, I
think, the correctness of the idea upon which it was first
undertaken--viz. that it should depict a phase of national manners which
was fast passing away, and thus, in however humble a department,
contribute something to the materials of history, by exhibiting social
customs and habits of thought which at a particular era were
characteristic of a race. It may perhaps be very fairly said that the
Reminiscences came out at a time specially suitable to rescue these
features of national life and character from oblivion. They
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