this most picturesque of cities, the rocks frowning over rocks, the gothic buildings all around, mountains near and far off, and the sea itself almost within hearing of its waves-present a striking idea of the comparative littleness of all human works: but when this magnificent scene is lighted up by the sun, the effect produced beggars all description. When the firmament is all one canopy of crystal blue, and full in the midst "the joyful king of day" spreads his golden rays upon the most magnificent scenery that ever did homage to his radiance, what can be finer than the face of nature at that moment, its majesty being dressed out in the most gorgeous apparel of magnificence! What lines of gold creep along the horizon! How the aerial buildings of the city paint their sombre breadth upon glowing azure of the sky!

In a quarter of an hour's walk from the superb Princes' street, you find yourself in some lonely valley or some secluded path, in which the view of the city is impeded by an eminence, or rocky mountain. Here the sentimental lover delights to muse, to indulge his fancy with golden hopes, or, accompanied by the object of his choice, to enjoy that sweet existence breathing in words of sensibility, which the tongue frames and the lip utters with delight.

The continual variations in the Scotch atmosphere, and the sharp winds which prevail, recal to mind, by a painful contrast, the de

lightful climate of the south of France. Indeed Scotland would afford every charm to the lover of nature, if it were not cursed with a weeping climate, owing to the neighbourhood of lofty mountains, and a westerly situation exposed to the vapours from the Atlantic. These misty exhalations are condensed, and dash down in torrents over the country; but the effect produced by the rays of the sun on them is very magnificent,

"For, if they once triumpbant spread Their wings above the mountain head, Become enthron'd in upper air,

And turn to sun-bright glories there."

Here the weather is so uncertain, that I am often tempted by a fine appearance of the day, to go out without my umbrella, and, before I walk half a dozen squares, down comes the rain in torrents, and I get a very good soaking. I return home as wet as a rat, determining to profit by experience; I again sally out, armed with my parapluie-the rain ceases, the bright sun, "the deepening azure and the lessening cloud" soon render my umbrella an incumbrance, and I am very glad to get home with it.

Last night (being New Year's Eve,) presented a shocking picture of riot and debauchery. I had often heard of the scenes of midnight horror with which the first morning of the year is ushered in, and I determined, at all hazards, to gratify my curiosity, and witness this display of folly and extravagance

No sooner did the town clock strike 12, than a shout of universal acclamation " pierced the night's dull ear," and, in a moment, all was hurry, tumult and confusion. The streets of Edinburgh were crowded to excess: drunkards, catins, profligate rakes, and amateurs of other people's watches, were met with in every direction. It is a custom, 66 (one more honoured in the breach than the observance,") with females, entirely to throw off reserve, during this beastly saturnalia, and to yield their lips to the rude embrace of all the nauseous vagabonds who meet them; and if the gentlemen by whom they are accompanied, make any resistance, they are soon convinced by knock-downable arguments: indeed, any lady who would venture out "in such a night as this," deserves to be kissed! All parties on passing each other paid mutually the compliments of the season. At the corners of the streets stood groups of drunken fellows, with pitchers full of whiskey or gin, which they obliged every one who passed to drink, under penalty of a broken scull, seasoned with a few damns!

After making my way through the hideous crew of night errants, and my arm almost dislocated by repeated shakes, I met a nymph of Venus Vulgivaga, who advanced to me with the familiarity of an old acquaintance, and solicited the compliment of the New Year; but her appearance was not very tempting, and I let her pass by me in sullen disappointment. As I advanced to my lodgings, I was sur

rounded by various hordes, carrying tea-kettles full of nasty flip, and bottles with spirits. I at length met a young lady of my acquaintance walking with her brother, who appeared to have partaken of the smoking beverage in the streets. I could not resist so tempting an opportunity of doing the honours of the new-born day-I seized her in my arms "and kissed her, mouth to mouth, all in a tremble."

A few years ago, a number of young men formed the infernal scheme of making the streets of Edinburgh the scene of midnight depredations on New Year's Eve. They knocked down and robbed every respectable person they met, killed several whom they could not otherwise strip of their valuables, and succeeded in collecting a great deal of money-most of them paid the forfeit of their crimes. It is remarkable that these reprobates belonged to respectable families, but had met with great losses at the gaming table and houses of illfame.

LETTER V.

Chasms of the early world are yawning there,
And rocks are seen, craggy, and vast, and bare,
And many a dizzy precipice sublime,

And caverns dark as Death, where the wild air
Rushes from all the quarters of the sky.

CORNWALL's Marcian Colonna.

Edinburgh, January 20, 1819.

An interesting writer has observed, that no man in Edinburgh can for a moment forget

that he is in Scotland; he is in the "land of the mountain and flood," and these, in their greatest beauty, are continually feeding his eyes. The city is embosomed in the centre of an amphitheatre of mountains, which rear their mighty heads in solitude and silence; on one side the castle lifts itself high above the buildings of the metropolis, on the other Holyrood house presents itself ruined, but majestic in its ruins; Calton Hill affords an agreeable contrast by the beautiful verdure with which it is clothed; the eternal rock of Arthur's Seat appears to sleep in the stillness of nature, and to be wrapped in a perpetual hue of mystery; while the magnificent terrace of Prince's street forms the boundary of a splendid amphitheatre.

In the middle of the day I often walk to the summit of Calton Hill,* which is circled all

*The monument erected to Lord Nelson at the summit of the hill, is not very remarkable; but the inscription, from the pen of Dr. Gregory, is worth preserving:

To the memory of
Vice-Admiral

HORATIO, LORD VISCOUNT NELSON,
And of the great Victory of Trafalgar-
Too dearly purchased with his blood-
The grateful Citizens of Edinburgh
Have erected this Monument,

Not to express their unavailing sorrow for his death,
Nor yet to celebrate the matchless glories of his life,
But, by his noble example,
To teach their sons

To emulate what they admire,
And, like him, when duty requires it,
To die for their country.

A. D. 1807.