The Sun.
London, England, 1868-01-10 00:00:00

laolcgroundimaginable. Albert said he felt sure that
Acropolis could not be finer : and I hear they s.ometimes
call Edinburgh `the modern Athens."
To this there is a painful contrast. Her Majesty
revisitedaaymouth—under what different circumstances!
In a note dated in 1866 her Majesty says :
"I revisited Taymouthlast autumn, on the 3rd October,
from Dunkeld (incognito), with Louise, the Dowiger
Duchess of Athole, and Miss MacGregor.
"We got -out and looked from this height down upon
the licilse below, the mist liaving cleared away sufficiently
to shew us everything.; and then, unknown, quite in pri-
vate, I gazed—not without deep emotion—on the scene of
(flir reception, 24 years ago, by dear Lord 'Breadal-
bane, in a princely style, not to be equalled in grandeur
and Poetic effect.

"'Albert and I were then only 23, young and happy.
liolv many are gone that were with us then !
"I was very thankful to have seen it again.
It seemed unaltered-1866."

neturning to the happy scenes or 1342, the departure
'tom Taymouth, the row of 16 miles up Loch 'ray to
Auchmore, the view of Ben Voirlech, Drum-mon-I Castle,
the return home again, are all narrated in a vein of
simplicity and reality as Creditable to her Majesty's style
as the occasional glow of aCection which comes to the sur-
face Was honourable to the feelings of the young wife
141842.

TEE SECOND TOUR.

- The second tour to the Highlands was made in Septem-
ber 1844. To go at once to the Highlands, here we have
a sketch of Blair Athole
" -We took a delightful walk of two hours. Imme-
diately near the house the scenery is very wild, which is
most enjoyable. The moment you step out of the house
You see those splendid hills allround. We went to the left
through some neglected pleasure-grounds, and then
thou
gh the wood, along a steep winding path overhang-
ing the rapid stream. These Scotch streams, full of
tones, and clear as glass, are most beautiful ; the peeps
between the trees, the depths of the shadows, the
mossy stones, mixed with elate, &c., which cover the banks,
are lovely ;at every turn you have a picture. We were
icitsiiclit high,; but could not get to the top; Albert in such
it is a happiness to see him, he is in such spirits.
W•
e e came back by a higher drive, and then went to the
;actor's house, still higher up, where Lord and Lady Glen-
'Put are living, having given Blair up to us. We
Walked on to a corn-field where a number of women were
Scot and reaping the oats (` shearing 'as they call it in
Scotland), with a splendid view of the hills before us, so
'Val and romantic, so unlike our daily Windsor walk
(delightful as that is) : and this change does such good ; as
heart observes' it refreshes one for a long time. W
went into the kitchen 'garden, and to a walk from
Which there is a magnificent view. This mixture of great
wildness and art is perfection.
"Oh ! what can equal the beauties of nature ? What
la t
joYment ther is in them bert enjoys it so mucia
'le is in ec,stacies here. He hasAl inb.eried this love for'
nature from his dear father."
Another touch of nature :-
"The evening was beautiful, and we feasted our eyes on
the ever-changing, splendid views of tl e hills aid vales tis
We drove back. Albert said that the chief beauty_ of
mountain scenery consisted in its frequent changes. We
cattle home at six o'clock."
When the Royal party returned to England after this
R °Jciarn among the romantic hills, the Queen tells us " the
English coast appeared terribly fiat." " Our stay in the
'fligulands," she adds, "was so delightful. Independently
of the beautiful scenery, there was a quiet, a retirement,
i" Wildness, a liberty, and a solitude that had such a charm
•or
In 1847 her Majesty made a tour to the west of Scot-
land. The literary interest of this portion of the work is
supplemented by some specimens of her Majesty's power
as an artist. The drawings are slight, being rough but
a-,.ccurate sketches of eaiking coast lines, such as the Scilly
l-alands, the Kyles of Bute, and the Dutchman's Cap, in
the Treshinish Isles. There is also a good representation
of the masculine head-gear of the female peasantry of
„wales, This tour included the Western Inlets, Isles, and
Lochs—Glasgow Staffeo, Dunstaffnage Castle, and the
Caledonian Canal.
The first visit to Balmoral was paid in 1848. It is de-
scribed briefly thus : " It is a pretty little castle in the old
Scottish style. There is a picturesque tower and garden
in front, with a high wooded hill • at the back there is
Wood down to the Dee ; and the hills rise all around."
Queen Victoria has a heart for humanity as well as an
tYe for nature, and a special affection for those nearest to
'aer. She writes always generously of her attendants, and
'descends to particulars about their families. The note set
Part to John Brown will illustrate this :
" The same who, in 1858, became my regular attendan,
oat of doors eve here in the Highlands, who commenced
Rink in 1849, and was sslected by Albert and me to go
Withhnny carriage. In 1851 he entered our service perma-
-..:,_te:etnlyti,oaan,d began in that year leading my Rony,and advance.d
-"en by step by his good conduct and intelligence. His
state care, and faithfulness cannot be exceeded, and the
of my health, which of late years has been sorely tried
and weakened, renders such qualifications most valuable,
and, indeed most needful in a constant attendant upon all
?ccasioas. He has since, most deservedly, been promoted
rbe an up-per servant
'e , and my permanent personal at-
ndant. (December 1865.) He has all the independence
and elevated feelings peculiar to the Highland race, and is
ahgu'arly straightforward, simple-minded, kind-hearted,
disinterested ,• always ready to oblige ; and of a dis-
cretion
rarely to be met with. He is now in his 40th
ear.
His father was .a small farmer who lived at the
lush on the opposite side to Balmoral. Be is the second
°ine brothers—three of whom have died—two are in
bAustralia and New Zealand, two are iiying in the neig h-
rhood of Balmoral ; and the youngest, Archie (Archie-
d) is to Leopold, and is an excellent,
4.- valet our son
trustworthy young man."
Her Majesty had a sell:3h for the Kirk services, with their
severe simplicity and earnestness. She refers specially
to Mr. Caird's celebrated sermon which was published at
'ler request, and that of Mr. M`Leod.
Of her Majesty's well-known sympathy for thy Highbnc
Poor we have one quaint instance.
15," I went into a small sabin of old Kitty Kear's, who is
"° Years old—quite ere and who welcomed us with a
treat air of dignity. SI e sat down and spun. I gave her
a;warm petticoat ; she said, May the Lord ever at-
Wnd ye and yours, here and hereafter and may the
ord be a guide to ye, and keep ye from all harm.' She
tr quite surprised at Vicky's height ; great interest is
Dorn in her. We went on to a cottage (formerly Jean
°rclores), to visit old widow Symons, who is past four-
st.' with a nice rosy face, but was bent quite double ;
whe,was most friendly, shaking hands with us all, asking
ti;'`lch was I, and repeating many kind blessings : May
1, e Lord attend ye with mirth and with joy; may He ever
ue With ye in this world, and when ye leave it.' ToVicky,
ten told she was going to be married, she said, May
Lord be a guide to ye in your future, and may every
la•PPiness attend ye.' She was very talkative, and 'when
tisaid I hoped to see her again she expressed an expecta-
-b9earn that she should be called any day,' and so did -Kitty
4a.
We went into three other cottages—to Mrs. Symons's
daughter-in-law to the old widow living next door), who
01.1:1" an unwell boy f then across a little burn to another
fig Woman's • and afterwards peeped into Blair, the
Mdler s. We drove back, and got out again to visit old
to Ile- Grant (Grant's mother), who is so tidy and clean, and
-rwollss?na I gave a dress and handkerchief, and she said,
re too kind to me, you're over kind to me, ye give
tenreore every year, and I get older every year.' After
4 t37flso
vni,e ,gkr.wisth her some time, she said, lam happy to see
k°,°a-ing so nice.' She had tears in her eyes, and, speaking
going, said, I'm very sorry, and I think she is
se" lierseP,d and having said she
Ifeared she would not
thater (the Princess) again, said, am very sorry I said
t;,'? but I meant no harm; I always say just what I
s,`;'°; not what is fut' (fit). Dear old lady, she is such a
laeasant person.
sea" Really the affection of these good people, who are so
t.il*tY and so happy to see you, taking interest in every-
g, is very touching and gratifying.,,
She even became fond of the bagpipes
klaThere were nine pipers at the castle ; sometimes one
sometimes three played. They always played about
~eakfast time, again during the morning at luncheon, and
:•80 whenever we went in and out ; again before dinner,
slid during most of dinner time. We both have become
quite fond of the bagpipes."
f the ins and outs of humble Scottish life the Queen
InnO st be Well informed. She has supped oatmeal par-
tldge and tasted "Athol brose," and passed a night
~,,sar4°llB' the steep hills in something like a ' bothie." The
"'".V.;_a was so small that the four-poster bed nearly filled it.
saser Majesty's Highland home seems to have grown
aearer as time passed away. On October 13, 1856, the
Queen thus wrote of it :
" Every year my heart becomes more fixed in this dear
Paradise, and so much more so now, that all has become
my dearest Albert's own creation, own work, own build-
ing, own laying out, as at Osborne; and his great taste,
and the impress of his dear hand, have been stamped
everywhere He was very busy to-day, settling and
arra many things for next ye ar. "
The readers of this book will close it with regret that
there should be one shade of gloom over these bright
verainiscences.
2All the Queen's recollections of Ireland are grateful; au
her associations'with it held in kindly remembrance, ex-
cePting those connected with the weather, which in that
Particular month of August, 1861, was angry and ill-be-
:,!Aled. Concerning England the volume contains little ; but
fragment is complimentary to our island when a turn in
the ry narrative takes her near it. In 1846 her
Yacht was anchored for an hour in B bb'icom be aßay,
°4 the Devonshire coast. "Itis a beautiful spot,
Which before we had only passed at a distance. Red cliffs
and rocks, with wooded hills like Italy, and reminding
°no of a ballet or play, where nymphs are to appear—
'lnch rocks and grottoes with the deepest sea, on which
there was not a ripple." And then " that beautiful Dart-
-14011th," " lovely with its wooded rocks, and church, and
_-astle at the entrance. It puts me much in mind of the
eeautiful Rhine and its noble ruined strongholds and the
nulei."
So at Mount Edgcumbe, over " the splendid.
12i,arbour of Plymouth," " with its beautiful trees, inclu-
rig Pines, growing down into the water, and lokin more
59velY than ever." But the leisure of the Royalexctu--
oenist is interrupted, because she has here to " read innu-
-4111,_ ruble letters and despatches," and go on deck " to see the
qU'ethorities," after which, steaming up the Tamar and St.
carmans river, she glances for the first time at Trematon
dot Plymouth
which belongs to Bertie, as Duke of Cornwall."
4 lYmouth a few syllables of natural sentiment are set
aL";n; the Prince was necessarily absent at the time of her
ern leistY's disembarkation, and she writes : " There were
wirs where we landed, and I feel so shy and put out
tri:ut Albert." All through the Channel Island
war, Nve note the same characteristics, the same
the ngness to be pleased, and anxiety to please,
than same outspoken ease of opinion concerning
Rs or individuals—as, for instance, General Napier—
a v
anerY singular-looking old man, tall and thin, with an
114r_41,ne nose, piercing eyes, and white moustache and
which The same heartfelt acknowledgment of the loyalty
de 'ell she usually designates " kindness." Whether
leocribing her reception on the summit of St. Michael's
haalitlt, or in the depths of a Cornish mine, the lady who
he„„l3,ernsitted the publication of this little book is equal to
Lielt in every page.
The following extract we must give :
" Falmouth, Monday, Sept 7.
:11-opinediately after breakfast, Albert left me to land
00,1-sit some mines. The corporation of Penryn were
war ard, and very anxious to see the Duke of Corn-
and 2:- 13,,C11 Palmerston
out of the pavilion on deck with Bertie,
of Cum told them that that was the Duke
Oorirwall,' and the old. Mayor of Penryn said that he
ed he would grow up a blessing to his parents and to
-"10.9341,1/42r. „.