d Buchan has
trained pear-trees along the walls, which are bordered with flowers and
gravel walks, and he has made a pigeon-house, and a fine room in the
ruin, ornamented with a curiously-assorted collection of busts of eminent
men, in which lately a ball was given; yet, deducting for all these
improvements, which are certainly much less offensive than you could
imagine, it is a very sweet ruin, standing so enclosed in wood, which the
towers overtop, that you cannot know that it is not in a state of natural
desolation till you are close to it. The opposite bank of the Tweed is
steep and woody, but unfortunately many of the trees are firs. The old
woman followed us after the fashion of other guides, but being slower of
foot than a younger person, it was not difficult to slip away from the
scent of her poor smoke-dried body. She was sedulous in pointing out the
curiosities, which, I doubt not, she had a firm belief were not to be
surpassed in England or Scotland.

Having promised us a sight of the largest and oldest yew-tree ever seen,
she conducted us to it; it was a goodly tree, but a mere dwarf compared
with several of our own country--not to speak of the giant of Lorton. We
returned to the cottage, and waited some time in hopes that the rain
would abate, but it grew worse and worse, and we were obliged to give up
our journey, to Kelso, taking the direct road to Jedburgh.

We had to ford the Tweed, a wide river at the crossing-place. It would
have been impossible to drive the horse through, for he had not forgotten
the fright at Connel Ferry, so we hired a man to lead us. After crossing
the water, the road goes up the bank, and we had a beautiful view of the
ruins of the Abbey, peering above the trees of the woody peninsula,
which, in shape, resembles that formed by the Tees at Lickburn, but is
considerably smaller. Lord Buchan's house is a very neat, modest
building, and almost hidden by trees. It soon began to rain heavily.
Crossing the Teviot by a stone bridge--the vale in that part very
wide--there was a great deal of ripe corn, but a want of trees, and no
appearance of richness. Arrived at Jedburgh half an hour before the
Judges were expected out of Court to dinner.

We gave in our passport--the name of Mr. Scott, the Sheriff--and were
very civilly treated, but there was no vacant room in the house except
the Judge's sitting-room, and we wanted to have a fire, being exceedingly
wet and cold. I was cond