DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.61904#0169
ROSLIN CHAPEL AND CASTLE. X57
true. Drummond, it is faid, on feeing Ben approaching the
houfe, went out, like a good landlord, to the outfide of his
gate, in order to bid him welcome, according to form, under
the (hade of this tree. As he fhook the dramatift by the
hand, he exclaimed in mock-heroic ftyle :—
“ Welcome, welcome, royal Ben.”
To which Jonfon immediately anfwered in fuch a way as to
make up a Hudibraftic couplet:—
“ Thank ye, thank ye, Hawthornden !”
“ The two poets enjoyed the pleafure of each other’s conver-
fation for a confiderable time ; and the ftranger will fcarcely
vifit without confiderable emotion the place where, in the
words of Collins-
“ Jonfon fat in Drummond’s claffic fliade.”
“ It is melancholy to add, that the vifit of Jonfon to Drum-
mond refulted in a violent quarrel and eftrangement. Jonfon
during his fojourn at Hawthornden, opened his heart to the
poet, and talked freely of his contemporaries in London. All
this was in the confidence of friendfhip, but it was greedily
drunk in by Drummond, and daily or nightly carefully written
down. Some time after, Jonfon, to his great aftonifhment
and indignation, found the whole given to the world by his
treacherous hoft in his notorious ‘ Converfations.’ The
anger and reproaches of Ben were as pungent and unfparing as
they were juftly merited by the falfe country poet. We wifh
we could fay that this habit of noting down confidential con-
verfations, and confiding them to the whole world through the
prefs, were confined to the time of Jonfon and the laird of
Hawthornden; and that fome ready penmen of the prefent
day would be able to caft a ftone at Drummond with a clear
confcience.
true. Drummond, it is faid, on feeing Ben approaching the
houfe, went out, like a good landlord, to the outfide of his
gate, in order to bid him welcome, according to form, under
the (hade of this tree. As he fhook the dramatift by the
hand, he exclaimed in mock-heroic ftyle :—
“ Welcome, welcome, royal Ben.”
To which Jonfon immediately anfwered in fuch a way as to
make up a Hudibraftic couplet:—
“ Thank ye, thank ye, Hawthornden !”
“ The two poets enjoyed the pleafure of each other’s conver-
fation for a confiderable time ; and the ftranger will fcarcely
vifit without confiderable emotion the place where, in the
words of Collins-
“ Jonfon fat in Drummond’s claffic fliade.”
“ It is melancholy to add, that the vifit of Jonfon to Drum-
mond refulted in a violent quarrel and eftrangement. Jonfon
during his fojourn at Hawthornden, opened his heart to the
poet, and talked freely of his contemporaries in London. All
this was in the confidence of friendfhip, but it was greedily
drunk in by Drummond, and daily or nightly carefully written
down. Some time after, Jonfon, to his great aftonifhment
and indignation, found the whole given to the world by his
treacherous hoft in his notorious ‘ Converfations.’ The
anger and reproaches of Ben were as pungent and unfparing as
they were juftly merited by the falfe country poet. We wifh
we could fay that this habit of noting down confidential con-
verfations, and confiding them to the whole world through the
prefs, were confined to the time of Jonfon and the laird of
Hawthornden; and that fome ready penmen of the prefent
day would be able to caft a ftone at Drummond with a clear
confcience.