Page:Scotish Descriptive Poems - Leyden (1803).djvu/17

 come known in a wider circle. His first publication was a Dramatic Essay, on the subject which he afterwards more fully developed in his tragedy of Earl Douglas. This little work was inscribed to Archibald Duke of Douglas, and was probably the occasion of his introduction to that nobleman, the circumstances of which were rather romantic. On this occasion, his Grace desired Mr. Wilson to sit down with him and drink a glass of wine. After the second glass, the Duke arose very abruptly, rushed into a closet, immediately appeared with a brace of pistols, and with a stern countenance walked thrice around the astonished bard, who fortunately had sufficient presence of mind to show no external sign of fear. His Grace observing no symptom of terror in his countenance, calmly replaced the pistols, sat down at table, and assuming a pleasant countenance, drank Mr. Wilson's health, and informed him that this singular conduct had been assumed to try the firmness of his mind, and to discover whether he had imbibed the opinion of the Duke's mental derangement, which was