surpassed in England or Scotland.
Having promised us a sight of the largest and oldest yew-tree ever seen,
she conducted us to it; it was a goodly tree, but a mere dwarf compared
with several of our own country—not to speak of the giant of Lorton. We
returned to the cottage, and waited some time in hopes that the rain
would abate, but it grew worse and worse, and we were obliged to give up
our journey, to Kelso, taking the direct road to Jedburgh.
We had to ford the Tweed, a wide river at the crossing-place. It would
have been impossible to drive the horse through, for he had not forgotten
the fright at Connel Ferry, so we hired a man to lead us. After crossing
the water, the road goes up the bank, and we had a beautiful view of the
ruins of the Abbey, peering above the trees of the woody peninsula,
which, in shape, resembles that formed by the Tees at Lickburn, but is
considerably smaller. Lord Buchan’s house is a very neat, modest
building, and almost hidden by trees. It soon began to rain heavily.
Crossing the Teviot by a stone bridge—the vale in that part very
wide—there was a great deal of ripe corn, but a want of trees, and no
appearance of richness. Arrived at Jedburgh half an hour before the
Judges were expected out of Court to dinner.
We gave in our passport—the name of Mr. Scott, the Sheriff—and were very
civilly treated, but there was no vacant room in the house except the
Judge’s sitting-room, and we wanted to have a fire, being exceedingly wet
and cold. I was conducted into that room, on condition that I would give
it up the moment the Judge came from Court. After I had put off my wet
clothes I went up into a bedroom, and sate shivering there, till the
people of the inn had procured lodgings for us in a private house.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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