Page:A biographical dictionary of eminent Scotsmen, vol 2.djvu/218

512 and nation, cemented by the covenant, was dislocated by the unhappy deed known as the Engagement, in 1648, Cant, as might have been expected from his zeal and fidelity, stood consistently by the covenanting as now distinguished from the political party. When General David Leslie was at Aberdeen in November, 1650, on an expedition against some northern insurgents, he was visited by Messrs Andrew Cant, elder and younger, ministers of Aberdeen, who, amongst many other discourses, told the lord general, "that wee could not in conscience asist the king to recover his crowne of England, but he thoughte one kingdome might serve him werey weill, and one crowne was eneuche for any one man; one kingdome being sufficieut for one to reuell and governe." Balfour's Annals, iv. 161.

In the year 1660, a complaint was presented to the magistrates, charging Mr Cant with having published Rutherford's celebrated book, entitled Lex Rex, without authority, and for denouncing anathemas and imprecations against many of his congregation, in the course of performing his religious duties. A variety of proceedings took place on this question before the magistrates, but no judgment was given; Mr Cant, however, finding his situation rather unpleasant, withdrew himself from his pastoral charge, removed from the town with his wife and family, and died about the year 1664.

A clergyman, named Mr Andrew Cant, supposed to have been son to the above, was a minister of Edinburgh during the reign of Charles II., and consequently must have been an adherent of episcopacy. He was also principal of the University between the years 1675 and 1685. The same person, or perhaps his son, was deprived of his charge in Edinburgh, at the Revolution, and, on the 17th of October, 1722, was consecrated as one of the bishops of the disestablished episcopal church in Scotland. This individual died in 1728.

How far it may be true, as mentioned in the Spectator, that the modern word Cant, which in the beginning of the last century was applied to signify religious unction, but is now extended to a much wider interpretation, was derived from the worthy minister of Aberdeen, we cannot pretend to determine. The more probable derivation is from the Latin cantus, singing or chanting.

We have some further anecdotes of Mr Cant in Wodrow's Analecta, or private memorandum book; a valuable manuscript in the Advocates' Library.

"Mr David Lyall, who was formerly a presbyterian minister, was ordained by the presbytery of Aberdeen, Mr Andrew Cant being at that time moderator. He afterwards complied with episcopacy, and was the man who intimated the sentence of Mr Andrew Cant's deposition, who was present in the church hearing him, and immediately after he had done it, it's said Mr Cant should have spoken publicly to him in the church in these words, 'Davie, Davie, I kent aye ye wad doe this since the day I laid my hands on your head.' He [Mr Lyall] was afterwards minister of Montrose, and had ane thundering way of preaching, and died at Montrose about 10 or 12 years agoe. It's said that some days before his death, as he was walking in the Links, about the twilight, at a pretty distance from the town, he espyed, as it were, a woman all in white standing not far from him, who immediately disappeared, and he coming up presently to the place saw no person there, though the Links be very plain. Only, casting his eyes on the place where she stood, he saw two words drawn and written, as it had been with a staff upon the sand—';'—upon which he came home very pensive and melancholy, and in a little sickens and dyes. What to make of this, or what truth is in it, I cannot tell ; only 1 had it from a minister who lives near Montrose, Mr J. G.—i. 149.

"Mr Andrew Cant, in Aberdeen, was a violent royalist, and even when the English were there, he used to pray for our banished king, and that the Lord would deliver him from the bondage of oppressors. One day in the time of the