erlooking　all；　like　a　lioness　watching　her　cubs？　　Or　shall　I　turn　to　the　far…off　Pentland　Hills；　with　Craig…Crook　nestling　beneath　them；　where　lives　the　prince　of　critics　and　the　king　of　men？　　Or　cast　my　eye　unsated　over　the　Frith　of　Forth；　that　from　my　window　of　an　evening　（as　I　read　of　AMY　and　her　love）　glitters　like　a　broad　golden　mirror　in　the　sun；　and　kisses　the　winding　shores　of　kingly　Fife？　　Oh　no！　　But　to　thee；　to　thee　I　turn；　North　Berwick…Law；　with　thy　blue　cone　rising　out　of　summer　seas；　for　thou　art　the　beacon　of　my　banished　thoughts；　and　dost　point　my　way　to　her；　who　is　my　heart's　true　home。　　The　air　is　too　thin　for　me；　that　has　not　the　breath　of　Love　in　it；　that　is　not　embalmed　by　her　sighs！
  A　THOUGHT
  I　am　not　mad；　but　my　heart　is　so；　and　raves　within　me；　fierce　and　untameable；　like　a　panther　in　its　den；　and　tries　to　get　loose　to　its　lost　mate；　and　fawn　on　her　hand；　and　bend　lowly　at　her　feet。
  ANOTHER
  Oh！　thou　dumb　heart；　lonely；　sad；　shut　up　in　the　prison…house　of　this　rude　form；　that　hast　never　found　a　fellow　but　for　an　instant；　and　in　very　mockery　of　thy　misery；　speak；　find　bleeding　words　to　express　thy　thoughts；　break　thy　dungeon…gloom；　or　die　pronouncing　thy　Infelice's　name！
  ANOTHER
  Within　my　heart　is　lurking　suspicion；　and　base　fear；　and　shame　and　hate；　but　above　all；　tyrannous　love　sits　throned；　crowned　with　her　graces；　silent　and　in　tears。
  LETTER　IX
  My　dear　P；　You　have　been　very　kind　to　me　in　this　business；　but　I　fear　even　your　indulgence　for　my　infirmities　is　beginning　to　fail。　　To　what　a　state　am　I　reduced；　and　for　what？　　For　fancying　a　little　artful　vixen　to　be　an　angel　and　a　saint；　because　she　affected　to　look　like　one；　to　hide　her　rank　thoughts　and　deadly　purposes。　　Has　she　not　murdered　me　under　the　mask　of　the　tenderest　friendship？　　And　why？　　Because　I　have　loved　her　with　unutterable　love；　and　sought　to　make　her　my　wife。　　You　say　it　is　my　own　〃outrageous　conduct〃　that　has　estranged　her：　nay；　I　have　been　TOO　GENTLE　with　her。　　I　ask　you　first　in　candour　whether　the　ambiguity　of　her　behaviour　with　respect　to　me；　sitting　and　fondling　a　man　（circumstanced　as　I　was）　sometimes　for　half　a　day　together；　and　then　declaring　she　had　no　love　for　him　beyond　common　regard；　and　professing　never　to　marry；　was　not　enough　to　excite　my　suspicions；　which　the　different　exposures　from　the　conversations　below…stairs　were　not　calculated　to　allay？　　I　ask　you　what　you　yourself　would　have　felt　or　done；　if　loving　her　as　I　did；　you　had　heard　what　I　did；　time　after　time？　　Did　not　her　mother　own　to　one　of　the　grossest　charges　（which　I　shall　not　repeat）and　is　such　indelicacy　to　be　reconciled　with　her　pretended　character　（that　character　with　which　I　fell　in　love；　and　to　which　I　MADE　LOVE）　without　supposing　her　to　be　the　greatest　hypocrite　in　the　world？　　My　unpardonable　offence　has　been　that　I　took　her　at　her　word；　and　was　willing　to　believe　her　the　precise　little　puritanical　person　she　set　up　for。　　After　exciting　her　wayward　desires　by　the　fondest　embraces　and　the　purest　kisses；　as　if　she　had　been　〃made　my　wedded　wife　yestreen；〃　or　was　to　become　so　to…morrow　（for　that　was　always　my　feeling　with　respect　to　her）I　did　not　proceed　to　gratify　them；　or　to　follow　up　my　advantage　by　any　action　which　should　declare；　〃I　think　you　a　common　adventurer；　and　will　see　whether　you　are　so　or　not！〃　　Yet　any　one　but　a　credulous　fool　like　me　would　have　made　the　experiment；　with　whatever　violence　to　himself；　as　a　matter　of　life　and　death；　for　I　had　every　reason　to　distrust　appearances。　　Her　conduct　has　been　of　a　piece　from　the　beginning。　　In　the　midst　of　her　closest　and　falsest　endearments；　she　has　always　（with　one　or　two　exceptions）　disclaimed　the　natural　inference　to　be　drawn　from　them；　and　made　a　verbal　reservation；　by　which　she　might　lead　me　on　in　a　Fool's　Paradise；　and　make　me　the　tool　of　her　levity；　her　avarice；　and　her　love　of　intrigue　as　long　as　she　liked；　and　dismiss　me　whenever　it　suited　her。　　This；　you　see；　she　has　done；　because　my　intentions　grew　serious；　and　if　complied　with；　would　deprive　her　of　THE　PLEASURES　OF　A　SINGLE　LIFE！　　Offer　marriage　to　this　〃tradesman's　daughter；　who　has　as　nice　a　sense　of　honour　as　any　one　can　have；〃　and　like　Lady　Bellaston　in　Tom　Jones；　she　CUTS　you　immediately　in　a　fit　of　abhorrence　and　alarm。　　Yet　she　seemed　to　be　of　a　different　mind　formerly；　when　struggling　from　me　in　the　height　of　our　first　intimacy；　she　exclaimed〃However　I　might　agree　to　my　own　ruin；　I　never　will　consent　to　bring　disgrace　upon　my　family！〃　　That　I　should　have　spared　the　traitress　after　expressions　like　this；　astonishes　me　when　I　look　back　upon　it。　　Yet　if　it　were　all　to　do　over　again；　I　know　I　should　act　just　the　same　part。　　Such　is　her　power　over　me！　　I　cannot　run　the　least　risk　of　offending　herI　love　her　so。　　When　I　look　in　her　face；　I　cannot　doubt　her　truth！　　Wretched　being　that　I　am！　　I　have　thrown　away　my　heart　and　soul　upon　an　unfeeling　girl；　and　my　life　（that　might　have　been　so　happy；　had　she　been　what　I　thought　her）　will　soon　follow　either　voluntarily；　or　by　the　force　of　grief；　remorse；　and　disappointment。　　I　cannot　get　rid　of　the　reflection　for　an　instant；　nor　even　seek　relief　from　its　galling　pressure。　　Ah！　what　a　heart　she　has　lost！　　All　the　love　and　affection　of　my　whole　life　were　centred　in　her；　who　alone；　I　thought；　of　all　women　had　found　out　my　true　character；　and　knew　how　to　value　my　tenderness。　　Alas！　alas！　that　this；　the　only　hope；　joy；　or　comfort　I　ever　had；　should　turn　to　a　mockery；　and　hang　like　an　ugly　film　over　the　remainder　of　my　days！I　was　at　Roslin　Castle　yesterday。　　It　lies　low　in　a　rude；　but　sheltered　valley；　hid　from　the　vulgar　gaze；　and　powerfully　reminds　one　of　the　old　song。　　The　straggling　fragments　of　the　russet　ruins；　suspended　smiling　and　graceful　in　the　air　as　if　they　would　linger　out　another　century　to　please　the　curious　beholder；　the　green　larch…trees　trembling　between　with　the　blue　sky　and　white　silver　clouds；　the　wild　mountain　plants　starting　out　here　and　there；　the　date　of　the　year　on　an　old　low　door…way；　but　still　more；　the　beds　of　flowers　in　orderly　decay；　that　seem　to　have　no　hand　to　tend　them；　but　keep　up　a　sort　of　traditional　remembrance　of　civilization　in　former　ages；　present　altogether　a　delightful　and　amiable　subject　for　contemplation。　　The　exquisite　beauty　of　the　scene；　with　the　thought　of　what　I　should　feel；　should　I　ever　be　restored　to　her；　and　have　to　lead　her　through　such　places　as　my　adored；　my　angelwife；　almost　drove　me　beside　myself。　　For　this　picture；　this　ecstatic　vision；　what　have　I　of　late　instead　as　the　image　of　the　reality？　　Demoniacal　possessions。　　I　see　the　young　witch　seated　in　another's　lap；　twining　her　serpent　arms　round　him；　her　eye　glancing　and　her　cheeks　on　firewhy　does　not　the　hideous　thought　choke　me？　　Or　why　do　I　not　go　and　find　out　the　truth　at　once？　　The　moonlight　streams　over　the　silver　waters：　the　bark　is　in　the　bay　that　might　waft　me　to　her；　almost　with　a　wish。　　The　mountain…breeze　sighs　out　her　name：　old　ocean　with　a　world　of　tears　murmurs　back　my　woes！　　Does　not　my　heart　yearn　to　be　with　her；　and　shall　I　not　follow　its　bidding？　　No；　I　must　wait　till　I　am　free；　and　then　I　will　take　my　Freedom　（a　glad　prize）　and　lay　it　at　her　feet　and　tell　her　my　proud　love　of　her　that　would　not　brook　a　rival　in　her　dishonour；　and　that　would　have　her　all　or　none；　and　gain　her　or　lose　myself　for　ever！
  You　see　by　this　letter　the　way　I　am　in；　and　I　hope　you　will　excuse　it　as　the　picture　of　a　half…disordered　mind。　　The　least　respite　from　my　uneasiness　（such　as　I　had　yesterday）　only　brings　the　contrary　reflection　back　upon　me；　like　a　flood；　and　by　letting　me　see　the　happiness　I　have　lost；　makes　me　feel；　by　contrast；　more　acutely　what　I　am　doomed　to　bear。
  LETTER　X
  Dear　Friend；　Here　I　am　at　St。　Bees　once　more；　amid　the　scenes　which　I　greeted　in　their　barrenness　in　winter；　but　which　have　now　put　on　their　full　green　attire　that　shews　luxuriant　to　the　eye；　but　speaks　a　tale　of　sadness　to　this　heart　widowed　of　its　last；　its　dearest；　its　only　hope！　　Oh！　lovely　Bees…Inn！　here　I　composed　a　volume　of　law…cases；　here　I　wrote　my　enamoured　follies　to　her；　thinking　her　human；　and　that　〃all　below　was　not　the　fiend's〃here　I　got　two　cold；　sullen　answers　from　the　little　witch；　and　here　I　was　…　and　I　was　damned。　　I　thought　the　revisiting　the　old　haunts　would　have　soothed　me　for　a　time；　but　it　only　brings　back　the　sense　of　what　I　have　suffered　for　her　and　of　her　unkindness　the　more　strongly；　till　I　cannot　endure　the　recollection。　　I　eye　the　Heavens　in　dumb　despair；　or　vent　my　sorrows　in　the　desart　air。　　〃To　the　winds；　to　the　waves；　to　the　rocks　I　complain〃you　may　suppose　with　what　effect！　　I　fear　I　shall　be　obliged　to　return。　　I　am　tossed　about　（backwards　and　forwards）　by　my　passion；　so　as　to　become　ridiculous。　　I　can　now　understand　how　it　is　that　mad　people　never　remain　in　the　same　placethey　are　moving　on　for　ever；　FROM　THEMSELVES！
  Do　you　know；　you　would　have　been　delighted　with　the　effect　of　the　Northern　twilight　on　this　romantic　country　as　I　rode　along　last　night？　　The　hills　and　groves　and　herds　of　cattle　were　seen　reposing　in　the　grey　dawn　of　midnight；　as　in　a　moonlight　without　shadow。　　The　whole　wide　canopy　of　Heave