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Kay's Originals Vol. 2

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404 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. effectual mode of procedure, the forces were brought to a halt within a short distance of the enemy’s stronghold ; and by the judicious manner in which the line was extended-reaching from the sea at Hochmatoch to the Gullet-bridge at the Lake, and from the Lake to the Well of Spaw, near Pettycur harbourno elector could possibly escape without inspection. Thus secured against a sortie, after maintaining the position for a day or two, Colonel Erskine,’ and several gentlemen from the west of Fife, accompanied by a small detachment, entered Kinghorn in military array, with flags and other insignia of electioneering warfare displayed. On arriving at the inn, Lucky Skinner, true to her trust, refused to give any information concerning the runaway electors, but endeavoured to appease Colonel Erskine, by inviting him int8 the parlour to taste from the landlady’s bottle-a kindness she invariably extended to strangers of respectable appearance. Somewhat irritated, and wheeling precipitately round, the Colonel was about to retire, when Lucky, 1 Colonel James Francis Erskine waa brother of John the twelfth Earl of Mar, in whom the forfeited title was revived in 1824. He is understood to have spent a vast deal of money in electioneering contests. The first election, connected with the Dunfermline district of burghs, in which he was known to take an active interest, occurred in 1774, when Archibald Campbell, Esq., of Inverneil, successfully opposed Colonel Masterton of Newton, the former member, and friend of Sir Laureiice Dundas. This contest wyas rendered memorable by the unusual bitterness with which it was maintained, and the mutual recrimination indulged in by the parties, even after it had been decided. To such an extent was this carried, that the Fbv. Mr. Thomson, one of the ministers of Dunfermline, actually preached a sermon from the pulpit on the subject, choosing for hi., text Ephesians iv. 25, ‘ I Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour ; for we are members one of another.’, In the course of the sermon he alluded to various circumstances connected with the election, and pointing to particular individuals then seated in the church, accused them of lying. This produced the retort courteous in no measured terms. As a specimen of the unseemly exhibition, we quote the following passages from a report of the discourse published at the time :- The Colonel was a jolly, stout man, and a keen politician. ‘{ - Having thus explained to you, my brethren, the different kinds of lying by which we may hurt either our neighbour or sin against our own souls, will any man pretend to tell me, after being informed by three incontestable evidences, that that man [pointing to a certain person C h congregation] does not lie, who will pretend to maintain that he had not engaged to support Col. Campbell’s interest, when he waa voted into the council by the friends of Col. Campbell alone, and had not a single vote from the other party ? I am convinced that these gentlemen had more wisdom and judgment thau to bring in any man into the council of Dunfermline, unless they had got the most convincing promises that he would stand by them and the interest of COL Campbell ; yet, notwithstanding, he did not so much a3 give them one vote. [Ewe Mr. F. S. rose up and told him he waa telling gross lies a d falsehoods.] There ia another species of lying, with a view to hurt and defame the name and characters of our neighbours, aa for one to say, ‘Such and such a person has got money from Col. Campbell to induce them to support his interest, and that his brother has their receipts for the same ;’ yet that very man, upon being examined aneut such defamatory aasertions, to deny the having said such things. “And you, Rob& Scotland, who have wrote a paper which appeared in the Caledonian Mer- CU~Jg,i ving me the epithet of an old military chaplain. This is a name I glory in, having lived fourteen yenrs in the army, where I was always happy, and well satisfied with my situation. You also term me a blustming bZwn&xb2Lss, which I r,efnse, and will refer to the whole congregation if that cap does not more properly fit your head than mine. “ I have, however, stronger thmga to say than this. Will any man pretend to maintain but that you Zk, by saying that you were a faithful and diligent agent for COL Campbell, when the contrary can be proven by the evidence of three indisputable witnesses ! If you had been a faithful [HeTe Mr. D. S. rose up and told him t k t he was uttere‘ng great lies.]
Volume 9 Page 540
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