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Prior, his old comrade will plume his pen, and do right and honour to the memory of so great a man."

The statement, which Dr. Drummond gives in the foregoing letter, as to Doctor Pitcairne's religious belief, vindicates him from the calumnious accusation of being an atheist. It cannot be denied that the Doctor may have, on many occasions, exposed himself, in the freedom of conversation, and by his satirical writings against the more rigid presbyterians, to the charge of infidelity; although there does not in reality appear to be any evidence of its truth. Wodrow, however, in the following notice of the Doctor, while he seems to free him of this charge, pointedly accuses him of deism, and as a reviler of religion.

"This month, Oct. 1713, at y^e close of it, I think, Archibald Pitcairn dyed at Edin. He was the most celebrated physitian in Scotland this age, and certainly a man of great skill, and now of long experience. I am told he still spent three or foir hours ev'ry morning in reading and writing, and some people talk y^t every day he did read a portion of the scripture, tho' it seems he made ill use of it. He was a professed deiste, and by many alledged to be ane atheist, tho' he has frequently professed his belife of a God, and said he could not deny a providence. However he was a great mocker of religion, and ridiculer of it: he keeped noe publick society for worship: on the Sabbath had his sett meetings, for ridiculing of the scripture and sermons. He was a good humanist, and very curiouse in his choice of books and library. He gote a vast income, but spent it upon drinking, and was twice drunk every day. He was a sort of a poet. Ther goes a story of ane ap-