At that time there prevailed the curious custom, when some of the psalms were sung, of reading out a single line, and when that was sung another line was read, and so throughout[18].

Thus, on singing the 50th psalm, the first line sounded thus:--"_Our God shall come, and shall no more;_" when that was sung, there came the next startling announcement--"_Be silent, but speak out._" A rather unfortunate _juxtaposition_ was suggested through this custom, which we are assured really happened in the church of Irvine.

The precentor, after having given out the first line, and having observed some members of the family from the castle struggling to get through the crowd on a sacramental occasion, cried out, "Let the noble family of Eglinton pass," and then added the line which followed the one he had just given out rather mal-apropos--"_Nor stand in sinners' way_." One peculiarity I remember, which was, closing the strain sometimes by an interval less than a semitone; instead of the half-note preceding the close or key-note, they used to take the _quarter-note,_ the effect of which had a peculiar gurgling sound, but I never heard it elsewhere.

It may be said these Scottish tunes were unscientific, and their performance rude.

It may be so, but the effect was striking, as I recall it through the vista of threescore years and ten.