This gentleman formed a striking example of the instability of humanprosperity. He was once the wealthiest man of his time in Scotland, amerchant in an extensive line of commerce, and a farmer of the publicrevenue; insomuch that, about 1640, he estimated his fortune at twohundred thousand pounds sterling. Sir William Dick was a zealousCovenanter; and in the memorable year 1641, he lent the ScottishConvention of Estates one hundred thousand merks at once, and therebyenabled them to support and pay their army, which must otherwise havebroken to pieces. He afterwards advanced L20,000 for the service of KingCharles, during the usurpation; and having, by owning the royal cause,provoked the displeasure of the ruling party, he was fleeced of moremoney, amounting in all to L65,000 sterling.
Being in this manner reduced to indigence, he went to London to try torecover some part of the sums which had been lent on Government security.Instead of receiving any satisfaction, the Scottish Croesus was throwninto prison, in which he died, 19th December 1655. It is said his deathwas hastened by the want of common necessaries. But this statement issomewhat exaggerated, if it be true, as is commonly said, that though hewas not supplied with bread, he had plenty of pie-crust, thence called"Sir William Dick's Necessity."
The changes of fortune are commemorated in a folio pamphlet, entitled,"The Lamentable Estate and distressed Case of Sir William Dick" [Lond.1656]. It contains three copper-plates, one representing Sir William onhorseback, and attended with guards as Lord Provost of Edinburgh,superintending the unloading of one of his rich argosies. A secondexhibiting him as arrested, and in the hands of the bailiffs. A thirdpresents him dead in prison. The tract is esteemed highly valuable bycollectors of prints. The only copy I ever saw upon sale, was rated atL30. (In London sales, copies have varied in price from L15 to L52: 10s.)