142 ALEXANDER GORDON, THE ANTIQUARY. 



have the best evidence that the prized treatise was not left behind 

 him when its author bade farewell to his native land. 



As his prospects brightened in bis new home, and comforts 

 unknown till then cheered his hearth, he no doubt bi'ougbt foi*th the 

 cherished sheets, and added fresh point to his learned essay ; till the 

 time came when, on the 22nd of August, 1754, " being sick and weak 

 ot body, but of sound and disposing mind, memory, and understand- 

 ing," and with the ruling passion stroiig in death : he proceeded to 

 make and ordain his last will and testament. 



It was the recovery of a certified copy of this will which led me 

 to produce the former notice of its author to the members of the 

 Canadian Institute, as a document alike curious as the characteristic 

 memorial of a literary man of mark in the eighteenth centuiy ; and 

 interesting as the recovered trace of an old colonist of some note 

 in his day, but of greater interest now from the prominence given 

 to him in one of the most popular of Scott's novels. To his son and • 

 daughter he bequeathed his household furniture, plate, houses, landed 

 property, &c., in a mere passing sentence ; while the main para- 

 graphs of this testamentary document suffice to show how little 

 change a sojourn of thirteen years amid the strange novelties of the 

 western hemisphere had wrought on the scholarly enthusiast. Hav- 

 ing given instructions that his body be committed to the dust " de- 

 cently, and in a Christian-like manner," he condescends to the 

 disposition of what he is pleased to call " the worldly estate where- 

 with it has pleased God to bless me with," and thus proceeds : " I 

 give the same and dispose thereof in manner following : — First, It is 

 my express will, and I do hereby order and direct, that my said 

 executors hereinafter mentioned, and the survivors of them, and the 

 executors and administrators of such survivors, shall forthwith and 

 with all convenient speed after my decease, pay off, discharge, and 

 satisfy my funeral charges and all other my just and lawful debts; 

 and after such" payment and satisfaction so made and rendered as afore- 

 said, then I give, devise, and bequeath unto the Honourable Hector 

 Berrenger De Beaufain, Esq., his picture, portraiture, or effigies by me 

 the said testator, painted, drawn, and represented, to have and to 

 hold the same unto the said Hector Berrenger De Beaufain, Esq., his 

 heirs and assignees for ever. Item, I give, devise, and bequeath unto 

 the Reverend Mr. Hey wood, his picture, portraiture, or effigies, by 

 me the said testator, painted, drawn, and represented as aforesaid, to 



