overhanging the Tweed, and Maxton church and manse. On the opposite side of the water is Mertoun House, profusion. The walks near the town are extremely beautiful. It is a burgh of very ancient erection, and appears, from a charter by William the Lion, to have been a place of note previous to 1165. It was repeatedly plundered and burnt by the English, who, having obtained possession of the castle in 1409, placed a garrison in it; but it was retaken in the same year by the men of Teviotdale, who levelled it with the ground. Jedburgh was one of the chief Border towns, and a place of considerable importance before the Union. After that period its trade was in a great measure destroyed; it has, however, revived. A number of new houses have been built, as also an elegant and spacious edifice, containing a town-house, with justiciary and sheriff court-rooms. The town has four principal streets, which cross at right angles, and terminate in a square or market-place. It has a weekly market on Tuesday. The population of the town and pa. rish is, by the last census, 5647. The Abbey of Jedburgh is a magnificent pile of Saxo-Gothic architecture. It was founded by David I. for canons regular, who were brought from the Abbey of St. Quintin, at Bevais in France. This monastery was frequently plundered and burned by the English. The year 1523 was memorable for the almost total demoli. tion of the town and Abbey by the Earl of Surrey. The only part remaining entire is the west end, now used as the parish church. Many of the arches are circular, and seem of great antiquity. In the west front is a richly ornamented Saxon door, which is greatly admired. This fine edifice is seen to the best advantage from the banks of the river, on which are still the vestiges of artificial caves, used as a place of concealment during the Border wars. The Castle-hill commands a charming prospect; embracing the valley, the town, the river, and the distant hills. The view up the river is more confined, but highly romantic; its banks are mostly bold, and covered with copsewood, or crowned with lofty plantations. Among the many beautiful scenes concealed by straggling eminences, is Fernyhirst, belonging to the Marquis of Lothian, and the original seat of his ancestors, the Kers. It was taken by the English in 1523; and again after the battle of Pinkie. The walk up the river for six miles is delightful. Leaving Jedburgh, the tourist, at the distance of about two miles, reaches Bonjedward, where the road joins the one from Hawick to Kelso, and proceeds towards the latter town, through a fertile and well-cultivated country, watered by the Teviot and its tributary streams. The road, soon after the junction, crossesthc Jed; a mile beyond which is the village of Nether Nesbit, on the north bank of the Teviot; and a mile farther on is the village of Crailing, the church on the left, and Crailing House (— Paton, Esq.) on the right, formerly the seat of the noble family of Cran. (Hugh Scott, Esq. of Harden.) In this mansion are preserved some interesting heir-looms of the family, commemorative of their exploits recorded in Border story. The house is placed in a delightful situation. From the windows some extremely beautiful views of the Tweed and Littledean Tower are obtained. The next object of attraction is Littledean Tower in ruins, also the property of Scott of Harden, formerly the seat of the Kers of Littledean, a branch of the Roxburghe family. The views from and around the Tower are extremely beautiful. To the west are some romantic ravines, having their sides richly clothed with diversified coppicewood. The Tweed here forms a beautiful island, and at a little distance its banks, ornamented with brushwood, the sweetbriar, and furze-blossom, rise suddenly to a considerable height. Two miles to the north of Mertoun is Smailholm Tower, celebrated by Sir Walter Scott in his immortal poem of the Eve of Saint John ;" and the character of its scenery is beautifully developed in one of his preliminary epistles to Marmion. Sir Walter Scott, in his childhood, resided at Sandyknowe, within a qurrter of a mile of Smailholm Tower, with his grandmother on the father's side. The farm of Sandyknowe had been occupied by Sir Walter's grandfather, under a lease from his relative, Mr. Scott of Harden.* Smailholm Tower stands in a stoun. A mile and a half beyond this, is the village of Eckford, also on the right. Farther on is Moss Tower, once a place of strength, belonging to the Buccleuch family, and upon the left is Eckford kirk. The road crosses the small river Kale, on the banks of which there is some romantic scenery; and two miles in advance is the village of Highton. A mile and a half farther on, is Springwoodpark (Sir Douglas, Bart.) upon the left. The road now crosses the Tweed, and enters the town of Kelso. * No apology is necessary for inserting the following extract from the Dumfries Courier : "Having passed a few days at Sandyknowe, I had au opportunity of learning the particulars of Sir Walter Scott's last visit to that romantic scene of his infancy. He was accompanied by Mr. T. the celebrated artist, and Mr. C. the publisher. It was only a week or two before he set out from the land of his fathers, in search of lost health. After walking round the rocky and ridgy hill, supported by his two friends,+ and having pointed out to them what was remarkable in the old tower and its vicinity, he entered, These two friends were Mr. Turner and Mr. Cadell. very elevated situation, and is seen at a distance of many miles; it is surrounded by wild rocks, and is difficult of in their company, the hospitable dwelling of Mr. Stewart. Mrs. Stewart, who had seen Sir Walter in his prime, was forcibly struck with his worn and enfeebled appearance; he seemed bowed down with disease and decay. On entering the apartment, he observed to Mrs. Stewart, with characteristic naiveté, that she was receiving into her house three very different characters-an artist, a bookseller, and a bookmaker. Speaking of Sandyknowe, he said, with considerable emotion, 'I love Sandyknowe well; every gray rock, and every green knowe, is familiar to me; I have known them from a boy. I was sent out here to die, but Providence has had more for me to do.' One of Mr. Stewart's daughters, a lively girl of fourteen, sitting near him, he suddenly looked in the face, kissed her, and caressing her with his hand, kindly said, 'You'll be a braw lass when I am no muckle worth.' There was an air of melancholy and dejection in his whole manner, and in most of his observations, he evidently felt that he was paying his last visit to Sandyknowe. He spoke, as was usual, of his grandfather and grandmother-the gudeman and the gudewife,' as they were commonly called-and again and again he tenderly mentioned all the kind old guardians of his youth. On Mrs. Stewart offering him a refreshment, he archly shook his head, and refused the proffered cup, alleging, in excuse, the stern order of the physicians, who would allow him, he said, 'de'il a drap.' After sitting upwards of an hour, and conversing with the inmates of the house, in which a keen sense of his melancholy situation was seen mingled with that fine vein of humour which formed such a charming feature in his character, he rose to depart. He left the house and premises in visible emotion; in the fulness of his heart the tears stood in his eyes; and in a few minutes he was borne away from Sandyknowe, never to visit it more. 66 Sandyknowe, and its interesting tower, have already become objects of attraction to tourists on the Tweed. In the summer and autumn, I have been informed, pilgrims of every description, from the solitary pedestrian, carrying his coat bundle-wise over his back, to the traveller in a coroneted carriage, hasten to visit the favourite tower of our immortal countryman.' After the foregoing interesting extract from Mr. M'Diarmid's paper, it is but justice to add the testimony of one other of the persons present on this occasion (6th August, 1831), who assures us, that although the great author was decidedly feeble in his gait compared to his former vigour, there was no air of melancholy in his manner, and there was no evidence that he felt that this was his last visit to Mr. Stewart's farm; on the contrary, he was very merry, and there was some cause for merriment, occasioned by the language and manner of an inmate of Mrs. Stewart's, whose conduct again and again convulsed Sir Walter and his friends with laughter. Mrs. Stewart has not told this; but it was so continuous as to leave no time for melancholy, or the appearance of it. access, and in olden times must have been almost impregnable. From Littledean the road continues eastward along the south bank of the Tweed, through a most interesting and highly improved country, affording an endless variety of captivating views. Six miles from Lessuden is Makerstoun (Sir Thomas Brisbane Macdougal, Bart.) on the opposite side of the river, finely situate amidst stately trees of luxuriant growth. The garden is kept in fine order, and the conservatory contains many rare and curious plants from every quarter of the globe. On the right the tourist passes the remains of the once famous Castle of Roxburgh, in ancient times the frequent scene of contest between the Scots and English: upon the opposite side of the Tweed, is seen a holly-tree, which marks the spot where James II. was killed by the bursting of a piece of artillery. Proceeding forward, and before arriving at the Teviot, a most interesting view opens suddenly of Fleurs Castle, the old Castle of Roxburgh, and the town and bridge of Kelso. The tourist then crosses the Teviot by a bridge, having Springwoodpark (Sir Douglas, Bart.) on the right, and approaches KELSO, the view of which is most imposing. It is pleasantly situate at the confluence of the Tweed and the Teviot, in a fine plain, and near to the fertile tract of country called the Merse, which extends from Nenthorn downward to Berwick. Nothing can exceed the beauty of this neighbourhood, which abounds with wood and water, and is adorned with all that wealth, taste, and industry can bestow. Kelso was three times burnt down by the English. In 1684, it was reduced to ashes by an accidental fire, and again nearly so about eighty years ago. It is now a handsome town, containing a spacious square or market-place, in which stand the town-house and many elegant houses and shops. The bridge over the Tweed was carried away by an inundation of the river in 797, but it has since been rebuilt on an elegant plan. The Duke of Roxburgh, as lay proprietor of the lands and Abbey of Kelso, is lord of the manor; and the town was governed by a baron-bailie appointed by his Grace, and fifteen stentmasters. 4939. The population of the parish is Kelso is a sort of provincial capital, and there is much elegance in the style of living of its inhabitants. It has excellent schools for the education of youth; and there has recently been established a school of arts for the instruction of mechanics. There are three public subscription libraries, one of which, the "Kelso Library," has been established thirty years, and contains an extensive collection of the best works in English literature. The Caledonian Hunt sometimes meets here, on which occasion balls and assemblies are held. The principal trade is the tanning of leather, and the dressing of sheep and lamb skins; hats, shoes, and stockings, are manufactured to a considerable extent. Being situate in the centre of a populous country, Kelso carries on a good inland trade. It has a weekly market on Friday, and four annual fairs; that called St. James's on the 5th of August, is the greatest fair next to St Boswell's in the south of Scotland. The coach from Edinburgh to London, by Cornhill, passes through the town; and there is daily communication with Edinburgh by stage-coaches. The rail-road from Berwick, when executed, cannot fail to be of essential advantage to Kelso, and to the country around. Kelso Abbey is well deserving of attention for its venerable antiquity, and the purity of its Saxon architecture. It was founded by David I. in 1128, who planted it with monks from Tyrone in France. The Abbey was built in the form of a Greek cross, dedicated to the Virgin Mary and St. John the Evangelist, and endowed with immense possessions and privileges. The north and south aisles, having each two round towers, still remain, as also two sides of the centre tower, now only 70 feet high. The pillars are clustered, the arches circular, and in all its parts it is of that plain undecorated style called Saxon, or early Norman, so prevalent at the time of its erection. This Abbey frequently suffered by the hostile incursions of the English, and was demolished in 1569, at the time of the Reformation. At this period it passed by grant, with all its possessions, to the Duke of Roxburgh. The only son of King David I. and many other illustrious persons, were interred in Kelso Abbey; and it |