Tracts, legal and historical

137
famous and well allied, they can reflect neither credit
or discredit upon the Scottish Napiers.
Of the two individuals above mentioned — the
sons of the supposed Alexander — Sir Robert Na-
pier of Luton-hoo, was a Turkey merchant in the
reign of James I ; and Richard Napier of Linford,
his brother, — " the warlock of Oxford." The
former, it was said at court, could not count three
generations, but upon being knighted (previous to
taking a baronetcy,) was assured by that Prince,
in his usual characteristic manner, that he was a
gentleman of old standing. 1 Sir Walter Scott here
shrewdly observes, not much to the satisfaction of
Mr. Napier, " that the British Solomon tendered
his evidence thus readily, because his palm itched
for the baronet's fees." 2 The learned gentleman,
while charging Sir Walter with ignorance, owing
to this remark, positively affirms that these two
Napiers, and the inventor of logarithms, were near
relatives — nay, even " brother's sons" — which cir-
cumstance, he rightly adds, is not generally known ; 3
— in this event, they would be sons of a younger
brother, (although a nonentity, it is conceived) of
Sir Archibald, the inventor's father, and grand-
sons of Alexander Napier of Merchiston. It would
have been highly obliging if Mr. Napier had conde-
1 " By my saul," &c — See Memoirs, p. 6.
2 lb. p. 7, note. 3 Ibid, and p. 238.