NAPIER OF MERCHISTON.

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As a frontispiece to this noble letter, the philosopher selected the arms ma-trimonial of Scotland and Denmark in compliment to the king’s recent alliance.Underneath the heraldic conjunction, however, he added the warning sentencewith which this chapter concludes.

In vaine are ae earthlie conivnctions, vnles

VVE BE HEIRES TOGETHER, AND OF ONE BODIE, ANDFELLOW PARTAKERS OF THE PROMISES OF GoD INChrist, by the Evangell.

were formerly designated barones minores, or lesser barons ; and to this class the baron of Brad-wardine belonged as well as Napier, who in like manner was baron, or, as he himself expressesit, ‘ Peer of Marchistown,’—an old seat of the family in the neighbourhood of Edinburgh.”— Pur-suit of Knowledge under Difficulties.

Napier was as likely to have signed pope as peer; which term was not then in use to expressthe rank of a nobleman. Having been, more majorum, invested with the fee of his paternal baronyduring his father’s life, who retained the liferent, our philosopher wrote his name accordingly.From a contract of lease, dated at Gartnes, 23d April 1584, a fac-simile of his signature is heregiven, being the most distinct I could find, for the benefit of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge .