eir, had one
son--namely Robert Keith of Craig, ambassador to the court of Vienna,
afterwards to St. Petersburgh, which latter situation he held at the
accession of King George III.--who died at Edinburgh in 1774. He married
Margaret, second daughter of Sir William Cunningham of Caprington, by
Janet, only child and heiress of Sir James Dick of Prestonfield;
and, among other children of this marriage were the late well-known
diplomatist, Sir Robert Murray Keith, K.B., a general in the army, and
for some time ambassador at Vienna; Sir Basil Keith, Knight, captain in
the navy, who died Governor of Jamaica; and my excellent friend, Anne
Murray Keith, who ultimately came into possession of the family estates,
and died not long before the date of this Introduction (1831).]

In the sketch of Chrystal Croftangry's own history, the author has been
accused of introducing some not polite allusions to respectable
living individuals; but he may safely, he presumes, pass over such an
insinuation. The first of the narratives which Mr. Croftangry proceeds
to lay before the public, "The Highland Widow," was derived from Mrs.
Murray Keith, and is given, with the exception of a few additional
circumstances--the introduction of which I am rather inclined to
regret--very much as the excellent old lady used to tell the story.
Neither the Highland cicerone Macturk nor the demure washingwoman, were
drawn from imagination; and on re-reading my tale, after the lapse of
a few years, and comparing its effect with my remembrance of my worthy
friend's oral narration, which was certainly extremely affecting, I
cannot but suspect myself of having marred its simplicity by some of
those interpolations, which, at the time when I penned them, no doubt
passed with myself for embellishments.

The next tale, entitled "The Two Drovers," I learned from another old
friend, the late George Constable, Esq. of Wallace-Craigie, near Dundee,
whom I have already introduced to my reader as the original Antiquary of
Monkbarns. He had been present, I think, at the trial at Carlisle,
and seldom mentioned the venerable judges charge to the jury, without
shedding tears,--which had peculiar pathos, as flowing down features,
carrying rather a sarcastic or almost a cynical expression.

This worthy gentleman's reputation for shrewd Scottish sense, knowledge
of our national antiquities, and a racy humour peculiar to himself, must
be still remembered. For myself, I have pride