particular point is to be found the chief expansion and promi

In a place where education is so much diffused among the men, it is natural to suppose, that the women also must, in no inconsiderable degree, be imbued with some passion for literature. The kinds of information most in request here, (and, indeed, necessarily so, when we reflect on the means of education which the place affords,) are evidently much more within the reach of the Fair Sex, than in most other cities of the same importance. To be able to talk with fluency about the Politics and Belles Lettres of the day, is all that is required of an accomplished man in Edinburgh, and these are accomplishments which the ladies, modest as they are, would require more modesty than is either natural or proper to suppose themselves incapable of acquiring. That ignorance of the learned languages and ancient literature, which the men have not the assurance to attempt disguising, has broken down effectually the first and most insurmountable barrier which separates the intellectual pretensions of the two sexes in England, and, indeed, in almost all the capitals of Europe. The universal neglect with which the more ancient and massy literature, even of our own island, seems to be treated, has removed another mighty, although not quite sq insurmountable barrier; and, in short, between the men and the women, for aught I can see, there is no 'gulf fixed." The men, indeed, seem still to be anxious to prolong, in their

own favour, the existence of something of that old prestige, which owes the decay of its vigour entirely to themselves. But the greatest Mysogynists in the world have never accused the sex of being deficient in acuteness of discernment, and the ladies of Edinburgh are quite sufficiently quick-sighted, not to allow the advantages which have been given them, to slip unused through their fingers.

So far as I may judge from my own short experience, however, the Scottish ladies, in general, are very far from pushing these advantages to any undue extent. It is not necessary to enter minutely into the causes of their forbearance in this respect; for a much slower person than Mr. David Williams would have no great difficulty in forming a pretty fair guess, as to the most efficient of them. The merit which they do certainly possess and exemplify in this part of their conduct, may perhaps be divided into pretty equal shares between the influences of Nature and those of Art. Those gentler and more delicate feelings of our nature, which all their modes of life-their hopes, fears, pleasures, and sorrows, render them better able to appreciate, are alone, I should think, more than enough to weaken with the best of them the influence of those lighter and more transitory feelings, which derive gratification or uneasiness from the conscious possession or conscious want of such a measure of literary information, as is common among either the men or the women with whom they can be called upon to associate. With those of a less feminine and less just character, in point of mere feeling, there cannot be wanting enough of penetration to teach them, that the confession of inferiority is one of the most cunning treacheries with which to bait the hook of female fascination; and thus it is that the highest and most sacred of inspirations, on the one hand, co-operate with not a few less lofty and generous suggestions on the other, to keep within limits the infection of blue-stockingism-the one set of motives, as might befit their origin, attacking the secret root and essence of the mania for insignificant acquisitionthe other no less appropriately, and no less powerfully, chilling and repressing the mania for insignificant display.

There are, however, abundant exceptions to this rule even here. Innate and incorrigible vanity in some; particular incidents in the early history of others, too minute to be explained in any general terms of description; and in a few

cases, without doubt, the consciousness of capacity of a really extraordinary nature, have been sufficient to create a certain number of characters, which are somewhat inaccurately and unjustly classed together by the gentlemen of Edinburgh, under the appellation of our Blue-stockings." With the chief and most prominent persons of this class, it has as yet been my good or evil fortune to come very little in contact. My introductions into society in this place have been mostly through the intervention of the men of high literary character, and these are here, as everywhere, the greatest, that is to say, the most contemptuous enemies the Bluestocking tribe has to encounter. Last night, however, I was present at a small rout, or conversatione, which, although the lady of the house is by no means a Blue-stocking, had not a little of the appearance of a Blue-stocking party about it. A number of the principal Bas-bleus were there, and a considerable proportion of the literati, small and great, were, of course, in attendance. In short, I suspect it was as near an approach to the true and genuine scene, as I am likely to have an opportunity of observing.

I was ushered into a room decently crowded with very welldrest people, and not having any suspicion that much amusement was likely to be had, I privately intended to make my bow to Mrs. and retire as soon as possible-for I had left a very snug party over their claret at my friend W's, and certainly thought I could spend the rest of the evening more agreeably with them, than at any such rout as I had yet met with in Edinburgh. I had not been long in the room, however, when I heard Mr. Jeffrey announced, and as I had not seen him for some time, I resolved to stay, and, if possible, enjoy a little of his conversation in some corner. When he entered, I confess I was a good deal struck with the different figure he made from what I had seen at C-g C-k. Instead of the slovenly set-out which he then sported the green jacket, black neckcloth, and grey pantaloons-I have seldom seen a man more nice in his exterior than Mr. Jeffrey now seemed to be. His little person looked very neat in the way he had now adorned it. He had a very well-cut blue-coat-evidently not after the design of any Edinburgh artist-light kerseymere breeches, and ribbed silk stockings-a pair of elegant buckles-white kid gloves, and a tri-color watch-ribbon. He held his hat under his arm in

a very degagée manner-and altogether he was certainly one of the last men in the assembly, whom a stranger would have guessed to be either a great lawyer or a great reviewer. In short, he was more of a Dandy than any great author I ever saw-always excepting Tom Moore and David Williams.

Immediately after him, Dr. Brown came into the room, equipped in an equally fashionable, though not quite so splendid manner, and smiling on all around with the same mild, gentle air, which I had observed on his entrance to his lecture-room. Close upon his heels followed Professor Lesslie, with a large moss-rose in his bosom. The Professor made his obeisance to one or two ladies that stood near him, and then fixing himself close by the fire-place, assumed an aspect of blank abstraction, which lasted for many minutes without the least alteration. The expression of his massy features and large grey eyes, rolling about while he stood in this attitude, was so solemn, that nothing could have formed a more amusing contrast to the light and smiling physiognomies of the less contemplative persons around him. I saw that Mr. Jeffrey was eyeing him all the while with a very quizzical air, and indeed heard him whisper something about heat, to Lady, with whom he was conversing, which I fear could have been nothing more innocent than some sarcasm against the ruminating philosopher. For my part, I now perceived plainly, that I was in a rout of no ordinary character, and, rubbing my spectacles, prepared to make the best use of my time.

While I was studying very attentively the fine hemisphe rical development of the organ of Casuality, in the superior part of Mr. Lesslie's head, I heard the name of the Earl of Buchan, travelling up the stair-case, from the mouth of one lackey to that of another, and looked round with some curiosity to see the brother of the celebrated Chancellor Erskine. His lordship came into the room with a quick and hurried step, which one would not have expected from the venerable appearance of his white hairs-the finest white hairs, by the way, I ever saw, and curling in beautiful ringlets all down his shoulders. I could easily trace a strong family resemblance to his brother, although the Earl has much the advantage, in so far as mere beauty of lineament is concerned. I do not remember to have seen a more exquisite old head, and think it is no wonder that so many portraits haye been

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painted of him by the artists of Edinburgh. The features are all perfect; but the greatest beauty is in his clear blue eyes, which are chased in his head in a way that might teach something to the best sculptor in the world. Neither is there any want of expression in these fine features; although, indeed, they are very far from conveying any thing like the same ideas of power and penetration, which fall from the overhanging shaggy eye-brows of his brother. The person of the old Earl is also very good; his legs, in particular, are well shaped, and wonderfully muscular in their appearance, considering their length of service.

"My

He ran up immediately to professor Lesslie, with whom he seemed to be on terms of infinite familiarity, and began to talk about the new plan for a Grand National Monument in Scotland, in honour of the conclusion of the late war. dear Professor," said he, "you must really subscribe-your name, you know, merely your name. sex says to myself in a letter I received from his Royal HighAs the Duke of Susness only this morning, upon this very subject-Lady B's nephew is aid-de-camp to his Royal Highness, and he is particularly kind and attentive on my account--- His Royal Highness says, he has just taken the liberty (he does me too much honour) to put me down as one of the committee. My dear Lord B, are his Royal Highness's words, we positively can't go on without you---you must give us your name---Now do, Professor, do give us your name. looking or waiting for the worthy professor's reply, his Lord"9 And then, without ship passed across the room to Mr. Jeffrey, and seizing him by the button, and whispering close into his ear, began making the very same request (for I could catch the words "Duke of Sussex,") in, I doubt not, the same phrase. But he stopped not for the reply of Mr. Jeffrey any more than for that of Professor Lesslie; and after looking round the room for a single moment, he vanished through a folding-door into an inner apartment, where, from some preparatory screams of a violin that reached my ear, I had no doubt there was about to be an interlude of concert, to break the intense seriousness of thought, supposed to be inseparable from the keen intellectual collisions of a conversazione.

On looking into the room which had just received Lord Buchan, I observed him to take his place among a row of musical cognoscenti, male and female, who already occupied a