his own power, and the dignity of our nature from the scoffs of the impious." I wish I had taken a memorandum of the ipsissima verba. After wandering through all the labyrinth of towers and courts, the attendant conducted us into an immense vault, which has been set apart in the true Dilettanti taste, for the reception of plasterof-Paris casts of some others of these bright spirits. The sober religious light of the place did not at first enable me to recognize what busts they were, but a sudden gleam of sunshine, which occurred very fortunately, soon discovered to me another edition of the same features which I had just been admiring sub dio. Lord B occupies the central niche in this

On his right hand he has Homer, and on his left Mr Watt of Birmingham, the inventor of the steam engine. Mæonides again is supported by General Washington, and Mr Watt by Sir Philip Sidney. Shakespeare-Count Rumford-Dr Matthew Baillie-Charles James Fox-Socrates

-Cicero-and Provost Creech of Edinburghfollow on the left; while on the right, the series Heroum is continued with equal propriety by

the Author of the Seasons-Lord Nelson-Julius Cæsar-Benjamin Franklin-Mozart-John Knox-Michael Angelo-Aristotle-and a rueful caricature of the Ettrick Shepherd-bearing abundant marks of the agony with which that excellent but unsophisticated person must, no doubt, have submitted to the clammy application of the Savoyard cast-maker. There are some dozens more of worthies dead and living, who partake in the same honours; and altogether the effect of the chalky congregation is as impressive a thing as need be.

In riding back, I received from Mr Sa good deal of interesting antiquarian information concerning these great religious establishments, of which there is such an uncommon quantity in this district of Scotland-for these two I have spoken of are only the last links of a complete chain of similar buildings, which stretches all along the banks of the Tweed from the border of England. That these rich ecclesiastical foundations were, in their origin, the pure products of piety, I have little doubt; but I as little question, that, in after times, they were found to be eminently useful in a more worldly point of view, and therefore protected and enriched by

the munificence of many successive monarchs, in whose character piety formed but a slender ingredient. The sanctity of the soil, set apart for the support of the Ministers of Religion, was reverenced by the rudest foes that came to seek spoil in Scotland, and it is easy to see what wis dom there was in investing as large a portion as possible of the frontier soil with this protecting character. The internal state of the country, moreover, during those lawless times of baronial feuds, may have rendered the kings of Scotland fond of conferring as many of their richest fiefs as they could with safety on the less turbulent churchmen-a body, on whose general attachment to the cause of loyalty and order, they might always think themselves entitled to depend. As it was, I have no doubt the cultivation of the country throve much more uniformly under the superintendence of the monks and abbots of Kelso, Jedburgh, Dryburgh, and Melrose, than it would have done in any other hands which the times could furnish—and you know these holy men were commonly bound by their tenures to supply the king's banner, either in offensive or defensive warfare, with the full proportion of soldiers which the value of their lands

3

might seem to render fitting.* The rich abbeys of Northumberland, probably, owed their wealth to similar views of policy-and, perhaps, those on the Wye, and elsewhere along the march of our own principality, may be accounted for in the same way.

P. M.

Durham was an exception to this rule. Mr Surtees mentions, that on one occasion, when the tenants of the bishoprick were called upon to contribute their assistance to a royal host advancing upon Scotland, they refused, saying, "We are haly-werke folk, and must stay here where we hold our lands by the tenure of guarding the body of our Bishop St Cuthbert." This plea was admitted.

335

LETTER LIV.

TO THE SAME.

AFTER various attempts, I have at last succeeded in making what I am inclined to think a very fair sketch of the head of Mr W. S. I send you a copy of it in pen and ink, on the other side of my sheet, and would hope you may consider it worthy of a double postage. I have made various drawings of him, both in more solemn and more ludicrous moods; but I