was authoritatively denoted. That academical honours, or any others should be conferred with exact proportion to merit, is more than human judgment or human integrity have given reafon to expect. Perhaps degrees in univerfities cannot be better adjusted by any general rule than by the length of time paffed in the public profeffion of learning. An English or Irish doctorate cannot be obtained by a very young man, and it is reasonable to fuppofe, what is likewife by experience commonly found true, that he who is by age qualified to be a doctor, has in fo much time gained learning fufficient not to difgrace the title, or wit fufficient. not to defire it. The Scotch univerfities hold both one term or feffion in the year. That of St. Andrews continues eight months, that of Aberdeen only five, from the first of November to the first of April. In Aberdeen there is an English chapel, in which the congregation was numerous and fplendid. The form of public worfhip ufed by the church of England is in Scotland legally practifed in licenfed chapels ferved by clergymen of English or Irish ordination, and by tacit connivance quietly permitted in feparate congregations fupplied with minifters by the fucceffors of the bishops who were deprived at the Revolution. We came to Aberdeen on Saturday August 21. On Monday we were invited into the town-hall, where I had the freedom of the city given me by the Lord Provost. The honour conferred had all the decorations that politenefs could add, and what I am afraid I fhould not have had to fay of any city fouth of the Tweed, I found no petty officer bowing for a fee. The The parchment containing the record of admiffion is, with the feal appending, faftened to a riband and worn for one day by the new citizen in his hat. By a lady who faw us at the chapel, the Earl of Errol was informed of our arrival, and we had the honour of an invitation to his feat, called Slanes Caftle, as I am told improperly, from the caftle of that name, which once stood at a place not far distant.. The road beyond Aberdeen grew moreftony, and continued equally naked of all vegetable decoration. We travelled over a tract of ground near the sea, which, not long ago, fuffered a very uncommon, and unexpected calamity. The fand of the fhore was raised by a tempeft in fuch quan-tities, and carried to fuch a distance, that an eftate was overwhelmed and loft. Such and fo hopeless was the barrennefs fuperin duced, that the owner, when he was re quired: 1 ruined to pay the ufual tax, defired rather to refign the ground. SLANES CASTLE. THE We came in the afternoon to Slanes Caftle, built upon the margin of the fea, fo that the walls of one of the towers feem only a continuation of a perpendicular rock, the foot of which is beaten by the waves. To walk round the houfe feemed impracticable. From the windows the eye wanders over the fea that feparates Scotland from Norway, and when the winds beat with violence must enjoy all the terrifick grandeur of the tempeftuous ocean. I would not for my amufement with for a ftorm; but as ftorms, whether wished or not, will fometimes happen, I may fay,. without violation of humanity, that I fhould willingly look out upon them from. Slanes Caftle. When When we were about to take our leave, our departure was prohibited by the countefs till we should have feen two places upon the coaft, which fhe rightly confidered as worthy of curiofity, Dun Buy, and the Buller of Buchan, to which Mr. Boyd very kindly conducted us. Dun Buy, which in Erfe is faid to fignify the Yellow Rock, is a double protuberance of stone, open to the main fea on one fide, and parted from the land by a very narrow channel on the other. It has its name and its colour from the dung of innumerable fea-fowls, which in the Spring chufe this place as convenient for incubation, and have their eggs and their young taken in great abundance. One of the birds that frequent this rock has, as we were told, its body not larger than a duck's, and yet lays eggs as large as thofe of a goofe. This bird is by the inha bitants |