The Prophet of Bethelnie. 195 



played with much parade on the table, or the shelf, 

 among other books of a like portly appearance, to all 

 his visitors." 



Bethelnie, erstwhile the seat of the parish church 

 (now of Meldrum), and dowered with the legend of 

 the pious Percock, who warded off the plague by creep- 

 ing round the parish on his bare knees, and planting a 

 tree to mark the spot where his self-sacrificing labour 

 began and ended, was still fortunate in the possession 

 of a church crumbling to ruin, and a picturesque and 

 finely situated churchyard. This latter spot it was 

 the practice of the prophet to visit all alone at suitably 

 eerie hours. How could it be doubted that his purpose 

 was to hold converse with departed spirits, and to be 

 by them " informed of many things that no mortal 

 knowledge could reach 1" 



The prophetic fame of Adam Donald grew, as it 

 needs must, in the circumstances, until people came 

 from far and near to consult him ; and ultimately 

 " scarcely anything was deemed beyond the reach of 

 his knowledge." " When articles of dress or furniture 

 were amissing he was consulted ; and his answers were 

 so general and cautiously worded, that though they 

 could scarcely be at all understood at the time, yet 

 when any of the things lost were accidentally found 

 at a future period the people were easily able to per- 

 ceive that his mysterious answer plainly indicated 

 where the goods had been if they had had the inge- 

 nuity to expound it." We must not forget that this 

 latter sentiment is merely the personal opinion of the 

 sceptical Dr. Anderson, speaking against 



The 'sponsible voice o' a haill countra side ! 



In his capacity of physician he was, of course, a 

 skilled cow doctor as well" Dr." Adam Donald was 

 " chiefly consulted in cases of lingering disorders that 

 were supposed to owe their origin to witchcraft or 

 some supernatural agency of this sort." " In these 



