Chapter XXXII: Part 32

What seems sufficient to set this matter in a clear light is the fact
that, up to this time, such a thing as a sawn deal was unknown in the
Spey Highlands; they could only split a tree, and chip the pieces into
something like a deal; and some of the upper rooms of Castle-Grant are
actually floored of wood prepared in this manner.

Footnote 681:

At the end of the voyage, he took the curragh upon his back, and
trudged back to the point of departure. An example of this primitive
kind of canoe was exhibited at the archæological museum connected with
the British Association at Aberdeen, September 1859.

Footnote 682:

[Leslie’s] _Survey of the Province of Moray_, 1798, p. 267. Anderson’s
_British Poets_, viii. 655.

Footnote 683:

_Analecta_, _passim_.

Footnote 684:

Private Letters, &c., p. 66; also newspapers of the day.

Footnote 685:

Wodrow’s _Analecta_, iv. 97.

Footnote 686:

See under the year 1716 for some notice of her Grace’s services to the
country as a promoter of agricultural improvements.

Footnote 687:

Faculty Records, quoted in _Analecta Scotica_, ii. 170. The plate of
Sallust is now shewn under a glass-case in the Advocates’ Library.

Footnote 688:

_Biog. Memoirs of William Ged._ Nichols, London, 1781. To a daughter
of Ged, it was proposed that the profits of this publication, if any,
should be devoted; hence it may be inferred that the family continued
poor.

Footnote 689:

Mores’s _Narrative of Block-printing, with Notes, apud_ Topham and
Willett’s _Memoir on the Origin of Printing_. Newcastle, 1820.

Footnote 690:

Maitland’s _History of Edinburgh_, p. 460.

Footnote 691:

Arnot’s _History of Edinburgh_, p. 546.

Footnote 692:

_Gentleman’s Magazine_, v. 555.

Footnote 693:

The remaining verses of the poem are thus given in the _Scots
Magazine_ for June 1773:

‘Ah! where is now th’ innumerous crowd,
That once with fond attention hung
On every truth divine that flowed,
Improved from thy persuasive tongue!

’Tis gone!—it seeks a different road;
Life’s social joys to thee are o’er;
Untrod the path to that abode
Where hapless _Penury_ keeps the door.

Drummond! thine audience yet recall,
Recall the young, the gay, the vain;
And ere thy tottering fabric fall,
Sound forth the deeply moral strain.

For never, sure, could bard or sage,
_Howe’er_ inspired, more clearly shew,
That all upon this transient stage
Is folly, vanity, or woe.

Bid them at once be _warned_ and taught—
Ah, no!—suppress th’ ungrateful tale—
O’er every frailty, every fault,
_Oblivion_, draw _thy_ friendly veil.

Tell rather what transcendent joy
Awaits them on th’ immortal shore,
If well they _Summer’s_ strength employ,
And well distribute _Autumn’s_ store.

Tell them, if _Virtue_ crown their bloom,
_Time_ shall the happy period bring,
When the dark Winter of the tomb
Shall yield to everlasting _Spring_.’

Footnote 694:

Letter by a clansman of the deceased. _Edin. Ev. Courant._

Footnote 695:

_Culloden Papers_, p. 111. _Edin. Ev. Courant_, Oct. 9, 1729. This
chronicle adds: ‘They named the bridge where the parties met
OXBRIDGE.’ A statement which appears somewhat inconsistent with one
already made in our general account of the Highland roads.

General Stewart of Garth, in his interesting book on the Highland
Regiments, makes an amusing mistake in supposing that General Wade
here condescended to be entertained by a set of _cearnochs_, or
cattle-lifters.

Footnote 696:

Notes to 2d ed. of Burt’s _Letters_. There being a distinction between
natural tracks, such as formerly existed in the Highlands, and _made_
roads, and ‘made’ being used here in a secondary and technical sense,
it is not absolutely necessary to suppose, as has been supposed, that
the author of this couplet was an _Irish_ subaltern quartered at Fort
William.

Footnote 697:

In May 1711, the ‘relict’ of Sir John Medina, limner, advertised her
having for sale ‘a great many pictures of several of the nobility,
gentry, and eminent lawyers of this nation,’ at her lodging, ‘the
first stone land above the Tron Church, second story.’—_Ed. Ev.
Courant._

Footnote 698:

Daniel Wilson states, in his work, _Edinburgh in the Olden Time_, that
Scougal possessed Sir James Steuart’s house in the Advocates’ Close,
and there fitted up an additional floor as a picture-gallery.

Footnote 699:

The document is fully printed in the _Edin. Annual Register_ for 1816.

Footnote 700:

_Caledonian Mercury._

Footnote 701:

_Analecta_, iv. 86, 162.

Footnote 702:

Minutely narrated in Burnet.

Footnote 703:

_Caledonian Mercury_, April 6, 1724.

Footnote 704:

Sir D. Brewster’s _Life of Sir Isaac Newton_, 1855, i. 57

Footnote 705:

_Edin. Ev. Courant._

Footnote 706:

Stewart’s _Highland Regiments_, i. 49.

Footnote 707:

_Dom. Annals_, under March 1, 1701.

Footnote 708:

French, _commère_, a godmother.

Footnote 709:

_An Essay on the Means of Inclosing Scotland_, 1729, p. 229.

Footnote 710:

Records of the Bank, quoted in Chalmers’s _Caledonia_, i. 873, _note_.

Footnote 711:

_Edin. Ev. Courant._

Footnote 712:

Wodrow’s _Analecta_.

Footnote 713:

_Domestic Ann. Scot._, ii. 495.

Footnote 714:

See under June 24, 1736.

Footnote 715:

It is rather curious that, in a subscription for the relief of the
sufferers by a fire in the Lawnmarket of Edinburgh, in 1725, ‘Colonel
Francis Charteris, £4, 4_s._’ is the only contribution from a private
individual. Uncharitable onlookers would probably consider this as
intended for an insurance against another fire on the part of the
subscriber.

Footnote 716:

_Private Letters_, &c., p. 80.

Footnote 717:

_Gentleman’s Magazine_, ii. 674.

Footnote 718:

_Caledonian Mercury._

Footnote 719:

_Cal. Mercury_, August 8, 1732.

Footnote 720:

Chalmers’s _Life of Ruddiman_, p. 136.

Footnote 721:

_Caledonian Mercury_, May and July 1733.

Footnote 722:

_Caledonian Mercury_, February 14, 1734.

Footnote 723:

_Historical Register_ for 1721, p. 253.

Footnote 724:

July 21, 1744, died at his seat of Orangefield, in the shire of Ayr,
James Macrae, Esq., late governor of Fort George.

Footnote 725:

The son, Captain James Macrae, was a person of most unhappy history,
having shot an innocent gentleman in a duel, and obliged, in
consequence, to leave his native country.

Footnote 726:

_Caledonian Mercury_, July and August 1733.

Footnote 727:

See under 1718, pp. 440, 441 of this volume.

Footnote 728:

A riding of the stang, attended with tragical results, happened in
March 1736. George Porteous, smith at Edmondstone, having severely
beaten and abused his wife, was subjected to the ignominy by his
neighbours; which so highly ‘affronted’ him, that he went and hanged
himself.—_Caledonian Mercury._

Footnote 729:

_Caledonian Mercury_, passim.

Footnote 730:

Edinburgh newspapers, _passim_.

Footnote 731:

James VII.’s _First Parliament_, chap. 12.

Footnote 732:

[Sinclair’s] _Stat. Acc. Scot._, xviii. 362.

Footnote 733:

Wodrow Pamphlets, vol. 275.

Footnote 734:

From Mein’s original paper, apparently prepared for publication, 1735.
MS. in possession of Society of Antiquaries.

Footnote 735:

Act of Town Council, August 29, 1740. Robert Mein died in 1776, at the
age of ninety-three.

Footnote 736:

Amongst the papers of General Wade, in the possession of the Junior
United Service Club, is a letter addressed to him by a lady who felt
interested in behalf of Porteous. It is here transcribed, with all its
peculiarities of spelling, &c., as an illustration of the exceptive
feeling above adverted to, and also as a curious memorial of the
literary gifts then belonging to ladies of the upper classes. The
writer appears to have been one of the daughters of George Allardice
of Allardice, by his wife, Lady Anne Ogilvy, daughter of the fourth
Earl of Findlater:

‘I dute not Dear general waid but by this time yon may have heard the
fattel sentence of the poor unhappy cap^t porteous how in six weeks
time most dye if he riceve not speedy help from above, by the
asistance of men of generosity and mercy such as you realy are it is
the opinion of all thos of the better sort he has been hardly deelt
by, being cond’mned but by a very slender proof, and tho he was much
provokted by the mob and had the provest and magestrets order to fire
which th’y now sheamfuly deney nor had he the leeberty to prove it tho
even in his own defence, but the generous major powl will assure you
of the trouth, and yet tho the cap^t had thos crule orders it is
proven my [by] commiserer wesly mr Drumond doctor horton and severel
other gentel men of undouted crided he realy did not make use of them,
that there eyes were fixed on him all the while and have declar’d upon
oth he deed not fire, true it is he presented his firelock in hopes to
frighten the mob when ane unlucky felow at the same time and just by
the cap^t fired which lead the two witness into the fatel mistake that
has condmn’d him the unfortenat pannal both befor and after the dismal
sentence protested befor god and the judges he was entierly inesent
puting all thes circomstances to gether the miserable state he now is
in most draw your generous pity on his side ther’for dr general waid
continwa your uswal mercy and plead for him and as our sex are neturly
compassinot and being now in the power of the quin, so generous a
pleader as you may easely persuad, considring it is a thing of great
concquenc to the whol army which yourself better knou then I can
inform the duke of buccleugh, marques of Lowding [Lothian] Lord morton
geneal myls all the commissioners and chiff baron are to join ther
intrest with yours in this affair, by your own generous soul I beg
again Dear sir you will do whats in your power to save him, thos that
think right go not through this poor short life just for themselves
which your good actions shou you oft consider, and as many just now
put a sincer trust in your generous mercy I am sure they will not be
disapointed throgh aney neglect of yours let this letter be taken
notes of amongst the nomber you will reseve from your frinds in
Scotland in behalf of the unfortunat capt which will intierly oblidg

Dear general waid
your most affectionate and most
obident humble servant
CATHARINE ALLARDICE.

‘you would be sory for the unexresable los I have had of the kindest
mother, and two sisters I am now at Mrs Lind’s where it would be no
smal satesfaction to hear by a Line or two I am not forgot by you
drect for me at Mr Linds hous in Edenburg your letter will come safe
if you are so good as to writ Mr Lind his Lady and I send our best
complements to you, he along with Lord aberdour and mr wyevel how has
also wrot to his sister mrs pursal go hand in hand togither makeing
all the intrest they can for the poor cap^t and meet with great sucess
they join in wishing you the same not fearing your intrest the
generals Lady how is his great friend were this day to speak to the
Justes clarck but I have not since seen her, so that every on of
compassion and mercy are equely bussey forgive this trouble and send
ous hop’

Footnote 737:

_Caledonian Mercury._

Footnote 738:

Statutes at large, vi. 51.

Footnote 739:

In November 1737, the poet is found advertising an assembly
(dancing-party) ‘in the New Hall in Carrubber’s Close;’
subscription-tickets, two for a guinea, to serve throughout the winter
season.—_Cal. Merc._

Footnote 740:

_Caledonian Mercury._

Footnote 741:

Newspapers of the time.

Footnote 742:

_Caledonian Mercury._

Footnote 743:

_Daily Post_, Aug. 17, 1738, quoted in _Household Words_, 1850.

Footnote 744:

His name was William Smellie. The fact is stated in his _Memoirs_ by
Robert Kerr, Edinburgh, 1811.

Footnote 745:

_Scots Magazine_, January 1739.

Footnote 746:

_Scottish Journal_, p. 313.

Footnote 747:

Houghton’s _Collections on Husbandry and Trade_, 1694.

Footnote 748:

Arnot’s _History of Edinburgh_, 4to, p. 201.

Footnote 749:

Robertson’s _Rural Recollections_, 1829.

Footnote 750:

‘The man has not been dead many years who first introduced from
Ireland the culture of the potato into the peninsula of Cantyre; he
lived near Campbelton. From him the city of Glasgow obtained a regular
supply for many years; and from him also the natives of the Western
Highlands and Isles obtained the first plants, from which have been
derived those abundant supplies on which the people there now
principally subsist.’—Anderson’s _Recreations_, vol. ii. (1800) p.
382.

Footnote 751:

‘This singular individual died at Edinburgh [January 24, 1788]. In
1784, he sunk £140 with the managers of the Canongate Poor’s House,
for a weekly subsistence of 7_s._, and afterwards made several small
donations to that institution. His coffin, for which he paid two
guineas, with “1703,” the year of his birth, inscribed on it, hung in
his house for nine years previous to his death; and it also had
affixed to it the undertaker’s written obligation to screw him down
with his own hands _gratis_. The managers of the Poor’s House were
likewise taken bound to carry his body with a hearse and four coaches
to Restalrig Churchyard, which was accordingly done. Besides all this,
he caused his grave-stone to be temporarily erected in a conspicuous
spot of the Canongate Churchyard, having the following quaint
inscription:

“HENRY PRENTICE,

DIED.

Be not curious to know how I lived;
But rather how yourself should die.“‘
—_Contemporary Obituaries._

Footnote 752:

_Scots Magazine_, Oct. 1740. Act of Town Council, Dec. 19, 1740.

Footnote 753:

_Scots Magazine_, July 1741.

Footnote 754:

Moncrieff’s _Life of John Erskine, D.D._, p. 110.

Footnote 755:

_Scots Magazine_, July 1742.

Footnote 756:

_Scots Magazine_, Oct. 1712. _New Statistical Acc. Scot._, art.
‘Lochbroom,’ where many curious anecdotes of Robertson, called
_Ministeir laidir_, ‘the Strong Minister,’ are detailed.

Footnote 757:

_Lays of the Deer Forest_, by the Messrs Stuart.

Footnote 758:

_Edin. Ev. Courant_, Nov. 15, 1743.

Footnote 759:

_Spalding Club Miscellany_, ii. 87.

Footnote 760:

_Old Statist. Acc. of Scot._, xv. 379.

Footnote 761:

_Domestic Ann. of Scot._, ii. 392.

Footnote 762:

_Memorabilia of Glasgow_, p. 502.

Footnote 763:

Newspaper advertisement.

Footnote 764:

Jones’s _Glasgow Directory_, quoted in Stuart’s _Notices of Glasgow in
Former Times_.

Footnote 765:

_Culloden Papers_, p. 233.

Footnote 766:

Appendix to Burt’s _Letters_, 5th ed., ii. 359.

Footnote 767:

_Tour in Scotland_, i. 225; ii. 425.

Footnote 768:

_Gentleman’s Magazine_, xvi. 429.

Footnote 769:

_Scots Magazine_, 1750, 1753, 1754.

Footnote 770:

_Tour through the Highlands_, &c. By John Knox. 1787, p. 101.

Footnote 771:

[Sinclair’s] _Stat. Acc. Scot._, xx. 424. The minister’s version is
here corrected from one in the _Gentleman’s Magazine_ for January
1733; but both are incorrect in the historical particulars, there
having been during 1728 and the hundred preceding years no more than
six kings of Scotland.

Footnote 772:

Printed in _Spalding Club Miscellany_, ii. 7.

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