John Guidfollow; or, the Murder of the Earl of Strathmore. A mystical, historical romance of Forfarshire

Preface

. The Volume now presented to the public has been the work of the Author's leisure for many months ; but, the collecting and sifting of the historical facts and traditions detailed therein, is the labour of many years. The intention of the Author is to paint a vivid and true picture, in all its wild weird marvellousness, of the period when Scotland was overshadowed by the belief in Witch craft and kindred superstitions. Had the ground not been almost unbroken, the task might not have been undertaken, but notwithstanding the mul titudinous productions of the modern press, subjects such as dealt with in these pages have been little touched upon. The composition has been a true labour of love, and the Author's hope and desire is, that the Gentle Reader may have as much pleasure in reading as he had in writing.

The Hero will, in a future work, figure in the stormy scenes and dramatic episodes of the " Forty-Five." So that this Volume may be looked upon as an introduction or prelude to a forthcoming Historical Novel, embracing the time from 1730 to 1745. At which period Scotland was the theatre in which was enacted a drama of history, culminating in a horrible tragedy, such as the world has seldom witnessed. Forfar, June, 1890. CONTENTS. Page. Introductory. Sketch of the Condition of Scotland in the earlier part of the Eighteenth Century, and the prevalence of the belief in Witchcraft at that period, 13 — 16 Prologue. Born in Poverty. Born in Affluence, 17 — 19 Chapter I. — "The Star" Inn. Forfar in 1727 — "The Star " Inn in the "Spout" — Mine Host, Hugh Pitslauchery — His man, Claud Greenhill — Symposium in the Provost's Room — Description of characters — First appearance of John Guidfollow — John called out by Pitslauchery — He leaves to warn the Smugglers, 21 — 31 Chapter II. — The Smugglers' Camp.

Sketch of the Ancient Forest, of Platane — John Guidfollow arrives at "The Stag" Inn, Padanarain — He finds there Walter Stewart and a Stranger — Takes his way through the Forest — He soliloquises — The Smugglers' Camp in the Fairy Dell — John gives a toast - The call to Horse — Back to Forfar, . . . 32 — 38 Chapter III. — The ATitch Convention. Description of the Royal Castles of Forfar — Elspet Alexander, the Witch-woman of the Limepots — AVitch Convention in Cavern beneath the Castle Hill — The Incantations — Wonderful Transformations — The Pictures on the Disc: "Avarice," "Hate," "Misery," "Rage," "Spite," etc. — Satan in the form of a He- Goat — The Power of Evil exorcised by the Power of Good — Apparition of Allan Douglas — Sudden break up of the Convention, 39—48 Chapter IV. — Ladv Auchterhouse's Supper Party.

Residence of King Robert the Bruce in Thane's Close, Forfar — The Guests in the Banqueting Hall — Rose Binnie and James Carnegie of Finavon — The Servants in the Kitchen — John Guidfollow tells a Story : "The Murdered Harper and his Henchman, Jock Barerit, a tale of Finavon Castle " — The Ball Room — Provost Binnie in his glory — John Guidfollow the last to leave, . 49 — 62 Chapter Ar. — Gathering the Threads Together. Description of Invenjuharity Castle — Carnegie and his servant Barrie ride through the Forest Muir by Hornycross — Provost Binnie in his Nightcap — He soliloquises, and comes to a safe resolution — Rose Binnie in Maiden Meditation, not fancy free — Sends letter to Cland Greenhill — Claud consults John Guidfollow — John's Advice, 63 — 68 Chapter VI. — Meeting of the Lovers on Balmashannf.k Hill.

Description of the Ar alley of Strathmore as seen from the Hill— Claud aud Rose meet iu the Lovers' Bower — Their mutual protests- CONTENTS. X tions — Their parting — Rose abducted by Carnegie and his Page. servant Barrie — They cross Forfar Loch in a Boat — Meet Mine Host of "The Stag" with Horses on Queen Margaret's Inch — Take the road for the Castle of Inverquharity, . . . 69 — 74 Chapter VII. — The Visionary. Description of Allan Douglas's House at Torren's Ha'en — His Library full of Mystical Books — His Laboratory where he practises Alchemy — His Study — Birth and Parentage -Allan Douglas at AVork— His Rhapsody, 75—80 Chapter VIII.— The Mason's Cave. John Guidfollow and Claud Greenhill go to Arbroath — Meet AValter Stewart and Carnegie of Finavon at " The Bridge " Inn — The Cottage on the Cliff — The Subterranean Passage to the Cave — The Smugglers' Supper — John Guidfollow relates a Legend, . 81 — 86 Chapter IX. — John Guidfollow'.s Legend.

"Th= Flemish Knight and the Scottish Nun," .... 87—94 Chapter X. — The Fight. The arrival of the Lugger — The Packet from Holland — John despatched to Charles Earl of Strathmore with same — The Smugglers attacked by the Coastguardsmen — Treachery of Red Malcolm — The Captain of the Band shoots the Traitor — The Fight in the Cave — Death of AValter Stewart — Claud Greenhill struck down — Carried off in the boat by Ben Rodney — The Lugger sails for Amsterdam, . ...... 95 — 100 Chapter XL — The AVitch Meeting in the Churchyard. Provost Binnie and John Double in the Parlour of " The Star" — Talk about Witchcraft — John Double narrates what he saw in the Kirkyaird : Elspet Alexander and her crew practising their hellish devilries — How he followed them to the Limepots — Mysie Muirhead, the Provost's servant : "Your daughter Rose has gane amissin' " — Agony of the Provost, .... 101 — 106 Chapter XII. — The Imprisoned Maiden.

Rose Binnie awakes to consciousness — Finds herself a prisoner — Waited on by Elspet Alexander — Carnegie arrives at Inverquharity — Visits the Maiden in the prison chamber — Clasps her in his arms — Marian Stewart appears on the scene, . . 107 — 112 Chapter XIII. — The Witches' Sabbath on Catterthun. Description of Catterthun — The Elliptic of Stones — Bright Moonlight — His Satanic Majesty — Satan's Incantation — TheGathering of the AVitches— The Throne of Ebony— The Devil's Mark— The Master of Ceremonies — The Three Furies : El'ecto, Magora, and Tisiphone — Arraignment of Elspet Alexander — Stripped and Lashed — The Witches' Confessions —The Feast — The Dance — The Evanishment — Sunrise — Peace and Harmony, . . 113 — 120 Chapter XIV. — Glamis Castle. Historical Summary — lohn delivers the Packet to the Earl — Warns him against Carnegie — Is regaled in the Stone Kitchen — Relates to the servants a Legend of the Glands family, entitled " Lady Laura : a tale of the Walnut Tree " — Arrival of a special Messenger from Forfar — News of the Disappearance of Rose — John Guidfollow leaves for Forfar, 121 CONTENTS.

XI Chapter XV. — Elspet Alexander Arrested. Page, The Search for Rose — The Meeting of the Magistrates — John Double recounts the scene in the Kirkyaird — Allan Douglas recommends the arrest of Elspet Alexander and her associates- Brought before the Magistrates — Accused of Witchcraft, and committed to prison, 131 — 137 Chapter XVI. — The Escape of Rose and Marian. Marian denounces James Carnegie — He fells her to the floor— Carnegie takes his way down the River side — Description of the banks of the Esk between Inverquharity aud Inshewan — Marian and Rose in the Prison Chamber — They escape and fly to Glenesk, 138 — 144 Chapter XVIL— The Witches' Trial. Historical sketch of Witchcraft— Meeting of Commissioners appointed by Privy Council — The four Witch-women placed at the Bar — Cuthill, Guthrie, and Tyrie's Confessions — The Witches' Song — Sentenced to lie consumed by fire and their ashes cast to the four winds of Heaven 145 — 152 Chapter XVIII. — The Smuggler's Deathbed.

John Guidfollow revisits Arbroath — Confirmation of Walter Stewart's death — Tidings of Claud, lint no surety of his fate — The Smuggler's Deaths, ed — John's promise to see his mother in Glenesk 153—157 Chapter XIX. — The Burning of the Witches. The Witches in the Tolbooth — Elspet Alexander sends for Mr. Maxwell, the parish minister — His promise to take possession of a Packet — Only to be opened on certain conditions — The Witches' Howe — The Cavalcade down the "Spout" — The binding to the Stake — The lighting of the tire — The conduct of the Moli — The mighty storm of thunder, lightning, and rain, 158 — 164 Chapter XX. — The Funeral of the Lady of Lour. The 9th day of May, 1728— Tlie Funeral Obsequies— The ride to Forfar — Arrival at " The Star" Inn — Disagreement among the gentlemen in the bar parlour, ...... 165 — 167 Chapter XXI. — The Wizard of Mount Battock.

John leaves Arbroath — Arrival at Burkle Hill— Brechin by moonlight — Visits the " Cross Guns " — The Seer, Hugh Brouchdarg — Description of his dwelling — His Golden Eagle — He welcomes John Guidfollow — The Magic Well — The Three Visions — John's joy— Off to Gleneffock, 168—173 Chapter XXII. — Gleneffock. Marian Stewart's Grief — She curses Carnegie of Finavon — John fulfills his promise to tlie dying Smuggler — Description of a Highland Interior — Mungo McFarlane's Tale, . . . 174 — 178 Chapter XXIII. — "The Last of the Druids: a Legend of Glenmoy-." "Vengeance is Mine" — Marian, Rose, and John take the road for Forfar, 179—185 Chapter XXIV. — The Murder of the Earl of Strathmore. "Tho Star" Inn — The fierce quarrel between James Carnegie and Lyon of Brigton — Provost Binnie acts as peacemaker— Increased CONTENTS.

Insolence of Carnegie— Thrown to the street by Hugh Page. Pitslauchery— Finavon assails Brigton on the street— Brigton pushes him into the Kennel — Carnegie draws— Murder of the Earl of Strathmore— John Guidfollow, Rose, and Marian appear on the scene, ......... 186 — 192 Chapter XXV. — Carnegie in Prison. Prisons in the olden time — Carnegie's remorse — His wild dreams — The vision of his youth— Visited by Mr. Maxwell — Before the Court— Remitted for disposal to the Authorities in Edinburgh, 193—198 Chapter XXVI. —The Finding of the Packet. Mr. Maxwell in his Study — Allan Douglas and James Guidale visit him — Elspet Alexander's deserted house in the Limepots — The search in the Cavern— The finding of the Packet — Its Superscription — John Guidfollow leaves for Holland, . . . 199 — 205 Chapter XXVII. —Death of Allan Douglas.

Allan Douglas in his Study — Extract from Paracelsus— The power and weakness of gold — The Elixir of Life — Tlie operations in the Laboratory — Discovery of the Elixir — The Physician's rapture — The explosion -His death — The conflagration, . . . 206 — 211 Chapter XXVIIL— The Trial. James Carnegie before the Justiciary Court — The indictment — His defence by Dundas — Duncan Forbes for the Crown — Tlie Proof — The Verdict — " Not Guilty "—The Historical significance of this trial, 212—219 Chapter XXIX. — The Meeting in John's Coffee House. Carnegie met by Mr. Maxwell — Arrival of John Guidfollow and Claud Greenhill — Opening of the Packet — Elspet Alexander's Confession — Marian forgives Carnegie — Blessing of John Guidfollow, 220 — 225 Chapter XXX. —Conclusion. Marriage of Carnegie and Marian — Off to Soutli America — Pathetic parting between Claud and Carnegie on board ship — Festivities at Inverquharity — Marriage of Rose and Claud — John Guidfollow's refusal to relinquish his wandering life, . . . 226 — 228 Appendix.

No. I. —The Witch of Dean, 231—236 No. II. —The Expense of Burning a Witch, .... 236—237 No. III. —The Water Kelpie, 237—245 No. IV. —The Witch Howe, 245—246 No. V. —John Guidfollow, 246—248 No. VI. —St. Margaret's day, 248—249 No. VII. —Glamis Castle, 249—255 No. VIII.— The Inch 256—261 No. IX. — The Missing Nun, 261 264 No. X. — Trial of James Carnegie, ...... 264 289 No. XL — Burning a Witch at Dundee, ..... 289 292 No. XII. — Witchcraft, ........ 292 300 No. XIII. — The Rosicrucians, •■..... 300 A HISTORICAL ROMANCE OF FORFARSHIRE.

Introduction

. The scene of the tale recorded in the following chapters is laid in the town of Forfar and surrounding district in the first half of the seventeenth century, and all the historical incidents mentioned therein have been culled from documents pertaining to the period. The battle of Dunblane, which was fought in the year 1716, had left the country in an unsettled condition ; trade had not recovered from the shock, and the lot of the common people was one of want and hardship. The ministers of the Established Church were popes in their various parishes, and they ruled their subjects with a rod of iron. They went so far with this tyrannical spirit that it was a penal offence for anyone to hold a religious meeting within their parish without their sanction. The story is not a pleasant one, being a record of murder, witchcraft, and lawless smuggling ; but we have endeavoured to relieve the dark hues of the picture with pleasing incidents of love and constancy, innocence and truthfulness.

We have deemed it necessary before proceeding to the task to'say a few words about the prevailing ignorance and super stition of the period. The belief in witchcraft was a part of their religion, and it is a matter of historical notoriety that during the eighteenth century, over the length and breadth of the laud, the town and village, the hill and dale, were foully stained with the blood of innocent and decrepit age. Foolish trials of witches and wizards were numerous in the courts of justice, and the legal murders of these miserable victims were frequent. All ranks were afflicted with the mania of witch detection. The pulpit, the bar, the bench, the senate, the palace, and the cottage, were all alike smitten with this superstitions fever, and all ran full tilt in this career of folly and insanity ; nay, a King — no less a personage than James VI. — wrote a book descriptive of the horrible offence of witchcraft.

This book, which can now only be found among the treasures of the book-hunter or anticpaary, con tains rules and instructions for discovering the witch-mark. This mark was considered an infallible sign that the individual upon whom it was discovered had sold his or her soul to the devil, and had received in lieu thereof certain powers — such as the power of transformation : that is, being able at will to assume the form of a cat, a raven, or such like, the power of the evil-eye, wherewith they could blast the health of a man, a woman, or even a crop ; the power of divination, which enabled them by cards, grounds of tea, and other such like combinations, to foretell the destiny — the weal or woe, the success in love, the accession to wealth, or the advent of poverty to whoever consulted them.

It may be interesting, having mentioned the witch-mark, to explain a little further what was meant by the same. There was one John Kincaid, who in the year 1649 received VI bb. scottis for brodding Margaret Dunholme at Dirrelton Castle in Haddingtonshire, and who appears to have acted as pricker or brodder-general in that enlightened district. There were three kinds or varieties of the witch-mark, (1) the horn mark, which was very hard ; (2) the brief-mark, which was very small; and (3) the feeling-mark, in which there was a sense of pain. If we study this classification, our wonder

INTRODUCTION.

. 15 should be, not that so many suffered, but that any escaped, for it is a very pure skin indeed on which there is no mark to be found. It was not necessary that the mark should always be of one colour, or even of one size, or always in the same place — all colours, sizes, and places were alike dangerous to the foredoomed plague-spotted possessors. Some accounts state with a minuteness gloatingly exact the practice of these ruffians of prickers in searching with the most revolting indecency for the object of their pur suit. When the witch mania was passing away, Sir George Mackenzie, Lord Advocate to Charles II. , whom no one will accuse of being afflicted with a superfluous amount of the milk of human kindness, says : " The devill's mark useth to be a great article with us, but it is not per se found relevant, except it be confess be them that they got the mark with their own consent quo cusn (in which case) it is equivalent to be paction.

This mark is given them, as is alleged, by a nip in any part of the body, and it is blue. Dilvio, an Italian jurist now forgotten, calls it stigma, and alleges that it is sometimes black, the impression of a hare's foot, or the foot of a rat or spider. Some think it is impossible that there can be any mark which is insensible, and will not bleed, for all things that live must have blood, and so this place behoved to live without aliment, for blood is the aliment of the body ; but it is very easy to conceive that the devill may make a place insensible at a time, or may apply things to squeeze out the blood." We have only one remark to make about this learned rubbish, and it is to ask our readers if this learned advocate does not write very like a fool ? In the third chapter the verses sung by the twelve witches are taken from Ben Jonson's " Queen's Masque," performed at Whitehall, February 2nd, 1609.

The other rhymes in the tale are entirely the composition of the author, unless the ballad—" John Barleycorn" — in the second chapter, the origin of which is explained in a foot-note. As far as the exigencies of fiction would allow, the facts of the trials, both of Elspet Alexander, the witch woman, for witchcraft, and of James Carnegie for the murder of the Earl of Strathmore, are strictly adhered to. Should any one wish to pursue the subject further, we have to recommend the reading of the " Scottish Antiquarian Records for 1889," " Celebrated Criminal Trials," compiled by Hugo Arnot, ad vocate (1812), and an 8vo volume of 131 pages, published in Edinburgh in the year 1762, which gives a full and exhaustive account of pleadings, evidence, judgment, etc., of the trial of James Carnegie of Finavon for the murder of Charles Earl of Stiathmore.

Prologue

.

Part I. Boen In Poverty

In the year seventeen hundred, in a dirty lane, in the locality of St. Leonards, Edinburgh, in a low cellar in saiil lane, on a miserable bed, lay a woman, whose years would not have numbered more than twenty-three summers. Notwithstand ing that disease had made sad ravages on her face and form she is still good-looking, and when she had been in the full flush of health must have been remarkably handsome. The colour of her hair, the complexion of her skin, the darkness of her eyes, all point to her origin — a child of the Zingaries or wandering gipsies. This woman has been lying at the point of death for some weeks in this filthy den, attended by her mother, a middle aged woman with the same cast of countenance as her daughter. On the night we speak of the invalid had given birth to a son, and it is quite evident that her time on earth could be counted by hours, if uot by minutes.

The mother had all along been very harsh and un sympathetic towards her daughter during her illness, but when she saw her hours were numbered she softened towards her, and deigned to inquire about the father of the child. The daughter then told her story. She had been, she said, a housemaid with the Duchess of Gordon, and when in that household, a gentleman visitor secretly courted her and ruined her. He solemnly promised to marry her, but she afterwards learned he was already a married man. He cruelly deserted her, and refused her any assistance, and then she told her mother of how she had begged her way from the far north to Edinburgh, footsore and weary ; of the many troubles, both of mind and body, she had endured on the way, and yet, when her mother asked her to curse the man who had done her all this wrong and brought her all this misery, the dying woman in a wild voice refused — declaring that she loved him still.

She beseeched her mother to look after the helpless boy she was leaving behind, and, imprinting a long and loving kiss on the brow of the infant, expired. The mother of the girl was frantic with rage and grief, and a thirsting for revenge with that intensity of emotional feeling so characteristic of the Zingari race filled her heart. Her busy brain was already plotting. She knew the residence in Edinburgh of her daughter's destroyer, and resolved to work out her revenge in a way that would benefit herself and grandchild, by placing him in a position where he might be wealthy and powerful. Will she be the means of planting a weed in good soil, which will grow and develop into a poisonous plant ? We shall see !

Part II

mcwbo 2'blCV BORN IN AFFLUENCE. The town residence, in the High Street of Edinburgh, of a landed gentleman is the theatre of an accouchement ; but what a contrast to the scene we have just left. The house was replete with every luxury and convenience that money could buy. Every precaution for the lady of the mansion in her time of trial had been carefully taken, the street in front of the house being strewn thickly with tan-bark, so that the noise of vehicles and the general traffic might not disturb the ears of her who was about to give birth to one of the world's favourites — an heir to broad acres. The knocker on the front door was sheathed with flannel, and every servant of

PROLOGUE.

. 19 the establishment, from the scullery maid up to my lady's confidential waiting woman, were moving about on tip-toe and speaking in subdued whispers. The master himself was impatiently pacing the library floor awaiting a bulletin from the physician, who was already in his lady's room, along with two trained nurses. He at last received the intelligence that a son and heir had been born to him, and that his lady was as well as could be expected. In the small hours of the morning preceding the day the heir was born, a tall woman with a gipsy cast of countenance could have been seen, if there had been an eye to see, gliding as noiselessly as a spectre from the rear of the mansion with something wrapped in a shawl. About an hour before she might have been seen with something wrapped in the same shawl approaching the same house, She swiftly made her way to the dingy cellar in St. Leonards, and notwithstanding that she stood by the side of the corpse of her own daughter she chuckled with delight at the success of the first step of her wild plot — Revenge on the destroyer of her child. An elapse of twenty years. A HISTORICAL ROMANCE OF FORFARSHIRE.

Chapter I

"THE STAR" INN. " That house where nut-brown draughts inspired, Where grey-beard mirth aud smiling toil retired, Where village statesmen talked with looks profound, And news much older than their ale went round. Imagination fondly stoops to trace The parlour splendours of that festive place, The white-washed wall, the nicely sanded floor, The varnished clock that clicked behind the door, ■Goldsmith. Early in the spring of 1727, the time our story opens, " The Star" Inn, situated iii that street in Forfar designated the '■' Spout," was the principal hostel of entertainment in the now important county town. According to our modern ideas of public places of resort " The Star " Inn would be considered to be (as it was the house of call for all the gentry in the county) rather mean and modest in its pretensions.

It consisted of only one storey, with white-washed front, thatched roof, long, narrow windows, with diamond-shaped panes, three on each side of the doorway, a considerable space of open street in front, and a large courtyard with stables and other offices behind. Although from the outside it had an insignificant appearance, on entering the interior you found a large and commodious public room to the front, patronised by the carriers, drovers, and other like gentry ; while on the other side of the central passage was a handsomely appointed room, into which no one was admitted unless of a certain social standing and position, or on the special invitation of Provost Binnie. In fact, this room, from being the nightly haunt of the Provost and his boon companions, was known by the servants of the house aud a large number of the inhabitants of the town as the " Provost's Room."

Away to the back of the premises was the kitchen and the sleeping accommodation of the inmates, only two small bedrooms being set apart for chance lodgers. Mine host of " The Star," by name Hugh Pitslauchery, was a strong-budt, " birney " Hercules of a Scottish Highlander. He would stand six feet high in his stocking soles, and his girth round the chest would be not less than forty-six inches, and although in years he would be verging on the three score, not a single grey hair had yet appeared on his granite bullet of a head, on which grew a plentiful crop of coarse hair as black as the raven's wing. One peculiarity of Hugh's was that he never wore a cap, and if his most intimate associate had met him with a hat or bonnet on he would not have recognised him. His face was broad and coarse, but the long under jaw and prominent nose with a slight inclination to hook, denoted strong determination and fixity of purpose.

Although the expression of his countenance was altogether severe and " uncouthy," his large hazel eyes proclaimed that he was not unsusceptible of tender feeling. Hugh's history was shrouded in mystery. He came to the town some fifteen years before the opening of our story, when " The Star " wanted a tenant, and took it on lease from Provost Binnie, who was the proprietor. He brought along with him a young boy, then five years of age, whom he called Claud Greenhill. The boy had grown into a fine-looking young fellow, and became right-hand man in the management of the hostelry, and particularly of the stables of " The Star." It was not known if he was any relation to mine host, but Hugh declared he was not, and certainly from his appearance he seemed to have been cast in a finer mould than the Pitslaucherys had been formed from.

He was straight as an arrow, lithe and supple in limb, fine curly chestnut hair, with a suave manner and an aristocratic cast of countenance, and altogether superior to the station which he occupied. He was a general favourite with all the customers and visitors to " The Star." Another important individual in Pitslauchery's household was Peggy McLeod, who was general servant, cook and housekeeper, all combined in her portly person. She was a buxom dame of some fifty summers, and could make a dish of " cocky-leekie," " sheep's heid broth," and " Scotch collops," which were much appreciated on high and festive occasions by the travellers and others who frequented the house, and this skill in the culinary art tended in no small degree to draw and retain the good-wdl of the frequenters of "The Star."

It was supposed by some that she was a cousin of old Pitslauchery's, born like himself in some glen far up among the Grampians. There was a red-haired servant girl who acted as second to Peggie, and being slimmer in build and swifter on foot, her principal occupation after the morning's scrubbing and housework were finished, was to wait upon the customers. She was called Elsie McKay. The Provost's company for the evening had already assembled, consisting of himself at the top of the table, John Double, his factotum and worthy trusted Councillor, on his right hand, and seated round the table were James Guidale, the Town Clerk of the burgh, Allan Douglas, the principal surgeon in the town, and Hugh Pitslauchery, the landlord. A steaming bowl of punch had just been brewed by the Provost. He had filled the glasses of the compound which he dearly loved out of the china punch-bowl with a wooden ladle, and raising his glass to his lips emptied it without taking a breath, and with a merry twinkle in his eye and a deep sigh of satisfaction as the generous liquor warmed him up, said — " Ah, Hughie, Hughie, man ; I'm thinkin' that that's a fresh sample o' yer grand Glenferrichan.

Tak up yer gless, Jamie, and lat's hae the benefit o' yer legal acumen as tae the merits o' Hughie's sma'-still whisky. As for John Double here, naebody could blame him for haein' ony delicacy o' taste. Juist gie'm't strong enough, and he disna care a brass farden aboot mellow flavours, or fine bouquet, as the French ca' it. A' that John needs or requires is something tae fill up; something tae warm that cauld hert o' his, and bring him frae the condition o' a surly unsociable dog tae hae something like human feelin's. If the distillation o' whisky hadna been discovered by the ancients it wad ha'e been necessary in the economy o' nature, sae far as conveeviality and guid-fellow ship gae, that John Double sudna been born." Doctor Douglas, with an amused expression on his countenance at the Provost's badinage, said — " Do you not think, Provost, that you are a little hard on your well-tried friend, Mr. Double, who is certainly endowed by nature with more ironic sarcasm than is altogether agreeable to his friends at times.