His style of painting is forcible and individual. He showed us the studies that he has taken with his palette and brushes out on the mountains and moors of Scotland, painting moss, and stone, and brook, just as it is. This is the way to be a national painter. One pleasant evening, not long before we left Edinburgh, C., S., and I walked out for a quiet stroll. We went through the Grass Market, where so many defenders of the Covenant have suffered, and turned into the churchyard of the Gray Friars; a gray, old Gothic building, with multitudes of graves around it. Here we saw the tombs of Allan Ramsay and many other distinguished characters. The grim, uncouth sculpture on the old graves, and the quaint epitaphs, interested me much; but I was most moved by coming quite unexpectedly on an ivy-grown slab, in the wall, commemorating the martyrs of the Covenant. The inscription struck me so much, that I got C---- to copy it in his memorandum book. "Halt, passenger! take heed what you do see. Here lies interred the dust of those who stood 'Gainst perjury, resisting unto blood, Adhering to the Covenant, and laws Establishing the same; which was the cause Their lives were sacrificed unto the last Of prelatists abjured, though here their dust Lies mixed with murderers and other crew Whom justice justly did to death pursue; But as for them, no cause was to be found Worthy of death, but only they were found Constant and steadfast, witnessing For the prerogatives of Christ their King; Which truths were sealed, by famous Guthrie's head, And all along to Mr. Renwick's blood They did endure the wrath of enemies, Reproaches, torments, deaths, and injuries; But yet they're those who from such troubles came And triumph now in glory with the Lamb. "From May 27, 1681, when the Marquis of Argyle was beheaded, to February 17, 1688, when James Renwick suffered, there were some eighteen thousand one way or other murdered, of whom were executed at Edinburgh about one hundred noblemen, ministers, and gentlemen, and others, noble martyrs for Christ."