seen.

grandeur, by pictures, or furniture; for the mingling lights and shades, the richness of peculiar mouldings, the contrasts and blendings of colours, to be felt and appreciated must be One peculiarity we may notice-the effect produced by mirrors at each end of the whole suite of apartments. This gives the idea of an interminable range of apartments; and, when the rooms are lighted up, must be highly imposing and brilliant. Part of the upper suite is occupied as the private rooms of the Duke and Duchess, and a third storey, added lately, is entirely devoted to the accommodation of the family. Below, also, are two long corridors running parallel with the entrance hall, each filled with busts and cabinet pictures-fully fifty in each. Indeed, the mere fragments and recesses of this house would furnish forth no inconsiderable collection of works of virtu and art, embodying various styles and peculiarities of workmanship and genius. We must leave these unnoticed, and have barely glanced at the more striking features of the mansion. We passed two hours of a sunny forenoon with great delight, in rambling over its gay and gorgeous rooms. There is always a pleasure in marking the triumphs of art and skill; for by these taste and industry are employed, and the means of enjoyment are multiplied through various ranks and classes of society. The furniture which gratifies the splendour of the nobility also gladdens the home of the artizan, and diffuses comfort through innumerable families. Mere external splendour cannot, indeed, confer happiness on its possessor-one touch of sickness or affliction will dispel the charm of gilded halls and pictured galleries. But there is a permanent happiness in extending the means of subsistence to others, in encouraging art, or rewarding genius. We believe, also, it may be said, without adulation, that in the case of Stafford House, the domestic virtues are never absent, and the stiil current of peace and happiness flows as purely and tranquilly as in the unadorned walks of society.

BELLEVILLE HOUSE.

MACPHERSON, TRANSLATOR OF OSSIAN.

THE traveller from Perth to Inverness, as he wends his way along that sterile and rugged road north of Blair Athole, passes the village of Kingussie. On his left the hills rise up and intercept the view, but on his right wide fields and meadows slope down to the river Spey, and are protected by green embankments from the winter floods. Herds of cattle graze on the banks of the river, which winds along the level plain. Having travelled about two miles from the village, a white object appears glittering through an opening in a clump of trees slightly elevated above the road. This is a marble pillar raised to the memory of James Macpherson, Esq. of Belleville, translator of Ossian. A fine medallion portrait of the poet ornaments one side of the pillar; on the other is an allegorical female figure bending over an urn; and above is the family crest. We are now within a few yards of Belleville House-an imposing structure, in the style of an Italian villa, designed by the Adelphi Adams. This mansion was built by the poet when fame and fortune had crowned him; here he died; and here his eldest daughter, Miss Macpherson, still resides. The situation of the house is beautiful, commanding a full view of the valley and river,

and bounded in front by two ridges of hills, those of Invereshie, and the grey mountainous ridge of the Grampians. The property was purchased about the year 1790, by the poet, from the family of Mackintosh of Borlum-a small Highland laird who disgraced his clan and descent by highway robbery committed not in the old legitimate, piratical way of levying black-mail, but by attacking travellers. His last exploit was the robbery of a carriage, for which his associates were hanged; but the prime offender contrived to escape to America. A cave is shown in the rock, where the bandit-groupe used to watch the approach of travellers, and rush down on their unsuspecting prey. The hill-side is now covered with trees, and near the mansion is some fine old elms, planted by Brigadier-General Mackintosh, who was so intimately connected with the public insurrection of 1715. The brigadier was a rough soldier, trained to war in France, and, when confined in prison for his share of the rebellion, he had the taste to order a row of trees to be planted along the road-side, below his residence. The poet changed the name of the estate from Raitts to Belleville, and, pulling down the old Highland domicile, erected the present stately structure.

The interior of Belleville House is handsomely furnished, and contains an excellent portrait of the poet, and another of one of his intimate friends-Caleb Whitefoord *—both by

Whitefoord, popularly called by his friends," the witty winemerchant," was a man of good family, being the son of Colonel Whitefoord of the 5th regiment, and grandson of Sir Adam Whitefoord, Bart., Ayrshire. He embarked his patrimony in the wine trade in London; but was more a man of pleasure than of busiHe was a celebrated wit and punster, and a popular writer in the newspapers. In 1782, Whitefoord went to Paris, as Secretary to the British Commission, to treat of a general peace with the United States; and he had the honour of writing the treaty

ness.

Sir Joshua Reynolds. A view of the house and grounds, by Thomson of Duddingstone, and two private portraits, also ornament the walls. In the drawing-room is a small enamel portrait of Macpherson, the duplicate of one painted for the Nabob of Arcot, also by Sir Joshua; and it is said to be curious, as the only miniature on ivory which the distinguished artist was ever known to execute. The poet was a handsome man-six feet three inches in height, of a fair and florid complexion, the countenance full, and somewhat inclining to the voluptuous in expression, but marked by sensibility and acuteness. In the library is a curious trio of small volumes, presented, in 1785, by the Prince of Wales (George IV.) to the poet. They contain a collection of the Della Cruscan poetry, by Anna Matilda and others, which was so unmercifully and so justly lashed by Gifford, in his Baviad and Mæviad. The volumes are splendidly bound in morocco, with a profusion of tawdry gilding, and are placed in a small box, also covered with gilt morocco. We looked with more interest on the different publications of Ossian, from the first work, a small duodicimo, of about sixty pages, entitled"Fragments of Ancient Poetry, translated from the Gaelic or Erse language," to the quarto Fingal and Temora, dedicated to the Earl of Bute, then the prime dispenser of government patronage, "in obedience to whose commands," as the dedication states, "they were translated." At length,

which established the independence of America. IIe lived to the advanced age, of seventy-five, dying in London in 1809. He appears, from the Belleville portrait, to have been a fine-looking man, with something of a military air-thin compressed lips and square chin, contrary to what might be predicted of his convivial habits. Goldsmith has immortalised him in his poem of Retaliation

"Merry Whitefoord, farewell! for thy sake I admit
That a Scot may have humour, I had almost said wit."

PP

in the course of publication, after some years, comes the entire collection, with its ambitious preface, in which the translator appears not unwilling to usurp the honours of old Ossian

"Assumes the god,
Affects to nod,

And seems to shake the spheres."

The courtesy of Miss Macpherson threw open to us some new facts and information relative to the celebrated translator. We had previously gleaned part in the course of a day-one of the dies notandi on which we delight to look back-spent on the banks of the Spey with Sir David Brewster, the distinguished son-in-law of Macpherson. The poet left a mass of manuscripts and correspondence behind him. Part of these his executors lent to Sir Nathaniel Wraxall, who made use of them in his Historical Memoirs; and in this way, through negligence, many valuable papers were lost. There is not a line existing among the manuscripts to throw any light on the Ossianic controversy. Macpherson left a sum of £1000 for the purpose of completing a translation of Ossian into Gaelic; and this subject appears to have engaged his attention in the latter years of his life. Various notes passed between him and his friend Mr Mackenzie, of the Temple, appointing meetings in London and its vicinity, to enjoy what they termed "a dish of Gaelic." The turmoil of politics and party warfare, added to the labour of historical compilation, would seem to have withdrawn the translator of Ossian, in a great degree, from service to the Muses. It is not generally known that Macpherson was the Scævola of Junius, whom he also attacked under a dozen of other signatures, in defence of the ministry of the day. He wrote some successful political pamphlets, and was a regular ally of the administration. The acrimonious controversy