No More Learning

_Wednesday. _--Left Newcastle early in the morning, and rode over a
fine country to Hexham to breakfast--from Hexham to Wardrue, the
celebrated Spa, where we slept.

_Thursday_--Reach Longtown to dine, and part there with my good
friends Messrs. Hood and Ker--A hiring day in Longtown--I am
uncommonly happy to see so many young folks enjoying life. --I come to
Carlisle. --(Meet a strange enough romantic adventure by the way, in
falling in with a girl and her married sister--the girl, after some
overtures of gallantry on my side, sees me a little cut with the
bottle, and offers to take me in for a Gretna-Green affair. --I, not
being such a gull, as she imagines, make an appointment with her, by
way of _vive la bagatelle_, to hold a conference on it when we reach
town. --I meet her in town and give her a brush of caressing, and a
bottle of cider; but finding herself _un peu trompe_ in her man she
sheers off. ) Next day I meet my good friend, Mr. Mitchell, and walk
with him round the town and its environs, and through his
printing-works, &c. --four or five hundred people employed, many of
them women and children. --Dine with Mr. Mitchell, and leave
Carlisle. --Come by the coast to Annan. --Overtaken on the way by a
curious old fish of a shoemaker, and miner, from Cumberland mines.
[_Here the manuscript abruptly terminates. _]

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 294: The author of that fine song, "The Maid that tends the
Goats. "]

[Footnote 295: "During the discourse Burns produced a neat impromptu,
conveying an elegant compliment to Miss Ainslie. Dr. B. had selected a
text of Scripture that contained a heavy denunciation against
obstinate sinners. In the course of the sermon Burns observed the
young lady turning over the leaves of her Bible, with much
earnestness, in search of the text. He took out a slip of paper, and
with a pencil wrote the following lines on it, which he immediately
presented to her.

"Fair maid, you need not take the hint,
Nor idle texts pursue:--
'Twas _guilty sinners_ that he meant,--
Not _angels_ such as you. "

Cromek. ]

[Footnote 296: "This extraordinary woman then moved in a very humble
walk of life:--the wife of a common working gardener. She is still
living, and, if I am rightly informed, her time is principally occupied
in her attentions to a little day-school, which not being sufficient for
her subsistence, she is obliged to solicit the charily of her benevolent
neighbours. 'Ah, who would love the lyre! '"--CROMEK. ]

[Footnote 297: The entry made on this occasion in the Lodge-books of St
Abb's is honorable to

"The brethren of the mystic level. "

"_Eyemouth_, 19_th May_, 1787.