through a multitude of affairs, to visit Mr Welch in his chambers; yet walking in the court one day, he saw him look out of his window, and asked him kindly, How he

did, and if in any thing he could serve him?' Mr Welch answered, and said, "My lord, as you are soon to go to "court, I earnestly entreat you to petition the king, "[K. James] in my name, that I may have liberty to "preach the gospel" This his lordship promised to do. Mr Welch added, " my lord, both because you are my "kinsman, and for other reasons, I would earnestly entreat and desire you not to promise, except you faith"fully perform." His lordship replied, He would faithfully perform his promise: And soon set out for London. At his first arrival, he fully purposed to present the petition; but finding the king in a rage at the godly ministers, he durst not then present it; thinking he should meet with a fairer opportunity bye and bye; but at length, he forgot it entirely. The first time Mr Welch saw him after his return home, he asked him, "What he had done "with his petition ?" His lordship answered, He had presented it to the king; but that he was in so great a · rage against the ministers at that time, he believed it had been forgot; for he had received no answer.'— "Nay, (said Mr Welch), My lord, you should not lie to "God and to me; for I know you never delivered it, "though I warned you to take heed, and not to undertake "it, except you would perform it; but because you have "dealt so unfaithfully, remember God shall take from "you both estate and honours, and give them to your "neighbour in your own time:" Which truly came to pass; for in his own time, both his estate and honours were translated upon James Stuart.

While he was still a prisoner in Edinburgh, his wife who lived with him, had a great desire to see her family in Air, to which, with some difficulty he consented; but when she entered upon her journey, he strictly charged her, when she came to Air not to take the ordinary way to her house, nor to pass by the bridge through the town; but to cross the river above the bridge, in her way home, and not to come into the town at all: For (said he), "Before you come thither, you shall find the "plague has broken out in Air." Which was indeed the case, as she found when she came there.

The plague being among his people grieved him much, being separated from them. But when some of them came to him from Air, to bemoan themselves; he answered

them,

them, "Hugh Kennedy (a godly man in Air), should pray for them; and God would hear him." This counsel they accepted; and that gentleman, convening several proper people of the place, prayed fervently for the town (for he was a second Welch in wrestling mightily with GOD in prayer) and accordingly after that, the plague decreased.

The time now being come that Mr Welch should leave Scotland, never to see it again; he, with many more, under the same condemnation, went on board a ship at Leith, on the seventh day of November, in the year 1606; and although as early as two o'clock in the morning, there were great numbers of people, waiting with their afflicted families, to bid them farewell. After prayer, they sang the twenty-third Psalm; and then, to the great grief of a multitude of spectators, they set sail for the south of France, and landed in the river of Bourdeaux.

In about the space of fourteen weeks after his arrival, the Lord so succeeded his diligence and application, that he was able to preach in French; and was in a short time called to the ministry, first in one village, then in another; one of which was Nerac. Afterward he was settled in St Jean d'Angely, a considerable walled town, where he abode during his stay in France; which was about sixteen years. When he began first to preach, it was observed, by some of his hearers, that while he continued in the doctrinal part of his sermon, he spoke French very accurately; but when he came to his application, and began to grow warm in his affections, his fervour made him sometimes neglect the accuracy of the French construction: But being admonished of this by some pious. young men, which he took in good part, he proposed the following remedy in future; that two of them should sit opposite the pulpit, and when they perceived him beginning to decline, they should stand up, as a watch-word to him. By which means he acquired a wonderful exactness throughout his whole sermon. So desirous was he

to deliver good matter in a graceful manner.

There were many times persons of great quality in his auditory, before whom he was just as bold as ever he had been in a Scots village; which moved Mr Boyd of Troch rig, once to ask him (after he had preached before the university of Saumur, with such boldness and authority as if he had been before the meanest congregation) how he could be so confident among strangers, and persons of such quality? To which he answered, that he was so

filled with the dread of GOD, he had no apprehension from men at all: And this answer (said Mr Boyd), did not remove my admiration, but rather increased it.'

He had several young gentlemen boarded in the house. with him, for the sake of his edifying company and conversation, among whom was the heir of Lord Ochiltree, captain of the castle of Edinburgh. This young nobleman, after he had gained much upon Mr Welch's affections, fell sick, and after wasting away for a long time, closed his eyes, and to the apprehension of all present, expired: Accordingly, he was taken out of his bed and Jaid upon a pallet, agreeable to the custom of the place. This was matter of great grief to Mr Welch, who staid full three hours in the room, lamenting over him with great tenderness. After twelve hours, according to custom, they brought a coffin to put him in; but Mr Welch desired, that for the satisfaction of his affections, they would forbear for a time; with which they complied, and returned not again till twelve hours after, when, indeed, they earnestly importuned him, that the corpse might be buried, because of the extreme heat of the weather; But he again requested they would indulge him once more; which they did, first till the corpse had laid thirty-six hours on the pallet; and again, till they supposed he had been dead forty-eight hours. They then perceived, that Mr Welch did not believe the young man really dead, but in some kind of fit; and advised to send for physicians and surgeons, and satisfy himself by some experiment. He agreed to what they proposed; and the gentlemen of the faculty first pinched the fleshy parts of his body with pincers, but without success; then they twisted a string about his head with great force, but no signs of life appearing they pronounced him entirely dead. Mr Welch begged of them once more, that they would but step into the next room for an hour or two, and leave him with the dead youth; and this they granted. Then Mr Welch fell down before the pallet, and cried unto the Lord with all his might for the last time, and sometimes looking upon the dead body, continuing in wrestling with the Lord, till at length the dead youth opened his eyes, and cried out to Mr Welch, whom he distinctly knew, 'O sir, I am all whole but my head and legs: And these were the places they had sore hurt with their pinching.

When Mr Welch perceived this, he called upon his friends, and shewed the dead young man restored to life

again, to their great astonishment. And this young nobleman, though his father lost the estate of Ochiltree, lived to acquire a great estate in Ireland, and was lord Castlesteuart, and a man of such excellent parts, that he was courted by the earl of Strafford, to be a counsellor in Ireland, which he refused to be, until the godly silenced Scottish ministers, who suffered under the bishops in the north of Ireland, were restored to the exercise of their ministry; and then he engaged, and so continued for all his life, not only in honour and power, but in the profession and practice of godliness, to the great comfort of the country where he lived. "This story the nobleman "communicated to his friends in Ireland, and from them "I had it."

While Mr Welch was minister in one of these French villages; one evening a popish friar, travelling through the country, because he could find no lodging in the whole village, addressed himself to Mr Welch's house, begging the favour of a lodging for that night. The servants informed Mr Welch, who readily consented; but as he had supped, and family-worship was over, he did not see the friar, but retired to his room. After the friar had supped, the servant shewed him to his chamber, between which and Mr Welch's there was but a thin deal partition. After the friar's first sleep, he was surprised with hearing a constant whispering kind of noise, at which he was exceedingly frightened.

The next morning, as he walked in the fields, a countryman met him; and, because of his habit, saluted him, asked him, where he had lodged that night?' The friar answered, with the Hugonot minister. The countryman asked him what entertainment he met with? The friar answered, Very bad; for (said he), I always imagined there were devils hunting these ministers' houses, and I am persuaded there was one with me this night; for I heard a continual whisper all the night, which I believe was nothing else but the minister and the devil • conversing together. The countryman told him, he was much mistaken, and that it was only the minister at his night-prayers. Oh, said the friar, does the minister pray any? Yes, said the countryman, more than any man in France; and if you will stay another night with him, you may be satisfied.' The friar returned to Mr Welch's house, and feigning indisposition, begged another night's lodging, which was granted him.

After a while Mr Welch came down, and assembled the family, and, according to custom, first sang a psalm, then read a portion of scripture, which he briefly expounded, and then prayed in his usual fervent manner: To all which the friar was an astonished witness. At dinner the friar was very civilly entertained: Mr Welch thinking it best to forbear all questions and disputes for the present, In the evening, Mr Welch had family-worship, as in the morning, which occasioned still more wonder in the friar. After supper, they all retired; the friar longing to know what the night-whisper was. He laid awake till Mr Welch's usual time of night for rising to pray; when, hearing the same whispering noise, he creeped softly to Mr Welch's door, and there heard not only the sound, but the words distinctly, and such communications between GOD and man as he knew not had been in the world. Upon this the friar waited for Mr Welch to come out of his chamber; when he told him, he had lived in darkness and ignorance till this time, but was now resolved to give himself up entirely to Mr Welch's teaching; and declared himself a Protestant. Mr Welch congratulated him upon his better understanding, and exceedingly encouraged him And it is said, he lived and died a true Protestant. • This account I had (says his biographer), from a very pious minister, who was bred in Mr Welch's house in • France.'

Lewis XIII. of France made war with the Protestants, on the score of religion, and at the head of his army besieged the city of St Jean d'Angely; which, after a considerable siege, capitulated upon very advantageous terms. While the king remained in this town, after the capitulation, Mr Welch continued to preach as usual; but the king hearing of it was much offended, and one day sent the duke d'Espernon to order him out of the pulpit, and to bring him before him. The duke went with his guard, and as soon as he entered the church where Mr Welch was preaching, Mr Welch desired the people to make way, and to set a seat, that the duke might hear the word of the Lord. The duke, instead of interrupting him, sat down, and heard him with great attention till he had finished his discourse; and then told him, he must go with him to the king; which Mr Welch readily did. When the duke came to the king, the king asked him, Why he brought not the minister, and why he did not interrupt him? The duke answered, Never man spake like this man; but that he had brought him with him.'

Whereupon