at whose stirrup he not only walked, but went in with him to his lodging for some minutes. My companions and I waited till Willie came out, anxious to know why one of his station was taken notice of by the famous Cromwell. Willie soon satisfied our curiosity, by informing us, that his father had been a footman to James VI., and accompanied him to London at the union of the crowns: That he himself was bred a shoemaker, and wrought in a lane through which Cromwell often passed to a school, as he supposed: That Cromwell used to stop at the work-shop to get his ball and playthings mended, and to be amused with his jokes and Scotch pronunciation: That they had not met from that time till now: That he had retired into Bell's Wynd, lest it should be remembered that his father had belonged to the royal family: That he had no reason, however, to be afraid, for the general had only put him in mind of his boyish tricks, had spoken to him in the kindest manner, and had given him some money to drink his health, which he was going to do with all expedition.

Next Sunday, said Danziel, Cromwell went to the Inner Church in Glasgow, St. Mungo's, and placed himself with his attendants in the king's seat, which was always unoccupied, except by strangers. The minister of the church was Mr. Durham, the author of some religious books, which are still very popular. He was a great Presbyterian, and as great an enemy to Cromwell; because he thought, and early said, that Cromwell and his friends would be forced,

by the convulsion of parties, to erect an absolute government, the very evil they meant to remedy. The text was taken from Jeremiah; and the commentary upon it, by allusions, was an invective against Cromwell and his friends, under Scriptural language and history. During this satire they saw a young man, one of Cromwell's attendants, step to the back of his chair, and, with an angry face, whisper something to him, which, after some words, was answered by a frown; and the young man retired behind the chair, seemingly much disconcerted. The cause of this was unknown to the congregation. It was supposed to be owing to some intelligence of importance which had been just then received; but it was afterwards known, and generally known, that the following words had passed between them:-"Shall I shoot the fellow?" 66 What fellow?" "The parson. "What ?" "That parson. parson Begone, Sir: he is one fool, and you are another!" Danziel added, that Cromwell sent for Mr. Durham on the very next morning, and asked him, why he was such an enemy to him and his friends-declared that they were not enemies to Mr. Durham-drank his health in a glass of wine, and afterwards, it was said, prayed with him for the guidance of the Lord in all their doings.

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When Charles I. was in Scotland in 1633, a subscription was set on foot for building a new hall and library to the University of Glasgow ; and the king's name appears at the head of the subscribers, for two hundred pounds sterling. The

king, however, was not able, I suppose, to pay that sum; and he contracted some debts at Perth, which are unpaid at this moment. When Cromwell arrived at the fullness of his power, he sent two hundred pounds to the University, and there is below the king's subscription "Solvit Dominus Protector." One of the magistrates of Perth, hearing of this, thought it entitled him to ask payment of the sum which the king had borrowed, when in that town. But Cromwell did not listen to his petition; and, when it was urged again and again, said with vehemence, "Have done, Sir, I am not the heir of Charles Stuart!" To which the other replied with equal warmth, "I wot well, then, you are his intromitter-shall I say a vicious intromitter?". In the law of Scotland, intromitter signifies one who takes upon himself to manage the estate of a deceased person, and who, by that act, renders himself liable for all his debts; and vicious is, when it is done without any right, and therefore is a vice or iniquity. Cromwell, though absolute, did not even chide him for this freedom, but declared, that he would never pay that money; "because," said he, "I will do things for a learned society, which I will not do for other societies, and I would have you know this!"

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Such facts mark the temper and genius of celebrated men more distinctly, perhaps, than the labored character of many elegant historians; and the above I have heard, with some variations, from many persons as well as from Mr. James

Anderson, of Stockwell-street Sugar-house in Glasgow, who was not in the least degree connected with any of my kindred.

DR. JOHN ANDERSON TO MR. PARKER.

Glasgow College, May 24, 1788.

I trouble you with this packet, that you may be my advocate with Mr. Pinkerton, who must think me very negligent. I believe, however, that I could fully justify my delays, by a great variety of business in which I have been for some time engaged; but they would cost a page of writing, and therefore I think it will be better for me to plead guilty, if you will be my apologist. Trusting, then, to your defence, I beg of you to request Mr. Pinkerton to present the inclosed anecdotes of Oliver Cromwell to Mr. Walpole, with my most respectful compliments.

Be pleased to send the inclosed remarks on Sir John Dalrymple's Memoirs to the Gentleman's Magazine, after Mr. Pinkerton has seen them. In the Edinburgh Magazine, which is sold by Murray in London, Sir John has got a trimming for what he has said of the great Earl of Stair; and it is said that more remarks of the same kind are waiting him. The articles that I have animadverted upon are such as either I myself, or some of my friends are interested in, particularly the Carronades; for the report by the Glasgow professor was given by me, above seven

VOL. I.

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years ago, to the Commander-in-Chief in Scotland. Sir John is so merciless in his two volumes to some of the greatest men who lived about the beginning of this century, that he deserves no mercy; but truth, not revenge, is my object.

Whitaker is rioting so much in the victory which, he thinks, his three volumes concerning the Bonny Queen have procured him, that he is preparing, it is said, a fourth,* as a coup de grace, and as a Te Deum. It is expected, however, that Mr. Pinkerton will give him a coup de main-I mean with his pen, and without delay.

You must have seen the account of Robert Bruce's watch in the newspapers and in the Memoirs of the London Antiquarian Society.† Reports say that the King gave two hundred pounds for that watch. Does Mr. Pinkerton know that it is an absolute imposition by a pedlar and an engraver in this place, about fifteen years ago?

In the next edition of the Ancient Scottish Poems, perhaps (observe I say "perhaps") I will give Mr. Pinkerton a few notes upon some of them. Take the two following as a specimen :—

* It was in the course of this year that the Rev. John Whitaker published his Vindication of Mary Queen of Scots, which he afterwards reprinted with additions and corrections in 1790; but both editions are equally confined to three volumes.

What is here referred to, forms part of a Memoir entitled Observations on Clocks, by the Hon. Daines Barrington, printed in the 5th volume of the Archæologia. What was supposed to have been Robert Bruce's watch, passed into the possession of our late king.