* * * * *

XI.--To MR. JAMES BURNESS, WRITER, MONTROSE.

MOSSGIEL, _3rd August_ 1784.

MY DEAR SIR,--I ought in gratitude to have acknowledged the receipt of
your last kind letter before this time, but, without troubling you with
any apology, I shall proceed to inform you that our family are all in
good health at present, and we were very happy with the unexpected
favour of John Caird's[6a] company for nearly two weeks, and I must say
it of him that he is one of the most agreeable, facetious, warm-hearted
lads I was ever acquainted with.

We have been surprised with one of the most extraordinary phenomena in
the moral world, which, I dare say, has happened in the course of this
half century. We have had a party of Presbytery relief, as they call
themselves, for some time in this country. A pretty thriving society of
them has been in the burgh of Irvine for some years past, till about two
years ago a Mrs. Buchan from Glasgow came among them, and began to
spread some fanatical notions of religion among them, and in a short
time made many converts; and among others their preacher, Mr. Whyte,
who, upon that account, has been suspended and formally deposed by his
brethren. He continued, however, to preach in private to his party, and
was supported, both he, and their spiritual mother, as they affect to
call old Buchan, by the contributions of the rest, several of whom were
in good circumstances; till, in spring last, the populace rose and
mobbed Mrs. Buchan, and put her out of the town; on which all her
followers voluntarily quitted the place likewise, and with such
precipitation that many of them never shut their doors behind them; one