"Mr. Alexander Cant, son to Mr. Andrew Cant (who in his discourse De Excommunicato trucidando maintained that all refusers of the Covenant ought to be excommunicated, and that all so excommunicated might lawfully be killed), was lately deposed by the Synod for divers seditious and impudent passages in his sermons at several places, as at the pulpit of Banchry; 'That whoever would own or make use of a service-book, king, nobleman, or minister, the curse of God should be upon him.'
"In his Grace after Meat, he praid for those phanaticques and seditious ministers (who are now secured) in these words, 'The Lord pity and deliver the precious prisoners who are now suffering for the truth, and close up the mouths of the Edomites, who are now rejoicing;' with several other articles too long to recite."
From these two Cants (Andrew and Alexander) all seditious praying and preaching in Scotland is called "Canting."
J. B.
Epigram on Four Lawyers.—It used to be said that four lawyers were wont to go down from Lincoln's Inn and the Temple in one hackney coach for one shilling. The following epigram records the economical practice:
"Causidici curru felices quatuor uno
Quoque die repetunt limina nota 'fori.'
Quanta sodalitium præstabit commoda! cui non
Contigerint socii cogitur ire pedes."
See Poemata Anglorum Latina, p. 446. Lemma, "Defendit numerus."—Juv.
J. W. Farrer.