WILLIAM BLACKHALL. Blackhall was M.A. of Marischal College in 1631. About Feb. 24, 1642, "Mr. William Blakhall, one of the regents of colledge Marshall, a prompt scoller, bred, borne, and brocht up in Aberdene, and never yit out of the countrie, refusit to subscrive the countrie covenant, as the rest did, quhairupone he was deposit of his regency; thairefter he leivit simply in sober maner within the toune. He is callit in suspition of poperie . . . efter sum answeris, at last he planelie and avovitlie declairit he wes ane Roman Catholik, and wold byd be the samen . . . excomvnicat vpone the 20th of Marche, syne leavis the countrie" (Spalding, ii. 103; plura in Gordon, Scots Affairs, iii. 129. For a fuller account of him and family, see Blackhalls of that Ilk and Barra, New Spald. Club, pp. 48, 49; 109, 110. For supposed connection with 'Mr. Thomas Blakhall and his wyf, both excomvnicat as papistis" (Spalding, ii. 281), and Gilbert Blackhall author of A Brieffe Narration, Spald. Club, 1844, see note by editor of Spalding, ii. 281. "It was proved by Alexander Blak, yr., and William Blakhall, burgesses of Aberdeen, that Mr. William Blakhall [the deposed regent], now in the University of Bromberrie, within the Dukedom of Spruce, is lawful son to the late Robert Blakhall, burgess of Aberdeen, and Elspet Schand, his spous; and is linealy descended on the father's side of the Lairds of Blakhall, of that ilk, and of the Lairds of Ury, Hay; and on the mother's side is lawfullie descended from the Laird of Petfoddels, Reid, and Menzies of Durne, within the fourth degree on both sides " (Records of Burgh of Aberdeen, 16th April, 1647). FOR WILLIAM, EARL MARISCHAL. William Keith, sixth Earl Marischal, son of the founder of Marischal College. As his father had been lamented in the 1623 Lachrymae Academiae Mareschallanae (Aberd. Quater. Stud. Bibliography, p. 391), and the Oratio Funebris of the same year by Ogston; the son now in 1635 received the same tribute in the volume published by Raban. It bears the title: Lachrymae Academiae Mareschallanae in obitum Illustrissimi Comitis Mareschalli, Wilhelmi, Nobilissimi Kethorum Familiae Principis, D. à Kethet Altre, etc., patroni ac Maecenatis sui munificentissimi, Qui obiit die 28 Octob. Anno Domini, 1635. Aetatis vero 50. Aberdoniæ, Imprimebat Edwardus Rabanus, Anno 1635. Pp. 20. The contributors are Arthur Johnston, David Wedderburn, John Ray, William Aidie, William Blackhall, and Robert Downie, whose verses will be found under their names; Arthur Johnston's in Fasti Acad. Mar. ii. p. 5. A unique copy of the Raban volume is in the Signet Library, Edinburgh, from which a transcript was made. For the ratification of his father's Foundation Charter, on 7th Oct. 1623, and for his portrait by Jameson, see Fasti Acad. Mar. i. 190. For his reception, as Earl Marischal, of Charles I., in Edinburgh, 1633, see Spalding, i. 38. "The sixth Earl had such an eye for the picturesque (and unpractical) that he indulged (in 1634) in the fantastic project of the equipping a fleet for Vladislas VII. of Poland—a Kingdom then, as now, the Ireland of mid Europe" (Aberd. Quater. Stud. p. 66). ARGUMENT. I see the Muses in mourning, Melpomene with her locks dishevelled, in amazement, with her tear-stained cheeks, filling the air with her loud cries. Tell me, Muse, what is the cause? Not far from this to the South is the right ample home of the ancient race, raised aloft on its proud rock. Some years back there shone forth a glorious hero worthy of his sires; we hoped he would be for ever with us, but vain were our prayers. He has fallen. Within thirteen revolutions of the sun since his father's death, the son follows, but in a different way. Failing strength had not beset him, nor were there white hairs round his active brow, his body was vigorous and comely. None so active as he. He has, however, fallen in mid-life, like the upturning of a deep-rooted forest. Meanwhile, the descent of the race is amply provided for; unwed yet, he is not at home to pay the last rites to his father's shade, and lay his bones in earth, seeking abroad to tread in his grandsire's steps and pursuing wisdom. Besides, he (William) was not yet equal to his father (George, founder of Marischal College); that had been allotted to his old age, for can any one doubt that like sons spring from noble fathers? Barren ash trees spring not from vines. Virtue, ever growing with his growing years, afforded pledges of his future lot, never puffed up with fortune, never despising the needy, but in speech affable to all, ever sparing of his words. Such were his growing virtues, but now death ends all. I do not from his end prepare to impeach fate, nor does my mind presume to carp at the Sisters Three. My prayers are directed to God, the ruler of the world. By thy will has he been removed, our place is not to ask why, nor does the skill of the mind of man grasp so high designs. Why strive to know what I may not know? All thou dost is holy, which alone sufficeth. The rest I wisely know not, and I will not proudly pry into it. Thy glory shines in all thy works, so let the nations praise Thee for ever. IN WILHELMUM, COMITEM MARESCHALLUM. [Lachrymae Academiae Mareschallanae, Aberd. Raban, 1635.] Aspicio nigra torpentes veste Camenas, Melpomenen video turbatis lege capillis, Attonitam, madidisque genis, clamoribus auras Complentem querulis nudataque pectora pugnis Plangentem geminis; caelum clamore remugit, Est domus antiquae sedes amplissima gentis, Gloria, Maecenas hinc noster maximus audit Restabant nonnulla tamen, nam dives honorum, Multigenae, iustumque tulit mortalibus aevum Praefixum, gnatumque virum puerumque nepotem Liquerat, haeredem geminum, spem gentis utrumque. Extremum; sed nunc tanti solaminis exsors Obtigit eventus, sua ni solatia nobis Dent lachrymae ; manans habet et sua gaudia fletus. Aethera dant purum: sic turbida pectora forte Cum tres atque decem nondum post fata parentis Innocuum quisquam sine sanguine vulnus agebat, Concidit ille tamen medio labefactus in aevo. Et Sophiam sequitur. Non ille pericula laetus Dum coram videant ipsum qui pristina reddat Praeterea nondum varios aequabat honores 85 90 95 100 105 ΠΙΟ 115 120 Consimiles foetus? Steriles nec vitibus orni In cunctos facilis, parcus licet usque loquendi. Consilii causas; tua sunt sublimia nobis Gesta nimis: quod scire nefas cur scire laborem ? |