1800.] Anecdotes of Commercial Cities. 7

in the Univerſity, and other members of the learned-priofeſſions;, with the Gentlemen ſtudying under them; the merchants, fhop= keepers, and tradeſmen, the meaner arüfſans, labourers, fera vants,&c. A late. enumeration of the inhabitants of Edinburgh and Leith, repreſents them as conſiderably fewer than 100,000 ſouls: but the writer of theſe anecdotes knows that enumeration to exlubit only the population at the time when the migratory inhabitants have retired to the count Gen this population, with great defreiency. The numbers ottké Inhabitants of EDIN<- BURGH and. LEITE, who are conſtantly refident, may be very confidently eſtimated at 100,000. In the winters of‘thoſe years in which they have been the moſt frequented, their population has certainly approached nearer tQ,110,000, than to. any other round number.; 7 E BON er Acri

To theſe numerous inhahltants/ ſubſiftence- is furniſhed /rorz eſtates in the country, remittances from abroad, the intereſt ok ¡4 money in the public funds; /rom ſalaries paid by government t> its officers, and the expences of actions at law, ſupplied frog. the whole kingdom;{rom about 100,000!. ſterling a year, which“ its ſeminaries for education bring into Edinburgh; from the.pro- fits of the wholeſale trade, exporting and importing, of Kdinburgh and Leith; from the dire@ly produttive labour, whatever it 1s, of the lower claſſes of the community.

In the ſocial intercourſe of the inhabitants of-this capital, there is a conſiderable predominancy of an aniftocratical and a profe/- /ional ſpirit.- The concert is ſupported by aſubſcription, ahd all who are diſagreeable in any way to the leaders vf rank and ftäſhion, are’ both excluded from among the ſubſcribers, and even pro- hibited from caſual admiſſion io the concert-room as vifitants. The public afſembly-rooms have been deſerted by the influence of“ opulence and faſhion, becauſe the plan of admiſhon into them appeared to be too liberal, and to admit, with too little diſcrimi- nation, all perſons! who had the manners, the reputation, the dreſs, and the occaſional expence of gentlemen and ladies, with- out deſcending to more minute and invidious diſtinélions. Even at the theatres, there 1s a ſtarched ariſtocratical diſcrimination of perſons“and ſituations, which ſometimes perhaps exceeds what convenience, decorum, and order require. Profeſſional diſtinc- tions, eſpecially the honours of the juridical profeſſions, are oîter the means of interrupting that equal intercourſe which confers thé moſt intereſting charms of ſocial amuſement. Perſonal merit, unleſs when it is accompanied with that ſneaking ſupplenels oí

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ſpirit which muſt quickly poiſon and oorrupt it, can: rarely ſur-

mount thoſe obſtacles which artificial diſtinétions oppoſe to binder

its ſucceſs in buſineſs, of in the competitions of focial converle. Yet, perbaps,- elegance, propriéty, and deçorum 1n, manners

and amuſeinents, are in Tome inſtances promoted by tha which

is otherwiſe juſtly.the ſubje& of ſuch complaints as the above.

There 1s leſs of groſs and mobbiſh vulgarity in mol of che diver-

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