them in the pages of Guillim, Edmondson, and Collins." Lord Hailes has left a curious illustration of this passage in his manuscript notes on Sir Robert Douglas's Peerage. John, fifth Viscount 66 was a man of great honour and probity," says Sir Robert. “ Priscæ fidei in Latin," remarks his annotator,-" in English, a Jacobite nonjuror. Brigadier Middleton dishonourably obtained his interest in the town of B by drinking the Pretender's health, and used to ask a dispensation from Sir Robert Walpole to preserve an interest so dishonourably procured."—" Duncan died unmarried," writes the courtly knight-baronet." He was set aside for being an idiot," observes the accurate judge. "Mr Spittal of Leuchit said he was wiser than that notorious fool his 992 brother.' younger Yet truth will sometimes escape the pens of these flatterers by profession. A writer on the immunities of Scotish lords has deemed it necessary to record a singular attempt to vindicate for nobility the right of keeping a common gambling-house, "On the 29th of April 1745, the House of Lords having been informed that claims of privilege of 1 Letter to a noble lord on the attacks of the Duke of Bedford and the Earl of Lauderdale, 1796. Burke's Works, vol. ii. p. 266, edit. Lond. 1837. 2 Analecta Scotica, vol, i, pp. 160, 161. peerage were made and insisted on by the Ladies Mordington and Cassilis, in order to intimidate the peace-officers from doing their duty in suppressing the public gaming-houses kept by the said ladies,' and a writing under the hand of the Lady Mordington, containing the claim she made of privilege for her officers and servants employed by her in the said gaming-house, having been read, 6 "The House resolved and declared, That no person is entitled to privilege of peerage against any prosecution or proceeding for keeping any public or common gaming-house, or any house, room, or place, for playing at any game or games prohibited by any law now in force." "1 Another courtly compiler of a peerage has admitted into his folios a kindred anecdote. "A curious decision of the Court of Session was given on the 3d July 1662. Lord Coupar, sitting in Parliament, taking out his watch, handed it to Lord Pitsligo, who refusing to restore it, an action was brought for the value. Lord Pitsligo said, that Lord Coupar having put his watch in his hand to see what hour it was, Lord Sinclair putting forth his hand for a sight of the watch, Lord Pitsligo put it into Lord Sinclair's hand, in the presence of Lord Coupar, 1 Robertson's Proceedings relative to the Peerage of Scotland, p. 246. Edinb. 1790. without contradiction, which must necessarily import his consent. Lord Coupar answered, that they being then sitting in Parliament his silence could not import a consent. The Lords repelled Lord Pitsligo's defence, and found him liable in the value of the watch."1 XVII. MALLET'S MARGARET'S GHOST. MALLET tells us that this beautiful ballad was suggested to him by a fragment quoted in one of Beaumont and Fletcher's plays : "When it was grown to dark midnight, And all were fast asleep, In came Margaret's grimly ghost, And stood at William's feet."2 "These lines," he says, "naked of ornament and simple as they are, struck my fancy, and, bringing fresh into my mind an unhappy adventure much talked of formerly, gave birth to the poem." It first appeared in a newspaper about the year 1724, and has been a thousand times reprinted; but none of its editors has elucidated the tragic tale to which it owes its origin. In Hutton's Mathematical Dic 1 Wood's Peerage of Scotland, vol. i. p. 363. 2 The ballad will be found at length in Percy's Reliques, vol. iv. p. 21-24. D tionary, in a memoir the materials for which were supplied by Dr Reid the famous philosopher, who was a kinsman of the family, is given an account of James Gregory, the brother of the celebrated Savilian professor of astronomy in Oxford. In the year 1691 he succeeded his brother in the chair of mathematics in the University of Edinburgh, and held the office for thirty-three years, till in 1725 he was succeeded by the more famous Maclaurin. “A daughter of this Professor Gregory," says Dr Reid, "was the victim of an unfortunate attachment, which became the subject of Mallet's ballad of William and Margaret.” 1 From a MS. collection of verses of the beginning of the last century I learn that her seducer was a kinsman, probably the nephew, of Archbishop Sharp. To some lines entitled "Miranda's Ghost to Strephon" is prefixed this note : "Miranda's ghost to Mr Sharp, son to Stonyhill: She was daughter to Mr Gregorie, professor of mathematics in Edinburgh College; Sharp dishonoured her, and she died." The verses themselves have little merit; they begin thus: "You need not wonder, Strephon, at this hour 1 Hutton's Mathematical Dictionary, vol. i. p. 601-605. The following passage is prophetic : "O had my shame been buried with my name, The same collection contains a copy of verses on the marriage of James Justice, son of Sir John Justice of Justicehall, with Margaret, daughter of Alexander Murray of Cringletie. They are inscribed "upon Mr Sharp's penitence and Mrs Justice's obduredness, both equally guilty of perjury and breach of most solemn vows." They run thus: While Sharp lies groaning under deep despair A note informs us that Miss Murray had been betrothed to the son of Sir William Hope, but broke her troth. |