pletely excluded from fresh air,
that it must be dangerous to sit in it; the floor is unpaved, and very
rough. What a contrast to the beautiful and graceful order apparent in
every part of the ancient design and workmanship! Mr. Scott went with us
into the gardens and orchards of a Mr. Riddel, from which we had a very
sweet view of the Abbey through trees, the town being entirely excluded.
Dined with Mr. Scott at the inn; he was now travelling to the assizes at
Jedburgh in his character of Sheriff of Selkirk, and on that account, as
well as for his own sake, he was treated with great respect, a small part
of which was vouchsafed to us as his friends, though I could not persuade
the woman to show me the beds, or to make any sort of promise till she
was assured from the Sheriff himself that he had no objection to sleep in
the same room with William.

* * * * *

_Tuesday_, _September_ 20_th_.--Mr. Scott departed very early for
Jedburgh, and we soon followed, intending to go by Dryburgh to Kelso. It
was a fine morning. We went without breakfast, being told that there was
a public-house at Dryburgh. The road was very pleasant, seldom out of
sight of the Tweed for any length of time, though not often close to it.
The valley is not so pleasantly defined as between Peebles and
Clovenford, yet so soft and beautiful, and in many parts pastoral, but
that peculiar and pensive simplicity which I have spoken of before was
wanting, yet there was a fertility chequered with wildness which to many
travellers would be more than a compensation. The reaches of the vale
were shorter, the turnings more rapid, the banks often clothed with wood.
In one place was a lofty scar, at another a green promontory, a small
hill skirted by the river, the hill above irregular and green, and
scattered over with trees. We wished we could have brought the ruins of
Melrose to that spot, and mentioned this to Mr. Scott, who told us that
the monks had first fixed their abode there, and raised a temporary
building of wood. The monastery of Melrose was founded by a colony from
Rievaux Abbey in Yorkshire, which building it happens to resemble in the
colour of the stone, and I think partly in the style of architecture, but
is much smaller, that is, has been much smaller, for there is not at
Rievaux any one single part of the ruin so large as the remains of the
church at Melrose, though at Rievaux a far more extensive ruin rem