BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. a7
Mr. Foote considered it necessary to reply to this attack ; and, accordingly,
in 1771, appeared an “Apology for the Minor, in a letter to the Rev. Mr. Baine.”
In this defence the dramatist rests his argument solely upon one point-that
he merely satirised the follies and the vices of those who were only pretenders
to the character of the religious. The general opinion was, that his comedy
could never have been so keenly relished, but for the too ready disposition
of a large class of mankind to take hold of everything connected with the
imperfections of the professors of religion. In common with all perforinances
of a like nature, the Mimr was liable to the blame imputed to it by Mr. Baine,
and justified his strictures, though considered by many too severe. Upon
the mind of the reverend gentleman himself, the effect tended only to increase
his indignant feeling against so daring an outrage on the cause of religion and
morals.
Mr. Baine departed this life, 17th January 1790, having reached his
eightieth year, and sixtieth of his ministry. Though he experienced in his latter
days what has happened to many worthy ministsrs-a decline of popularitywhen
the novelty of their first appearance had subsided, his name stands conspicuous
in the history of the Relief Church, as one of the most remarkable of
its early and venerable fathers.
No. CCI.
E B E N E Z E R WI 1, S 0 N,
BRASSFOUNDER.
THIS worthy of the old school-long known as the Tron Church bellmanserved
his apprenticeship as a brassfounder with Mr. Robert Brown, Lawnmarket,
and became a member of the Incorporation of Hammermen in 1774. He carried
on business in a small way on his own account in Libberton’s Wynd ; but he
was never remarkable for activity or enterprise. In 1788, he obtained the
appointment of ringer of the Tron Kirk bell,’ with a salary of ten pounds a-year.
This small sum, with a trifling pension from the Hainmermen, was latterly his
chief support. At one period, when far “ down in the wind,” Eben petitioned
the Incorporation for a little money, saying he had neither work nor metal. Some
of the waggish members observed, what was he going to do with metal if he
had no work !
Eben was well known to the “ Hie Schule laddies,” by whom he was much
annoyed. They used to call him “ Ninepence,” in allusion to his old-fashioned
three-cornered hat. Almost every night a band of them assembled at the door
He succeeded an old man of the name of Nimmo, a dyer.
