14 ALEXANDER GORDON, THE ANTIQUARY. 



helped to recall from a fast-obscuring oblivion the memory of the old 

 Roman antiquary, though too late for any minute portraiture of the 

 man. Dr. Robert Chambers refers to him, in his " Lives of Illus- 

 trious Scotsmen," as one of the numerous subjects of the biographer's 

 pen " of whom nothing is knowii except their birth m Scotlajid, and 

 their transactions in public life out of it ;" and yet, as his Itinera* 

 rium shows, he did perform not a little very creditable and thorough 

 work within the bounds of his native land before he finally joined 

 the ranks of " the Scots abroad." Nevertheless, it is the fact of 

 his later years liaving been passed in the New World which has 

 stimulated me to some research, in the hope of recovering traces of an 

 old Scottish antiquary and scholar in the times of American colonial 

 life. 



Alexander Gordon was an enthusiast after the true Oldbuck type. 

 He must have been something of a genius, though of the arid and 

 genuinely Dryasdust kindred. He was a man of good education, 

 familiar with the Latin classics, and '' possessing what was not in 

 his time common among the Scottish literati, an intimate knowledge 

 of the Greek language." He was no less familiar with the languages 

 and literature of France and Italy ; and, with a singular taste 

 selected the Borgian Pope, and his gifted but not less infamous 

 son, for the theme of one of his learned folios. He was a Master of 

 Arts, but whether of Old King's College, or of Marischal College, 

 Aberdeen, I have failed to ascertain. Among the subscribers who 

 patronise his famous folio we might be tempted to recognise the 

 favour extended to an alumnus of King's College, by the subscription 

 of " The Principal of the- University of Old Aberdeen " for two 

 copies, while the head of the rival University of the New Town 

 contents himself with one, but then it is " One Royal." Another of 

 his subscribers is " Thomas Blackwell, M.A., Greek Professor in the 

 Marischal University of Aberdeen," possibly his old instructor in 

 Hellenic literatiire ; but "John Ker, M.A., Greek Professor to the 

 University of Old Aberdeen," extends a like favour to the work; and 

 the name of its author was no rare one in the northern city on the 

 Dee. 



He was, I presume, a native of Aberdeenshire, but no record has 

 been recovered to tell of his family origin. Sundry Gordons figure 

 among the subscribers to his folio, and two of the most distinguished 

 of the name — The Honourable Sir William Gordon, of Invergorden, 



