tered　at　the　Scottish　bar　made　a　Latin　address　to　the　Court；　faculty；　and　audience；　in　set　terms；　and　said　a　few　words　upon　a　text　of　the　civil　law；　to　show　his　Latinity　and　jurisprudence。　　He　also　wore　his　hat　for　a　minute；　in　order　to　vindicate　his　right　of　being　covered　before　the　Court；　which　is　said　to　have　originated　from　the　celebrated　lawyer；　Sir　Thomas　Hope；　having　two　sons　on　the　bench　while　he　himself　remained　at　the　bar。　　Of　late　this　ceremony　has　been　dispensed　with；　as　occupying　the　time　of　the　Court　unnecessarily。　The　entrant　lawyer　merely　takes　the　oaths　to　government；　and　swears　to　maintain　the　rules　and　privileges　of　his　order。＇　　has　been　spoken　more　SOLITO　from　the　corner　of　the　bench；　and　with　covered　headuntil　you　have　sworn　to　defend　the　liberties　and　privileges　of　the　College　of　Justiceuntil　the　black　gown　is　hung　on　your　shoulders；　and　you　are　free　as　any　of　the　Faculty　to　sue　or　defend。　　Then　will　I　step　forth；　Alan；　and　in　a　character　which　even　your　father　will　allow　may　be　more　useful　to　you　than　had　I　shared　this　splendid　termination　of　your　legal　studies。　　In　a　word；　if　I　cannot　be　a　counsel；　I　am　determined　to　be　a　CLIENT；　a　sort　of　person　without　whom　a　lawsuit　would　be　as　dull　as　a　supposed　case。　　Yes；　I　am　determined　to　give　you　your　first　fee。　One　can　easily；　I　am　assured；　get　into　a　lawsuitit　is　only　the　getting　out　which　is　sometimes　found　troublesome；and；　with　your　kind　father　for　an　agent；　and　you　for　my　counsel　learned　in　the　law；　and　the　worshipful　Master　Samuel　Griffiths　to　back　me；　a　few　sessions　shall　not　tire　my　patience。　　In　short；　I　will　make　my　way　into　court；　even　if　it　should　cost　me　the　committing　a　DELICT；　or　at　least　a　QUASI　DELICT。You　see　all　is　not　lost　of　what　Erskine　wrote；　and　Wallace　taught。
  Thus　far　I　have　fooled　it　off　well　enough；　and　yet；　Alan；　all　is　not　at　ease　within　me。　　I　am　affected　with　a　sense　of　loneliness；　the　more　depressing；　that　it　seems　to　me　to　be　a　solitude　peculiarly　my　own。　　In　a　country　where　all　the　world　have　a　circle　of　consanguinity；　extending　to　sixth　cousins　at　least；　I　am　a　solitary　individual；　having　only　one　kind　heart　to　throb　in　unison　with　my　own。　　If　I　were　condemned　to　labour　for　my　bread；　methinks　I　should　less　regard　this　peculiar　species　of　deprivation；　The　necessary　communication　of　master　and　servant　would　be　at　least　a　tie　which　would　attach　me　to　the　rest　of　my　kindas　it　is；　my　very　independence　seems　to　enhance　the　peculiarity　of　my　situation。　　I　am　in　the　world　as　a　stranger　in　the　crowded　coffeehouse；　where　he　enters；　calls　for　what　refreshment　he　wants；　pays　his　bill；　and　is　forgotten　so　soon　as　the　waiter's　mouth　has　pronounced　his　'Thank　ye；　sir。'
  I　know　your　good　father　would　term　this　SINNING　MY　MERCIES；　＇A　peculiar　Scottish　phrase　expressive　of　ingratitude　for　the　favours　of　Providence。＇　　and　ask　how　I　should　feel　if；　instead　of　being　able　to　throw　down　my　reckoning；　I　were　obliged　to　deprecate　the　resentment　of　the　landlord　for　consuming　that　which　I　could　not　pay　for。　　I　cannot　tell　how　it　is；　but；　though　this　very　reasonable　reflection　comes　across　me；　and　though　I　do　confess　that　four　hundred　a　year　in　possession；　eight　hundred　in　near　prospect；　and　the　Ld　knows　how　many　hundreds　more　in　the　distance；　are　very　pretty　and　comfortable　things；　yet　I　would　freely　give　one　half　of　them　to　call　your　father　father；　though　he　should　scold　me　for　my　idleness　every　hour　of　the　day；　and　to　call　you　brother；　though　a　brother　whose　merits　would　throw　my　own　so　completely　into　the　shade。
  The　faint；　yet　not　improbable；　belief　has　often　come　across　me；　that　your　father　knows　something　more　about　my　birth　and　condition　than　he　is　willing　to　communicate；　it　is　so　unlikely　that　I　should　be　left　in　Edinburgh　at　six　years　old；　without　any　other　recommendation　than　the　regular　payment　of　my　board　to　old　M；　＇Probably　Mathieson；　the　predecessor　of　Dr。　Adams；　to　whose　memory　the　author　and　his　contemporaries　owe　a　deep　debt　of　gratitude。＇　　of　the　High　School。　　Before　that　time；　as　I　have　often　told　you；　I　have　but　a　recollection　of　unbounded　indulgence　on　my　mother's　part；　and　the　most　tyrannical　exertion　of　caprice　on　my　own。　　I　remember　still　how　bitterly　she　sighed；　how　vainly　she　strove　to　soothe　me；　while；　in　the　full　energy　of　despotism；　I　roared　like　ten　bull…calves；　for　something　which　it　was　impossible　to　procure　for　me。　　She　is　dead；　that　kind；　that　ill…　rewarded　mother！　　I　remember　the　long　facesthe　darkened　rooms　the　black　hangingsthe　mysterious　impression　made　upon　my　mind　by　the　hearse　and　mourning　coaches；　and　the　difficulty　which　I　had　to　reconcile　all　this　to　the　disappearance　of　my　mother。　　I　do　not　think　I　had　before　this　event　formed；　any　idea；　of　death；　or　that　I　had　even　heard　of　that　final　consummation　of　all　that　lives。　　The　first　acquaintance　which　I　formed　with　it　deprived　me　of　my　only　relation。
  A　clergyman　of　venerable　appearance；　our　only　visitor；　was　my　guide　and　companion　in　a　journey　of　considerable　length；　and　in　the　charge　of　another　elderly　man；　substituted　in　his　place；　I　know　not　how　or　why；　I　completed　my　journey　to　Scotlandand　this　is　all　I　recollect。
  I　repeat　the　little　history　now；　as　I　have　a　hundred　times　before；　merely　because　I　would　wring　some　sense　out　of　it。　　Turn；　then；　thy　sharp；　wire…drawing；　lawyer…like　ingenuity　to　the　same　taskmake　up　my　history　as　though　thou　wert　shaping　the　blundering　allegations　of　some　blue…bonneted；　hard…headed　client；　into　a　condescendence　of　facts　and　circumstances；　and　thou　shalt　be；　not　my　ApolloQUID　TIBI　CUM　LYRA？but　my　Lord　Stair；　＇Celebrated　as　a　Scottish　lawyer。＇　　Meanwhile；　I　have　written　myself　out　of　my　melancholy　and　blue　devils；　merely　by　prosing　about　them；　so　I　will　now　converse　half　an　hour　with　Roan　Robin　in　his　stallthe　rascal　knows　me　already；　and　snickers　whenever　I　cross　the　threshold　of　the　stable。
  The　black　which　you　bestrode　yesterday　morning　promises　to　be　an　admirable　roadster；　and　ambled　as　easily　with　Sam　and　the　portmanteau；　as　with　you　and　your　load　of　law…learning。　　Sam　promises　to　be　steady；　and　has　hitherto　been　so。　　No　long　trial；　you　will　say。　　He　lays　the　blame　of　former　inaccuracies　on　evil　companythe　people　who　were　at　the　livery…stable　were　too　seductive；　I　supposehe　denies　he　ever　did　the　horse　injustice　would　rather　have　wanted　his　own　dinner；　he　says。　　In　this　I　believe　him；　as　Roan　Robin's　ribs　and　coat　show　no　marks　of　contradiction。　　However；　as　he　will　meet　with　no　saints　in　the　inns　we　frequent；　and　as　oats　are　sometimes　as　speedily　converted　into　ale　as　John　Barleycorn　himself；　I　shall　keep　a　look…out　after　Master　Sam。　　Stupid　fellow！　　had　he　not　abused　my　good　nature；　I　might　have　chatted　to　him　to　keep　my　tongue　in　exercise；　whereas　now　I　must　keep　him　at　a　distance。
  Do　you　remember　what　Mr。　Fairford　said　to　me　on　this　subjectit　did　not　become　my　father's　son　to　speak　in　that　manner　to　Sam's　father's　son？　　I　asked　you　what　your　father　could　possibly　know　of　mine；　and　you　answered；　'As　much；　you　supposed；　as　he　knew　of　Sam'sit　was　a　proverbial　expression。'　　This　did　not　quite　satisfy　me；　though　I　am　sure　I　cannot　tell　why　it　should　not。　But　I　am　returning　to　a　fruitless　and　exhausted　subject。　　Do　not　be　afraid　that　I　shall　come　back　on　this　well…trodden　yet　pathless　field　of　conjecture。　　I　know　nothing　so　useless；　so　utterly　feeble　and　contemptible；　as　the　groaning　forth　one's　lamentations　into　the　ears　of　our　friends。
  I　would　fain　promise　you　that　my　letters　shall　be　as　entertaining　as　I　am　determined　they　shall　be　regular　and　well　filled。　　We　have　an　advantage　over　the　dear　friends　of　old；　every　pair　of　them。　　Neither　David　and　Jonathan；　nor　Orestes　and　Pylades；　nor　Damon　and　Pythiasalthough；　in　the　latter　case　particularly；　a　letter　by　post　would　have　been　very　acceptableever　corresponded　together；　for　they　probably　could　not　write；　and　certainly　had　neither　post　nor　franks　to　speed　their　effusions　to　each　other；　whereas　yours；　which　you　had　from　the　old　peer；　being　handled　gently；　and　opened　with　precaution；　may　be　returned　to　me　again；　and　serve　to　make　us　free　of　his　Majesty's　post　office；　during　the　whole　time　of　my　proposed　tour。　　＇It　is　well　known　and　remembered；　that　when　Members　of　Parliament　enjoyed　the　unlimited　privilege　of　franking　by　the　mere　writing　the　name　on　the　cover；　it　was　extended　to　the　most　extraordinary　occasions。　　One　noble　lord；　to　express　his　regard　for　a　particular　regiment；　franked　a　letter　for　every　rank　and　file。　　It　was　customary　also　to　save　the　covers　and　return　them；　in　order　that　the　correspondence　might　be　carried　on　as　long　as　the　envelopes　could　hold　together。＇　　Mercy　upon　us；　Alan！　　what　letters　I　shall　have　to　send　to　you；　with　an　account　of　all　that　I　can　collect；　of　pleasant　or　rare；　in　this　wild…goose　jaunt　of　mine！　　All　I　stipulate　is　that　you　do　not　communicate　them　to　the　SCOTS　MAGAZINE；　for　though　you　used；　in　a　left…handed　way；　to　compliment　me　on　my　attainments　in　the　lighter　branches　of　literature；　at　the　expense　of　my　deficiency　in　the　weightier　matters　of　the　law；　I　am　not　yet　audacious　enough　to　enter　the　portal　which　the　learned　Ruddiman　so　kindly　opened　for　the　acolytes　of　the　Muses。VALE　SIS　MEMOR　MEI。　　D。　L。
  PS。　Direct　to　the　Post　Office　he