EXTRACTED FROM SIR JOHN SINCLAIR'S STATISTICAL ACCOUNT OF SCOTLAND. PARISH OF LETHNOT, AMONG thofe worthy of being mentioned, James Black deferves a place. This man, born in 1677, though his ftation was originally mean, raised himself by his prudence and induftry, and did more fervice to his country than many of high rank and opulent fortunes. During his life he procured the building of the Gannachy bridge on the North Elk, and contributed almost all the money that was neceffary for that purpofe; a bridge which at this day could not be built for lefs than L. 160; and at his death he left 50 merks Scots as a fund for its fupport, befides 1000 merks for other useful and pious purposes, viz. 300 hundred merks towards building a bridge at Balrownie, on the road that leads from this place to Brechin; as also 200 merks for the poor in the parish of Fettercairn, and 500 merks for fupporting a fchool in the Weft-water, which has been already mentioned. On his tomb-ftone the following infcription is engraved : No bridge on earth can be a pass to heaven, To generous deeds let yet due praise be given. L12 PARISH OF ORMISTON, (COUNTY OF EAST LOTHIAN.) This parish gave birth to the Cockburns Cockburns of Ormistoun, a Protef- (whofe real name and title was Sir FARISH OF METHLICK, tant family at the Reformation, and Thomas Lermont,) was a native of Whig afterwards. Cockburn, Lord this parish. He lived at the weft Juftice-Clerk, was eminent as a judge end of Earlitoun, where part of his and lawyer. John, his fon and fuc- houfe is ftill ftanding, called Rhymer's ceffor, no less fo as a ftatesman and Tower. And there is a stone built patriotic reprefentative of his coun- in the fore wall of the church, with try in the union Parliament, and in this infcription on it, Auld Rhy feveral fucceeding Parliaments. Hemer's race, lies in this place.' He was for a confiderable time one of lived in the 13th century, and was the Lords of the Admiralty. In co-temporary with one of the Earls this high ftation he distinguished him of March, who refided here then. felf by his abilities and attention in promoting the general commerce of Britain, and preserving unfullied the honour of the British Flag. About the year 1740, he retired from public bufinefs, to fettle on his own eftate, which he confiderably improved, but to which he did not confine his attention; for wherever his prefence was neceffary to excite a spirit of improvement in agriculture and the linen manufacture, there you found Mr John Cockburn. He contributed to erect the firft bleachfield in Scotland, and it was by his example and influence, that the first vigorous exertions were made in the making and repairing of high roads in this neighbourhood. Thus, from feeble beginnings, works of public utility became general through the county. PARISH OF JOHNSTON, (COUNTY OF DUMFRIES.) This parish has the honour of hav ing given birth to Dr Rogerfon, first physician to the Emprefs of Ruffia. His father was one of the Marquis's tenants, and rented one half of the farm of Lochbrew, in the fouth end of the parish, where the Doctor was born. The other half was at the fame time rented by William Halliday, another farmer, whofe fon, Dr Matthew Halliday, is likewife one of her Imperial Majefty's phyficians. PARISH OF EARLStoun, (COUNTY OF BERWICK,) Dr George Cheyne, late phyfician at Bath, eminent in his profeffion, and alfo as an author, was born in this parish. Dr Charles Maitland was allo born and buried here. He was the first who introduced inocu lation into Britain, and was fent to Hanover by George II. to inoculate Frederic Prince of Wales. PARISH OF KILMADAN, (COUNTY OF ARGYLE.) This parish gave birth to a very able mathematician, Mr Colin Maclaurin, late Profeffor of Mathematics in the Univerfity of Edinburgh, and alfo to a very eminent divine, Mr John Maclaurin, both fons of Mr John Maclaurin, once minifter of this parish. PARISH OF PITTENWEEM, Dr Douglas, the prefent Bishop of • Pittenween, decimo-quarto Feb 1651, 'The bailies and council being con The famous Thomas the Rhymer,vened, and having received infor ⚫mation 6 6 It 'the fteeple head, to the effect he PARISH OF DUNSE, mation that his Majefty is to be in progrefs with his court along the coalt to-morrow, and to stay at Anftruther houfe that night, have thought it expedient, according to their bounden duty, with all reverence and due refpect, and with all the folemnity they can, to wait upon his Majefty, as he comes through this his Majesty's burgh, and invite his Majefty to eat and drink as he paffes; and for that effect, hath ordained, that the morn afternoon, the town's colours be put upon the bertisene of the fteeple, and that at three o'clock the bells begin to ring, and ring on ftill till his MaThe celebrated metaphysician and jefty comes hither, and paffes to Anilruther: And ficklike, that the theologift, John Duns Scotus, was * minister be spoken to, to be with born in Dunfe in 1274. Camden, in 'the bailies and council, who are to his Britannia, and the authors of the be in their best apparel, and with Biographia Britannica contend that them a guard of twenty-four of the he was born at Dunstone in Nor*ablest men, with partizans, and o- thumberland, but bring no argument, 'ther twenty-four with mufquets, all in their best apparel, William Sutherland, commanding as captain of the guard; and to wait upon his Majefty, and to receive his Highnefs at the Weft Port, bringing his Majefty and court through the town, until they come to Robert Smith's yeet, where an table is to 'be covered with my Lord's beft carpet; and that George Hether*wick have in readiness of fine flour, * fome great bunns, and other wheatbread of the best order, baken with fugar, cannell, and other fpices fitting; and that James Richardfon and Walter Airth have care to have ready eight or ten gallons of good strong ale, with Canary, fack, Rhenifh wine, tent, white and cla"ret wines, that his Majefty and his 'court may eat and drink; and that ' in the mean time, when his Majefty 'is prefent,the guard do diligently at'tead about the court, and fo foon as * * his Majefty is to go away, that a fign be made to Andrew Tod, who is appointed to attend the colours on but their bare affertion support PARISH OF FOR DOUN, Palladius, Palladius, who was fent by Pope Celestine into Scotland fome time in the 5th century, to oppose the Pelagian herefy, and by whom it is thought bishops were first appointed in Scotland, having before that time been governed by monks. That Palladius refided, and was probably buried here, appears from feveral circumftances. There is a houfe which ftill remains in the church-yard, called St Palladius's chapel, where, it is faid, the image of the faint was kept, and to which pilgrimages were performed from the moft diftant parts of Scotland. There is a well at the corner of the minifter's garden, which goes by the name of Paldy well. This parish is farther remarkable, in having been, if not the birth-place, at least the temporary refidence, and probably the burialplace of John Fordoun, author of the Scotichronicon, one of the most ancient and most authentic hiftories which have been published of Scotland. He is thought by fome to have been a man of property in this parish; by others, with greater probability, to have been a monk who refided here.--This parish has alfo given birth to the prefent Lord Monboddo, a man well known in the literary world by his writings on ancient metaphyfics, and on the origin and progrefs of language. PARISH OF LARGO, (COUNTY OF FIFE.) 1. The faithful and brave Sir Andrew Wood who flourished in the reigns of James III. and IV. of Scotland, was a native of this parish. Under James III. he poffeffed the ba rony of Largo in tack. But James IV. invefted him in the property of it, on account of two fignal victories he had obtained at fea, over the English, about the beginning of his feign. It appears that Sir Andrew, like Commodore Trunnion, brought on fhore his nautical ideas and manners. From his house, down almost as far as the church, he formed a canal, upon which he used to fail in his barge to the church every Sunday in great ftate. 2. After Sir Andrew Wood, the barony of Largo came into the poffeffion of the fami ly of Durham, to which the celebrated Mr James Durham belonged, being brother to Sir Alex. Durham of Largo. This gentleman was dif tinguished both as a scholar and divine, being first a captain of dragoons, and then minister of the High Church of Glasgow. He was folicited to become profeffor of divinity in the College there; but being eminently diftinguished among his brethren, he was by them appointed to the honourable office of chaplain at court. While at Glasgow, he had an opportunity of preaching before Oliver Cromwell, when he took occafion to speak with freedom of the injuftice of Oliver's invafion. Being afterwards feverely challenged by the Ufurper, he calmly anfwered, that he thought it incumbent upon him to fpeak his mind freely upon that fubject, especially as he had an opportunity of doing it in his own hearing. 3. Alexander Selkirk, who was rendered famous by Daniel de Foe, under the name of Robinson Crufoe. His hiftory, divefted of fable, is as follows: He was born in Largo in 1676. Having gone to fea in his youth, and in the year 1703, being failing mafter of the fhip Cinque Ports, Captain Stradling, bound for the South Seas, he was put on shore, on the island of Juan Fernandez, as a punishment for mutiny. In that folitude he remained 4 years and 4 months, from which he was at last relieved, and brought to England by Captain Woods Rogers. He had with him in the island his clothes and bedding, with a firelock, some powder, bullets and tobacco, a hatchet, a knife, kettle, his mathematical inftruments and Bible. He built two huts huts of Piemento trees, and covered them with long grafs, and, in a fhort time, lined them with skins of goats, which he killed with his mufquet, fo long as his powder lafted, (which at first was but a pound;) when that was fpent, he caught them by fpeed of foot. Having learned to produce fire, by rubbing two pieces of wood together, he dreffed his victuals in one of his huts, and flept in the other, which was at fome diftance from his kitchen. A multitude of rats often difturbed his repofe, by gnawing his feet, and other parts of his body, which induced him to feed a number of cats for his protection. In a fhort time thefe became fo tame, that they would lie about him in hundreds, and foon delivered him from the rats his enemies. Upon his return, he declared to his friends, that nothing gave him fo much uneafinefs, as the thoughts, that when he died, his body would be devoured by thofe very cats he had with fo much care tamed and fed. To divert his mind from fuch melancholy thoughts, he would fometimes dance and fing among his kids and goats, at other times retire to his devotion. His clothes and shoes were foon worn, by running through the woods. In the want of fhoes he found little inconvenience, as the foles of his feet became fo hard, that he could run every where without difficulty. As for clothes, he made for himself a coat and cap of goatfkins, fewed with little thongs of the fame, cut into proper form with his knife. His only needle was a nail. When his knife was worn to the back, he made others as well as he could, of fome iron hoops that had been left on fhore, by beating them thin, and grinding them on ftones. By his long feclufion from intercourfe with men, he had fo far forgot the ufe of fpeech, that the people on board Captain Roger's fhip could scarce understand him, for he seemed to fpeak his words by halves. The cheft and musket which Selkirk had with him on the island, are now in the poffeffion of his grand-nephew, John Selkirk, weaver in Largo. HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH LONG-BOW. FROM MOSELEY'S ESSAY ON ARCHERY. (CONTINUED FROM Page 182.) OTHING particularly applicable to the Long-bow (for I do not mean that Archery remains unnoticed) is to be found in our early hiftorians, during the reigns immediately following, till that of Edward III. in whofe time this weapon is fuppofed to have been much in ufe *. Mr Barrington entertains this opinion very reasonably, from circumstances which occurred at the battle of Crecy. The Arbalefts in the hands of the Genoefe, were all expofed to a violent ftorm, which happened just before the battle commenced. This ftorm falling on the ftrings of their Bows, relaxed them fo far, as to render them incapable of proper fervice; while, on the other hand, the English bows were kept in their cafes during the rain, and were not injured. From hence Mr Barrington concludes, the English ufed the Long-bow as that inftrument was ufually provided with a cafe, but the Crofs-bow, being of fo * I have not mentioned the death of William II. as it is uncertain whether the Long-bow or Arbalest discharged the arrow which proved fatal to him. I |