292 AN EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY LAIRD 



price paid to Lord Galloway was still as much as 14s. 

 a pound. 



The monotony of country life was lightened by 

 strolling musicians and professors of other arts. Thus 



'May 22, 1725. To John Cowand who came 

 to keep my birthday with a great deal of 

 company & for musick . . . .110 



July 21, same year. To the Irish musick who 



stayed a week 0100' 



John Cowand had more than one string to his bow, 

 for on the above-mentioned occasion he received half 

 a crown as the price surely a moderate one of ' three 

 salmond.' A soothsayer was not wanting. 



'Oct. 13, 1715. To one Mr Gordoun, a dumb 

 man of wonderf ull sagacity, who pretended 

 to foretell future events, in charity . . 0100' 



In another book it is noted under the same date : 



' N.B. That ane Mr. Gordoun, a highland gentleman both 

 deaf & dumb signed of my son Wm. that he would be a 

 very great man & would be of the order of the knights of 

 St. Andrew with a Green Bibbond, & that he should attain 

 to verie great things & would be a great Scholar.' 



A couple of years later the ' Highland gentleman ' 

 had been found out, and there is an entry of five 

 shillings given ' to Dumbie Gordoun, ane impostor 

 deserves nothing.' His forecast about the boy William 

 was about as wide of the mark as could be, seeing that 

 the subject of it became that one of my ancestors in 

 reflecting upon whom I can take the least pride. An 



