DEATH OF MR. ROBT. GRANT, OF DOUAI COLLEGE—ABBATE GRANT ALSO DIES—MURAL MONUMENT ERECTED BY HIS FRIENDS, THE EARL OF BUTE AND THE EARL’S BROTHER, STEWART M’KENZIE, LORD PRIVY SEAL—CHARACTER AND INFLUENCE OF THE ABBATE—ACCIDENT TO BISHOP HAY—BISHOP GEDDES AT FORDUN—THE CARDINAL DUKE OF YORK EVER MINDFUL OF SCOT­LAND—A REMARKABLE CONVERSION, THE REWARD OF BISHOP GEDDES’ FASCINATING PIETY—BISHOP GEDDES HIGHLY ESTEEMED—THE ANTI­QUARIAN SOCIETY—UNPLEASANT RESULTS OF “ECCENTRICITY”—BOTH CHURCHES OPEN—AT ABERDEEN DANGER OF A RIOT—BISHOP HAY’S ACCOUNT OF THE TROUBLE—INTOLERANCE—A CASE IN THE HIGHLANDS— TRYING LABOURS IN THE HIGHLANDS—NEW ATTACKS ON THE BISHOP— DEATH OF REV. WM. REID—BISHOP HAY’S LIBERALITY.

The death of Mr. Robert Grant, the Rector of Douai College, was a severe shock to his brother, the Abbate, agent of the Scotch Mission at Rome. When at Douai, on his way back to Rome, the Abbate proposed spending a few days with Principal Gordon, of the Scotch College at Paris. The eccentric Principal, however, to his great surprise and mortification, forbade him access to the College. There did not appear to be any cause for such rudeness. On the contrary, the Abbate had in former years done good service to the College, uniformly defending it against its enemies and calumniators. There had, indeed, been disputes between the Principal and the Scotch Bishops. But, Abbate Grant, living at a distance, had no part in them. Principal Gordon’s strange conduct appears to have been attributed, at the time, to aberration of mind. This is all the more probable, as his brother, it will be remembered, had to be taken care of, having become decid­edly insane.

The Abbate was in poor health when he arrived at Rome. Notwithstanding, instead of resting, as he would have required to do, after the fatigue of his journey and the trials he had experi­enced, he immediately began to visit his numerous friends. The consequence of this imprudence was a severe attack of dysentery and inflammation, which defied all remedies, and caused his death in the 74th year of his age (September 1st.) It is almost superfluous to say that, although habitually delirious during his illness, he availed himself of the lucid moments he enjoyed to receive the sacraments of the dying and make an edifying preparation for his latter end. He was buried in the parish church of Piazza Navona; and a mural monument in marble was erected to his memory in the church of the Scotch College by his intimate friends, the Earl of Bute and the Earl’s brother, James Stewart McKenzie, at the time, Lord Privy Seal. It will not be denied that the urbane manners and obliging disposition of the agent, Abbate Grant. were highly advanta­geous to Scotland. Many Englishmen of distinction, both Catholic and Protestant, were favour­ably impressed, and thought better of Scotland and the remnant of its ruined church, for the kind attention extended to them by the Abbate Grant. He was an honourable man, and an honour as well as an ornament to his country. He enjoyed, and most deservedly, throughout his forty-five years of office, the esteem and regard of the Bishops of Scotland. He was, also, in high favour with Pope Clement X IV.; and would probably have been raised to the dignity of Cardinal if that Pontiff had lived. Can we then honour too much the memory of the man who served his country so well, by discharging faithfully, and with credit, the duties of his office for nearly half a century; and who, finally died at his post?

In returning from Scalan Bishop Hay visited his Catholic friends at Aberlour on the Spey. While there, it happened that he fell on the stairs. At first the accident appeared to be slight, and gave him little trouble at the time. Afterwards, however, he complained of severe pain in his side which it occasioned, and which made it very difficult for him to write. He, in consequence, abandoned all composition. In other respects he was more fortunate. Mr. James Cameron came to Aberdeen to assist him, and not only relieved him of parochial duties, but also helped him with his correspondence. The Buchan mission was, at the same time, provided with a resident priest; and, in consequence, there was no longer any necessity for the Bishop’s fatiguing jour­neys to that district. Mr. James Robertson, O. S. B., had returned from the Scotch monastery at Ratisbon, and was appointed to the charge—an appointment which shews that the monastery was still efficient as a Scotch institution.

Bishop Geddes, after parting with the chief Bishop at Aberdeen, paid a visit, along with Mr. Menzies, of Pitfodels, at Monboddo. He was there, of course, a welcome visitor. He also went to Fordun in Kincardineshire—a place rendered forever memorable by the historian, Joannes Fordunensis. Being there, the Bishop could not fail to visit the church of St. Palladius. He describes it as romantic and venerable, adding that it called up in his mind many serious reflec­tions.

Allusion must sometimes be made to His Royal Highness, the Cardinal, Duke of York. He never failed to take an interest in the Church and Catholics of Scotland. He was particularly attentive to Mr. Thomson on occasion of Abbate Grant’s death. His attention was so marked that Bishop Hay considered himself called upon to address a letter of thanks to the good and eminent Cardinal. His Eminence had used his influence, and successfully, in order to obtain that the salary which Abbate Grant had enjoyed should be continued to Mr. Thomson, who succeeded him as agent. Bishop Hay looked upon this service as done not only to himself, but also to his colleagues and all the Catholics of Scotland. “I think it my duty,” he says in his letter of thanks, “to testify to your Royal Highness the grateful sense I have of this favour; and to return you my hearty thanks, both in my own name and in the name of all our body, as any act of kindness done to one we must consider as redounding to us all.”

A circumstance now occurred which admirably showed the power of charitable and conciliatory manners. This was a remarkable conversion, which, next to the grace of God, was due to the gentle piety of Bishop Geddes. Mr. Austin Jennison, once a member of the Society of Jesus, and chaplain to a noble family in the South of England, had renounced his faith and become noto­rious as a popular preacher, in connection with the Scotch Episcopalians, first at Aberdeen, and afterwards at Leith. It was his good fortune, however, to be restored to the fold. There is no record of any other outward means being employed in bringing about his reconciliation to the Church than the judicious and mild counsels of Bishop Geddes. He became penitent and reformed; giving proof of his sincerity by resigning his Protestant charge, which was a lucrative one. He also renounced the society of his wife, a lady of family, and of their three children. For all these ample provision was made; and he himself, with the concurrence of Bishop Talbot, the successor of Bishop Challoner, retired to the College of St. Omer, where he became Professor of Science. This position he retained till the year of the Revolution, 1793. He died abroad the following year.

Bishop Geddes was now at the height of his reputation in the society of Edinburgh. Among the learned of the day, particularly, he was popular and influential. The lively interest which he took in the Antiquarian Society, then recently founded, brought him into relation and correspondence with many persons of the highest distinction.

It was otherwise with Bishop Hay. That he should have been an object of dislike to Protestants is not astonishing. Proprium humani ingenii est odisse quem laeseris. They had wronged him too much ever to be able to bear him any good will. But, that any of the clergy, for whom he did so much—increasing their means of subsistence, raising them in public estimation, extending their influence, and, when through age or infirmity, they became incapable of duty, providing for their comfort—should have borne any ill-feeling against him, is wholly unaccountable. It is, indeed, true that the chiel parties who reviled him, writing satirical and malevolent letters, were affected with what is politely called eccentricity. Mr. John Reid and Mr. James Cameron, with others in Scotland, and Dr. Alex. Geddes, at London, took pleasure in this kind of correspond­ence, even writing to Bishop Geddes, sometimes, to the prejudice of his friend and superior. The odium excited by Mr. Jennison’s conversion and his consequent desertion of his family, fell wholly on Bishop Hay, although he had no part whatever in the matter, everything having been arranged by his coadjutor and Bishop Talbot.

On Christmas Eve both the chapels in Blackfriars’ Wynd were opened and were well filled. Several Protestants attended the mass in St. Margaret’s chapel. Nevertheless, everything passed off quietly. At Aberdeen the Catholics were less fortunate. It is well known that there prevailed among the Protestants of Scotland an idea that something extraordinary and awfully mysterious took place in Catholic churches on Christmas night. On the occasion in question curiosity led numbers to witness the proceedings at midnight mass. The crowd became so great that a serious riot was imminent during most of the night. The Bishop, in a letter to his coadjutor, gives a full account of all that occurred.

“On Christmas eve a great many strangers assembled in the close before the doors were opened, and were very noisy to get in; and when the doors were opened great numbers rushed in with our people. We behoved to give way, and when all were in, the outer gate was shut, and every­thing went on to the end with great quiet and tranquility within doors. But, without in the streets, great numbers gathered and increased, which, looking suspicious, some of ours that were there in waiting, informed the officer upon guard. But he, not daring to act without the civil magis­trate, went to the Provost and told him the suspected danger, desiring to send some peace officer along with him. But the Provost, who was then in a company of twelve gentlemen upon busi­ness, told he would go himself, and all the company went with him. When they came, and a party of the military along with them, the mob was become very numerous—some said about two or three thousand—and appeared very obstinate to get in, refusing to let the others approach; upon which the soldiers were ordered to present their bayonets and press on, which they did, and the mob retired so that the soldiers got possession of the gate. But, the mob still appearing very riotous, the Provost ordered the soldiers to seize whom they could, and put them in prison. This they did, and some the gentlemen who were with the Provost did the same, so that about sixteen were taken into custody; and the rest, seeing things turn into earnest, retired and dispersed. The Provost, however, ordered some soldiers to remain at the gate till all was over with us, and the gates should be shut, While all that was going on without doors, we were perfectly quiet within, and I knew nothing of the matter till next morning, when our door- keeper, who had been called upon by the Provost, came and told us the whole, and that His Lord­ship hoped I was not disturbed, and that he was to call for me himself by-and-bye. Hearing all this, I thought it proper to write His Lordship a letter expressing my concern for his trouble, with thanks, etc., and my wishes that nothing might be done to the prisoners, etc. This was given him when he was in council and several of the prisoners before him. He gave them a severe repri­mand, and told them he would have given them fifteen days’ imprisonment and a good fine, but that I, whom they wanted to injure, had interceded for them by letter, and on that account he would pardon them for this time, but, that they ought to go and thank me. Thus ended in peace this threatening storm; but, I fear, we shall be obliged to give up our midnight prayers on future occasions, not to give a handle to such dangers. Praying God to grant you a share of the blessings of this holy season, I remain, most honoured and dear sir,
Ever Yours in Dmo,
DAULEY.
(i. e., Geo. Hay, Bishop of Daulis.)
Aberdeen, 26th December, 1784.

Another disturbance at this time helped to show, as far as the spirit which it manifested could show, that Catholics could not yet rely on complete and uninterrupted toleration. This high prin­ciple was but little understood, notwithstanding all the light philosophy pretended to have shed on the eighteenth century. The disturbance referred to was the more remarkable, as it occurred in the Highlands, where Catholics were numerous, and consequently not without influence. A priest of the mission, Mr. Austin MacDonald, when visiting his scattered flock in Ardnamur­chan, had assembled a congregation on a week day, to hear mass. A great number of Protestants, and among the rest, an itinerant preacher, called Fraser, gathered around the place where the Catholics were assembled. The priest, observing this unusual gathering, set about retiring without celebrating mass. The preacher, meanwhile, assured him that he had nothing to fear, and that he himself and the other Protestants would wait quietly till the service was finished. As soon as Mr. MacDonald concluded, he and his people began to withdraw. This, however, the preacher would by no means permit, and insisted, notwithstanding all that was said in the way of expos­tulation and remonstrance, that the Catholics should remain until he finished his sermon. This proceeding of an obscure preacher, although insignificant and puerile in the extreme, was the cause, nevertheless, of much bad feeling on both sides. Some of the neighbouring ministers threatened to harass the Catholics with prosecution, and would have caused them considerable trouble but for the friendly interposition of Bishop Geddes, whose influence with the law authorities at Edinburgh protected the Catholics from all injury, and brought down a well-deserved reprimand on the officious and offending preacher.

The Highland district was suffering in other ways. It was ill supplied with priests, the Bishops having at times, with great fatigue, to supply the want. A young priest, only two years returned from college, was taken seriously ill; and at midnight, Bishop McDonald was called to visit him. The first part of the Bishop’s journey was long and fatiguing, through the snow on foot. He was then obliged to cross an arm of the sea in an open boat. This so affected his health that he doubted whether he should ever recover.

Bishop Hay, meanwhile, was annoyed by new signs of dissatisfaction among the clergy. Some of them who were to be appointed administrators, declared that they would not accept office. The Bishop, possessing the mens conscia recti, could not understand such opposition. “Is it some new persecution arising?” he wrote to his friend and coadjutor. “If so, God’s will be done.” And he continued, as usual his pastoral labours and visitations (1785). On Holy Saturday, March 26th, he lost one of his most valued priests, Mr. William Reid, who ended his long and useful life at Aberdeen. He had been engaged in the mission since 1759, and had always given proof of great piety, together with strong good sense. His death was, as his life had been, all edifying; and in death, as in life, he was honoured by his numerous friends.

It is matter of history that in his riper years Bishop Hay had not forgot his medical learning. We now find him using it for the benefit of the mission. It is on record that all moneys that came to him, even the profit arising from the sale of his books, were devoted to this object, which, through all his life, he had most at heart. He had invented a pill, which is known by his name, and is still used in the North in cases of slight indisposition. He hoped that this medicine also would come to be a source of income to the mission.

A question had arisen as to who should be liable for the expenses of a priest when called to Edin­burgh on public business. “When I was in your place,” the Bishop wrote to his coadjutor, “I never put a question of that kind to Bishop Grant, even in the first years, when I had little to spare. I considered what I had as destined by Providence, not simply for my food and raiment, but also for all necessary charges in executing the proper functions of my state. Besides, I knew that Bishop Grant could as ill spare it as I. But, as circumstances are different in that respect at present, in case you find it inconvenient, you are very welcome to place it to my account.”