were only fomented by the country party, as it was called, in opposition to Lauderdale's administration. Be that as it will, their complaints and the motion for a national synod, were consented to by Mr Lawry bishop of Brechin, and Mr Ramsay bishop of Dumblain. But the former was prevailed with to come into Sharp's sentiments, and leave the latter to manage the affair alone. Among the inferior clergy the ministers named in the king's letter were the most active; for though their diocesan, the Bishop of Edinburgh. was most averse from a national synod, yet they and some others agreed to present a petition to him, praying his lordship to do his utmost to get his majesty to call such a synod for considering the disorders in the church. When this petition was presented I know not. However, it greatly frightened Sharp, and therefore he wrote a whinning letter to the Archbishop of Canturbury, setting forth, That the church was in danger; a remarkable word! and begging he would use his interest with his majesty to prevent the thing desired, Sharp likewise laid the matter before the council, who, on the 2d of July, appointed the Archbishop of St Andrews, the lord privy seal, the Earls of Kindcardin and Dundonald, the president and advocate, to examine into the conduct of the four ministers relating to this affair. How this committee proceeded, or what issue they came to, I know not; but accounts of those things were transmitted to his majesty, who wrote the letter as above. There was a meeting of the bishops appointed at St Andrews, and Dumblain was ordered to be present, but he declined it.

When the king's letter was read in council, the contents were instantly obeyed; and a macer was sent to intimate the royal pleasure to all mentioned in it. And the same day the Bishop of Dumblain presented a petition to the council, which they transmitted to the primate, that the king might be acquainted with it. But, notwithstanding all that passed, the bishop of Dumblain, in his papers, still subscribed himself Dumblain, and took the first opportunity to go in person to court. We shall hear more of this matter in the transactions of the following year. I shall only observe, that it was very dangerous, in those days, to propose any thing contrary to the inclinations of those at the helm. But, leaving this matter, let us return to the proceedings against the presbyterians.

The vacation was now at hand, and therefore, that there might be no interruption in proceeding against conventicles, the council, on the 30th of July, gave a commission, in the king's name, to the Lord Chancellor, the Earls of Mar, Kinghorn, Kelly, Weems, and Kincardin, the treasurer-depute, and the laird of Ardross, or any three of them, to execute the laws against conventicles, irregular baptisms and mariages, in

the shires of Fife and Kinross; as also to the chancellor, Duke Hamilton, &c. for the bounds of Stirling, Perth, Lanark, Dumbarton, Renfrew, and yr shires; and, lastly, to the chancellor, Earls of Kaithness and Linlithgow, &c. for Edinburgh, Linlithgow, Haddington, Selkirk, Peebles, Berwick and Roxburgh shires; they also had particular instructions given them; and jointly with these the advocate was appointed to issue out warrants, to cite all persons concerned before these commissioners, and to restrict the libel or indictment to an arbitrary punishment, that so they may hold the persons not swearing against themselves as confessed, or treat them as guilty. As none of the bishops were in this commission, the reader need not be surprized to hear nothing of their proceedings. Next day the council wrote to Lauderdale an account of what they had done since their last.

In the month of August the sufferers had some recess; but, when the council met, on the first of September they received a letter from the king recommending their diligence against conventicles, and acquainting them that, for enabling them to maintain the laws and government, he resolved to raise some more forces, and ordered them to raise 1000 foot and three troops of horse. This increase of the standing forces in time of peace was very proper for the support of an arbitrary government, and tended to harrass the sufferers.

The same day the council gave warrant for apprehending Mungo Lockhart of Harwood, William Listone of Collunun easter, George Tennant and John Browne in Calder, for being at a conventicle in Calder-muir, and resisting a party of the Guards who were sent to disperse them and likewise ordained letters of horning, upon the decreets of sherriff, bailies of regalities, and other inferior magistrates, against persons guilty of being at conventicles.

On the 29th, the council had another letter from his majesty, wherein he desired them to use all diligence with respect to conventicles and other unlawful practices, especially at or near Cardross; and told them he was informed that some of his guards had, by their order, apprehended one King, who was set at liberty upon bail to appear; and that the Lord Cardross, in a peremptory manner, complained of that man's been taken, on account of his being his domestic; and therefore ordered them to require that lord to bring him back to prison.

The same day, Mr Alexander Burnet, was, by a special order from the king, restored to the archiepiscopal see of Glasgow, which he had been obliged to resign some years ago. It was then believed this restoration of the archbishop was the effect of gross simony. The bishop's daughter was

married to the heir of the estate of Elphingston, and had a very large annuity secured to her upon the estate. In a little time she was left a widow. The gentleman who succeeded to the lordship of Elphingston, made his addresses to Lord Halton's daughter. My lord was unwilling to engage with an estate so considerably burdened with the bishop's daughter's jointure. At last an expedient was found out the young lady was prevailed with to renounce her jointure, and Halton found means to get the archbishop her father restored to his office and benefice. This made some say: The bishop's money, who gave his daughter an equivalent, was taken, but that of Simon Magus was not.

Mr William Drummond of Cromlicks, some time a majorgeneral, was at the same time ordered to enter prisoner into Dumbarton castle. He was obnoxious to Lauderdale, who therefore moved that he might be secured. He was kept in close confinement for near four months, and then was permitted to walk about a little in the day time, and return at night.

On the 1st of October, Lord Cardross appeared before the council, and was required to produce Mr John King against next November: he told them, that was not in his power, since, by their orders, Mr King was taken from him, and, after he had been some time imprisoned was set at liberty, since which time he had not been in his service. Though Mr King escaped at this time yet he afterwards fell a sacrifice to the fury of his persecutors. The same day they approved the conduct of their commissioners for conventicles, and made a present to Hugh Stevenson, one of their clerks, of 500 merks, the fine levied from Mr King's surety.

On the 2d of December, the heritors and kirk-session of Fenwick assembled, and appointed Mr Muir of Rowallan, younger, to take care to have their laws against cursing, swearing, and other acts of profaneness, put in execution.

Next day the Archbishop of Glasgow was admitted a counsellor, and the reviving the severities in the west country was much owing to him. The same day the council banished Henry Angus and James Jeffray, from the shires they lived in, because, when brought before the commissioners at Stirling for being at conventicles, they refused to swear against themselves.

I shall finish what I have to relate for this year with the affair of the advocates, which gives us another instance of the arbitrary proceedings of this reign. I take it from Bishop Burnet: A cause being judged in the supreme court of session, the party appealed to the parliament. This was looked on as a high contempt, done on design to make the parliament a court of judicature, that there might be a necessity of

frequent parliaments. The judges, therefore required all the lawyers to condemn this as contrary to law; which several refusing to do, the king sent down an order to put all from the bar who did not condemn appeals. And when that did not produce the desired effect, they were, by proclamation, banished Edinburgh, and twelve miles round it; and a new day assigned them for making their submission, which they were obliged to do. Now, in what a situation must a nation be, when those learned in the law dare not deliver their own sentiments, is easy for the reader to imagine. The same historian tells us, that the government of the city of Edinburgh was not so compliant as was expected; so Duke Lauderdale procured a letter from the king to turn out twelve of the chief of the town-council, and to declare them for ever incapable of public trust.

Things were managed much in the same way during the year 1675; for, notwithstanding the many severe laws against preaching and hearing the gospel in private houses and the fields, these meetings, especially in the fields, continued to be very numerous, the violence of the soldiers and the multitude of the hearers obliging them to it. And great was the success that attended the ministry there, many being converted thereby. Nay, some ministers who had conformed, came, and after the forenoon's sermon, offered to join them, actually professing their sorrow for joining in the courses of defection at that time. In several places they changed their way, forsook their churches, and, upon their candid acknowledgments, were received both by the field-preachers and their people. It is true, the severity of the laws occasioned that not many gentlemen of estates durst venture to come to these; but their ladies, and not a few of good fashion, attended daily. In short, these meetings were so numerous, that the managers, not being able to reach them all, found it necessary to overlook what they could not help. The bishops indeed violently pushed prosecutions; and soldiers and spics were employed to search them out, and apprehend the ministers, and the most noted of their hearers, and to disperse them; which obliged many to come with arms for their own defence; and some scuffies ensued in several places. And therefore various methods were taken to discourage and suppress conventicles. But I shall relate the occurrences as they fell out in the order of time.

There was a meeting of presbyterian ministers at Glasgow on the 20th of January for synodical correspondence; at which they came to several resolutions, and made sundry proposals too tedious to be here inserted; especially since the severity of the times prevented them from taking effect.

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The ministers who had accepted the indulgence were brought under hardships on account of their not being paid their stipends; which obliged several of them in the month of January, to petition the council for warrants to receive them; which a good many of them obtained; but, at length, upon some pretence or other, the prelates got an act of council, on the ninth of March, ordering that no indulged mini'sters get warrants for their stipends, without testificates from • the sheriff or magistrates in the bounds, that they have not kept conventicles since the 24th of March 1674.' But, says Mr Wodrow, this restriction did not affect many of them. However, some months after this, several of them were brought to great inconveniencies, as we shall relate.

The same day the Rev. Mr John Greg was before the council, for keeping a conventicle at Leith-mills. He owned the charge, and was sent prisoner to the Bass, where not a few died. After he had been imprisoned there for the space of eight months, his confinement was changed to the parish of Carstairs in Lanarkshire.

About this time, letters came from court, dated the 27th of February, ordering Mr James Stuart, son to Sir James Stuart, late provost of Edinburgh, to be apprehended, with all his books and papers, and made close prisoner in Edinburgh, and to be allowed no converse with any, either by word or writing. This gentleman was supposed to have published a pamphlet, intitled, An Account of Scotland's Grievances by reason of the Duke of Lauderdale's Ministry, humbly tendered to his sacred majesty ; which galled the party so much, that though none of them were able to confute the facts he mentioned, they were resolved to take the severest course they could with him. Mr Stuart, knowing their designs, went out of the way.

cabinets were sealed up, by order of council, on the 10th of March, and a strict search was made for him through Edinburgh; which he escaped, and, during his retirement, made such proficiency in study and piety, that he afterwards made a considerable figure, and discharged the office of king's advocate with great applause for many years after the Revolution.

The prelates complaining of the increase of conventicles' about Edinburgh, orders were given to Lord Ross's troop to march in different parties and suppress them. On the 11th of March the town of Edinburgh was fined in 1001. sterling, for conventicles alleged to be kept within their liberties. And, next day, four companies of foot, and a troop of horse, were ordered to quarter in Glasgow, for the easier suppressing these meetings.