THE UNLETTERED HERD- BOY. I/ 



they had been cleverly borne to the neighbouring church 

 of KinnefT; not even the stirring story of Wallace and 

 his gallant capture of the castle when he struck so 

 grandly for Scottish independence all which, and much 

 more equally stimulating, made his blood leap, and was 

 recited by him with fervour to the end. But it was the 

 " Whig's Vault," on the edge of the cliff, where the 

 Covenanters were immured, with its crevices in the wall 

 to wedge their hands in, and the still more terrible hole 

 below, in which the crowded wretches took turns in 

 breathing opposite a crack at the base of the wall ! 

 Nothing coloured his whole existence more than the 

 inspiring story of the struggle for Scottish religious 

 freedom, which entered deep into his inner heart in after 

 life, and infused his piety with the uncompromising fire 

 of the old Covenanters 



" The stern undaunted will, 



And the scorn to receive, from a despot's decree, 

 What should flame up with power from the hearts of the free ! " 



as Professor Blackie sings when inspired by the same 

 theme. And there is no doubt that the deep Scottish 

 enthusiasm roused by this chapter in our history, has done 

 more than aught else to nourish high-souled independence 

 and religious fervour in the country. It was undoubtedly 

 no mean privilege for this boy to be brought under its 

 influences and in daily sight of the scenes where some of 

 its saddest but grandest tragedies had been enacted. . 



So felt John Duncan, and when last I saw him shortly 

 before his death, seventy years after he had been the herd- 

 boy at Dunnottar, when his strong vitality was slowly 



C 



