 language; because every language had its peculiar recitative, and
it would always require more pains, attention, and practice, to acquire both the
words and the music, than to learn the words only; and yet no body would deny,
that the one was imperfect without the other; he therefore apprehended, that the
Scotchman and the Swiss were better understood by learners, because they spoke
the words only, without the music, which they could not rehearse. One would
imagine this check might have damped the North-Briton; but it served only to
agitate his humour for disputation. - He said, if every nation had its own
recitative or music, the Scots had theirs, and the Scotchman who had not yet
acquired the cadence of the English, would naturally use his own in speaking
their language; therefore, if he was better understood than the native, his
recitative must be more intelligible than that of the English; of consequence,
the dialect of the Scots had an advantage over that of their fellow subjects,
and this was another strong presumption that the modern English had corrupted
their language in the article of pronunciation.
    The lieutenant was, by this time, become so polemical, that every time he
opened his mouth out flew a paradox, which he maintained with all the enthusiasm
of altercation; but all his paradoxes savoured strong of a partiality for his
own country. He undertook to prove that poverty was a blessing to a nation; that
oatmeal was preferable to wheat-flour; and that the worship of Cloacina, in
temples which admitted both sexes, and every rank of votaries promiscuously, was
a filthy species of idolatry that outraged every idea of delicacy and decorum. I
did not so much wonder at his broaching these doctrines, as at the arguments,
equally whimsical and ingenious, which he adduced in support of them.
    In fine, lieutenant Lismahago is a curiosity which I have not yet
sufficiently perused; and therefore I shall be sorry when we lose his company,
though, God knows, there is nothing very amiable in his manner or disposition. -
As he goes directly to the south-west division of Scotland, and we proceed in
the road to Berwick, we shall part to-morrow at a place called Felton-bridge;
and, I dare say, this separation will be very grievous to our aunt Mrs. Tabitha,
unless she has received some flattering assurance of his meeting her again. If I
fail in my purpose of entertaining you with these unimportant occurrences, they
will at least serve as exercises of patience, for which you are indebted to
Yours always,
                                                                      J.
