The upper and lower portions of the glass furnish another drinking anecdote.  A very greedy old lady employed another John Colquhoun to cut the grass upon the lawn, and enjoined him to cut it very close, adding, as a reason for the injunction, that one inch at the bottom was worth two at the top.  Having finished his work much to her satisfaction, the old lady got out the whisky-bottle and a tapering wineglass, which she filled about half full; John suggested that it would be better to fill it up, slily adding, “Fill it up, mem, for it’s no like the gress; an inch at the tap’s worth twa at the boddom.”

But the most whimsical anecdote connected with the subject of drink, is one traditionary in the south of Scotland, regarding an old Gallovidian lady disclaiming more drink under the following circumstances:—­The old generation of Galloway lairds were a primitive and hospitable race, but their conviviality sometimes led to awkward occurrences.  In former days, when roads were bad and wheeled vehicles almost unknown, an old laird was returning from a supper party, with his lady mounted behind him on horseback.  On crossing the river Urr, at a ford at a point where it joins the sea, the old lady dropped off, but was not missed till her husband reached his door, when, of course, there was an immediate search made.  The party who were despatched in quest of her arrived just in time to find her remonstrating with the advancing tide, which trickled into her mouth, in these words, “No anither drap; neither het nor cauld.”

A lady, on one occasion, offering a dram to a porter in a rather small glass, said, “Take it off; it will do you no harm,” on which the man, looking at the diminutive glass, observed, “Harm!  Na, gin it were poushon” (poison).

I would now introduce, as a perfect illustration of this portion of our subject, two descriptions of clergymen, well known men in their day, which are taken from Dr. Carlyle’s work, already referred to.  Of Dr. Alexander Webster, a clergyman, and one of his contemporaries, he writes thus:—­“Webster, leader of the high-flying party, had justly obtained much respect amongst the clergy, and all ranks indeed, for having established the Widows’ Fund....  His appearance of great strictness in religion, to which he was bred under his father, who was a very popular minister of the Tolbooth Church, not acting in restraint of his convivial humour, he was held to be excellent company even by those of dissolute manners; while, being a five-bottle man, he could lay them all under the table.  This had brought on him the nickname of Dr. Bonum Magnum in the time of faction.  But never being indecently the worse of liquor, and a love of claret, to any degree, not being reckoned in those days a sin in Scotland, all his excesses were pardoned.”

Dr. Patrick Cumming, also a clergyman and a contemporary, he describes in the following terms:—­“Dr. Patrick Cumming was, at this time (1751), at the head of the moderate interest, and had his temper been equal to his talents, might have kept it long, for he had both learning and sagacity, and very agreeable conversation, with a constitution able to bear the conviviality of the times.”