Transactions. 139 



origin of this Wappinsliaw he enters into a lengthened disquisition 

 upon the authority of a " public and respected character in the 

 town of Dumfries," who informed him that " in the reign of King 

 James the Sixth, and on some of his excursions in that part of 

 the countrj', being in danger, the news reached the town of 

 Dumfries. Accordingly the Seven Incorporated Trades of that 

 town went to the assistance of his ]\Iajesty. This fresh supply of 

 troops arriving in time was the means of rescuing him from the 

 danger he was exposed to ; and so sensible was the King of this 

 timely interference of his Dumfries subjects, to show his gratitude 

 the more, and wishing to improve [them] in the use of arms, he 

 complimented them with a silver tube something like a pistol 

 barrel, now called a silver gun, with a charge to set apart a day 

 annually to shoot for the said gun." The writer then describes 

 the march off to the Kingholm of the Trades, drums beating, 

 colours flying, and a merry peal resounding from the famous 

 Steeple. About six in the evening news arrived from what Mc 

 Laing calls " the field of blood," to the effect that two young men 

 had been accidentally wounded, one of them mortally, which 

 prompted the following effusion of the author's muse : 



" Ah ! thoughtless mortals think on this, 

 Your folly and your shame ; 

 0, turn your eyes and view the case, 

 And sorrow for the same. 



Your precious time thus spent in vain. 



How can the thought you shun, 

 That something's lost — now, where's the gain 



Got by your silver gun ? 



Is something lost ? Yea, sure there is, 



More precious than the sun, 

 Your brother's blood is shed, and cries. 



Discharge the silver gun. " 



On the following (Sunday) morning he heard a sermon by Mr 

 D. (probably ]\Ir John Dunn, the Independent minister of that 

 time), and in the afternoon a " close and practical discourse " from 

 the Rev. Walter Dunlop, who seemed to him to be " a serious 

 man." Mr Laing describes the religious state of the town as not 

 so favourable, " according to his information," as could be wished ; 

 but adds that a few years previously " a worthy character," he (Mr 

 L.) trusts "with the same feeling spirit as the Apostle when he 



