Some way beyond Dunure a wide bay, of somewhat less unkindly aspect,
opened out. Colzean plantations lay all along the steep shore, and
there was a wooded hill towards the centre, where the trees made a
sort of shadowy etching over the snow. The road went down and up,
and past a blacksmith's cottage that made fine music in the valley.
Three compatriots of Burns drove up to me in a cart. They were all
drunk, and asked me jeeringly if this was the way to Dunure. I told
them it was; and my answer was received with unfeigned merriment.
One gentleman was so much tickled he nearly fell out of the cart;
indeed, he was only saved by a companion, who either had not so fine
a sense of humour or had drunken less.
'The toune of Mayboll,' says the inimitable Abercrummie, 'stands upon
an ascending ground from east to west, and lyes open to the south.
It hath one principals street, with houses upon both sides, built of
freestone; and it is beautifyed with the situation of two castles,
one at each end of this street. That on the east belongs to the Erle
of Cassilis. On the west end is a castle, which belonged sometime to
the laird of Blairquan, which is now the tolbuith, and is adorned
with a pyremide [conical roof], and a row of ballesters round it
raised from the top of the staircase, into which they have mounted a
fyne clock.
Pages:
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196