Thefe diminutive observations feem to take away fomething from the dignity of writing, and therefore are never communicated but with hesitation, and a little fear of abafement and contempt. But it must be remembered, that life confifts not of a feries of illuftrious actions, or elegant enjoyments; the greater part of our time paffes in compliance. with neceffities, in the performance of daily duties, in the removal of fmall inconveniences, in the procurement of petty pleasures; and we are well or ill at eafe, as the main ftream of life glides on finoothly, or is ruffled by finall obftacles and frequent interruption. The true state of every mation is the ftate of common life. The manners of a people are not to be found in the fchools of learning, or the palaces of greatnefs, where the national character is obfcured or obliterated by travel or inftruction, by philofophy or vanity; nor is public happiness to be eftimated by the affemblies of the gay, or the banquets of the rich. The great ma's of nations is neither rich nor gay: they whofe aggregate conftitutes the people, are found in the ftreets, and the villages, in the fhops and farms; and from them collectively confidered, muft the meafure of general profperity be taken. As they approach to delicacy a nation is refined, as their conveniences are multiplied, a nation, at least a commercial nation, must be denominated wealthy.

ELGIN.

This was the

Finding nothing to detain us at Bamff, we fet out in the morning, and having breakfafted at Cullen, about noon came to Elgin, where in the inn, that we fuppofed the beft, a dinner was fet before us, which we could not eat. first time, and, except one, the laft, that I found any reafon to complain of a Scottish table; and fuch difappointments, I fuppofe, must be expected in every country, where there is no great frequency of travellers.

The ruins of the cathedral of Elgin afforded us another proof of the waste of reformation. There is enough yet remaining to fhew, that it was once magnificent. Its whole plot is cafily traced. On the north fide of the choir, the chapter-house, which is roofed with an arch of flone, remains entire; and on the fouth fide, another mafs of building, which we could not enter, is preferved by the care of the family of Gordon; but the body of the church is a mafs of fragments.

A paper was here put into our hands, which deduced from fufficient authorities the hiftory of this venerable ruin. The church of Elgin had, in the inteftine tumults of the barbarous ages, been laid wafte by the irruption of a highland chief, whom the bishop had offended; but it was gradually re

ftored

be

ftored to the state, of which the traces may now difcerned, and was at last not destroyed by the tumultuous violence of Knox, but more fhamefully fuffered to dilapidate by deliberate robbery and frigid indifference. There is ftill extant, in the books of the council, an order, of which I cannot remember the date, but which was doubtlefs iffued after the Reformation, directing that the lead, which covers the two cathedrals of Elgin and Aberdeen, fhall be taken away, and converted in-to money for the fupport of the army.. A Scotcharmy was in thofe times very cheaply kept; yet the lead of two churches must have borne fo fmall. a proportion to any military expence, that it is hard not to believe the reafon alledged to be merely popular, and the money intended for fome private purfe. The order however was obeyed; the two churches were ftripped, and the lead was fhipped to be fold in Holland. I hope every reader will rejoice that this cargo of facrilege was loft at fea..

Let us not however make too much hafte to def-pife our neighbours. Our own cathedrals are mouldering by unregarded dilapidation. It feems to be part of the despicable philosophy of the time to > defpife monuments of facred magnificence, and we are in danger of doing that deliberately, which the: Scotch did not do but in the unfettled ftate of an imperfect confitution.

Thofe who had once uncovered the cathedrals never wished to cover them again; and being thus made ufelefs, they were firft neglected, and perhaps, as the ftone was wanted, afterwards demolifhed.

Elgin feems a place of little trade, and thinly inhabited. The epifcopal cities of Scotland, I believe, generally fell with their churches, though fome of them have fince recovered by a fituation convenient for commerce. Thus Glafgow, thoughit has no longer an archbishop, has rifen beyond its original state by the opulence of its traders; and Aberdeen, though its ancient ftock had decayed, flourishes by a new fhoot in another place.

In the chief ftreet of Elgin, the houses jut over the lowest story, like the old buildings of timber in London, but with great prominence; fo that there is fometimes a walk for a confiderable length: under a cloifter, or portico, which is now indeedfrequently broken, because the new houfes have another form, but feems to have been uniformly continued in the old city.

FORES.

CALDER. FORT GEORGE.

We went forwards the fame day to Fores, the town to which Macbeth was travelling, when he met the weird fifters in his way. This to an Englishman is claffic ground. Our imaginations.

were

were heated, and our thoughts recalled to their old amufements.

We had now a prelude to the Highlands. We began to leave fertility and culture behind us, and faw for a great length of road nothing but heath; yet at Fochabers, a feat belonging to the Duke of Gordon, there is an orchard, which in Scotland I had never feen before, with fome timber trees, and. a plantation of oaks..

At Fores we found good accommodation, but: nothing worthy of particular remark, and next morning entered upon the road, on which Macbeth heard the fatal prediction ; but we travelled on, not interrupted by promifes of kingdoms, and came to Nairn, a royal burgh, which, if once itflourished, is now in a state of miserable decay; but I know not whether its chief annual magistrate has not ftill the title of Lord Provoft.

At Nairn we may fix the verge of the Highlands; for here I first faw peat fires, and first heard: the Erfe language. We had no motive to stay longer than to breakfast, and went forward to the houfe of Mr Macaulay, the minifter who published an account of St Kilda, and by his direction vifited Calder Castle, from which Macbeth drew his fecond title. It has been formerly a place of ftrength. The draw-bridge is ftill to be feen, but the moat is now dry. The tower is very ancient; Its walls are of great thickness, arched on the top with ftone, and furrounded with battlements.

The