at times, the river from view; so that when a spectator stands above he sees nothing but luxuriance of green branches and tops of trees, and hears at a dreadful distance below the brawling of the river. In this vale, or glen, innumerable rare and valuable herbs are discovered; and in the harvest months this is his continual resort. He explores it with most unwearied attention, climbs every cliff, even the most threatening, and from the perplexing profusion of plants, collects those herbs of whose qualities and value he is well acquainted. For this purpose he has a large basket with a variety of divisions, in which he deposits every particular species by itself. With this he is often seen labouring home to his hut, where they are suspended in large and nume. rous parcels from the roof, while the sage himself sits smiling amidst his simple stores.

In cultivating his little plot of ground, he proceeds likewise by methods entirely new to his neighbours. He has examined, by numberless strange experiments, the nature of the soil, watches every progressive advance of the grain, and so well is he provided for its defence against vermin, that they are no sooner seen than destroyed. By these means he has greatly enriched the soil, which was by nature barren and ungenerous, while his crop nearly doubles that of his neighbours, the superstitious of whom, from his lonely life, and success in these affairs, scruple not to believe him in league with the devil.

As a mechanic, he is confined to no particular branch. He lives by himself, and seems inclined to be dependant on none. He is his own shoemaker, cutler, and tailor; builds his own barns, and raises his own fences; threshes his own corn, and, with very little assistance, cuts it down. From his infancy he has enjoyed an uninterrupted flow of health,

but there is scarce a neighbouring peasant around who has not, when wounded by accident, or confined by sickness, experienced the salutary effects of his skill.

In these cases his presence of mind is surprising, his applications simple, his medicines within the reach of every cottager, and in effecting a cure, he is seldom unsuccessful. Nor is his assistance in physic and surgery confined to the human species alone. Domestic and useful animals of every kind profit by his researches. He has been known frequently to cure horses, cows, sheep, &c., by infusing herbs among warm water, and giving them to drink. In short, so fully persuaded are the rustics of his knowledge, in the cause and cure of disorders, to which their cattle are subject, that in every critical or alarming case he is immediately consulted, and his prescription observed with the most precise exactness. I should arrogate too much to my own praise to say that I was the first who took any particular notice of this solitaire. He is known to many ingenious gentlemen in that place of the country, and has been often the subject of their conversation and wonder. Nor has the honourable gentleman whose tenant he is, suffered this rustic original to pass unnoticed or unbefriended; but with his usual generosity, and a love to mankind, that dignifies all his actions, has from time to time transmitted to him parcels of new and useful plants, roots, seeds, &c., while the other shows himself worthy of such bounty, by a yearly specimen of their products, and a relation of the manner in which he treated them.

About six months ago I went to pay him a visit, along with an intimate friend, no less remarkable for a natural curiosity.-On arriving at his little hut, we found, to our no small disappointment, that he was from home. As my friend, however, had never

been in that part of the country before, I conducted him to the glen, to take a view of some of the beautifully romantic scenes and wild prospects that this place affords. We had not proceeded far along the bottom of the vale, when, hearing a rustling among the branches above our heads, I discovered our hoary botanist, with his basket, passing along the brow of a rock, that hung almost over the centre of the stream. Having pointed him out to my companion, we were at a loss for some time how to bring about a conversation with him: having however, a flute in my pocket, of which music he is exceedingly fond, I began a few airs, which, by the sweetness of the echoes, were heightened into the most enchanting melody. In a few minutes this had its desired effect; and our little old man stood beside us, with his basket in his hand. On stopping at his approach, he desired us to proceed, complimented us on the sweetness of our music, expressed the surprise he was in on hearing it; and leaning his basket on an old trunk, listened with all the enthusiasm of rapture. He then, at our request, presented us with a sight of the herbs he had been collecting, entertained us with a narrative of the discoveries he had made in his frequent searches through the vale, "which," said he, "contains treasures that few know the value of."

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Seeing us pleased with this discourse, he launched forth into a more particular account of the vegetables, reptiles, wild beasts, and insects that frequented the place, and with much judgment explained their various properties. Were it not" says he, "for the innumerable millions of insects, that in the summer months swarm in the air, I believe dead carcasses and other putrid substances might have dreadful effects; but no sooner does a carcase begin to grow putrid, than these insects, led by the smell, flock to the

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place, and there deposit their eggs, which in a few days produce such a number of maggots, that the carcase is soon consumed. While they are thus employed below, the parent flies are no less busy in devouring the noxious vapours that incessantly ascend, thus the air by these insects is kept sweet and pure, till the storms of winter render their existence unnecessary, and at once destroys them. And Heaven that has formed nothing in vain, exhibits these things to our contemplation, that we may adore that all bounteous Creator, who makes even the most minute and seemingly destructive creatures subservient to the good of man."

In such a manner did this poor and illiterate peasant moralize on the common occurrences of nature; these glorious and invaluable truths did he deduce from vile reptiles, the unheeded insect, and simple herb, that lies neglected or is trodden under foot as useless or offensive; and what friend to mankind does not, on contemplating this hoary rustic's story, fondly wish, with its writer, that learning had lent its aid to polish a genius that might have one day surprised the world with the glorious blaze of a Locke or a Newton.

I have nothing, Sir, to offer as an apology for the length of this paper, but the entertainment I hoped it might afford your numerous readers, and its truth, which is not unknown to a number of your respectable subscribers in this quarter, some of whom may perhaps favour you with more particulars respecting his discoveries than can at present be given by A. W- -N.a

Paisley, February 16, 1791.

a We extract this letter from the "Bee," of March, 1791; and as an illustration to it, the following paragraph from Sir W. Jardine's edition of the Ornithology, is given. It will be obvious to the reader, that Wilson's description of this real and singularly remarkable individual, does not altogether agree with Jardine's,

ORATION ON THE POWER AND VALUE OF
NATIONAL LIBERTY,

DELIVERED TO A LARGE ASSEMBLY OF CITIZENS, AT MILESTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA, ON WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4TH, 1801, THE DAY ON WHICH MR. JEFFERSON WAS ELECTED PRESIDENT.

Disguise thyself as thou wilt, still, Slavery, still thou art a bitter draught; and though thousands in all ages have been made to drink of thee, thou art no less bitter on that account.

STERNE.

GENTLEMEN,-The subject to which I mean to call your attention, on this distinguished occasion, is the power and value of national liberty; a subject of all other earthly concerns the most interesting to

but no doubts of uncertainty need be entertained as to whose is the most correct, for Wilson being personally acquainted with the original, his must have the preference and can be depended on. It is said that Wilson offered himself to the editor, Dr. Anderson, as assistant editor, and had at one time some hopes of his services being accepted:

"This very eccentric character, whom Wilson had discovered during his rambles, and frequently visited, was an Irishman named Robert Carswell, and received the nickname of Tippenny Robin, from the circumstance of his never accepting more than twopence for a day's work, except during harvest, when he allowed it to be doubled. He lived in a small thatched house, at the Kaim, on the Calder, but was very anxious to possess another dwelling, objecting to that in which he lived on account of a loft, which he said prevented his prayers from reaching heaven. The inside was very dirty, filled with peats and potatoes, and was never allowed to be swept unless by himself. He had hoarded up some money, which was kept in paper parcels of a few shillings each, generally scattered about the floor, and which, at his death, he bequeathed to the parish poor. His dress was a plain plaiding doublet, the waist girt with a rope of straw or tow, in the one side of which was always hung the key of his door, and in the other stuck a bourtree sheath, for holding his knitting-wires. Notwithstanding these habits, he had received a better education, could read and write, and possessed a considerable number of books-he could also fence. He was a Cameronian, and every Friday left his house early for some wild elevated ground, carrying with him a creel-full of books, and remained abroad the whole day."

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