Wilson, J. G. Lockhart, Sir David Wilkie, and
other eminent men of the day. His writings,
spread over the periodical literature of his timeparticularly
the Edinbu& Magazim and Annual
Registw-are very numerous, and he was the first
among modern Scotsmen who made art the subject I feri-ed to in Peter?s .(? Letters to
and study had suggested, it is not to be wondered
at that in exercises of this sort he took particular
delight and obtained great excellence. He was
secretary of the Dilettanti Society of Edinburgh.
The establishment of the Bridges is thus re-
OLD TIMBER-FRONTED HOUSE, LAWNMARKET.
of systematic criticism; and from the purity and
clearness of his style, his perfect knowledge of
the subject, and the graceful talent he possessed
of mingling illustration with argument, he imparted
an interest to a subject, which, to many, might
appear otherwise unattractive. And when it is considered
that it was to the acting of the great Mrs.
Siddons, John K e d e , Kean, and Miss O?Neil,
that he had to apply those rules which his taste
his Kinsfolk?:-
? Wastle immediately conducted me to this dilettanti
lounge, saying, that here was ?the only
place where I might be furnished with every means
of satisfying my curiosity. On entering, one finds
a very neat and tasteful-looking shop, well-stocked
with all the tempting diversities of broad-cloth and
bombaseens, silk stockings and spotted handkerchiefs.
A few sedate-looking old-fashioned cits are
probably engaged in conning over the Edinburgh
