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August, indeed, rests wholly on the testimony of the father, which there is not the smallest reason to doubt. I am sensible that many of the circumstances which I have mentioned may appear to be unnecessarily minute, or even altogether unimportant; but, in detailing so remarkable a case, I did not think myself qualified or entitled to select according to my own judgment; and considered it to be my business as a reporter, merely to relate, as clearly and correctly as possible, whatever was observable in the situation of the patient. I have noted, also, her previous employment, the places where she resided, and some of the individuals who attended to her case, partly to render the account more intelligible, and partly to enable others to make further inquiries for themselves. I may mention farther, in case you may not be aware of the circumstance, that there is a similar case recorded in the Transactions of the Royal Society of London for 1705, vol. xxiv. p. 2177. Yours, &c.

To Dr. Brewster.

JAS. BREWSTER.

MARGARET LYALL, a young woman about twenty-one years of age, daughter of John Lyall, shoemaker in the parish of Marytown, served, during the winter half-year preceding Whitsunday 1815, in the family of Peter Arkley, Esq. of Dunninald, in the parish of Craig. At the last mentioned term, she went as servant to the Rev. Mr Foote of Logie; but, in a few days after entering her place, was seized with a slow fever, which confined her to bed rather more than a fortnight. During the latter part of her illness she was conveyed to her father's house; and, on the 23d of June, about eight days after she had been able to leave her bed, she resumed her situation with Mrs Foote, who had, in the mean time, removed to Budden, in the parish of Craig, for the benefit of seabathing. She was observed, after her return, to do her work rather in a hurried manner; and, when sent upon any errand, to run or walk very quickly, as if impatient to finish whatever she had in hand. Her health, however, appeared to be perfectly restored, except that her menses were obstructed. On Tuesday morning, June 27th, about four days after her return to service, she was found in bed in a deep sleep, with the appearance of blood having

flowed from her nose; and about half a Scotch pint of blood was perceived on the floor, at her bed-side. All attempts to awaken her were utterly ineffectual: and she was conveyed in a cart to her father's house, about half a mile distant from Budden. Dr Gib

son, physician in Montrose, having been called, a pound of blood was taken from her arm; but she still remained in the same lethargic state, without making the slightest motion, or taking any nourishment, or having any kind of evacuation, till the afternoon of Friday, the 30th day of June, when she awoke of her own accord, and asked for food. At this period she possessed all her mental and bodily faculties; mentioned distinctly, that she recollected her having been awakened on Tuesday morning at two o'clock, by a bleeding at her nose, which flowed very rapidly; said, that she held her head over the bed-side till the bleeding stopped; but declared, that from that moment she had no feeling or remembrance of any thing, and felt only as if she had taken a very long sleep. An injection was administered with good effect, and she went to sleep as usual; but, next morning, (Saturday July 1,) she was found in the same state of profound sleep as before. Her breathing was so gentle as to be scarcely perceptible, her countenance remarkably placid, and free from any expression of distress; but her jaws were so firmly locked, that no kind of food or liquid could be introduced into her mouth. In this situation she continued for the space of seven days, without any motion, food, or evacuation either of urine or fæces. At the end of seven days she began to move her left hand; and, by pointing it to her mouth, signified a wish for food. She took readily whatever was given to her, and shewed an inclination to eat more than was thought advisable by the medical attendants. Still, however, she discovered no symptoms of hearing, and made no other kind of bodily movement than that of her left hand. Her right hand and arm, particularly, appeared completely dead and devoid of feeling, and even when pricked with a pin, so as to draw blood, never shrunk in the smallest degree, or indicated the slightest sense of pain. At the same time, she instantly drew back the left arm, whenever it was touched by the point of the pin. She continued to take

food, whenever it was offered to her;
and when the bread was put into her
left hand, and the hand raised by an-
other person to her mouth, she imme-
diately began to eat slowly, but unre-
mittingly, munching like a rabbit, till
it was finished. It was remarked, that
if it happened to be a slice of loaf which
she was eating, she turned the crust
when she came to it, so as to introduce
it more easily into her mouth, as if
she had been fully sensible of what
she was doing. But when she had
ceased to eat, her hand dropped upon
her chin or under lip, and rested there,
till it was replaced by her side, or upon
her breast. She took medicine, when
it was administered, as readily as food,
without any indication of disgust; and,
in this way, by means of castor oil and
aloetic pills, her bowels were kept
open; but no evacuation ever took
place without the use of a laxative.
It was observed, that she always gave
a signal, by pushing down the bed-
clothes, when she had occasion to make
any evacuation. The eye-lids were
uniformly shut, and, when forced
open, the ball of the eye appeared
turned upwards, so as to shew only
the white part of it. Her friends
shewed considerable reluctance to al-
low any medical means to be used for
her recovery; but, about the middle of
July, her head was shaved, and a large
blister applied, which remained nine-
teen hours, and produced an abundant
issue, yet without exciting the small-
est symptom of uneasiness in the pa-
tient. Sinapisms were also applied to
her feet, and her legs were moved
from hot water into cold, and vice
versa, without any appearance of sen-
sation. In this state she remained,
without any apparent alteration, till
Tuesday the 8th day of August, pre-
cisely six weeks from the time when
she was first seized with her lethargy,
and without ever appearing to be
awake, except, as mentioned, on the
afternoon of Friday the 30th of June.
During the whole of this period, her
colour was generally that of health;
but her complexion rather more de-
licate than usual, and occasionally
changing, sometimes to paleness, and
at other times to a feverish flush.
The heat of her body was natural;
but, when lifted out of bed, she ge-
nerally became remarkably cold. The
state of her pulse was not regularly
marked; but, during the first two
weeks, it was generally at 50; du-

as at

ring the third and fourth week, about
60; and, on the day before her re-
covery, at 70 or 72; whether its in-
crease was gradual, was not ascertained.
She continued, during the whole pe-
riod, to breathe in the same soft and
almost imperceptible manner
first; but was observed occasionally,
during the night time, to draw her
breath more strongly, like a person
who had fallen asleep. She discover-
ed no symptoms of hearing, till about
four days before her recovery; when,
upon being requested (as she had of-
ten been before, without effect) to
give a sign if she heard what was said
to her, she made a slight motion with
her left hand, but soon ceased again
to shew any sense of hearing. On
Tuesday forenoon, the day of her re-
covery, she shewed evident signs of
hearing; and by moving her left hand,
intimated her assent or dissent in a
tolerably intelligent manner; yet, in
the afternoon of the same day, she
seemed to have again entirely lost all
sense of hearing. About eight o'clock
on Tuesday evening, her father, a
shrewd intelligent man, and of a most
respectable character, anxious to avail
himself of her recovered sense of hear-
ing, and hoping to rouse her faculties
by alarming her fears, sat down at
her bed-side, and told her that he had
now given consent, (as was in fact
the case,) that she should be removed
to the Montrose Infirmary; that, as
her case was remarkable, the doctors
would naturally try every kind of ex-
periment for her recovery; that he
was very much distressed, by being
obliged to put her entirely into their
hands; and would "fain hope" that
this measure might still be rendered
unnecessary, by her getting better be-
fore the time fixed for her removal.
She gave evident signs of hearing him,
and assented to his proposal of having
the usual family-worship in her bed-
room. After this was over, she was
lifted into a chair till her bed should be

*

Lest it might be supposed, that this procedure of the father implied a suspicion on his part of some deception being practised by the young woman, it may be proper to state, that it was suggested by his own experience in the case of another daughter, who had been affected many years before in dance, or, as it is termed in this country, a very extraordinary degree with St Vitus's "The louping ague;" and who was almost instantaneously cured by the application of

terror.

made; and her father, taking hold of her right hand, urged her to make an exertion to move it. She began to move first the thumb, then the rest of the fingers in succession, and next her toes in like manner. He then opened her eye-lids, and presenting a candle, desired her to look at it, and asked, whether she saw it. She answered, "Yes," in a low and feeble voice. She now proceeded gradually, and in a very few minutes, to regain all her faculties; but was so weak as scarcely to be able to move. Upon being interrogated respecting her extraordinary state, she mentioned, that she had no knowledge of any thing that had happened; that she remembered, indeed, having conversed with her friends at her former awakening, (Friday afternoon, 30th of June) but felt it a great exertion then to speak to them; that she recollected also having heard the voice of Mr Cowie, minister of Montrose, (the person who spoke to her on the forenoon of Tuesday the 8th of August,) but did not hear the persons who spoke to her on the afternoon of the same day; that she had never been conscious of having either needed or received food, of having been lifted to make evacuations, or of any other circumstance in her case. She had no idea of her having been blistered; and expressed great surprise, upon discovering that her head was shaved. She continued in a very feeble state for a few days, but took her food nearly as usual, and improved in strength so rapidly, that on the last day of August she began to work as a reaper in the service of Mr Arkley of Dunninald; and continued to perform the regular labour of the harvest for three weeks, without any inconvenience, except being extremely fatigued the first day.

After the conclusion of the harvest, she went into Mr Arkley's family, as a servant; and on the 27th day of September, was found in the morning by her fellow-servants in her former state of profound sleep, from which they were unable to rouse her. She was conveyed immediately to her father's house, (little more than a quarter of a mile distant), and remained exactly fifty hours in a gentle, but deep sleep, without making any kind of evacuation, or taking any kind of nourishment. Upon awakening, she arose apparently in perfect health,

took her breakfast, and resumed her work as usual at Dunninald. On the 11th of October, she was again found in the morning, in the same lethargic state; was removed to the house of her father, where she awoke as before, after the same period of fifty hours sleep; and returned to her service, without seeming to have experienced any inconvenience. At both of these times her menses were obstructed. Dr Henderson, physician in Dundee, who happened to be on a visit to his friends at Dunninald, prescribed some medicines suited to that complaint; and she has ever since been in good health, and able to continue in service.*

(Signed) JAS. BREWSTER, Minister of Craig.

I hereby certify the preceding account of my daughter Margaret's illness and recovery to be correct in every circumstance, according to the best of my recollection.

(Signed) JOHN LYAL.

We hereby attest, That the abovementioned particulars in the extraordinary case of Margaret Lyall, are either consistent with our personal knowledge, or agreeable to all that we have heard from the most creditable testimony.

PETER ARKLEY of Dunninald.
A. FERGUSON, Minister, Maryton.
WM. GIBSON, Physician, Montrose.

* On the morning of September 21, 1816, Margaret Lyall, whose case is described above, was found in an out-house at Dunninald, hanged by her own hands. No cause could be assigned for this unhapру act. Her health had been good since the month of October 1815; and she had been comfortable in her situation. It was thought by the family, that a day or two preceding her death, her eyes had the appearance of rolling rather wildly; but she had assisted the day before in serving the table, and been in good spirits that evening. On the following morning she was seen to bring in the milk as usual, and was heard to say, in passing rather hurriedly through a room, where the other maids were at work, that something had gone wrong about her dairy; but was not seen again till she was found dead about half an hour af ter. She is known to have had a strong abhorrence of the idea of her former distress

recurring; and to have occasionally mani fested, especially before her first long sleep, the greatest depression of spirits, and even disgust of life.

ANTIQUARIAN REPERTORY.

GRANT OF THE LANDS OF KYRKENES

To the Culdees of Lochleven, by Macbeth son of Finlach, and Gruoch daughter of Bodhe, King and Queen of Scotland.

[This ancient document, which we have extracted from the chartulary of St Andrews, may be regarded as a curiosity not only as relating to the history of the Culdees and the far-famed Macbeth, but also on account of the savage story of the "Saxum Hiberniensium."

Qualiter Machbet filius Finlach et Gruoch dederunt Sancto Servano Kyrkenes.

MACHBET filius Finlach contulit pro suffragiis orationum, et Gruoch filia Bodhe, Rex et Regina Scotorum, Kyrkenes, Deo Omnipotenti et Keledeis prefate insule Lochleune, cum suis finibus et terminis. Hii enim sunt fines et termini de Kyrkenes, et uillule que dicitur Porthmokanne: de loco Moneloccodhan usque ad amnem qui dicitur Leuine; et hoc in latitudine: Item, a publica strata que ducit apud Hinhirkethy, usque ad Saxum Hiberniensium; et hoc in longitudine.

Et dicitur Saxum Hiberniensium, quia Malcolmus Rex, filius Duncani, concessit eis salinagium quod scotice dicitur Chonnane. Et venerunt Hiberniensis ad Kyrkenes, ad domum cujusdam vire nomine Mochan, qui tunc fuit absens, et solummodo mulieres erant in domo, quas oppresserunt violenter Hiberniensis; non tamen sine rubore et verecundia: rei etiam even

tu ad aures prefati Mochan pervento, iter quam citius domi festinauit, et inuenit ibi Hibernienses in eadem domo cum matre sua. Exhortatione etenim matri sue sepius facta ut extra domum ueniret (que nullatenus uoluit, sed Hibernienses uoluit protegere, et eis pacem dare); quos omnes prefatus uir, in ultione tanti facinoris, ut oppressores mulierum et barbaros et sacrilegos, in medio flamme ignis, vnacum matre sua, uiriliter combussit; et ex hac causa dicitur locus ille Saxum Hiberniensium.

WRIT OF PRIVY SEAL

In favour of Johnne Faw, Lord and Erle of Litill Egypt,' granted by King James the fifth, Feb. 15th 1540. (Referred to at page 45.)

JAMES be the grace of God, King of Scottis: To oure Sheriffis of Edinburgh principall and within the constabularie of Hadingtoun, Berwick, Roxburgh, &c. &c. provestis, aldermen, and baillies of our burrowis and cieteis of Edinburgh, &c. &c. greting: --Forsamekill as it is humilie menit and schewin to Ws, be our louit Johnne Faw, Lord and Erle of Litill Egipt, That quhair he obtenit oure lettres vnder our grete seile, direct to yow all and sindry oure saidis shereffis, stewartis, baillies, prouestis, aldermen, and baillies of burrois; and to all and sindry vthiris havand autoirite within our realme, to assist to him in executioun of justice vpon his folkis conforme to the lawis of Egipt, cumpany and and in punissing of all them that rebellis aganis him: Neuirtheles, as we tiane, ane of the said Johnis cumpany, ar informyt, Sebastiane Lalow, Egipwith his complices and part takaris vndir written, that is to say, Anteane Donea, Satona Fingo, Nona Finco, Phillip Hatseyggaw, Towla Bailyow, nard Beige, Demeo Matskalla (or Grasta Neyn, Geleyr Baillyow, BerMacskalla), Notfaw Lawlowr, Martyn Femine,* rebellis and conspiris aganis the said Johnne Faw, and hes removit thame alluterly out of his company, and takin fra him diuerss soumes of gudis, to the quantite of ane grete, money, jowellis, claithis, and vtheris soume of money; and on na wise will pass hame with him, howbeit he hes biddin and remanit of lang tyme vpoun

*The names of the thirteen Egyptians referred to at page 46, who obtained a remission for the slaughter of Ninian Smaill, in 1553-4, are as follows:-" Andro Faw, capitane of the Egiptianis, George Faw, Robert Faw, and Anthony Faw, his sonis"

"Johnne Faw, Andro George Nichoah, George Sebastiane Colyne, George Colyne, Julie Colyne, Johnne Colyne, James Haw, (Ex Registro Prioratus Sancti Andreæ, Johnne Browne, and George Browne, Egip

fol. 51, a.)

VOL. I.

tianis."

I

thame, and is bundin and oblist to bring hame with him all thame of his cumpany that ar on live, and ane testimoniale of thame that ar deid; And als the said Johnne hes the said Sebastianis obligatioun, maid in Dunfermling befor oure Maister Houssald, that he and his cumpany suld remane with him, and on na wyse depart fra him, as the samyn beris; In contrar the tenor of the quhilk, the said Sebastiane, be sinister and wrang informatioun, fals relatioun, and circumventioun of ws, hes purchest our writingis, dischargeing him, and the remanent of the personis abone written, his complicis and part takeris of the said Johnis cumpany, and with his gudis takin be thame fra him, causis certane our liegis assist to thame and thair opinionis, and to fortify and tak thair part aganis the said Johnne, thair lord and maister; Sua that he on na wyse can apprehend nor get thame, to haue thame hame agane within thair awin cuntre, eftir the tenour of his said band, to his hevy dampnage and skaith, and in grete perrell of tynsell of his heretage, and expres aganis justice: OURE will is heirfor, and we charge yow straitlie, and commandis, that incontynent, thir our lettres sene, ye, and ilkane of yow, within the boundis of your offices, command and charge all our liegis, that nane of thame tak upon hand to resett, assist, fortify, supplie, manteine, defend, or tak part with the said Sebastiane and his complices abone written, for na buddis, nor uthir way, aganis the said Johnne Faw, thair lord and maister; Bot that thai, and ye, in likewyse, tak and lay handis upoun thame quhaireuir thay may be apprehendit, and bring thaim to him, to be punist for thair demeritis, conforme to his lawis; and help and fortify him to puniss and do justice upoun thame for thair trespasses; and to that effect len to him youre presonis stokis, fetteris, and all uther things necessar thereto, as ye and ilk ane of yow, and all utheris owre liegis, will ansuer to ws thairupon, and under all hieast pane and charge that efter may follow; Sua that the said Johnne haue na caus of complaynt heirupoun in tyme cuming, nor to resort agane to us to that effect, notwithstanding ony our writingis, sinisterly purchest, or to be purchest, be the said Sebastiane in the contrar; And als charge all our liegis, that nane of thaim molest, vex, inquiet, or trouble the said Johnne Faw

and his company, in doing of thair lefull besynes, or utherwayes, within our realme, and in their passing, remanyng, or away-ganging furth of the samyn, under the pane abone written; And siclike, that ye command and charge all skipparis, maisteris, and marinaris, of all schippis within our realme, at all portis and havynnis quhair the said Johnne and his cumpany sall happen to resort and cum, to ressave him and thame thairin, upoun thair expensis, for furing of thame furth of our realme to the partis beyon sey; as yow, and ilk ane of thame siclike, will ansuer to ws thairupoun, and under the pane forsaid. Subscruit with oure hand, and under oure privie seile, at Falkland, the fivetene day of Februar, and of oure regne the xxviii yeir. Subscript. per Regem. (Ex Registro Secreti Sigilli, vol. xiv. fol. 59.)

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ACT OF PRIVY COUNCIL

Anent some Egyptianis.' (Referred to at page 48.)

Apud Ed. 10 Novembris 1636. FORSAMEIKLE as Sir Arthure Douglas of Quhittinghame haveing latelie tane and apprehendit some of the va gabound and counterfut thieves and limmars, callit the Egyptians, he pre

sentit and deliverit thame to the Shireff principall of the shirefdome of Edinburgh, within the constabularie of Hadinton, quhair they have remained this month or thereby; And quhairas the keeping of thame longer, within the said tolbuith, is troublesome, and burdenable to the toune of Hadinton, and fosters the saids theives in ane opinion of impunitie, to the incourageing of the rest of that infamous byke of lawles limmars to continow in thair theivish trade; Thairfore the Lords of Secret Counsell ordans the Sheriff of Hadinton, or his deputs, to pronunce doome and sentence of death aganis so manie of thir counterfoot theives as are men, and aganis so manie of the weomen as wants children; Ordaning the men to be hangit, and the weomen to be drowned; and that suche of the weomen as hes children to be scourgit throw the burgh of Hadinton, and brunt in the cheeke; and ordans and commands the provest and baillies of Hadinton to caus this doome be execute vpon the saids persons accordinglie.

(Ex Registro Secreti Concilii.)

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