A TOUR IN SCOTLAND. MDCCLXIX. TROS TYRIUSQUE mihi nullo difcrimine agetur. THE SECOND EDITION. LONDON: Printed for B. WHITE, at Horace's Head, in Fleet-Street. то Sir ROGER MOSTYN, Bart. OF MOSTYN, FLINTSHIRE. DEAR SIR, A Gentleman well known to the political world in the beginning of the prefent century made the tour of Europe, and before he reached Abbeville difcovered that in order to see a country to best advantage it was infinitely preferable to travel by day than by night. I cannot help making this applicable to myself, who, after publishing three volumes of the Zoology of GREAT BRITAIN, found out that to be able to speak with more precifion of the fubjects I treated of, it was far more prudent to vifit the whole than part of my country: ftruck therefore with the reflection of having never feen SCOTLAND, I inftantly ordered my baggage to be got ready, and in a reasonable time found myfelf on the banks of the Tweed. As foon as I communicated to you my resolution, with your accustomed friendship you wifhed to hear from me: I could give but a partial performance of my promife, the attention of a traveller being fo much taken up as to leave very little room for the discharge of epiftolary duties; and I flatter myself you will find this tardy execution of my engagement more fatisfactory than the hafty accounts I could fend you on my road : but this is far from being the fole motive of this addrefs. I have I have irrefiftible inducements of public and of a private nature: to you I owe a moft free enjoyment of the little territories Providence had bestowed on me; for by a liberal and equal ceffion of fields, and meads and woods, you connected all the divided parts, and gave a full scope to all my improvements. Every view I take from my window reminds me of my debt, and forbids my filence, causing the pleafing glow of gratitude to diffuse itself over the whole frame, inftead of forcing up the imbittering figh of Oh! fi angulus ille! Now every fcene I enjoy receives new charms, for I mingle with the vifible beauties, the more pleafing idea of owing them to you, the worthy neighbor and firm friend, who are happy in the calm and domestic paths of life with abilities fuperior to oftentation, and good nefs |