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ART. VI.-Account of David Ritchie, the original of the Black

Dwarf.

[The public feeling is alive to all that issues from the prolific genius of the author of Rob Roy, &c. and connects with whatever is illustrative of his works, the eagerness of curiosity and the attention of interest. Under this impression we give place to the following account of THE BLACK DWARF, which it will be remembered is the first of Tales of my Landlord' by the same author, extracted from the Edinburgh Magazine, a work that seems occasionally employed as the organ to afford to his countrymen elucidations on the more prominent topics of the author's ingenuity.]

THE singular person of whose real history and condition we now propose to detail a few particulars, has already excited the curiosity and contributed to the entertainment of the public in no ordinary degree, under the fictitious character of the BLACK DWARF. Of Ritchie's being the real prototype of that marvellous misanthrope, we do not profess to entertain even the shadow of a doubt. Under that view he has been already described, evidently from high authority, in the Quarterly Review-and also in the Edinburgh Monthly Magazine for June, by a correspondent who has since communicated to us some further curious and well authenticated information, which corroborates in general his former account, and which, with materials from other sources, enables us to present our readers with the following details.

David Ritchie, commonly called Bowed Davie, was born at Easter Happrew, in the parish of Stobo, Peeblesshire, about the year 1749. His father, William Ritchie, a labouring man, was employed for many years in the slate quarries at that place, as was also one of his sons, who was older than David. The name of our hero's mother was Niven. David used to say, that his deformity was owing to ill-guiding in his childhood; but this was not credited, and he is understood to have been mis-shapen from his birth. Whether his peculiar temper arose entirely from this cause or from original disposition, it appears at least to have displayed itself at a very early age; and his father used to observe, that,' he was born either to slay or be slain.' He was never more than a few months at school, but he had learned to read English very well. He was sent to Edinburgh when young to learn the trade of a brush-maker; but his extraordinary figure attracted so much notice, that he soon left this city in disgust and retired to his native hills.

How he subsisted on his return to the country we have not heard, but some time afterwards, probably on the death of his father, he attracted the notice of sir James Nasmyth; and being now settled in the parish of Manor, he formed the plan of erecting a cottage for himself on the grounds of that gentleman, whose permission he seems to have readily obtained. He fixed upon a spot of ground at the bottom of a steep bank on the farm of Woodhouse. The benevolent proprietor directed his servants to lend him what assistance he might require, and gave him possession of the ground rent-free. The dwarf required but little assistance. With incredible labour and perseverance, he first cleared the space to be occupied by his hut and a small garden; scooping out for that pur

pose a large recess in the side of the hill,which, rising abruptly, formed on the one side a natural wall to the garden. The rest of it was inclosed partly by a wall of considerable height, and partly by the cottage, which occupied another of the sides. The walls both of the garden and the hut were chiefly built by Davie himself, of such materials as the spot afforded. Though without mortar, they were very solid, and were formed of alternate layers of large stones and turf. Having covered the cottage with a neat thatchroof, and constructed a small door, and a few rude pieces of household furniture, he proceeded to the cultivation of his garden, in which he displayed very considerable taste, as well as industry. In a short time he contrived to stock it with a few fruit trees, and with all sorts of flowers, herbs, and culinary vegetables which could be procured in the neighbourhood. His manner of working is described, by persons who used to visit him, as exceedingly laborious. Being unable to make any use of his feet in digging, he had a spade so contrived, that he could force it down with his breast; the rest of the labour was performed entirely by means of his arms and hands, in which he possessed great strength. He also procured some beehives, and planted a bower of willows and rowantree; and by degrees his little hermitage exhibited a very striking contrast to the slovenly kail-yards of the neighbouring peasants, and looked more like a fairy bower than a wizard's den. It soon came to be resorted to by visiters, being accounted, with its inhabitant, one of the most interesting curiosities of the country. The late venerable professor Ferguson used sometimes to visit Davie, and also, it is said, some other individuals of high literary celebrity. The cultivating, ornamenting, and showing off this little spot, formed his chief occupation and greatest pleasure. He reared a great profusion of flowers for his more elegant visiters, and chamomile, rhubarb, and other medicinal herbs, for his homely neighbours. He also supplied the tables of some gentlemen in the neighbourhood with honey. His bees, along with a dog and cat, of all which he was very fond, formed the whole of his live stock. This original cottage falling into disrepair, sir James Nasmyth ordered a new one, consisting of two separate dwellings under one roof, to be erected for him and his sister, in 1802, at a short distance from the former. This was constructed by masons under Davie's directions; but he built the new garden wall almost entirely with his own hands. His sister wished to have one outer door common to both apartments; but he insisted on having two separate ones, as they appear at present. The house was, accordingly, divided by a complete partition. Davie's door is about three feet and a half high, and he could stand upright below the lintel. It has a small chink for a window, with wooden shutters. He would not admit of glass in it. Mr. Ballantyne, the present farmer of Woodhouse, enlarged the garden at the same time; which addition it took Davie a whole year to put in order to his liking. He turned up the soil two feet and a half deep, clearing it of large stones, &c. His sister and he having frequently quarrelled, a sort of estrangement

took place between these two lonely beings. The sister, though no way deformed in her person, was never capable of regular employment from a degree of mental aberration. They were long the only persons in the parish, who received support from the poor's funds. The dwarf, however, derived the chief part of his subsistence from the gratuitous contributions of the neighbouring farmers and gentry, most of whom he occasionally visited. Davie's meal-pock also hung constantly in the mill, and every person who had a melder ground allotted a small portion of it for his use. These resources, together with occasional presents from strangers who visited his dwelling, and the vegetables which he produced by his horticulture, sufficed for all his little wants. The pecuniary donations he received were chiefly expended on snuff, which was almost his only luxury, and one in which he indulged to excess. He kept a whiskey bottle, too, and occasionally sold a little for some years, but was never known to be too free in the use of it himself. He died in December 1811, after an illness of three days. According to his own account, he was about 71 years of age at the time of his death; but it is believed that he was several years older. He had become very penurious in the latter part of his life. Although subsisting entirely on charity, about L. 20 was found in his chest at his death, the half of which was restored to the parish.

The garden still retains marks of its orginal neatness, but is now totally unpruned. His sister who is younger than Davie by some years, has become a good deal more deranged in her mind since his death. She never passes the night in the cottage, but resides there through the day, and sleeps at the farmer's, Mr. Ballantyne of Woodhouse. Of late a great many strangers call at the cottage, from whom she has received many charitable offerings. She cannot understand the cause of their great curiosity concerning her brother's history. She said to a friend of ours who visited the place a few weeks ago What gars folk speer sae mony questions about us? Our parents were mean, but there was nae ill anent them.'

We are enabled to present our readers with the following sketch of Davie's singular physiognomy, from an original drawing taken some time before his death by a very accomplished person who lived for many years in habits of frequent and familiar intercourse with him, and which we believe is a striking likeness. It will be found to differ in some slight particulars from the description of the novelist, who of course, was under no obligation to adhere rigidly or uniformly to his original materials in the delineation of either mental or physical qualities; yet the force and felicity with which he has in general transferred to his glowing canvass, not only the more striking characteristics, but often the minutest details, is altogether wonderful. So far as regards personal beauty, however, poor Davie has no great cause to complain of the appearance he exhibits, when arrayed in the wizard mantle of the Black Dwarf. The couplet in which Pope describes sir Richard

Blackmore, seems no longer hyperbolical when applied to Bowed Davie.

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His eyes, however, which were black, are said to have been fine. Of the rest of his person no accurate sketch, we believe, has ever been taken. It was still more remarkable, however, than his visage, and after many minute inquiries, we have no hesitation in adopting, almost without variation, the words of his fictitious historian, who, in the following description, is allowed to have given a pretty exact and unexaggerated portrait. His body, thick and square, like that of a man of middle size, was mounted upon two large feet; but nature seemed to have forgotten the legs and the thighs, or they were so very short as to be hidden by the dress he wore. His arms were long and brawny, furnished with two muscular hands, and, when uncovered in the eagerness of his labour, were shagged with coarse black hair. It seemed as if nature had originally intended the separate parts of his body to be the members of a giant, but had afterwards capriciously assigned them to the person of a dwarf, so ill did the length of his arms and the iron strength of his frame, correspond with the shortness of his stature.' His height was about three feet and a half. His skull, which was of an oblong and rather unusual shape, was of such strength that he could strike it with ease through the pannel of a door or the end of a tar-barrel. His laugh is said to have been quite hor

rible; and his screech-owl voice, shrill, uncouth, and dissonant, corresponded well with his other peculiarities.

There was nothing very uncommon about his dress. He usually wore an old slouched hat when he went abroad; and when at home, a sort of cowl or nightcap, such as he is here represented with. He never wore shoes, being unable to adapt them to his mis-shapen fin-like feet, but always had both feet and legs quite concealed, and wrapt up with pieces of cloth. He always walked with a sort of pole or pike-staff considerably taller than himself.

His habits were in many respects singular, and indicated a mind sufficiently congenial to its uncouth tabernacle. A jealous misanthropical, and irritable temper, was his most prominent characteristic. The sense of his deformity haunted him like a phantom; and the insults and scorn to which this exposed him, had poisoned his heart with fierce and bitter feelings, which, from other traits in his character, do not appear to have been more largely infused into his original temperament than that of his fellow men. He detested children, on account of their propensity to insult and persecute him. To strangers he was generally reserved, crabbed, and surly, and though he by no means refused assistance or charity, he, on many occasions, neither expressed nor exhibited much gratitude. Even towards persons who had been his greatest benefactors, and who possessed the greatest share of his good will, he frequently displayed much caprice and jealousy. A lady, who knew him from her infancy, and who has furnished us in the most obliging manner with some particulars respecting him, says, that although Davie showed as much respect and attachment to her father's family as it was in his nature to show to any, yet they were always obliged to be very cautious in their deportment towards him. One day having gone to visit him with another lady, he took them through his garden, and was showing them with much pride and good humour, all his rich and tastefully-assorted borders, when they happened to stop near a plot of cabbages which had been somewhat injured by the caterpillars. Davie observing one of the ladies smile, instantly assumed his savage scowling aspect, rushed among the cabbages, and dashed them to pieces with his kent, exclaiming, 'I hate the worms, for they mock me.'

Another lady, likewise a friend and old acquaintance of his, very unintentionally gave him mortal offence on a similar occasion. Throwing back his jealous glance, he fancied he saw her spit at him. Am I a toad, woman! that ye spit at me-that ye spit at me!' he exclaimed with fury, and without listening to any answer, he drove her out of his garden with imprecations and insult. When irritated by persons for whom he entertained little respect, his misanthropy displayed itself in words and sometimes actions of still greater rudeness. He would then utter the most shocking imprecations, swear he would cleave them to the harn-pans' if he had but his cran fingers on them,' &c.

A farmer in the neighbourhood went one night, out of a frolic, to frighten Divie, but paid pretty dearly for his joke. He had assumed

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