This following Discourse, entituled Δάτεροσκοπια, &c. written by the Reverend Mr John Frazer, late Minister of Teree and Coll, and Dean of the Isles, is, with all due respect and reverence, dedicated by the printer and publisher hereof, his
Lordship's most humble
And obedient servant in all duty,
Andrew Symson.
THE
PUBLISHER TO THE READER.
The Reverend author of the ensuing Discourse having married my near kinswoman, and being in this city in November 1700, in order to the settling of some of his affairs. As we were discoursing of several things relating to the Highlands and Western Isles of Scotland, we came to speak of the Second Sight, reported to be so common in these parts; he told me, that as to the thing itself, it was most certain and undeniable, and that he could give many instances of it; as also, that he had written a short Discourse upon that subject. This he promised to transmit to me; accordingly, on his return home, after a tedious and troublesome voyage, both by sea and land, he sent me that Discourse, written with his own hand, desiring me to publish the same after some of his friends here had perused it: which being done, I, at my own conveniency, put it to the press, but before it was finished, I received an account that the author was dead, whereupon I forbore the publishing of it, till I should get an account of several passages concerning himself and family, designing to prefix the same to the Discourse itself, which I conceived would be acceptable to his friends, and not displeasing to the reader. And therefore I dispatched a letter to one of his nearest relations, and that was best acquainted with him, and with the passages of his life, that so I might thereby be the better informed. In answer whereunto, I received a paper containing several memoirs, from which I have collected the following account.
Mr John Frazer, the author of this Discourse, was born in the Isle of Mull, in the year of our Lord one thousand six hundred and forty-seven.
His father, Mr Ferchard Frazer, was born in the north of Scotland, near Stratharig, about the year 1606, and lineally descended of the family of my Lord Lovat, but mediately of the family of Tober, one of the Lairds of the name of Frazer.
After he had taken his degrees at the University, and applied himself to the study of Divinity, he was called by the bishop of the isles (there being then few learned men able to preach in the Irish tongue) to be minister of the Isles of Teree and Coll, (to which charge the deanry of the Isles was annext.) He was the first master of arts that preached constantly there as minister of the parish, there being then there one Ewen M'Lean, who was appointed to catechise and convene the people, there being few or none, as said is, able to serve the cure; but being there, he was very diligent in his ministerial function in teaching and instructing them, leaving them far better than he found them; for at his first coming, there were but three heritable gentlemen of the name of M'Lean that could subscribe their own names, the time Mr Ferchard Frazer served as minister of the Isles of Teree and Coll, which were conjoined in one parish, may be collected from his epitaph, written by his son, our author, which is—