old. I am confounded; for although I have both heard and read
of the New Town in the _Edinburgh Advertiser_, and the _Scots Magazine_,
I had no notion of what has come to pass. It's surprising to think
wherein the decay of the nation is; for at Greenock I saw nothing but
shipping and building; at Glasgow, streets spreading as if they were one
of the branches of cotton-spinning; and here, the houses grown up as if
they were sown in the seed-time with the corn, by a drill-machine, or
dibbled in rigs and furrows like beans and potatoes.

To-morrow, God willing, we embark in a smack at Leith, so that you will
not hear from me again till it please Him to take us in the hollow of His
hand to London. In the meantime, I have only to add, that, when the
Session meets, I wish you would speak to the elders, particularly to Mr.
Craig, no to be overly hard on that poor donsie thing, Meg Milliken,
about her bairn; and tell Tam Glen, the father o't, from me, that it
would have been a sore heart to that pious woman, his mother, had she
been living, to have witnessed such a thing; and therefore I hope and
trust, he will yet confess a fault, and own Meg for his wife, though she
is but something of a tawpie. However, you need not diminish her to Tam.
I hope Mr. Snodgrass will give as much satisfaction to the parish as can
reasonably be expected in my absence; and I remain, dear sir, your friend
and pastor,

ZACHARIAH PRINGLE.

Mr. Micklewham received the Doctor's letter about an hour before the
Session met on the case of Tam Glen and Meg Milliken, and took it with
him to the session-house, to read it to the elders before going into the
investigation. Such a long and particular letter from the Doctor was, as
they all justly remarked, kind and dutiful to his people, and a great
pleasure to them.

Mr. Daff observed, "Truly the Doctor's a vera funny man, and wonderfu'
jocose about the toddy-bowl." But Mr. Craig said, that "sic a thing on
the Lord's night gi'es me no pleasure; and I am for setting my face
against Waverley's _History of the Rebellion_, whilk I hae heard spoken
of among the ungodly, both at Kilwinning and Dalry; and if it has no
respect to Protestant principles, I doubt it's but another dose o' the
radical poison in a new guise." Mr. Icenor, however, thought that "the
observe on the great Doctor Drystour was very edifying; and that they
should see about getting hi