They also cut off
some portions of his clothes, which were all quite fresh, and
distributed them among their acquaintances, sending a portion to
me, among the rest, to keep as natural curiosities. Several
gentlemen have in a manner forced me to give them fragments of
these enchanted garments: I have, however, retained a small
portion for you, which I send along with this, being a piece of his
plaid, and another of his waistcoat breast, which you will see are
still as fresh as that day they were laid in the grave.
"His broad blue bonnet was sent to Edinburgh several weeks ago,
to the great regret of some gentlemen connected with the land,
who wished to have it for a keep-sake. For my part, fond as I am
of blue bonnets, and broad ones in particular, I declare I durst not
have worn that one. There was nothing of the silver knife and
fork discovered, that I heard of, nor was it very likely it should;
but it would appear he had been very near run out of cash, which
I daresay had been the cause of his utter despair; for, on searching
his pockets, nothing was found but three old Scotch halfpennies.
These young men meeting with another shepherd afterwards, his
curiosity was so much excited that they went and digged up the
curious remains a second time, which was a pity, as it is likely
that by these exposures to the air, and the impossibility of burying
it up again as closely as it was before, the flesh will now fall to
dust.
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