of which the idiom soon became more French than English, they describe the little events of their school life their studies in ancient and modern languages; their lessons in dancing, swimming, fencing, tennis; their military drill on Sundays; their parties in fine weather to Argenteuil, "a village on the Seine not to be compared to Richmond," and in winter to the theatre to see Zaïre, "a tragedy by Monsieur de Voltaire;" the changes in their uniforms from blue and gold in winter to blue and silver, with a blue silk waistcoat, in summer. These and similar topics form the staple commodity of the boys' letters. The two great field-days of the school year—the king's fête-day, and "le jour des prix"-deserve fuller notice.

"Gilbert told you in his last letter," wrote Hugh to his mother on the 12th of September 1765, "that I would give you an account of the fête of St. Louis. I therefore begin in the following terms:

"Our first appearance was in arms after having performed military operations till dark. The place where we exhibited, which was in the middle of a small plantation at the end of our garden, which was excessively pretty when illuminated with garlands and lustres, was at once changed from a field of battle to a dancingschool. For having laid aside our arms we danced stage dances till ten o'clock, opera-singers warbling cantatas to the king's praises between every dance; then the whole was shut by a firework."

Nothing could well be less like the amusements of a holiday at an English school than this mixture of mimic

war and the opera. The day of public examination, at which Mr. Liston wrote that his pupils had gained some credit, is described by Gilbert:-"The Abbé had thought to make a great coup by making the examination open with a new exercise, which none of the troops in France will do till May; but, alas! it was throwing pearls before swine, for there was little else than ladies and clergymen to see it, who did not know the new from the old one. Our friend Mirabeau then repeated a long discourse in praise of mathematics, composed by the Abbé; and after a general clap, was examined on that part of his studies. I was examined after him on the same subject. We were yesterday with the Countess of Boufflers, and dine with her on Sunday. We were with Madame de Forcalquier yesterday. "Ces dames," adds Hugh, in French, "nous reçoivent on ne peut pas mieux, et nous avons un fond de babil assez honnète."

Mr. Hume, to whom they had been specially commended, showed them great kindness, and often visited them and superintended their studies. Nothing surprised Mr. Liston more than the absolute neglect by their friends of the French boys at the Abbé's school; from year's end to year's end no one inquired for them.

In 1766 they returned to their own country, and were sent to continue their studies in Edinburgh, under the superintendence of Professor George Stuart. In those days, as at present, the education given in Edinburgh was of a multiform description. Both brothers studied mathematics, classics, and rhetoric; attended lectures on natural and moral philosophy and chem

istry; learned drawing, fencing, and dancing; and when to all these subjects Gilbert was made to add civil law, and Hugh bookkeeping and writing, no wonder Gilbert informed his father that their studies were "much too crowded. What I mean is not that we have too many hours employed, but that we cannot give sufficient time to each subject. The scene shifts too quickly from one to the other." Their week-day time being thus fully employed, Sundays found them glad to enjoy the recreation of a quiet dinner party with their grandmamma and aunts, who lived in Edinburgh.

After a slight illness of Hugh's in 1766, Mr. Stuart writes as follows to Sir Gilbert :-" Hugh's popularity is such that since he has been allowed to see any one his levée has been crowded." In the same letter he says, "Gilbert is pleased with himself; he does nothing for show."

About this time Hugh wrote to his mother an account of a visit which he paid to Mr. Liston's farm for change of air. "We are just returned from a jaunt to Mr. Liston's farm, where I have in a good measure made up all the beef I lost in my last illness. We arrived there at eight o'clock on Saturday night, and were most agreeably surprised by the sound of a fiddle. I immediately conjectured that it was a penny wedding, and directly ran into the barn from whence the sound

1 Helen Stuart (Dowager Lady Elliot), daughter of Sir Robert Stuart of Allanbank, Bart., Berwickshire, and widow of Lord Minto, Justice-Clerk.

2 One of these, Miss Jane Elliot, was the authoress of the muchadmired ballad, "The Flowers of the Forest."

proceeded; but was greatly disappointed when I saw some young ladies of six feet high, with immense flycaps and silk negligées, dancing with some farmers very near as tall as themselves. Quite vext at my own insignificance, and frightened that I should be crushed to pieces every moment, I could scarcely be prevailed on to dance; however, the first tremour being over, and seeing the tallest and most terrible strain his ankle, so that he could not return to the dance, I ventured to take out his partner, whose apron-strings I scarcely came up to, and danced down a country dance."

In the spring of the following year, after describing the order of their studies, Mr. Stuart writes :-" In everything where Hugh's age admits, he is really wonderful." Two months later, he says, "Your two young men are going on well in their studies, and are superior to most of their companions. I never had occasion to see two brothers so contrasted, and indeed I should find it a more difficult task to manage Hugh, were it not for the example of his brother. He is lively, agreeable, and popular. No wonder if his vivacity is now and then above his reason. As it is, he needs a very sharp eye;" and then follows an amusing account of some excesses into which poor Hugh had been led by the injudicious hospitalities of some of his friends. "Hugh has great honesty and candour," he writes on another occasion; "if his quickness and vivacity hurry him away, it will not be for want of taste and penetration."

Dr. Somerville, writing to Lady Elliot in January

1768, mentions a circumstance which confirms the above account of Hugh's readiness :-" I attended them one evening to their Society (the Rhetorical); few of the young orators happened to be prepared upon the question of the night, and the debate was like to have come soon to a stand, when Mr. Hugh stood up with great spirit, and, to good purpose, spoke for some minutes in reply to what had been thrown out before. It gave surprise to every person present, and I never before had reason to think so highly of his abilities. If his appearance had not been superior to what might have been expected from many who are justly enough esteemed promising young men, I should not have said one word about it."1

At this period of their lives Hugh got into scrapes by "mixing too much salt with his repartees;" while Gilbert ran some danger of finding that sweets have their "soure" too. It was surmised at home that he neglected his law-books for the society of a young lady of his acquaintance; but his defence seems to have been complete when he wrote to his mother that, "after all, it had only made him take up Thomson's Seasons once or twice instead of his Roman History;" and he proceeds, perhaps in self-justification-"this town is proving idler every day. It is already much thinned. There are at present in Edinburgh above a thousand people perfectly idle. The journeymen tailors have for some time given up their work, insisting on higher wages.

1 For a further account of Hugh Elliot at this period, see Dr. Somerville's "Life and Times," p. 125.