We remained only two days at Edinbro’. During that time poor Lady Rosslyn[347] died unexpectedly at Rockville. We dined one day with Mr. Clerk,[348] and were visited by the few persons then in town--Jeffrey, Murray, &c. We went to Dunbar; then to Howick; and spent a couple of days with Sydney Smith at Heslington, near York. I went to the Roman Catholic convent in York, to visit the daughters of Mr. Gordon, of Xeres; they seemed dejected and apprehensive that the state of Spain would prevent them from joining their family. We made a deviation from the North road to see Lincoln Minster. We were repaid for the inconvenience of a very bad road and without exception the worst inn in England, as the Cathedral is very curious and magnificent. It is not so large as that of York, but the workmanship is much richer. I was startled when I entered the Cathedral at York; I could scarcely credit that it was the identical building which appeared spacious and lofty formerly, my eye having been recently so accustomed to the Cathedral at Seville which is about three times the size of York. At York the centre aisle is wide, but the two side aisles are narrow and low, whereas at Seville there are five aisles all equally wide and lofty, and _beyond_ are large side chapels (at York there are none). From Lincoln we went through Spalding to Peterboro’; I asked at Spalding how far off it was to the Fens. The postmaster replied that there were no fens in Lincolnshire now, and that geese were full as scarce as in Middlesex or elsewhere. I think it impossible he can be correct, for, tho’ draining may do much, yet I remember such dykes and embankments against the waters then covered with flocks of geese, about 23 years ago, that it cannot be possible those waters can have been carried off, the bottom made sound, and put into tillage; about Boston and Crowland I meant. Peterboro’ Cathedral has a beautiful façade; the inside is not worth much. Katherine of Arragon and Queen Mary of Scotland[349] are buried there. We returned here[350] on August 2, and found all well; the library wall rebuilt, but the house not in a condition for our reception. Accordingly we are going off in a few days to inhabit the Govt. House at Portsmouth, which Genl. Fox has lent most kindly to us.[351] [Sidenote: GENERAL FERGUSON]