LEE (Nathaniel), a very eminent dramatic poet of the last century, was the son of a clergyman, who gave him a liberal education.—He received his first rudiments of learning at Westminster school; from whence he went to Trinity-college, Cambridge.—Coming to London, however, his inclination prompted him to appear on the theatre; but he was not more successful in representing the thoughts of other men, than many a genius besides, who have been equally unfortunate in treading the stage, although they knew so well how to write for it. He produced 11 tragedies, all of which contain a very great portion of true poetic enthusiasm. None, if any, ever felt the passion of love more truly; nor could any one describe it with more tenderness. Addison commends his genius highly; observing, that none of our English poets had a happier turn for tragedy, although his natural fire and unbridled impetuosity hurried him beyond all bounds of probability, and sometimes were quite out of nature. The truth is, this poet's imagination ran away with his reason; so that at length he became quite crazy; and grew so mad, that his friends were obliged to confine him in bedlam, where he made that famous witty reply to a coxcomb scribbler, who had the cruelty to jeer him with his misfortune, by observing that it was an easy thing to write like a madman:—"No (said Lee), it is not an easy thing to write like a madman; but it is very easy to write like a fool." Lee had the good fortune to recover the use of his reason so far as to be discharged from his melancholy confinement; but he
did not long survive his enlargement, dying at the early age of 34. Cibber, in his Lives of the Poets, says he perished unfortunately in a night-ramble in London streets.—His Theodosius and Alexander the Great are stock-plays, and to this day are often acted with great applause. The late Mr Barry was particularly fortunate in the character of the Macedonian Hero.
Lee-Penny, or Lee-stone, a curious piece of antiquity belonging to the family of Lee in Scotland, and of which the following account has been given in the Gentleman's Magazine for December 1787.
It is a stone of a dark red colour and triangular shape, and its size about half an inch each side. It is set in a piece of silver coin, which, though much defaced, by some letters still remaining is supposed to be a shilling of Edward I. the cross being very plain, as it is on his shillings.—It has been, by tradition, in the Lee family since the year 1320 odds; that is, a little after the death of King Robert Bruce, who having ordered his heart to be carried to the Holy Land, there to be buried, one of the noble family of Douglas was sent with it, and it is said got the Crowned Heart in his Arms from that circumstance: but the person who carried the heart was Simon Lockhart of Lee, who just about this time borrowed a large sum of money from Sir William de Lendsay, prior of Air, for which he granted a bond of annuity of ten pounds of silver, during the life of the said Sir William de Lendsay, out of his lands of Lee and Cartland. The original bond, dated 1323, and witnessed by the principal nobility of the country, is still remaining among the family papers.
As this was a great sum in those days, it is thought it was borrowed for that expedition; and, from his being the person who carried the royal heart, he changed his name to Lockhart, as it is sometimes spelled, or Lockhart, and got a heart within a lock for part of his arms, with the motto Corda ferata pando.—This Simon Lockhart having taken prisoner a Saracen prince or chief, his wife came to ransom him; and on counting out the money or jewels, this stone fell out of her purse, which she hastily snatched up; which Simon Lockhart observing, insisted to have it, else he would not give up his prisoner.—Upon this the lady gave it him, and told him its many virtues, viz. that it cured all diseases in cattle, and the bite of a mad dog both in man and beast. It is used by dipping the stone in water, which is given to the diseased cattle to drink; and the person who has been bit, and the wound or part infected, is washed with the water. There are no words used in the dipping of the stone, nor any money taken by the servants, without incurring the owner's displeasure. Many are the cures said to be performed by it, and people come from all parts of Scotland, and even as far up in England as Yorkshire, to get the water in which the stone is dipped, to give their cattle, when ill of the murain especially, and black-leg.—A great many years ago, a complaint was made to the ecclesiastical courts against the laird of Lee, then Sir James Lockhart, for using witchcraft.—It is said, when the plague was last at Newcastle, the inhabitants sent for the Lee-penny, and gave a bond for a large sum in trust for the loan; and that they thought it did so much good, that they offered to pay the money, and keep the Lee-penny; but
the gentleman would not part with it. A copy of this bond is very well attested to have been among the family papers, but supposed to have been spoiled, along with many more valuable ones, about 50 years ago, by rain getting into the charter-room, during a long minority, and no family residing at Lee.
The most remarkable cure performed upon any person, was that of Lady Baird of Saughtonhall, near Edinburgh; who having been bit by a mad dog, was come the length of a hydrophobia; upon which, having sent to beg the Lee-penny might be sent to her house, she used it for some weeks, drinking and bathing in the water it was dipped in, and was quite recovered. This happened above 80 years ago; but it is very well attested, having been told by the lady of the then laird of Lee, and who died within these thirty years. She also told, that her husband Mr Lockhart, and she, were entertained at Saughtonhall by Sir Robert Baird and his lady, for several days, in the most sumptuous manner, on account of the lady's recovery, and in gratitude for the loan of the Lee-penny so long, as it was never allowed to be carried away from the house of Lee.
N.B. It was tried by a lapidary, and found to be a stone; but of what kind he could not tell.