Re Jon Kukla's query, I forward the message below from C. Jan Swearingen Professor of English, colonial American rhetoric, and religious studies at Texas A & M University. 



Linda Rowe

Department of Training and Historical Research

Colonial Williamsburg Foundation



-----Original Message-----

From: Swearingen, C J [mailto:[log in to unmask]] 

Sent: Wednesday, January 27, 2010 7:29 PM

To: Rowe, Linda

Subject: Re: [VA-HIST] William Byrd adjectives from 1732



Hi Linda:



I'll run down the evidence for this, but Byrd is being very funny and literary.  Oddly enough, this fits in with the toleration and dissent issue.  "Saracens" are heathen...right? At least from the perspective of Christians.  And for orthodox members of the Church of England all those backcountry Scots and Presbyterians and dissenters (Sarah's father and mother) were "Saracens." John Henry and John Syme are Scots from Aberdeen even if they are not Presbyterians.  And being a Scot is Saracen enough!  It's a met ah for.  Ha!  Some of this goes back to DeFoe's parody of 1701 or so, "Having Your Way With Dissenters" in advance of the Act of Union, whilst he was a spy for the English crown in Edinburgh stirring up, guess what...dissent!  Ha!   



Jan 



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