the breasts of all the witnesses. But I must not indulge myself
farther on this subject. I cannot hope to excite in you the

emotions with which I was so profoundlyaffected. In the visible
objects of the funeral of George the Third there was but little

magnificence; all its sublimity was derived from the trains of
thought and currents of feeling, which the sight of so many

illustrious characters, surrounded by circumstances associated with
the greatness and antiquity of the kingdom, was necessarily

calculated to call forth. In this respect, however, it was perhaps
the sublimest spectacle ever witnessed in this island; and I am

sure, that I cannot live so long as ever again to behold another,
that will equally interest me to the same depth and extent.-- Yours,

ANDREW PRINGLE.
We should ill perform the part of faithful historians, did we omit

to record the sentiments expressed by the company on this occasion.
Mrs. Glibbans, whose knowledge of the points of orthodoxy had not

their equal in the three adjacent parishes, roundly declared, that
Mr. Andrew Pringle's letter was nothing but a peesemeal of

clishmaclavers; that there was no sense in it; and that it was just
like the writer, a canary idiot, a touch here and a touch there,

without anything in the shape of cordiality or satisfaction.
Miss Isabella Tod answered this objection with that sweetness of

manner and virgin diffidence, which so well becomes a youthful
member of the establishment, controverting the dogmas of a stoop of

the Relief persuasion, by saying, that she thought Mr. Andrew had
shown a fine sensibility. "What is sensibility without judgment,"

cried her adversary, "but a thrashing in the water, and a raising of
bells? Couldna the fallow, without a' his parleyvoos, have said,

that such and such was the case, and that the Lord giveth and the
Lord taketh away?--but his clouds, and his spectres, and his visions

of Job!--Oh, an he could but think like Job!--Oh, an he would but
think like the patient man!--and was obliged to claut his flesh with

a bit of a broken crock, we might have some hope of repentance unto
life. But Andrew Pringle, he's a gone dick; I never had comfort or

expectation of the free-thinker, since I heard that he was infected
with the blue and yellow calamity of the Edinburgh Review; in which,

I am credibly told, it is set forth, that women have nae souls, but
only a gut, and a gaw, and a gizzard, like a pigeon-dove, or a

raven-crow, or any other outcast and abominated quadruped."
Here Miss Mally Glencairn interposed her effectual mediation, and

said, "It is very true that Andrew deals in the diplomatics of
obscurity; but it's well known that he has a nerve for genius, and

that, in his own way, he kens the loan from the crown of the
causeway, as well as the duck does the midden from the adle dib."

To this proverb, which we never heard before, a learned friend, whom
we consulted on the subject, has enabled us to state, that middens

were formerly of great magnitude, and often of no less antiquity in
the west of Scotland; in so much, that the Trongate of Glasgow owes

all its spaciousgrandeur to them. It being within the recollection
of persons yet living, that the said magnificent street was at one

time an open road, or highway, leading to the Trone, or market-
cross, with thatched houses on each side, such as may still be seen

in the pure and immaculate royal borough of Rutherglen; and that
before each house stood a luxuriant midden, by the removal of which,

in the progress of modern degeneracy, the statelyarchitecture of
Argyle Street was formed. But not to insist at too great a length

on such topics of antiquarian lore, we shall now insert Dr.
Pringle's account of the funeral, and which, patly enough, follows

our digression concerning the middens and magnificence of Glasgow,
as it contains an authenticanecdote of a manufacturer from that

city, drinking champaign at the king's dirgie.
LETTER XIII

The Rev. Z. Pringle, D.D., to Mr. Micklewham, Schoolmaster and
Session-Clerk of Garnock--LONDON.

Dear Sir--I have received your letter, and it is a great pleasure to
me to hear that my people were all so much concerned at our distress

in the Leith smack; but what gave me the most contentment was the
repentance of Tam Glen. I hope, poor fellow, he will prove a good

husband; but I have my doubts; for the wife has really but a small
share of common sense, and no married man can do well unless his

wife will let him. I am, however, not overly pleased with Mr. Craig
on the occasion, for he should have considered frail human nature,

and accepted of poor Tam's confession of a fault, and allowed the
bairn to be baptized without any more ado. I think honest Mr. Daff

has acted like himself, and I trust and hope there will be a great
gathering at the christening, and, that my mite may not be wanting,

you will slip in a guinea note when the dish goes round, but in such
a manner, that it may not be jealoused from whose hand it comes.

Since my last letter, we have been very thrang in the way of seeing
the curiosities of London; but I must go on regular, and tell you

all, which, I think, it is my duty to do, that you may let my people
know. First, then, we have been at Windsor Castle, to see the king

lying in state, and, afterwards, his interment; and sorry am I to
say, it was not a sight that could satisfy any godly mind on such an

occasion. We went in a coach of our own, by ourselves, and found
the town of Windsor like a cried fair. We were then directed to the

Castle gate, where a terrible crowd was gathered together; and we
had not been long in that crowd, till a pocket-picker, as I thought,

cutted off the tail of my coat, with my pocket-book in my pocket,
which I never missed at the time. But it seems the coat tail was

found, and a policeman got it, and held it up on the end of his
stick, and cried, whose pocket is this? showing the book that was

therein in his hand. I was confounded to see my pocket-book there,
and could scarcely believe my own eyes; but Mrs. Pringle knew it at

the first glance, and said, "It's my gudeman's"; at the which, there
was a great shout of derision among the multitude, and we would

baith have then been glad to disown the pocket-book, but it was
returned to us, I may almost say, against our will; but the

scorners, when they saw our confusion, behaved with great civility
towards us, so that we got into the Castle-yard with no other damage

than the loss of the flap of my coat tail.
Being in the Castle-yard, we followed the crowd into another gate,

and up a stair, and saw the king lying in state, which was a very
dismal sight--and I thought of Solomon in all his glory, when I saw

the coffin, and the mutes, and the mourners; and reflecting on the
long infirmity of mind of the good old king, I said to myself, in

the words of the book of Job, "Doth not their excellency which is in
them go away? they die even without wisdom!'

When we had seen the sight, we came out of the Castle, and went to
an inn to get a chack of dinner; but there was such a crowd, that no

resting-place could for a time be found for us. Gentle and semple
were there, all mingled, and no respect of persons; only there was,

at a table nigh unto ours, a fat Glasgow manufacturer, who ordered a
bottle of champaign wine, and did all he could in the drinking of it

by himself, to show that he was a man in well-doing circumstances.
While he was talking over his wine, a great peer of the realm, with

a star on his breast, came into the room, and ordered a glass of
brandy and water; and I could see, when he saw the Glasgow

manufacturer drinking champaign wine on that occasion, that he
greatly marvelled thereat.

When we had taken our dinner, we went out to walk and see the town
of Windsor; but there was such a mob of coaches going and coming,

and men and horses, that we left the streets, and went to inspect
the king's policy, which is of great compass, but in a careless

order, though it costs a world of money to keep it up. Afterwards,
we went back to the inns, to get tea for Mrs. Pringle and her

daughter, while Andrew Pringle, my son, was seeing if he could get
tickets to buy, to let us into the inside of the Castle, to see the

burial--but he came back without luck, and I went out myself, being
more experienced in the world, and I saw a gentleman's servant with