BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES, 269
also wrote a “ Life of the Rev. Dr. Alexander Murray: Professor of Oriental
Languages in the University of Edinburgh,” which was prefixed to a work by
the Professor, entitled “ Researches into the Mnity and Origin of the Greek
and Teutonic:Languages.” A Treatise on the Constitution of the Church of
Scotland, which had formed an appendix to the Life of Erskine, was reprinted ;
and another volume of Sermons was published posthumously. These were
well received by the public ; and prove the author to have been a writer of no
common ability.
Sir Henry married in 1773, Susan, daughter of Mr. James Robertson Barclay,
of Keavil, W.S., who was his cousin. She died in 1826, and Sir Henry
only survived her one year.
So highly sensible was the General Assembly of the services of this excellent
divine, that a character of him was drawn up at their unanimous request,
by the Rev. Dr. Macgill, Professor of Divinity in the University of Glasgow,
and ordered to be inserted in the records of Court, ‘‘ an honour which has been
bestowed on but few individuals in the Scottish Church.” Amongst other traits
of his amiable disposition, it is stated that “pious young men were always
sure of his protection j and he left nothing unessayed to promote their improvement
and their success in life.”
He died in the month of August 1827;
No. CCLXI.
SERGEANT WILLIAM DUFF,
OF THE 4 2R~EG IMENT, OR ROYAL EIGHUNDERS.
THE 42d Regiment, or, as it is commonly called in Scotland, the “Forty-
Twa,” was originally formed about the year 1729, and obtained the name of
the ‘‘ Black Watch,” from the nature of the duty, and the appearance of the
soldiers, whose Celtic dress was of a mo,& sombre description than the showy
scarlet uniform of the regular troops.
The corps consisted
of six independent companies, raised by gentlemen favourable to constitutional
principles, and was scattered over the Highlands in small detachments, for the
purpose of averawing the disaffected, and checking plunder and ‘‘ lifting of
Dr. Mmay was altogether unknown and destitute of patronage ; notwithstanding, he became,
in very early youth, and entirely by his own exertion, completely master of the Greek, Latin, and
Hebrew languages. While living in an ohscure situation in the country, almost without any
assistance whatever, and hardly able to procure the most ordinary elementary books, he is said to
have made himself proficient in aeven languages before he was twenty years of age. ’ A very elegant tablet was erected in the weat porch of St. Cuthbert’s Church by the kirksession
and congregation in 1841, on which there is inscribed a rare specimen of composition.
The services of the (‘ Black Watch ” were strictly local,
