John Simpson

“ MacArthur, who had been a junior master at the Bathgate school, but had now also commenced to study medicine. MacArthur was a man of dogged 21 determination; he urged Simpson to persist with his Arts course when his spirit seemed to rebel against it, and so long as they were together seems to have maintained some of the authority of the usher over both of the youths. The spirit of work was strong within him. Soon after Simpson joined him he related that he could then do with four hours’ sleep, John Reid with six, but he had not been able to break in James yet. ”

“ In August 1777 Simpson removed to Walthamstow, Essex, to assist Hugh Farmer [q. v.] as afternoon preacher. He resigned this office in 1779, retired from active duty, married, and removed to Yorkshire, living at Cottingham, East Riding; Little Woodham, near Leeds; and Leeds itself. In 1791 he settled at Bath for the remainder of his days. He died on 18 Aug. 1812, and was buried on 31 Aug. at Lyncomb, near Bath. He married, in 1780, Frances, daughter of Thomas Woodhouse of Gainsborough, and widow of Watson of Cottingham, and left one son, John Woodhouse Simpson of Rearsby, Leicestershire. ”

“ When hypnotism made one of its periodic re-appearances in 1837, this time under the name of mesmerism, after that extraordinary exponent of its powers Mesmer, Simpson recognised in it a possible method for “casting the patient asleep” before operation and set to work to investigate its phenomena. A Frenchman named Du Potet, disheartened by the prejudice against mesmerism in his own country, came to London in 1837, and was fortunate enough to receive the support of Dr. John Elliotson, physician 95 to University College Hospital. ”

“ White," said Bob, his eyes sparkling as he contemplated the amount of work done in a quarter of a day.
"Sure is, Bob," said the banker. "The greatest thing I've ever seen. Power certainly does beat horse flesh, and you notice, Bob, we only feed the engine when it is working."
"I can't give you very much of a dinner," said Bob, apologetically, "for everybody's away at Uncle Joe's wedding, but if you'll be satisfied with cold victuals, I guess I can fit you out."
"Bread and butter and a glass of milk is good enough for me, Bob," laughed the banker, as they started for the house. ”

“ Ruth was so badly stung that she was ill and her aunt put her to bed at once. The boys sat on the porch for a while, the picture of distress, listening to Edith narrate the story of the fight. Both of Herbert's eyes were swollen tight shut and Eddie was able to see out of only one of his. After sitting restlessly on the porch for a half hour, they got into their car and started for home.
"What are you laughing at, Tony?" asked Bob, as they watched the car disappear down the lane.
"The boys no-a like-a da work, and-a the bees they no-a like-a da boys." ”

“ Forbes was the leader of a set of able young students who have left a distinct mark in the history of the University. John Reid was an intimate friend of Forbes, and Simpson was probably as intimate with him. Forbes was the founder and editor of the best of all the shortlived literary ventures of Edinburgh undergraduates—The University Maga, which was issued weekly in 1834 ”

“ Simpson, or Miss Senior, as she then was, once said to her father that she would like to listen to one of his conversations and try to see whether she could not write it down as he did. Her father, delighted that she should make the experiment, explained to her the art as he practised it and gave her the following directions.
To begin with, you must never try to remember the actual words that you hear Thiers, or Guizot, or Lord Aberdeen, or Mr. Bright, or whoever else it may be, use. If you begin to rack your brains and your memory you will spoil the whole thing. ”

“ And, besides, we have taken our precautions. Look at the sentries. You can see the matches burning in their tubs from here."
"A Spaniard is as artful as a bagful of monkeys."
"And we fancy we are not without some strategy ourselves."
Simpson put a thumb on his chin. "Look here, now, young feller. I'd like t' 'ave tha' a bet on about it. I'll lay tha' an even pint potful o' silver pieces they try to have their knives into us before we've an anchor down in Tortuga Harbour."
"I'll take your wager with pleasure." ”

“ Brother to Captain Robert Simpson, who died in command of the Cleopatra frigate, on the Halifax station, about June, 1808.
This officer entered the navy in 1799, as midshipman on board the Isis 50, flag-ship of Vice-Admiral (afterwards Sir Andrew) Mitchell; obtained a lieutenant’s commission, Nov. 26th, 1807; and was first of the Cleopatra, then commanded by the present Sir John Brooke-Pechell, Bart, at the capture of la Topaze French frigate, Jan. 23d, 1809 [1] . ”

“ About Oct. 1805, Captain Simpson removed into the Star sloop, in which vessel he was very actively employed on the Downs, Newfoundland, and West India stations, until after the conquest of Martinique, in 1809, when he returned home with a strong letter of recommendation from Sir Alexander Cochrane to Lord Mulgrave, who immediately ordered him to Halifax, on promotion. In Sept. 1809, he was appointed to la Furieuse frigate, but his post commission was not confirmed until the 12th Dec. following. He subsequently commanded the Coquette of 20 guns, at the Leeward Islands. ”

“ He was buried at Sutton Cheynell in Leicestershire, and a tablet erected on his grave in 1790 by John Throsby [q. v.] He left a son Thomas, afterwards captain in the royal artillery, and a daughter. Mrs. Simpson received a pension from the crown after her husband's death, and died on 14 Dec. 1782, aged 102.
Besides the work mentioned, Simpson was the author of: 1. ‘The Nature and Laws of Chance,’ London, 1740, 4to. 2. ‘Essays on several Subjects in Speculative and Mixed Mathematics,’ London, 1740, 4to, which included a solution of Kepler's problem. 3. ”

“ Why not let Brady put on one of his men and settle it?"
"Don't you think we ought to have a man of our own, Uncle Joe, rather than take one of his? No doubt, Brady's honest, but he's human. Suppose he'd forget once in a while to give us some tickets."
"Oh, well, we wouldn't miss a load or two of sand."
"No," said Bob, "but it might get to be a habit with him, and you know, according to Aunt Bettie's figures, the sand is going to help a lot in getting our loan paid off quickly at the bank." ”

“ We shall simply kill a parcel of soldiers whose trade it is to be killed, and the Spaniards ashore will only shrug their shoulders, and say the poor fellows have merely received what they were hired for. Now my grievance is more against those said Spaniards ashore, and moreover, I am remembering always that I came out to these seas to gather revenues for my master the King, who now keeps his court at The Hague."
"Kings is note to me," said Simpson with a frown, "an' I'll bet they're no more to onybody on this galley, unless they're a fancy of Master Laughan's." ”

“ Simpson was, in private life, one of the most honourable and high- minded men that I have ever known. Most honourable men are content to be careful of other people's rights and conscious of their own duties in big things, but do not bother themselves to ask whether they have done exactly right in little things. ”

“ Let them not sneer, and call us superstitious—we do not give credence to supernatural agency as a fixed and general principle; but we did believe in Simpson, and stake our professional reputation upon Widdicomb! [170a]
“That Vauxhall Gardens were under the special protection of, that they drew the very breath of their attractiveness from, the ceremonial Simpson, who can deny? When he flitted from walk to walk, from box to box, and welcomed everybody to the ‘Royal property,’ right royally did things go on! ”

“ White, Bettie gave me a list of some other things she wanted."
"What are they?" asked the banker.
"Well, for one thing, she thinks we ought to tear down the old cider mill because it's too slow to operate. In former years, when labor was cheap, it answered very well, but the modern machines are much quicker and better."
"I think you ought to have that, Joe," said the banker. "Have you thought of a power saw for the wood lot and cutting up the rails of your old fences? That's a 'Hidden Treasure' that you and Bob have probably overlooked." ”

“ The rude men at the table sniffed appreciatively, and the cook, setting the mess-kid on the deck, took out his great ladle and began filling the platters one by one as they were handed to him, and then when all were loaded, the fellow that had been appointed chaplain, rose to his feet, shut his eyes, and prepared to say the grace.
But at this point Simpson slipped round to the door of the cabin and cried a loud "Halt!" Many faces were turned upon him frowningly. They brooked ill, these buccaneers, any interference with their religious exercises. ”

“ It had discharged passengers at the station, and among them one who soon came driving down the lane in a high dog-cart fitted with pneumatic tyres, acetylene lamps, and a correct groom sitting up behind. As it turned the corner the horse, a handsome chestnut signally well groomed, shied violently at John Smith’s prostrate figure, and was promptly checked by the driver, who had him well in hand. He looked back over his shoulder. “What’s that, Simpson?”
“Drunken man, sir,” said the correct groom, stolidly.
“Pleasant weather to lie in the road. Still, will you?” ”

“ Brady. "I don't see how your women folks get along without one. Cars are so low and horses so high nowadays, it don't pay to take a horse out of a busy team to drive to town. I should think you couldn't do without one. Well, good day," he added, as he climbed into his car and threw on the self-starter. "See you next week."
VII THE NEW AUNT The following week was a very busy and eventful one for Bob. Plowing time was rapidly approaching, and his uncle was anxious to have all the manure placed on the fields ready to start work early ”

“ The time had come when their souls were revealed to each other and doomed to recognition despite the most perfect masking which rascality could assume to compass its end or purity devise to hide from peril.
These two had stood thus before, the moon gleaming coldly on both—his horse pawing in the shadow, a dying woman in the Brand state chamber.
Margaret turned suddenly on her heel and shut the door. She leaned against the staircase pillars and clasped her hands under the eyes of the astonished John.
"I know him now," she muttered; "he was here the night of Mrs. ”

“ I've been making t' beggars pay pretty dear this last few minutes for the wark they've had out o' me on this galley. But tha'rt right, young feller, there must be no more killing. It's a fooil's trick cutting off yer nose to spite yer face."
"Help Master Laughan and me to hold off these savages then."
"Right," said Simpson, and began in his great bull's voice to call out names. "Jobson! Hugh! Drapeau! Makepeace! Lebreton!" he shouted for, and then named others, and presently these men worked their way up through the rabble of the Spanish slaves. ”

“ But Simpson was not so openly grateful. "There's been no fight," said he. "Ye cannot call yon a fight. By gum, I thought we was in for summat big." And he walked back to the camp moodily, like a man who has suffered disappointment.
Still, even Simpson had sense behind his recklessness, and was the first to suggest leaving their temporary camp before the Fifty rallied and came to seek them again, and advised departing forthwith to a safer headquarters. The meat and the skins were to be left behind; the two buccaneers picked up the wounded engagé arms and heels, and carried him between them ”

“ I will do my poor best to serve you well upon the seas.
"But," said Simpson, with his pock-marked face all puckered, "t' lads has named me here as quartermaster under thee."
"Of course," said the Prince, "if you prefer their nomination to mine——"
"By gum, no," cried Simpson. "I'll go ashore. Tha'll be something to talk about. There's them as has this, an' them as has that; there's them as has pickpockets for their matelots, and very bad some o' them's turned out ”

“ Musgrave, in a brief communication entitled, "An Account of some Roman, French, and Irish Inscriptions and Antiquities, lately found in Scotland and Ireland, by Mr. Edward Lhwyd, and communicated to the publisher from Mr. John Hicks of Trewithier, in Cornwall." The accompanying woodcut (Fig. 15) is an exact copy of Mr. Lhwyd's sketch, as published in the Philosophical Transactions. In the very brief communication accompanying it, the Cat-stane is shortly described as "A Pictish monument near Edinburgh, In oc tumulo jacit veta F. victi. This the common people call the Ket-stean ”

“ They tread the earth no longer, but their clear,
Heart-stirring voices countless thousands hear;
Their souls are with us; still their thoughts career
Throughout the earth, as when, with thoughts on fire.
They struck inspiring notes upon their country's lyre. ”

“ Also the Diverting Humour of Corporal Scare Devil.
'To which will be added the Wonderful Performance of the most celebrated Master, Mr. Simpson the famous Vaulter; Who has had the Honour to teach most of the Nobility in England; and at whose request he now performs with Mr. Pinkeman to let the World see what Vaulting is. Being lately arrived from Italy.
(p. 193) 'The Musick, Songs and Dances are all by the best Performers of their kind, whom Mr. Pinkeman has Entertained at extraordinary Charge, purely to give a full Satisfaction to the Town. ”