The Childhood of Jane Welsh.

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child of Dr John Welsh, a medical practitioner in that town, and of Grace Welsh, of Caplegill, Dumfriesshire, his wife. In her girlhood she had Edward Irving for a tutor; and it was through Irving that Carlyle became acquainted with her. While yet a mere child, she had overheard domestic discussions with respect to her future training, in which her father expressed the resolution to have her educated like a boy, since she was his only child; the mother, on the contrary, hoping "for nothing higher in her daughter than the sweet domestic companion most congenial to herself:" and who that has read can ever forget the charming story, that touches at once the spring of laughter and of tears, how the child, her ambition roused, secretly acquired a copy of the Latin Rudiments, and, after conning it for many days alone, suddenly from her place of concealment under the table, when the good doctor was sitting at leisure after dinner, burst forth in breathless steadiness with her first lesson, 'Penna, pennæ, pennam!” The wish of both the parents was realised. Recommended by Professor Leslie, of whom it is pleasant to remember that he made himself the early patron of both Carlyle and Irving, the latter, who had just gone to Haddington to be master of the Mathematical School in the birthplace of John Knox, was chosen by Dr Welsh to become the teacher of his little girl, then aged nine years. Tutor and pupil became fast friends-the friendship existing "unbroken," as Mrs Oliphant informs us, "through all kinds of vicissitudes; even through entire separation, disapproval, and outward estrangement, to the end of Irving's life." While in Edinburgh, after the Kirkcaldy teaching days were over, Irving met once more his precocious little pupil at

Haddington, now a beautiful and vivacious young lady; and, though he had no right to be jealous, since he had formed an attachment elsewhere, we are not surprised to learn that he could not conceal the mortification with which he heard falling too warmly from the young lady's lips the praises of the friend whom he had himself introduced to Dr Welsh's hospitable home. When his little ebullition was over the fair culprit turned to leave the room; but had scarcely passed the door when Irving hurried after her, and called, entreating her to return for a moment. When she came back, she found the simplehearted giant standing penitent to make his confession. "The truth is, I was piqued," said Irving; "I have always been accustomed to fancy that I stood highest in your good opinion, and I was jealous to hear you praise another man. I am sorry for what I said just now-that is the truth of it ;" and so, not pleased, but penitent and candid, he let her go.

*

Mrs Carlyle's ancestors, like those of her husband, had been settled for centuries in Dumfriesshire, and were persons of distinction, many of them having risen to positions of eminence in the Church. As early as 1488 we find a Nicholas Welsh the Abbot of Holywood; Dean William Welsh was Vicar of Tynron in 1530; soon after the latter date, Dean Robert Welsh was vicar of the same parish; and John Welsh, vicar of Dunscore, took office in the Reformed Church in 1560. After the last-named, arose the greatest member of the family, in the person of another John Welsh, the celebrated Reformer, and son-inlaw of John Knox. The father of this eminent man, of

*The Life of Edward Irving, by Mrs Oliphant.

John Welsh of Ayr.

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the same name, was Laird of Colliston, and owned other estates in Dunscore and Holywood. Of a romantic and adventurous disposition, young Welsh, when a mere boy, ran away from his father's house, and joined a band of Border robbers; but he did not stay long in their company, and soon presented himself at the door of an aunt, Mrs Forsyth, in Dumfries, through whose good offices he was reconciled to his father. At the early age of twentytwo this stirring boy had settled down as a devoted Christian minister, in the parish of Kirkcudbright; in his twenty-eighth year he had his famous controversy with the Commendator of Sweetheart Abbey, in which he maintained the cause of Protestantism with such signal success, that the King bestowed upon him a glowing eulogium; and seven years thereafter, that is, in 1605, he was the leader of the famous Aberdeen Assembly, which met in defiance of the same monarch, when James was seeking to subvert the Presbyterian constitution of the Church of Scotland. Condemned to death, Welsh's sentence was commuted to transportation; and after sixteen years of exile in France he was suffered, on his health failing, to return in 1622 to England. But the King would on no account allow him to cross the Border when he wished to get the benefit of his native air, His Majesty declaring that "it would be impossible to establish Prelacy in Scotland if Welsh were permitted to return." James even debarred him from preaching in London till informed that he could not long survive, and when the preacher at length obtained access to a pulpit he discoursed with his wonted fire and eloquence, but, on returning to his lodging, expired within two hours. This faithful witness was a lineal ancestor of Mrs Car