concerning the Imitation of Spencer. The stanza of Spencer, fays our Critic, is at once difficult and unpleafing: tiresome to the ear by its uniformity, and to the attention by its length. This is one of those fentences which he had a notable knack at conftructing-regularly balanced, founding well, and meaning nothing. The first charge of difficulty gives us to understand, that the Doctor had attempted to compofe in this stanza without fuccefs;-how elfe could he know that it was difficult? for he ought not to have given fuch a flanderous opinion upon the report. Difficulty is à relative term. The fuitors of Penelope could not bend the bow of Ulyffes; but the hero himself managed it with eafe, with grace, and with compleat effect."Will you play upon the pipe?" fays Hamlet to Guildenftern. "6 I know no touch of it, my Lord, it is at once difficult and unpleafing.' "Govern these ventiges with your fingers and thumb," continues the prince; "give it breath with your mouth, and it will difcourfe most eloquent mufic. Look you, these are the ftops." "But thefe," replies the fupple courtier, "these I cannot command to any utterance of harmony; I have not the skill."-Indeed when one confiders the vast number of ftanzas written by Spencer, it is impoffible, to believe that he found the meafure difficult. And," what this critic remarks of its uniformity be ing tirefome, will be found to hold true only when the poetry is faulty in other refpects. It admits both fimplicity and magnificence of found 51 and language, beyond any other ftanza that I am acquainted with. It allows the fententioufnefs of the couplet, and also the diversified cadence and complicated modulation of blank verfe." This is the opinion of Dr Beattie, who has himself given very good illuftrations of it; and it might be farther illuftrated, by tranfcribing one half of the Fairy Queen. Spencer is accused of having formed his ftanza in imitation of the Italian poets, without due regard to the genius of our language, &c.— This is a trite criticism, often delivered both before and fince Dr Johnfon used it. I freely own I have never seen any evidence of its truth: I think I have even feen evidence of its falfity. Spencer had confulted the genius of our language fufficiently to know that in a poem of length, fome fort of stanza was neceffary, to avoid the fuffocation of long periods. It remained, therefore for him, either to use one already formed, or to form one for himfelf. He was too loyally attached to Queen Befs, to turn smuggler, and import fuch counterband merchandize as the Italian Ottave rime. Nor had he any need to do fo, there being fufficient famples of that ware in England long before. In fact, if there was either fin or fhame in this affair, it muft lie at old father Chaucer's door. The Man of Law's tale, for example, which contains more than 1000 lines, is all in a ftanza closely copied from the Italiam Ottave rime. Here is an example: Me lift not of the chaff ne of the ftre, Of this marrigge, or which cours goth beforre, They eat, and drink, und dance, and fing, and play. They $2 Letter from the late King of Pruffia to the Countefs de Samas: They gon to bed, as it was fkill and right; As for the time, it may no bet betide. This is precifely the ftanza of Taffo and Ariofto, with this only difference, the first rhyme is not thrice repeated like the second, and that the Italians have their rhymes invariably feminine. The Monk's, and the Plowman's tales are in ftanzas of fimilar construction. Hence we fee with how little reafon Spencer is accused of copying the mea fures of the Tufcan fchool. His ftanza is very different, and very far fuperior. The introduction of the new rhyme at the fixth line gives scope for an infinite variety of modulation and cadence; and the concluding Alexandrine, either finishes a fubject with dignity, or, by a proper management of the paufe in the middle of it, forms a pleafing fufpenfion.-I beg leave, therefore, to conclude in direct oppofition to Dr Johnfon, and in perfect agreement with Shenstone, That the particulars in Spencer moft proper for imitation, are liis stanza, his fimplicity, his manner of defcription, and a peculiar tenderness of fentiment, remarkable throughout his works. Yours, &c. "I A Letter from the late King of Pruffia to the Countefs de Samas. Newftadt, Nov. 11. 1760. Am punctual in anfwering, and eager to oblige you. Perfons of the fame age agree wonderfully. I have given up fuppers these four years, as incompatible with the bufinefs I am forced to carry on; and, on marching days, my dinner is only a difh of chocolate. We have been running like madmen, quite elated with victory, to fee whether we could drive the Auftrians from Drefden; but they laughed at us from the tops of their mountains. I returned like a disappointed child, to hide my vexation in one of the moft curfed villages of Saxony. We must now drive Meffieurs Les Cercles out of Freyberg and Chemnitz, in order to get fomething to eat, and a place to fleep .in. "This is, I swear, fuch a dog's life, as no one, except Don Quixotte, ever led but myfelf. All this buffle, all this confufion, which feems to be without end, has made me fuch an old fellow, that you would hardly know me again. The hair on the right fide of my head is grown quite grey; my teeth break, and fall out; my face is as full of wrinkles as the furbelow of a petticoat, and my back arched like a monk's of La Trappe. I give you notice of all this, that, if we should meet again in fkin and bone, you may not be fhocked at my figure. Nothing belonging to me remains unaltered, except my heart, which, as long as I breathe, will retain its fentiments of affection and tender friendship for my good Mamma. Adieu Y A Journey A Journey to the Isle of Bass,—Inscribed to William Cochrane of Gulane, Efq. Ar laft yielded to their importu. nities to make one of a party to the Bass, and early one fine morning in the beginning of July, we fet out from Edinburgh and breakfafted at Aberlady. As an account of the Bafs itself would furnish materials but for a fhort effay, I fhall mention any thing that I know remarkable in the places thro' which we paffed. My information refpecting their ancient ftate is drawn from the best authorities, and may be depended on, Thomas Learmont, who is better known by the name of Thomas the Rhymer, and who lived in the 13th century, prophefyed that, at his return from France, John Duke of Albany fhould land at Aberlady. However, the Prophet was miftaken, for he landed at Dumbarton. Aberlady was a place of strength, and a famous port in thofe days. Nothing of the fortifications now remain, nor is it known with certainty where they were, In 1549, when the French and Scots were befieging the English in Haddington, a new fort was erected on the North point of the farm of Aberlady, to intercept any fuccours that might attempt to come by fea to the affistance of the befieged. Although an account of this fiege of Haddington is foreign to the fubject, yet it is fo curious that I fhall fay fomething of it. Haddington was feized and fortified by the Englifh in the month of April 1548: It had a garrifon of 2000 foot and 500 horfe, under the command of a brave and experienced officer. He baffled all the efforts of 17,000 Scots and French forces. A French of ficer who was prefent, has left us Voi. VI. N° 32. a minute account of the operations of the fiege, and the following defçription of the fort: "Le plant du " fort d'Edimton est tout quarré, et "affis au milieu d'une plaine raze "" et baffe, n'ayant montagne ne col"line qui lui puiffe commander. Il "eft clos d'un large foffe à fonds "de curr, et d'une bonne et forte "courtine de gazons de groffe terre, "reparée de fpacieux rempars, et appropriée de bons et feurs parapets; aux quatre coins de la "quelle font affis quatre fors boulevards," c. It appears from what follows in the fame author, that the fort was furrounded by a deep ditch, behind the rampart of the firft wall, lined with a ftrong cur tain, and cafe-mated. Ignorant, indeed, muft the affailants have been in the art of attacking forts, for, in the prefent ftate of the art, no place can be imagined lefs capable of defence. The French General advanced his lines fo near the fort, that his men were often knocked down by pieces of lead fixed to ftrings which the befieged held in their hands. Being repulfed in an attempt to take it by furprife, and in which he had gained the outworks, he turned the fiege into a blocade. The gover nor was taken in a fally which he made to favour the introduction of a fupply of provifions, and the detachment was cut in pieces; and the fort at Aberlady straitening the place more and more, it was evacuated in 1549. G Aberlady was a Menfal church of the Bishop of Dunkeld, and the greatest part of that Biflicp's lands were erected into the Barony of Aberlady about the middle of the 15th century. In 1673, the Commiffion of Teinds granted the minifter a very extraordinary augmentation of ftipend. It amounted to to 62 bolls, 3 firlots of victual, and ward was promifed for deftroying L. 406 Scots money. I could never learn how the right to this ftipend was loft, but at this day it is Jefs than even before the augmen tation was obtained. King James VI. gave the town of Haddington a road 40 feet broad from that place to the Port of Aberlady. About twenty-four years ago, they made a feeble attempt to construct a harbour there, but a fudden storm undid all their labours, and they have never been refumed. A mile to the Eaft of Aberlady, ftands Luffness, the property of the Hon. Charles Hope of Waughton. It has formerly been infulated and fortified. One half of the ditch is ftill entire and filled with water. The courfe of the other half is vifible; and the foundations of the baftions are allo to be feen. Perhaps Luffness was fortified at the fame time, and with the fame view that the fort of Aberlady was built. Bickerton, laird of Luffness, is faid to have treacherously ftabbed the Earl of Douglas at the battle of Ct terburn in 1388. This battle bears a great refemblance to that defcribed in the ballad of Chevy-Chace. The fame perfon was taken prifoner at the battle of Homildone in Northumberland in 1402. 'The Trinity Friars had a monaftery here, which is now level with the ground; and it is faid, that there was another monaftery belonging to the Carmelites. However that may be, there is a park called the Friar Ward, and a coarse tomb in it, which from the arms, that are now much defaced, appears to be that of a knight, of fome military order. " Saltcoats, now in ruins, ftands a mile to the Eastward of Luffnefs. There is a tradition, that long ago all this country was covered with woods, which were fo much infefted by a wild boar, that a great re him. The perfon that did it got the lands of Saltcoats. The fame tale is told of the ancestor of the family of Gordon, who obtained the lands of Gordon from Malcolm III. for a like feat. Within thefe twelve years, I faw the fpear and the glove he ufed in that action fold by public auction at Saltcoats for fixteen pence. Was it not for the value of the iron, I fancy the fword of King Robert Bruce, which is kept with fo much care at Dunfermline, might be bought as cheap. Half a mile from this is Gulane, the feat of William Cochrane, Efq. In 1140 David 1. built here a cell for Ciftertian Núns, which ́ depended on the Abbey at Berwick. The parish church remained at this place till 1612, when it was removed by act of parliament to Dirleton. Two miles farther Eaft is Dirle ton, the property of William Nifbet, Efq. It is built on a gentle eminence that gives it a command, ing view of the fruitful country to the Eaft and South, and of the Frith of Forth; and, upon the whole, it is one of the moft pleafant villages I ever faw. The castle is famous in ancient ftory: I thall only only mention, that in 1298, when Edward I. invaded Scotland by the Eaftern borders, no fort refifted the progrefs' of his arms till he came to Dirleton, which flood a long fiege. When before the place, his foldiers ate a great deal of peafe and beans, which they pulled in the fields in the month of July. This prefents us with a favourable view of agricul ture, even in thefe early times; and while I write, it is one of the most fertile places in Scotland. It was then in the poffeffion of a family of the name of De Vaux, or De Vallibus, from whom Mr Vans of Barnbarrow, near Wigton, is defcended; and whofe heir female, about the year 1380, carried the eftate in to A Journey to the Bafs. to the family of Haliburton, The eftate was acquired in the last century by Sir John Nifbet, who was King's Advocate in the reign of Charles II. It was dinner time before we reached North Berwick, which is two miles from Dirleton. We spent the evening in vifiting the ruins of the Priory, which was founded in 1216 by Duncan Earl of Fife, and confecrated to the Virgin Mary; and in going to the top of the Law, from whence we had a very extenfive view. There are many of thefe Laws in Scotland, and it is thought that on them juftice was administered of old. The Erfe name of fome of them fignifies the Hill of Strife, and does a little affift the conjecture. Early next morning we failed to the Ille of Bafs, which is three miles from North Berwick. It was long the property of a family of the name of Lauder, who derived their title from it, and who depended on the Earls of Douglas. It now belongs to Sir Hew Dalrymple, who has let it for about feventy guineas a-year. It fattens twenty-four fheep, whofe mutton is extremely well flavoured, owing to their grafs being watered by the fpray of the fea, which rough weather throws a great way up the rock on the South-weft fide, where it is only acceffible. It is near a mile in circumferance, and on three fides its edges are almoft perpendicular. We rowed round it clofe to the rock, and I never beheld a more awful fight than thofe frightful precipices, that in fome places rife 480 feet above the level of the fea, and whofe concave furfaces feems to threaten deftruction to thofe who fail underneath. The horror of the scene was increased by the fight of a man half way down, who was catching the young geefe at the perpetual risk of his Life, and was fufpended from the G 5 top of the rock by a rope round his middle. When we came to the cave, which is a paffage Hollowed by the tide through the Bafs near the South-weft fide, a fhot was fired to give the alarm to the birds. They came cut in thoufands, with moft unnatural cries, which, with the reports of the gun, and the echoes of the rock, made a curious affemblage of difcordant founds. Vaft numbers of folon geefe come here in February and March, and ftay till the months of September or October, when they go to the Northern Iflands, where they pafs the Winter. They do not lay more than one egg in a feafon, and they never begin to lay till they are five years old. I know no place in the South of Scotland where they hatch but the Bafs, and fuch another rockoff the coaft of Ayr-fhire. Thofe at the Bafs are the largeft, fome of them meafuring feven feet between the tips of the wings, which are all tipped with black. Thofe on the coaft of Ayr-fhire have a beautiful black ftreak down their backs. At both places there are varieties of other fowls which any perfon is at liberty to fhoot. The Bafs was formerly a caftle, and it was converted into a state prifon a little more than an hundred years ago. The Duke of Somerfet, Protector of England, after the death of Henry VIII. fent a ftrong fleet into Scotland. The admiral, mifcarrying in an attempt to bribe the governor of the Bais, failed up the Frith and feized and fortified Inch-Keith; and one night he landed "en la plage de Berladé quilques munitions pour Edim " 66 It held out against the government for feven years after the Revolution in 1688. Thirty-two defperadoes had feized on it, and fubfifted by plundering all fhips they could lay hold of, and by little depredations 2 |