July 11th
Thursday 11th July 1822
Walked to Castorphine hill, commanding very fine views of the Frith of Forth. The town of Edinburgh. The Pentland hills with cottages and gentlemen's seats. From thence through the fields to the village of Castorphine, then round to the beautiful and richly wooded village of Collinton, on the height of which rises out of a forest of fine trees, the seat of Sir Wm Forbes. there are also several very pretty houses on a smaller scale, and the road from thence, through Slateford, under the Arch of the Glasgow Canal, is exceedingly rich and beautiful—it was also a new way to me into Edinburgh, the evening too was delicious with a few heat drops, that increased the fragrance of the hay and fields of beans &c.. the crops are every where most abundant. Met Mr Hazlitt in Catherine Street. and asked him what I was to do if Mr Gray sent any bill in to me. and he said I had nothing to do with it for that he had paid Mr Prentice forty pounds, which was nearly the whole expence for both of them. I said, that was what Mr Ritchie, to whom I had spoken about it, thought. He said Mr Ritchie had nothing at all to do with it. and I remarked that he was the person he had sent to me about it. and that he did not think it would finish on Monday. and asked if he had heard any thing more, he said, No. but he thought it would be Monday or Tuesday. and as soon as it was done he wished I would come to him, or let him know and he would come to me to finally settle matters, as he had some things to say, and I told him I would. I was rather flurried at meeting him, and totally forgot many things I wished to have said. which vexed me afterwards.