SIR ROBERT SIISIiALI). 43 



(About xi a clock, he called me up to his studie, 

 and there he read to me a paper that the 

 Duchess of York had writt upon her embracing 

 that religion, and discoursed very pathetically 

 upon it. I knew not how it carne about, I felt a 

 ^reat warmness of my affections while he was 



teading and discoursing, and thereupon, as I 

 hought, oestro quodam pietatis ?notus, I said, I 

 >vould embrace that religion, upon which he took 

 me in his arms and thanked God for it. This 

 was the way, without any furder consideration, 

 that I joined with them, and signified my willing- 

 ness to join to the priest when he came. After 

 that, I frequented their service, and became 

 seriously enamoured with ther way ; and notwith- 

 standing the great opposition I mett with, from 

 all my relations and acquaintances, I continued 

 more and more resolute, and professed I had 

 joined with them.* Ther Churchmen were not of 



* This account of Sibbald's conversion is very inte- 

 resting, and although he turned Papist at a period when his 

 motives were naturally ascribed rather to a desire to find 

 favour in the eyes of a bigoted monarch, than to any 

 internal conviction of the truth of the Catholic religion, 

 still his narrative has such an air of truth, that it is 

 difficult to disbelieve the writer. Besides, in forming an 

 opinion on the subject, it ought not to be overlooked, 

 that Sir Robert publicly abjured the errors of Popery 

 prior to the abdication of James. In the Scottish Pas- 

 quels, vol. iii. p. 62, Edin. 1828, 12mo. will be found a 

 severe satire upon Sibbald. written by Dr Pitcairne 

 Aofe by Mr Mallment in /he Analtcta. 



