He embodied his anger in the following epigram:-- "Firm and erect the Caledonian stood, Old was his mutton, and his claret good; 'Let him drink port,' an English statesman cried-- He drank the poison, and his spirit died." There is a curious story traditionary in some families connected with the nobleman who is the subject of it, which, I am assured, is true, and further, that it has never yet appeared in print.

The story is, therefore, a "Scottish reminiscence," and, as such, deserves a place here.

The Earl of Lauderdale was so ill as to cause great alarm to his friends, and perplexity to his physicians.

One distressing symptom was a total absence of sleep, and the medical men declared their opinion, that without sleep being induced he could not recover.

His son, a queer eccentric-looking boy, who was considered not entirely right in his mind but somewhat "_daft_" and who accordingly had had little attention paid to his education, was sitting under the table, and cried out, "Sen' for that preachin' man frae Livingstone, for faither aye sleeps in the kirk." One of the doctors thought this hint worth attending to.