Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1841-12-11
scorLAND-RANDoM SKETCHES.
From, N, .NIp York .7m,rie,n.

Land Of Song and OF Story; home Of Phiiosoph,
aud Ch'valryi synonym Of Virtue and Valor; SEQ
sIa, hall How my heart bounded with wild emo
ton when from the moore-hills of Engand's Nor
| thumberland, my eyes caught the blue tops Of thy
ChevioIs, standing like faithful seutnels to guar,
the entrance into thy enchanted dominions!
! My blood quickened its current When the coach
man, pointing to little monument by the road side
said, That, Sir, is the Border stone, Shame OF
my sluggish heart, if it had not hurried its pulse,
at such I'm nnnuneiation. Why, our very horse,
caught the inspiration when they snufed the Gale
DOMAIN breeze'. They plunged at full esllop into
the vale Of the TeviOt, and few heetly throus h
its verdant fields, that fancled was riding on the
wings Of the wind.
SCOTLAND! Years ago. and when cold ocean
rolled between us, throng OF thrilling associations
would leap TO lie at the bare mention Of thy name
Now nina thy b1imy ulr, redOent with the Wild
flowers OF poesy and romance.
Never, never, dc-r c., shalt forget the moment
when ! drew my hrSt Scottish breath. have mark
ed the period IN Llfu's Calendar a. the day of DAYS
We entered RoNburshsh re-, one of the border
counties. Teviotdale, (which constitutes It's south
ern por'on,) now so quiet and peaceful, las Wit
messed more sansuiUary turmoil, than any other
spot Of equal extent in the KINGDOM. Its every
turf Was crims1nei with the blood of the fierce
Border Wars Of the 18th and 10Th Centuries; and
- sANlts dIu spring, anu IGe marx the locale OF
some single combat o. some cnrsreca'ed battle
whose story has stained the page OF Scottish histo.
~. My hrst batting was al JEDsuRGu, the county
seat o, RoNhurSh; town Of some 5000 inhab ants
which has figured cOnspI'uously IN the red AIMS of
the Border. The seat Of a strong castle and hem.
med IN on every side by the fortified residences Of
Low,ani chet'olns, Il was the central point OF a.
tack and defence in those bloody times. It's own
warriors we're distinguished Tor their vnor Their
famous war cry, 'JshGTiS here - seconded Jy their
O alaa ia. o. IL.
battle OF Redswair
Having aPpeised my appetite a, the well stored
table of the inn, procured a guide, and sailed out
10 feast on the stored wonders which cluster so
ihcky IN and around this ancient burgh. While
wandering through the aiscS OF its celebrated Ab-
bcy-now ia ruIus-Ily conductor led me into a
little chapel on one side OF the choir, in which
classical school was formerly Kept, and whore
Thomson, the poet, was educated. Tradition tells
us, that the young hard was sent up from South
deAn IA village IN this vicinity TO Edinburgh 10
enter the University. He rode on horseback be.
hind his fathers servant. But his hear; anon.
his native hills and the Sombre walls OF the Uni.
yerSltY looked 50 gloomy that James took one
glance al them, and started on foot for Southdearr
reaching home sooner than the servant and meeting
his as,onshed parents with this remark II can study
better on the braes Souihdearn than in EGIn.
0ursh.' To this juvenile freak perhaps, the world
IL indebted for the ImmOgta! Seasons" My old
c.cerone remembered the time, nearly 40 years ago.
WHICH " dlltE SCnNl was CNtTu OF lhlS Judicial
cult, and used TO march from the inn to the court
house at Jedbursh, IN the Iuse'S procession TO the
music Of 4 cracked trumpet, dressed in brisk cock.
ed hat, with long sword dangling by his side -
Lockhar, you know, tells an amusing story IN his
Life Of Scott, about Wordsworth and his daushfer
Scott here on one Of those occasions when the MIN
stfel laid aside the gentle harp for the SherIt's
avenglnS steel. Scott, conscious OF the ridiculous
Eyurc he was 10 cut, begged the phIOsophic bard
not 10 watch the procession, enter the court while
1t wss in session. Wordsworth too fond OF a
joke TO heed hlm-and on reyoining Scott they had
a hearty laugh over his chapcau and rusty broad
sword. How hard to force the Imagination to re.
cognzs in the a JIhor Of Waveriy" a Sheriff OF
county serving wriis on John Doc and Richard r os
or the clerk OF court swearing witnesses IN the
case Of Bulum BolJlm!
Leaving Jed5ursh, my first adventure was 10
CLIMB the rugged Dit. Of MTSTo GAGS. On lis
summit are the runs Of house which the country
people call Banhilrs Bed. You remember the
Lay Of the Last Minstrel
on Mimic Crscs the moon-beams CLINT
Whgrl EI!Ga.l h0wCi his bed OF l.nt;
Who nuns LIS onrawei hmb. 10 rest,
Where falcons hans their 2 Idy nest
Mid Clf. from waruse hIs carle eye
CHfs, doubling. oa their echoes borne,
The errors u' tho robbers horn.
The las, echo Of the robbers ho.n long since died
away, AMI now this romantic height IFS the cur
tom from s.e peaceful uosOm Of Ieyioitae, dis
playing US picturesque swc.s and caderceE, dotted
with mansions aud castles, around which the re.
no"ned stream slowly sauuteTs towards lie OCEAN
home
Though must not larry 10 describe, even thus
care.essly, the numerous places sacred TO song and
story which ! visited on ny icsUrey tour 10 Edln-
UurSh cannot hope Tor your pardon unless iInger
for little while around AbboisiOTd Me!rose, and
DryGureh-names canonized by their connection
win the life ami writings Of Walter Scott These
places situated within Ave or six miles Of each
other in the zap ola beautifully diversified country,
where nature, and ART, ana genius have scattered
their treasures with so liberal q hand, that every
rod Of ground Is cOnsecra,ed by sou-moying MS
torca and romantic associations.
Seyerai hours we're spent in inspecting the rare
collection %! curiosi,jes iatame yOrd with which the
Wizard Of the North filed bis .sic mansion az Ab.
bolsiort, and IN walking through those grounds
which his fame has mmoriliIzsj. The house stands
10 valley on the hanks Cf the Tweed guarded by
the Ei.don and other lofty hills. /, has greatly al
tered since our Washington Irving described }. as .
being IN lslG, "a snug ECntlemau's cottage, with
something rural and picturesque IN the appearance
the whole front 07errun with evorsreens, and .m-
m,Cu.eIy above The pora. great fan Of elk horns
branching ont FROM beneath the foliage, and giving
The cottage the appearance Of hunting lodge" Il |
Is nov large, irregular, castC.Iated uII ding, Of
4 style Of architecture sTicy sui gsnert5, claiming
kindred neither with the GgccIln, Gothic, Norman
or Saxon ages, bu, embOjy'Hg the freaks and whms,
W one OF ae most tll' men OF
he present century. To complete his pOr nature !
o. seems necessary lhat such men should have /
built such house. Yet tue truth Of what the nc I
compIsbed winter above quoted says, is a sod De. I
duciIon from tie pleasure - lh which every admrer
Of Sir Walter Scot: looks upon .hI5 singular man
s.On. "Happy would 0. have been for him, could |
he have cgntCrte5 himself with his delightful uuIs I
vine covered cottage end tho simple, Jet hearty and
1Ospah.G style, BE lived IN at the time Of my visit.
The great pile OF AUl0.s!Ofu, wiki the huge *. /
pCnss it sn,gIsd upon him, Of servart', rc'aners
quests and DlrOuil style, WIS a dr8Iu upon his !
purse task upon his sXer,ons ond a y .hJ upon
ll- mind, which finally crushed HIM"
Two miles down the Tweed, from Abbo'sr,ri. |
stan5s MeIrosc Abby, one OF the most londfy |
ghtu.hed re ga Of the Odsn days, which Scotland
lf1rd5. Il rare Ink boo the cH1rn OF events which
CONNECTS the snadDHy past wiki The urrgh: present,
Il is de1- TO students OF sutquiy a. a mere ruin.
To 10 had higher attractions, being associated
with one Of the brightest carnations ~! great
genius. A. specimen Of rich architecture broken
down by The weight Of cC1tarcr, lts beauties are Of
snmDrc hue. It's holry walls rel. Df the spring
and the autumn Of Time. As walked through
j. and around b., under he pale light Of the moon,
Il responded 20 the description IN the 10y Of the
Last Minstrel
En cn'IIy sweet 90 deadly ffr,
W. start, ur soul Dr. waning there.
NIa .HH DWELLINGS boo death.
That paris not quiz" with pairing breath,
But beauty with that fearful bloom,
That hue which haIuts tito the t0mb.
You rscoIeci SCOTS description or the Abbey
by moonlight. When he sketched ihst beautiful
picture he had never Gsen MsIr9ss by "lhs pale
mO9n ghL"-sO said the old .aJy who keeps the KEY.
The Nation who unlocked 90 me its wonders, gave
me aulrO volume Of chIt-chat gossip about the
Minstrel Of AbDois'ord, whom che called her Gin.