38 MEMOIR OF 



wait on his Royal Highness the following day, 

 after morning service, they supposed it was upon 

 business relating to the new college ; but, says 

 Sibbald, " to our surprisal, there was a carpet 

 laid, and we were ordered to kneel, and were 

 each of us knighted by his Royal Highness, then 

 Commissioner." They were indebted to the 

 Earl of Perth and Sir Charles Scarborough for 

 the honour. 



Sir Robert Sibbald was requested by the 

 college to return thanks, in their name, to his 

 Royal Highness, for the charter which occa- 

 sioned him, he says. " much envy, that he was 

 taken notice of at the court." He soon after pre- 

 sented the new society with three shelves full of 

 books, among which were the works of Galen and 

 Hippocrates, and Gesner's History of Animals. 

 And now, having remained four years a widower 

 he again married, in November, Anna Orrock, 

 youngest daughter of the Laird of Orrock. 



On the 20th March, 1684, Sir Robert suffered 

 a serious loss by the burning of his house. The 

 fire originated in the flat overhead ; and by Sir 

 George Mackenzie's advice, he instituted an action 

 against the tenant, to recover the amount of the 

 damage sustained, but afterwards was advised to 

 withdraw the suit. He estimates his loss at ten 

 thousand merks. In the course of this year, his 

 Scotia Illustrata, upon which he had been long 



