Meanwhile our publication agents at home continued to do what they could to keep our business in that line, on as respectable a footing as possible ;-while A. F. continued his exertions in the north,—and R. F. to get matters established on as good a footing as he could, in the new districts, over which he was now appointed to act as the principal, or governing agent; so that things upon the whole, seemed to move on pretty smoothly, in that way.

But alas! There seems to have been little else than ups and downs, allotted to me in this world,-for, the most alarming accounts began in a short time, to pour in from my auction agents in all quarters.

From Prestonpans, T. C. writes of the 6th November, "The people in this quarter, are in the utmost misery, and not able to purchase books, probably we may do some better in Ormiston, but I very much doubt it."

Of November 12, P. C. writes from Edinburgh, “I never saw the like before, at this time of the year,—they will bid for nothing, and the house full of gentlemen, and the prices very small."-While, J. T. with his first returns from Leith, up to the 15th November, begins, "I have had very bad success this last week," &c.

All this was rather unfortunate, and I may say very provoking at such a time, for I had lately been reminded by Mr in a letter on other business, although connected with that publication, that I had, in addition to my other demands coming round, a heavy payment to make, on account of a work, in which, I had taken a very considerable concern, on the 25th of the month, (November,)-but in which I was likely to be a good deal put about, in consequence of these short-comings, and having been so long kept out of the work itself, in a complete state, by reason of the injunction that had been laid upon it, and which, as I have already mentioned, had only recently been removed.

the south afterwards, I do not distinctly recollect, but it is most likely he would, so far as he could be spared ;-and meantime, so soon as he had got his canvassing, or publication matters adjusted, I find our western P. C. at his auction work again, in that quarter, on the 5th December, where he continued for a month, viz. up to the 5th January.

Upon making a true statement, and representation of the case, however, to some kind friends, that difficulty was got over, and I was thereby, the better enabled, to husband the resources I expected to derive from that valuable work, now that I had got it into my hands at last, in a complete form; without the alternative of forcing it prematurely into the market :-a thing that must, at the time, have been to me so very desirable.

Whether this unhappy turn in the produce of our auction sales, proceeded mostly from the circumstance of a second late harvest, or whatever cause, the facts above stated must speak for themselves, while those I am now about to communicate, too plainly evince, that, instead of mending and improving for the present, things rather continued to get worse, so that time and patience, both, soon became absolutely necessary, in a degree, of which I could previously have had no possible conception.

Indeed, P. C. of Edinburgh, who had, in his time, stood out so many auctioning campaigns, writes from Edinburgh of the 21st November, "I have auctioned this many years, never saw the like before this year."

In J. T.'s returns from Leith, up to December 5, he says, "It was hardly possible to make a sale.”

In P. C.'s returns from Glasgow, up to the end of December, he begins by saying, "You have the transactions of other six nights before you, and a miserable week it has been -and towards the conclusion, this feeling and friendly person observes, "I am very sorry to hear of your being indisposed, -indeed, your long silence led me to think, that there was some thing the matter. I am much afraid, Sir, that the bustle of this life, and the extensive business in which you are involved, is too much for the constitution, however much your disposition leads for to be active and useful."

To these remarks, I have added in my reminiscences, "Well said, friend Peter, and many thanks for the feeling manner in which you have expressed yourself, but, in THESE TERRIBLE TIMES, with these DISCOURAGING RETURNS,—and with SUCH ENGAGEMENTS hanging over me, how could it be otherwise, than I should make myself active and useful, to the

greatest possible degree, that providence put within my power."-I might have rather said, that I should endeavour to do so, for it appears, the indisposition here alluded to, was the effect of over exertion, at a sale, I had attempted to commence at Dunbar, on the evening of the 8th of December, in a state of indisposition, and contrary to the advice of friends, such was my anxiety to get forward, while the season for auctioning lasted; but from which, I was obliged to retire in a state of fever, which put an end to my personal exertions in that way for the winter!-was the occasion of my silence to my worthy agent,-and was the cause of my confinement for a considerable time afterwards, as will afterwards appear.

While, to complete the climax of my discouragements from a distance, my Inverness agent, not only informs me in a letter of the 10th December, of something that must have given me a good deal of uneasiness, but follows it up in that of the 29th, with the afflicting intelligence of the shipwreck of the Santola packet of Kirkwall, on board of which, was a fine young man, to whom he had intrusted a parcel of books to his brother in Orkney-but who must have gone down with the rest, as all my effects were lost, and "all on board had perished."

This, I see, I remarked, was rather a bad omen, as connected with the late extension of our business to that quarter,-but we need not anticipate ;-bad news will come soon enough when they do come, and I had too much reason to think, as another year went down in clouds, that another storm was brewing, in a quarter from which we should not have expected it so soon,-and that, there might still be another in reserve.

CHAPTER XXII.-1818.

Beset with evils.-Friendly expression of a kind friend.—Enter the year 1818, with trembling steps. My New Year's Day walk this time, must have been more limited than the last. My indisposition continues-Another agent alarmed by my silence-His manner of expressing himself, different from the others.His dreams in the night,-What confirmed his suspicions.—Appalling motto to my new retrospect, the meaning of which I endeavour to soften.-Affecting extract from my retrospect of 17th January.-Matters do not mend by the end of the month.-Small returns from auctioneers.-Auction route described.-Auction room broken into, and books stolen.-No remittances yet from the Caithness and Orkney districts.-A considerable falling off, in the sixth general quarterly return, from my Inverness agent. Still confined "within the walls of a house,”—A significant hint, in a few intelligible words, that I must no longer be sanguine in my hopes, as to my long anticipated golden harvest, from a certain quarter. The reasons why.-Sundry important questions, arising out of that information, coupled with the reasons assigned. -One great benefit, attendant on my long protracted, or slow convalescence. -How I availed myself of it.-Draw up a statement of the whole of my recent proceedings, and the results of these proceedings.—My resolution in consequence, after mature consideration, and seeing exactly how matters stood. -Submit my statements to my creditors, with an address, including references to the several statements.—Abstract, being nearly a full copy of, that address.

Ir may readily be supposed, that, with so many poor returns coming in from all quarters-the dreadful sacrifices of stock that the auctioneers were obliged to make, even to insure these returns, small as they were-the increasing gloominess of the prospect around me—and my still continued indisposition, which prevented me from taking such an active part as I would otherwise have done personally, in this dreadful tug of war-or, as I may now term it, mortal fray, which called forth the following expression of pity from a friend, who well knew how I was situated, and had occasion to write me about the time-"I am truly sorry to notice your unfortunate situation, at such a time especially."

It may readily be supposed, I say, that, so beset with evils, and so many hard considerations pressing upon me, I must have entered the year 1818 with trembling steps, and a mind approaching to, if it had not already reached, the acme of

despondency; and it was not likely, that, at this returning season, I should have the benefit of my solitary sea-side walk, to aid me in calling in, and concentrating, my distracted thoughts, and giving them their proper direction, to past, present, and future occurrences;-for, if, on the new-year's day preceding, I was limited in my walk, to the Church hill, or to a very little distance beyond the toll-bar, (which the traveller will observe adjoining to the church-yard wall, to the east, or south-east, of the town,) I have every reason to believe, from what, not only friend Peter, but my other agent at Inverness, reminded me of in his correspondence, that my excursion, could not, at this period, have extended beyond the boundaries of the premises I occupied. I say, my other agent at Inverness-for he too, it appears, had been alarmed at my silence, although he expressed himself, and the state of his feelings, in a manner somewhat different from my lowland agent in the west, and in what, the historian of the exploits in the neighbourhood of Lochlaggan formerly alluded to, might have denominated, a more characteristic language for a native of the district or shire, in which is situated the isle of Skye, as being tinctured a little with the superstition of the Highlander, if not, claiming some alliance with those who were gifted with the second sight.

In a letter from this person, which I see I had received in course of the last week of the year, he expresses himself in the following manner:-"I had conjectured you was not well, from my dreams in the night time about you. What still confirmed me in the opinion, YOUR BEING PUNCTUAL IN WRITING." Hence, it is not to be wondered at, that I should commence my new retrospect, which, I see, is dated January 17, under circumstances that led me to adopt, in the motto, the language of despondency, although, as if ashamed of myself, I immediately proceed to state the cause of that despondency, which I plainly state is not at "the mercy of God," but " after all my exertions, and the great Searcher of hearts knows well what I have suffered on that account, of being able, to realize, the whole of my instalments !"

This short extract must give the true state of my feelings at the time I wrote that retrospect, on the 17th, and the mat