The indifcriminate collation of degrees has juftly taken away that refpect which they originally claimed, as ftamps by which the literary value of men fo dif tinguished was authoritatively denoted. That acade mical honours, or any others, fhould be conferred with exact proportion to merit, is more than human judgment or human integrity have given reafon to expect. Perhaps degrees in universities cannot be better adjusted by any general rule than by the length of time paffed in the publick profeffion of learning. An English or Irish doctorate cannot be obtained by a very young man, and it is reasonable to fuppofe, what is likewife by experience commonly found true, that he who is by age qualified to be a doctor, has in so much time gained learning fufficient not to difgrace the title, or wit fufficient not to defire it.

The Scotch universities hold but one term or feffion in the year. That of St. Andrew's continues eight months, that of Aberdeen only five, from the first of November to the firft of April.

In Aberdeen there is an English chapel, in which the congregation was numerous and fplendid. The form of public worship used by the church of England, is in Scotland legally practised in licensed chapels ferved by clergymen of English or Irish ordination, and by tacit connivance quietly permitted in feparate congregations, fupplied with minifters by the fucceffors of the bishops who were deprived at the Revolution.

We came to Aberdeen on Saturday, August 21. On Monday we were invited into the town-hall, where I had the freedom of the city given me by the Lord, Provoft

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Provoft. The honour conferred had all the decorations that politenefs could add, and what I am afraid I fhould not have had to say of any city fouth of the Tweed, I found no petty officer bowing for a fee.

The parchment containing the record of admiffion is, with the feal appending, faftened to a ribband, and worn for one day by the new citizen in his hat.

By a lady who faw us at the chapel, the earl of Errol was informed of our arrival, and we had the honour of an invitation to his feat, called Slanes Caftle, as I aim told, improperly, from the caftle of that name, which once stood at a place not far diftant.

The road beyond Aberdeen grew more ftony, and continued equally naked of all vegetable decoration. We travelled over a tract of ground near the fea, which, not long ago, fuffered a very uncommon and unexpected calamity. The fand of the fhore was raifed by a tempeft in fuch quantities, and carried to fuch a diftance, that an eftate was overwhelmed and loft. Such and fo hopeless was the barrennefs fuperinduced, that the owner, when he was required to pay the ufual tax, defired rather to refign the ground.

SLANES CASTLE. THE BULLER OF BUCHAN.

We came in the afternoon to Slanes Castle, built upon the margin of the fea, fo that the walls of one of the towers seem only a continuation of a perpendicular rock, the foot of which is beaten by the waves, To walk round the houfe feemed impractiQ 2 cable

cable. From the windows the eye wanders over the fea that separates Scotland from Norway, and when the winds beat with violence, must enjoy all the terrifick grandeur of the tempeftuous ocean. I would not for my amusement wish for a ftorm; but as ftorms, whether wished or not, will fometimes happen, I may fay, without violation of humanity, that I fhould willingly look out upon them from Slanes Caftle.

When we were about to take our leave, our departure was prohibited by the countess till we should have seen two places upon the coaft, which she rightly confidered as worthy of curiofity, Dun Buy, and the Buller of Buchan, to which Mr. Boyd very kindly conducted us.

Dun Buy, which in Erfe is faid to fignify the Yellow Rock, is a double protuberance of stone, open to the main fea on one fide, and parted from the land by a very narrow channel on the other. It has its name and its colour from the dung of innumerable fea-fowls, which in the spring choose this place as convenient for incubation, and have their eggs and their young taken in great abundance. One of the birds that frequent this rock has, as we were told, its body not larger than a duck's, and yet lays eggs as large as thofe of a goofe. This bird is by the inhabitants named a Coot. That which is called Coot in England, is here a Cooter,

Upon these rocks there was nothing that could long detain attention, and we foon turned our eyes to the Buller, or Bouilloir of Buchan, which no man can fee with indifference, who has either fense of danger, or delight in rarity. It is a rock perpen-dicularly

dicularly tubulated, united on one fide with a high fhore, and on the other rifing steep to a great height, above the main fea. The top is open, from which may be seen a dark gulf of water which flows into the cavity, through a breach made in the lower part of the inclofing rock. It has the appearance of a vaft well bordered with a wall. The edge of the Buller is not wide, and to those that walk round, appears very narrow. He that ventures to look downward, fees that if his foot fhould flip, he muft fall from his dreadful elevation upon ftones on one fide, or into the water on the other. We however went round, and were glad when the circuit was completed.

When we came down to the fea, we saw some boats, and rowers, and refolved to explore the Buller, at the bottom. We entered the arch, which the water had made, and found ourselves in a place, which, though we could not think ourselves in danger, we could scarcely furvey without fome recoil of the mind. The bafon in which we floated was nearly circular, perhaps thirty yards in diameter. We were inclosed by a natural wall, rifing steep on every fide to a height which produced the idea of infurmountable confinement. The interception of all lateral light caufed a difmal gloom. Round us was a perpendicular rock, above us the distant fky, and below an unknown profundity of water. If I had any malice against a walking spirit, instead of laying him in the Red-fea, I would condemn him to refide in the Buller of Buchan..

But terrour without danger is only one of the sports of fancy, a voluntary agitation of the mind that is permitted

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permitted no longer than it pleases. We were foon at leisure to examine the place with minute inspection, and found many cavities which, as the watermen told us, went backward to a depth which they had never explored. Their extent we had not time to try; they are faid to ferve different purposes. Ladies come hither fometimes in the fummer with collations, and fmugglers make them store-houses for clandeftine merchandise. It is hardly to be doubted but the pirates. of ancient times often used them as magazines of arms, or repofitories of plunder.

To the little veffels ufed by the northern rowers, the Buller may have ferved as a fhelter from storms, and perhaps as a retreat from enemies; the entrance might have been stopped, or guarded with little difficulty, and though the veffels that were ftationed within would have been battered with ftones fhowered on them from above, yet the crews would have lain fafe in the caverns.

Next morning we continued our journey, pleased with our reception at Slanes Caftle, of which we had now leisure to recount the grandeur, and the elegance; for our way afforded us few topicks of converfation. The ground was neither uncultivated nor unfruitful; but it was ftill all arable. Of flocks or herds there was no appearance. I had now travelled two hundred miles in Scotland, and feen only one tree not younger than myself.

BAMF F.

We dined this day at the houfe of Mr. Frazer of Streichton, who showed us in his grounds fome

ftones