lass, and bring her to Highgate for you to
look at."

In August 1825, Sir Walter Scott visited Llangollen, and the account of
his interview with the famed "ladies of the vale," is given with much
humour and smartness by Mr. Lockhart, in his interesting Memoirs of the
immortal "Author of Waverley."--

"Our progress through North Wales produced nothing worth recording,
except perhaps the feeling of delight which everything in the aspect
of the common people, their dress, their houses, their gardens, and
their husbandry, could not fail to call up in persons who had just
been seeing Ireland for the first time; and a short visit (which was,
indeed, the only one he made) to the far-famed "ladies" of
Llangollen. They had received some hint that Sir Walter meant to
pass their way; and on stopping at the inn, he received an invitation
so pressing, to add one more to the long list of the illustrious
visitors of their retreat, that it was impossible for him not to
comply. We had read histories and descriptions enough of these
romantic spinsters, and were prepared to be well amused; but the
reality surpassed all expectation.

"An extract from a gossiping letter of the following week will
perhaps be sufficient for Llangollen.

"'Elleray, August 24.

* * * "'We slept on Wednesday evening at Capel Curig, which Sir W.
supposes to mean the Chapel of the Crags; a pretty little inn in a
most picturesque situation certainly, and as to the matter of toasted
cheese, quite exquisite. Next day we advanced through, I verily
believe, the most perfect gem of a country eye ever saw, having
almost all the wildness of Highland backgrounds, and all the
loveliness of rich English landscape nearer us, and streams like the
purest and most babbling of our own. At Llangollen your papa was
waylaid by the celebrated 'Ladies'--viz. Lady Eleanor Butler and the
Honourable Miss Ponsonby, who having been one or both crossed in
love, forswore all dreams of matrimony in the heyday of youth,
beauty, and fashion, and selected this charming spot for the repose
of their now time-honoured virginity. It was many a day, however,
before they could get implicit credit for being the innocent friends
they really were, among the people of the neighbourhood; for their
elopement from Irelan