talking about Kean. He said he had seen him at Glasgow "in Othello in the Jew, I mean er, er, er, the Jew in Shylock." He got bother'd completely in vague ideas of the Jew in Othello, Shylock in the Jew, Shylock in Othello, Othello in Shylock, the Jew in Othello, &c. &c. &c.-he left himself in a mess at last.-Still satisfied with himself he went to the Window and gave an abortive whistle of some tune or other-it might have been Handel. There is no end to these Mistakes-he'll go and tell people how he has seen "Malvolio in the Countess " "Twelfth night in Midsummer night's dream" Bottom in much ado about Nothing-Viola in Barrymore —Antony in Cleopatra-Falstaff in the mouse Trap'.—

July 14 [1818]. We enter'd Glasgow last Evening under the most oppressive Stare a body could feel. When we had crossed the Bridge Brown look'd back and said its whole pop[ulation] had turned [out] to wonder at us--we came on till a drunken Man came up to me I put him off with my Arm-he returned all up in Arms saying aloud that, "he had seen all foreigners bu ut he never saw the like o' me." I was obliged to mention the word Officer and Police before he would desist. The City of Glasgow I take to be a very fine one-I was astonished to hear it was twice the size of Edinburgh. It is built of Stone and has a much more solid appearance than London. We shall see the Cathedral this morning-they have devilled it into "High Kirk." I want very much to know the name of the ship George is g[one] in-also what port he will land in—I know nothing a[bout] it. I hope you are leading a quiet Life and gradually improving. Make a long lounge of

1 King. What do you call the play?

Hamlet. The Mouse-trap.

the whole Summer-by the time the Leaves fall I shall be near you with plenty of confab-there are a thousand things I cannot write. Take care of yourself-I mean in not being vexed or bothered at any thing.

Here's Brown going on so that I cannot bring to mind how the two last days have vanished-for example he says The Lady of the Lake went to Rock herself to sleep on Arthur's seat and the Lord of the Isles coming to Press a Piece *** remembered their last meeting at Corrystone Water so touching her with one hand * * *1. I told you last how we were stared at in Glasgow-we are not out of the Crowd yet. Steam Boats on Loch Lomond and Barouches on its sides take a little from the Pleasure of such romantic chaps as Brown and I. The Banks of the Clyde are extremely beautiful-the north end of Loch Lomond grand in excess-the entrance at the lower end to the narrow part from a little distance is precious good-the Evening was beautiful nothing could surpass our fortune in the weather-yet was I worldly enough to wish for a fleet of chivalry Barges with Trumpets and Banners just to die

1 The passages omitted consist of somewhat incoherent strings of place-names arranged apparently with an ulterior view to puns ; but the intention is not quite clear, and the sentence ends abruptly without any construction as far as I can make out.

away before me into that blue place among the mountains-I must give you an outline as well as I can

Not[a] B[ene]-the Water was a fine Blue silvered and the Mountains a dark purple, the Sun setting aslant behind them-meantime the head of ben Lomond was covered with a rich Pink Cloud-We did not ascend Ben Lomond-the price being very high and a half a day of rest being quite acceptable. We were up at 4 this morning and have walked to breakfast 15 Miles through two Tremendous Glens 1-at the end of the first there is a place called rest and be thankful which we took for an Inn-it was nothing but a Stone and so we were cheated into 5 more Miles to Breakfast-I have just been bathing in Loch Fyne a salt water Lake opposite the Windows, -quite pat and fresh but for the cursed Gad flies-damn 'em they have been at me ever since I left the swan and two necks.2

Last Evening we came round the End of Loch Fyne to Inverary-the Duke of Argyle's Castle is very modern magnificent and more so from the place it is in-the woods seem old enough to remember two or three changes in the Crags about them-the Lake was beautiful and there was a Band at a distance by the Castle. I

1

See foot-note, page 303 of Volume II.

2 Here follows the ballad of The Gadfly. See Volume II, pages

must say I enjoyed two or three common tunes-but nothing could stifle the horrors of a solo on the Bagpipe-I thought the Beast would never have done.—Yet was I doomed to hear another.-On entering Inverary we saw a Play Bill. Brown was knocked up from new shoes-so I went to the Barn alone where I saw the Stranger accompanied by a Bag-pipe. There they went on about interesting creaters and human nater till the Curtain fell and then came the Bag-pipe. When Mrs. Haller fainted down went the Curtain and out came the Bag-pipe-at the heartrending, shoemending reconciliation the Piper blew amain. I never read or saw this play before; not the Bag-pipe nor the wretched players themselves were little in comparison with it-thank heaven it has been scoffed at lately almost to a fashion.1

I think we are the luckiest fellows in ChristendomBrown could not proceed this morning on account of his feet and lo there is thunder and rain.

July 20th [1818]. For these two days past we have been so badly accommodated more particularly in coarse food that I have not been at all in cue to write. Last night poor Brown with his feet blistered and scarcely able to walk, after a trudge of 20 Miles down the side of Loch Awe had no supper but Eggs and Oat Cake— we have lost the sight of white bread entirely-Now we had eaten nothing but Eggs all day-about 10 a piece and they had become sickening-To-day we have fared rather better-but no oat Cake wanting-we had a small Chicken and even a good bottle of Port but all together the fare is too coarse-I feel it a little.-Another week will break us in. I forgot to tell you that when we came

1 Here follows the sonnet On hearing the Bag-pipe and seeing "The Stranger" played at Inverary. See Volume II, pages 307-8.

through Glenside it was early in the morning and we were pleased with the noise of Shepherds, Sheep and dogs in the misty heights close above us—we saw none of them for some time, till two came in sight creeping among the Craggs like Emmets, yet their voices came quite plainly to us-The approach to Loch Awe was very solemn towards nightfall—the first glance was a streak of water deep in the Bases of large black Mountains. We had come along a complete mountain road, where if one listened there was not a sound but that of Mountain Streams. We walked 20 Miles by the side of Loch Awe-every ten steps creating a new and beautiful picture-sometimes through little wood-there are two islands on the Lake each with a beautiful ruin-one of them rich in ivy.-We are detained this morning by the rain. I will tell you exactly where we are. We are between Loch Craignish and the sea just opposite Long Island. Yesterday our walk was of this description-the near Hills were not very lofty but many of them steep, beautifully wooded-the distant Mountains in the Hebrides very grand, the Saltwater Lakes coming up between Crags and Islands full tide and scarcely ruffled—sometimes appearing as one large Lake, sometimes as three distinct ones in different directions. At one point we saw afar off a rocky opening into the main sea.-We have also seen an Eagle or two. They move about without the least motion of Wings when in an indolent fit.—I am for the first time in a country where a foreign Language is spoken-they gabble away Gælic at a vast rate-numbers of them speak English. There are not many Kilts in Argylshire-at Fort William they say a Man is not admitted into Society without one-the Ladies there have a horror at the indecency of Breeches. I cannot give you a better idea of Highland Life than by describing