But what concerns me the most, in all this, is, that there will be no
coronashon till the queen is put out of the way--and nobody can take upon
them to say when that will be, as the law is so dootful and
endless--which I am verra sorry for, as it was my intent to rite Miss
Nanny Eydent a true account of the coronashon, in case there had been any
partiklars that might be servisable to her in her bisness.
The Doctor and me, by ourselves, since we have been settlt, go about at
our convenience, and have seen far mae farlies than baith Andrew and
Rachel, with all the acquaintance they have forgathert with--but you no
old heeds canno be expectit on young shouthers, and they have not had the
experience of the world that we have had.
The lamps in the streets here are lighted with gauze, and not with
crusies, like those that have lately been put up in your toun; and it is
brought in pips aneath the ground from the manufactors, which the Doctor
and me have been to see--an awful place--and they say as fey to a spark
as poother, which made us glad to get out o't when we heard so;--and we
have been to see a brew-house, where they mak the London porter, but it
is a sight not to be told. In it we saw a barrel, whilk the Doctor said
was by gauging bigger than the Irvine muckle kirk, and a masking fat,
like a barn for mugnited. But all thae were as nothing to a curiosity of
a steam-ingine, that minches minch collops as natural as life--and stuffs
the sosogees itself, in a manner past the poor of nature to consiv. They
have, to be shure, in London, many things to help work--for in our
kitchen there is a smoking-jack to roast the meat, that gangs of its oun
free will, and the brisker the fire, the faster it runs; but a
potatoe-beetle is not to be had within the four walls of London, which is
a great want in a house; Mrs. Argent never hard of sic a thing.
Me and the Doctor have likewise been in the Houses of Parliament, and the
Doctor since has been again to heer the argol-bargoling aboot the queen.
But, cepting the king's throne, which is all gold and velvet, with a
croun on the top, and stars all round, there was nothing worth the
looking at in them baith. Howsomever, I sat in the king's seat, and in
the preses chair of the House of Commons, which, you no, is something for
me to say; and we have been to see the printing of books, where the very
smallest dividual syllib is taken up by itself and made into words by the
hand, so as to be quite confounding how it could ever read sense. But
there is ane piece of industry and froughgalaty I should not forget,
whilk is wives going about with whirl-barrows, selling horses' flesh to
the cats and dogs by weight, and the cats and dogs know them very well by
their voices. In short, Miss Mally, there is nothing heer that the hand
is not turnt to; and there is, I can see, a better order and method
really among the Londoners than among our Scotch folks, notwithstanding
their advantages of edicashion, but my pepper will hold no more at
present, from your true friend, JANET PRINGLE.