the mere circumstances of such a
visit, how much more, in the present instance, from the character of
the visitor,--a man whose thoughts and feelings, tinted by the warm
hues of imagination, retain in his old age all the strength and
freshness of early youth!

Hogg, when first introduced to Wilkie, expressed his gratification at
finding him so young a man. We experienced a similar feeling on first
seeing the poet Montgomery. He can be no young man, who, looking
backwards across two whole generations, can recount from recollection,
like Nestor of old, some of the occurrences of the third. But there is
a green old age, in which the spirits retain their buoyancy, and the
intellect its original vigour; and the whole appearance of the poet
gives evidence that his evening of life is of this happy and desirable
character. His appearance speaks of antiquity, but not of decay. His
locks have assumed a snowy whiteness, and the lofty and full-arched
coronal region exhibits what a brother poet has well termed the 'clear
bald polish of the honoured head;' but the expression of the
countenance is that of middle life. It is a clear, thin, speaking
countenance: the features are high; the complexion fresh, though not
ruddy; and age has failed to pucker either cheek or forehead with a
single wrinkle. The spectator sees at a glance that all the poet still
survives--that James Montgomery in his sixty-fifth year is all that he
ever was. The forehead, rather compact than large, swells out on
either side towards the region of ideality, and rises high, in a fine
arch, into what, if phrenology speak true, must be regarded as an
amply developed organ of veneration. The figure is quite as little
touched by age as the face. It is well but not strongly made, and of
the middle size; and yet there is a touch of antiquity about it too,
derived, however, rather from the dress than from any peculiarity in
the person itself. To a plain suit of black Mr. Montgomery adds the
voluminous breast ruffles of the last age--exactly such things as, in
Scotland at least, the fathers of the present generation wore on their
wedding-days. These are perhaps but small details; but we notice them
just because we have never yet met with any one who took an interest
in a celebrated name, without trying to picture to himself the
appearance of the individual who bore it.

There are some very pleasing incidents beautifully related in the
address of Mr. Montgomery. It would