Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1832-12-04
S0s { c..@silutsoaal UClDsg.
A VISIT TO ABD0YsruRD.


tercst Recorded the tine for the eye ot affect
ion ut home, 1t bears tie oru of personal Nara
tive which mast az my apology from the promi-
nency given TO the feelings oI ,Eh writer, the
sympathy ut his loss wnch alone gives them value
mast be 10 his ;d"iiy, should It meet their eye
for the liberty i'vo.vcI IN their pobcatiou. M.
RusuY FoRp, DIrhan,-one days ride irom
Abbotsiord - Deur-: | now resume my non
which, ut Abbotsiord touched not-iur it seemed
kind oil treachery TO orr Kind and noble host. But
Seu must not loso my rccoilociIons. On taking
leave OF Sou,hey, at the foot oi Skddlw, after a
days raD,ble, he SAID 10 me- Have ,uu "A letter for
SIR Waiter Scottl had not. a letter TO his ddugI-
ter which your mother had received from Mrs He.
Dor was our only ntroductIon lie replied, ''yuu
shall be the bearer of one iro'n me aud on REACH
ing the house the letter written and handed q
me. 1t was II sealed one, but Judging from the
ception it brought u.s. was kiuuiy, perhaps warmly
written. Three days afterwards we stopped at the
outer gate OF Abbotsiurd, looking down with some
what of awe aJ well interest it's turrcsts
they rose above tie Intervening wood. Unwilling
to trespass whore thought We had so little claim,
the letter was despatched 10y servant in envelope,
with card, aud the uuwecoinc answer reiurnet,
"Sir Walter Scott is not 1T nome" We had, howcv.
or, another chances we drove two miles further to
Chiofswood the rcsidonca OF his dau hi err, Mrs.
Lockhart, to whom our first letter addressed
On driving up TO this lovely retired cottage, two
children wore playing on the green: of whom,
by his border plaid and chiclMu's feather, | sus-
pected to be nastsr Hugh Euo John, sir w =
iaVoritc grandson; bat IN this, afterwards found,
was mistaken; the plllid couuteuancc of The
other ought to have betrayed 10 the direction
oil his deepcr sympaihisS. Tbs same repel!iug
answer "Nut at home" here sent away NEST
unwil!ingy. The letters however were left, aud
We drove on to pay visit where hdt rebuff at
least could not reach us II mean tho ruins of
Merose Abbey. On approaching them, met an
open barouchc returning, in which, with glance
recognized the great object of our search, Sir
walter and his family; bnt Jared to intrudo so
unceremonous am introduction, and passed,
taking as we feared our first and last look OF the
"A ty
away amid the mouldering ruinS.-Among some
modern monuments at their feet, met with one
erected by Sir Walter to the memory of L faithful
domestic; but the ancient memorials were tho full
lest OF poetic associations, and we only regretted
our inability 10 comply with the posts injunction,
If thou wouldst view fair Mclrose Alright,
Go visit it by the pale moonlight
In the midst of revcrcs, were disturbed by |
the entrance Of gentleman who advancing rapid !
ly with an air of much courtesy announced himself
us MIR. Lockhart, -saying that he had returned
upon his steps To overtukc us being the bearer of
Sir W. Scotts compliments and Mrs. LIS TO bring
us back to dinner, at which friends were
momcntarily expected The fatigue and disor' or |
cd dress OF days drive through dusty roads was Il
bar TO the ladies' acceptance, that after some
doubts and mary msgvings the invitation was
most unwilliRgly declined, TO which Mr.. L. acced.
ed only on condition that | would write him from
Edinburgh the day o.! our return, and take it
through MeiroSe. Upon this we parted. | KEEP
my promise, and fortnight aftcrward upon ar
irving ut tho inn at Mc!rosu about half past five
T. NJ, q note was handed me from Mr. BoCkhart,
saying that Sir Walter and family peced to meet
us that day at dinner at osWood.-iiere was
another dilemma; we were tired and dusty, and
thu dinner hour was conc: yet we could not again
baulk our good fortune, aud hasty toilet and
fresh post horses soon Transferred second time
to the lovely cottage. As approached we had
glimpse OF Sir Walter at the door, but when we
drove up he had retired, and Mr.. and Mrs. Lock
hart alone remained welcome us. On
entering the drawing room, Sir Walter
was standing with his daughter, leaning
somewhat, as l found he wont, upon
his cane HIS appoaranco-but L Will not
speak OF that, for had no time TO scan it. All
that / saw the face OF The Great Unknown"
all that felt was the pressure OF that hand which
Penncd the Ant!quary and the Lady of the Lake
all that heard were the mellow accents Of that
Northern tongue which with courtesy and
Kindness, welcomed me to Scotland. The com |
pany not large, but sufficiently so to afford a !
ploa for the table on the green, arrangement |
which. however agreeable it may have been in Ar !
cada, is but pcrilouS experiment in the latitude |
OF Scotland: besides, the outer air is place for
quiet taik-It is ;lttcd Tor merrncnt, bat not FOR in
teiiectual convcrsation-so that lowering sky
became by common consent an apology fer an &c r
~ return to the drawing room where music and
The song awaited Us.
Sir Walters great dc'irt is in his taurbtc-,s |
harp, and Tie ballads CT the oldon tinc which she
sings with most winning grace. Thus passed
our evening; and on parting Tor tie night, VIC re-
ceiycd and accepted inytation TO Abbotslord; so
that as you may suppose, with gay hearts we re-
turned TO our inn. Now, If you ask mo the i'm
preston of TINS day, ' must confess in regard L.
Dir Waiter, 1t Pnrtakcs somewhat of dsappou-
nent lie was kind and courteous, bat did moi |
say much; and when lie did speak, missed some
what OF that precision of Thought and power OF !
language which had recently charmed ne in /
Southey and Sir James Macintosh. But further |
acquaintance has enabled me 20 sec that was then
In the heresy OF ignorance ! was bringing TO the
measurement an InapplicaJlc standard. II was
Ike measuring reg Il by isDeN-.t was requiring
III boundess scene OF natural beauty the polish
and proportions of Grccun temple. The mex,
day being sunday, attcrdcd service at tho kirk
occupying . Waller SCOTS P"Y, which was very
near the pulpit. "iIoa au you like the p:eacher!"
said Sir Waiter, when az lin net hin. 81 con.
iess," replied, 81 did not hear single sentence"
You must not complain" spid hc "you have
heard as much any Of his hearers for ten years
past" This yoi:elrss preacher. as afterwards
found, was the father Of the original Dominic
sampson. Had delcacy permitted it, the father
himself would have made no bad .'sludy."
On approaching h55o'g!ord a second tino, xe
paused not, as before 1t Ike gate; but driving down
through the rich youHg woods that csubower H.
aud passing through an aTchcd and turrctcd gate
way, found ourselves III noble court or Gtladran-
gic' Oh ouF lett rO5c the mansion in it, rich and
irregular architecture, bearing in some parts The
choice remains Of earlier chisel winch Sir
Walter has rescued from tie contiguous ruling
but generally The result OF native gcDioue WORKING
ullutr his eye, and passing rapidly, as lie told ne
IRON the modes OF art 10 tbosu o. nature" In
front rioh and lofty gothic screen separated the
court IRON the garGeHs-hop,i attaining what
SIR Waller said he had almost dcspaircd of d:iro
--"dIstancng without hiding thcm,"-whIe on
the right hangs an arcade or closicr ciniunkipg
the rising ground hiad ii, and for...irp shelter
ed Walk nearly around two sides Of the court On
this occasion Sir Walter met us at the door again
welcomed us TO Scotland AID AbbDisrord and IA.
KING your mother by tIo hand, led the way To- the