B T 0 G R A P HI CA L S I< ET C HE S. 245
their private library. By singular regularity in the arrangement of his time,
and strict frugality, Mr. Paton not only discharged his duties in the Custom-
House with fidelity, but found leisure to acquire a degree of antiquarian lore,
and was enabled to increase his curious collections to an extent seldom attained
by a single individual.
He was well known to almost all the literary characters of his own country,
and to many English antiquaries and men of letters. Apparently unambitious
of figuring in the world as an author himself, Mr. Paton was by no means chary
of assisting others. His services-his knowledge-his time-as well as his
library,’ were at the command of all his friends. These ultimately became a
sort of common, where our antiquarian writers of last century were wont to
luxuriate, and whence they would return, like bees, each to his own peculiar
locality, laden with the spoil obtained from the stores of this singularly obliging
and single-hearted individual.
Mr. Paton was thus led into a very extended circle of literary acquaintance,
with whom he maintained a constant and very voluminous correspondence,
Amongst others, we may instance Lord Hailes, Dr. Robertson, Gough? Percy,
Ritson, Pennant, George Chalmers (author of Caledonia), Captain Grose,
Callander of Craigforth, Riddle of Glenriddle, Law (author of the “Fauna
Orcadensis ”), Herd (the Collector of Scotfish Ballads), etc.
Of the “ Paton Correspondence,” preserved in the Advocates’ Library, two
small volumes have been published; the one in 1829, the other in 1830. The
former is entitled “Letters from Joseph Ritson, Esq., to George Paton;” the
latter, “ Letters from Thomas Percy, D.D. (afterwards Bishop of Dromore),
John Callander of Craigforth, David Herd, and others, to George Paton.”
These volumes, not generally known, from the limited impression thrown off,
are enriched by many interesting editorial notes, and are highly entertaining and
curious, They also bear unquestionable testimony to the status in which Mr.
Paton was held as a literary antiquary, and to the alacrity with which he
laboured to supply the desiderata of his friends.
It is a curious fact, hawever, that, with the exception of Gough, few or none
of those who were so materially indebted to him for information and assistance
had the candour to acknowledge the source from whence they were aided ;
and many of them afterwards seemed desirous of suppressing all knowledge of
the fact. The correspondence between Gough and Paton at once shows the
extent and importance of the information furnished by the latter ; and, indeed,
this is acknowledged in handsome terms by Gough, in the preface to his new
edition of the British Topography. Alluding to the article upon Scottish
topography, he says-“ by the indefatigable attention of his very ingenious and
communicative friend, Mr. George Paton, of the Custom House, Edinburgh,”
It is said the late Archibald Constable derived much of his knowledge of the rarity of books
Two large volumes of Mr. Paton’a letters to Gough, full of important literary and topographical
from his acquaintance with Mr. Paton.
information, are in the library of the Faculty of Advocates.
2 46 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
he had been enabled nearly to double the space which the article occupied in
the first volume.
In the collection and arrangement of his ancient ‘‘ Scottish Ballads,” David
Herd received material assistance from Mr. Paton ; and there are even strong
reasons for believing that he “partly, if not wholly, edited the first edition.”
Mr. Paton remained all his life a bachelor ; but, although naturally of a
retiring disposition-solitary in his domestic habits-and by no means voluble
in general conversation, he was neither selfish in his disposition, nor unsocial
in the circle of those friends with whom kindred pursuits and sentiments brought
him into association. The best proof of this is the fact of his having regularly
frequented “ Johnie Dowie’s tavern ”-the well-known rendezvous of the Scottish
literati during the latter part of the last century. In a humorous description
of this “ howff,” ascribed to the muse of Mr. Hunter of Blackness, the subject
of this sketch is alluded to in one of the verses :-
“ 0, Geordie Robertson, dreigh loun,
And antiquarian Paton son’,
Wi’ mony ithers i’ the tom,
What will come o’er ye,
Gif Johnie Dowie should stap down
To the grave before ye 1”
A farther illustration of the social habits, as well as a glimpse of the peculiar
domestic eoonomy of “ antiquarian Paton,” is given in a pleasant editorial note
affixed to one of David Herd’s Letters to Mr. Paton, which letter is dated
“ Johnie Dowie’s, Tuesday evening,” 23d December 1788.--“ For many years of
his life our friend (the antiquary) invariably adjourned to take his bottle of ale
and gude ‘ buff’d herring,’ or ‘ roasted skate and ingans,’ to this far-famed tavern,
which was divided into cells, each sufficient, with good packing, to hold six
persons ; and there, with Herd, Cumming of the Lyon Office, and other friends
of the same kidney, the evenings pleasantly passed away. These meetings
were not unfrequently enlivened by the presence, at one period, of Fergusson
the poet, and more recently of Burns. Let it not be supposed that honest
George indulged in habits of intemperance. Such was not his custom ; one bottle
of ale would suffice for him, certainly not more ; and when his usual privation
is considered, it is surprising how moderate his desires were. He rose early in
the morning, and went to the Custom-House without tasting anything. Between
four and five (afternoon) he uniformly called at the shop of a well-known bibliopolist
of those times (Bailie Creech), from whom he was in the habit of picking
up rarities, and refreshed himself with a drink of cold water. He would then
say, ‘ Well, I’ll go home and take breakfast.’ This breakfast consisted of one
cup of coffee and a slice of bread. Between seven and eight he adjourned to the
place of meeting ; and some of the dainties enumerated in the poem (already
alluded to), and a bottle of “strong ale,” formed the remaining refreshmeht of
the day. The moment eleven “ chapped ” on St. Giles, he rose and retreated
to his domicile in Lady Stair’s Close. His signal for admittance was the sound
of his cane upon the pavement as he descended. In this way this primitive and
