HISTORY OF THE LINLITHGOW 



an irreparable loss, not only of a master, but also of 

 a liberal and steady supporter, who had spared 

 neither money nor time in bringing it to the acme 

 of perfection.^ 



" Oh breathe not his name ! the initials are 

 enough to call tears into the eyes, and sighs from 

 the feeling bosoms of those that still live, Avho 

 knew him ; in whose memories he still lives, and 

 who followed him to an untimely grave. At the 

 performance of these last sorrowful duties to that 

 highly respected and valued friend and brother 

 sportsman, those wept like children, who were 

 * albeit unused to the melting mood,' and their 

 honest and unfeigned grief spoke more strongly 

 the value of him they had lost, than could ' storied 

 urns or animated busts ' " . . . " His honest blunt 

 kindness — his unsophisticated liberality of senti- 

 ment, endeared him equally to his co-temporary 

 friends, and to the hearts of the youthful sports- 

 men whom he cheered on to the chase ' with hand 

 and voice to point the winding way'" ... "As 

 an honest man, as a steady friend, as a liberal and 

 generous sportsman — 'take him for all in all, we 

 shall not soon look upon his like again.' " ^ 



That Mr Ramsay was a sportsm.an of the best 

 type, and loved hunting for its own sake, cannot 

 be doubted,^ and the frequent allusions to the 



1 ' Sporting Magazine,' May 1825. 2 i\y[^ 



^ 'The Scotsman' of 15th December 1865, contains an article de- 

 scribing a run with Lord Wemyss' Hounds, in which Mr Ramsay is 

 referred to as "one of the best sportsmen Scotland ever knew." 



60 



