The life, letters and work of Frederic Leighton. Volume IIBarrington, Russell, Mrs.
General
The life, letters and work of Frederic Leighton. Volume II
Barrington, Russell, Mrs.
Leighton of Stretton, Frederic Leighton, Baron, 1830-1896
I drove over to Dunkeld (twelve and a half miles) to lunch at
the Millais'; I think the drive one of the most enchanting
things I know, and I was favoured, moreover, by a few of those
divine glimpses of blue and silver sky of which Scotland has the
monopoly (a monopoly which she uses, perhaps, just a trifle too
modestly). This is Forres, as the paper shows you; if Macbeth's
witches really did live in this neighbourhood, it is just as
well they had their hands pretty full, for they would have found
the place uncommonly dull otherwise, especially on the
"Sawbath." On the other hand, the drive to and the walk along
the banks of the Findhorn--the excursion for which one comes
here--is quite delightful, and indeed surpassed my expectations.
I must tell you that I have nothing short of a craze for your
dark brown Scotch (and Irish) rivers, as dark as treacle, and as
clear as a cairngorm. This particular stream contrives to rush
part of the way through fantastic rocks of pink granite--you may
imagine the effect. Here again from the heights over the river I
_ought_ to have seen the sea and the coast of Sutherlandshire;
but the weather was sulky and I had to draw on my imagination
for the view.
In the forenoon I went over by train to Elgin, to see the ruined
cathedral, which is fine, but, like all Scotch architecture that
I have seen, crude and barbaric. As I stood on the platform
before starting, I heard a gruff, good-humoured voice hailing me
from a train on the other side; it was the voice which goes so
well with the rubicund face of the Duke of Cambridge. I was
going by the same train, so he made me get into his compartment;
he was going to Balmoral or Aberfeldie. He was very comic about
B---- and his article in the _Nineteenth Century_--"A fellow who
fouls his own nest is always a d----d bad lot--a d----d bad
lot," with which sentiment I close a d----d long letter.--From
your affectionate son,
FRED.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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