The undefined mixture of respect and fear with which he was generally regarded induced most of the neighbouring land-holders to connive at what they would perhaps in another have punished as a trespass; but Joshua Geddes would not permit the intrusion of any one upon his premises, and as he had before offended several country neighbours, who, because he would neither shoot himself nor permit others to do so, compared him to the dog in the manger, so he now aggravated the displeasure which the Laird of the Lakes had already conceived against him, by positively debarring him from pursuing his sport over his grounds--'So that,' said Rachel Geddes, 'I sometimes wish our lot had been cast elsewhere than in these pleasant borders, where, if we had less of beauty around us, we might have had a neighbourhood of peace and, goodwill.' We at length returned to the house, where Miss Geddes showed me a small study, containing a little collection of books, in two separate presses.
'These,' said she, pointing to the smaller press, 'will, if thou bestowest thy leisure upon them, do thee good; and these,' pointing to the other and larger cabinet, 'can, I believe, do thee little harm.

Some of our people do indeed hold, that every writer who is not with us is against us; but brother Joshua is mitigated in his opinions, and correspondeth with our friend John Scot of Amwell, who hath himself constructed verses well approved of even in the world.

I wish thee many good thoughts till our family meet at the hour of dinner.' Left alone, I tried both collections; the first consisted entirely of religious and controversial tracts, and the latter formed a small selection of history and of moral writers, both in prose and verse.
Neither collection promising much amusement, thou hast, in these close pages, the fruits of my tediousness; and truly, I think, writing history (one's self being the subject) is as amusing as reading that of foreign countries, at any time.
Sam, still more drunk than sober, arrived in due time with my portmanteau, and enabled me to put my dress into order, better befitting this temple of cleanliness and decorum, where (to conclude) I believe I shall be a sojourner more days than one.

[See Note 1.] PS .-- I have noted your adventure, as you home-bred youths may perhaps term it, concerning the visit of your doughty laird.

We travellers hold such an incident no great consequence, though it may serve to embellish the uniform life of Brown's Square.