SIR ROBERT SIBBALD. 59 



gett us more for Arator, and I shall doe what is 

 in my power to complect the edition of him too. 

 I shall intreat yow to continue your correspon- 

 dence, although I cannot promise to writte so 

 oftene as it were neadfull. I shall from tyme to 

 tyme advertise yow what may be worthy your 

 knowledge, either by a lyne from myself, or from 

 Mr Sutherland, or Master Paterson. I wish yow 

 all happieness, and am, your assured friend, and 

 very humble servant, 



R. SIBBALD. 



Let me know when yow heard from the Arch- 

 deacon of Carleile, and what he writeth to yow 

 I could wish yow would see to gett a Grammer 

 of the Irish tongue, and send it to us : it were 

 worth your pains to learn that language, it might 

 be of use in retrieving our antiquities. Farewell. 



Edin. 24th Sept. 1700. 



SIR, I received yours yesterday, and would 

 delay no longer a returne to it. What yow 

 call the Mairdmaid's purse is judged by 'all 

 (I discoursed with) to be the uterus of a skate. 

 Ther are many sorts of skate frequent our 

 seas, and the sealchs and meerpoyne and poir- 

 poises devour a great many of them, which 

 may make them be so frequently found. The 

 membranaceous substance is animal, and the 



