June 19.—­Arose and expected to work a little, but a friend’s house is not favourable; you are sure to want the book you have not brought, and are in short out of sorts, like the minister who could not preach out of his own pulpit.  There is something fanciful in this, and something real too, and I have forgot my watch and left half my glasses at home.

Off we set at half-past eight o’clock, Lord Chief Commissioner being left at home owing to a cold.  We breakfasted at Luscar, a place belonging to Adam Rolland, but the gout had arrested him at Edinburgh, so we were hospitably received by his family.  The weather most unpropitious, very cold and rainy.  After breakfast to Culross, where the veteran, Sir Robert Preston,[377] showed us his curiosities.  Life has done as much for him as most people.  In his ninety-second year he has an ample fortune, a sound understanding, not the least decay of eyes, ears, or taste; is as big as two men, and eats like three.  Yet he too experiences the singula praedantur anni, and has lost something since I last saw him.  If his appearance renders old age tolerable, it does not make it desirable.  But I fear when death comes we shall be unwilling for all that to part with our bundle of sticks.  Sir Robert amuses himself with repairing the old House of Culross, built by the Lord Bruce of Kinloss.  To what use it is destined is not very evident to me.  It is too near his own comfortable mansion of Valleyfield to be useful as a residence, if indeed it could be formed into a comfortable modern house.  But it is rather like a banqueting house.  Well, he follows his own fancy.  We had a sumptuous cold dinner.  Adam grieves it was not hot, so little can war and want break a man to circumstances.  We returned to Blair-Adam in the evening, through “the wind but and the rain.”  For June weather it is the most ungenial I have seen.  The beauty of Culross consists in magnificent terraces rising on the sea-beach, and commanding the opposite shore of Lothian; the house is repairing in the style of James the Sixth.  The windows have pediments like Heriot’s Work.[378] There are some fine relics of the old Monastery, with large Saxon arches.  At Luscar I saw with pleasure the painting by Raeburn, of my old friend Adam Rolland, Esq.,[379] who was in the external circumstances, but not in frolic or fancy, my prototype for Paul Pleydell.[380]

June 20.—­We settled this morning to go to church at Lochore, that is, at Ballingray; but when we came to the earthly paradise so called, we were let off for there was no sermon, for which I could not in my heart be sorry.  So, after looking at Lochore, back we came to lounge and loiter about till dinner-time.  The rest of the day was good company, good cheer, and good conversation.  Yet to be idle here is not the thing, and to be busy is impossible, so I wish myself home again in spite of good entertainment.  We leave to-night after an early dinner, and I will get to work again.