the whole of his three years'
stay at Morton, Dr Burton always hoped to induce the remains of his
circle of old friends to dine with him once more. They had become few
indeed--were limited to Professor Blackie and Dr John Brown. He never
succeeded in persuading these gentlemen to come. Insuperable
difficulties on one side or other always intervened. During these three
years there never was any social gathering at Morton except
entertainments which Dr Burton's family gave to the country people, and
which sometimes included a few young friends as assistants. Dr Burton
was no longer called on to visit his office daily. To attend the Board
meetings once a-week was sufficient.

As soon as he had finished his 'History of Scotland' in 1870, he
conceived the project of writing a 'History of the Reign of Queen Anne.'
It was an ambitious attempt. Lord Macaulay's too early death had
prevented his performing the task, and Mr Thackeray was understood to
have contemplated it, but to have shrunk from its vastness. Dr Burton
had been collecting material for this work in all his summer tours
during the past ten years, and in all his visits to the British Museum
while in London. He had written a great part of it before he was
interrupted by his illness in the end of '77, and the removal from
Craighouse early in '78. The most marked change in Dr Burton after that
illness was in his impaired power of mental application. His general
health was good, even strong; he still enjoyed long rambles with his
sons, and walked to town and back at his former rapid rate; but now that
he had no longer any office work, now that he might sit and read or
write all day if he would, he did not do so. Instead of, as formerly,
resenting all interruption while engaged in his library, he seemed to
seek every excuse for leaving it and his literary occupation. Though
not rising earlier than formerly, he would go to bed comparatively
early, and several times a-day would propose to his wife to go to visit
her flowers, to do a little gardening, to go and feed the fowls--in
short, to share in any little diversion going.

A visit of the writer's to her sister in Argyleshire gave occasion for
the following notes on ballad-lore, in which Major Mackay of Carskey,
Mrs Burton's brother-in-law, was also strong:--

"MORTON, _2d May 1879_.

"MY DEAR LOVE,--I recollect having come across the ballad incident
you mention upwards of fifty years ago, when I was