Page:Babell, a satirical poem (1830).djvu/23

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PREFATORY NOTICE.

xi

parition he had frequently, q^ch he ouned.^[1] He dyed not very rich, and for some years he was much declined in his bussiness and health. Some say he had remorse at

↑ The ghost story, here alluded to, is probably the following, preserved by Wodrow, among many others of a similar nature, in his Analecta.
'The 3d [account] is as to the knowen Dr. Pitcairn at Edin. My informer acquaints me that the Dr. has frequently told him of David * * * * * * (I think Lindsay is his name, if I remember), his constant appearing to him. to that time, which was but a litle before the Doctor's death. David was clerk to the Council at Edin. and had been intimat with the Dr. at the colledge and schools, and afterwards; and they used very frequently to be together. Whether they wer of the same disbeliving principles and equally scepticall, my informer knoues not. The Doctor was at Paris when David dyed at Edin. Just about the time of David's death, (as the Doctor afterwards came to knou), that same night, the Doctor at Paris dreamed that he was at Edin., and heard of David's death, and did belive it, but afterwards he mett him in the Landmerket, and David desired he might go with him. That the Doctor said he was dead, and he would not go with him. That David said it was true that his body was dead, and that they had carryed it to the Grayfrier churchyard, but he was still alive as much as before, and the Doctor behoved to go with him. That he went doun the street with him with reluctancy, and into severall houses wher they used to drink, but got not access. That still he importuned the Doctor to go with him, and went doun Leith Wynd, and the Doctor went to Caltoun Craiges and left him, and sau him go to a slap, and go out of his sight. That this dream was repeted to him eight or ten nights with severall variations, but still in sleep David appeared to him, till letters came from Edin. to Paris, and he went to his banker ther to get money, who told him with great regrate, that by this day's post he had letters that on such a night, (when the Doctor dreamed first), his good friend David * * * * * * dyed at Edin. The Dr. was struck, he said; and told his banker that he belived it was true, and gave him some hint of his dreaming. The Doctor added, that since that time, generally speaking, David appeared to him every night. My informer asked the Doctor if he could account for such an odd passage. He swore he could not account for it at first; but he tho't he could account for it since: And throu his life I belive he imagined, by habite and custome, that the matter was fact. And he had another instance of a dream of the same nature about his sister; that he went, as he tho't, to her house in his sleep, and could not find her, and next day he got the accounts of her death. These are odd passages, and if fact, and not coined by the Doctor as they * * * * * seem to be strange vouchafments of providence, to a person of the Doctor's temper and sense, and methods of conviction, which might perhapps be some way accounted for, but I fear wer misimproved by him."—Vol. 5, p. 440.

[1] The ghost story, here alluded to, is probably the following, preserved by Wodrow, among many others of a similar nature, in his Analecta.
'The 3d [account] is as to the knowen Dr. Pitcairn at Edin. My informer acquaints me that the Dr. has frequently told him of David * * * * * * (I think Lindsay is his name, if I remember), his constant appearing to him. to that time, which was but a litle before the Doctor's death. David was clerk to the Council at Edin. and had been intimat with the Dr. at the colledge and schools, and afterwards; and they used very frequently to be together. Whether they wer of the same disbeliving principles and equally scepticall, my informer knoues not. The Doctor was at Paris when David dyed at Edin. Just about the time of David's death, (as the Doctor afterwards came to knou), that same night, the Doctor at Paris dreamed that he was at Edin., and heard of David's death, and did belive it, but afterwards he mett him in the Landmerket, and David desired he might go with him. That the Doctor said he was dead, and he would not go with him. That David said it was true that his body was dead, and that they had carryed it to the Grayfrier churchyard, but he was still alive as much as before, and the Doctor behoved to go with him. That he went doun the street with him with reluctancy, and into severall houses wher they used to drink, but got not access. That still he importuned the Doctor to go with him, and went doun Leith Wynd, and the Doctor went to Caltoun Craiges and left him, and sau him go to a slap, and go out of his sight. That this dream was repeted to him eight or ten nights with severall variations, but still in sleep David appeared to him, till letters came from Edin. to Paris, and he went to his banker ther to get money, who told him with great regrate, that by this day's post he had letters that on such a night, (when the Doctor dreamed first), his good friend David * * * * * * dyed at Edin. The Dr. was struck, he said; and told his banker that he belived it was true, and gave him some hint of his dreaming. The Doctor added, that since that time, generally speaking, David appeared to him every night. My informer asked the Doctor if he could account for such an odd passage. He swore he could not account for it at first; but he tho't he could account for it since: And throu his life I belive he imagined, by habite and custome, that the matter was fact. And he had another instance of a dream of the same nature about his sister; that he went, as he tho't, to her house in his sleep, and could not find her, and next day he got the accounts of her death. These are odd passages, and if fact, and not coined by the Doctor as they * * * * * seem to be strange vouchafments of providence, to a person of the Doctor's temper and sense, and methods of conviction, which might perhapps be some way accounted for, but I fear wer misimproved by him."—Vol. 5, p. 440.

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