GRANDFATHER JOHN. 7 



wife), "ne'er fear, ne'er fear!'' The Goodsirs were 

 prone to marry, and, with quivers full, had large fami- 

 lies of sons and daughters. Some of the latter readily 

 found alliances when favoured, as they sometimes 

 were, with handsome tochers of 1000 or 1500 gude 

 Scots merks ; in other words, dowries of a thousand or 

 more silver coins, each valued at 13 shillings and 4 

 pence of English money. Many interesting details 

 crop out of the family history, but only a few words on 

 the direct line of doctors are allowable in this narrative, 

 beginning; with John, the crrandfather of Professor 

 Guodsir. 



Nearly a century ago Dr. John Goodsir was among 

 the best known men in the East Xeuk of Fife. Born 

 in the parish of AVemyss in 1 746, he became a graduate 

 of the University of Edinburgh, and settled at Largo. 

 Known at home for his skill, amibility, and other good 

 parts, his essays in Duncan's Annals of Medicine 

 gained for liini reputation in the Edinburgh circle. 

 This big-nosed, long-headed, large-hearted disciple of 

 Galen and Lucina was a fine specimen of the eighteenth 

 century country medical practitioner — hatted, coated, 

 booted, and spurred, a la mode. Wiry in build, 

 thoughtful and successful in practice, aye ready with 



■ ; mull'' (Scott ice for snuff-box), and aye ready to 

 help a ];• s well as to uphold the inter rts 



and character of "canny Fife," he was among the most 

 popular <>f men, The customs of the period wi 

 primitive and curious, and the practice of the healing 

 art in rural districts v. cried on in pack-saddle 



