THE GOSSIP

A Literary, Domestic, and Useful Publication,

Since my earliest recollections, I have been addicted to visit the scenes where had been exhibited the exploits of chivalry and romance, as well as all those celebrated as the haunts of the beautiful and unfortunate Queen of Scots. It was thus that we selected the present as the object of our present journey.

We now stood upon the highest pinnacle of these romantic cliffs where one voluntary pace, or an intentional push would hurry us to the regions of death. We were nearly four hundred feet above the base of the ascent, and beneath us lay a bird's eye view of the ' romantic town'- the sun was just peering above the horizon, and the morning star was melting in its blaze-the ocean, above whose bed the splendid luminary was rising, seemed like liquid gold, and the purple drapery that was drawn aside to announce his approach, was, by the magic of his beams, first fringed, then converted into the same rich colour -the distant sail was looming on the sight, and all nature seemed animated with brilliance, majesty, and lovliness. Things more minute now attracted the attention-the bark of the shepherd's dog--the bleating of his tender flock, and the lowing of the cattle near the spring of pure water in the valley, at once placed us in the midst of rural life. Here our line of demarcation afforded two distinct scenes. On the city side the streets appeared beneath the eye like a map, and its inhabitants, diminished by distance, to the size of tiny beings, were here and there stepping abroad to the call of early labour, or to breathe the morning air-the blue smoke curled in many a line of beauty from the chimneys and added a degree of animation to the scene. The grey turrets of the old castle, which raises its gothic head at the head of the town, at an elevation, nearly equal to where we stood, were tinted with the sun's rays, and shortly the whole city reflected his proud light. It was like fairy-land-diminutive by distance, yet majestic and romantic. This, like the Acropolis of ancient Athens, whose situation it resembles, is only accessible on one side. From the castle is one continuous, irregular line of street, (the houses on each side of which are remarkably high) down to the Palace of Holyrood, celebrated as a residence of the Stuarts, as well as that of Mary, and the assassination of Rizzio. Beyond this line of street is the Calton Hill, on the top of which is an observatory, which, at the period I am describing possessed an excellent telescope, constructed by the scientific Dr. Short. Not far distant from this, and on the brow of its western cliff, is the burying ground, where stands the monument of Hume the historian, a plain, substantial, circular building, like his own immortal works, calculated to last for ages. To the north-westward of this is the New Town, then recently commenced, which bids fair to surpass

*

* A gentleman sauntering through the ground, at the time this monument was building, accosted one of the workman respecting the edifice, and remarked that its substantiality would prevent its tenant getting out at the day of judgment. "Ou," replied the provident Scot, " we'll tak' care o' that, by putting the key beneath the door!"

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for taste and regularity, any other city in the world. The scenery from this, northward to the borders of the river forth, and stretching several miles westerly, consisted of a variegated plain of fields, and woods, and lawns, and running streams, and comfortable villas, spotting the landscape, till the smooth blue hills in the distance terminate the plain. The river Forth, a noble sheet of water, two miles distant, and about seven miles broad, at Leith, its shores suddenly widening to the great deep, here disembogues its flood into the German Ocean. The islets on its bosom shone like amethysts in gold, and the distant bank of the river (the ancient Kingdom of Fife,) fresh with night dew, displayed a harmony and profusion of colours like the beauties attendant on a bride at a country wedding. Here and there a sail was to be seen passing, and in the road-stead, about midway between the shores, lay several men-of-war, belonging to the North Sea squadron. The scene was altogether enchanting. We now proceeded on our journey, along that road, celebrated for the march of the Highlanders who clung to the standard of Charles Stuart in 1745, between Duddingstone Loch and the southern base of Arthur's Seat, and here we could easily discern the dusky turrets of Crag Milior. In half an hour we reached its gothic portal arch, over the architrave of which is carved in antique characters

Crag. Milior.1310.

and after this first arrest from the voice of antiquity we crossed the flagged yard, (where the rank grass and tall nettle waved,) and ascended into the royal hall, where still remained the heraldic vestiges of coats of arms, under a line of trusses that had formerly supported a corridor that run round this magnificent hall. Among the half obliterated names of Scottish nobility we could still trace those of

Mortoun; Lindsaye; - Aintoun;

and other chiefs whose titles are with themselves extinct. Cold was the widely-extended chimney, whose blaze had often spread a genial glow through the festal hall, where mirth and music rose in harmonious strains. Time, that unrelenting enemy to man, that moulders into dust the stately pile, and laughs at the durability of human art, had too certainly been here, to complete the handiwork of his colleague death. Here where the dazzling lamps had spread their brilliant light on bevies of fair nymphs and gallants gay, -here, where the minstrel's harp resounded to strains of love and of valour-here, where the high-wrought dreams of chivalry had been performed by heroes that had three times' conquered all their foes;' and here where royalty was wont to act a part in the festive scene, was now the haunt of the bat and the swallow, and but that the echoes of its empty walls were occasionally awoke by such renegado visitors as ourselves, "Silence profound lay dormant and unseen."

We now ascended, through a broad stair-case, to the battlements, which swept round the main body of the building, and here we might have conceived we heard

"The horses tramp, and tingling clank,

Where chief's reviewed their vassal rank."

Such scenes invariably awakened martial feelings in my bosom; and I well remember the first time I felt that fervour, which even now, either when reading of or reflecting on, those days of youthful romance, excites those spirit-rousing emotions. Descending from the battlements on high,' we next visited the lower apartments, and after a long search for the interior entrance to the 'donjon keep,' the outer one being blocked up by masses of fallen ruin, we discovered a slab of freestone and the remains of a rusty ring bolt, which indicated something of the kind. All our strength and skill were held in requisition. We removed it after a great effort, and the imaginary horrors of these nether regions will never be effaced from my mind; ghosts, skeletons, hobgoblins, devils, serpents, snakes, and all the machinery of pandemonium were at once, as if it were, to burst out upon us. We were glad to retreat after leaving them well secured, by the replacing of the stone. Now that we had diverted ourselves from the events that were hanging over our heads, touching the affairs of Gabriel Birch, by antiquarian research and rural abstraction, when the sober shades of evening approached our intoxica

tion of enjoyment began to subside. We held a consultation what policy should be adopted to counteract the machinations of the glorious Gabriel, when Plumtree, who had a large portion of mother wit, proposed submitting our case to Mr. Playfair, a most intimate friend of our lamented tutor-to tell him all the truth, and nothing else. This was acquiesced in generally, and we bent our way homeward. The tints of the evening sun, now far in the west, began to fall slanting on the dusky ruin-the flight of crows were hastening to their retreats the lark was descending to his repose from his ramble to heaven's gate'-the cattle were lowin' in the loan-the shepherd and his flock with ' drowsy tinklings' were approaching the distant fold, and all else was silence and solitude, which we were now leaving for the busy haunts, and tortuous paths of self-tormenting man, on which we shall descant in our next.

Biography.

ECCENTRIC CHARACTER.

It is a trite observation, that the propensity to play is frequently but a modification of the passion of avarice. The character of Weare, murdered by his accomplice Thurtell, furnishes a fresh confirmation of this opinion. It is not, perhaps, generally known that Elwes, the renowned miser in his day, was no less distinguished as a gambler. In the last number of the Retrospective Review, there is an extremely interesting sketch of the life of this worthy worshipper of Mammon, from which we glean the following anecdotes:

After sitting up a whole night to play for thousands, with the most fashionable and profligate men of the time, amidst splendid rooms, gilt sofas, waxlights, and waiters attendant on his call, he would walk about four in the morning, not towards home, but into Smithfield! to meet his own cattle, which were coming from Thaydon-hall, a farm of his in Essex. There would this same man, forgetful of the scenes he had just left, stand in the cold or rain, bartering with a carcase-butcher for a shilling! Sometimes when the castle did not arrive at the hour ex