History of the Fife Pitcairns

476 THE FIFE PITCAIRNS.
daughter of the Rev. James Nisbet and Mary Pitcairn,
his mother's sister.
There was little to note of his life at Gladsmuir until
I 745> when Scotland was in the unhappy throes of civil
war, and when he and Dr Carlyle with other friends took
part in the defence of Edinburgh. In the Autobiography
of Dr Alexander Carlyle of Inveresk there are some
amusing descriptions of the expeditions and adventures he
and his friend Dr Robertson went through together ; and
by the kind courtesy of Messrs Wm. Blackwood & Sons I
am allowed to quote the following extracts. The first is
in 1745, when, having volunteered for the protection of
Edinburgh, Dr Carlyle, Dr Robertson, and other friends
met to receive their instructions from the commanding
officer in the College Yards : —
When we were dismissed from the College Yards we were ordered
to rendezvous there again in the evening, as night guards were to be
posted round the whole city. Twelve or thirteen of the most intimate
friends went to a late dinner to a Mrs TurnbulPs, then next house
to the Tron Church. Many things were talked of with great freedom,
for the company were William M'Ghie, William Cleghorn, William
Robertson, John Home, Hugh Ballantine, and I. 1
We endeavoured to engage as many as we could to meet us at
Haddington, and there deliberate what was to be done, as we con-
jectured that, now that the town of Edinburgh had surrendered, Sir
John Cope would not land nearer than Dunbar. Upon being asked
by two of my friends what I was to do — namely, William Robertson
and William Cleghorn — I told them that I meant to go that night
to my father's at Prestonpans, where, if they would join me next
day, by that time events might take place that would fix our resolu-
tion. Our ardour for arms and the field was not abated. 2
About mid-day I grew anxious for the arrival of my two com-
panions, Cleghorn and Robertson. I therefore walked out on the
road to Edinburgh, when, on going as far as where the turnpike
is now, below Drummore, I met with Robertson on horseback,
who told me that a little way behind him was Cleghorn and a
cousin of his own, a Mr Fraser of the Excise, who wished to ac-
company us to Sir John Cope's camp, for it was now known that
he was to land that day at Dunbar, and the city of Edinburgh
had been surrendered early that morning to the Highland army.
1 Autobiography of Dr Carlyle, p. 120. 2 Ibid., p. 124.