6

CHAPTER XI.

(1837-1838.)

Visit to Scotland-Archbishop Leighton's Library at Dumblane-Tytler and his sisters finally establish themselves in London-Sydney Smith-Miss Tytler's MS. continued-Anecdotes of domestic life-Tytler in his family, and among his friends.

THE nature of Mr. Tytler's literary pursuits now rendered it plain that his head-quarters must henceforth be fixed in London. It was therefore determined between himself and his sisters, that after a summer spent in Scotland, they should finally establish themselves in the metropolis. "We first visited our friends," (says Miss Tytler,) "and arranged about the transportation of our furniture and my brother's library." Hence, the following letter to Mr. Maitland Makgill:

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"Wetherall Place, Hampstead, June 27th 1837.

My dear David, -My plans, or I ought rather to say our plans, will lead us all to Scotland this summer; and if it would completely suit you and dear Esther, I would bring the bairns to Rankeilour, and pay you a visit of eight days before proceeding to Newliston.

"It was very kind in you to send me the Fife paper, containing the extract from your speech. I liked very much your spirited defence of Dr. Chalmers, which would have been perfect if you had avoided a few words which were likely to produce irritated and unforgiving feelings in your opponents: 'insects of a day,' &c. These arrows stick and fester; and however tempting the occasion may be, I believe it our

Christian duty in defending the truth, to adhere to argument, and abstain from everything like sarcasm, or personal attack. If we retain the affection of those we wish to convince, their minds are more accessible to our arguments; they see we argue from our love to them and our love to the truth; and the absence of all bitter feelings keeps our own minds and those of our adversaries in that sweet and peaceful state, in which it is likely that we shall arrive at sound conclusions. Many good men, and most sincere

followers of the LORD JESUS CHRIST are I believe at this moment 'biting and devouring one another' upon points which they will afterwards discover with compunction and wonder, to have been unworthy of such keen contention. But even when the subjects in debate are of vital consequence, we must abstain from all railing accusations; and if personally attacked, content ourselves with stating the facts, and leaving the inferences to those who hear us. These pre

cepts I wish I could follow, as fully as I think I understand them; but I fear in some little literary fracas in which I have been engaged I have often forgot them, and certainly have used expressions which I have afterwards much repented.

"I hope to write part of my seventh volume at Newliston; but I need be in no hurry to publish, as in the present excited state of the public, with the death of our poor old King, the accession of the young Queen, and the approaching general Election, no one has time to think either of History or Literature."

During this visit to Scotland, Mr. Tytler spent his time chiefly at Newliston,-the spot which, next to Woodhouselee, he loved best in the world,-" reading and shooting." The very anticipation made him happy. "I look forward with much delight to sweet days of quiet study at Newliston :" (he wrote to his brother-in-law.) "When I last was there, it was for so brief a space, and I felt that I must so immediately

bid adieu to the scenes which are so very dear to me, that the feeling was one of deep melancholy. But now, I hope to pass two months there, and to be as happy as my heart can ever be, divided from her who made that spot almost too happy.”*—In his pocket-diary, against August 9th, there is the following entry,-" Passed a sweet day at Dumblane, in dear Leighton's library;" and on the 14th,-" Went again to Dumblane." This visit, I remember, delighted him much; and he brought away an interesting memorial of it, by transcribing the abundant notes with which Leighton has enriched his copy of Herbert's poems. That saintly man seems to have delighted in the practice of writing sentences from the Fathers, and short pious apophthegms in his books; several of which Tytler also transcribed, and, some years after, showed me. I preserve a memorandum, I believe, of them all; and presume that the reader will be grateful for the sight of at least some of them. They are such as the following:-Non magna relinquo: magna sequor.—Ama nesciri, et pro nihilo reputari.-Ad supervacua sudatur.-Eripe me his invicte malis.-Potius mori quam maculari.-Nec te quæsiveris extra.-(This was a favourite sentence. It is found in his much-marked copy of the Confessions of Augustine, with the dates Aug. 24th, 1639: Sep. 18th, 1645: Feb. 10th, 1648.)-Nil magnum in terris, præter animum terrena spernentem.—Non est cor fixum, nisi crucifixum.In some cases, however, Mr. Tytler preserved a more careful memorandum of what he found. Some specimens follow. Thus, on his Book of Common Prayer, the fly leaves of which are covered with quotations,- Felices essent artes, si de eis soli artifices judicarent.-Quis est fons amoris? Ille idem qui nos lavit a peccatis nostris.

"On a little book by Burnet, ('The Life of GOD in the soul of Man,') there is written,-Ex dono autoris: and

* To James Maitland Hog, Esq., dated Athenæum, July 5th 1837.

added by Leighton, Doctissimi, mihique amicissimi ac dilectissimi. On the fly-leaf,-Oneri mihi est, et fastidio, quicquid mundus affert in solatium.

"On the "Theologia Mystica, R. P. Joannis A Jesu Maria Carmelitæ, Terra hominum palæstra est, cœlum corona. (Ambros.)-Sacramentum Eucharistia miraculum mysteriorum legis Christianæ. It is much marked with his pencil.

"On the Pensées de M. Pascal:'-Nec tumide, nec timide.-Mille piaceri non vagliano un dolore.-Si vis tibi cavere, te primum cave. (No pencil marks.) "On 'D. Dionysii Carthusiani Opuscula,' which is much read, and full of pencil marks:-Summa Religionis est imitari quem colis.

"On Chrysostomi Homiliæ,' much marked with pencil in the original Greek, Ναὶ ἐρχοῦ, Κύριε Ἰησοῦ.

"On the Lettres Chrétiennes et Spirituelles de St. Cyran,' -Dies ille quem tanquam extremum reformidas, æterni natalis est. Sen.

"Historia Pontificum Romanorum, a Jacob. Revio:' most thoroughly read and marked throughout,-Certe in imagine ambulat omnis homo.

"On Savonarola's Expositio Orationis Domini:'Cupio videre cœlestia. And on 'Præstantium virorum Epistolæ -Sero pœnitet quantumvis cito pœniteat, quisquis in re dubia cito decernit.

"On the Thesaurus Biblicus:' Qui bene latuit, bene vixit.-Si quis in hoc mundo cunctis vult gratus haberi, Det capiat quærat, plurima pauca nihil.- Ut potiar patior. -Ille dolet vere qui sine teste dolet.-Noli altum sapere, sed time.

"On the 'Essaies de Montaigne,' (much read and marked,) -Insolentia est species magnitudinis falsa. Sen.-R. L.

Si quid in morte mali, malis tantum.-Crescit in adversis virtus. Other quotations in Spanish and Italian.

"His Horace (ed. Adams, London 1620), Lucan, Virgil, and Seneca, are marked throughout. On a small copy of 'Thomas à Kempis,' in Greek and Latin,-Initium omnis peccati est superbia.—Ἐμοὶ τὸ ζῆν, Χριστός· καὶ τὸ ἀποθανεῖν xépdos. Et sic certe, Bene moritur qui dum moritur lucra facit.

"On his little 12mo copy of Augustine's 'Meditationes, Soliloquiæ, Contemplationes,' which is marked all over with his pencil, is written,-Le Bien Aimé crucifié est à moi, et je suis à lui. R. L.-Religionis scabies disputandi pruritas. O iμòs epws koτaúpwτai. —Non est mortale quod opto.-Tantum profeceris quantum tibi vim intuleris.— Cupio videre cœlestia.

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On 'Gerhard's Patrologia,'-Det ille veniam facile cui veniæ est opus.

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On the Conclave de Pontif. Roman.,'-Quanto conatu quantas nugas.

"On Ranzovius, 'Tractatus Astrologicus,'-A signis cœli nolite metuere. Jer. x. 2.-Sapiens dominabitur astris.

"On Howe's 'Blessedness of the Righteous,' is written, -Sit vitæ regula Christus. But the work has no mark of having been read: nor has Baxter's 'Saint's Everlasting Rest: nor any of Calvin's works. In general, I have found no marks of study or reading in any of the works of the Puritans, although there are many authors of this description in the Library. These may have been his Father's." And so much for the Library of pious Archbishop Leighton at Dumblane.

...

Miss Ann F. Tytler's MS. now proceeds as follows:"When we told Mrs. Sydney Smith, on our return from Scotland, that we were bringing up all our furniture by sea, for the house we had taken in Devonshire Place, Sydney