Curiously enough, a different version of Dr. Pitcairn's dream is in
existence. Several anecdotes about the doctor are prefixed, in
manuscript, to a volume of his Latin poems, which was shown to Dr.
Hibbert by Mr. David Laing, the well-known historian and
antiquarian. Dr. Hibbert says: 'The anecdotes are from some one
obviously on terms of intimacy with Pitcairn'. According to this
note Robert Lindsay, a descendant of Sir David Lindsay of the Mount,
was at college with the doctor. They made the covenant that
'whoever dyed first should give account of his condition if
possible'. This was in 1671, in 1675 Lindsay died, while Pitcairn
was in Paris. On the night of Lindsay's death, Pitcairn dreamed
that he was in Edinburgh, where Lindsay met him and said, 'Archie,
perhaps ye heard I'm dead?' 'No, Roben.' The vision said he was to
be buried in the Grey Friars, and offered to carry Pitcairn to a
happy spiritual country, 'in a well sailing small ship,' like
Odysseus.. Pitcairn said he must first see his parents. Lindsay
promised to call again. 'Since which time A. P. never slept a night
without dreaming that Lindsay told him he was alive. And, having a
dangerous sickness, anno 1694, he was told by Roben that he was
delayed for a time, and that it was properly his task to carry him
off, but was discharged to tell when.' {300} Dr. Hibbert thinks
that Pitcairn himself dictated this account, much more marvellous
than the form in which Wodrow received the story.
Leaving a solitary Jacobite vision, for a true blue Presbyterian
'experience,' we learn that Wodrow's own wedded wife had a pious
vision, 'a glorious, inexpressible brightness'. The thought which
came presently was, 'This perhaps may be Satan, transforming himself
into an angel of light'. 'It mout or it moutn't.' In 1729, Wodrow
heard of the ghost of the Laird of Coul, which used to ride one of
his late tenants, transformed into a spectral horse. A chap-book
containing Coul's discourse with Mr. Ogilby, a minister, was very
popular in the last century. Mr. Ogilby left an account in
manuscript, on which the chap-book was said to be based. Another
ghost of a very moral turn appeared, and gave ministers information
about a case of lawless love. This is said to be recorded in the
registers of the Presbytery of Fordoun, but Wodrow is vague about
the whole affair.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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