tlecourt as good as told me he would sit in my skirts, if he had not my interest at the last election, and because I chose to go with my own blood and third cousin, the Laird of Balruddery, they keepit me off the roll of freeholders, and now there comes a new nomination of justices, and I am left out-and whereas they pretend it was because I let David MacGuffog, the constable, draw the warrants, and manage the business his own gate, as if I had been a nose. o' wax, it's a main untruth; for I granted but seven warrants in my life, and the Dominie wrote every one of them-and if it had not been that unlucky business of Sandy MacGruthar's, that the constables should have keepit two or three days up yonder at the auld castle, just till they could get conve niency to send him to the county jail—and that cost me aneugh of siller-But I ken what Sir Thomas wants very well-it was just sick and sicklike about the seat in the kirk of Kilmagirdle-was I not enti

tled to have the front gallery facing the minister, rather than MacCrosskie of Creochstone, the son of deacon MacCrosskie the Dumfries weaver ?"

Mannering expressed his acquiescence in the justice of those various complaints.

"And then, Mr Mannering, there was the story about the road, and the fauld dike I ken Sir Thomas was behind there, and I said plainly to the clerk to the trus tees that I saw the cloven foot, let them take that as they like- would any gentleman, or set of gentlemen, go and drive a road right through the corner of a faulddike, and take away, as my agent obser ved to them, like two roods of good moorland pasture?—And there was the story about chusing the collector of the cess"→

"Certainly, sir, it is hard you should meet with any neglect in a country, where, to judge from the extent of their residence, your ancestors must have made a very important figure."

plain man, and do not dwell on these things; and I must needs say, I have little memory for them; but I wish you could have heard my father's stories about the old fights of the MacDingawaies-that's the Bertrams that now is-wi' the Irish, and wi' the Highlanders, that came here in their berlings from Ilay and Cantireand how they went to the Holy Land→→→→ that is, to Jerusalem and Jericho, wi' a' their clan at their heels-they had better have gaen to Jamaica, like Sir Thomas Kittlecourt's uncle-and how they brought home reliques, like those that catholics have, and a flag that's up yonder in the garret-if they had been casks of Muscavado, and puncheons of rum, it would have been better for the estate at this day

but there's little comparison between the auld keep at Kittlecourt and the castle of Ellangowan-I doubt if the keep's forty feet of front-But ye make no breakfast, Mr. Mannering; ye're no eating your meat; allow me to recommend some of

the kipper-It was John Hay that catched it Saturday was three weeks down at the stream below Hempseed ford," &c. &c. &c.

The Laird, whose indignation had for some time kept him pretty steady to one topic, now launched forth into his usual roving stile of conversation, which gave Mannering ample time to reflect upon the disadvantages attending the situation, which, an hour before, he had thought worthy of so much envy. Here was a country gentleman, whose most estimable quality seemed his perfect good nature, secretly fretting himself and murmuring against others for causes which, compared with any real evil in life, must weigh like dust in the balance; but such is the equal distribution of Providence. To those who lie out of the road of great afflictions, are assigned petty vexations, which answer all the purpose of disturbing their serenity; and every reader must have observed, that neither natural apathy nor acquired philosophy can render country gen-.

tlemen insensible to the grievances which. occur at elections, quarter sessions, and meetings of trustees.

Curious to investigate the manners of the country, Mannering took the advantage of a pause in good Mr Bertram's string of stories, to enquire what Captain Hatteraick so earnestly, wanted with the gypsey woman.:

"O to bless his ship, I suppose-you must know, Mr Mannering, that these freetraders, whom the law calls smugglers, having no religion, make it all up in superstition, and they have as many spells, and charms, and nonsense"

"Vanity and waur," said the Dominie, "it is a trafficking with the Evil One. Spells periapts, and charms, are of his devicechoice arrows out of Apollyon's quiver.'

"Hold your peace, Dominie--you're speaking for ever-(by the way it was the first words the poor man had uttered that morning, excepting that he said grace, and returned thanks) Mr Mannering can