to see sights that I may describe to you, is much greater than the amount of pain. Why, there was a concert last week, at which Miss Pearson made her debut in the orchestra, that quite enchanted me. To be sure, every thing was tinged that night with the rosy hues of pink champaigne; but, apart from that, I was fascinated with the skill, grace, and sweetness of that lady's execution of even the most difficult pieces. Her voice and her manner are quite adapted for a concert room, although too cold and lady-like for many parts on the stage. -It is said to be bad taste to mention h- to ears polite, and, of course, doubly so to speak of the devil to a lady, but really, after having seen Il Diavolo Antonio in his aerial aud soaring feats, one cannot help telling you that this little, smart, black-eyed gentleman is a perfect prodigy in his way. I say gentleman, for even his very feats have a genteel air in their wondrous daring; and I wish that you, who are fond of autographs, could see his collection-Emperors; Kings, Managers, and other potentates, having all written their astonishment at his performance. Do you know, a very clever letter which I lately received as if from Hal White, turns out from his disclaimer, and some hints I received, to be-the production of a lady friend of yours. What will Hal say to that? I wish Mr. Curll would offer her ten guineas a-sheet to write for "The Ant," -I am sure she would be better fitted to "shoot the little follies as they fly" than I am, as well as to sketch the novelties of fashion and good taste;-for example, were she writing as to the former, she would have made some excellent hits on the rival sales of china, "warranted never to break," which at present occupy our two finest public halls, and gather round the display of "bed-room sets," placed on tea-trays! the beauty and fashion remaining in town, to contrast the freshness of their complexions and beautiful tints in their costume, with the monstrosities of Chinese gorgonism; and in regard to the latter, inform you of the opening of the finest and most tastefully fitted up shop in Scotland-perhaps in Britain-the princely establishment of Messrs. Mitchell & Son, Jewellers, in that most classical street-building for commercial purposes which I have ever seen, erected by the Ship Bank Company: and tell you that Mr. Knox's paintings have been exhibited previous to their disposal-affording a wonderful evidence of industry, and, in spite of mannerism, considerable power; as well as that a lithographic portrait of Dr. Ure has been published, of uncommon fidelity and spirit, by a young artist. If she be not better employed by and bye, what, with your aid, dearest, and hers, I shall be able to give old Saveall a lift in the scheme suggested to him of equalising his two departments of " The Ant" in the thickness, if not the merit of the two volumes he has circumscribed his hillock to, by publishing occasionally until they amount to five of the limited six-and-twenty, a number wholly made up of original matter, such as, "Summer Evening Rambles, No. I. Millbrae," "No. II. Castlemilk," &c. &c. Until then, how ever, it is I who must venture to tell you that Leghorn bonnets are nearly quite superseded—because become common-by silk ones, with dazzling trimmings—but that printed muslins and woven stripes, of the beauty of the rainbow—(I have commissioned one of Mr. Walker's patterns that will absolutely make even you more sylph-like in my eyes)—send gros de Naples to the servants' hall; at least I am assured such is the case by a young lady that I escorted home from a pleasant musical party, which, really, I should have told you, who contrive to know how I spend every evening, about before. I did not mean to conceal that I was happy, I do assure you. Some of the aforesaid prints are so flaming, however, as to make me think when I see them of "Johnston's Patent Dress-on-Fire Escape," ,"advertised by a worthy maker of black ink the other day. -Cyril Thornton you say you like -I do not wonder at it; but do not keep it and the Busy Bodies an age. I send you "Pollok's Course of Time,”—a wonderful achievement of eloquence, perhaps, as much as poetry-for a hitherto friendless and unknown son of song. The second part of the Thistle has not appeared; but will shortly. I assure you I have nothing to do with the work, judicious though it be. It is compiled by one who has had a much more" EVENTFUL LIFE" than has been that of thy coz. and correspondent, CHARLES HERON. P. S.-I trust my worthy fath-uncle I should say—has lost nothing by a discovery made to-day, that some GLASS in Glasgow has had flaws in it, and is indeed thoroughly smashed in reputation and reality. I know not whether the Yankees have a cement will solder it-or better send home the fragments to be sold as broken crystal, "for behoof of all concerned. Love to Aunt, who is but the trifle of u more dear to me than the tiny sheet that my duplicate of this you must permit to honour. MEUM ET TUUM. C. H. The temper of's friend reminds us of the candles which we saw once advertised, that were "warranted never to gutter, flare, smell, want snuffing, or to burn out," to insure which advantage, it was only necessary "never to light them."-The egregious " W. A., Stirling-Street," who sends us a long rigmarole "Remedy for Rose in the Leg," ought to know that it is only for the roses on cheeks that we entertain any fear.-A letter, addressed to an individual, has been handed to us, signed "J. N. G.," and obviously meant for our pages-without suiting them.-That indefatigable, incomprehensible, and indestructible Correspondent, who, as "L M'L.," ‚"" Highlander in the City," "Oban Controversialist," and every initial from A to Z, has done so much for the dealers in outside post paper, for the last few years, may have back the clever essay of his friend, as we cannot read Gaelic, and think the sooner it ceases to be a spoken tongue the better for the Highlands. What would "L. M'L." think of establishing a Gaelic periodical in "The Island of Coll"? wwwww Printed by James Curll, 55, Bell-Street, and sold by all Booksellers. PRICE THREEPENCE. No. XV.-SATURDAY, 16th JUNE, 1827. Original. SPECIMENS OF A SERIES OF NEW READINGS IN BAILEY AND JOHNSON.-No. VIII. Dabble.-" To stir about in the water and dirt”"of politics and literature. Dagon." The god of corn" laws-a deity much worshipped by the landed gentlemen. Damages. The gilding of horns, and court plaister for tweaked noses. Dancing. That action which is to motion what music is to sound, and eloquence to speech-a method by which porous bodies become lighter in their head, heart, and bulk-a movement to which misses are trained for leading bachelors near man-traps, as decoy-ducks tempt wild ones into the snare. Daughter.-A relative fathers love and mothers desire to get rid of. Daubs.-See one-half of any sale of pictures "by the Old Masters." Dividend. That fraction of the amount of that which folly, roguery, or misfortune has robbed you-which these choose to let you have back as the price of permission to do so again. Day's Journey-Sabbath.-From Glasgow to Bell's Inn, Bowling, and back again-if possible. Debenture-Bounty.-The sum of the difference by which we allow foreigners to buy cheaper than we can ourselves;―money got like -'s reputation—by swearing. Debt." The solder of society,"-men tolerating each other for what they owe each other. Decanter.-The second title of a certain peer's son-being a vessel to hold wine." 66 Deceit. In a woman, grace and tact-in a statesman, skill-in a priest, "judiciousness"-in a doctor, wisdom -in an honest man, a crime. Fathom. A vague term of measurement, the one which ballad-makers use-but only in tallies of fifty. REMINISCENCES OF DRIDDLE, THE PYEPOET. No. II. I HAVE spoken of the man.-Something may still be said of his manner-much of his mind-but more of his works -the product of that master-mind, if indeed it be not a solecism to use a term, implying remembrance of what must be, and is, as immortal as their gifted source, in the visions of his future exalted fame, believed they would become. Driddle's soul was cheered with such anticipations; and he was above the poor affectation of concealing, under the veil of pretended modesty, the proud and lofty feeling-intense feeling-of his own genius and its powers; and the noble conviction, or rather bold and unhesitating faith, that his name would yet rank among the first in the bright constellations of genius, which gem the heaven of our recollections, and spangle the else gloomy expanse of the world's history! To Homer he yielded the palm without a struggle-if he ever indeed heard of his having existed; but " aught else beneath the skies" he veiled not his bonnet to. Burns, Byron, and—as he jocosely termed him, in the sympathy which a superior soul will sometimes condescend to feel for lesser worth 66 Watty Scott," had, indeed, he admitted, written more; but one of his apophthegms, on the occasions when he conceded this, was as profound and convincing as it was modest and applicable." One gill of bead 25' is worth a whole hogshead of"-more diluted spirit. Alas! that that quintessence he referred to should have been so small, in spite of his often mysteriously hinting at the stores which his repositories would be found to contain on his demise! And, alas! that to one so unworthy has fallen the task of first telling the world what they lost in their destruction, for destroyed-to shield the bottom of pyes, in an atmosphere even more burning than their own words, they have doubtless been! Oh, Alexandria of old, and Sidney Court, what treatises you have seen consigned to the tender mercies of-" an oven!" Pity 'tis that verses breathing fire, like Monsieur Chabert, are not, like him, incombustible. I hold in my hand at this moment the whole sybilline leaves of Driddle's inspirations that have survived, and they are not four-and-twenty; no, not so numerous as the years he devoted to their elaboration and proclamation. I cannot deny myself the pleasure of here transcribing one passage from a song. Come a' ye Nymphs, and be na lag. MOTTO. "My Willie he is strait and tall, "O, lees me on his bonnie mou', For he has neither flaw nor clag; Could e'er compare wi' Willie Wag." It will be here seen that he was the first to set the example of quoting mottoes to his own pieces from himself, and without the subterfuge of " Old Play" at their tail. Sometimes, however, he chose these from established sources-as, for example, the following lines from the Spectator, to describe his own character in a pretended elegy on his pretended death: "In all thy humours, whether grave or mellow, દ He felt it to be a holy duty to commemorate the dead, according to their deserts; and his praise of himself, although it may seem to some extravagant, was simply given as a matter of duty and conscience, as much so as was the writing of what is now before me in his own hand,—“ An Epitaph on D. C., late M. in Glasgow, a paltry, insignificant, treacherous scoundrel." What admirable courage and candour are here shown; how nobly does this contrast with the servility of other bards, as exhibited in this walk of composition! To be sure virtuous indignation will sometimes degenerate into coarseness, as in the conclusion of this exquisite piece. now lies crammed within this core; "The While living, cursed-now damned for ever more!' But a little violence may be pardoned where the purpose is so good. Driddle was a joker too, and of the first water. To be sure he had but three specimens-" perfect chrysolites," and greater variety must have been merely modification. I |