"Lord Crawford's accounts of the military business are extremely curious, and distinctly

accurate.

"I read a copy of them, by favour of the late General Leslie, brother to Lord Rothes, but under engagements of not taking a copy, because they might be intended for publication by the family of Crawford, from the circumstance of their doing great credit to their relation.

"The persons concerned in both the campaign and the history, being all dead, the letters may be justly considered as a curious, historical morsel, which may be irretrievauly lost, if not soon exempted from its present precarious situation.

"I died several years ago, as I have often told you, and therefore mouldered away, like other perishable creatures of the vegetable structure, upon the very spot where I first sprung up. But I hope that you, who are alive, and vigorously flourishing, will have a just regard to the appearance of a Baronet's ghost, that points out where a treasure may be found by a little careful digging.

"The publishing of these letters, while the facts and persons are yet pretty fresh in the heads of many, would do honour to the family of Lindsay - Crawford, and be translated speedily into all the languages of Europe.

"Remember that I expect, for this hint, a present of a copy of the letters, in Russian

leather, to be laid upon my tomb when published.

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Every year of delay, however, will bring rust on the subject, and lessen the celebrity of the publication.

"Remember the opinion that was given to you, when but a stripling in literature, by my learned and excellent relation, Lord Hailes, • That it was to the free and undisguised correspondence of the great actors on the stage of history, that one ought to look for the true res gesta, and characters of men, and not in the hireling histories of partizans or negociators with booksellers for mutual advantage.'

"I have been trying, like you, to pick up some real Scottish history, among the fables of the saints, and, among others, that of St Columba, which one may often do with success; as, in many cases, there was no secular temptation to prevaricate or disguise.

"In making this research, some very funny particulars have occurred, with which I am inclined, at this moment, to disturb your philosophical gravity.

"I will mention two miracles of St Columba, in one of which he was agent, and in the other only the object:

1. "A perverse female hating her husband, would not partake of conjugal benevolence. The good-natured saint changed her hatred to love; so that says the author*, "Illa ma

ritalis concubitus debita quæ prius reddere renuebat, nullo modo deinceps recusat." Which benevolent miracle, no doubt, contributed much to the satisfaction and consolation of the parties concerned.

2. "A horse, who probably had been much edified by observing the devout life of the saint, wept most bitterly at his death: nor is this without example, though Scotch horses do not commonly shed tears now-a-days; for we have the authority of Virgil, that Pallas's horse wept. SA

"Post bellator equus, positis insignibus Æthon

"It lachrymas, guttisque humectat grandibus`ora.

"And why a Scotch horse may not weep for the death of a first-rate preacher, as well as an Italian horse for the death of a fighter, no reason can be assigned.

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"On the death of a King of the Scots, Columba, (who, as it appears, had a great sway in public affairs,) was very desirous of giving the preference to the younger son, in opposition to Aidon, who was the eldest. But for this offence he was severely cudgelled by an angel! Columba was schismatic, not having kept Easter on the same day with infallible Rome. He died 9th Dec. anno 598.: ie "Accept of all this drollery with your usual good humour."

I take it to be a great advantage, that one can amuse one's self with an old idle story in these stormy times.

I look on myself as a ship that has got into a safe harbour, and sees a large fleet distressed in a hurricane.

NOT many years ago, when I was at Datchet, I saw the justly celebrated Herschel, before he was, with great propriety, made a Doctor of Laws, as a reward for his astrono-mical discoveries.

That extraordinary man, the Columbus of the heavens, (who needed no common-place distinction to point the finger of universal applause,) had then twelve men by relays, working on the lathe of his great speculum, and he was attended by a groupe of curious visitors, of which I had the honour to compose a part.

All eyes and tongues were busy.

After much, and, no doubt, very judicious and satisfactory investigation, one of the groupe, who seemed to be a very sage astronomer, whispered softly in my ear, "What a

"lucky fellow Herschel is !---I gave him the

hint of this thirty years ago, in the pump"room at Bath; and now he keeps all his "devices to himself in mystery, like a Jacob

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Behmen, and gives out chapters, and views, "and stratums of the stars, as Mahomet gave "his disciples chapters of the Koran, after "having been carried up by Gabriel to the "seventh heaven."

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"Ay! (says another,) Do ten stesen kay ton "kosmon kinese. Read the President's speech on the Reflecting telescope, and you will "see to whom the world is obliged for all these "rareeshows."

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"Will this ever lead to the discovery of the longitude?" (said a third,)" It is the philosophy of astronomy, Sir!--The real use of "astronomy, Sir! to which I direct my atten"tion. I freely confess I am no hand at magic lanthorns."

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"I remember when I was in China, (said a fourth,) that I heard the rationale of the "thing from a missionary at Pekin; and Sir "Isaac Newton, you know, speaks of the application of a microscope to the catoptric telescope."

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He imagines that the new planet must "have satellites, but the devil a satellite there "is to be seen about it!---A p-x upon ra"tionales and analogies !---Will the man li"mit the variety of the universe?" (said another.)

I was silent as death ;---but, in the midst of