APPENDI¥X. 49 
eft fhare in guiding all the meafures of his party, while he 
himfelf claimed no merit, and had no pretenfions. 
He had been for a long time fo well acquainted with the 
ftate of the two parties in the Church, that he ufed to calculate, 
with furprifing exactnefs, what the iffue of the votes would be 
in almoft all the great queftions that came before the Affembly. 
He would often, with that good humour which marked all his 
converfation, tell his acquaintance of the oppofite party, by 
how many votes they would lofe the queftion ; and however 
fanguine at firft they might be, they knew him fo well, that 
they feldom difputed his accuracy. 
Hrs health was now greatly on the decline. So long before 
as the end of the year 1773, his conftitution had received a 
fhock, which, though vifible to his own family, did not yet ap- 
" pear to his other friends. Death had deprived him of feveral 
of his children; and being a moft affectionate. parent, he was 
always extremely affected with the lofs of them: And that year 
added to his former diftrefles the death of his youngeft daugh- 
ter, a moft beautiful and promifing child. With this he conti- 
nued to be fo much affected, that feveral years afterwards, when 
he was inculcating upon his audience the important leffon, 
“That man knows not what is good for him in this Jife;’’ and 
was obferved, in one part of his difcourfe, to be agitated with 
uncommon emotion, it was evident to his friends, that he al- 
luded to his own fituation. 
Tuovucu his conftitution continued to be gradually en- 
feebled, he ftill difcharged the public duties of his miniftry 
with little intermiffion; and it was obferved, that the annual 
approach of the General Affembly always infpired him with 
unufual animation. For feveral years, he had taken upoa him 
the whole duty of the clerkfhip, exerting himfelf alfo, in eve- 
ry other refpect, for the relief of Dr Wisuarrt, his venerable 
colleague, now far advanced in life, till, in the year 1785, he 
Vor. III. (G) loft 
Account of 
Dr Dryfdale. 
