FRIENDSHIP OF MGR. ERSKINE—BISHOP GEDDES JOURNEY TO THE ORKNEYS— HE DINES WITH THE MAGISTRATES OF KIRKWALL—VISITS CULLODEN MOOR— 600 MILES OF WALKING—THE EFFORT TOO GREAT—THE “BEGINNING OF THE END”—THE NEW CHURCH AT PRESHOME OPENED ON PENTECOST SUNDAY, MAY 23RD, 1789—CONCERN ABOUT THE SCOTCH COLLEGE AT PARIS— DISORDER AT DOUAI—SCRUPLES OF MR. MENZIES—BOOKS REQUIRED BY BISHOP HAY—DESIRE FOR LARGER CHURCHES—REQUEST OF BISHOP M’DONALD FOR A COADJUTOR—500 CATHOLICS GONE TO PRINCE EDWARD’S ISLAND—600 MORE TO FOLLOW—A PRIEST APPOINTED FOR P. E. ISLAND— BISHOP HAY KINDLY RECEIVED BY THE DUKE OF GORDON AND THE EARL OF FINDLATER—A FRIENDLY EPISCOPALIAN MINISTER—A PROPOSAL OF MGR. CAMERON, RECTOR AT VALLADOLID, REJECTED.

It afforded much consolation to Bishop Geddes at this time to receive a complimentary letter from Monsignor Erskine, by which the worthy prelate showed his friendly recollection of his former schoolfellows who were now in Scotland. He desired to be recalled to the kind and affec­tionate remembrance of Bishop Geddes, and prayed him when he should see Bishop Hay or any of his ancient comrades, to express to them his best wishes and compliments.

Bishop Geddes’ many occupations could not divert him from his purpose of visiting for their comfort, his converts in the Orkneys. Bishop Hay was rather averse to his undertaking so long a journey, and doubted even whether Orkney were in the Lowland district. He did not, however, offer any hindrance and gave him the benefit of his prayers, wishing him a safe journey and a speedy return. He left Glasgow June 11th, in the evening, and passing through the romantic scenery of Stirlingshire and Perthshire, reached Fort Augustus on Lochness, in about ten days. While reading his office among the wild mountain passes of the Grampian range, his pious soul seemed to perceive new meaning in the words of the three children, Benedicite montes et colles domino. At the same time he was greatly distressed to observe the desolation of wide tracts of country, lately depopulated to make way for sheep farms. In Inverness-shire he found an old friend, a sister of Rev. John Reid, who was married to a sheep farmer, with whom he spent a pleasant Sunday. From Fort Augustus he passed through Glenmoriston and Strathglass; thence, by Fasnakyle, to Beauly, where he entered Ross-shire. By Dingwall and Tain he skirted along the coast to John O’Groat’s house, the most northern point of the Scotch mainland, which he reached on the last day of June, without fatigue and in excellent health. He crossed the Pentland frith on July 1st, when a walk of ten or twelve miles interrupted by two smaller ferries, brought him to the mainland of Orkney, whence he crossed over to Kirkwall early in the morning of the following day. The weather was extremely fine, and before sailing for the Island of Sanda, where his friends resided, he wrote to Bishop Hay a narrative of his journey up to that date. “Just now,” he says in his letter, “from the table where I write, I have the Cathedral, quite entire, over against me. What reflections! He hoped to reach Sanda the same evening, and then, on the festival of the Visitation, to begin his visit to his friends, on the most northerly spot he ever expected to reach.” On his arrival at Sanda, the most northern but one of the Orkney Islands, the good Bishop found his friends in deep distress. Mr. Trail, the husband of one of them, was dangerously ill of fever. In eight days he became speechless, but was still in possession of all his senses. He took the Bishop’s hand and kissed it, expressing a desire that he would pray with him. These signs, together with the sick man’s well known esteem for the Catholic religion, encouraged the Bishop to give him absolution, and he soon after expired. The very delicate circumstances of the Bishop’s visit had prevented him from speaking sooner to his host. Besides, Mr. Trail’s brother, a minister, was daily expected to arrive from Westra. He was not without hope, nevertheless, that his presence had been of some service to the soul of his host, although at the last moment. He was able at least to give some consolation to the bereaved lady, who with her little girl, three years of age, and her sister, Miss Chapman, in the course of a few weeks, bade adieu to Orkney and took up her residence at Edinburgh.

It says much for the improving spirit of the time that the Bishop, on his return, dined with the magistrates of Kirkwall and was entertained by them with the greatest civility. He had the pleasure also to meet there some of his Edinburgh friends, who had arrived for the election. It is well known that the accomplished prelate was interested in everything connected with the history of his native land. It is no matter of surprise, therefore, that he spent some two or three hours on the fateful moor of Culloden. In the first week of August he was with Bishop Hay at Scalan. In less than eight weeks he had walked, as nearly as may be calculated, six hundred miles. The effort was too great. He was unwilling to admit it; but his friends observed that he had sustained serious and lasting injury from over exertion. It was “the beginning of the end” of an unusually bright career. Once more only active service on behalf of the mission was in store for him; then years of growing infirmity and severe suffering, which he bore with all the patience of a martyr, and then his well-won rest.

The new church at Preshome was now complete, and solemnly opened on Pentecost Sunday, May 23rd.

The good Baronet of Letterfourie, who had done so much towards forwarding the building did not live to enjoy the fruit of his zealous labours. He was found dead in bed on the morning of 30th of April. Mr. Mathieson had seen him two days before his death, when he never seemed in better health, or more full of plans and projects. They remained in conversation till midnight. The funeral was attended by the Duke of Gordon, the Earl of Findlater and sixteen other gentlemen. Although Bishop Hay at one time pronounced the plan of the new church a romantic scheme, he now acknowledged, after having examined the completed building, that it was indeed a beautiful house and well executed. He sincerely prayed God to grant long and peace­able possession. No church of the like pretentions had been erected in Scotland since the “Refor­mation.” In the elegance and spaciousness of its internal proportions, it remains unsurpassed even till now by any other building of the kind in the country. A tablet over the principal entrance, towards the west, intimates its dedication, Dec. 1788, the year in which the foundation stone was laid.

The revolution of France, which was now in progress, caused great anxiety to the Bishops on account of the college property held there. Mr. Farquarson represented so strongly the imminent danger of losing the Scotch establishment at Douai, that Bishop Hay, at his request, addressed the Bishop of the diocese, recommending the college to his protection. As regarded the college at Paris, Principal Gordon took steps such as were to be expected of him, by which he showed his determination to acknowledge no dependence on the Scotch Bishops. He communicated directly with the British Government. In consequence of his application, a despatch was addressed by the Duke of Leeds to Lord Robert Fitzgerald, the British charge d’affaires in Paris, instructing him to present a memorial to the French Government, if circumstances should render it necessary, on behalf of the Scotch College, Paris. He should represent the college as having long been property vested in British subjects; and if it were no longer practicable to retain possession of it the British Minister should endeavour to prevail on the French Government to allow the members of the college to dispose of their property and withdraw from the country, taking its value along with them. The Minister was authorized, moreover, to assure the French Government that their acquiescence would be exceedingly agreeable to his British Majesty and the nation. Such precautions were by no means uncalled for. The Scotch colleges, the Nuncio at Paris informed Cardinal Antonelli, were really in imminent danger. The Carthusians were no more; Grisi (the Scotch College), had no Superior but Principal Gordon. Mr. Thomson blames him for including his own college only in his application to the French Government. But as he was responsible only for it, more could not have been fairly expected. The guardians of other Scotch property in France might take measures on their own account.

Mr. Farquarson’s account of the disorder which prevailed for some time at Douai, is of great value as illustrative of the sad results of the French revolution. “The most tyrannical Govern­ment,” he observes, “is preferable to none at all. Better live under a Nero than be daily exposed to all the wild horrors of anarchy.”

“Since the middle of May (he writes on July 5,) we are fairly at the mercy of our military. They hold courts martial, dismiss whom they please, insult openly their officers and the clergy. For three days and four nights on end, the town exhibited an image of hell. Four thousand armed drunken soldiers, with impunity rioted all over, entered communities, forced nunneries, made their quarters good everywhere, and yet, to their honour be it said, no indecencies were committed. Our good nuns were greatly frightened at such nocturnal visits. Some seminarists were roughly handled, and one, in particular, for making a difficulty in joining the rioters, received a thrust which would have been mortal, had not the point of the sword met with a rib. The English students were repeatedly dragged through the streets, whilst my youths happily escaped. Similar disgraceful scenes have been repeated, though in a less degree. The students have in a great measure abandoned the town during the last ten days. Owing to the great exer­tions of our municipal officers we have enjoyed peace; but we are much afraid of the approaching 14th of July. At present about 1200 electors for the assemblee du departement, fixed at Douai, are in town. Upon their choice our happiness greatly depends.” Mr. Farquarson corresponded with the Bishop of Rhodez, a member of the National Assembly, on the subject of the Scotch College. That prelate showed himself a true friend at this critical period. With his concurrence Mr. Farquarson forwarded to Scotland a memorial to the Assembly, on behalf of the Scotch College at Douai, for the signatures of the Bishops and influential Catholic laymen, the Bishop of Rhodez undertaking to present it and to exert all his influence in its support. Prin­cipal Gordon’s memorial to the French Government had been presented to the Assembly, and thence referred to the comite eccelesiastique.

Bishop Geddes undertook to obtain signatures; and he met with no hindrance till he came to Mr. Menzies of Pitfodels, who objected to the words glorieuse memoire, as applied to Louis XIV. He also criticised an expression which seemed to imply that the Catholic body in Scotland was still persecuted on account of religion. This difficulty was easily overcome by underlining the word alars, which immediately preceded the phrase in question. The other difficulty, even, was ultimately got over; and the good man whose scrupulous honour remained sensitive as that of a child, added his signature. Eleven signatures, in addition to those of the Bishops, were obtained, and the memorial was immediately despatched to Douai.

The meeting at Scalan could not be held so early as usual this year, Bishop McDonald being detained at home by illness. Bishop Hay, meanwhile, requested his coadjutor to procure for him at Edinburgh, the following books: Reid on Human Nature, some copies of English controver­sial works, Sir John Dalrymple’s Memoirs, and a correct edition of Cicero’s Epistles and Phil­osophical Works. The Bishop’s studies, it would appear, were not confined to books, for he ordered, at the same time, two or three glass prisms, a conical bottle with a flat bottom, and a cure for the morbus pedicularis, used by a Mrs. Smith, with whom the boys lately returned to Scalan, lodged at Edinburgh.

There was a desire among the clergy for larger and more commodious churches; this was opposed by the Bishop on the ground of expense which could be very ill afforded. “We are not content nowadays,” he said, “with moderate beginnings, and bettering things by degrees; but we must have all our conveniences at once.” For the present necessities of Mr. Pepper’s chapel at Dundee, notwithstanding, he contributed £5.

Bishop Macdonald arrived at Scalan in the beginning of September. Business was then at once proceeded with. In the letters to Rome, mention was made of Bishop Geddes’ journey of some 600 miles on foot to visit his converts in Orkney, Bishop Macdonald also represented to Cardinal Antonelli his failing health and his great fatigue in travelling over his scattered district, and among distant islands, requesting permission to have a coadjutor. His request was sustained, also, in consequence of the difficulties that lately occurred in England, owing to the death of two of the Bishops before successors had been provided. He informed the Scotch agent at Rome, in a private letter, that 500 Catholics had lately emigrated to St. John’s Island (now Prince Edward’s and Quebec; and that 600 of South Uist were ready to follow them in the spring. This emigration greatly diminished their congregations, and some of the Highland missionary priests were in consequence, reduced to great distress. A sufficient number of their flocks remained to require their ministry; but these were themselves among the very poorest. Thus, Mr. Norman MacDonald, “a deserving clergyman,” with his pittance of £12 a year, had to support his mother, his, sister and his niece, since the departure of the most substantial amongst his people, the preceding summer. The emigrants to America, meanwhile, were not left spiritually destitute. The Bishop, yielding to the importunities of the Highland settlers in St. John’s Island, had permitted Mr. Angus McEachern, “a valuable young man,” to go out to them. They also succeeded in obtaining the ministry of a promising young priest from Halifax.

When the meeting was over Bishop Hay paid a visit to the Duke of Gordon, who was staying at his shooting lodge of Glenfiddich. Both the Duke and his guest, the Earl of Findlater, showed the kindest attentions to the Bishop. His Grace promised to visit Scalan, but when the time came was prevented by the severe weather.

Bishop Geddes concurred with the Bishop in regard to his protest against excessive expense in new churches. Nevertheless, he thought it not unreasonable that Catholics should have their places of worship in a condition suited to the progress of the time. The chapel at Edinburgh was now too small; and the people expressed their desire to have a larger one. But the Bishop might rely on it that his coadjutor would enter on no such undertaking until sufficient means were at his disposal. It is characteristic of the better times that a Protestant minister, Dr. Webster, who was erecting a fine Episcopalian chapel beyond the infirmary, urged Bishop Geddes to take the second storey above his chapel for a Catholic place of worship. In the event of his consenting, Dr. Webster offered to erect a cupola. Bishop Geddes thanked him; but declined the offer. The doctor was not satisfied with this refusal, and insisted that the matter should be referred to Bishop Hay. As was to be expected, Bishop Hay, whilst he thanked the liberal minister for his kind offer, and sent to him his compliments, expressed his regret that circumstances were such at the time as to prevent him from accepting it.

Mr. Cameron, in writing from Valladolid, informed Bishop Geddes that it would not be possible to receive any more students till 1792, in consequence of the expenses incurred in building a small country house in the vineyard, together with the loss occasioned by the late bad years. This resolution the Bishop strongly condemned. When the need of priests was so great the want of them was surely of more consequence than some delay in paying a small debt. The Bishop ought not to yield to Mr. Cameron in this matter, If Bishop McDonald concurred, he would certainly send boys when others came home; and if Mr. Cameron should send them back, he must abide the consequences. “It was really a shame,” he said, writing to Bishop Geddes, “that there should be such a proposal, and I intend you to write to Mr. Cameron strongly on the subject.”