That part of Scotland contiguous to Berwick, nature seems to have
intended as a barrier between two hostile nations. It is a brown desert
of considerable extent, that produces nothing but heath and fern; and
what rendered it the more dreary when we passed, there was a thick fog
that hindered us from seeing above twenty yards from the carriage--My
sister began to make wry faces, and use her smelling-bottle; Liddy
looked blank, and Mrs Jenkins dejected; but in a few hours these clouds
were dissipated; the sea appeared upon our right, and on the left the
mountains retired a little, leaving an agreeable plain betwixt them
and the beach; but, what surprised us all, this plain, to the extent of
several miles, was covered with as fine wheat as ever I saw in the most
fertile parts of South Britain--This plentiful crop is raised in the
open field, without any inclosure, or other manure than the alga marina,
or seaweed, which abounds on this coast; a circumstance which shews
that the soil and climate are favourable; but that agriculture in this
country is not yet brought to that perfection which it has attained
in England. Inclosures would not only keep the grounds warm, and the
several fields distinct, but would also protect the crop from the high
winds, which are so frequent in this part of the island.
Dunbar is well situated for trade, and has a curious bason, where ships
of small burthen may be perfectly secure; but there is little appearance
of business in the place--From thence, all the way to Edinburgh, there
is a continual succession of fine seats, belonging to noblemen and
gentlemen; and as each is surrounded by its own parks and plantation,
they produce a very pleasing effect in a country which lies otherwise
open and exposed. At Dunbar there is a noble park, with a lodge,
belonging to the Duke of Roxburgh, where Oliver Cromwell had his
head-quarters, when Lesley, at the head of a Scotch army, took
possession of the mountains in the neighbourhood, and hampered him in
such a manner, that he would have been obliged to embark and get away by
sea, had not the fanaticism of the enemy forfeited the advantage which
they had obtained by their general’s conduct--Their ministers, by
exhortation, prayer, assurance, and prophecy, instigated them to go
down and slay the Philistines in Gilgal, and they quitted their ground
accordingly, notwithstanding all that Lesley could do to restrain
the madness of their enthusiasm--When Oliver saw them in motion, he
exclaimed, ‘Praised be the Lord, he hath delivered them into the hands
of his servant!’ and ordered his troops to sing a psalm of thanksgiving,
while they advanced in order to the plain, where the Scots were routed
with great slaughter.
In the neighbourhood of Haddington, there is a gentleman’s house, in
the building of which, and the improvements about it, he is said to have
expended forty thousand pounds: but I cannot say I was much pleased
with either the architecture or the situation; though it has in front
a pastoral stream, the banks of which are laid out in a very agreeable
manner. I intended to pay my respects to Lord Elibank, whom I had
the honour to know at London many years ago. He lives in this part of
Lothian; but was gone to the North, on a visit--You have often heard
me mention this nobleman, whom I have long revered for his humanity and
universal intelligence, over and above the entertainment arising
from originality of his character--At Musselburgh, however, I had the
good-fortune to drink tea with my old friend Mr Cardonel; and at his
house I met with Dr C--, the parson of the parish, whose humour and
conversation inflamed me with a desire of being better acquainted with
his person--I am not at all surprised that these Scots make their way in
every quarter of the globe.
This place is but four miles from Edinburgh, towards which we proceeded
along the sea-shore, upon a firm bottom of smooth sand, which the tide
had left uncovered in its retreat--Edinburgh, from this avenue, is not
seen to much advantage--We had only an imperfect view of the Castle
and upper parts of the town, which varied incessantly according to the
inflexions of the road, and exhibited the appearance of detached spires
and turrets, belonging to some magnificent edifice in ruins. The palace
of Holyrood house stands on the left, as you enter the Canon-gate--This
is a street continued from hence to the gate called Nether Bow, which is
now taken away; so that there is no interruption for a long mile, from
the bottom to the top of the hill on which the castle stands in a most
imperial situation--Considering its fine pavement, its width, and the
lofty houses on each side, this would be undoubtedly one of the noblest
streets in Europe, if an ugly mass of mean buildings, called the
Lucken-Booths, had not thrust itself, by what accident I know not, into
the middle of the way, like Middle-Row in Holborn. The city stands upon
two hills, and the bottom between them; and, with all its defects, may
very well pass for the capital of a moderate kingdom.--It is full of
people, and continually resounds with the noise of coaches and other
carriages, for luxury as well as commerce. As far as I can perceive,
here is no want of provisions--The beef and mutton are as delicate
here as in Wales; the sea affords plenty of good fish; the bread is
remarkably fine; and the water is excellent, though I’m afraid not
in sufficient quantity to answer all the purposes of cleanliness and
convenience; articles in which, it must be allowed, our fellow-subjects
are a little defective--The water is brought in leaden pipes from a
mountain in the neighbourhood, to a cistern on the Castle-hill, from
whence it is distributed to public conduits in different parts of the
city. From these it is carried in barrels, on the backs of male and
female porters, up two, three, four, five, six, seven, and eight
pairs of stairs, for the use of particular families--Every story is
a complete house, occupied by a separate family; and the stair being
common to them all, is generally left in a very filthy condition; a man
must tread with great circumspection to get safe housed with unpolluted
shoes--Nothing can form a stronger contrast, than the difference
betwixt the outside and inside of the door, for the good-women of this
metropolis are remarkably nice in the ornaments and propriety of their
apartments, as if they were resolved to transfer the imputation from
the individual to the public. You are no stranger to their method of
discharging all their impurities from their windows, at a certain hour
of the night, as the custom is in Spain, Portugal, and some parts of
France and Italy--A practice to which I can by no means be reconciled;
for notwithstanding all the care that is taken by their scavengers to
remove this nuisance every morning by break of day, enough still remains
to offend the eyes, as well as other organs of those whom use has not
hardened against all delicacy of sensation.
The inhabitants seem insensible to these impressions, and are apt to
imagine the disgust that we avow is little better than affectation; but
they ought to have some compassion for strangers, who have not been used
to this kind of sufferance; and consider, whether it may not be worth
while to take some pains to vindicate themselves from the reproach that,
on this account, they bear among their neighbours. As to the surprising
height of their houses, it is absurd in many respects; but in one
particular light I cannot view it without horror; that is, the dreadful
situation of all the families above, in case the common staircase should
be rendered impassable by a fire in the lower stories--In order to
prevent the shocking consequences that must attend such an accident, it
would be a right measure to open doors of communication from one house
to another, on every story, by which the people might fly from such
a terrible visitation. In all parts of the world, we see the force of
habit prevailing over all the dictates of convenience and sagacity. All
the people of business at Edinburgh, and even the genteel company, may
be seen standing in crowds every day, from one to two in the afternoon,
in the open street, at a place where formerly stood a market-cross,
which (by the bye) was a curious piece of Gothic architecture, still to
be seen in lord Sommerville’s garden in this neighbourhood--I say, the
people stand in the open street from the force of custom, rather than
move a few yards to an Exchange that stands empty on one side, or to the
Parliament-close on the other, which is a noble square adorned with a
fine equestrian statue of king Charles II.--The company thus assembled,
are entertained with a variety of tunes, played upon a set of bells,
fixed in a steeple hard by--As these bells are well-toned, and the
musician, who has a salary from the city, for playing upon them with
keys, is no bad performer, the entertainment is really agreeable, and
very striking to the ears of a stranger.
The public inns of Edinburgh are still worse than those of London; but
by means of a worthy gentleman, to whom I was recommended, we have
got decent lodgings in the house of a widow gentlewoman of the name of
Lockhart; and here I shall stay until I have seen every thing that
is remarkable in and about this capital. I now begin to feel the good
effects of exercise--I eat like a farmer, sleep from mid-night till
eight in the morning without interruption, and enjoy a constant tide of
spirits, equally distant from inanition and excess; but whatever ebbs
or flows my constitution may undergo, my heart will still declare that I
am,
Dear Lewis, Your affectionate friend and servant, MATT. BRAMBLE EDR.
July 18.
To Mrs MARY JONES, at Brambleton-hall.