maladies that affect inferior drunkards. Indeed so suitable and congenial does this strong drink appear to his nature, that he never looks more dignified or venerable, than when sitting in his chair after an indulgence that disables him from leaving it. Before concluding this part of the character of so celebrated a toper, it will perhaps be proper to an swer an inquiry that may be started concerning the esteem in which he holds whiskey, the favourite liquor of the north. When the question was put to him, he said, "that he disdained to tipple with stuff by means of which all the women in the town got drunk!" Mr. Pasley must now be described as a Priest, if it be not a profanation of the term, as applied to him. When a carriage drives up with a fond couple, it is his first business to obtain from the post-boy a hint of their probable circumstances. This is com municated by a look and not by a cant word, as might be supposed. From that moment he knows what should be his demand, and from this he never recedes, unless he becomes convinced that it cannot be complied with, or that he suspects the parties to have been informed that he has a rival and are disposed to apply to him. The priest and high priest of course do not act in concert. The latter despises the former as an impudent upstart and intruder; while the former, who really cannot look upon himself as much better, does not hope to obtain business from an established character, and therefore works in his calling at under prices. This has ma terially terially injured the profession in this famous mart of Hymen, and may some day produce dangerous innovations. A circumstance now follows, which displays Mr. Pasley's profound knowledge of human nature, and the useful purposes to which he applies it. All the money being paid that can be obtained from the gentleman, he desires the lady to step aside with him, as part of the ceremony. When they are together he opens a new demand upon her pocket: paints the disgrace and imputations to which she must be subject, if she should return from Gretna without being married; and threatens to defer the ceremony, unless she makes him a present. Perplexed and terrified at this dreadful menace, she seldom dares to refuse compliance. By this method he generally manages to extort from one to five guineas, and has frequently obtained much larger sums. A couple that arrives in tolerable style, is seldom married indeed for less than ten pounds; the demand sometimes exceeds fifty pounds, and twenty pounds is the sum most commonly given on those occasions. Mr. Pasley has been known to make one hundred pounds in a week, and he seldom earns less than from five to six hundred pounds a year. A man who is expensive in nothing but brandy, might be expected to save considerably from such an income. When the writer of this narrative asked him this question, he answered: "Yes, to be sure, I have a great great deal of deal of money in the bank." In what bank? was demanded with great simplicity; to which he replied quaintly, "In the bank of Venus.” Couples of every description thus apply to the Gretna high-priest. He has therefore prices of every degree, in all cases frankly asking the most that can be got. A soldier may be made a husband for a bottle of brandy, and in a case of desperate po¬ verty for a bigb gill, The money being paid, Mr. Pasley then proceeds to celebrate the marriage. He attempts industriously to cast a veil over this ceremony, as his part is too simple to be exposed to the eyes of his townsmen, who would soon be both able and willing to participate in so lucrative a business when they knew how to carry it on. To add to its importance, he introduces a formula which is not necessary. The law of Scotland seems to require only that the parties should acknowledge themselves man and wife, before witnesses, in order to constitute a marriage. The high-priest therefore is serviceable only as a living testimony. However, he thinks proper to read a part of the service of matrimony in the liturgy of the English church; and according to the form of that composition, he says to the man, "Wilt thou have this woman to thy Wilt thou ؟؟ ,wedded wife ? &c. and to the woman. have this man to thy wedded husband?" &c. * High gill is a corruption of Hawick Gill, Hawick being a place in Scotland where the English measure is used. Those who are as poor as soldiers, are treated with the same indulgence. When When the ring is put on, he desires the man to repeat after him, after him, "With this ring I thee wed," &c. And after all this has been performed, he declares the parties to be "husband and wife." Such, according to his own declaration, is part of the ceremony, and probably this is the whole of it. He will not, indeed, confirm the supposition, and a reference to a couple married at Gretna might not possibly clear up the doubt; for neither of them could scarcely be expected to recollect what passed at such a time-after having travelled some hundreds of miles to the dinner, who could be expected to be attentive to the grace before it? In Scotland there are two kinds of marriagesregular and clandestine. Mr. Erskine, in his Principles of the Law of Scotland, says, "It is not necessary that marriage be celebrated by a clergyman. The consent of parties may be declared before any magistrate, or simply before witnesses. When the order of the church is observed, the marriage is called regular; when otherwise, clandestine. Towards a regular marriage the church requires proclamation of banns in the churches where the bride and bridegroom reside. Formerly not only bishops but presbyteries assumed a power of dispensing with proclamation of banns on extraordinary occasions; but this has not been exercised since the revolution." " Marriage," says M'Dowall, in his Institute of the Law of Scotland, «is either solemn or clandestine. A solemn marriage is that which is cele brated brated by a minister of the established church, or one having the benefit of the toleration act after due proclamation of banns. This ought to be done three several Sundays in the churches respectively where the parties frequent divine service; but if they belong to any episcopal meeting, it must be done in their congregation, and likewise in the parish churches where the parties reside; and in case the minister of such parish shall neglect or refuse to publish the banns, it is declared sufficient, if done in the episcopal congregation alone. But the public solemnity is only a matter of order, and not essential to marriage; and therefore by the law of Scotland not only a marriage solemnized by a minister or priest is good, but likewise cohabitation as man and wife sufficiently ascertains the marriage, provided it be not called in question during their joint lives. Notwithstanding the clandestine marriages are equally binding with solemn ones, certain penalties are imposed upon the parties who thereby act contrary to the order of the law these are imprisonment for three months, and a penalty upon the parties, with perpetual banishment or other arbitrary punishment upon the person who solemnizes the marriage." It is probably from what is stated in the concluding part of Mr. M'Dowall's opinion, that an idea which prevails at Gretna of its not being safe for Mr. Pasley to marry a Scotch couple is well founded; but the fine and punishment are not understood to extend to the inhabitants of England. Certain it is, that Mr. Pasley very cautiously observes the distinc 1805-1806. L tion, |