470 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
the head, and was styled the Provost's Officer, it being his chief duty to wait
upon that civic dignitary. This with hini was truly a labour of love ; and indeed
towards all the Magistrates his civility and attention were unremitting.
Whatever occurred of a public nature, during their absence, was sure to be made
known to them by a note in the hand-writing of this devoted servant, at all
hours of the day, and frequently before they had risen out of bed. He was a
steady advocate for giving honour to whom honour was due ; and whoever happened
to be in office for the time was with him a most especial object of respect.
In his eyes the reigning Lord Provost was the greatest man upon earth. Nor
did this enthusiastic feeling originate in any slavish or mercenary motive-it
owed its existence solely to his innate desire to fulfil to the uttermost his humble,
but highly useful and honourable duties. If he happened to meet two of his
mastcrs together, his salutation of " Gentlemen-both," with a strong emphasis
on the latter word, seemed to imply that he reckoned no one but a Magistrate
fully entitled to that appellation. The dialect of his native-mountains never
entirely lcft poor Archie, who was a sad murderer of the King's English ;
and his ludicrous mistakes and mispronunciations of words mere a source of
infinite amusement at the Council Board. At the fencing of the Magistrates'
Court, after -an election, when he had to repeat 'after the clerk certain Latin
words, his mode of doing so was extremely characteristic and amusing. For
instance, when he came to the legal phrase " in. statu quo," he pronounced it
with a sonorous emphasis thus :-$' In stutter quoh."'
When the Lord Provost or any of his brethren were called on public business
to London, Archie, and none but he, was their faithful satellite ; and if
any Scotsman happened to inquire at their hotel for admission to speak with
these functionaries, Archie's kindly feelings towards his countrymen, rendered
more acute by his distance from home, broke out into most exuberant welcome,
while he 'would address the applicant thus :-" Ou ay, sir, walk in; ta Lord
Provost and Bailies, and a' the Council's here. They'll be unco glad to see
Besides his situation of City Officer, Archie held numerous subordinate
appointments. He was officer to-the Society of High Constables, to the Convention
of Royal Burghs, to the Highland Club, and latterly to the Dean of
Guild Court. He was King's Beadle at the meetings of the General Assembly,
etc.; also a Justice of Peace Constable, and officer to the Stent-masters of
Edinburgh ; and, in short, he monopolised almost every office of a like nature
in the city. At one time, as Officer to the Bailie Court, he had nearly the
whole business of summoning parties and witnesses, and executing other matters
of form before that Court. His duties in this department were so very
The following specimen of Archie's &$ish was found among the papers of the late Dr.
M'Cleish ; the manuscript in the Doctor's handwriting :-"The Mag. of Edinrs. Proclamation for
an iluination on account of au aledgel victory in Rusia over the French Grand Army, 6th Nov.
1813, by Archd. Campbell, their Chief Officer.-'This days gud news caus lumination, but no till
mouday, because the Lord's Supper is to be dispeilued-the moma night frae 7 OG to 10 luminate
weel."'
you."