396

CHAPTER XIV.

REMARKABLE PUBLIC CHARACTERS.

They were a marvellous set of individuals, my Lord.
Their qualities were various."

ANON.

"Take them for all in all, we ne'er shall look upon their like again!"'

SHAKSPEARE.

THE " Public Characters" who have attracted the notice of their fellow-citizens from time to time during the last eighty years, have combined in their composition every possible shade of oddity. They have one and all belonged to that class whom the world designate by the name of " queer;" and now that they have completely disappeared from amongst us, let us endeavour to hold up to view their "form and pressure."

ELSPETH BUCHAN.

This individual, the founder of a sect of modern fanatics, was one of the public characters of Glasgow

about sixty years ago. She was born in 1738. She was the daughter of John Simpson, the keeper of an inn, situated half way between Banff and Portsoy, and in her 22d year she went to Glasgow, and entered into service. There she married Robert Buchan, one of her master's workmen, by whom she had several children. Although educated an Episcopalian, she adopted, on her marriage, the principles of her husband, who was a Burgher Seceder. Afterwards, interpreting some passages in the Bible in a strictly literal sense, about the year 1779, she began to promulgate many singular doctrines in the city and country in general, and not only brought over to her notions Mr. Hugh White, a Relief minister at Irvine, but principally through his agency converted many other persons. In April 1784, the populace in Irvine rose, assembled round Mr. White's house, and broke all the windows, when Mrs. Buchan, and the whole of her converts, to the number of forty-six, immediately left the town, and proceeding through Mauchline, Cumnock, Sanquhar, and other places, settled at last at a farm house near Thornhill, Dumfries-shire, the outhouses of which they purchased. The Buchanites had a a purse in common, and the whole of their attention was devoted to what they called living a holy life. Mrs. Buchan kept up the delusion to the last. Although her husband remained in Glasgow, in the Burgher Secession communion, she never inquired after him. She died about the beginning of May, 1791. On her death-bed, this wretched impostor called her followers together,

and told them she had still one secret to communicate, which was, that she was the Virgin Mary, and the same woman mentioned in the Revelation as being clothed with the sun, &c.; and that though she now appeared to die, they need not be discouraged, for in a short time she would return and conduct them to the New Jerusalem. After her death, her credulous disciples would neither dress her corpse nor bury her, until compelled by the authorities. After that they dispersed, and nothing more was heard of them.

MACKEAN THE MURDERER.

The individual whose existence is remembered by this designation, was a public character of Glasgow near the close of last century, and lived in the High-Street.

He had no family but his wife, who, like himself, was considerably beyond the meridian of life. The couple were very poor, but, in the opinion of all who had opportunities of judging, a worthier couple were not to be found in the whole city. Every night before retiring to rest they were accustomed to raise their voices in prayer and "psalmody" to the giver of all good ;-tune there was almost none,-but the low, articulate, quiet chaunt, had something so impressive and solemnizing about it, that those who heard them missed not melody. James himself was a hard-working man; and like most of his trade, had acquired a stooping attitude, and a dark, saffron hue of complexion. His close cut greasy black hair suited admirably a set of strong, massive iron

features. His brow was seamed with firm, broad drawn wrinkles, and his large grey eyes seemed to gleam when he deigned to uplift them, with the cold haughty independence of virtuous poverty. James was a rigid Cameronian, indeed; and every thing about his manners spoke the world-despising pride of his sect. His wife was a quiet, good body, and seemed to live in perpetual adoration of her stern cobbler.

It was on the 25th of October, 1796, that the occurrence took place which hands his name down to desecration. On that day he had fallen in with Buchanan, the Lanark carrier, and had invited him to his house in the evening to take "a dish of tea" before his departure homewards. Whether or not a sinister motive lurked in the mind of Mackean in tendering the invitation, or whether the murderous design was an after-thought, is immaterial; for certain it is, this Cameronian after entertaining his guest and setting him into a comfortable snooze, slipped behind and cut his throat from ear to ear with a razor, and afterwards coolly decamped with the filthy lucre which the honest carrier had about him. The hue and cry" having been raised, search was made in every part of the town for the murderer, but in vain. Next day, however, traces of him were discovered. He had gone to Irvine and embarked on board of a vessel setting sail for Ireland. The officers immediately hired a small brig, and sailed also. A violent gale arose, and drove them for shelter to the Isle of Arran. They landed, the second night after they had left Irvine,

on that bare and desolate shore-they landed, and behold, the ship they were in pursuit of at the quay!

The captain acknowledged at once that a man corresponding to their description had been one of his passengers from Irvine he had gone ashore but an hour ago.

They searched-they found Mackean seated in a house, his Bible in his hand. The instant he saw them he said, "You need not tell me your errand-I am he you seek-I am James Mackean, that murdered Andrew Buchanan. I surrender myself your prisoner. God told me but this moment that ye would come and find me ; for I opened his word, and the first text that my eye fell upon was this." He seized the officer by the hand, and laid his finger upon the page,-"see you there?" said he, "do you see the Lord's own blessed decree? Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed.' And there," he added, plucking a pocket-book from his bosom, "there, friends, ye'll find the haill o' the siller for which I yielded up my soul to the temptation of the Prince of the power of the air!"

At his trial, which took place at the following assizes, when any circumstance of peculiar atrocity was mentioned by a witness, he signified, by a solemn shake of his head, his sense of its darkness and its conclusiveness; and when the judge, in addressing him, enlarged upon the horror of his guilt, he, standing right before the bench, kept his eye fixed with calm earnestness on his lordship's face, assenting now and then to the propriety of what he said by exactly that sort of see-saw gesture