reason to rely upon the supplementary information the volume contains, as Herd's acquaintance with Scottish history and biography was very extensive and accurate. In one of the _Notes Ambrosianæ_ (_Blackwood's Magazine_, September, 1832), a highly extravagant version is given of Urquhart's death. It is intended to be humorous, but is merely flat and silly. Only those can smile at it who have been trained up to believe that the _Notes_ contain exquisite humour, and who have, therefore, been accustomed to welcome passages from it as mirth-inspiring. The statement made in this mention of Urquhart, that his death was caused by excessive alcoholic celebration of the happy event of the Restoration, is utterly baseless and offensive; and it is a pity that in Allibone's _Dictionary_ and in the _Dictionary of National Biography_ this article in _Blackwood's Magazine_ should be referred to as one of the sources of information concerning Urquhart. The author of it had not access to any other account of Sir Thomas's death than that given in the above-mentioned edition of the Tracts. [130] _Acts of Parliament_, vii. 70. [131] _Inverness Sasines._ The date when Sir Alexander Urquhart received knighthood seems to be approximately fixed by the fact that in a grant under the Privy Seal of 5th March, 1661, he is called Alexander, and in a notice of him of the 29th of the same month and year he appears as Sir Alexander (_Acts of Parliament_, vii. 93). From the fact that in this year the succession to the estates and hereditary Sheriffship of Cromartie were entered upon by his cousin Sir John Urquhart of Craigfintray, it was taken for granted by the editor of the Tracts (Edinburgh, 1774) that Sir Alexander had died. This error is repeated by Hugh Miller, and by most of those who have made any reference to him. He was still alive in 1667, for during that year he sold his salmon fishings in Over-rak and the King's Water to John Gordon (see also _Acts of Parliament_, vii. 537). He is spoken of as _quondam_ in a charter of certain lands which had belonged to him, 19th June, 1668. His cousin, Sir John Urquhart, received knighthood about the same time; at least he appears in Parliament as Sir John, 1st January, 1661 (_Acts of Parliament_, vii. 4). [132] "There was the Bluidy Advocate Mackenyie, who, for his worldly wit and wisdom, had been to the rest as a god" ("Wandering Willie's Tale" _Redgauntlet_, chap. xi.).