PUBLICATIONS OF THE SCOTTISH HISTORY SOCIETY VOLUME XIV ERSK1NE OF CARNOCK'S JOURNAL December 1893 JOURNAL OF THE HON. JOHN ERSKINE OF CARNOCK 1683-1687 Edited from the original Manuscript with Introduction and Notes, by the Rev. WALTER MACLEOD EDINBURGH Printed at the University Press by T. and A. Constable for the Scottish History Society 1893 DA 15b .Sas v. I if *° SX01i ALLEGE LIBRA** 465007 i 4 , CONTENTS Introduction — Colonel Erskine's family history, Notice of Henry, third Lord Cardross, Sketch of Erskine's life as narrated in the Journal, . Erskine's career subsequent to termination of Journal, ...... I'AGE xi-xvi xvii- xviii xviii- xxii xxvi-xliii 1683 June — Circuit Court at Stirling and Glasgow — Taking the Test — The hanging of Bogge, M'Quharrie, and Smith — List of gentlemen who refused the Test — Gordon of Earlston taken prisoner — Charles Erskine sails for Holland, .... July — Proclamations at Edinburgh anent English rebels, Spanish millrees, magistrates, etc. — Scott of Harden taken prisoner — Taking the Test in Edinburgh — Aitken and Goulen condemned to death, ...... August — Vienna besieged by Turks — Erskine resolves not to present himself for Laureation — The Priory of Inchmachomo, ..... September — Mr. John Dick sentenced to death — Fast appointed for the King's delivery from presbyterian conspiracy — Escape of prisoners] fi'ora iMlfipoth, • October and November — Duke of Hamilton summoned on account of a conventicle — Rev. Thomas Hogg sent to prison — Arrival in Edinburgh of Scots 8-12 12-15 16-19 vi ERSKINE'S JOURNAL PAGE prisoners from London — Scott of Harden fined for his wife leaving the church — Three men hanged at the Cross of Edinburgh — Surrender of the Duke of Monmouth, . . . . . . 19-24 December — The Duke of Monmouth at Court — Pro- clamation anent Conventicles — Erskine summoned for not going to church, .... 24-27 1684 January — Edinburgh Magistrates summoned to answer for the escape of prisoners from Tolbooth — The Earl of Loudoun, Lord Melvile, etc., summoned for harbouring rebels, ..... 28-32 February — Papists in the Canongate — Scott of Harden imprisoned for non-payment of fine — Martin, Kerr, and Muir hanged for treason, . . . 33-39 March — Execution of Mr. John Dick — Trial of Camp- bell of Cesnock — Riot in Parliament House, . 39-53 April — Hogg banished from Scotland — Burial of Lady Napier — Examination of Captain John Paton — Pro- clamations against importation of Irish victual, etc. — Death of the Marquis of Montrose, . . 53-58 May — Erskine reproved for reading a Gazette on the Lord's Day — Execution of Captain Paton — The King's birth-day in Edinburgh, ... . 59-63 June — Erskine fearing arrest, leaves Edinburgh, and travels by Kirkhill, Cardross, Isle of Menteith, to Glasgow, ...... 63-67 July — Lord Cardross sails for Carolina — Arrest of the laird of M'Farlane, Colonel Menzies, and the laird ofWeem, ...... 67-74 CONTENTS vii August — Mr. William Erskine and Lady Caldwell are prisoners in Blackness Castle — Three men hanged in the Grassmarket, Edinburgh — Erskine visits prisoners in the Tolbooth — Mr. Spens, Argyle's secretary tortured by the Boots and Thumbkins — Execution of James Nicol, .... 74-80 September — Death of Bishop Burnet — Thumbkins applied to William Carstairs — Sir John Dalrymple, Murray of Philiphaugh, and Earl Tarras, prisoners in Edinburgh, . . . .81-86 October — Search made for Lord and Lady Colvill — Prisoners sent to the American plantations — Halloween customs, . . . . 86-91 November — Lady Cardross fined for not going to church — Lawson and Wood executed at Glasgow — The lairds of Polwarth and Clowburn are prisoners in Edinburgh — Sudden death of laird Meldrum — Murder of Stewart and Kennoway, two of the King's guard — Execution of three men in Edinburgh for treasonable practices — Death of John Knox, . 91-96 December — Fish with nebs appear at Culross — Lady Colvill in Edinburgh Tolbooth — Trial of the Earl of Tarras — Baillie of Jerviswood hanged and quartered — Consecration and translation of bishops, . 97-102 1685 January — Sentence of death and forfeiture passed upon the Earl of Tarras — Erskine sails for London, . 102-105 February — Illness and death of Charles n. — Erskine visits Bedlam, Moorfields, Westminster, Spittalfields, etc. — Search made in London for Scots people — Erskine leaves for Holland, but is driven into Dover, 105-108 viii ERSKINE'S JOURNAL March — Rumour of a French invasion of Britain — Erskine arrives in Rotterdam, visits Ley den, studies Hebrew, attends Professor Matthias' law classes, . 108-111 April — Travels to Amsterdam, meets Earl of Argyle and resolves to join his expedition to Scotland, . 111-114 May — Sails from Amsterdam with Argyle, lands with a party of men on Islay — Declaration read at Campbelltown — Rendezvous at Kintyre, Erskine carries the first Colours used in this Cause — Deser- tions of Islay men — Monmouth's Declaration read at Ayr — Argyle refuses to carry out the plans agreed upon in Amsterdam — Rothesay plundered by Highlanders, . . . . . 114-122 June — Erskine with a party lands at Greenock ; en- deavours to gain volunteers for the expedition in Stirlingshire — Argyle taken prisoner — Erskine a fugitive, ...... 122-132 July — Colonel Rumbold executed in Edinburgh — Sir John Cochran taken prisoner — Scene at Argyle's execution — Defeat of Monmouth — Discovery of arms hid by Papists at Wright's Houses, Edinburgh — Erskine receives news from Carolina — Argyle's son a prisoner in Edinburgh — Erskine in hiding in the west country, ..... 132-141 August — A bird with four feet and four wings — Perth and Queensberry's factions at court — The Duke of York on reaching the throne proves himself a Papist, . . . . . .141-153 September — Escape of prisoners from Dunnottar Castle — Erskine resolves to leave the country ; sails for Holland, . . . . . .153-160 CONTENTS ix PAGE October — A stormy passage. Reaches Rotterdam — Per- secution of Protestants in France, . . . 1 6*0-1 64 November — Erskine enters Professor Van Moyden's law classes at Utrecht, and resumes Latin, Greek, and Hebrew — At a dissection, . . . . 1 64-1 68 December — Search made in Hogg's house, Rotterdam, 169-172 1686 January and February — Erskine takes colleges with Witsius, Van Moyden, and De Uries, . . 172-178 March — Shipment of muskets for Scotland — Account of Argyle's expedition to Scotland — Jubilee of Utrecht College, ..... 178-183 April — Erskine visits Rotterdam, Leyden, Haarlem and Amsterdam — Receives from Madam Smith an account of Argyle's expedition, . . . 183-188 May and July — French edict against Protestants — Erskine travels to Leyden, Wyck, Rhenen, Nimue- gen, Cleves, Wesel, and Emmerick — At the court of the Elector of Brandenburgh — Meeting between the Elector and the Prince of Orange — Dr. Gilbert Burnet visits the Elector, .... 188-201 August — Military camp at Mockerhide — Fortifications at Wesel — Jesuits' college at Radting — Three Wise Men of the East buried at Cologne — Raw, an English Quaker, preaching in Cleves, . . 201-208 September — Buda taken from the Turks — Hamburgh besieged by the King of Denmark, . . 208-210 October — Prospect of war between England and the United Provinces — Ireland suffering from Papists, 210-214 X ERSKINE'S JOURNAL PAGE November — Design against the Prince of Orange — Inundation at Groningen — The magistrates of Glasgow and Edinburgh nominated by the King, 214-216 December — Illness of the King of France — A Swiss dwarf — Observance of Yule in Utrecht — Attack upon Captain Paton at Rotterdam, . . 216-219 1687 January — The power of the Prince of Orange over the Provinces — The Earl of Rochester deposed from the office of Treasurer of England, . . . 219 APPENDIX I Indictment of Henry Lord Cardross, before the Lords of Privy Council, ..... 221-227 Memoranda of Henry, third Lord Cardross, . . 227-231 APPENDIX II Notes by Erskine, written on blank pages of a letter from his brother William, .... 231-233 Fragment of Journal referred to in Introduction, . 233-238 Accompt — the funeral of Colonel Erskine, . . 238-240 APPENDIX III Papers relating to the Darien Colony, . 240-246 INTRODUCTION The author of the following Journal was a younger son of David, second Lord Cardross. That lordship was erected by charter under the Great Seal, of date at Whitehall 27th March 1604, in favour of John, Earl of Mar, and compre- hended the lands which formerly belonged to the Priory of Inchemahomo and the abbeys of Cambuskenneth and Dry- burgh, including the place and mansion of Inchemahomo, the lands and barony of Cardross, and others, lying in the shires of Perth, Stirling, and Berwick, respectively. Four years later, in virtue of an arrangement between the Earl of Mar and his kinsmen, Alexander Erskine, commenda- tor of Dry burgh and Inchemahomo, and Adam Erskine com- mendator of Cambuskenneth, these quasi churchmen granted procuratories to Mr. Alexander Hay, secretary depute to the King, for resigning, 6 with grit humilitie and reverence upone his kneis ' their respective benefices, in his Majesty's hands, to the effect that the two former abbacies should be given to Harie Erskine, son of John, Earl of Mar, and that of Cambus- kenneth to Alexander Erskine, also son of the Earl. This transaction took place in the palace of Greenwich, on 31st May 1608 ; and on the same day royal signatures were granted in terms of the resignation, and delivered by the King to the Earl of Mar, 4 to be kept and used by him to the behoof of his said two sons."' Accordingly, by charter, dated at Holyrood, 31st January 1617, and confirmed by the King on 13th March thereafter, Xll ERSKINE'S JOURNAL the Earl of Mar granted to Henry Erskine, his second son, the fie of the lordship and barony of Cardross, reserving the granter's liferent. Henry died before his father, leaving by his wife, Margaret Bellenden, an only son David, and a daughter Mary, who were, on 20th March 1629, placed under the tutelage of Captain Alexander Erskine, their father s younger brother. He was succeeded in the tutorship by his brother James, Earl of Buchan, in 1632 ; and latterly, in 1639, Lady Margaret Bellenden, the mother of the children, was appointed to the office. Commission was granted under the Great Seal, on 10th January 1637, for the service of David Erskine of Cardross as heir-male of the late Henry Erskine, his father, in all his estates : and on 17th November 1641 ratification was made by the King and Parliament at Edinburgh, of a charter granted to the late John, Earl of Mar, of date at Theobalds, 14th July 1634, ratifying the original charter of erection of the lordship of Cardross, and conferring the benefit thereof on David, Lord Cardross, grandson of the said Earl. David Erskine, second Lord Cardross, was about a year and a half old at the time of his father's death. This is mentioned in a signature granted by King Charles the Eirst, of date at Newcastle, 30th October 1646, ordaining a charter to be expede under the Great Seal in favour of the said David, and upon his own resignation, of the lordship of Cardross, compre- hending the superiority of the vassals, and the patronage of the churches belonging to the lordship, and holding of the crown in free blench for the yearly payment of i?100 Scots. This was followed by a charter under the Privy Seal, dated at Carisbrook Castle, Isle of Wight, on 25th December 1647, in similar terms. On 17th January 1649, David, Lord Cardross, lodged a protestation against Sir John Scott of Scottistarvet, director of Chancery, for refusing to register the royal signa- ture above mentioned, on the ground that it contained superiorities. The notarial instrument embodying this protest INTRODUCTION xm records that it was 4 done in the writing chamber of the said Sir John Scott, foiranent the heid of Niddrie's Wynd, on the north syde of the Kinges hie streit of Edinburgh, 1 between the second and third hours after noon of the aforesaid day. His lordship proved himself not ungrateful to the King, from whom he had received these formal securities, by protesting against the demand of the English army for delivery of his Majesty's person at Newcastle in 1646 ; and by joining in the 6 engagement , of 1648 in the royal interest. For this latter venture he was lined to the extent of a thousand pounds and debarred from sitting in the parliament of 1649. David Lord Cardross was twice married, first, in 1645, to Anne, fifth daughter of Sir Thomas Hope of Craighall, baronet, King's advocate. By her he had two children, Henry, third Lord Cardross, who is so often mentioned in the Journal, and Margaret, who was married to William Cunning- ham of Boquhan. The second wife of Lord Cardross was Mary, youngest daughter of Sir George Bruce of Carnock, and sister of Edward and Alexander, first and second Earls of Kin- cardine. Of this marriage, which took place in 1655, were born seven children, namely : 1. Alexander, who died young. 52. William, afterwards of Torry, and deputy-governor of Blackness Castle. He married his cousin-german Magdalen, daughter of Sir James Lumsden of Innergellie, by his wife Margaret, daughter of Sir George Bruce of Carnock. 3. John, afterwards of Carnock, the author of the Journal. 4. Charles, a captain in the army, was killed at the battle of Steinkirk in 1692. 5. Veronica, married in 1703 to Walter Lockhart of Kirktoun, Lanarkshire. 6. Magdalen, married to Alexander Monypenny of Pitmilly, Fifeshire. 7. Mary, who died young. David, Lord Cardross, died in 1671. On 10th July of that year he executed a Bond of Provision, wherein it is narrated, that by the marriage-contract between him and Lady Mary Bruce, his present spouse, he was bound to provide her in liferent, and the bairns of the marriage in fee, to the sum XIV ERSKINE'S JOURNAL of i?68,000, including therein her own tocher, to be divided among the bairns ; and also to provide the latter to the half of any free conquest he should acquire during the standing of the marriage : and whereas ' it had pleased God to bless him with seven living and hopeful children of the said marriage, 1 and considering that the aforesaid sum when divided among them would afford but mean provisions to each of them, he resolves to add i?32,000 thereto, making the sum-total of ^100,000, and therefore, with consent of his son Henry, Master of Cardross, he assigns securities of the value aforesaid. On the same day he executed his last will and testament, nomi- nating Harie, his eldest son, as only executor; reserving to Lady Mary Bruce, his wife, such plenishing as was provided to her by his bond at the time of their marriage, and bequeath- ing to her certain silver plate, with all the unshapen linen and woollen cloth, with the yarn, which she had provided ; and nominating as tutors to his children by his said wife, Alex- ander, Earl of Kincardine ; William, Lord Bellenden ; the said Harie, Master of Cardross ; Sir Charles Erskine of Alva, Sir George Preston of Valleyfield, John Buchanan of that Ilk, Sir William Bruce of Balcaskie, Colonel John Towres, Alexander Bruce of Broomhall, Mr. Robert Preston of that Ilk, George Cockburn of Piltoun, Mr. John Dempster of Pitliver, and the said Lady Mary Bruce. The witnesses to this deed include Sir Robert Cunningham of Auchinharvie, M.D. ; and Mr. Thomas Burnet, M.D. In 1678 William and Veronica Erskine, the two eldest sur- viving children of the seven before mentioned, with consent of their curators, subscribed a declaration to the following effect : That on considering their father s Bond of Provision, and that by the decease of their brother Alexander, his portion re- turned to Henry, now Lord Cardross, so that there remained only the annual rent or interest of 37,800 merks for the maintenance of them and the other children, which, they de- clare 6 will scarce aliment, educate, and furnish us and them in INTRODUCTION xv bed, boord and apparel, suitable to our and their station and qualitie : and seing we and the said remanent children have been still entertained and alimented by our and their said mother ever since the decease of the said David, lord Cardross, our father, and that we and they are still with her, therefore, we the said William and Veronica Erskines, with consent afore- said, do declare that we hereby allocate the said annual rent bygone and to come to our said mother for our aliment, and do approve of her uplifting of the same for that end during our minority ; and that her kindness and motherly piety shown to us should not be prejudicial to her own rights and interests under the aforesaid Bond of Provision/ Following upon this act of filial piety, and after the two elder children had reached majority, the curators, on 21st February 1683, executed an act of division of the balance re- maining under the Bond of Provision amounting to 95,429 merks, which they apportioned among the five children now surviving, thus : To William, 40,000 merks ; to John, 16,000 ; to Charles, 12,000 ; to Veronica, 15,000 ; to Magdalen, 12,000. The foregoing particulars of the family history of our author have been stated with the view of helping us the better to understand himself and his Journal. John Erskine was born at Cardross in Perthshire, on 30th March 1662: he had, therefore, just reached majority about two months before the Journal was begun. Therein he records the memorabilia of his daily experience and observation, in the course of but three and a half years of his life of fourscore and one. The years covered by the Journal, though few, occur within a period of our national history hardly ever equalled in point of varied but withal painful interest — the period between the Restoration and the Revolution. As in- troductory to the matters narrated, or referred to, in the fol- lowing pages, it might seem desirable to give a brief review of the events and the parties of that stormy time. On other grounds, however, it is not needful to do so here, especially XVI ERSIQNE'S JOURNAL because it has been well done by other hands in works familiar to the intelligent : and besides, it might hardly consist with the design of the Scottish History Society, which is, presum- ably, rather to gather up the facts of history than to discuss them. This limit may not, however, be overstepped bv simply pointing to the obvious characteristics of the period in ques- tion as revealed by the official records bearing on the Restora- tion and its results. From these it is evident that Charles the Second, like his father and grandfather, was not content with the inherited title of 'Defender of the Faith," but claimed also the high prerogative of defining the faith, and then thrusting it by sheer force upon his unwilling subjects. Hence the stern resistance, even unto blood, of the men and women who were solemnly pledged to the principle embodied in their church standards, and sanctioned by the authority of Parliament, that * God alone is Lord of the conscience, and hath left it free from the doctrines and commandments of men which are in any thing contrary to His word, or beside it, in matters of faith or worship/ 1 The opposition to the ecclesiastical measures of the Court, while most prominent in the west and south of Scotland, was far from being limited to these districts. The Journal affords evidence of a similar state of things as existing throughout the shires lying on both sides of the Forth. Proof to the same effect abounds in the records of the proceedings of the Privy Council, and of the Justiciary Court. The estates of the Cardross family, as well as of most of their relatives, were situated within the area just referred to, and many of the incidents of the Journal occurred there. The Author refers occasionally, but not very fully, to the hardships which his brother Henry, Lord Cardross, endured on account of his steadfast adherence to the faith in which he was brought up. Wodrow, in his History, mentions some of the particulars 1 Confession of Faith^ chap. xx. section 2. INTRODUCTION xvii which he had found in the public records in regard to the same subject, and a brief summary thereof is given by Sir Robert Douglas in his Peerage, which is here quoted for the sake of brevity : 6 Henry, third Lord Cardross, succeeded his father in 1671, was trained in the manner of the family in the exalted principles of religion, liberty, and learning, and early joined himself to the opposers of the Earl of Lauderdale's administration. In 1674 for his lady's hearing her own chaplain preach in his own house, he was fined o^oOOO, of which he paid i^lOOO ; and after six months 1 attendance at Court, for procuring a discharge of the overplus of his fine, was, 5th August 1675, imprisoned in the Castle of Edinburgh, where he continued four years ; and his house of Cardross, immediately after it had been repaired and furnished at a great expense, was garrisoned, to his great loss and vexation. 6 In May 1675, when Lord Cardross was at Edinburgh, a party of soldiers came to Cardross at midnight, abused the whole house, affrighting Lady Cardross, who was pregnant, and extending their incivility to such a barbarous height, that they forced her to rise from bed, that they might search the chamber ; and they broke open the closets, where his Lord- ship's papers were contained. In 1677, he was fined on account of a child his lady was delivered of, being baptized by a person not his own parish minister, or licensed, notwithstanding he stated that he was then in prison, w r as not allowed to go out and attend his lady, and that he knew not by whom the child was baptized. And in June 1679 the King's forces, on their march to the west, wheeled and w r ent two miles out of their way, that they might quarter on his estates of Kirkhill and Uphall in West Lothian. 1 Lord Cardross was released, 30th July 1679, on giving bond for the amount of his fine, and early 1 These estates came to Lord Cardross by his wife Catherine, who was one of the two sisters and co-heirs of Sir William Stewart of Kirkhill and Strathbrock. b xviii ERSKINE'S JOURNAL the next year went to London, to solicit that his simple and liferent escheat, of which the Duke of Lauderdale had procured a gift in favour of his nephew, Mr. Maitland, might be assigned to the Earl of Marr. He likewise presented a narrative of his sufferings, which gave so much offence to the Privy Council of Scotland, that 12th February 1680 they wrote a letter to the King accusing him of misrepresentation. Not being able to obtain any redress, Lord Cardross went to North America, and established a colony in Carolina, which was destroyed by the Spaniards. He then left America, broken, but not dispirited, by misfortunes, and returning to Europe, attached himself to the friends of liberty in Holland. ' He accompanied the Prince of Orange to England 1688, raised a regiment of dragoons for the public service 1689, and was a useful commander, under Mackay, in subduing the opposition to the new Government. In the Parliament 1689 he obtained " an act in favour of the Lord Cardross, anent his damages,'" and protested that the forfeiture of the Earl of Buchan might not prejudge him, as heir of entail of the estate of Buchan. His Lordship was sworn a privy councillor, con- stituted general of the Mint, and possessed a considerable share of the favour of King William, but did not long enjoy it, dying of the effects of his sufferings at Edinburgh, 21st May 1693, in the forty-fourth year of his age." 1 Brought up in such a family, and at such a time, there was every prospect of a heritage of suffering awaiting young John Erskine. His education during boyhood seems to have been conducted at home under the care of his mother and tutors. It is to one of these that he refers, with affectionate warmth, in the Journal when in Holland, under date 6th March 1685. 2 ' I met with Mr. Robert Langlands, my old master, whom I 1 Some papers relating to the proceedings against Lord Cardross are given in the Appendix. 2 P. 109. INTRODUCTION xix longed much to see. 1 On the following day he makes a similar entry. Mr. Langlands was most probably an exile on the same account as his loving pupil. The young scholar, being destined for the Bar, studied also at the Universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow. This we learn from his references to old fellow-students with whom he for- gathered during his stay in Holland. 1 It would seem that in 1683 the honours of laureation were beyond his reach, not because of defective scholarship, but because of his determination not to take the oath affirming the King's supremacy in spiritual as well as civil matters. 2 While thus avoiding the sin of swearing to what he did not believe, he was not inclined nor allowed to remain idle ; for his ever watchful mother arranged, to his evident delight, that he should spend the winter in acquiring some experience of legal ' styles ' and 6 practicks 1 in the office of Hew Paterson of Bannockburn, at that time Keeper of the Signet, and after- wards dignified with a baronetcy. 3 This occupation was found to be of use also at times when it was not quite safe for him to be out of doors : hence the occasional statements in the Journal, that he stayed within writing his style-book. As a sort of casual apprentice, he was fain to be on good terms with his juniors in the writing chamber. Thus he wrote, on 5th November 1683, — being the Gunpowder Plot holiday — ' This night I gave the lads in our chamber a glass of wine and a supper, that I might make my acquaintance with them.'' His pleasure as a host was, however, somewhat marred by the lads 6 bothering ' him with a curious ceremony, which seemed to him rather superstitious. 4 The lads on their part, resolving not to be outdone in good fellowship by the scion of nobility, retaliated by compelling him to accept of 6 a glass of wine ' from them a few weeks later. 5 These were the good old days when whisky was unknown ! 1 Pp. 163 and 187. 2 P. 14. 3 P. 19, under 25 and 30 October 1683. 4 P. 19. 5 P. 23. XX ERSKINE'S JOURNAL The status which belonged to him as an aspirant to the Bar enabled him to attend the Courts with freedom, although his strong religious leanings were well enough known to Sir George Mackenzie and other prominent actors during the reign of judicial terror. The Journal begins with a description of what he saw in the e Justiceaire 1 or Circuit Court at Stirling, then at Glasgow, and latterly in the High Court at Edinburgh. These notices of the judicial proceedings against the opponents of prelacy are of much interest in the way of corroborating or supplementing the narratives of other contemporary writers. This applies particularly to the trials of Gordon of Earlston, Campbell of Cessnock, Baillie of Jerviswood, and of Mr. John Dick, Student of Divinity, spoken of by the journalist as his 'dear comrade/ whom he accompanied to the scaffold, and whose remains he helped to carry to the grave. 1 Like so many of his compatriots of that troublous time, John Erskine persistently refused to attend the ministrations of the curates: and as the subversion of presbytery had been accom- plished two years before he was born, it seems unlikely that he ever worshipped in any parish church until the advent of the Revolution, when he was in his twenty-seventh year. Many a silent Sabbath is noted in the Journal % while, on other occasions, he records with satisfaction that he heard preaching on such a text by one or other of the expelled ministers, whose names, however, are seldom given except in cypher. Neither does he tell where these preachings took place. They were doubt- less conventicles : for notwithstanding the severe enactments against such meetings, and the heavy penalties exacted from those who were convicted of being present at them, they were held with frequency, especially in the capital, and almost next door to the Court which proscribed them. There was, indeed, throughout the community, both in town and country, a quiet, friendly understanding in regard to these matters ; and in- 1 P. 41 to 44. INTRODUCTION xxi formers could hardly be found but among the paid minions of the ruling powers. In view of the ever-growing oppression and trouble for conscience"' sake in his native land, Mr. Erskine had serious thoughts, in the spring of 1684, of emigrating, along with his eldest brother, to America, in the hope of finding there that freedom which could no longer be enjoyed at home. After advising with friends, and setting apart a day for prayerful consideration of the project, he concluded not to go, more especially on the ground that such a step ' might for a time impede, if not altogether stop ' his studying for the law. With the hopefulness of vigorous youth he was now looking forward to a time when the present troubles should have passed away, and when his earnest diligence in study should be rewarded not only with a place at the Bar, but with the ermine of the Bench. Thus we find him meditating upon 'the qualifications requisite in a judge, 1 as laid down by Jethro in his advice to Moses. 1 This virtuous aspiration was not, as the sequel shows, destined to be realised : yet the qualifications which so attracted him in his ideal judgeship, were found to be not less becoming to his actual position as colonel of a regiment and governor of a royal castle. It was, however, not a time for carrying out any settled plan of study or of action. Moving about from place to place much like a fugitive, he was learning more about patience in adversity than about law. His mother had just been fined in 4000 merks ' for not going to church/ It was thus evident that he, as equally guilty of the same crime, could not much longer go scatheless. Accordingly, he resolved, a few weeks later, to 6 go off the country, with a design of studying the laws,'' but more deeply moved by the consideration that 4 there were many tilings that might engage people to leave Scotland,"* though they still lingered, 6 few being determined what to do them- 1 r. 86. , xxii ERSKINE'S JOURNAL selves or able to advise others." On 10th January 1685, he took ship at Leith, and, after a voyage of nine days, arrived in London. 1 There, in the company of some Scotsmen of kindred spirit, he enjoyed greater freedom than he had known at home. Within a fortnight after his arrival, the death of Charles the Second took place. That event is but briefly referred to in the Journal, and did not, throughout the country generally, excite much interest or awaken hope of a change for the better. The last of the Stuart kings de facto was still to have his probation, and the people looked on rather apprehensive than doubtful of the issue. Tarrying little more than a month in London, our author passed over to Holland. There he found himself as it were at home, amid the congenial society of many friends, relatives, and fellow-countrymen, exiles from the land they loved so well. To him, doubtless, the most remarkable feature of the change was the freedom to hear preaching every Lord's day. The sad weekly record : 4 1 heard no preaching," which studs the earlier portion of the Diary, now disappears ; and there is ample choice of ministers, both Scotch and English. Still intent on the study of law he entered the college at Leyden with that view ; but a fortnight later abandoned his books and took up the sword as a volunteer in the service of Argyll in his heroic but premature and abortive attempt to liberate his native land from oppression. Of this unhappy enterprise the Journal contains a fairly consecutive narrative, not without considerable value, as the contribution of an eye- witness, towards a complete history of that expedition. Shortly before the final disaster, Ensign Erskine (for such was his posi- tion in Argyll's little army) was sent into the districts of 1 The magistrates of Edinburgh granted him a passport ' to goe furth of this kingdom to Holland or France to studie the Law,' along with John Law as his servant. It is dated 9th January 1685, and signed by George Drummond, pro- vost, Tho. Robertson, and Tho. Hamilton, bailies. Mr. John Law was really his ministerial servant, being the outed minister of Campsie. INTRODUCTION Menteith and Cardross with the view of gaining recruits. The news of his leader's overthrow and capture a few days later put an end to that purpose. During the next four months the Journal records his wanderings by night and day until he succeeded in once more 'going off the country, 1 and finding safety and comfort among the hospitable Hollanders. Settling this time at Utrecht, he resumed his study of law under Pro- fessor Van Moyden. In circumstances so changeful and perplexing, it was natural that he should feel somewhat irresolute in regard to the line of action he ought to follow with a view to his future usefulness. While under hiding in Scotland he had serious thoughts of a possible call to the ministry of the Word. 1 After prayerful deliberation he resolved that while continuing to study for the Bar, he should at the same time make some preparation for an eventual vocation to the pulpit. Accordingly, in addition to the law class, he attended the prelections in theology of the celebrated Witsius and Maestricht, and of De Uries in philo- sophy ; while in the sacred languages he took lessons from his compatriot, Mr. John Sinclair. This last engagement he describes as for the purpose of reviving what he had learned before. Besides all this, he was also studying French and Dutch. After a busy session of nine months — from November to July — the college was closed for a month's vacation. In this interval Mr. Erskine, along with some friends, went forth on a journey through the Rhenish provinces. In his Diary there is a rapid and interesting account of the places he saw and the people he met by the way. Details are given of the meeting at Cleves between the Prince of Orange and the Elector of Brandenburg, with some conjectures as to its bearing on the political state of Europe and of Britain. Returning to Utrecht about the end of August, his classes were resumed. On the 1st of October 1686, an entry occurs in 1 P. 150. xxiv ERSKINE'S JOURNAL the Journal which may help to explain its abrupt termination soon after. He writes : 6 1 can say little now of this day, or of other days, in particular, which is not almost common to every day, being ordinarily taken up in going to college, reading at home, and sometimes seeing friends." There is, indeed, more of such monotony in the Journal than is desirable. One naturally wishes to learn more of what passed between the writer and his numerous companions, especially as some of them are of note in our national history. It is, however, to be remembered that this daily record was written merely to refresh his own memory in after years, or to please and instruct his children, but certainly not to be printed for the critical readers of two centuries later. Throughout the book there are occasional instances of solemn self-examination and devout communings of his soul with God. Not imbued with the notion that the experience of the saints mentioned in the Bible was peculiar to them and beyond the reach of later believers, he tested his own spiritual condition by the same high standard ; and thus complains heavily of the burden of sins which pressed sore upon his conscience, while they were merely inward or heart sins, known only to himself and to God. But as the heart of man is declared by the Lord Jesus to be the prolific source of all the evil that defiles the character and the life, a sound and genuine piety will prompt its subject to ' keep the heart with all diligence." Of the same kind of piety the great apostle is an instructive example : for he too was addicted to self-scrutiny, and found ' a law in his mem- bers warring against the law of his mind, and bringing him into captivity to the law of sin," whereby he was made to groan for deliverance. Yet there never was a Christian more active, cheerful, and practical than was Paul. To stigmatise the spiritual habits thus referred to, and, so far, characterising the experience of John Erskine, as the result of a gloomy dogmat- ism, does not do away with one of the deepest facts of our common nature. INTRODUCTION XXV There is no lack of evidence that our author, though earnestly religious, was far from being morose. He enjoys the scenery of his own and other lands ; plays at the 6 bvas bowls, 1 goes now a-fishing, then a-hunting or shooting, on rare occasions truly, but that was on account of the troubles of the time. He makes brief but graphic notes of the weather ; of strange phenomena (such as a hen with four feet and as many wings), wisely abstaining from any attempt at explaining these ; mentions his reading Clelia : a Romance?- when he had nothing else to do ; describes various 6 freets 1 and superstitions among the country people, and the 4 bickers ' of the Edinburgh boys ; touches off the vagaries of quacks and mountebanks ; and tells of a 6 discreet Dutchman 1 who showed him the stuffed skin of a man two years dead, with the finger-nails still a-growing. It may be of some interest to note the books which formed the mental food of the writer of the Journal for the period it covers. There were probably more, but these are mentioned, viz. : — Buchanan's Chronicle; Calderwood's History of' the Church of Scotland ; Guthrie's Trial of a Saving Interest in Christ: Hope's Treatise on the Scots Law; An Historical Account of Church Government, etc., by William Llovd, Bishop of St. Asaph; Stair's Institutions ; Animadversions on a Book intitled 'Fanaticism imputed to the Catholic Church fanatically, by D. Stilling fleet, and the Imputation refuted by S. C., 1 by a Person of Honour ; Union of Scotland and England, by Sir Francis Bacon, Lord Verulam ; Treatise on Christian Comfort, by David Dickson; Descartes' Principles; Christiana Theologia ; An exact history of the changes of Government in England from the horrid murther of King Charles the 1st to his son's return in 1660; Rush worth's Collections; Letter to the Author of Jus Popidi Vindication, by Mr. Gilbert Burnet; Papers betwixt King Charles 1st and Mr. Alexander Henderson concerning church 1 This ancient specimen of 1 light reading' was a folio volume ; it is so men- tioned in a ' Catalogue of books lent to Sir William Paterson from the College Library,' 1693. — Paper in the archives of the burgh of Edinburgh. xxvi ERSKINKS JOURNAL government by bishops ; Therapeutica Sacra, by D. Dickson ; The Mystery of Astronomy by William Bagwell. Readers of the Journal will form their own estimate of its author, so far as that can be done from such a brief and fitful record, written between his twenty-first and twenty-fifth years, amid the distractions of a troublous time. There can be little doubt that few will question his honesty, manly simplicity, and candour. Under circumstances most trying to temper and patience, he manifests a subdued and humble spirit, more ready to see his own faults than to dilate on those of other men ; and, like his suffering contemporary, James Nimmo, 1 he breathes no words of bitterness or revenge against his persecutors. Like others far more conspicuous than he was in the twenty-eight years" conflict then being waged against despotism, his public conduct, if not his private motives, may seem to some to stand much in need of vindication. That may not be disputed. The best and noblest of causes has never yet in this world found immaculate defenders. But if a policy may be judged by its fruits, the Revolution, with its results, may be regarded as sufficiently vindicating those who by their self-sacrifice and painful labours were instrumental in bringing it to pass. What now remains by way of introduction is to sketch briefly the author's career from the time when the Journal abruptly terminates. That was in January 1687, when he was just on the eve of being introduced to the Prince of Orange. It may be that this event, and the work he was called to do in preparation for a new and more hopeful enterprise in the cause of British freedom so engrossed his thoughts and filled his hands that he felt it better to lay aside his Diary until he should enjoy a more settled leisure. From the fragments of a later journal, quoted in the Appendix, it is evident that he did not altogether leave off the habit of jotting down the events of the day. 1 See vol. vi. of this seiies. INTRODUCTION xxvii It is said by Sir Robert Douglas that our author's first function in the service of the Prince of Orange, in Holland, was that of captain of a company of foot. When the Revo- lution became an accomplished fact, other honours were con- ferred on him and his brother, Lord Cardross. The latter, in 1689, raised a regiment of horse for the public service. Two years later, his lordship having been appointed General of the Mint, the regiment was disbanded. Whether this took place before or after 29th January 1691 does not appear ; but on that date warrant was granted by the Privy Council to Sir Thomas Livingston, the Commander-in-Chief, to send forces to defend the house of Cardross 6 against the Highland rebels." On 2d June, the same year, a letter from the king was received by the Council, with instructions to pay the arrears due to Lieutenant-Colonel Jackson, 6 of Lord Cardross" regiment of dragoons lately disbanded." On the same day the Minutes of Council bear that Lord Cardross was nominated as Colonel of the foot regiment of militia to be levied from the town of Edinburgh and suburbs, and the shire of Linlithgow. His lordship thereupon represented that the General and other officers of the Mint were exempted ' from all wars by land or sea, 1 so that he could not be obliged to serve as colonel of that regiment; but that he was willing for their majesties 1 service to offer, that if the arrears due to him and the officers and soldiers of his regiment of dragoons, then disbanded, were paid, he should recall and keep together the last-named regi- ment for two months at his own expense. The Council, having thanked him for the offer, recommended it to the consideration of the Lords of the Treasury, and they also exempted him from serving on the militia. Henry, Lord Cardross, died in May 1693, and was succeeded by his eldest son David as fourth lord, who, in 1695, succeeded to the earldom of Buchan. Our author, having at length reached a haven of compara- tive rest and peace, sought further to enhance it by taking to xxviii ERSKINE'S JOURNAL himself a wife. The marriage contract was signed at Edin- burgh on 12th March 1690, between Captain John Erskine and Mistress Jean Mure, eldest daughter of the late William Mure of Caldwell, with consent of her mother, Barbara Cun- inghame. The bride was heiress of entail of the estate of Caldwell, and her affianced husband provided her to a liferent annuity of 2000 merks. The witnesses to this contract are John, Earl of Mar, Alexander, Earl of Eglinton, Henry, Lord Cardross, Mr. Francis Montgomerie of (^riffen, John Hamilton of Halcraig, Adam Cockburn of Ormistoun, Mr. William and Captain Charles Erskine, brothers-german of the bridegroom, Sir William Cunynghame of Cunynghamehead, knight-baronet, John Dempster of Pitliver, George Fullerton of Dreghorne, James Stewart, advocate, Archibald Mure of Thornetoune, James Dunlop, one of their Majesties"' General Receivers, Mr. William Carstairs, minister, Captain James Mure, etc. The Earl of Leven's signature is added. The marriage took place two days after the signing of the contract, but the union so auspiciously begun was, after two short months, broken by the death of the lady. Captain John Erskine was about this time appointed Lieu- tenant-Governor of Stirling Castle, the government of which had belonged hereditarily to the chiefs of the family of Erskine for some centuries. The commission in favour of the Captain has not been found on record, but the fact of his appointment is sufficiently ascertained from an Act of Privy Council under date 5th February 1691, authorising 6 Captain John Erskine, present Lieutenant-Governor of Stirling Castle, 1 to nominate another lieutenant in place of George Shaw of Sauchie. Again, on 1st October the same year, he receives, under the same designation, licence from the Council to go to London. In reference to this important appointment, the Rev. Sir Henry Moncreiff Wellwood, Bart., in his Life of Dr. John Erskine, grandson of our author, mentions that the Captain's name was not inserted in the list presented to the king of INTRODUCTION xxix those to be provided to posts of public trust, because lie refused to take the oath of allegiance. The king, when he noticed the omission and was apprised of the reason of it, remarked, 6 It may be so ; but I know Captain Erskine to be a firmer friend to the Government than many of those who have taken the oath.'' Sir Henry adds, that in order to benefit the Captain, notwithstanding his scruples, the office of Lieu- tenant-Governor of the Castle was intrusted to his nephew of the same name, while the emoluments went to the uncle. Of this arrangement no trace has been found in any authentic source, while the references already cited show that Captain Erskine was the actual holder of the office. After eight months of widowerhood, he married, on 5th January 1691, Anna, eldest daughter, and one of the heirs, of William Dundas of Kincavil, by whom he had seven children, namely : — 1. William Henry, born 14th November 1691 ; he died at Edinburgh 30th June 1705. 2. David, born 1st April 1693 ; died in the following year. 3. Mary, born 17th March 1694 ; was married in 1721 to Mr. Alexander Leslie, afterwards fifth Earl of Leven. 4. John, born 4th November 1695, afterwards Professor of Law in the University of Edinburgh, and author of the Institutes of the Law of Scotland. 5. Patrick, born 17th June 1697 ; married in 1717 Mrs. Sarah Maxwell ; was some years at Boston, New Eng- land ; and died at Culross in 1726. Some interesting par- ticulars of Patrick Erskine and his early marriage are noted in the correspondence of Wodrow with the ministers of Boston. 1 6. David, born 30th June 1698 ; married, in 1727, Mrs. Lucy Cuningham ; and settled at Breda, in Brabant. These six children were born in Stirling Castle. 7. Ebenezer, born at Edinburgh, 7th August 1708, and died at Culross. Soon after his second marriage our author is referred to in documents under the title of Lieutenant-Colonel, but no precise Wodrow Correspondence , vol. ii. pp. 281-285. XXX ERSKINE'S JOURNAL information has been found as to the date and other particulars of his commission. There was a kinsman of his who had the same name, and in later years was also invested with the rank of colonel. Mr. Beveridge, in his interesting book, Culross and TuUicdlan, informs us that these two colonels were in the early part of last century resident in Culross, in separate dwell- ings within the same court, hence called ' the Colonels' 1 Close. 1 In order to distinguish them, they were referred to in the session and other records, and by the people, as the Black Colonel and the White (or fair) Colonel respectively, our hero being the owner of the dark complexion. 1 His mother, Dame Mary Bruce, on 4th April 1693, executed various deeds for the benefit of her children. The first of these is a disposition in favour of Lieutenant-Colonel John Erskine, lieutenant-governor of Stirling Castle, her second son now in life, and the heirs-male of his body, failing of which, to the heirs-male of Mr. William Erskine, depute-governor of the garrison of Blackness, her eldest son, of the plenishing of her house of Torry, and other goods and gear, excepting such as had already been gifted to the said Mr. William, or to Veronica Erskine, her eldest daughter, or to Magdalene, her youngest daughter, and Alexander Monypenny of Pitmilly, husband of the latter. She also assigns certain large sums of money to the said Mr. William and to her daughters Veronica and Magdalene, and their heirs, with remainder to the said Lieu- tenant-Colonel John Erskine. At the same time these sons and daughters grant discharge to their mother, as curatrix to them and their deceased brother Charles, of her curatory and whole management of their affairs during their minority. On 14th October 1696, Lieutenant-Colonel John Erskine executed two deeds, viz., a disposition in favour of William Henry, his eldest son, of all his heritages and personal estate, 1 The well-known Ralph Erskine, afterwards minister of Dunfermline, and one of the first seceders, entered the family of Colonel Erskine of Carnock in 1705, as tutor to his children. — Culross and Tidliallan, by Beveridge. INTRODUCTION xxxi with reservation of his own liferent and power to alter or annul the deed; also, disposition in favour of John, his second (sur- viving) son, of seven oxengates of the lands of Kincavill, in the shire of Linlithgow, 'for a provision and portion natural to him,' with reservation as in the other deed. These early settlements in favour of his still very young children may have been prompted by considerations arising from his connection with the unfortunate 6 Company of Scot- land trading to Africa and the Indies,' by which the Darien Expedition was promoted. A few weeks before the date of the deeds above mentioned, that is, on 16th September 1696, the Court of Directors of the said Company issued 6 Instructions for John Erskine, son to David, Lord Cardross, and Governor of Stirling Castle, John Haldane, baron of Gleneagles, Messrs. William Paterson 1 and James Smyth, merchants," to 6 repair with all convenient speed to such place or places beyond the seas, as you shall judge most fitt, and there, or from thence, proceed to make and conclude such treaties or agreements of trade as you judge most beneficial for and on behalf of this Company/ They were also empowered to purchase and fit out so many ships, with cargoes and stores, as they judged necessary for the enterprise, to the extent, in the meantime, of ^35,000 sterling. 2 It does not appear that the Colonel actually went on the mission thus marked out for him. He had quite enough to engage his time and energies at home, between his official duties at Stirling and Dumbarton, his active interest in ecclesi- astical affairs, and, not least, the cares which lay near his heart as a husband and a father. He had, moreover, some rather intricate legal business in hand in regard to the paternal estates of Cardross. The lands of that lordship had been disponed by his now deceased brother Henry in 1683, to the Earl of Mar and others, in trust for 1 The well-known founder of the Bank of England. 2 One or two papers relating to the Darien settlement are printed in the Appendix. XXX11 ERSKINES JOURNAL behoof of the creditors, and various adjudications followed. These burdens were so far cleared off' by the Colonel, that on 9th December 1699 his nephew, David, Earl of Buchan, dis- poned to him, for money received, his whole estate of Cardross. 1 On the same day Katherine, Lady Cardross, widow of his brother Henry, disponed to him her interest in the estate, which, at the same time, he redisponed to her under reversion. It would seem that all the bonds on the estate had not then been redeemed, as some of them are found in later years pass- ing by assignation from one party to another, until in 1739 the Colonel raised a process of ranking and sale against his nephew, the Earl of Buchan, and eventually, on 25th July 1746, decree was given in favour of Mr. John Erskine as son and heir of the Colonel, finding him purchaser of the estate of Cardross, at the price of £8290 sterling. In 1700 the bulk of the estates of the Earls of Kincardine passed by judicial sale to Colonel Erskine, thereafter designed as of Carnock. The mansion and grounds of Culross Abbey were not included in the purchase, but remained with Veronica, Countess of Kincardine, and passed with her daughter, Lady Mary, into the family of Lord Dundonald. The Colonel was member of Parliament for Stirling from 1702 to 1707, and in the first Parliament of the United Kingdom 1707-8 ; and for the Stirling burghs 1708-10. In politics he belonged to what was then known as the Whig party. As an elder of the Church of Scotland he took an active part in the proceedings of the ecclesiastical courts. His close friendship with Wodrow, the historian, is attested by the published correspondence of 4 that indefatigable collector and narrator." The editor of that correspondence, published by the Wodrow Society, thus refers to Colonel Erskine : 4 So strict was 1 In this, and in other documents of later date, the Colonel is designed governor of the castle of Dumbarton. In the Register of the Privy Council of 1 701 he is still designated depute-governor of Stirling Castle. INTRODUCTION xxxiii he in his presbyterian principles that we find him, when he had occasion to petition parliament about some of his personal affairs, refusing to recognise the civil places of the bishops in the House of Lords, and presenting a memorial to the members of parliament on the subject, though this scrupulous adherence to his principles subjected him to the hazard of worldly loss. . . . He was uniformly found on the popular and evangelical side. The uncompromising enemy of lay -patron age, he was urgent in pressing on the church the necessity of adopting energetic measures in order to get rid of that imposition. . . . As a proof of the confidence placed in him by the church, and of his influence with the government, it may be observed that, in 1735, when the General Assembly appointed commissioners to go to London for the purpose of applying to parliament and the crown for the repeal of the Act of Queen Anne restoring patronage, he was selected, along with the two last moderators of the General Assembly, for this mission . , His character as a father has so far been indicated by the early provisions made to his children. It appears in a more familiar aspect in the few examples which remain of his cor- respondence with his sons. William Henry the eldest, who died while at school in his fourteenth year, thus writes to his father from Stirling on 1st December 1701 : 6 Sir, I received the hat you sent me on Saturday. I would be glad to hear how my mother, brethren, and sisters keep their health. I designed to write but was not certain whether you was gone to Edin- burgh or not. Sir, be pleased to send me a map of that part of Italy where the French and Imperiall Armys are. Be pleased to give my service to all friends at Edinburgh. I will trouble you no more at present, but rests your affectionate and obedient son, William Henry Erskine. 1 To his eldest surviving son, John, the future professor of law, Colonel Erskine wrote the following letter, dated Rothesay, April 14th, 1709, the youth being then in his thirteenth year: 6 My dearest Johnie, I would have wrote to you before now if c xxxiv ERSKINE'S JOURNAL any occasion from this had offered, save that one by which my Lord Bute wrote a letter to Mr. M'Gill, the one half of which was designed for your perusall, your serious consideration, and instruction ; and if you have thought upon it as such, sufficient at the time to satisfie you as to your Father's concern in your welbeing, and all our safe arrivalls here, which I beleive you would be very desirous to have ane account of. Tell Mr. M'Gill that I received two letters from him, Saturday last, the one dated the 22 of March, the other, I suppose, wrote after, but had no date. I am very well pleased with the accounts he gives me of your health. I wish you may be thankfull to God who bestows so great a blessing upon you ; and provoc Him not to throw you into sickness by misemploy- ing your health and capacity, or not using them for those ends they are given for, which is to improve yourself in grace, wis- dome and vertue, that you may be serviceable to your God in this world, a blessing and honour to your country, and a com- fort to all your friends. You see what great occasion your kinde creator gives you of being a wise man, in blessing you with health, judgement, affectionate parents, and proper masters to furder your progress in learning, which if you now slight and neglect (as I hope in God you will not), these oppor- tunitys will soon be taken from you, justly, and you will be hated by your parents, despised by your friends, and laughed! at by all who see you miserable by your own folly. But I hope, my dear Johnie, there is no caus to insist upon this subject with you, or to fear your being in this terrible hazard : therfor I will only acquent you with the pleasure I take to> think you delight in learning, and, as you promist to me, will' let your chiefest ambition terminate in nothing less than to* equall the most wise and celebrated men of this and former ages, which will make you happy in your life, rich and great, blest in your death when old, and honourably remembered hundreds of years after you are dead : and this you need not doubt to be, if you but prefer the pleasures of the mind to> INTRODUCTION XXXV those of the bodie, which preference never mises to make a man all that he can wish ; and if you can but fill your minde when young with an eager desire of wisdome and knowledge, nothing that is vain and empty will give you the least satisfac- tion: and you can never expect to please me till I see you arrived at this pitch, that you have a treu sense of the foolish useles pleasures of the body, which tend all to sin and cor- ruption (especially to those who have not their mind replenisht with learning and verteu), and a clear sight of the advantages a wise, pious, learned man has over all the ignorant, idle, gawdie, gaiming, debautcht fops, which this world most abounds with, that spend all their time in pleasing the senses, making themselves ripe to be damned, without thinking they have an immortal soul (more than the beasts) which their care through Jesus Christ could take to everlasting glory, and their neglect of, brings to everlasting misery. Now, your writing to me that you believe this will not do ; for it being trew matter of fact, all must acknowledge it, iho 1 indeed conviction must be the first step ; but then if your practise do not demon- strat more than your words, you will lose my affection intirely, and ruin your poor self. But, Johnie, do not be frighted with thoughts that a wise learned man must be deneyed all the pleasures of the body : it is not so ; he only is to furnish his mind first, as being the most noble pairt, which deserves greatest care, and from which all the outward pleasures receive their trew taste and valow : for as much learning and know- ledge as one man has more than another, so much higher is all that man's pleasure than the brutish sinners, because he is unbounded being innocent, and wishes for nothing but what he can and may enjoy. His wisdom also gives him a right view, and power to improve all the delights of human nature, as they were bestowed upon our first parents, then innocent ; but the ignorant, wild raike is never satisfied, always wishing what he cannot obtain, and an evil conscience tormenting him in all his enjoyments, gives him no more reall sensuall xxxvi ERSKINE'S JOURNAL pleasures than by his own neglect of learning he can have of spirituall. This I could make very clear, my dear Johnie, even to your waik capacity, if too long a letter did not make you forget what is materiall in it : but in hopes it will not, I '11 let you see how freely God Almighty allows his servants the use of all their facultys of soul and body, and lightens their pleasurs in the person of each of them. The facultys of the soul you cannot yet know the powers of, being but in the way of learning, which only can discover them to you, and without which they are never knowen : But those of the body, com- parison may give you a sense of. If ther be any pleasure in fine clothes, the learned man may be as fine and nate as any Beau ; and he has this advantage over them in their best dress, that the outside is just the same, and the inward man casts such ane additional luster upon it as attracts the eyes of all beholders, that the Beau is not so much as lookt at but with derision. If there be pleasure in conversation, the learned man both has that and can give it to others ; whatever company he is into, like a loadstone, with airn he draws all the valowable pairt about him, some admiring him, others receiving benefite by his wise discourses, others praising and almost adoring him. Judge you what additional pleasure this must be to him, to be lookt upon as a god wherever he goes, and indeed nothing makes men so near to resemble God as knowledge. If there be any pleasure in the company of Ladys, none can pretend so much to that as the man of learning and vertue ; for in his friendship the Ladys can safly repose, their character runs no haizard : they think themselves honoured when in the number of his friends, and there is none will refuse him that name, wheras the ignorant fope is shun'd by all women of reputation, and if he intrude upon their civility, they are ashamed of it, and deny being of his acquentance. If there be pleasure in drinking, the wise man has all necessary freedom to eat and drinke with his friends what runs not to exces, and to be merry, and his conversation adds life and spirits to their liquer, INTRODUCTION xxxvii which makes it healthful and agreable, and keeps himself and all with him from being intoxicat. Thus you see nothing is denyed the wise learned man of all the good creatures which God Almighty has provided for his use, and in the greatest purity and perfection he enjoys them. So, my dear childe, thinke seriously upon all I have wrot to you, which is as in- fallible as truth itself. And the more diligent and painful you are when young to acquier grace, wisdome, knowledge, and learning, the sooner will you have the fruition of all the other self-satisfieing delights, which are but the accidents of life, not the designe. Therfor, consider, my dear, the end and the designe of learning, and let not the empty vanitys which you see children and fools taken up with divert you from the main business on which depends your happiness here and hereafter, and also, my whole satisfaction. 6 Be sure you read this letter every day once over, for my occasions are but few, and I have such difficulty in breking off when I write to you, having so much to say, and such a desire to enforce that it makes me swear 1 to begin : therfore make good use of this till you get ane other, and the Lord of his infinit mercie inlighten your minde in the knowledge of Christ, that you may seeke first the kingdom of heaven. I hope all other things will be added thereto ; but if you neglect that, Johnie, you need not expect a blessing to follow any of your labours, or that your j udgement or capacity will be inabled to answer the expectation of your friends. 4 Be not too fond of visiting or gauding abroad : let your recreation be no more than is necessar for your health. Remember that Solomon says, Be not too often in your neighbour's house, lest they be weary of you : and consider you are not yet capable to intertean a conversation with people of sense, and ought to be too wise for bairns and foolls. So imploy no time that way but what common discretion oblidges, 1 Reluctant. xxxviii ERSKINE'S JOURNAL which Mr. Gill will regulat. I have wrote to him to put you imediatly to writing. See that by pains you make up your lost time at that school, lest your Father thinke his money lost. I send you a very ill wrote letter, being in hast, but I expect to receive one from you a month hence, wrot by your own hand, much better, which will be very acceptable. Caus acquent me if you can read my write perfectly : the frequent reading my letters may bring you to it, which I hope you will not omit. 6 If you have got your new clothes, take care to keep them clean ; nothing is more unlike a gentilman than to be slovenly and nasty in their clothes. I expect you will both speak and read french against I see you, and that you neglect not your latine, which is the chief of languages, and that one must do you greatest service in the world. Take what pains you can upon your dansing, for you will not be long so idly imployed, I hope. Be cheerful, good natur'd, and innocent ; let not your minde be idle, lest the devil provide work for it, which he watches to do ; and when you incline to be idle, conclude it is the devil tempting you, and force your self to some booke or worke to be revainged upon him, and the Lord will assist you ; so the devil will be ashamed and flee from you : but if you obey him and go to diversion whenever you incline (that is, when he bids you), then he will come again and again till he bring you to an aversion to all good. Remember this signe, and also the way to resist and disappoint him. 6 The Lord God Almighty direct you, and follow with a rich visible blessing all the means made use of for your edification and instruction, for your growth in grace and vertew : so leave- ing you upon his care, who gave you unto me, I bide you, my dearest Johnie, Farewell. 6 See that you attend the meeting hous every Sabath, and let your ears be more engaged than your eyes, otherways you had better be at home. Give my service to Mr. Robert Sibald and his Lady and daughters ; to my sister the Lady Glasgow, and my Lord if in town ; the Lady Ednam and her daughters, especially Mrs. Margaret ; to my aunt Scot, and the Lady INTRODUCTION xxxix Benny. Cause give my Lady Glasgow the use of my chair always : it stands in the nurse's Goodman^s hous, you know. Keep all my letters.'* This letter sufficiently reveals the character of the writer; and, as 6 a wise son maketh a glad father, 1 the Colonel must have tasted a fair measure of such joy in the success of his fatherly counsels, for the son is well testified of by more than one witness. Mr. Ramsay of Ochtertyre thus speaks of him : * A better and pleasanter pair than Mr. Erskine and his Lady have seldom appeared in any country. His learning and judg- ment could only be surpassed by his modesty and rectitude. He had the happiest talent of communicating what he knew ; and, exclusive of law, he knew a great deal of curious matters relative to men and things which could only be gathered from conversation. . . . He had a warmth and keenness in conversa- tion which, as he never assumed, tended only to enliven it."' 1 In the troublesome business of the oath of abjuration im- posed in the reign of Queen Anne, Colonel Erskine was very active in the interest of the non-juring Presbyterians, as the correspondence between him and Wodrow shows. In connec- tion with this matter, and also with the question of church patronage, he was very much in London during the period between 1712 and 1720. He was opposed to both of these measures ; and it is said that though a patron himself of several charges, he would not make use of his legal power but according to the choice of the people. He and other non- jurors were willing to give any assurance of their loyalty to the Hanoverian dynasty which did not involve them in the approbation of the prelatic establishment in England : and a Memorial and Declaration to that effect was in 1715 pre- sented to the Crown, with the result that some modification of the terms of the oath was allowed so that it could be taken without scruple. The Colonel was, notwithstanding his objections to the Scotland and Scotsmen^ etc., vol. ii. p. 130. xl ERSKINE'S JOURNAL oaths imposed by the State, sincerely loyal. As illustrative of this feeling, it is mentioned that a young gentleman for whom he had a special regard was enticed by the agents of the Pretender, and was preparing to join the rebel army. Colonel Erskine hearing of this, surprised his young friend by entering his bedroom at five o'clock on the morning fixed for his depar- ture, and then declared to him, 4 in a tone of the most deter- mined resolution, that though he would have reasoned the matter fairly with him, if he had been consulted, as his experi- ence and the interest he had always taken in him entitled him to expect, yet he found it necessary to follow a different course with a headstrong young man who seemed prepared to hazard everything in defiance of all good counsel : and that, for that time at least, if he accomplished his purpose, it must be over his body.' 1 This remonstrance, from one whom the youth had always regarded with deference, was effectual, not only in preventing his defection, but in confirming him in steady allegiance to the reigning family. Much has been written by local historians and others in reference to the Colonel's litigious disposition. He was, indeed, involved in some law-plea or other almost continuously from 1700 onwards to the day of his death. This was, however, not with him a matter of mere choice. The estates which belonged to his ancestors on the father's and the mother's side he had purchased under judicial sale, in order to retain them in the family. These estates, and especially that of Tulliallan, were more or less involved in a maze of bonds, processes, inter- loquitors, and appeals, the ramifications of which might be traced from 1633 to 1731, when the whole matter was brought before the House of Lords at the instance of Robert Blackwood, Esq., as creditor of a former creditor, against David Earl of Buchan, Colonel John Erskine, and other members of that family. There was a cross appeal also by them against the 1 Sir H. Moncreiff Wellwood's Life of Dr. John Erskine, p. 486. INTRODUCTION xli claimant, and the decision was in their favour. There was nothing very singular in these complications of legal rights, as few estates in Scotland were not then affected to some extent in the same way, partly on account of the recent troubles, but more generally for the reason that before the institution of banking- houses people invested their money by loans on landed security, the rights of which were heritable, or might be sold. Various other cases occur in which the Colonel was a party, but which do not call for more particular reference, except that none of them, considered in their circumstances, warrant the assump- tion that he was a litigant from choice, or from any character- istic tendency. When an owner's rights are attacked he will naturally defend. That does not necessarily make him a litigious person. The traditional story about the Colonel's 4 ruling passion 1 asserting itself on his death-bed has often been told. Alluding to his lawsuits, he said : 4 1 hae ten guid gangin' cases in the Court of Session, and that idiot Jock, my son, will be settlin' them a' in a month efter my death.' Mr. Ramsay adds : 4 Accordingly, Mr. Erskine's first act of administration after his father's death was to com- promise most of those disputes, some of which he referred to his opponents.' The public records, however, have not seldom a chilling effect on such current pleasantries ; and in this instance it can be vouched that the Colonel had so far succeeded in making peace long before his demise, that only one case of any note remained undecided, and that through no fault of his. This was the process between him and the creditors on the estate of Cardross, which was not compromised, but insisted on by the aforesaid 4 Jock' until a judgment was given in his favour about four years after the Colonel's death. Some years still later the same worthy son, of whom Mr. Ramsay says, 4 peace and quiet were his darling luxuries, for even victory itself could not, in his opinion, make up for the trouble and vexation it cost to obtain it,' is found raising pleas in court for establishing his rights, just as his father did before him. His second wife having died in 1723, the Colonel married xlii ERSKINE'S JOURNAL two years afterwards Lilias Stirling, daughter of the laird of Keir, and widow of John Murray of Polmaise. She died in 1729 without issue. He again married, after an interval of six months, as his fourth wife, Mary, daughter of Charles Stuart of Dunearn, by whom he had one child, Charles, born 12th February 1731. The particulars of his marriages and the births of his children were recorded by the Colonel in the family Bible, the boards of which are mounted in silver at the corners, with the initials of each wife engraved on the four corners respectively. When staying in Edinburgh, the family mansion stood in Merlin's Wynd, hard by the Tron Church. The wynd was removed more than a century ago, to make way for South Bridge Street. His country residence was at Culross, and when riding thither from the capital, it is said that his usual course lay right through the park of Barnton. 6 Without regard either to the rights or the convenience of the public, the pro- prietor of that estate got the road diverted from the old course, and he enclosed by a wall the park through a part of which it had passed. Whenever in coming or going they came up to this wall, the Colonel and his servant regularly dis- mounted, made a gap through it at either end, and kept to the old road.' 1 Another anecdote illustrative of the Colonel's character is given by the same writer thus : 6 During the last ten years of his life Colonel Erskine was afflicted with asthma. One day when he was suffering from an attack which put a fresh edge upon a temper naturally somewhat inclined to irritability, fires for burning kelp had been kindled, under authority of the magistrates, upon the beach of the Firth of Forth which lay immediately below his house at Culross. Imagining that the smoke aggravated his asthma, the Colonel sent down per- emptory orders that the fires should be put out. They were not obeyed. Unable to walk, he at once called for his horse, 1 Dr. Hanna's Letters of Thomas Erskine of ' Linlathen . INTRODUCTION xliii drew his sword, and handed it to his grandson, a youth of fourteen then living with him. Down through the steep street of the village they went, determined with their own hands to extinguish the fires. The magistrates were too quick and too many for them. Gathering their retainers, they surrounded the Colonel and his grandson and made them prisoners. The falseness and awkwardness of the position revealed themselves to him in a moment. Another fire, that of his own quick passion, was at once extinguished. " This is all nonsense, 11 he said to the magistrates, " we are all wrong. Come along to the inn, and let us dine together and forget this folly. 11 The invitation was accepted as promptly as it was given. The best dinner the innkeeper could produce was supplied, and the evening spent in perfect good humour. The youth who upon this occasion filled the somewhat ludicrous position of sword- bearer, marching before his grandfather, was no other than Dr. John Erskine, who afterwards became the eminent divine. 1 1 As a successful agriculturist the Colonel is thus referred to : ' The estate of Tulliallan, which belonged to him, still attests both his zeal and his success as a planter. What was remark- able, he is said never to have protected a tree by a fence ; but every shepherd in the neighbourhood knew that he was watched, and was the more on his guard that the Colonel was commonly the executioner of his own sentences for trespasses within his plantations. He is honourably distinguished in the Transactions of Scottish Agriculture, about the year 1720. 12 To the record of the family written by our author on the blank leaves of the Bible already mentioned, there is added, in another hand : 6 Colonel John Erskine dyed at Edinburgh, 13th January 1743, and was buried in the Grayfriars 1 Church, Monday the 17th January. 1 Some details of the funeral are given in the Appendix. 1 Dr. Hanna's Letters of Thomas Erskine oj Linlathen. 2 Sir H. M. Wellwood's Life of Dr. Erskine, p. 489. Nimmo, the historian of Stirlingshire, notes that the avenue of trees on the south side of the King's Park, at Stirling, was planted by Colonel Erskine. xliv ERSKLXES JOURNAL Concerning the miniature which has been reproduced for the frontispiece of this volume, the owner believes it to be a con- temporaneous portrait : it is mounted with a ring to pass a ribbon through, and with a gold back on which is the Colonel's monogram. A glance at the expressive features thus brought to view may go far to modify the impression of asperity of temper ascribed to him by some who never saw him. The original of the Journal now printed is written, for the most part, in two small oblong pocket note-books, and com- pleted in a small square one, the greater portion of which is left blank. These books, as well as the miniature, are in the possession of H. D. Erskine, Esquire, of Cardross, to whose kindness the Scottish History Society is indebted for the use of them for this volume. CARDROSS HOUSE. [From a photograph, 1893. JOURNAL JOURNAL June, 1683. 5th. — I came from Torrie 1 this morning, and was at Stirling before the court sat. My Lord Collington, Castlehill, and Forret were appointed for the Justiceaire ; but Perth, the Justice General, and Lord Maitland, the Justice Clerk, sat here. They went together from their lodging to the Church, and after sermon to the Tolbooth, where the court sat in their robes. The town magistrates were going before them, having a company of townsmen guarding the entry; after them were two trumpeters and the court macers, and then two heralds with their coats ; and before the Lords the sherriff- deputes, walking bareheaded ; after the Lords the principal sherrifF and others, noblemen and gentlemen and others dwelling and freeholders within the shires, appointed to be at Stirling by the proclamation. After fencing the court, the suite rolls were called, and the absents fined : after noon the roll of pannells was called. The marquis of Athole went away before the sitting doun of the court. 6th. — This day they were almost wholly taken up in examining witnesses privately in the Justice General's lodgings. Dasher, 2 a Kippen laird, took the Test, and two or three other countrymen, and so were declared free, being the first who broke the ice. I went from Stirling with Boquhan 3 at midnight, and having 1 The residence of his mother, the Dowager Lady Cardross, in the parish of Torryburn, and near Culross. 2 Mr. William Leckie of Dasher, in the barony of Carden. 3 In the parish of Gargunnock. William Cunningham, laird of Boquhan, was brother-in-law to the author of the Journal, having married his eldest sister, Margaret Erskine : she died sometime before the end of 1682. A JOURNAL OF THE HON. [JUNE the ports opened to us, we came to Boquhan about daylight. Next day I went from Boquhan to Cardross, and saw my Brother's children ; and John Knox, and David Erskine was with me. 7th. — This morning, before the court sat, I came from Boquhan to Stirling. The pannells were all again called, and some few Fife and Stirlingshire Gentlemen took the Test, and, I think, upwards of thirty country men of Stirlingshire. They called them first, knowing they would take the Test, they might be as decoy dukks to lead on others, by following their example. Others, who refused the Test, enacted themselves to appear at Edinburgh the 18th of July next; and some, who had taken the Bond at Edinburgh after Bothwell, declaring upon oath that they had taken it, and that they would adhere to it. Mr. Gordon, the clerk, asked at some if they thought Bothwell a rebellion, and the Bishop's death a murther ? If they were either silent or answered negative, it was crime enough. He enquired at them if they thought themselves any ways obliged by the Covenant to rise in arms against the King, and other questions of that nature. 8th. — The pannells were called this day again, and I think near 80 took the Test, but Houstoun of [that] Ilk, 1 and Mr. Cunningham of Boquhan refusing it, found caution to appear at Edinburgh the second Monday of November, the penalty of the first being 1200 merks, and Boquhan's 5000 merks. 9th. — This day the court ended for this place, many taking the Test, and some finding caution to appear at Edinburgh as before, and the absents declared fugitives. The numbers were in Stirlingshire about 120, in Fife 40, in Perth 12, in Kinross about 8. First in the court and then at the cross with sound of trumpet they were declared fugitives, and ordain'd to be denounced ; and all persons discharged to converse with or harbour them, but ordained to apprehend them when they knew of them, under the pain of rebellion, or to raize the cry against them ; and all this either for being at Bothwell, or conversing with, harbouring, or being in company with those who had been there. Persons who were there for other crimes, 1 Sir Patrick Houstoun, created a Baronet in 1668. His estates lay in Ren- frewshire, which he twice represented in Parliament. 1 683J JOHN ERSKINE OF CARNOCK 3 and for the most part adultery, were smilingly bidden be loyal subjects and go home. There were about 50 or 60 adulterers who were either absent or dismissed with little done. Some who appeared had remissions under the great seal, some for other crimes than Bothwell, were only simply declared fugitives, so that I may say they were smilingly dismissed in comparison of others. Will. Boggs, in Campsie parish, presenting a bond sub- scribed by Boggs in Campsie after Bothwell, but unwilling to depone positive that he was the man, and to take the Test, pretending he knew not what the Test was, the Justice General answered : The Test is only to adhere to the Protestant religion and be loyal to the King. 1 But he still shifting their questions, and not acknowledging Bothwell to be rebellion, nor the bishop's death a murther, was sentenced upon his own con- fession of being at Bothwell, to be taken to Glasgow, and hanged there on Wednesday next. He was much dealt with, and at last persuaded to take the Test by some of the assyze, but because he made some reservations, and would not before the jury were sworn and set, and the sentence pronounced, it was refused him. I went to Boquhan this night. 10th. — I stayed within all day, but at night went with Boquhan to see his father half a mile off, which was not right (if rightly considered) on the Lord's day, and inconsistent with my profession. 11th. — I came to Stirling with Boquhan before the Lords went away, and saw about 12 men take the Test, begging it on their knees, because they had been fugitated on Saturday. I went alongst with the Lords (parting with Boquhan about St. Ninians, who went to Edinburgh) to Glasgow, They with their attendants dined at the Vicount of Killsyth's brother William's. The half of the King's Guard of horse, Balcarrass Troop, and a company of dragoons, attended the court. 1 The Test, enacted in 1681, contained much which the Presbyterians ap- proved ; but the clause which they could not consistently swear was that declar- ing the King to be supreme 'in all causes, as well ecclesiastical as civil.' This was regarded as a usurpation of the supremacy of the Divine Head of the Church, and subversive of ecclesiastical discipline. 4 JOURNAL OF THE HON. [JUNE I dined in Kilsyth town with Will Preston my cousin, 1 one of Balcarasses troop. When we were within a little of Inch- belly bridge we saw a country house razed to the ground, where, on Friday last, David Murray, 8 one of the King's Guard, was killed, and Ballantine wounded, by about seven men who assaulted them on a sudden (and rescued Smith, who was to be hanged at Glasgow). At Inchbellv bridge the Freeholders of Stirlingshire went back, and Dumbartonshire met the Lords ; and before they were at Calder Clidsdaleshire met them, with Duke Hamilton and the Archbishop of Glasgow, with a great number of Horse, as was said more than 1000 ; next Renfrew gentlemen met them, and within two miles of Glasgow the magistrates and burgesses having a handsome aspect. It was thought they were in all more than 2000 horse. The Foot soldiers were under arms on both sides of the street, from the Port till where the Lords lighted and got some little treat from the Town. I heard that Perth said he had never seen a handsomer reception. 3 Al. Henderson and I stayed together, and had a chamber in Ja. Witherspoon's, a t ay lour. \9.th. — The lords sat in the Tolbooth. They came from the church to the court, as at Stirling : the suite rolls were called, and after noon the pannells. 13th. — James Hamilton of Parkhead, Robert Russel, James Russel, and Gawin Paterson in Both well, being absent, the assize was set upon them. The Laird of Walstoun, 4 Dalzel, 5 Airnock, 6 old Bredisholme, 7 Orbeston, 8 young Woodhall, 9 old 1 The author's grandmother on the mother's side was Mar)', daughter of Sir John Preston of Valley field, Baronet. 2 This was David, brother-german of John Murray of Romanno, Peeblesshire. He married Agnes Scott, in 1673, and she survived him. 3 This loyal demonstration was not necessarily spontaneous, as on 9th April 1683 the Privy Council gave order 'that noblemen, gentlemen, and freeholders, be punctually warned to attend the justices, and the absents fined.' The fines were to be uplifted ' without excuse.' 4 This may be James Winrahame of Wistoun. 5 Alexander Hamilton of Dalzel. 6 John Robertoun of Ernock. 7 Muirhead of Bredisholme. His son James refused the Test. 8 Hamilton of Orbeston. c James Hamilton was then Laird of Woodhall. 1683] JOHN ERSKLVE OF CARXOCK 5 and young Knockmills, Lee. 1 Wischey, 2 Murdeston, 3 Boning- ton, 4 Cotts 5 took the Test ; but some of them took it not this day, but before the Lords went from Glasgow some more gentle- men took it and about 60 commons. William Bogge was hanged on a very high gallows before the Tolbooth in the view of all the four streets. He spoke little and seemed to be timorous; some said he was ignorant. The Court sat in the Merchants' Hospital, near the bridge. — James Hamilton of Parkhead, Robert Russel, por- tioner of Windvedge, were forfeit in absence as being at Both- well according to their lvbels. It was said for some of them that they had no arms ; but the King's advocate said that was debate before, and found that a man without arms was as guilty as one with them, because it imported greater forward- ness. Jo. M'Qharrie and Ja. Smith were found guilty by an assize for being at Bothwell, by their own confession, and being at the killing of Da. Murray by probation, they being (as the witnesses said) seen very hot and calling for drink some miles south from Inchbelly, and then pursued and apprehended in Hamilton wood, and some arms found, as was said, in one of their coats. Both their right hands were cut off on the scaffold, and then they were hanged. Their hands and heads were put on Glasgow Tolbooth, and both their bodies hung at Inchbelly Bridge, on both sides of the road. Thev got no time on the scaffold, but both dispatched as soon as could be. John M'Qharrie was very courageous, holding out the bloodv arm, and forbidding people to be affraid for suffering, and call- ing it the blood of the Covenant. I was credibly informed afterwards that he was a very knowing, and the other an exercised Christian. One who heard them told me they denved the killing of Da. Murrav. About 7 or S score of people took the Test. loth. — The gentlemen of Clidsdale being called upon, thev all, except one or two, refusing the Test, found caution to 1 Cromwell Lockhart was then Laird of Lee. - William Hamilton of Wishaw, ancestor of Lord Belhaven. 3 Turner, Laird of Murdeston. 4 Sir James Carmichael. 5 John Hamilton of Coatts. 6 JOURNAL OF THE HON. [JUNE appear at Edinburgh the 24th July. The names of some of them I inquired after, and they are Sir Da. Carmichael, 1 Hacraig, 2 Spertone, 3 Hassides, 4 Boogs, 5 young Bredisholme, 6 Cleland 7 y r , Pollock Maxwell, 8 Duchal, 9 Luss, 10 Lachop, 11 Craig- nethen, 12 *Hags, 13 Hardintown, 14 Kincaid, 15 Westburn, 16 Housil, 17 Hertwood, 18 Glanderston, 19 Cloburn, 20 Coitus, 21 James Young, chamberlain of Evandale. All these gentlemen refused the Test at Glasgow, and about 50 commons took the Test. 16th. — A great number of country people were called this day, and many about Hamilton and Glasgow refused the Test, of whom about forty were committed to prison ; yet some took the Test. Mr. Th. Hamilton of Raith was forfault in absence for being at Both well, Ja. Maxwell of AVilliamwood, and Jo. Maxwell of Bogtown, were forfault on Thursday for Bod well, 22 and in absence. The Lords sat till ten o'clock at night, and presently after they arose they got a treat from the town. 11th. — I stayed in my chamber till the afternoons sermon was ended, and then I inquired for Ja. Johnston, who came to me at night and took me to Mrs. Forrester's, who was shortly come from Monteith, and staying at Glasgow privately with three of her children. 18th. — The persons imprisoned Saturday last were liberat, finding caution, as the gentlemen had done, to appear at Edin- burgh, etc. I saw the Justices by the Gorbals on their journey to Air. I heard the King's Advocate (in a discourse pressing the Test) say, as shure as the sun shined in heaven there should not be a man in Scotland who, within six months, should not either take the Test or leave Scotland (using, I 1 Sir Daniel Carmichael of Mauldslie, son of James first Lord Carmichael. 2 Mr. John Hamilton of Halcraig, afterwards a Lord of Session. 3 May refer to the laird of Esperston in Midlothian. 4 James Hamilton of Halsyde. 5 John Hamilton of Bogs. 6 James Muirhead. 7 Several lairds of this surname refused the Test. 8 Sir John Maxwell, of Pollok, Baronet. 9 John Porterfield of Duchal. 10 Sir James Colquhoun. 11 Gavin Muirhead of Lauchop. 12 Mr. Andrew Hay of Craignethen. 13 Sir Alexander Hamilton of Haggs. 14 William Baillie of Hardington. , 15 Mr. John Kincaid of Corsbasket. J,i Gabriel Hamilton of Westburn. 17 James Dunlop of Househill. 13 James Stewart of Hartwood. 19 William Muir of Glanderston. 20 Andrew Kennedy or Weir of Clowburn. 21 John Bannatyne of Corehouse. 22 Bothwell. 1683] JOHN ERSKINE OF CARNOCK 7 think, the same expression). This was said either at Glasgow or Stirling. I went with Jas. Johnston to see Mr. Tho. Robb, and then to my horse at one o'clock, and came to the Laird of Blairs (Spence) after sun set, where I stayed all night. 19th. — Afternoon, I came to Culross and was with Da. Mitchell, Will. Adam, and Will. Burns's. At night I came to Torrie, where was my mother, my two sisters, and Miss Jean Lumsden, my cousin german. 9,0th. — I went to the Valleyfield with Miss J. Lumsden, where I saw my aunt, the Lady Innergelly, who, having come from Edinburgh this day, told that Earlstoun 1 was brought prisoner there on Saturday last ; and of a report that he had discovered some noblemen and others of haveing a design to rize in arms against the government, 2 but it was thought a lie that he either could or had discovered any such thing. 91st. — This morning I went to the pouting with BroomhalFs 3 three sons, Pat. Sands, and my brother William. We lodged all night at Cleish Kirk. 99 d. — We came home. 93d. — I went to Valleyfield with my brother Will. 9^th. — I stayed at home all day, but heard no preaching. 95th. — Will, and Cha., my brothers, went for Edinburgh. Tho. Bruce came from Culross to Torrie with me, and stayed all night. 96th. — I went to Torryburn with Alex r Lumsden and Th. Bruce, and played at the Byas Bowls with Geo. Grierson. My brothers came from Edinburgh about midnight. 91th. — Rob* Preston and Will. Adam were in Torrie. Charles should have taken ship this day for Holland, but the ship he should have sailed in was gone before he was at the shore. Ja. Spence was all night in Torrie. 98th. — My eldest brother came to Torrie this night. 1 Alexander Gordon of Earlstoun, one of a family noted for great suffering in the cause of religion and liberty. He had already been condemned in absence for treason in 1680. 2 This refers to the Ryehouse Plot. 3 Sir Alexander Bruce of Broomhall, cadet of Carnock, afterwards fourth Earl of Kincardine. He was uncle to the author. 8 JOURNAL OF THE HON. %9th. — My brother Charles went about 3 in the morning to old Jo. Ritchie's ship, intending for Rotterdam. He was to learn at Holland book-keeping and the lan- guages. Will, and I went to Aloa this morning with our oldest brother, and then went to the waterside at Poumaise and saw him over. We went then to Aloa, and then to Clackmanan with my Lord Mar, and then home. 30th. — I was in the Valleyfield till it was late. July 1st. — Sabbath, 1683. I stayed at home all this day, Mr. Alex r Dalgleish being in Torrie. %d. — I went to Culross, and stayed all night in Broomhalls, with his son Alexander. Sd. — I dined with my Lady Kincardine, and coming home by the Valleyfield, saw my aunt. There was a Council now sitting at Edinburgh, altho it had been adjourned to a longer time. 4ith. — I went to the Blair with my aunt and her two daughters, Jean and Magn. 5th. — I was in Cromie seeing my Lady Colvill with my aunt. 1 Yesterday there were three proclamations at Edinburgh. One anent the English Rebells, to take and apprehend them, or any of them, till he be tryed. The Duke of Monmouth and Lord Grey are rated at £500 each. This was talked to be a plot newly discovered and father'd upon some English Lords and the Presbyterians, as designing to subvert the Government and take away the King's life. The 2 nd proclamation was that the Spanish Millrees pass current, and that there be no money coined till a Parliament. The 3 rd , that all Officers of State, Counsellors, Magistrates, Army Sherriffs, &c., wait punctually upon their respective employments, and go no where off the kingdom, and no person of trust to go off from Edinburgh. 6th. — I went to Auchterderren with my Lady, where she 1 Margaret, daughter of David Wemyss of Fingask, wife of Robert, second Lord Colvill of Ochiltree. She was left a widow in 167 1, and was subjected to much persecution for conscience sake. 1683] JOHN ERSKINE OF CARNOCK 9 intended to drink of a well lately come in request. It was half a mile east from the kirk of Auchterderren. We lodged in a house east from the kirk. 7th. — I was at the well in the morning, and drunk about a quart for the fashion ; it was of a mild taste and clear. It was told me that a fortnight before this there was twelve or fifteen hundred people at it. We came home this night. 8^. — I stayed at home all day, my aunt being in Torrie. 9th. — I dined in the Valleyfield, and was a while with Daniel Carmichael there. 10th. — I came from Torrie to Edinburgh with my aunt and Miss Magdalen Erskine. On Saturday last Sir William Scott of Harden, older, was committed prisoner to the castle of Edinburgh. Yesterday the Lords of Justiciary came from Jedburgh to Edinburgh ; the magistrates met them with the train-bands. They did little this day but called the suit Roll. 11th. — A great many Mid Lothian gentlemen took the Test, 40 or 50, if not more, and some countrymen besides. 12th. — East Lothian gentlemen took the Test freely ; they went to Lord Wintoun's chamber ; and West Lothian to my Lord Collingtoun's chamber, because the taking the Test took up much time in the Court. For the most part they took the Test freely, not being in the Porteous Roll, 1 as was said, To testify their loyalty to be good examples to others, they were called Volunteers. Mr. Aitken, who was apprehended with Earlston, was sen- tenced to be hanged in the Grassmarket, for simply being in company and conversing with Earlstoun ; and Andrew Goulen was condemned to be taken to the cross of Edinburgh, and first both his hands (he being alive) to be cut off at the gallows foot, and then to be hanged, his head and one hand to be affixed on the Netherbow port, his other hand on the Tolbooth of Coupar, and his body hung on Magus Moor, for being present at the killing of the Archbishop of St. Andrews, but was not active, and, as was said, lie held their horses. Mr. Aitken's day was Friday come eight days. 1 The criminal roll, containing the names of the accused to be tried before the circuit court of justiciary. 10 JOURNAL OF THE HON. [JULY 13th. — Goulcn was executed this day ; lie spoke distinctly and suffered patiently. He was not suffered to sing Psalms on the scaffold, which he regreted, having, as he said, found great delight in that part of worship. He was a webster. 14fth. — I was with Mr. Jo. C. M. and Jo. Sqy. 1 I was seeing also Mr. Jo. Nta. 15th. — I heard Mr. Jo. Ctn., Isa. 25. 4. I supped with my aunt. 16th. — On Saturday last, when the Justiceaire ended, the absents were declared fugitives, both in the court and over the cross, by Heralds and sound of trumpet. There was about 120 in Mid Lothian, 100 in East Lothian, and 100 in West Lothian, were declared fugitives, and ordain'd to be denounced, etc. On Friday last, Sir Robert St. Clair of Stevenston, Ormiston, 2 Lamentoun, 8 Prestongrange, 4 found caution to compear — the penalty of ^1000 of some, and some less. They refused the Test. I came from Edinburgh to Gorton 5 with my cousin, Alexander Preston. llth. — I went to Roslin, where there are three or four stone vaults, one above another. I was also in the wood, where there are great variety of herbs. 18th. — I went and saw the Cunnigare. I had a letter from L. W. R. 19th. — I stayed much in the house. This day, Hathornden, who had been in the class with me, came to Gorton. 20th. — I went to Hathornden, and thought it a pleasant and solitary place. The house stands above a water on a steep rock. 91st. — On Wednesday, Thirty acres, 6 in Stirlingshire, and Mr. Robert Cleland in Fife, were imprisoned for not taking the Test. 1 These ciphers apparently denote onted ministers, whose names in full might endanger themselves or the writer of the Journal. 2 Adam Cockburn of Ormiston, afterwards Lord Justice-Clerk, and a privy councillor. William Baillie of Lamington. 4 Sir Alexander Morison of Prestongrange. 5 Gorton, a barony in Midlothian, formerly called Preston, and belonging to the family of that name, who also owned Craigmillar. 0 John Forrester of Thirty Acres. 1683] JOHN ERSKINE OF CARNOCK 11 I came from Gorton to Edinburgh this morning. 22r7. — I heard Mr. Jo. Law, 1 John 17. 15, and 2 Cor. 1. 5 ; and also Mr. Rgld, 1st Cor. 3. 21, 22. 23. Prisoners were frequently brought to, and some apprehended in, Edinburgh all this time. %3d. — Since Saturday night there were guards about the ports, walls, and abbay, and this day another company added within the town for guards, as some said because there was an insurrection designed, others that the town was to be burnt, with several other very ridicolous reports and impertinent to be written, and in the end their great fears produced nothing but jealousies. %4 persecution, and some out of other parts of the country, return home, chusing rather to suffer with the rest of their countrymen at home than in a strange place, altho few of them wanted some friends in Ireland. 10th. — I was some time reading with my brother in his closet. 11th. — I went to Kippen with Da. Erskine to seek Jo. Knox, but found him not. 19.th. — Yesterday I saw Shirgarton's 1 wife at her house. I heard no preaching, but read on Guthrie's Saving Interest. Mr. Alexander Heygin came here. He told me the gentle- men who were imprisoned were now at liberty, some by being tried and absolved, as Ormeston ; Stinson, Lamentoun, and others found caution to compear at particular davs. 13th. — I went this day to Mochaster with Mr. Hevgins and Da. Erskine, who held the Baron Court of Stragertney. The men were for the most part tall and handsome. My head was sore by their continual snuffing and piping in the court. I was in Lennie, 1 and as I went away Lieutenant-General Drummond came there, who was going to hold a court in Lochaber, being out in the commission for holding courts to suppress thievery in the Highlands. Pertli was to be at Lochaber, his companies of foot followed Drummond. l^th. — I saw John Knox. 15th. — I came from Cardross this morning, and stayed in Boquhan a while, and came to Torrie at night. John Crokat was in Torrie, not daring to stay in Culross, for withdrawing from the church. 16th. — I came from Torrie to Edinburgh. The Parliament that was thought by all to be dissolved, seeing it neither sat 1 James Ure of Schirgarton, Stirlingshire, who was at this time in hiding for attending conventicles. In 1684 his lady was seized for conversing with him, and was with her infant child imprisoned for some weeks. - Leny, near Callander. 14 JOURNAL OF THE HON. [AUG. the 17th of July, being the day to which it was adjourned, nor yet continued to a longer day at that time, was this day or the day before, by a proclamation of the Counsel, continued and adjourned till December next. The Bishop of St. Andrews came from court the last week. For the most part all the gentlemen who were imprisoned for being on the Porteous roll were liberat for finding caution to compear at set days. Vienna was now strongly beseiged by the Turks, having 150,000 men. Count Tekeli, the head of the Protestants of Hungary, who had taken the Turks protection against the Emperour for maintenance of their religion and priviledges, he had 60,000 men. The Dissenters, or rather those persecuted in Scotland for religion, were more gently dealt with than for several months before, but ministers were not favoured. 1 quartered in William Vetche's, taylour. \lth. — I was with Mr. John Law. I was in the printer's who was printing our Theses, with David Arnot (my kind comerade). I sought my Regent several times (for he had desired me by a letter to come to the Law- reation), but found him not : however, I was resolved not to be present, seeing the qualification, or rather test, by which all were to be tryed who were to be priviledged with the name, was the oath of supremacy, because I saw not (and keeping a good conscience) how I, by my presence, could countenance that action, and it that oath of usurped supremacy which indeed in conscience I ought to disown. Our Theses were dedi- cated to the Chancellour. I came from Edinburgh to the Queensferry about 9 at night, and stayed all night with Mr. Alexander Dalgliesh in his mother's. 18th. — This morning I wrote a letter to my brother Charles in Holland (who stayed in Dort) — John Preston going in James Dalgliesh's ship to Rotterdam. I came to Cardross. IQth. — I went no where from Cardross. %0th. — Gartur and his brother Robert were in Cardross. 21st. — I stayed at home. i68 3 ] JOHN ERSKINE OF CARNOCK 15 22d. — I went to Gartur with my brother, goodsister, and Veronica. — Gartur and his brother Robert were in Cardross. 2th. — I went the length of Valleyfield brae with my brother Will., where we met Bailie Blaw, and brought him to Torrie. Will, went to Jo. Blackaters burial, after dinner, with him. 5th. — The Lady Blair and her son Broomhall, Miss J. Lumsden, Lady Gask's son, Mr. Alexander Dalgleish, and David Erskine, were here. 6th. — The rain stopped harvest work. 1th. — Mr. Ro. Anderson was here. I heard Mr. Jo. Dick 2 was taken about 14 days ago, and now sentenced to die the latter end of this month. 8th. — The Lady Gask 1 and her son dined here. 9th.— I heard Mr. R. A., Isa. 22. v. 12, 13, 14; and Mr. Jo. Yle, Psalm 119. 165. This was the day appointed by the King, to be keeped in all his dominions as a fast day, for his delivery from the late con- spiracy designed by the presbyterians, as the printed paper says ; it was indeed a day of insulting and triumphing over poor presbyterian people. Many who had gone to church withdrew this day. 10th. — J. K. came to Torrie this night. 11th. — I was seeing the corn cut in the barnyard, and whiles forking. 12th. — J. Crockat was with me. I stayed now daily at home. 13th. — Mr. Jo. Gibbon and J. K. were with me a while. 14sth. — I saw Will. Paton ; Will. Sythrum came here this night. 1 Anna Preston, second daughter of Sir George Preston of Valleyfield, widow of Laurence Oliphant, younger, of Gask. Her son George succeeded to Gask. 2 Mr. John Dick, student of divinity, son of David Dick, writer in Edinburgh. 1683] JOHN ERSKINE OF CARNOCK 17 15th. — Mr. J. Lumsden and Mr. Shaw came to Torrie. 16th. — I stayed at home all day. 17th. — I stayed at home. David Erskine came here. 18th. — About the middle of J une the Lady Anne, the Duke of York^ daughter, was married to Prince George, the King of Denmark's brother. I went to Alva with my brother Will., and from that to Alloa, and saw my Lady Mar. About the 28th August last my Lord Mar took journey for London. 19th. — I went to the fields with Jo. Spence and my brother William. Sabbath last 21 persons escaped from the Tolbooth of Edin- burgh (after the sentry went away from the Tolbooth about day light), by coming out of a window and sliding down on a tow. Mr. John Dick was one, I may say the chief one. All that escaped were in for religion, except two Dragoons for kill- ing a man, and one for debt. 1 I heard that some escaped out of the Tolbooth s of Glasgow and Lanark the same day. 9,0th. — I was winding and thirding some corn, and Will. Sythrum with me. I was in the Valleyfield with J. K. in the afternoon. 99d. — I went no where, but gathered some herbs with J. K. and Will. Sythrum. 93d. — I heard Mr. Robert A., Sam. 22. v. 12, 13, 14. 94tth. — I went to Broomhall and Pitliver, with my Lady 2 and Mrs. M. Erskine. 95th. — The fields were all covered with snow, both north and in Lothian. I stayed at home. 96th. — The frost continued. I was a while in the barn with Will. Sythrum. 97th. — I went to the Iron mill with John Knox, whose com- pany was edifying. Will. Sythrum was with us ; at night I went to Culross for my Lady. There was a play acted, called the Turks defeat, only to gull peoples minds with the belief of the Turks being beat by the Emperour from Vienna, altho the contrary was asserted. 1 The magistrates of Edinburgh were, by the King's orders, arraigned before the Privy Council, for their alleged negligence on this occasion. They were eventually let off with a reprimand. 2 This designation seems to refer to his mother. B 18 JOURNAL OF THE HON. [OCT. 28th. — Alexander and Thomas Bruce were going to Culross, and I went through the parks with them. 29th. — S r Alexander Bruce of Broomhall dined in Torrie. 30th. — I stayed at home, Jo. L. being in the family. October 1st. — Monday. I went little abroad. Mr. J. Lumsden and Miss Is. Preston was in Torrie. 2d. — I went to Culross with J. K., and left him in Will. Adams. 3d. — I went to Broomhall with my Lady. 4>th. — I was at the burial of Ad. Stobie, portioner of West Luscar. 1 5th.— S r Will. Preston of Valleyfield dined here. J. K. and Will. Sy thrum came from Culross. 6th. — I stayed at home with J. K. Mr. R. Anderson came this night. m.—I heard Mr. R. A., Phil. 1. 23. 8th. — I went to see my Lady Colvill, Mr. Carmichaers Lady, in Cromie, with my Lady. 9th. — I went not from home. John Crockat was in Torry. 10th. — I was copying something out of S. R/ s peaceable plea. 2 11th. — I was at home all day. 12th. — I stayed within writing some things of my own. 13th. — And. Stirk came here and John Micklehose, from Kippen, to J. K. 14th. — I was this morning with Garturr, who went for Torrie. This day the Council met afternoon, and it was said to be for signing a letter to the King. The Junto sat after the Council was up. 27th. — I heard Mr. John Law, 1 John 5. 4. 28th. — I was a while in company with Alexander and Robert Preston. 29th. — I was all this forenoon with my brother in the abbey. 30th. — There was preaching in the great kirk this day, in commemoration of the murther of King Charles the 1st. Hannan preach t. His discourse consisted much of reflections on Presbyterians, and he bad people beware of those principles that the King derived his power from the people, and that religion ought to be defended by arms. 31st. — I was with Robert Colvill, receiving ,£120 as a years annual rent due by the Earl of Menteath to my Lady, and my brother. 1 Charles, Lord Maitland of Halton, younger brother of the Duke of Lauder- dale. A promise to read the letter was obtained from Lady Argyle after severe threatening by three of the Privy Councillors. The key to the cypher was, how- ever, found by Gray of Creichy, by 'rules of airt.' An order was there- upon issued to search the house of Lord Maitland, and to secure his papers. 1 684] JOHN ERSKINE OF CARNOCK 33 This [day] were called to compear before the Council Mr. Baird and Mr. Eccles, indulged ministers, and Mr. Black and Elliot, other two indulged men, for not reading the King's declaration anent the late plot, for not preaching every 29th day of May, for going without their respective charges, and for not observing others of their instructions with which that liberty was qualified, as was urged against them by their accusers. Only Mr. Eccles and Elliot compeared. Mr. Eccles of himself before sentence demitted his indulgence ; Mr. Elliot being required to declare upon oath if he had not said in the pulpit that there had been no protestant or phanatical, but a Jesuitical plot. He said that he had indeed declared that he thought there was no true Protestant guilty of so terrible a plot, and that it could be by none but people of Jesuitical and Sectarian principles. Their sentence was that their places were now declared to be vacant, and the indulgence granted to them at an end, and they ordained to find caution under the penalty of 5000 merks to either not to exercise the functions of ministers in Scotland, or go off the kingdom and not return. 1^ February 1684. — I paid to Robert Mill, writer, 500 merks, due by my Lady to James Hamilton, collector. I was at night in company with Boquhan. Mr. Will. Crichton, Alexander Inglis, and Will. Cuningham, supped with us in a change house. 2d. — The Mistress of Balmerino was buried this day ; there was about fourty coaches at her burial, near the half of them, I think, were hackneys. I was the most part of this afternoon with my brother, and standing at a window in his chamber, I saw a man in the habit of a fool inviting people to some common play, and a man in woman's cloaths (as was said), or a brazen-faced hussey, dallying with him in the publick streets, she was said to be a man in woman's cloaths. 3d.— -I heard Mr. John Law. Psa. 89. 9. 4>th. — I was a while at night with Robert Preston, now of that Ilk, and his brother Alexander, whom they called Doctor, who was frequently with them. They spoke somewhat reflect- ingly of my brother's ruining himself with his religion. There c 34 JOURNAL OF THE HON. [feb. was much debautcht talk amongst them ; I was somewhat vexed that I did not sharply challenge them for the one and reprove them for the other. I was at night in Sir Patrick Hume of Pol wart's lodging. 5th.- — This day my Lady, my brother Will., and George Preston, a Holland's ensign, came to town from Torrie. My brother William and I were seeing our eldest brother. 6th. — Being [with] George Preston and brother William in Hunters, at the sign of the Earl of Wintons arms, and speak- ing of Papists, Hunter the landlord said when he was a con- stable in the Canongate, the year 1679, in his quarter, which contained all the south side of the Cannongate beneath St. John's Cross, there were four hundred papists and upwards, counting the children of those who had families, which were but few. I seriously enquiring, he affirmed it to be a truth ; he said there would have hundreds come out of my Lady Arralls from the mass, but none durst challenge them. Its a strange thing to hear men (as some have said when I was in company) of no religion, I may say, yea, known to be of loose and profane lives, say the Presbyterians were men of the best lives, and that they got most good of their preaching and prayers. I went up to one Captain Midleton's chamber with George Preston and my brother William, but he, being somewhat drunk, curst and swore, so that I presently left them. I was sorry that it happened to me to be in company where I took not freedom to reprove sin ; but, alas ! few have courage in a good cause, and are valiant for the truth. I was seeing Mr. Thomas Hogg in prison. 1th. — This forenoon I was within the advocates 1 barr and hearing debates before the Lords of Session, I was at night with John Ballenden, keeper of the advocates' barr, Preston of that Ilk, and his brother Alexander, and Mr. Mathew Fleming, once minister in Culross. John Ballenden, drinking with some company before he came to us, was become too noisy, and took a liberty of swearing, tho he was reproved. 8^. — I dined with my brother, and was a while at night with Boquhan, he being to go out of town to-morrow. I was with Mr. John Law. 1684] JOHN ERSKINE OF CARNOCK 35 9th. — I was most of this forenoon in the session-house, hear- ing the debates, and afternoon with my brother. 10th. — I heard Mr. John Law, Psa. 6 Preserve me, O Lord ; for in thee do I trust.' 11th. — I was a while in company with John Ballenden and Cunningham, a session messenger. They reflected on Presbyterians, and my brother, for suffering so much for religion. I said it was well and honestly lost when it was in suffering for religion. They thought then they should not keep company with me, knowing I inclined to that way ; but I affirmed they were and had been as loyal to the King as any, and set the crown on his head. But I find its better to be out of the way of sin, and then we will not have occasion of such company. People who desire to shun sin, and the appearance thereof, can scarcely have to do with the members and dependents of the courts in Edinburgh, as they are at this time, without many challenges for vexing the Spirit of God. On Thursday last, young Rowallan gave in a petition to the Council, that he might have his liberty upon bail, being sore troubled with some disease, which was granted, and he came out, having the liberty of a chamber in town, but a sentry was to wait on him. About ten days ago, John Hutcheson 1 and Lockhart of Kirktoun, 2 were criminally summoned, the first for Pentland, and I think the last for Bothwell. About twenty days ago, Sir William Scott of Harden was committed to the Tolbooth for not paying his fine. 12th. — The forenoon I was in the Session-house, and after- noon was seeing Mr. John Ctn. and Sqy., and Sir Charles Erskine of Alva. 13th. — I was seeing Lady Kincardine and her son my Lord. Afterwards I went to Lady Preston's with my brother William, and Thomas Bruce, not knowing they were to meet to draw valentines, but I drew none with them. 14ith. — I was with my brother the afternoon. 15th. — I was in company with Alexander Preston, Alex- ander Colvill, Alexander Stevenson, and Robert Wardlaw, 1 Portioner at Newbattle. 2 Walter Lockhart. 36 JOURNAL OF THE HON. [feb. in the gardner's of the herb garden, 1 and drunk some herb ale. I found few whose company would not be offensive to any who desire to keep a good and a quieted conscience, and to have their minds resting on God as the only true quieting object of wearyed souls longing after Christ. 16tk. — I was every day in the session-house, hearing debates either in the outer or inner house. I was this afternoon with my brother, and a while with Mr. James fzszn. 17th. — I stayed at home all this day, and Logan, who had a chamber in the house with us, was with my brother William and me a while. I came from John Melvilfs, Saturday was 8 days, and stayed with my brother William in Doctor Burnet's old house, where my Lady was. 18th. — This day George Martin, 2 John Kerr, 3 and James Muir, 4 were panneled before the Justiciary Court, and their indictment read, which insisted much on their treasonable principles and assertions, but no actual crime committed was layed to the charge of any them. They all adhered positively to the Covenant, and owned Bothwell as lawfull, tho George Martin did not answer so positively as to that, but said, if it was a rebellion against God, that it was a rebellion indeed, but if it was not a rebellion against God, it was no rebellion. When the judge inquired if it was a rebellion against God, he bade them judge of that. George said, I have read the Bible, but never found that a man was put to death for sins of omission. When they were desired to pray for, and say, God save the King ; they said (they all holding one opinion, and answering much after one way), we will pray for all the election, and not exclude the King. They would not directly own the King to be lawfull King of Scotland, nor yet did they deny it. We own all lawful authority, and will own the King in as far as he judges according to the word of God. The King's Advo- cate, Sir George M'Kenzie, desired them to instance him one 1 This probably refers to the Botanic Garden, planted in 1667 by Sir Robert Sibbald and Sir Andrew Balfour, physicians. 2 Notary and reader at Dailly, Ayrshire. 3 Wright in parish of Hounam, Roxburghshire. 4 Described as at Cessford boat. 1684] JOHN ERSKINE OF CARNOCK 37 text of Scripture that made for them ; and finding them not answer him, he said, I am glad they have gotten word about, and we have examined them publickly, that all may know what sort of people they are. The verdict of the jury was, that they all in one voice find George Martin, etc., guilty of their treasonable positions, principles, and expressions. The Lords, after the Assize was come back, and given in their verdict sealed, to the lords or judges, they caused the clerk of the assize alter one word in the verdict, which was the putting in of that word principles. I saw the verdict scored ; for Mr. Thomas Gordon, the clerk, refused to put any other thing in the sentence but what was in the verdict, which made them alter it. Their sentence was, to be hanged in the Grassmarket on Friday next; they were carried to prison, and ordained to be put in irons. 19^. — There came on a snow yesterday morning and con- tinued till this morning. There was a thaw on Sabbath, tho the frost continued on the ground and stopt all work of labouring the ground. I saw Mr. Hog in prison. I was with my eldest brother much of this afternoon. 20th. — I was this afternoon seeing Mr. John Law, the Laird of Lathallan, and Mr. Spence. 21st. — After eight I went to the Street, and continued till twelve, inviting people to the burial of Laurence of Oliphant, brother to the present Laird of Gask. Laurence Oliphant, writer, in whose chamber the defunct had been, took the inviters to dinner in Patrick Stiles^. I went to the burial afternoon. We got a great wind with rain yesterday, which begun a thaw which continued. I was seeing my Lord Kin- cardine, with George Preston, and my brother William at the Justice Court, when some people were called ; there was no indictment read nor accusation given in against them ; but the clerk would have said, 6 will ye take the test,' or 6 ye "11 take the test, I ken, 1 which, if they did not, they behooved to find caution, if they had not taken the bond. (22 February 1684). — After dinner I went to the Laigh Council house, where the three condemned men were brought before Baillie Chancellour, 1 who inquired if they had any more 1 About a month later this civic dignitary, whose zeal for the Government was so fervent, appears in the Privy Council register in another connection. The JOURNAL OF THE HON. [FEB. to sav for themselves, and if they would bid God save the King ? They said, they were not now come to answer, neither would thev answer questions, and they refused not to obey all the King's lawful commands. They refused to hear one of the town curates pray; but he beginning, not desired, George Martin offered to interrupt him the time of his prayer, by saving. i Let us be gone, what have we to do here ? 1 but he ended his prayer without stopping. They were hanged in the Grassmarket, but I went not to the place of execution. The Laird of Blackwood was set at liberty this day eight davs, having got a remission as to his life, but withal to be banished when the Council pleased. Yesterdav George Buchanan, a tennant of my lord Cardross's, and John M'Lean, a Kippen man, were brought prisoners to the Canongate Tolbooth from Stirling. 2&7. — I was seeing the Earl of Monteath forenoon, and afternoon with my brother in the Abbey. — I stayed at home all day, and heard no preaching. 85ft. — This forenoon Sir Hew Campbell of Cesnock, elder, got his indictment, with sound of trumpet, for treason, as having some accession to, and meddling with, Both well Bridge. Sir James Foulis of Collington, an ordinary Lord of both Session and Justiciary, was made Justice Clerk in the Lord Maitland's place, and Sir Patrick Lyon, a lord of the Session, was this day received in Collintoun's place, as a lord and judge of the Justiciary. Government having swallowed the camel of persecution, was now solemnly engaged in straining out the gnat of vanity in dress, by enacting penalties for ' the wearing of all flour'd, strip'd, figur'd, checquered, printed, or painted silks, stuffs, or ribbans ' worn by any of the lieges 1 of whatsoever degree. ' Notwith- standing which act, it is stated that 1 several women, even in our capital city of Edinburgh, and elsewhere, have presumed to goe abroad with cloath made of the said prohibited stuffs, on pretext that they are only night gounes, undresses or mantois ; as also several persones to elude the law, in dounright mockerie and contempt of the same, have presumed to wear long black mandell coats (which are indeed more expensive to our leidges then the cloaks formerlie worne), at burialls. ' Following on this act is a process against John Chancellor, bailie of Edinburgh, who is found guilty of importing fine English cloth 'and other superfluous commodities.' The worthy bailie is fined in the value of the cloth, and ordered to deliver it up to the Lord High Treasurer 'to be brunt and destroyed ! ' 1684] JOHN ERSKIXE OF CARXOCK 39 I was this afternoon speaking with my brother about chang- ing of fashions of cloaths, and afterwards, and even before we had ended speaking, it troubled me that I had spoken so much, especially when I had considered and read Prov. 17. ver. 27, 28, and 21-23. 26th. — Mr. John Law dined with my Lady and Ensign Preston. I was at night with my brother, where William Dunlop was. 9.1th. — I was this forenoon with Earl Callender about a busi- ness of my brother's. I was afternoon with Alva, and at night in Mr. Thomas Riggs, where was Mr. John Law and his son. 28th. — I was with my brother all this afternoon. Sir Daniel Carmichael was with him several hours, who seemed to be an understanding and smart man. 29th. — There was frost yester night, and this morning when I went out I found the streets covered with snow, and so was all the fields about the town. The city of Amsterdam had now for some months dissented from the Prince in the levy of 16,000 men, and the difference was daily now growing. Upon a report that George Buchanan, once a tennant of mv brother's, in Kippen parish, and John M'Lean there, were given to Col. Gage to take to Flanders for soldiers, I went to the Cannogate Tolbooth, where they were, and found by them that such a proposal had been made to them by a Committee of the Council. This day I saw Mr. John Ctn. and Mr. Sqy. (1st March, 1684, Saturday.) — The two men I spoke of yesterday, were this day before a committee, and one of them told me he heard one of the committee speak of causing examine witnesses against them at Stirling. I spoke with John Hutcheson of Hardlaw, who had got his indictment to answer on Monday next ; he scrupled to sav these words, 4 God save the King,' before the judges, and to acknowledge the King's authority, positively and strictly taken by them. I was with my brother ; John Inglis was there, and one Mr. Gordon, who had been several years in America, and gave us a particular account of Carolina, and much commended the country. 40 JOURNAL OF THE HON. [mar. 2 d. — I heard Mr. John fzfzn, Rev. L 5 and 6. 3d. — John Hutcheson was this day brought before the Justiciary, but nothing done with him. There was about other twelve in the indictment with him, whereof three compeared : the dyet was deserted presently against one of them, and then one Archibald Prentice was called and compeared. Meldrum was sitting at the King's Advocate's back, and I, leaning on the bench above them, heard Meldrum say to the King's Advocate, 6 You may desert the dyet against that man,' upon which the Advocate, without any further scruple or enquiry (but hearing Meldrum say that), said, e I desert the dyet against him,' vizt. Archibald . Mr. Thomas Roome of Cluden, W. Douglass of Baads, Hamilton of Westburn, were called, and the dyet was deserted against them all, but they were panneled for the ordinary crimes of resett, and of conversing with those who had been at Bothwell. The King's Advocate insisted against one Howison, a malt- man in Lanerk, and an heritor of some few acres of land, as being several times and in several places in company with the rebells. Mr. William Fletcher compeared as Advocate for the pannel, and said, denying always the lybel, if at all he was in company with them, it was occasional ; but to take away all suspicion of disloyalty he had taken the test. The lords found both the lybel relevant, and defences relevant if proven. Many wit- nesses were called against him and others, and then the assize was enclosed, and when they returned brought in Menzies 1 of and Henry Hall 2 guilty of the rebellion, and Howeson guilty of being in company with the rebells without arms, according as the advocate had restricted the general lybel ; so Howison was carried to prison. 4fth. — This morning early, or about midnight, Mr. John Rae, 3 Mr. John Dick, and Mr. Melvill, master of the family where they stayed, and Lamb, taylour and lodger in the house, 1 John Menzies of Wintercleuch. 2 The Laird of Haughhead, in Teviotdale, who, while defending Mr. Donald Cargill, at Queensferry, was killed about three years before the process here mentioned. 3 Formerly minister at Symington. He had been under persecution since 1670. JOHN ER SEINE OF CARNOCK 41 were taken out of MelvilFs house, which is the first turnpike on your left hand, and the first door of the turnpike of that closs which is directly opposite to the foot of Forrester's Wynd, by a party of Graham's guard, and kept in the guard-house till about ten o'clock, and then taken to the Council, and after 12 to Edinburgh Tolbooth. After noon Mr. John Dick was brought before the lords of Justiciary ; whenever he came in his sentence was given him, to be taken to-morrow, betwixt two and four in the afternoon, to the Grassmarket, and there to be hanged on the gibbet till he died. Then the guard was com- manded to take back the prisoner, but he stopped and said, 4 1 offered to propose my lawfull defences, but was not per- mitted. 1 So, as the guard was hasting him away, and a macer getting him foreward, and hindering him to speak, he said, 4 Well, God will surely judge the judges, 1 and so he was removed. This afternoon Henry Hall, Gawin Herd, and Menzies, were forfault for being at Bothwell. Mr. John Rae, Melvill, and Lamb were examined in the Justice Court. Mr. John Rae, being interrogated if he had preached to the rebells, said : 4 1 preached in the months of June and May, 1679, to several persons, and in several places,' but whether or not they were rebells he was not clear. He said also, it was the opinion of most orthodox divines that defensive arms was lawfull. He refused to discover in whose houses he had staved, with whom he had conversed, or to whom he had preached. Melvill refused to tell who had baptised one of his children, and was not for going to church. Lamb said he went out early in the morning, and came in late at night, and had not conversed with Mr. Dick and Mr. Rae : he was married with one of the regular ministers of the town, and went to church. Meldruin's man took the soldiers to the place where Mr. Rae and the rest were taken, and the Chancellour gave the order. They knew not of Mr. Dick being there, but only of Mr. Rae. It was said that Mr. Rae was followed into the house the night before, but I informed myself certainly, and found that Mr. Rae had not been out the night before. oth. — This forenoon I went to the Tolbooth with Alexander Logan, gun-smith, and tho there had been difficulty, yet we 42 JOURNAL OF THE HON. [mar. got access to Mr. John Dick, when his father went in, and his son's cloaths with him. We had little time to stay, neither was it fit to trouble him at that time ; so I took my leave of him, who was com- posed, and as he had formerly, so did he now, endure and carry the cross of Christ chearfully, even when he was looking death, the King of terrors, in the face. I saw likeways Mr. John Rae, and spoke with him ; he was in the room with Mr. Dick. I dined with my brother Cardross, and before two I came to the Laigh Council-house where Mr. Dick was to be, and gave an officer some money that I might have entry and get a con- venient place. Baillie Douglass, Baillie Chancellour, and Dean of Guild Murray were there, and Mr. Ramsay, the curate, and Farquhar his conjunct. When Mr. Dick came in, Baillie Chancellour, the youngest baillie, spoke, and said, 'Sir, you are condemned by a sentence of the Justice Court to be hanged for your treasonably being in arms, and we are to put the sentence in execution. It is now time for you to consider what you have been doing, for your time is but short, and the scripture says rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft.' Mr. Dick answered, 4 1 know rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, but I am guilty of no rebellion. 1 B. Chancellour, 4 Ye should now lay aside pick quarrel, and discontentedness.' Mr. Dick, 4 Its ordinary for people of different perswausions to reflect upon other as acting from these, but I do it not, and I bless the Lord that inclined my heart to follow that way."* B. Chan- cellour, 4 Will you hear the minister pray for you ? ' Mr. Dick, 4 1 see no minister here ; but as for that man, pointing to Ramsay, he has the mark of the beast; he is perjured and mansworn : I will not hear him, so trouble me not.'' Mr. Ramsay, 4 How can people have charity for you if you will not hear prayers ? ' Mr. Dick, 4 1 think you may be ashamed to take God's name in your mouth, seeing you are perjured ; I disown you and all your gang, so be silent, I will not hear you. B. Chancellour, 4 Will you pray for yourself?' Mr. Dick said, 4 Yes, if ye permitt me.' As Mr. Dick was to begin prayer, Dean of Guild Murray spoke to B. Chancellour quietly, and then the Baillie, before he had begun prayer, said, 4 You must 1684] JOHN ERSKINE OF CARNOCK 43 not reflect upon authority in your prayers, so as there may be offence taken." Mr. Dick, 6 1 will pray no limited prayers ; I will pray as Christ has taught me. 1 Some were for suffering him to pray, and stopping him if he pleased them not, but that was not thought fit, so he prayed none there. When he put on his hat to go away, B. Chancellour said it was the custom to put on a cap ; he refused to do that, but went bare-headed, and held his hat in his hand, and whiles a little aside from his face, for it was a pleasant and clear sun shine day. Before he came out of the Council-house, I went to him and shook hands with him. He said, 4 Pull off my glove, and take me by the bare hand, for I am tied and cannot ;' so I did so, and then he said, 4 The Lord's blessing be with you, and I hope it will be with you.' This, from him, was comfort- able to me, especially at this time, when he was to die for Christ's cause, tho the death of my dear comrade was indeed griveous to me ; but I desire the Lord, whose will it was to take him away, may help me, and all others, to submitt quietly to his will, and not to grieve above measure. After this I took him by the hand, and before he came to the place of execution I got a smile from him. When he was upon the scaffold, he sung first the second Psalm, and read the 9th chapter of Ezekiel, and after read another Psalm. He got not liberty to speak much, being several times stopped by the beat- ing of a drum, tho they needed not have been offended at what he spoke, he being careful not to reflect. He said he had a word to friends and a word to enemies. He advised friends not to take on a profession of religion before and without they had once laid the foundation, and then to be serious in matters of religion, and to trust much to God, for he was well worth the trusting. He seriously pressed unity amongst God's people, seeing their division about small and insignificant matters had been their great ruin. He pressed much to trust in God. He was interrupted, and so could not speak much to enemies. He had a word of news, which was, that there had been a black cloud, and that there was a black one now, but it would be blacker, yet that a clear day should follow. He had an excellent and distinct voice without alteration to the last. When he was on the ladder, he looked to me (I being within 44 JOURNAL OF THE HON. [mar. the guards, and near the scaffold) and smiling, said, 4 Farewell, the Lord's blessing be with you;"* and nodding to me again, he said with a smile, 4 Ye know whom I mean,"* — he not naming my name least I should be brought to trouble for it. A little before he was cast over he said, 4 I remember a story how Abraham, when he was to offer up his son, said, 44 here is the altar and the fire, but where is the sacrifice ? " Now,"* said he, pointing to the gallows, 4 here is the altar," and to the tow, 4 here is the fire, and I give myself a willing and a chearfull sacrifice.'' He was carried from the place of execution to the Matitland Chappell, 1 where he was dressed, and put again into his coffin : from thence I helped to carry his corps to the grave. I am confident that tho he might have proven an usefull minister, and instrument for good in Scotland, yet the Lord has made it all up by his death. If any have been lawfully striving for the mastery I may say he is one, who has now gained and is now wearing the crown for his lawfull striving for the mastery, yea he lived and died being valiant for the truth. I would be more particular, but I resolve to take the help of others that I may have all exactly, and then put it in writing. 6th. — Forenoon, I was in the parliament house, and after- noon with my brother, and saw with him Mr. Robert Murray, who was brought prisoner from London with Cesnock, Rowal- lane, and other gentlemen, and (had) been the last or this week set at liberty upon his giving bail to compear when called. Having some business of my brother's to do with Commissary Nimmo, I went to an inn where he was, and one who was in company with him, took a glass of wine, 4 here is to his old Grace's good health,' but I understood him not; so another drunk to me, and said 'My Lord St. Andrew's health.' I took a little of the wine, and then set it down. He took the glass again, and said, 4 to his young Grace's health,' then I rose and came away. He said also the bishop would get more to fight for him then all the Whiggs in Scotland. 7th. — Afternoon I was buying some garden seeds to my 1 The Magdalen Chapel in the Cowgate is doubtless intended. 1 684] JOHN ERSKINE OF CARNOCK 45 brother, and was a while with Mr. Patrick Crightown. Mr. John Welch 1 dined in my Lady's. 8th. — I was this forenoon in the prison seeing Mr. Thomas Hogg, and likeways saw Mr. John Rae. Afternoon I was with George Bell, and then with John Currie in Andrew Wilson's. 9th. — I heard no preaching. About three afternoon, being at the foot of a yard in the Castlehill, I saw many people walking on the long road and on the riggs and North Loch side, for it was a pleasant day, tho frost, and it seems people made use of it as a day for recreating their bodies, but not for souls recreating exercise. When I came home, being near the street, I could have no quietness for the playing and crying of bairns on the street, some swearing even in the time of sermon. 10^. — There was a race at Leith, but I went not to it. The chancellor I heard won it (among other victories). The Earl of Perth came to town yesternight, having been at Court. 11th. — I dined with my brother, and was with young Mr. John Sinclair at night in his mother's house. 12th. — This morning I found the streets almost white with snow, and a violent frost. Afternoon I was with young Mr. John Sinclair, the minister of Ormeston's son, whose help I took to make me perfect in humanity. 2 At night I was with Mr. John Law. 13th. — I wrote'more than I have done formerly, that I might get my stile book ended. Afternoon I went to the Tolbooth where I saw Mr. John Rae, and Mr. Thomas Hogg, and stayed a while with each of them. 14