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bu-u-ut he never saw the like o' me." I was obliged to mention the word Officer and Police before he would desist. The City of Glasgow I take to be a very fine one I was astonished to hear it was twice the size of Edinburgh. It is built of Stone and has a much more solid appearance than London. We shall see the Cathedral this morning-they have devilled it into "High Kirk." I want very much to know the name of the ship George is g[one] in-also what port he will land in-I know nothing a[bout] it. I hope you are leading a quiet Life and gradually improving. Make a long lounge of the whole Summer-by the time the Leaves fall I shall be near you with plenty of confab-there are a thousand things I cannot write. Take care of yourself—I mean in not being vexed or bothered at any thing. God bless you!

LXIV.

John

My dear Tom,

To THOMAS KEATS.

Cairn-something July 17th [1818].

Here's Brown going on so that I cannot bring to mind how the two last days have vanished-for example he says The Lady of the Lake went to Rock herself to sleep on Arthur's seat and the Lord of the Isles coming to Press a Piece remembered their last meeting at Corrystone Water so touching her with one hand ✶ ✶ ✶1 I told you last how we were stared

The passages omitted consist of somewhat incoherent strings of place-names arranged apparently with an ulterior view to puns ; but the intention is not quite clear, and the sentence ends abruptly without any construction as far as I can make out.

-we

at in Glasgow we are not out of the Crowd yet. Steam Boats on Loch Lomond and Barouches on its sides take a little from the Pleasure of such romantic chaps as Brown and I. The Banks of the Clyde are extremely beautiful-the north end of Loch Lomond grand in excess the entrance at the lower end to the narrow part from a little distance is precious good-the Evening was beautiful nothing could surpass our fortune in the weather—yet was I worldly enough to wish for a fleet of chivalry Barges with Trumpets and Banners just to die away before me into that blue place among the mountains-I must give you an outline as well as I can the mount aus

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Not[a] B[ene] the Water was a fine Blue silvered and the Mountains a dark purple, the Sun setting aslant behind them—meantime the head of ben Lomond was covered with a rich Pink Cloud-We did not ascend Ben Lomond-the price being very high and a half a day of rest being quite acceptable. We were up at 4 this morning and have walked to breakfast 15 Miles through two Tremendous Glens-at the end of the first there is a place called rest and be thankful which we took for an Inn-it was nothing but a Stone and so we were cheated into 5 more Miles to Breakfast—I have just been bathing in Loch Fyne a salt water Lake opposite the Windows, quite pat and fresh but for the cursed Gad flies-damn 'em they have been at me ever since I left the swan and two necks.

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THE GADFLY.

All gentle folks who owe a grudge
To any living thing

Open your ears and stay your t[r]udge
Whilst I in dudgeon sing.

The Gadfly he hath stung me sore—
O may he ne'er sting you!
But we have many a horrid bore
He may sting black and blue.

Has any here an old grey Mare
With three legs all her store,
O put it to her Buttocks bare

And straight she'll run on four.

Has any here a Lawyer suit

Of Seventeen Forty-three,

Take Lawyer's nose and put it to't
And you the end will see.

Is there a Man in Parliament
Dumb-founder'd in his speech,
O let his neighbour make a rent
And put one in his breech.

O Lowther how much better thou
Hadst figur'd t'other day

When to the folks thou mad'st a bow
And hadst no more to say

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Better than Southey it had been,

Better than Mr. D—————,

Better than Wordsworth too, I ween,
Better than Mr. V.

Forgive me pray good people all

For deviating so

In spirit sure I had a call—
And now I on will go.

Has any here a daughter fair
Too fond of reading novels,
Too apt to fall in love with care
And charming Mister Lovels,
O put a Gadfly to that thing
She keeps so white and pert―
I mean the finger for the ring,
And it will breed a wort.

Has any here a pious spouse
Who seven times a day

Scolds as King David pray'd, to chouse
And have her holy way—

O let a Gadfly's little sting
Persuade her sacred tongue
That noises are a common thing,
But that her bell has rung.

And as this is the summum bo-
num of all conquering,

I leave" withouten wordes mo

The Gadfly's little sting.

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Last Evening we came round the End of Loch Fyne to Inverary-the Duke of Argyle's Castle is very modern magnificent and more so from the place it is in -the woods seem old enough to remember two or three

changes in the Crags about them-the Lake was beautiful and there was a Band at a distance by the Castle. I must say I enjoyed two or three common tunes—but nothing could stifle the horrors of a solo on the Bagpipe-I thought the Beast would never have done.-Yet was I doomed to hear another.-On entering Inverary we saw a Play Bill. Brown was knocked up from new shoes so I went to the Barn alone where I saw the Stranger accompanied by a Bag-pipe. There they went on about interesting creaters and human nater till the Curtain fell and then came the Bag-pipe. When Mrs. Haller fainted down went the Curtain and out came the Bag-pipe—at the heartrending, shoemending reconciliation the Piper blew amain. I never read or saw this play before; not the Bag-pipe nor the wretched players themselves were little in comparison with it-thank heaven it has been scoffed at lately almost to a fashion.

Of late two dainties were before me plac'd

Sweet, holy, pure, sacred and innocent, From the ninth sphere to me benignly sent That Gods might know my own particular taste : First the soft Bag-pipe mourn'd with zealous haste, The Stranger next with head on bosom bent Sigh'd; rueful again the piteous Bag-pipe went, Again the Stranger sighings fresh did waste. O Bag-pipe thou didst steal my heart awayO Stranger thou my nerves from Pipe didst charmO Bag-pipe thou didst re-assert thy sway

Again thou Stranger gav'st me fresh alarmAlas! I could not choose. Ah! my poor heart Mum chance art thou with both oblig'd to part.

I think we are the luckiest fellows in ChristendomBrown could not proceed this morning on account of his feet and lo there is thunder and rain.

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