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Kay's Originals Vol. 2

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44 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. what abrupt, and his language not remarkable for its refinement ; but, after two or three lessons, the first unfavourable impressions subsided, and the Sergeant gradually became a favourite. Indeed there was a something so peculiar in his countenance, and more especially in the most prominent feature of it, where I‘ One rich carbuncle shone before, With many a glowing ruby round,” that it was impossible to be long in bad humour with him. Among others whose patronage the good conduct and military talents of the SergeanbMajor secured, was that of the Lord President Hope, then Iieutenant- Colonel of the regiment. The high opinion entertained of him by his lordship was manifested in various acts of kindness ; and he promised, on the disembodying of the regiment in 1814, to lay his head in the grave. This mark of respect his lordship faithfully performed, on the death of the Sergeant-Major, which occurred on the 22d September 1815. His remains were interred-all the officers of the late corps attending the funeral-in the Greyfriars’ Churchyard, where a stone is erected to his memory.’ From “ Lines Elegiac,” composed on the death of the veteran by a local poet, we give the following stanzas :- “ ’Tis but the dross of Gould lies here j His sterling part claims not a tear ; Wing’d, 89 we’d hope, where glory gleams More splendid than the warrior’s dreams I And soothe the widow’s drooping woe- Who has no cherub Gould to smile, Her heavy moments to beguile.” ‘I Hope stay us who are left below, The figure of an Edinburgh Volunteer, of such ample breadth of back, to whom the Sergeant-Major is imparting instruction, is a burlesque on the Bellygerents, as the corps was waggishly denominated by Gould. A gentleman once put the question-“Pray, Gould, who is that you are drilling in the Print done by Kay P” The answer was highly characteristic-“ I can’t say, sir, unless you turn him to the right about face!’la Our worthy friend Bailie Smellie informs us that on one occasion when he resided at the Castle Hill, he was astonished to hear Gould calling loudly from a green behind the house-“ The battalion will advance ! ” The Bailie, unable to‘comprehend what had brought, as he thought, the Volunteers there, hastened 1 A full-length portrait of Sergeant-Major Gould, with a view of the First Regiment of Volunteers in the background, by Mr. George Watson, is preserved in the Council Room of the City Chambers. This painting waa for some time suspended in the lobby leading into the Council Chambers, where it was subject to the ill usage of every idle lounger. In 1818, when Mr. Smellie, printer, waa in the magistracy, he made various attempts to have it brought into the Council-Room ; and, among others to whom he applied was the then Lord Provost (Sir John Marjoribanks), who remarked that it was utterly absurd to permit the portrait of a Sergeant to he placed in the Council-Room. Mr, Smellie at last found an argument which proved successful. This was, that the picture was not to be estimated simply ns affording a Portrait of Sergeant Gould, but ns preserving the recollection of a corps of loyal citizens, to whom the country was greatly indebted. a The Egure is intended to represent Mr. James Laing, a saddler in South Bridge Street.
Volume 9 Page 58
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