terprize, or undergo any danger. Were I but a Pagan, now, I would implore the aid of Jupiter Muscarius, and fleep without fear of mufkitoes. But as this is the eighteenth century, there are but two fpiritual beings whofe peculiar patronage could be of fervice: Beelzebub, or the Lord of Flies, is one, whom I must renounce with all his works, even that of fly-flapping; the other power I cannot escape, and must refign myself to SCRATCH for the night.

The walls exhibit faints in profufion. A fculptured crucifix, and a print perhaps worth defcribing. The Virgin Mary forms the maft of one ship, and Christ of another, ftanding upon the chapel of Loretto, which probably ferves for the cabin. The Holy Ghost, in the shape of a dove, flies behind, filling the fails, while a gentleman in a bag-wig climbs up the fide of one of the veffels.

We are going to fup on our Englith beef. They have brought us a vinegar veffel, about the fize of a porter pot; excellently contrived for thefe two reafons; on account of the narrowness of its neck, it is impoflible ever to clean it; and being of lead, it makes the vinegar fweet, and of courfe poisonous !

On entering the room, we defired the boy to remove a veffel that did not fcent it agreeably. So little idea had he that it was offenfive, that he removed it from under the bed only to place it in the closet!

At midnight we heard the arrival of a poft from Madrid, who awoke the people of the houfe by cracking his whip. I cannot fay he awoke me, for I, like Polonius, was at fupper, not where I eat, but where I was eaten. The ingenious gentleman who communicated his difcovery to the public, in the Encyclopædia, that nine millions of mites eggs amount exactly to the fize of one pigeon's egg, may, if he please, calculate what quantity of blood was ex

tracted from my body in the course of feven hours; the bed being fix feet two and a half by four feet five, and as populous as poffible in that given fpace. I have always affociated very unpleasant ideas with that of breakfasting by candlelight. We were up before five this morning. The two beds were to be packed up, and all our baggage to be replaced in the coach. Our allowance was a fmall and fingie cup of chocolate, fwallowed ftanding and in hafte. This meal is perhaps in England the moft focial of the day; and I could not help remembering the time when I was fure to meet a cheerful face, a good fire, and the Courier, at breakfaft. At day-break I quitted the coach. The country was more wild and more beautiful than what we had paffed yesterday. In the dingle below us on the right, at the foot of a dark and barren hill, a church stood, on the banks of a winding rivulet. The furze, even at this season, is in bloffom. Before us, a little to the left, was a bold and abrupt mountain; in parts naked precipices of rock; in parts richly varied with pines, leaflefs chefnut trees, and oaks that ftill' retained their withered foliage. A ftream, foaming along its rocky channel, wound at the bafe; intercepted from our view where the bill extended its gradual defcent, and visible again beyond: a tuft of trees, green even from their roots, grew on the banks; on the fummit of the mountain ftands a church, through whofe towers the light was vifible: around us were mountains, their fides covered with dark heath, and their fantastic tops richly varied with light and fhade. The country is rude and rocky; the houses all without chimnies; and the appearance of fmoke iffuing through their roofs very fingular and very beautiful, as it rose flowly tinged by the rifing fun. In about three hours we began the winding afcent of Monte Salgueira

whofer

whofe fummit had closed the morning profpect. By afcending directly, I reached the top long before the mules. There I refted, and looked back on the watch-tower of Coruna, fix leagues diftant, and the Bay of Bifcay.

We proceeded two leagues further to 'Griteru, over a country of rocks, mountains, and fwamps. The venta *there exceeded all my conceptions of poffible wretchednefs. The kitchen had no light but what came through the apertures of the roof or the adjoining ftables. A wood fire was in the middle, and the smoke found its way out how it could; of course, the rafters and walls were covered with foot. The furniture confifted of two benches and a bed, I forbear to fay how clean. The inhabitants of the ftable were a mule and a cow; of the kitchen, a miferable meagre cat, a woman, and two pigs, who were as familiar as a young lady's lap-dog. I never faw a human being disfigured by fuch filth and fqualidness as the woman; but fhe was anxious to accommodate us, and we were pleafed by her attempt to please us. We had brought an undreffed rump of beef from Corunna, and fried fome steaks ourselves and, as you may fuppofe, after having travelled twenty miles, at the rate of three miles an hour, almoft breakfaillefs, we found the dinner excellent. I even began to like the wine; fo foon does habit reconcile us to any thing. Florida Blanca has erected a very good houfe at this place, defigned for a pofada, but nobody will tenant it! The people here live in the fame ftyle with their fwine; and seem to have learnt their obftinacy as well as their filth.

After dinner we went to look at an arch that had ftruck us as we entered the village: The lane that leads

to it feems to have been paved with ftones from the ruins. We were told that the place belonged to Conde Aminanti, and that the arch had led into the court-yard in the time of the Moors. Evidently, however, it was not Moorish. The few fences they have are very unpleasant to the eye; they are made with flate ftones, about three feet high, placed upright.

The distance from Griteru to Bamonde is two leagues. Half the diftance we went by a wretchedly rugged way, for the new road is not completed. It is a great undertaking; a raised terrace, with innumerable bridges. We faw many birch trees, and a few hedges of broom. I was reminded of the old perfonification of economy, by feeing two boys walk by the carriage barefooted, and carry their fhoes. Near Bamonde is fome of the most beautiful fcenery I ever beheld. There is an old bridge, of four arches, almoft covered with ivy, over a broad but fhallow ftream, that within a few yards makes a little fall, and circles a number of iflets covered with heath and broom. Near it was a small coppice of birch, and a fine fingle birchtree hung over the bridge, waving its light branches. The hill on the oppofite fhore rifes abruptly, a mafs of rock and heath. About two hundred yards behind, on a gentler afcent, ftands a church. The churches are fimple and ftriking; they have no tower, but the bells are hung in a fingle wall, which ends in a point with a crucifix. The fheep on the hills were, as they generally are in this country, black, and therefore did not enliven the landscape as in England; but this was well fupplied by a herd of goats. It was evening when we reached the pofada.

I fhould think Griteru the worst place in Europe, if we were not now

at

1

Circumference of the shadow of the extreme branches, taken at the

meridian Circumference of the fe veral bodies, or stems, taken by carrying the cord round the outermost trunks The feveral trunks may amount to 50 or 60. N. B. The dropping fibres fhoot down from the knots, or joints, of the boughs.

This tree, as well as the peepel, and many other large trees in India, is a creeper. It is often feen to fpring round other trees, particularly round every fpecies of the palm. The date, or palmyra, growing through the cen

Grame toke his (way) ynto the countreis of the wild Scottis, wher that he confpired and ymagynd how that he myght deftruye his kyng. And furth with he renounfed his legeance, and by wordes, and by writyng, he defied hem, feying that he had deftruyd him, his wif, and his childerne, his haritages, and all his other godes by his cruell tyranny. Wherefor he faid he would flee hym (with) his owne handes as his mor. tall enmye, yf ever he myght fe tyme, and fynd wais and meanes. Therto the kyng, hugely vexid in his fpretes with the traturous and malicious rebellion of the faid Sic Robert Grame, did mak an opwn proclamacion by all the reyme of Scotteland, that whofo myght flee or tak hyme, and bryng hym to the kynges prefence, huld have i thoufand demyes of gold, every pece worth half an English noble.

Nocht long after this the kyng lete fo ordeyne his parliament yn due forme at Edenbourghe, fomunde yn Ed. Mag. May 1797.

foure, hundreth, fix and thirtye, yn the feft of All Hallowen. To the which parliament the said Sir Robert Grame ftired a full cruell vengeance ayene the kyng, fent privie meffages and letturs to certayne men and fervantes of the Duke of Albayne, whome the kyng a litill afore hade done rigorufly to deth, lich as hit is entitild here afore, opynly, that if thay confent and faver hym, he wold uttirly take upon him for to flee the kyng, left thurgh his tyrannye and covetife he would deftruy this reame of Scotteland: and the corone of the land fhall be yovon to Sir Robert Stuard, which is the kyng's cofyn, and next of the right of the corone, bot yf the kyng had a-fune. the fame Robert's fadir thenne liggyng in hoftage to the kyng of England, for the faid James kyng of Scottes, yn the toure of London, till that his fynaunce were fully content and paid. And the faid Sir Robert's grantefire, Erle of Atheelles, of that treifon and counsell as hit was faid; and by hym

felfe

felfe fecretly defirid and covetid to have the corone. For which caufes the fame Sir Robert Grame was half the better confentid to beying thaire purpos to effecte. For this Sir Robert Stuard did ever abide yn the kynge's prefence, full famulier aboute hyme at all houres, and most privey above all other; and was a full gentill fquyer, fresh, lufty, and right amyable. Whome the kyng entierly loved as his owne fones; and for the tendure love that he had to hyme, he made (hym) conftable of all his hoft, and.... at the fege of Edenbourgh. After this the kyng fodenly avifid made a folempne feft of the Criftynmes at Perth, which is clepid Sant Johns towne, which is from Edenbourgh on that other fide of the Scottesh fee, the which is vulgarly clepid the Water of Lethe. Yn the myddis of the way thare arose a woman of Yreland, that clepid herfelfe as a futhfayer. The which anone as the faw the kyng, fhe cried with lowde voife, faying thus, "My lord kyng, and ye pafe this water, ye shall never turne ayane on lyve." The kyng heryng this, was aftonyed of her wordis; for bot a litill to fore he had red yn a prophefie, that yn the felfe fame yere the kyng of Scottes fhuld be flayne. And therwithall the kying as he rode clepid to him oone of his knyghtis, and gave him yn comaundment to torne ayane to fpeke with that woman, and ask of here what fheo wold, and what thyng fheo ment with her lowd crying? And fheo began, and told hym as ye hafe hard of the kynge of Scottes, yf he paffed that water. As now the kynge afkid her how theo knew that? And fheo faid that Huthart told her fo. Sire,' quod he, men may calant y tak non hede of yond woman's wordes, for fheo nys bot a drunkine fule, and wot not what heo faith. And fo with his folk paffid the water, clepid the Scottishe fee, towards Saynt Johnnes towne, bott iiii myles from the

6

cautreth of the wild Scottes ; where, yn a clofe of Blackfriars withowt the faid towne, the kyng held a gret fest.

Where upon a day, as the kying plaid at the cheffes with oone of his knyghtis, whome yn playing wife he clepid kyng of love, for he was a lufti man, full amorous, and much medeled hym with loves' arte. And as hit came the kyng to mynd of the propheci fpokyne before, the kyng faid to this knyght, "Sir kyng of "love," quod he, "hit is nat long "agone fith I redd a propheci, fpo"kyne tofore, that I faw how that "this yere fhuld a kyng be flayn yn "this land. And ye wot well, Sir "Alexander, there be no mo kyngs " yn this realme bot ye and I; and "therefor I cownefell you that ye "be well ware, for I let you wit that "I fhall ordeyne for my fure kepyng "fufficiently, I truft to God, so I am " undir youre kynghood and in the "fervice of love." And thus the kyng yn his folas plaid with the knyght.

Withyn fhort tyme after this, the kyng beyng in his chambur talkyng and playng with the lordes, knyghtis, and fquyers, that were aboute hyme, fpak of many dyvers maters. Amonges was there a fquyer that was right ac ceptable to the kyng, that fpeke, and faid," For fothe my lord," quod he, "me dremed varelye to nyght that "Sir Robert Graham fhuld hafe "flayne you." And that heryng the Erle of Orkeney, thoo warnyd the fquyer that he fhuld hald his peace, and tell nane fuch tales yn the kynges prefence. And therwith the kyng herying this fquyer's dreme, remem bred hymfelfe how that fame nyght how (heo) had a fweyvyn flepyng; and femyd to hym varaly that a cruell ferpent, and an horribill tode him furiously yn his kynges-chambur; and how he was fore afright and aferd of hym, and that he had nothyng wherwith he myght facpure and defend hymfelfe, but oonly a

affailed