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burgh, which has been remarked by most travellers who have visited both capitals, has conferred upon the Scottish metropolis the title of "The Modern Athens." Stuart, author of "The Antiquities of Athens," was the first to draw attention to this resemblance, and his opinion has been confirmed by the high testimony of Dr. Clarke, and of Mr. H. W. Williams. Dr. Clarke remarks, that the neighbourhood of Athens is just the Highlands of Scotland enriched with the splendid remains of Art, and Mr. Williams observes, that if the lakes of Scotland were plains, he knows no country so like illustrious Greece. The latter author also adds, "The distant view of Athens from the Ægean Sea, is extremely like that of Edinburgh from the Firth of Forth, though certainly the latter is considerably superior."† Upon the whole, it appears to be generally admitted, that

• In one of those altercations with which Lords Brougham and Campbell occasionally enliven the Upper House of Parliament, it was stated by the former that the epithet "Modern Athens" was resented by the inhabitants of Edinburgh as a mockery or an insult. So far as our own experience goes, we have never heard of any of our townsmen quarrelling with the epithet.

† From Mr. Chambers' interesting volume entitled "Walks in Edinburgh," we quote the parallel drawn between Edinburgh and Athens, by the distinguished artist above mentioned: "The epithets Northern Athens and Modern Athens," says Mr. Williams, "have been so frequently applied to Edinburgh, that the mind unconsciously yields to the illusion awakened by these terms, and imagines that the resemblance between these cities must extend from the natural localities, and the public buildings, to the streets and private edifices. The very reverse of this is the case; for, setting aside her public structures, Athens, even in her best days, could not have coped with the capital of Scotland. The truth is, that the comforts of the Athenians were constantly sacrificed to the public benefit; and the ruins which still remain to attest the

in pictorial effect-arising partly from its architectural attractions, but much more from its commanding situation-Edinburgh is not surpassed, if it be equalled, by any city in the world.

unrivalled magnificence of the temples of Athens afford no criterion by which we may judge of the character of her private dwellings. Athens-as it now exists, independent of its ruins, and deprived of the charm of association-is contemptible; its houses are mean, and its streets scarcely deserve the name. Still, however, "when distance lends enchantment to the view," even the mud-walls of Athens assume features of importance, and the modern city appears almost worthy of the Acropolis which ornaments it. It is when seen under this advantage, that the likeness of Edinburgh to Athens is most strikingly apparent.

There are several points of view, on the elevated grounds near Edinburgh, from which this resemblance is almost complete. From Tor-Phin, in particular, one of the low heads of the Pentlands, immediately above the village of Colinton, the landscape is exactly that of the vicinity of Athens, as viewed from the bottom of Mount Anchesmus. Close upon the right, Brilessus is represented by the mound of Braid; before us, in the abrupt and dark mass of the Castle, rises the Acropolis; the hill Lycabetus, joined to that of the Areopagus, appears in the Calton; in the Firth of Forth we behold the Ægean Sea; in Inchkeith, Ægina; and the hills of the Peloponnesus are precisely those of the opposite coast of Fife. Nor is the resemblance less striking in the general characteristics of the scene; for although we cannot exclaim, "these are the groves of the Academy, and that the Sacred Way!" yet, as on the Attic shore, we certainly here behold

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And clustering towns, and monuments of fame,
And scenes of glorious deeds, in little bounds!"

It is, indeed, most remarkable and astonishing, that two cities, placed at such a distance from each other, and so different in every political and artificial circumstance, should naturally be so alike. Were the National Monument to be erected upon the site of the present Barracks in the Castle, an important additional feature of resemblance would be conferred upon the landscape; that being the corresponding position of the Parthenon in the Acropolis."

Nor are the natural or artificial beauties of the place its only attractions, for many of its localities teem with the recollections of "the majestic past," and are associated with events of deep historical importance. Other of its localities have been invested with an interest no less engrossing by the transcendent genius of Sir Walter Scott, whose novels have not only refreshed and embellished the incidents of history, but have conferred on many a spot, formerly unknown to fame, a reputation as enduring as the annals of history itself.

In literary eminence, also, Edinburgh claims a distinguished place. At the commencement of the present century its University displayed an array of contemporaneous talent unequalled by any similar institution either before or since,* and the present professors continue honourably to maintain its scientific and literary reputation.

The population of Edinburgh and Leith, at the Union in 1707, was estimated at 35,000. In 1755, it had increased to 57,195; and in 1775, to 70,430. The population of the city and suburbs, exclusive of Leith, according to the decennial census since 1801, has been-in 1801, 66,544; in 1811, 81,784; in 1821, 112,235; in 1831, 136,301; in 1841, 188,182; and in 1851, 160,084.†

* We have only to remind our readers of the names of Robertson, Playfair, Black, Cullen, Robison, Blair, Dugald Stewart, Gregory, and Monro, to vindicate what otherwise might appear a sweeping assertion.

†These are the numbers according to the Parochial enumerations. Within the Parliamentary boundary the population is rather greater.

POPULATION RETURNS OF 1841 FOR EDINBURGH AND ITS SUBURBS.

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Distinguishing males from females, the above table shows an excess of the latter amounting to 15,556. Probably no great city in the kingdom exhibits such a numerical disproportion in the sexes. This circumstance is mainly to be attributed to the stationary or retrograde state of industrial occupation in the town, the young men being obliged to seek for employment in other fields of enterprise. while the females, less adventurous, and less able to indulge the spirit of adventure where it exists, are compelled to remain "cabin'd, cribb'd, confin'd," in their native town. The numerical preponderance of the gentler sex may further be accounted for by the fact, that an unusually large proportion of the inhabitants of Edinburgh are in circumstances enabling them to employ one or more domestic servants, of whom the great proportion are females.

A comparison of the population returns of Edinburgh, with those of five other of the large towns of

the kingdom, will enable the reader to form some idea of the proportions which the professional and other liberally educated classes bear to the other orders of society. The returns for 1831 admitting of a more accurate classification than those of 1841, we adopt the former, as being more convenient for our present purpose.

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This table, compiled from parliamentary documents, not only demonstrates the large proportion borne by the educated ranks to the general mass of the population, but from the number of male and female domestic servants it is also obvious, that the average number of families in comfortable circum

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