〃Know　that　I　alone　am　king　of　me。〃
  The　reader　has　now　my　who　and　my　whereabout；　the　purpose　of　the　work；　and　the　circumstances　under　which　it　is　undertaken。　　He　has　also　a　specimen　of　the　author's　talents；　and　may　judge　for　himself；　and　proceed；　or　send　back　the　volume　to　the　bookseller；　as　his　own　taste　shall　determine。
  CHAPTER　VI。
  MR。　CROFTANGRY'S　ACCOUNT　OF　MRS。　BETHUNE　BALIOL。
  The　moon；　were　she　earthly；　no　nobler。　　　CORIOLANUS。
  When　we　set　out　on　the　jolly　voyage　of　life；　what　a　brave　fleet　there　is　around　us；　as；　stretching　our　finest　canvas　to　the　breeze；　all　〃shipshape　and　Bristol　fashion；〃　pennons　flying；　music　playing；　cheering　each　other　as　we　pass；　we　are　rather　amused　than　alarmed　when　some　awkward　comrade　goes　right　ashore　for　want　of　pilotage！　　Alas！　　when　the　voyage　is　well　spent；　and　we　look　about　us；　toil…worn　mariners；　how　few　of　our　ancient　consorts　still　remain　in　sight；　and　they；　how　torn　and　wasted；　and；　like　ourselves；　struggling　to　keep　as　long　as　possible　off　the　fatal　shore；　against　which　we　are　all　finally　drifting！
  I　felt　this　very　trite　but　melancholy　truth　in　all　its　force　the　other　day；　when　a　packet　with　a　black　seal　arrived；　containing　a　letter　addressed　to　me　by　my　late　excellent　friend　Mrs。　Martha　Bethune　Baliol；　and　marked　with　the　fatal　indorsation；　〃To　be　delivered　according　to　address；　after　I　shall　be　no　more。〃　　A　letter　from　her　executors　accompanied　the　packet；　mentioning　that　they　had　found　in　her　will　a　bequest　to　me　of　a　painting　of　some　value；　which　she　stated　would　just　fit　the　space　above　my　cupboard；　and　fifty　guineas　to　buy　a　ring。　　And　thus　I　separated；　with　all　the　kindness　which　we　had　maintained　for　many　years；　from　a　friend；　who；　though　old　enough　to　have　been　the　companion　of　my　mother；　was　yet；　in　gaiety　of　spirits　and　admirable　sweetness　of　temper；　capable　of　being　agreeable；　and　even　animating　society；　for　those　who　write　themselves　in　the　vaward　of　youth；　an　advantage　which　I　have　lost　for　these　five…and…　thirty　years。　　The　contents　of　the　packet　I　had　no　difficulty　in　guessing；　and　have　partly　hinted　at　them　in　the　last　chapter。　But　to　instruct　the　reader　in　the　particulars；　and　at　the　same　time　to　indulge　myself　with　recalling　the　virtues　and　agreeable　qualities　of　my　late　friend；　I　will　give　a　short　sketch　of　her　manners　and　habits。
  Mrs。　Martha　Bethune　Baliol　was　a　person　of　quality　and　fortune；　as　these　are　esteemed　in　Scotland。　　Her　family　was　ancient；　and　her　connections　honourable。　　She　was　not　fond　of　specially　indicating　her　exact　age；　but　her　juvenile　recollections　stretched　backwards　till　before　the　eventful　year　1745；　and　she　remembered　the　Highland　clans　being　in　possession　of　the　Scottish　capital；　though　probably　only　as　an　indistinct　vision。　　Her　fortune；　independent　by　her　father's　bequest；　was　rendered　opulent　by　the　death　of　more　than　one　brave　brother；　who　fell　successively　in　the　service　of　their　country；　so　that　the　family　estates　became　vested　in　the　only　surviving　child　of　the　ancient　house　of　Bethune　Baliol。　　My　intimacy　was　formed　with　the　excellent　lady　after　this　event；　and　when　she　was　already　something　advanced　in　age。
  She　inhabited；　when　in　Edinburgh；　where　she　regularly　spent　the　winter　season；　one　of　those　old　hotels　which；　till　of　late；　were　to　be　found　in　the　neighbourhood　of　the　Canongate　and　of　the　Palace　of　Holyrood　House；　and　which；　separated　from　the　street；　now　dirty　and　vulgar；　by　paved　courts　and　gardens　of　some　extent；　made　amends　for　an　indifferent　access；　by　showing　something　of　aristocratic　state　and　seclusion　when　you　were　once　admitted　within　their　precincts。　　They　have　pulled　her　house　down；　for；　indeed；　betwixt　building　and　burning；　every　ancient　monument　of　the　Scottish　capital　is　now　likely　to　be　utterly　demolished。　　I　pause　on　the　recollections　of　the　place；　however；　and　since　nature　has　denied　a　pencil　when　she　placed　a　pen　in　my　hand；　I　will　endeavour　to　make　words　answer　the　purpose　of　delineation。
  Baliol's　Lodging；　so　was　the　mansion　named；　reared　its　high　stack　of　chimneys；　among　which　were　seen　a　turret　or　two；　and　one　of　those　small　projecting　platforms　called　bartizans；　above　the　mean　and　modern　buildings　which　line　the　south　side　of　the　Canongate；　towards　the　lower　end　of　that　street；　and　not　distant　from　the　Palace。　　A　PORTE　COCHERE；　having　a　wicket　for　foot　passengers；　was；　upon　due　occasion；　unfolded　by　a　lame　old　man；　tall；　grave；　and　thin；　who　tenanted　a　hovel　beside　the　gate；　and　acted　as　porter。　　To　this　office　he　had　been　promoted　by　my　friend's　charitable　feelings　for　an　old　soldier；　and　partly　by　an　idea　that　his　head；　which　was　a　very　fine　one；　bore　some　resemblance　to　that　of　Garrick　in　the　character　of　Lusignan。　　He　was　a　man　saturnine；　silent；　and　slow　in　his　proceedings；　and　would　never　open　the　PORTE　COCHERE　to　a　hackney　coach；　indicating　the　wicket　with　his　finger　as　the　proper　passage　for　all　who　came　in　that　obscure　vehicle；　which　was　not　permitted　to　degrade　with　its　ticketed　presence　the　dignity　of　Baliol's　Lodging。　　I　do　not　think　this　peculiarity　would　have　met　with　his　lady's　approbation；　any　more　than　the　occasional　partiality　of　Lusignan；　or；　as　mortals　called　him；　Archie　Macready；　to　a　dram。　　But　Mrs。　Martha　Bethune　Baliol；　conscious　that；　in　case　of　conviction；　she　could　never　have　prevailed　upon　herself　to　dethrone　the　King　of　Palestine　from　the　stone　bench　on　which　he　sat　for　hours　knitting　his　stocking；　refused；　by　accrediting　the　intelligence；　even　to　put　him　upon　his　trial；　well　judging　that　he　would　observe　more　wholesome　caution　if　he　conceived　his　character　unsuspected；　than　if　he　were　detected；　and　suffered　to　pass　unpunished。　　For　after　all；　she　said；　it　would　be　cruel　to　dismiss　an　old　Highland　soldier　for　a　peccadillo　so　appropriate　to　his　country　and　profession。
  The　stately　gate　for　carriages；　or　the　humble　accommodation　for　foot…passengers；　admitted　into　a　narrow　and　short　passage　running　between　two　rows　of　lime…trees；　whose　green　foliage　during　the　spring　contrasted　strangely　with　the　swart　complexion　of　the　two　walls　by　the　side　of　which　they　grew。　　This　access　led　to　the　front　of　the　house；　which　was　formed　by　two　gable　ends；　notched；　and　having　their　windows　adorned　with　heavy　architectural　ornaments。　　They　joined　each　other　at　right　angles；　and　a　half　circular　tower；　which　contained　the　entrance　and　the　staircase；　occupied　the　point　of　junction；　and　rounded　the　acute　angle。　　One　of　other　two　sides　of　the　little　court；　in　which　there　was　just　sufficient　room　to　turn　a　carriage；　was　occupied　by　some　low　buildings　answering　the　purpose　of　offices；　the　other；　by　a　parapet　surrounded　by　a　highly…ornamented　iron　railing；　twined　round　with　honeysuckle　and　other　parasitical　shrubs；　which　permitted　the　eye　to　peep　into　a　pretty　suburban　garden；　extending　down　to　the　road　called　the　South　Back　of　the　Canongate；　and　boasting　a　number　of　old　trees；　many　flowers；　and　even　some　fruit。　　We　must　not　forget　to　state　that　the　extreme　cleanliness　of　the　courtyard　was　such　as　intimated　that　mop　and　pail　had　done　their　utmost　in　that　favoured　spot　to　atone　for　the　general　dirt　and　dinginess　of　the　quarter　where　the　premises　were　situated。
  Over　the　doorway　were　the　arms　of　Bethune　and　Baliol；　with　various　other　devices；　carved　in　stone。　　The　door　itself　was　studded　with　iron　nails；　and　formed　of　black　oak；　an　iron　rasp；　as　it　was　called；　was　placed　on　it；　instead　of　a　knocker；　for　the　purpose　of　summoning　the　attendants。　　＇See　Note　3。Iron　Rasp。＇　He　who　usually　appeared　at　the　summons　was　a　smart　lad；　in　a　handsome　livery；　the　son　of　Mrs。　Martha's　gardener　at　Mount　Baliol。　　Now　and　then　a　servant　girl；　nicely　but　plainly　dressed；　and　fully　accoutred　with　stockings　and　shoes；　would　perform　this　duty；　and　twice　or　thrice　I　remember　being　admitted　by　Beauffet　himself；　whose　exterior　looked　as　much　like　that　of　a　clergyman　of　rank　as　the　butler　of　a　gentleman's　family。　　He　had　been　valet…de…chambre　to　the　last　Sir　Richard　Bethune　Baliol；　and　was；　a　person　highly　trusted　by　the　present　lady。　　A　full　stand；　as　it　is　called　in　Scotland；　of　garments　of　a　dark　colour；　gold　buckles　in　his　shoes　and　at　the　knees　of　his　breeches；　with　his　hair　regularly　dressed　and　powdered；　announced　him　to　be　a　domestic　of　trust　and　importance。　　His　mistress　used　to　say　of　him；
  〃He　is　sad　and　civil；　　　　And　suits　well　for　a　servant　with　my　fortunes。〃
  As　no　one　can　escape　scandal；　some　said　that　Beauffet　made　a　rather　better　thing　of　the　place　than　the　modesty　of　his　old…　fashioned　wages　would；　unassisted；　have　amounted　to。　　But　the　man　was　always　very　civil　to　me。　　He　had　been　long　in　the　family；　had　enjoyed　legacies；　and　lain　by　a　something　of　his　own；　upon　which　he　now　enjoys　ease　with　dignity；　in　as　far　as　his　newly…married　wife；　Tibbie　Shortacres；　will　permit　him。
  The　Lodgingdearest　reader；　if　you　are　tired；　pray　pass　over　the　next　four　or　five　pageswas　not　by　any　means　so　large　as　its　external　appearance　led　people　to　conjecture。　　The　interior　accommodation　was　much　cut　up　by　cross　walls　and　long　passages；　and　that　neglect　of　economizing　space　which　characterizes　old　Scottish　architecture。　　But　there　was　far　more　room　than　my　old　friend　requir