20 ALEXANDER GORDON, THE ANTIQUARY. 



There is no question where Scott obtained the materials which he 

 turned to such choice account. It would be vain, indeed, to hunt 

 in the grave pages of the Itinerarkwi for Edie Ochiltree's prototype. 

 Yet it is in immediate sequence to a learned discussion about King 

 Gald, or Galdus, and the transformation of his name into that of 

 the Scottish hero, that he tells us : " they have a tradition that from 

 the Fort of Ardoch to a place on the opposite side of the water, 

 called the Keir. there is a subterranean passage in which there are 

 old treasures hid. This tradition, which perhaps is very ground- 

 less, is kept up by two or three of the bardish verses which are 

 handed from father to son, time out of mind : — 



From the camp of Ardoch 



To the grinnin hill of Keir, 

 Are nine kings' rents 



For seven hundred year. 



I was much diverted," adds Gordon, " with some old astrological 

 stuff which one of the inhabitants had from his great grandf^ither, 

 directing his posterity, by certain obscure cyphers, to find out the 

 treasure. I should not have mentioned the tradition had I not 

 called to mind the story of King Arthur's body, which was dis- 

 covered by some old vei*ses of the bards ; and if there bo any trea- 

 sure, I believe it may be Roman medals, or such kind of antiquities.'^ 

 After all the diversion which our antiquary professes to have derived 

 from the credulity of the rustics of Strathallan, it is obvious that 

 he could have been as easily lured by some mischief-loving Edie 

 Ochiltree to try the powers of his "old astrological stuff," as the 

 German adept in his search for the treasures of Misticot's grave. 

 If he could only, with the help of magic formulae or diviner's rod, 

 have hit upon the spot, there is no questioning his readiness to have 

 dug up the " nine kings' rents" in medals and other Roman ware, 

 as genuine as the bonnet-pieces and testoons dug up in the ruins of St. 

 Ruth. " Eh, sirs," exclaims the old Bluegown, " but human nature's 

 a wilful and wilyard thing ! Is it not an unco lucre o' gain wad 

 bring this Dousterdivel out in a blast o' wind like this, at twal 

 o'clock at night, to thir wild gousty wa's 1 — and amna I a bigger 

 fule than himsel' to bide here waiting for him 1 " 



But Mr. Alexander Gordon was no knavish adept. He merits all 

 the praise of an honest and painstaking antiquary, who diligently 

 travelled and studied for himself; and has preserved for us records 



