. Biggar and the House of Fleming: an account of the Biggar district, archaeological, historical, and biographical. or the long period of fifty years. Hisappearance was striking; his stature, as already stated, was con-siderably above the usual size; his aspect was fierce and com-manding, and manifested no symptom of the usual humilityand condescension of a mendicant; and a curious old hat, withthe brim cocked up, which he invariably wore, gave him asemi-military air. Several wallets, including his meal-pocks,hung round him and were partially concealed by a plaid; and thestaff, or kent, by whi
. Biggar and the House of Fleming: an account of the Biggar district, archaeological, historical, and biographical. or the long period of fifty years. Hisappearance was striking; his stature, as already stated, was con-siderably above the usual size; his aspect was fierce and com-manding, and manifested no symptom of the usual humilityand condescension of a mendicant; and a curious old hat, withthe brim cocked up, which he invariably wore, gave him asemi-military air. Several wallets, including his meal-pocks,hung round him and were partially concealed by a plaid; and thestaff, or kent, by which he supported himself in the course of hisperegrinations, was fully two yards in length, and of corre-sponding strength. No person in the Biggar district carried soformidable a kent, with exception perhaps of James Forrest,who dwelt at Langlees, and was famed for his love of parritch,and his strong antipathy to potatoes, which he constantlydenounced as vile roots, unfit to be mens meat. Thefollowing engraving, which is taken from a print publishedduring the mendicants life by a bookseller in Paisley, gives a. 42G BIGGAR AND THE HOUSE OF FLEMING. tolerably fair representation of his usual appearance when hewas greatly advanced in years, and shortly before he abandonedfor ever the scene of his wanderings. The print was takenfrom a sketch made by a young man, son of Mr Robert Hamil-ton, factor to theEarl of Hyndford, at Maulsdlie Castle. Jamesentertained a strong aversion to the idea of having his likenesstaken, and resisted all efforts to induce him to sit for this pur-pose. This object, in the end, was gained by stratagem. Inthe course of his rounds, he came to the locality where MrHamilton resided, and, on calling at one of his favourite houses,was invited into the kitchen, and some bread and cheese anda stoup of whisky set before him. Young Hamilton was con-cealed in a closet, which commanded a view of the place wherethe mendicant sat, and thus was enabled to take a corrects
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1860, bookpublisheredinb, bookyear1867
