J. F. Campbell Collection > Celtic gleanings, or, Notices of the history and literature of the Scottish Gael

LECTURE III. 99
mount importance that he should be well in-
formed ; and in no way was this so likely to be
secured as by making the office he held heredi-
tary ; and it was well worth the while to sacri-
fice occasionally the poetic fire to the more
prosaic, but more important, qualifications of an
accurate genealogist. In like manner as to
hereditary physicians, there were at the time
few medical schools, if any, in the kingdom, and
the only likelihood of securing physicians at all
was by investing them with a hereditary office.
The son might obtain in the school of his father
the science and skill not to be found elsewhere,
and might be led to take pains in acquiring
these by the hope of succeeding to his father's
office.
The Beatons or Bethunes, or, as they style
themselves, M'Veaghs (M'Beths), are better
known than the M' Leans. There were several
branches of them. It has indeed been main-
tained that Cardinal Beaton was of the race.
They themselves, in a family tree contained in
an old MS. of theirs still in existence, trace
themselves up to Neil of the nine hostages, King
of Ireland. How long they were physicians
cannot well be known ; but they can be traced
back, by means of existing documents, for 350
years from the middle of last century. The