The earl said grace, both before and after
supper, with much decency. He told us a story of a man who was executed
at Perth, some years ago, for murdering a woman who was with child by
him, and a former child he had by her. His hand was cut off: he was then
pulled up; but the rope broke, and he was forced to lie an hour on the
ground, till another rope was brought from Perth, the execution being in
a wood at some distance,--at the place where the murders were committed.
_'There_,(said my lord,) _I see the hand of Providence_.' I was really
happy here. I saw in this nobleman the best dispositions and best
principles; and I saw him, _in my mind's eye_[319], to be the
representative of the ancient Boyds of Kilmarnock. I was afraid he might
have urged drinking, as, I believe, he used formerly to do; but he drank
port and water out of a large glass himself, and let us do as we
pleased[320]. He went with us to our rooms at night; said, he took the
visit very kindly; and told me, my father and he were very old
acquaintance;--that I now knew the way to Slains, and he hoped to see me
there again.
I had a most elegant room; but there was a fire in it which blazed; and
the sea, to which my windows looked, roared; and the pillows were made
of the feathers of some sea-fowl, which had to me a disagreeable smell;
so that, by all these causes, I was kept awake a good while.
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