Page:Life memoirs & pedigree of Thomas Hamilton Dickson.pdf/14

 still a hale, good-looking man, and possesses excellent health, which, I hope, may long continuccontinue [sic].

His colleague, the celebrated Sir Henry Moncrieff, was a man of a very different character. He was haughty, proud, and aristocratic. If any one went to his noble mansion, for the purpose of getting married, or desiring baptism, the answer generally was, "O, I am much engaged at present, go to Mr. Dickson, you will be sure to find him in, and he will likely be at liberty;" but if any great person, rich in worldly possessions, went to him, the case was very different. Men and women servants then flew in every direction, ready to serve and obey. One of his oldest elders, a very decent, religious, and intelligent man, was one fine summer evening taking a quiet walk in the neighbourhood of Edinburgh. At a lonely part of the road, which was very narrow, he met Sir Harry, and took off his hat for the purpose of saluting him, when the latter walked on, and took no notice of him. The elder was so confident that he could not but see him, that he called a meeting of the session, and charged him with disrespect, unbecoming the office which he occupied. The case was fully investigated, but his Reverence brought himself off by saying that he must have been in deep meditation, and on that account alone did not observe him. But it was thought at the time, that the case would have been very different had the complainant been a rich man. Sir Henry was a great Whig, and an