l　would　the　Scottish　law　do　to　him；　though　he　had　as　much　of　it　as　either　Stair　or　Bankton；　sir？　　Is　not　the　foundation　of　our　municipal　law　the　ancient　code　of　the　Roman　Empire；　devised　at　a　time　when　it　was　so　much　renowned　for　its　civil　polity；　sir；　and　wisdom？　　Go　to　your　bed；　sir；　after　your　expedition　to　Noble　House；　and　see　that　your　lamp　be　burning　and　your　book　before　you　ere　the　sun　peeps。　ARS　LONGA；　VITA　BREVISwere　it　not　a　sin　to　call　the　divine　science　of　the　law　by　the　inferior　name　of　art。'
  So　my　lamp　did　burn；　dear　Darsie；　the　next　morning；　though　the　owner　took　the　risk　of　a　domiciliary　visitation；　and　lay　snug　in　bed；　trusting　its　glimmer　might；　without　further　inquiry；　be　received　as　sufficient　evidence　of　his　vigilance。　　And　now；　upon　this　the　third　morning　after　your　departure；　things　are　but　little　better；　for　though　the　lamp　burns　in　my　den；　and　VOET　ON　THE　PANDECTS　hath　his　wisdom　spread　open　before　me；　yet　as　I　only　use　him　as　a　reading…desk　on　which　to　scribble　this　sheet　of　nonsense　to　Darsie　Latimer；　it　is　probable　the　vicinity　will　be　of　little　furtherance　to　my　studies。
  And　now；　methinks；　I　hear　thee　call　me　an　affected　hypocritical　varlet；　who；　living　under　such　a　system　of　distrust　and　restraint　as　my　father　chooses　to　govern　by；　nevertheless　pretends　not　to　envy　you　your　freedom　and　independence。
  Latimer；　I　will　tell　you　no　lies。　　I　wish　my　father　would　allow　me　a　little　more　exercise　of　my　free　will；　were　it　but　that　I　might　feel　the　pleasure　of　doing　what　would　please　him　of　my　own　accord。　　A　little　more　spare　time；　and　a　little　more　money　to　enjoy　it；　would；　besides；　neither　misbecome　my　age　nor　my　condition；　and　it　is；　I　own；　provoking　to　see　so　many　in　the　same　situation　winging　the　air　at　freedom；　while　I　sit　here；　caged　up　like　a　cobbler's　linnet；　to　chant　the　same　unvaried　lesson　from　sunrise　to　sunset；　not　to　mention　the　listening　to　so　many　lectures　against　idleness；　as　if　I　enjoyed　or　was　making　use　of　the　means　of　amusement！　　But　then　I　cannot　at　heart　blame　either　the　motive　or　the　object　of　this　severity。　　For　the　motive；　it　is　and　can　only　be　my　father's　anxious；　devoted；　and　unremitting　affection　and　zeal　for　my　improvement；　with　a　laudable　sense　of　the　honour　of　the　profession　to　which　he　has　trained　me。
  As　we　have　no　near　relations；　the　tie　betwixt　us　is　of　even　unusual　closeness；　though　in　itself　one　of　the　strongest　which　nature　can　form。　　I　am；　and　have　all　along　been；　the　exclusive　object　of　my　father's　anxious　hopes；　and　his　still　more　anxious　and　engrossing　fears；　so　what　title　have　I　to　complain；　although　now　and　then　these　fears　and　hopes　lead　him　to　take　a　troublesome　and　incessant　charge　of　all　my　motions？　　Besides；　I　ought　to　recollect；　and；　Darsie；　I　do　recollect；　that　my　father　upon　various　occasions；　has　shown　that　he　can　be　indulgent　as　well　as　strict。　　The　leaving　his　old　apartments　in　the　Luckenbooths　was　to　him　like　divorcing　the　soul　from　the　body；　yet　Dr。　R　did　but　hint　that　the　better　air　of　this　new　district　was　more　favourable　to　my　health；　as　I　was　then　suffering　under　the　penalties　of　too　rapid　a　growth；　when　he　exchanged　his　old　and　beloved　quarters；　adjacent　to　the　very　Heart　of　Midlothian；　for　one　of　those　new　tenements　（entire　within　themselves）　which　modern　taste　has　so　lately　introduced。　　Instance　also　the　inestimable　favour　which　he　conferred　on　me　by　receiving　you　into　his　house；　when　you　had　only　the　unpleasant　alternative　of　remaining；　though　a　grown…up　lad；　in　the　society　of　mere　boys。　　＇The　diminutive　and　obscure　place　called　Brown's　Square；　was　hailed　about　the　time　of　its　erection　as　an　extremely　elegant　improvement　upon　the　style　of　designing　and　erecting　Edinburgh　residences。　　Each　house　was；　in　the　phrase　used　by　appraisers；　'finished　within　itself；'　or；　in　the　still　newer　phraseology；　'self…contained。'　　It　was　built　about　the　year　1763…4；　and　the　old　part　of　the　city　being　near　and　accessible；　this　square　soon　received　many　inhabitants；　who　ventured　to　remove　to　so　moderate　a　distance　from　the　High　Street。＇　　This　was　a　thing　so　contrary　to　all　my　father's　ideas　of　seclusion；　of　economy；　and　of　the　safety　to　my　morals　and　industry；　which　he　wished　to　attain；　by　preserving　me　from　the　society　of　other　young　people；　that；　upon　my　word；　I　am　always　rather　astonished　how　I　should　have　had　the　impudence　to　make　the　request；　than　that　he　should　have　complied　with　it。
  Then　for　the　object　of　his　solicitudeDo　not　laugh；　or　hold　up　your　hands；　my　good　Darsie；　but　upon　my　word　I　like　the　profession　to　which　I　am　in　the　course　of　being　educated；　and　am　serious　in　prosecuting　the　preliminary　studies。　　The　law　is　my　vocationin　an　especial；　and；　I　may　say；　in　an　hereditary　way；　my　vocation；　for　although　I　have　not　the　honour　to　belong　to　any　of　the　great　families　who　form　in　Scotland；　as　in　France；　the　noblesse　of　the　robe；　and　with　us；　at　least；　carry　their　heads　as　high；　or　rather　higher；　than　the　noblesse　of　the　sword；for　the　former　consist　more　frequently　of　the　'first…born　of　Egypt；'yet　my　grandfather；　who；　I　dare　say；　was　a　most　excellent　person；　had　the　honour　to　sign　a　bitter　protest　against　the　Union；　in　the　respectable　character　of　town…clerk　to　the　ancient　Borough　of　Birlthegroat；　and　there　is　some　reasonshall　I　say　to　hope；　or　to　suspect？that　he　may　have　been　a　natural　son　of　a　first　cousin　of　the　then　Fairford　of　that　Ilk；　who　had　been　long　numbered　among　the　minor　barons。　　Now　my　father　mounted　a　step　higher　on　the　ladder　of　legal　promotion；　being；　as　you　know　as　well　as　I　do；　an　eminent　and　respected　Writer　to　his　Majesty's　Signet；　and　I　myself　am　destined　to　mount　a　round　higher　still；　and　wear　the　honoured　robe　which　is　sometimes　supposed；　like　Charity；　to　cover　a　multitude　of　sins。　　I　have；　therefore；　no　choice　but　to　climb　upwards；　since　we　have　mounted　thus　high；　or　else　to　fall　down　at　the　imminent　risk　of　my　neck。　　So　that　I　reconcile　myself　to　my　destiny；　and　while　you；　are　looking　from　mountain　peaks；　at　distant　lakes　and　firths；　I　am；　DE　APICIBUS　JURIS；　consoling　myself　with　visions　of　crimson　and　scarlet　gownswith　the　appendages　of　handsome　cowls；　well　lined　with　salary。
  You　smile；　Darsie；　MORE　TUO；　and　seem　to　say　it　is　little　worth　while　to　cozen　one's　self　with　such　vulgar　dreams；　yours　being；　on　the　contrary；　of　a　high　and　heroic　character；　bearing　the　same　resemblance　to　mine；　that　a　bench；　covered　with　purple　cloth　and　plentifully　loaded　with　session　papers；　does　to　some　Gothic　throne；　rough　with　barbaric　pearl　and　gold。　　But　what　would　you　have？SUA　QUEMQUE　TRAHIT　VOLUPTAS。　　And　my　visions　of　preferment；　though　they　may　be　as　unsubstantial　at　present；　are　nevertheless　more　capable　of　being　realized；　than　your　aspirations　after　the　Lord　knows　what。　　What　says　my　father's　proverb？　　'Look　to　a　gown　of　gold；　and　you　will　at　least　get　a　sleeve　of　it。'　　Such　is　my　pursuit；　but　what　dost　thou　look　to？　The　chance　that　the　mystery；　as　you　call　it；　which　at　present　overclouds　your　birth　and　connexions；　will　clear　up　into　something　inexpressibly　and　inconceivably　brilliant；　and　this　without　any　effort　or　exertion　of　your　own；　but　purely　by　the　goodwill　of　Fortune。　　I　know　the　pride　and　naughtiness　of　thy　heart；　and　sincerely　do　I　wish　that　thou　hadst　more　beatings　to　thank　me　for；　than　those　which　thou　dost　acknowledge　so　gratefully。　　Then　had　I　thumped　these　Quixotical　expectations　out　of　thee；　and　thou　hadst　not；　as　now；　conceived　thyself　to　be　the　hero　of　some　romantic　history；　and　converted；　in　thy　vain　imaginations；　honest　Griffiths；　citizen　and　broker；　who　never　bestows　more　than　the　needful　upon　his　quarterly　epistles；　into　some　wise　Alexander　or　sage　Alquife；　the　mystical　and　magical　protector　of　thy　peerless　destiny。　　But　I　know　not　how　it　was；　thy　skull　got　harder；　I　think；　and　my　knuckles　became　softer；　not　to　mention　that　at　length　thou　didst　begin　to　show　about　thee　a　spark　of　something　dangerous；　which　I　was　bound　to　respect　at　least；　if　I　did　not　fear　it。
  And　while　I　speak　of　this；　it　is　not　much　amiss　to　advise　thee　to　correct　a　little　this　cock…a…hoop　courage　of　thine。　　I　fear　much　that；　like　a　hot…mettled　horse；　it　will　carry　the　owner　into　some　scrape；　out　of　which　he　will　find　it　difficult　to　extricate　himself；　especially　if　the　daring　spirit　which　bore　thee　thither　should　chance　to　fail　thee　at　a　pinch。　　Remember；　Darsie；　thou　art　not　naturally　courageous；　on　the　contrary；　we　have　long　since　agreed　that；　quiet　as　I　am；　I　have　the　advantage　in　this　important　particular。　　My　courage　consists；　I　think；　in　strength　of　nerves　and　constitutional　indifference　to　danger；　which；　though　it　never　pushes　me　on　adventure；　secures　me　in　full　use　of　my　recollection；　and　tolerably　complete　self…possession；　when　danger　actually　arrives。　　Now；　thine　seems　more　what　may　be　called　intellectual　courage；　highness　of　spirit；　and　desire　of　distinction；　impulses　which　render　thee　alive　to　the　love　of　fame；　and　deaf　to　the　apprehension　of　danger；　until　it　forces　itself　suddenly　upon　thee。　　I　own　that；　whether　it　is　from　my　having　caught　my　father's　apprehensions；　or　that　I　have　reason　to　entertain　doubts　of　my　own；　I　often　think　that　this　wildfire　chase　of　romantic　situation　and　adventure　may　lead　thee　into　some　mischief；　and