BLACKWOOD AND CHAMBERS. 115
forth over Europe and the world; these and many other localities, which the time would fail to specify, were visited with eagerness, either on their own account, or because they appertained to this modern Athens.
It was interesting to visit the establishments of Blackwood, the Edinburgh Magazine, and the brothers Chambers, from whence intellectual light has so long radiated to our own side of the Atlantic ; and also to see, at Cadell s, many manuscript works of Walter Scott, which had been there published, neatly bound, and sheltered under glass cases, and written with such surprising correctness, that for a succession of pages scarcely a single erasure or alteration would occur.
As our visit to Edinburgh took place during a vaca tion in the University, we were deprived of the privi lege of seeing several distinguished personages, who were absent from the city. Still, we were sensible of no deficiency, for every day brought its fulness of sat isfaction. Here we were first initiated into the pleasure of the Scottish social breakfasts. They are managed with great ease, yet sufficiently significant of attention to the stranger-guest ; and, avoiding the formality and expenditure both of time and money attendant on din ner-parties, better subserve the purposes of friendly intercourse. Sometimes they were preceded by the mornin g religious services of the family. On one such occasion, at the house of a venerable clergy man, the Rev. Mr. Innes, in a few brief remarks on the chapter which speaks of the loss of the soul, intro-
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