thus highly, through a reflected interest, the latter in a political view; and the Baronet, from the known warm benevolence of his heart (a feeling generally associated with genius), towards his poor countrymen, to whom he supposes, in the event of the country gentlemen being by any means induced to stay at home, a part of the great land revenue so unjustly wrung from the poor man’s labour would again devolve. It is amusing to observe with what a flow of imagination Sir Walter shews off his friend’s inventions—inventions which have been practised with less or more success, in a manner very similar, by almost every planter of note, since the time of Nero. We quote again: “The existence of the wonders,—so we may call them,—which Sir Henry Steuart has effected, being thus supported by the unexceptionable evidence of competent judges (_a deputation by the Highland Society_), what lover of natural beauty can fail to be interested in his own detailed account of the mode by which he has been able to make wings for time?”—“But although we have found the system to be at once original, effectual, and attended with moderate expense, we are not sanguine enough to hope that it will at once find {234} general introduction. The application of steam and gas to the important functions which they at present perform, was slowly and reluctantly adopted, after they had been opposed for many years by the prejudices of the public,—earlier or later this beautiful and rational system will be brought into general action, when it will do more to advance the picturesque beauty of the country in five years, than the slow methods hitherto adopted will in fifty. It is now found we possess the art of changing the face of nature like the scenes in a theatre, and that we can convert, almost instantaneously, a desert to an Eden.” Now, this is admirable! Even were it granted, that no planter before Sir Henry Steuart’s time, or without his instructions, had ever removed a tree of considerable size successfully (though we believe he has nearly as much the merit of discovery in this as in the other curious invention ascribed to him by Sir Walter, “making wings for time,” which must certainly have been performed by Sir Henry a long while ago, as we remember time flying very well when we were a truant boy); yet, nevertheless, Sir Walter, now that his paroxysm of admiration has had time to moderate, will surely help us to laugh {235} at the absurdity of his hyperbolic figures of comparison, with steam, and gas, and scenic transformation, which throw such ridicule upon his excellent friend.