2"<i S. V. 117., Mau. 27. '68.1 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



861 



It is still in good preservation. 



4tli. Drum, of about the usual military size. 

 The cylinder is of oak, the rims of ash.^ The 

 place for beating on appears to be some kind of 

 prepared skin, and when struck sends forth a 

 very loud sound. Known to have been used at 

 the battles of Drumclog and Bothwell Bridge, and 

 always taken out with Capt. Paton.* 



5. Pair of Drumsticks, formed of ebony, or 

 some kind of dark mahogany. 



6th. Books of Manuscripts, apparently written 

 by different hands, seemingly containing .S'ermon.?, 

 Oaths, Documents, &c. On the board of one of 

 the books were found the names of Cargii* Bruce, 

 William Guthrie, &c. Part of the Sermons have 

 been published by John Howie. 



In addition was a considerable collection of 

 old theological works. James (his eldest son) 

 informed me that the greatest part of his father's 

 library had been at various times dispersed 

 amongst numerous relations of the family, and 

 especially to the female members of it on their 

 marriage ; most likely all their dowry. 



Through the publication of the Scots Worthies, 

 the name of " John Howie of Lochgoin " has 

 been in a sense immortalised in Scotland, and in 

 the highest degree respected by his country- 

 men of all classes. His book has long been a 

 household book, abundantly read, and will con- 

 tinue to be read when books of high pretensions 

 are forgotten. It is astonishing what he did, con- 

 sidering his limited education, want of oppor- 

 tunities, and straitened worldly circumstances. 

 Only the purest love, and almost apostolical de- 

 votion to the cause which he served, could have 

 carried him through. He wrote his life, in 

 which we find some glimpses of the spiritual 

 frames of his mind, his difficulties, and the mo- 

 tives which had induced him to undertake what 

 may be called the " Scots Martyrology." This 

 autobiography was printed about three years after 

 his death, under the following title : — 



" Memoirs of the Life of John Howie, who lived in 

 Lochgoin, and died Januar}' 5, 1793, aged fifty- seven 

 years, one month, and twelve days. His last words 

 'Christ would come' (Memoirs, p. 180.), containing a 

 Series of Religious Exercises, Soul Soliloquies, Medita- 

 tions, and an Account of the Lord's Goodness to him in 

 general. Psalm Ixvi. 16., Come and hear, &c. . To which 

 is subjoined a Short Later Will or Di'ing Testimony of 

 James Howie, who lived in Lochgoin and died soon after 

 the Revolution. Glasgow. Printed for James Howie, 

 Lochgoin, 1796. 12mo. pp. 212." 



As this work is now exceedingly scarce, and 

 long out of print, I may be excused for bringing 

 forward a few particulars, chiefly bearing on his 

 literary history, but narrated in his own modest 

 words : — 



" At last I married again a cousin of my own, who 



For life of the Captain, see Scots Worthies. 



was of a quiet disposition, and under the character of a 

 religious woman, after which I kept more to the form of 

 an outward profession — and having from my j-ounger 

 years had great pleasure in reading Biography, the emi- 

 nent lives and comfortable deaths of Christ's faithful 

 Witnesses, both under Antichrist Popish and Prelatic, and 

 having thereby gained a strong regard for the memories 

 and contendings of our Scots Worthies, both in the re- 

 forming and suffering period ; in process of time, I thought 

 of publishing Mr. James Renwick's large life, which was 

 wrote by Mr. Alexander Shields ; but upon second 

 thoughts, I took up a resolution to collect what materials 

 I could obtain, and wrote a kind of lives of a number of 

 them, which I did at leisure hours, with small views that 

 ever any thing I could do should merit the publishing 

 of them, however my motives were ingenuous, out of 

 love to them and their contendings, or cause they con- 

 tended for ; and the Lord determined that they should 

 both be published, and much esteemed by men of all 

 ranks and denominations. Whilst I was writing and 

 collecting the first draught of the Scots Worthies, some- 

 times in the morning — one morning my wife, who was 

 not without an inclination to religion, being in bed in the 

 little closet where I was writing, she was just going to 

 give me a reproof for my folly in writing ; what would I 

 do but make people laugh at my folly; immediately 

 these words ccme into her mind, Mark vii. 37., He hath 

 done all things well, he maheth both the deaf to hear and the 

 dumb to speak. After which she durst never speak against 

 it ; and indeed from the testimony of many the conse- 

 quence was no way unanswerable to what as to this I 

 have observed. 



" After which I published a Collection of their Sermons, 

 which cost me no small pains, with some other pampldets 

 and publications, which being so well known I need not 

 mention ; but that which cost me most thought and study- 

 was the writing of one upon the Administration of the 

 Lord's Svpper, when the controversy took place among the 

 Antiburgher side of the Secession, about taking the bread 

 before consecration. — Although the protestors furnished 

 me with much of the authorities or materials — it was 

 alwaj's my custom before I entered upon any thing of 

 this nature in writing, which was designed for the public, 

 to pray to the Lord for light and direction, and that if it 

 was not for his honour and glory that it might be frus- 

 trated ; and I may say in humility, that all the different 

 pieces were very well taken and esteemed in general, yea 

 some declaring that they reaped advantage by some of 

 them .... 



" Another instance, having now a numerous family, 

 several of whom were but young, and meeting with an 

 outward loss of cattle, I was much cast down (it coming 

 so sudden and unexpected), yea more dejected than ever 

 I had been upon the account of my many heinous sins . . . 

 But Avhat I was to observe that soon after being at dinner, 

 and all my children sitting around me, I began to think 

 what will become of these poor young ones if things go 

 thus with us, which sure was a distrusting of the Lord's 

 mercy. . . . For at that very time and instant these words 

 darted into my mind, who feeds the raven's young that cry. 

 This word I often remembered and pleaded afterwards, 

 and for a number of years, though several of them were 

 very bad, we had more than before, and was in no 

 scarcity. . . . 



" I always of a long time had some melting of heart, 

 when 1 read the Dying Testimonies and last words of our 

 late sufferers, and other martyrs, and did covet their lot 

 and condition at death. Amongst other books or writings 

 which I had, or seen, which were not a few, I took a 

 longing to have a Collection of the Dying Testimonies, 

 Personal Covenantings, and Soul Soliloquies, of about 

 twenty of them that were old dissenters, the most of 



