Seeing my brother, Mr Patrick Simpsone, was that happy instrument of God to begett your Ladyships as a spiritual father in Christ Jesus, and ye are both the seals of his ministry, and the crown of his rejoicing as ye confess, and seeing he has dedicated all his labours to your Ladyships, as he spent his travels in that holy ministry among you for your everlasting salavation, I think this short history and compend of his life and death most properly doth appertain to your Ladyships’ honours, that ye may learn by the death of the righteous man of God to die well, as by his life ye learn to live well.
–Archibald Simpsone writing about his brother Patrick, in a dedication to the Countess of Marr and My Lady Erskine