144 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES,
“Be it known to all mortals, whether clerical or laical, that we, Sir James
Gray, Knight of Kew, the supereminent sovereign of the most capital knighthood
of the Cape, having nothing more sincerely at heart than the glory and
honour of this most noble order, and the happiness and prosperity of the Knightscompanions
: And being desirous of extending the benign and social influence
of the Order to every region under the grand Cape of Heaven ; being likewise
well informed and fully satisfied with the abilities and qualifications of William
Martin, Esq., with the advice and concurrence of our Council-We do create,
admit, and receive him a knight-companion of the most social Order, by the
name, style, and title of Sir Villiam Martin, Knight of Roger, and of
E. F. D.-Hereby giving and granting unto him, all the powers, privileges, and
pre-eminences that do, or may belong to this most social Order. And we give
command to our Recorder to registrate this our patent in the records of the
Order.-In testimony of the premises, we have subscribed this with our own
proper f i t , and have caused appended the great Seal of the Order,’ at Cape-
Hall, this 20th day of the month called October, in the year of grace, 1792.
(Signed)-BED, Deputy-Sovereign.-Entered into the records of the Order, by
Sir CELLARR, ecorder.-L. BOX, Secretary.
Besides
being a burgess, he was a member of the Society of Booksellers, and of the
Merchant Company of Edinburgh. He was also a member of the Kirk Session
of the Parish of St. Cuthbert’s.
The late Mr. Archibald Constable prevailed on Martin to sit for an hour to
Mr. Geddes, portrait-painter ; but the sketch was never finished, as he could not
be induced to sit again. Although rough, it is a capital likeness, and was
bought at Mr. Constable’s sale by a friend of “ the Knight of Roger.”
So much for the good fellowship of the “grinning auctioneer.”
humblepun), because a nautical idea was most natural and appropriate on the occasion of being
halfseas ovw, the Calton burgher facetiously called doubling the Cape ; and it was customary with
his friends, every evening when they assembled, to inquire “ how he turned the Cape last night.”
The Club, on the 22d September 1770 (the birth-day of the author of ‘‘ The Seasons ”) held a
musical festival in honour of the poet, and resolved to have similar meetings every tenth year.
Accordingly, in the year 1780, 1790, and 1800, under the superintendence of Mr. Wood, who composed
and recited verses for the occasion, the entertainmenta were repeated with increased effect.
In 1780, when letters of marque were issued against the Dutch, the Knights of the Cape, at a
very thin meeting of their Order on the 26th December, subscribed two hundred and fifty guinea
towards fitting out a privateer.
l “ The Great Seal of the Order,” inclosed in a tin box, has the letters “ E. F. D. ,” surmounted
by a coronet, enclosed with laurel, and the whole encircled with the worda--“ Sigillum commune
Equitum de Cape-Conwrdia fratrum decus.”
