307 THE EARL OF HOPETOUN'S DINNER AT IN the vast and beautiful pleasure grounds of Hopetoun House stands a solitary, slender Tower, now an object in the great lord's park, but once the residence of an ancient Scottish laird, who, in common with many others of his class, was rooted out to give elbow-room to the new peer. The peerage of the Earl of Hopetoun would, in the estimation of an Englishman, be accounted ancient; but in Scotland it stands on a very modern basis. His Lordship's ancestor was a servant of Magdalen of France, queen of James V; and for several generations, the family were in trade, and only gradually ascended to the rank of merchants. A son of Hope, the Edinburgh merchant, was a distinguished lawyer, and one of the leaders of the Presbyterians in Charles the First's time. He was knighted, and is known in history as Sir Thomas Hope of Craighall, Lord Advocate of Scotland. His eldest son, Sir John, was the ancesotr of Sir John Hope, Bart., of Pinkie, and his sixth son, James, of the Earl of Hopetoun. He founded the wealth of his family by marrying the heiress of some rich lead mines in Lanarkshire, with the produce of which he and his descendants purchased large estates in the Lothians. Hopetoun House was, originally, a magnificent villa, built on a very small estate, to which additions have, from time to time, been made, by buying out several ancient families seated in the immediate neighbourhood, so that it is now a very large property. The Setons and Dundasses have in this way been uprooted from the soil which they possessed for ages. Although the Hopes cannot claim, paternally, an ancient lineage, they have acquired good blood by marriage. Among their female alliances they reckon Hamilton, Earl of Haddington; Johnstone, Marquess of Annandale; Leslie, Earl of Leven; and Carnegie, Earl of Northesk, though the present Lord Hopetoun is not descended from the two last. And he is, moreover, the sixth Earl of his race, which, in the English or Irish peerage, would constitute him an ancient peer. an To the rich Earl, inhabiting his splendid palace, and rejoicing in his extended wealth and spreading domains, it was a decided eye-sore to see, on the very verge of his beautiful pleasure-grounds, an ancient turriform mansion, inhabited by one of the old aborigines of the county, whom he was unable to dispossess. This ancient Scottish laird's name was Dundas, of Manor. He was a cadet of Dundas of Duddingston, and, through that distinguished race, he traced his descent to John Dundas of Dundas, who had been created an Earl by King James the Third, with the title of Forth— earldom given him immediately before that unhappy monarch's downfall, and not recognised by his successors. This old laird was strongly attached to his family residence, and resisted every endeavour on the part of his wealthy neighbour to oust him. He refused the very largest prices which had been, in that day, offered for land in Scotland. Lord Hopetoun tried every method in vain. He spoke him fair, through his son-in-law, Dundas of Duddingston, who had just married his daughter, Lady Margaret Hope. He threatened law suits. He bribed his mediocrity. But all to no purpose. Dundas of Manor could not be prevailed on to move from Stang-hill Tower. At length, Lord Hopetoun bethought him of the possibility of getting the old laird to launch into expenses which might, ere long, necessitate the sale of his property-he endeavoured to lead him on to a higher style of living than that which he had been accustomed to. He begged him to come frequently with his family to Hopetoun-house, and offered to visit him in return. Dundas shewed evident disinclination for the intimate intercourse thus thrust upon him. However, he could not refuse to receive Lord Hopetoun one day, when his lordship invited himself and a large and fashionable shooting party to be the old laird's guests at dinner at the Tower. Lord Hopetoun and fifteen friends came at the appointed hour, to partake of the Laird of Manor's hospitality. They were ushered into the small vaulted hall of the Tower, where a long table was spread, covered with a profusion of substantial pewter dishes and plates burnished to look like silver; and with a number of most inviting longnecked bottles, which seemed to promise the vintages of Gascony and Champagne. Lord Hopetoun began to congratulate himself on the partial fulfilment of his scheme, and thought of the hole which a few dinners like this would make in the old laird's rental. Grace being said, two decent serving men removed the covers from the dishes, when, lo! a goodly array of alternate herrings and potatoes appeared spread from the top to the bottom. The corks were simultaneously removed, and Dundas poured out a bumper of excellent whisky, and invited his guests to pledge him in the same potent liquor. Addressing Lord Hopetoun, he drank to his lordship's health, and to their better acquaintance, and shaking his head and chuckling jocularly, he said, “It won't do, my lord, it won't do. But whenever you or your guests will honour my poor hall of Stang-Hill Tower with your presence at this hour, I promise you no worse fare than that now set before you, the best and fattest salt herrings that the Forth can produce, together with the mealiest potatoes, and the strongest mountain dew. To this, I beg that your lordship and your honoured friends may do ample justice." Lord Hopetoun never dined again at Stang-Hill Tower. Sometime after, Mr. Dundas found himself on his death-bed, and calling his eldest son, he said, "It is foolish to struggle for ever against our rich and powerful neighbour. He will, sooner or later, have our little property; make the best terms with him you can." Soon after the old laird's death, an exchange, highly advantageous to the Dundases of Manor, was effected. StangHill Tower being given to Lord Hopetoun, which |