took a great deal of pains to acquire a reputation, and with a swift hand, against the time that he should work "for his kitchen." Vandyck's general habit was this:-he appointed the day and hour for the person's sitting, and worked not above an hour upon any portrait, either in rubbing in, or finishing: so that as soon as his clock informed him that his hour was past, he rose up and made a bow to the sitter, to signify that he had finished; and then appointed another hour, on some other day; whereupon his servant appeared with a fresh pallet and pencils, whilst he was receiving another sitter, whose hour had been appointed. By this method, he commanded expedition. After having lightly dead-colored the face, he put the sitter into some attitude which he had before contrived; and on grey paper, with white and black crayons, he sketched the attitude and drapery, which he designed in a grand manner and exquisite taste. After this, he gave the drawing to the skilful people he had about him, to paint after the sitter's own clothes, which, at Vandyck's request, were sent to him for that purpose. When his assistants had copied these draperies, he went over that part of the picture again, and thus by a shortened process, he displayed all that art and truth which we at this day admire in them. He kept persons in his house of both sexes, from whom he painted the hands, and he cultivated a friendship with the ladies who had the most beautiful, to allow him to copy them. He was thus enabled to delineate them, with a surprising delicacy and admirable coloring. He very frequently used a brown color, composed of prepared peach stones, as a glazing for the hair, &c. He had not remitted his practice of painting, till a few days before his death.*

June 8.

RIDING OF LANARK MARCHES This ceremony is of very ancient date, and must be performed annually on the day following the last Wednesday of May, old style; consequently it takes place early in June.

The morning is ushered in by boys assembling in crowds, and patrolling the streets. Their first care is to procure the clerk and treasurer of the burgh, whose presence cannot be dispensed with. These being got, the procession moves off to the sound of drum and fife. At one of

the marches, where the Mouse separates the burgh lands from those of Lockhart of Lee, a pit stone is pointed out, standing in the middle of a gentle pool. This is the ducking hole. Such as, for the first time, have enrolled themselves under the banners of the procession, must wade in, and grope for the stone, during which act they are tumbled over and ducked, to the no small satisfaction of the spectators. There is no distinction of rank-were the greatest potentate to appear, he would share the fate of the most humble plebeian. As soon as the novices are immersed, the whole then move off to the woods of Jerviswood and Cleghorn, and cut down— not small twigs, but stately boughs of birch, with which they return, and march through the principal streets in regular procession, to the sound of music. The proprietors of these lands have at different times attempted to prevent the destroying of their trees, but in vain. The number of men and boys in the procession may be estimated at 400. The effect is peculiarly grand, and has all the appearance of a moving forest.

The procession being ended, the most celebratad vocalists of the cavalcade form themselves into a circle at the cross, and sing the popular song of "Scots wha hae wi' Wallace bled." This part of the ceremony is of modern introduction, and owes its origin to the placing of the statue of the great Scottish hero in the east front of the church only a few years ago.

In the early part of the day, the Council and seat of Deacons assemble at the house of the cornet or standard-bearer, where they are very copiously regaled. They then proceed with the standard to the house of him who is appointed keeper for the ensuing year. It is kept by the burgesses and trades alternately. This stand

ard was taken hy Admiral Lockhart Ross of the Tartar, and by him presented to the burgh. The rude hand of time has now reduced it to a rag. At noon, the own drummer, on horseback, with his spirit-stirring tantara, appears, which is the signal for congregating the equestrians who are to join the Magistrates and Town Council in riding the land-marches.

A public instrument was taken in the year 1775, upon the 9th of June, in presence of John Wilson, notary public, and witnesses, wherein the Lord Provost, Bailies, Council and Community of said burgh, did, for performance of the ancient yearly custom, and for the knowledge of the freedoms and liberties of their burgh, in riding of their marches, and bounding of their common lands, which appertain to the said burgh, pass upon foot and horse-back to the marches after specified, for the common weal of the said burgh, and to make their marches known to all neighbours adjacent thereto-" In the first place, beginning at the foot of the burn at Lockhart bridge, on the water of Mouse, and passing therefrom, north-east, to the new march stone at the hedge at the New Mains burn, at the foot of the brae, where the said burn begins to run towards the water of Mouse, from thence to the new march-stone on the hedge in the park opposite to the wood, and from thence passing southwards to the new march-stone on said hedge, about twenty five clue's distant from the former; from thence passing north east to the new marchstone, close to the inside of the dyke, on the south side of the entry to Jerviswood house, at the place where the old stone dyke, now demolished, ended, which formerly was accounted the march; and from thence to the march-stone on the north side of the King's high-street, at Leitchford; from thence to the gate at said foord, and up the water of Mouse, while unto the path that passed from the said mid-water to the meadow burn passing south, passing south up the marchdyke of the hill, and march-stone there, south-east the gate to the march-stone on the neuk of the dyke at Mouse bridge, passing south-east the gate in the mid fold, from thence passing to the Balgreen, to a march-stone on the common gate, and from that place, passing the gate and march dyke southeastward, to the east dyke to the Stack-hill, thro' the little moss to the common gate that passes to Ravenstruther, and then passing the yett of

Ravenstruther, passing down that dyke totthe river at Cobblehaugh, passing west the dyke to the new march-stone on the Hardstonlaw, and then passing west the gate to the old Pine-fold, and then passing to the east end of the Longloch, and passing west therefrom the south gate to the march-stone besouth the Rood of Cross, and from that stone even thro' the moss to Braxmoss-within which bounds, the haill common lands, mosses and muirs, apper. tain to the burgh of Lanark, and inhabitants thereof, and have been yearly bounded and ridden by the Provost, Bailies, Council, and Community of the said burgh, past memory of man, without stop or impediment whatever, as divers and sundry instruments taken thereon purport. Like as the present day and year, the Provost, Bailies, Council, and Community of the said burgh have ridden said marches, and caused their officers in our Sovereign Lord's name and authority, fence and arrest all fewell, fail, peats and divotes, which are casten within said bounds by an unfree or out-townsman, that none remove the same off the grounds whereon they lye, but that the same remain under sure arrestment at their instance, ay and while they be made fourthcoming as law will, whereupon and upon all and sundry the premises, the treasurer of the said burgh, in their name and upon their behalf, asked and took instruments one or more needful, in the hands of me, John Wilson, notary public subscribing. These things were done respectively and successively at every march-stone, and publicly at the mercate cross of Lanark, between the hours of six in the morning and three in the afternoon, before and in presence of-" &c.

Having finished their rounds, the whole assemble on the race ground in the moor, where a race is run for a pair of spurs.

No horse is allowed to start except it belong to a burgess, and has been previously carted. The bells are rung in the morning during the procession of the birches, and at noon, while the ceremony of riding the marches is performing. In the afternoon the Magistrates and Council dine in the County Hall, in company with a number of the Burgesses and gentlemen of the neighbourhood, and the whole day is one of high festivity. The corporations hold their annual meetings, and no public business of any kind is done. No weather, however tempestuous, can hinder the observance of the ceremony

After the riding of the Lanark Marches yesterday, this day may be dedicated to an acquaintance with a few distinguished Scottish personages

OLD LORDS OF SESSION.

In the very interesting "Traditions of Edinburgh by Mr. Chambers," which largely assist the historian, and illustrate the manners of by-gone days, there are very curious anecdotes of remarkable versons and incidents.

Lord Covington (Alexander Lockhart, esq.), was appointed to the bench in 1774 and died in 1782. He was one of the ablest lawyers of his time. Mr. Lockhart and Mr. Fergusson (afterwards Lord Pitfour) had always been rivals, in their profession at the bar, and were usually pitted against each other as advocates in important cases. In only one thing did they ever agree, and that was the Jacobitism which affected them in common. After the Rebellion of 1745 was finally suppressed, many violently unjust, as well as bloody measures, were resorted to, at Carlisle, in the disposal of the prisoners, about seventy of whom came to a barbarous death. Messrs Lockhart and Fergusson, indignant at the treatment of the poor Highlanders, resolved upon a course by which they were able to save many lives. They set out for Carlisle, and, offering their services, were gladly accepted as counsel by the unfortunate persons whose trials were yet to happen. These gentlemen arranged with each other that Lockhart should examine evidence, while Fergusson

• From an Edinburgh Newspaper, 1827.

pleaded and addressed the Jury;-Each exerted his abilities in his respective duties with the greatest solicitude, but with very little effect. The jurors of Carlisle had been so frightened by the Highland army, that they thought every thing in the shape or hue of tartan a certain proof of guilt. They discriminated so little between one alleged crim.nal and another, that the victims of a sinking cause might have been just as fairly and much more conveniently tried by wholesale, or in companies. At length one of the Scottish Advocates devised an expedient which had a better effect than all the eloquence he had expended. He directed his man-servant to dress himself in some tartan habiliments, to skulk about for a short time in the neighhourhood of the town, and then permit himself to be taken. The man did so, and was soon brought into court, and accused of the crime of high-treason, and would have been condemned to death, had not his master stood up, claimed him as his servant, and proved, beyond dispute, that the supposed criminal had been in immediate attendance upon him during the whole time of the Rebellion. This staggered the jury, and, with a little amplification from the young Advocate, served to make them more cautious afterwards in the delivery of their important fiat.-Lockhart (Lord Covington) was held in such estimation as an advocate, that the late Lord Newton, when at the bar, wore Lockhart's gown till it was in tatters, and at last had a new one made, with a fragment of the neck of the original sewed into it, whereby he could still make it his boast that he wore "Covington's Gown."

Lord Pitfour, who died in 1777, owed his elevation to the bench in 1764 to the late Earl Mansfield, whose official duty it was to inform his majesty of the vacancy, and who had influence in supplying it. The news of the vacancy reached Lord Mansfield, while attending a levee at St. James's, and, instantly bethinking himself of his friend Fergusson, he spoke in his favor to the king, and in addition to his own recommendation brought forward the Duke of Argyll, whom, strange to say, he caused to testify to the loyalty of the Jacobite barrister, by putting the question to him in so direct and confident a manner that his grace, out of polite

ness, could not help bowing. This, of course, was taken as sufficient assurance by his majesty, who could not doubt the attestation of so attached and so whiggish a nobleman. Fergusson had just as great expectations of becoming the Lama of Thibet as of being made a senator of the College of Justice. Lord Pitfour always wore his hat on the bench on account of his sore eyes.

Lord Monboddo (James Burnet, Esq.), appointed a lord of session 1767, died in 1799. He once embroiled himself in a

law-plea respecting a horse which belonged to himself. His lordship had committed the anima, when sick, to the charge of a farrier, with directions for the administration of a certain medicine. The farrier gave the medicine, but went beyond his commission, in so far as he mixed it in a liberal menstruum of treacle, in order to make it palatable. The horse dying next morning, Lord Monboddo raised a prosecution for its value, and actually pleaded his own cause at the bar. He lost it, however, and is said to have been so enraged in consequence at his brother judges, that he never afterwards sat with them upon the bench, but underneath, amongst the clerks. The report of this case is exceedingly amusing, on account of the great quantity of Roman law quoted by the judges, and the strange circumstances under which the case appeared before them. With all his oddities, and though generally hated or despised by his brethren, Monboddo was by far the most learned, and not the least upright judge of his time. His attainments in classical learning, and in the study of ancient philosophy, were singular in his time in Scotland. He was the earliest patron of the venerable professor John Hunter of St. Andrew's, who was for many years his secretary, and who chiefly

wrote the first and best volume of his Lordship's Treatise on the Origin of Languages. When Lord Monboddo travelled to London, he always went on horseback. It is said that the late king, George III., on understanding this, and being told that two dragoon officers had just come up from Scotland in a post-chaise, remarked it was strange that one of his law-judges should visit him on horseback, while his dragoons adopted the more civilian-like mode of conveyance. On lord Mon

boddo's last journey he only got the length of Dunbar, and then returned. His nephew enquiring the occasion of this "Oh George," said his lordship, “I find I am eighty-four."-So convinced was Lord Monboddo of the truth of his fantastic theory of human tails, that, whenever a child happened to be born in his house, he watched at the chamber-door, in order to see it in its first state-having a notion that the attendants pinched off the infant-tails. There is a tradition, that Lord Monboddo witnessed the death of Captain Porteus by the mob in 1735. He had that day returned from completing his law-education at Leyden, and taken lodgings near the foot of the West Bow, where many of the greatest lawyers then resided. When the rioters came down the Bow with their victim, Mr. Burnet was roused from bed by the noise, came down in his night-gown, with a candle in his hand, and stood in a sort of stupor, looking on and still holding the lighted candle, till the tragedy was concluded. It is further added, that he was apprehended and examined next day by the magistrates. Lord Monboddo, while a judge, had a good house in St. John's Street, where Burns often attended the parties given by his lordship's beautiful daughter.

Another Lord of Session (Henry Home Esq. Lord Kames, appointed in 1752, died in 1783. He was distinguished for his metaphysical subtilty and literary abilities, and admired for extraordinary powers of conversation; yet he was strangely accustomed to apply towards his intimate friends the term which designates a she-dog. It is well taken off in Sir Walter Scott's "Red Gauntlet." When Lord Kames retired from the Bench, he took a public farewell of his brethren. After ad dressing them in a solemn speech, and shaking their hands all round, in going out at the door of the Court-Room, he turned about, and, casting them a last look, cried, in his usual familiar tone, -"Fare ye a' weel, ye bitches!" This might be called the ruling passion strong in death, for Lord Kames died a very short while thereafter. A man called Sinkum the Cadie, who had a short and a long leg, and was excessively addicted to swearing, used to lie in wait for this distinguished Judge, almost every morning, and walk alongside of his Lordship up