the blood of the noble, generous, and enlightened James I. runs in his veins; his Scotch ancestors shine with all the lustre which virtue and genius can confer. He is, moreover, our kinsman. As well as our Douglasses, our Stuarts, our Hamiltons, and our Bruces, all our high nobility are his admitted relatives; it is not too much to say, that there is scarcely a gentleman among the ancient families in Scotland, who cannot in one way or another, call himself the relative of the royal house, whence our sovereign has issued. Nay, in this inconsiderable kingdom, the blood of our families has been so often blended, that it cannot be doubted that the majority of our yeomen possess similar titles. In a word, we are the clan, and our King is the chief." Το Sir Walter Scott here chimes in with a favourite idea of George IV., who wishes, by all means, to give pre-eminence to his claim of relationship with the Stuarts; and that more especially, since the decease of Cardinal de York. this somewhat unconstitutional sentiment, perhaps, must be ascribed the pensions so readily granted to the relics of the exiled family. A story is even related, of a singular concession made by George III. to an obstinate partizan of the legitimacy of the Stuarts. His Majesty (it is Mr. Hogg from whom the narrative is derived,) heard talk of a rich gentleman in Perthshire, who not only had refused to take the oath of allegiance, but moreover, would not permit any one to name George III. as King in his presence. "Give my compliments to him," said the King, "but no, stay; perhaps he will not receive my compliments as King of England: say the compliments of the Elector of Hanover, and add, that I respect the constancy and firmness of his principles." Referring to this anecdote, the Edinburgh Review hastens to remark, that it is the fabrication of some mystifier, who has abused the jacobite credulity of the Ettric Shepherd. It is certain, that it is almost an insult towards the children of those who allowed themselves to be slaughtered at Culloden, in order to defend the House of Brunswick against the constancy and firmness of such jacobites as him, to whom the compliments of George III. were conveyed. Sir W. Scott." The sight of a King is a novelty to the Scotch people. The sceptre, the crown, and the sword of Bruce, preserved in deposit at the castle, will no longer appear the vain emblems of an extinguished monarchy. The entry of George IV. into Edinburgh, will be a sort of accession to the Scotch throne. The two first princes of the House of Hanover, could scarcely do otherwise than consider our country as a malcontent province. George III. gave early demonstration of emancipation from the natural prejudices of his family; but he never came to make his peace with us. It was reserved for his son to put the last seal to the act of union." Lady Scott." I yesterday saw Lady who was quite taken up with preparations for her presentation." Sir W. Scott.-"She must rehearse." "It is no trifling affair then ?" Lady Scott." Ladies are not received into the King's circle, but in dresses with long trains, four yards long." "That must really be a very embarrassing affair." Sir W. Scott." The gentleman in waiting supports it till the lady approaches his Majesty. The lady then pays her respects by a low curtsey. The king raises her and salutes her on the cheek."* "Is that indispensable ?" Sir W. Scott." Indispensable. That done, the lady retires, without ceasing to turn her face towards the monarch, till she is out of the circle. The difficulty of retiring backwards without assistance, is very great for such as are not accustomed to it. The ladies must exercise themselves in managing their trains with skill and dignity, in order to be able to retire without turning their backs. It will be a sad affair for the young lady who should be so unfortunate to commit a faux pas on such an occasion. It was a more easy operation when the ladies wore hoops; but now there is nothing to support the robe." • The word salute here, means kiss. Squire Thornhill, in the Vicar of Wakefield, does not forget to salute Olivia and Sophia in this manner on their first interview. It is curious that the traditional custom of this system of saluting has been reserved, for the benefit of squires, among a people where the men accost each other and part with a simple shake of the hand; which, indeed, is preferable to the French mode of embracing. I forget the name of the comedy, performed at the Rue Richelieu, or the Odeon, in which two Englishmen meet, and cordially embrace; the author or the actors have committed in this incident a falsification of English manners.-French Edition. Sir W. Scott being one of the masters of the ceremonies for the occasion, has taken the trouble of publishing these instructions more in detail. The world will smile, like me, at seeing a fine genius, like his, occupied with these minutia: a great man risques nothing by being painted in his slippers and morning gown. But I should think myself indiscreet, if I had not all Edinburgh for a witness of that which I here relate, and of that which I shall have to relate, on the subject of the part played by the author of Ivanhoe, during the visit of George IV. The journals, the inflexible journals, have said more about it than me; and I consider myself happy in recording such of the expressions of Sir W. Scott as raise his dignity, and somewhat excuse the anecdote of the wine glass. * Sir W. Scott has assembled at his table many chiefs of clans, dressed in their national costume. The circumstance has not been forgotten; no more than the independence and haughtiness of old Caledonia. Certainly it was another affair from that of George IV. and his buffoon, Sir W. Curtis, both metamorphosed into Highlanders, when after the bottle had freely circulated, these children of Scotch worthies, crossing their arms so as to grasp each other's hands, and with their elbows on the table, sung in enthusiastic chorus, Burns's ode, "Scots wha hae wi' Wallace bled." It has been a cause of wonder, that the poet on See farther on. this occasion, did not produce some song worthy of his reputation. His new words to the old air of "Carle now the King's come," is not equal to his reputation. It is in the original in Burns's dialect. But Burns sung the Stuart cause with more dignity. Sir Walter's patois song, however, has some animation in it. It cannot be denied, that the personification of the valleys and towns of Scotland, as Haddington, Lothian, Tweedale, and the appeal to historical names, imbue it with some local colour and interest. But better things were expected. I, in my turn, am about to profit by the opportunity, in order to insert some poor verses of my own, composed while sauntering along the banks of the Esk, on my return from Melrose. Stances composées le 9 août 1822, et addressées a Sir Walter Scott. Nobles enfans de la Calédonie, Un étranger, ému de vos transports, Pour célébrer les attraits de vos bords. Unie à nos drapeaux la bannière écossaise Jadis plus d'une fois a guidé nos soldats; De maint fils de vos preux fameux dans les combats Que j'aime à me placer sur le trône d'Arthur |