THERE was only one circumstance to alloy in any degree the pleasure with which I bade adieu for the first time to the roof of my fathers. But I have no wish to be sentimental, so let me remove myself at once to the most ancient seat of the Northern Muses.

I travelled the first stage in the patched up whiskey, (for it had been sorely shattered,) under the guidance of the ploughman; and then, bidding adieu to him at the county town, pursued the journey, riding post.

I sought out immediately on my arrival the learned Professor to whom my letters were addressed, and found a room already prepared for me in his house, which was situated within the walls of one of the Colleges. My new guardian was a dull, solemn, perfectly goodnatured orientalist, who, after he had seen me gowned, matriculated, and introduced to the classes I was to attend, seemed to think that he had done all that was necessary. His housekeeper was a maiden sister, turned of thirty, extremely different from him in everything, lively, affable, a great manager, knowing in the cookery book, and the best maker of a little noggin of hot punch I have ever met with to this hour.

Two young students, besides myself, were boarded in the house; and certainly we had no reason to complain of our fare. Except at meal-times, we were our own masters; nobody gave us the least trouble: And I must say, that, in our turn, we were good boys, and gave them, on the whole, as little annoyance, or disturbance of any kind, as could reasonably have been expected. Miss Patterson often praised us all for our behaviour; but I was her favourite. She had been very pretty, and was still very good-looking, though rather too fat, and rubicund. She liked to have a young gentleman to attend her when she walked out on the streets: and though the plainest of the three, I was selected for this more frequently than any of the others. Sometimes we even extended our promenades into the country—In short, we became prodigious friends.