BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 157
irksome and disadvantageous. In order to rid themselves of the grievance,
they went to law with the Magistrates in lSOS, and again in 1810; but in
both instances they were defeated. In l S l l , however, determined to be no
longer held in bondage, they sold the property of the Society-made a division
of the proceeds-and broke up the union. The city being then provided with
an efficient fire establishment, and deeming it useless to contend with them,
the Magistrates tacitly sanctioned the dispersion of the Tron-men, by refraining
from all attempts to compel their attendance.
No. CCXXV,
WILLIAM CUMMING, ESQ.
THE old gentleman represented in this Etching was a person of eccentric habits.
He was immensely rich, and carried on a very extensive and lucrative business
as a private banker-at one time in the Parliament Close, and latterly, under
the firm of Camming and Son, in the Royal Exchange. He died in 1790. His
demise was thus announced in the periodicals of the day:-“March 27, at
Edinburgh, in an advanced age, William Cumming, Esq., many years an eminent
banker.”
He was reputed to be extremely penurious. When walking on the streets,
he used constantly to keep his arms spread out to prevent the people from
rubbing against his coat, and thereby injuring it. Under a similar apprehension
he never allowed his servant to brush his clothes, lest the process should wear
off the pile ; but made him place them on the back of a chair, and blow the
dust off with a pair of bellows. He not unfrequently wore a scarlet cloak over
his suit of sables. The artist, for an obvious reason, has dispensed with this
ornament in the portraiture. He was generally known by the soubriquet of
“ the Crow.” His manner of walking, with outstretched arms, and the unique
appearance of his whole figure, especially at a distance, presented a striking
resemblance to that bird.
A few
days previous to one of the drawings, he had returned all his unsold tickets
except one, in the confident hope that even at the eleventh hour a stray purchaser
might be found. He for once miscalculated : the decisive day arrived,
and the ticket still remained unsold Deeply grieved, and blaming himself for
his imprudence, he at last made up his mind to sacrifice a trifle, and actually
went out amongst his acquaintances- the shopkeepers of the Lawnmarket
offering the ticket at half price I But, with characteristic caution, not one of
them could be prevailed on to adventure. Much mortified, the banker felt he
had no other resource than quietly to suffer the anticipated loss. His triumph,
Mr. Curnming was for some time an agent of the State lotteries.