very few words of English, being sentry on a fort. His orders were to allow no one to pass without giving the countersign. The Fort Major approached him and demanded entrance. Lachlan M'Lachlan knew him; but yet his orders were positive, and Lachlan buid to be catious,' to mak sicker,' so he pretended not to know him. On demanding the countersign, the Fort Major told him that he had forgotten it; but as he must know his person he might let him pass. Lachlan replied in a stern tone, and with a violent grunt at the end of his sentence—an ough, meaning, “there's for you! take your answer! Do you take me for a novice?" (for these Highland expletives are more expressive and significant than the Greek ones.) "I know no-body," laying great stress on the last word. "I am the Fort Major," replied the other, in a tone of expostulation. "Weel," said Lachlan, in a cool and discreet tone, "I dare say, Sir, it will be a vary guid place, but you'll no win in the night without the countersign." Lachlan proved to be right; and was highly commended by the Fort Major himself, the ensuing day. A proof of discretion, even in a person of deranged intellect, occurs in the instance If Lord, who, after having made the tour of Europe, swore that there was not such a soil, a garden, a house, fruit, flowers, or any thing else abroad, as he had on his estate in Scotland. Coming to the article of grapes," you'll surely give them up to France," cried his numerous opponents. He here saw derision in every countenance. Coming to the recover, therefore, he observed in a douce discreet tone of voice, "by no means; but, gentlemen, I premise by telling you that I like them a wee sour:" the whole of the sentence syllabled and quietly drawn out in the urbane tone of gentle and arch persuasion. But, to conclude, nothing can be a greater in stance of the silence, the solemn delibe ration, and reflective property of the Scot, than the answer which another Scotch peer, now no more, made to an account of the ingratitude of a person towards him. The speaker gently touched on the magnitude of the injury: the peer appeared unmoved. Encouraged by the absence of passion and indignation, the former proceeded to state the acts of ingratitude: the peer was silent. He next ventured to detail the personalities: not a muscle of the peer was deranged. His gross abuse of his lordship: still no reply. The injury intended, was lastly, fully detailed: his lordship yet remained wrapt in silence and reflection. The informant now pondered as to what was to be the result of this information:—was the peer's silence that true revenge which collects all its forces ere it proceed to deliberate on punishment? Was it the pause of doubt? Was it a pardon of the offence? Contempt? Stupefaction?-it was none of them, it was wisdom and circumspection. 66 I The Peer, at length, broke silence with a sigh; yet it was a sigh of unsuffering composure; it was more full of pity for the offender, than for the offended. cannot, for the life of me," said he, " think why this man should slander me thus, for I do not recollect ever doing him a service in my life." He made no further observation on the subject; but took his measures against his man. This was, perhaps, better than giving way to passion; yet, though not remarkably irritable, I fear his example would scarcely have been followed, in an instance of similar provocation, by THE HERMIT IN THE COUNTRY. VOL. III. G |