GOODAL, WALTER, well known as
an historical antiquary, was the eldest son of John Goodal, a farmer in
Banffshire, and was born about the year 1706. In 1723, he was entered as a
student in King’s college, Aberdeen, but did not continue long enough to
take a degree. In 1730, he obtained employment in the Advocates’ Library at
Edinburgh, under the famous Thomas Ruddiman, who was a native of the same
district, and perhaps patronized him on account of some local
recommendations. He assisted Ruddiman in the compilation of the first
catalogue of the library, which was published in 1742. When Ruddiman was
succeeded by David Hume, Goodal continued to act as sub-librarian, probably
upon a very small salary. Like both of his successive superiors, he was a
tory and a Jacobite, but, it would appear, of far more ardent character than
either of them. Being, almost as a matter of course, a believer in the
innocence of queen Mary, he contemplated writing her life, but afterwards
limited his design to a publication entitled "An examination of the letters
said to be written by Mary to James earl of Bothwell," which appeared in
1754. In this work, says Mr George Chalmers, he could have done more, if he
had had less prejudice and more coolness. Hume had become librarian two
years before this period; but "the chief duty," we are informed, "fell upon
Walter, or, as he good-naturedly permitted himself to be called, Watty
Goodal. One day, while Goodal was composing his treatise concerning
queen Mary, he became drowsy, and laying down his head upon his manuscripts,
in that posture fell asleep. Hume entering the library, and finding the
controversialist in that position, stepped softly up to him, and laying his
mouth to Watty’s ear, roared out with the voice of a Stentor, that queen
Mary was a whore, and had murdered her husband. Watty, not knowing whether
it was a dream or a real adventure, or whether the voice proceeded
from a ghost or living creature, started up, and before he was awake or his
eyes well opened, he sprang upon Hume, and seizing him by the throat, pushed
him to the further end of the library, exclaiming all the while that he was
some base presbyterian parson, who was come to murder the character of queen
Mary as his predecessors had contributed to murder her person Hume used to
tell this story with much glee, and Watty acknowledged the truth of it with
much frankness."
In 1753, Mr Goodal acted as
editor of a new edition of the work called Crawford’s Memoirs, which he is
generally blamed for not having corrected or purified from the
vitiations of its author In 1754, he published an edition, with emendatory
notes, of Scott of Scotstarvet’s Staggering State of Scots Statesmen, and
wrote a preface and life to Sir James Balfour’s Practicks. He contributed
also to Keith’s catalogue of Scottish bishops, and published an edition of
Fordun’s "Scotichronicon," with a Latin introduction, of which an English
version was given to the world in 1769. Goodal died July 28, 1766, in
very indigent circumstances, which Mr Chalmers attributes to habits of
intemperance. The following extract from the minutes of the faculty of
advocates, throws a melancholy light upon the subject, and is fully entitled
to a place in Mr D’Israeli’s Calamities of Authors: -
"A petition was presented in
name of Mary Goodal, only daughter of the deceased Mr Walter Goodal, late
depute-keeper of the Advocates’ Library, representing that the petitioner’s
father died the 28th last month; that by reason of some accidental
misfortunes happening in his affairs, any small pieces of household
furniture or other movables he hath left behind, will scarcely defray the
expense of his funeral; that if there is any overplus, (it) will be attached
by his creditors; that she is in the most indigent circumstances, and
without friends to give her any assistance; that she proposes to go to the
north country, where she hath some relations, in order to try if she can be
put upon any way of gaining her bread; that she would not be permitted to
leave the town until she should discharge some small debts that she was by
necessity obliged to contract; that, besides, she was in such want of
clothes and other necessaries, that she can scarcely appear in the streets;
and that, in her most distressed situation, she hath presumed to make this
humble application to the honourable the Dean and Faculty of Advocates,
praying that they would be pleased to order her such a sum from their fund
as they shall judge her necessities require.
"The Dean and Faculty, taking
this clamant case under their consideration, were unanimously of opinion
that the petitioner should have some allowance out of their fund." The sum
given was ten pounds. |