Agnews of Lochnaw

596 SIR ANDREW AGNEW'S BROAD HINT. \j-7 47 •
pursuer with an ugly rush. The old soldier's guu was coolly
lowered, the bullet did its duty, whereupon he drily remarked
to the spectators, who now emerged from cover to assist —
" The loon that brags o'er rnickle is never a good fighter !" We
must in caudour mention, that traditionally it is always related
that after his first check " the general went into his castle and
put on his coat of mail," but this embellishment to the story
is hardly cousistent with the costume of the middle of the
eighteenth century.
The Sheriff's sayings and doings are the subject of innumerable
traditions. " To give one of Sir Andrew Agneids broad hints,"
was a proverbial expression a hundred years ago, the force of
which is exemplified by a story from a book of "facetiae,"
published toward the close of last century.
" Sir Andrew Agnew of Lochnaw, a well-known Scotch
baronet, was famous heretofore for giving what he called broad
hints. Having been long pestered by an impertinent intruder,
it was one day remarked to the baronet that he was fortunate in
having freed himself of Ins company, and he was asked how he
had contrived it. " Ah," he replied, " I was obliged to give the
loon a broad hint." " A broad hint ! " said the friend ; " why, I
thought he was one of those who would never take any hint."
" By my faith," rejoined Sir Andrew, " but he was forced to take
it ; for as the chiel wouldna gang out at the door, I just threw
him out at the window."
The Sheriff was temperate for his times, and often warned
his young officers against the retribution which sooner or later
must attend excess. " The Almighty," he would say, " has for-
gotten the man who can get drunk over night and have no
headache in the morning."
He had been bred in the true old British prejudice against
the French, and although he had served often upon French soil,
he hated the language and disdained to learn a word of it. Once
when on a visit to his daughter, Lady Bruce, being at church,
the minister in his discourse objected to the authorised transla-
tion of the text upon which he was preaching, and gave an