BOYD, Zachary, Scottish divine: b. Ayr shire, about 1586; d. about 1653. He received the rudiments of his education at Kilmarnock School and took the academical course in the University of Glasgow. About 1607 he went abroad and studied at the College of Saumur, France. He was appointed a regent in this university in 1611 and is said to have been of fered the principalship, which he declined. He spent 14 years in France, during four of which he was a preacher of the gospel. In conse quence of the persecution of the Protestants he was obliged to return home in 1621. There he lived successively under the protection of Sir William Scott of Elie and of the Marquis of Hamilton at Kinneil, it being then the fashion for a pious person of quality in Scotland to re tain one clergyman at least as a member of his household. In 1623 he was appointed minister of the large district in the suburbs of Glasgow, styled the Barony parish, for which the crypts beneath the cathedral church then served as a place of worship. In this charge he continued
for the rest of his life. He filled the office of rector of the University of Glasgow 1634-35 and 1645. In 1629 he published his principal prose work, 'The Last Battell of the Soule in Death; whereby are shown the Diverse Skir mishes that are between the Soule of Man on his Deathbed and the Enemies of our Salva tion carefully digested for the Comfort of the Sicke.' This was reprinted at Glasgow in 1831, with a life of the author by Mr. Neil. He published various other works, chiefly devo tional, and left a large quantity of manuscript writings, which are preserved in the Glasgow College library. Among the latter is one en titled 'Zion's Flowers,' consisting of poems on select subjects of Scripture history. It is pop ularly called 'Zachary Boyd's Bible,' and al though it abounds in homely and ludicrous passages, it is not without a fine strain of devo tional feeling. Boyd left a large legacy to the Glasgow College.