of earlier introduction. In England," trial by jury" in civil cases, involving questions of fact as well as law, had long been a public right, and regarded with much popular favour; inasmuch as, in political cases especially, a feeling was created that the accused ran no risk of foul play. It is in his contention for this mode of procedure, that we associate the lasting renown of Erskine. The rule was extended to Scotland by an Act passed in 1815, into which were imported the leading features of English practice. It is difficult to appreciate the wisdom of one of its conditions, that verdicts must be unanimous, on which account the minority have often to surrender their own convictions; or else, as occasionally happens, the jury separates without any conclusive results; but with this exception we heartily acknowledge the advantages which the measure has conferred.*

There are many minor customs of our rural ancestry that are either gone or stealing from us. Even in the matter of dress we bear little resemblance to the generation that has passed away. Everything has been modernized, and our country people are no longer recognizable by an attire which was once as distinctive and curious to behold as that belonging to the peasants of the Netherlands or Normandy. I

* A few years ago an act was passed which makes “unanimity” in Scotch practice no longer necessary.-ED.

do not mean to say that the abandonment of old customs has exercised in any way an adverse influence on the affections, but among other things, we have ceased to draw upon our poetical genius as formerly, when intimating the spots where the remains of loving relatives have been deposited. I should not have to make a long journey to read some ridiculous announcements of the sort in country churchyards. Here is one of them, where a widow hopes to console herself by fulfilling the wishes of her departed spouse: Here lies, in silent clay, John Buyers,

To have this stone put up was pairt of his desires;
The which his widow, Margaret Riddel, grants,
And hopes that he is numbered with the sants.

Another is in honour of a man whose surname was the same as the village in which he lived:

In Carnie sure did David die;

We hope his soul's in heaven high.

His body lies beneath this stone,

To crumble there, both skin and bone.

A third specially distinguishes the grave of a Mr. Pye, Junior :

Here doth lie, John Pye.

Is it old John? Na! Is it young John? Ay!

CHAPTER XI.

GREAT EVENTS; NATIONAL AND POLITICAL

PROGRESS.

STRIKING changes are associated with the periods to which these pages refer, whether their number or nature is considered. I have seen those extensive and fair provinces in North America, which British blood had peopled and British energy enriched, break from the common allegiance which united us to them, and form themselves into a republic the greatest that the world has ever known. In my time Poland and Hungary have ceased to be independent monarchies. A new dynasty has been established on the throne of Sweden. Norway has been taken from Denmark, and Finland annexed to Russia. Twice, the sovereigns of France, escaping from the violence of their subjects, have found a hospitable shelter in England. Spain and Portugal, portions of

Germany, the two Sicilies, Holland and Italy, have all experienced either the throes of revolution or the horrors of civil war. Greece and Belgium have become separate kingdoms. British rule, extending over millions of people, has been consolidated in the East. Our colonies, old and new, have been marvellously developed. We have driven the Dutch from the Cape of Good Hope, and the French from the Mauritius. Vain attempts have been made to deprive us of the strongholds of Malta and Gibraltar ; and in the same year which witnessed our crowning triumph at Waterloo, we dethroned the barbarous King of Candy, and added the fertile island of Ceylon to the long list of our dependencies. In presence of these events foreign armaments had to be upheld, and the resources of the country were taxed to the uttermost. The navies of France threatened our very shores, and perhaps the danger was greater than we cared to admit; but it was sufficiently formidable to rouse feelings of general alarm, which neither the protestations of statesmen nor the ridicule of wits were able to remove. Ministers assured us of the completeness of our defences, and the wittiest pens were employed to make us laugh at Napoleon's menaces. There are many who re

member the effusions of the "Anti-Jacobin" on the subject. They amuse us now; they produced grim

smiles then. Here is one of them, in which the

Frenchman

purposes to pay a visit to us:

Then away let us over

To Deal or to Dover,

We laugh at his talking so big;

He's pamper'd with feeding,

And wants a good bleeding,

Par Dieu! he shall bleed like a pig.

John, tied to the stake,

A grand baiting will make,

When worried by mastiffs of France;

What republican fun

To see his blood run,

As at Lyons, La Vendee, and Nantz!

We have experienced those internal shocks that arise from the sufferings of classes, and political questions of absorbing public interest wellnigh rent the kingdom in twain; but our people have recovered from that excitement, and we have survived the convulsions of nations. Peace, plenty, and contentment have become realized blessings. For years we have been accustomed to breathe freely, and have forgotten the hard times and unexampled commercial embarrassments which terminated in the financial dead-lock of 1825. The general state of affairs was then so critical, and such were the difficulties of converting securities, that Mr. Huskisson is known to have said that we were within four and twenty hours of a condition of