260 Transactions. 



idols of wood out of the Castle or Palace, and burned all at the 

 Cross of Dumfries on Yule day 1G88. And the Magistrates 

 having absconded, the principal heritors and old Magistrates 

 advised the family to remove from the Castle and all Catholics 

 from the town by tuck of drum, to prevent further trouble and 

 damage, which they did accordingly ; and in May following famous 

 Mr Campbell was repossessed in the Kirk to the universal joy of 

 the inhabitants. 



Here is a characteristic extract which bears on the history of 

 the Old Bridge : 



It is a memorable Remark on some families of Divine Justice that 

 all may fear and beware of exemplary punishments on the enemies of 

 the Church of God, even to the third and fourth Generation of their 

 Fathers, who were guilty, which, says mine author, is discovered in the 

 History of the Church of Scotland, viz. , Saturday, the 4th of August, 

 1621, the time of the proceedings of the Pai'liament of Scotland and the 

 moment the Commissioner, the Marquis of Hamilton, his rising to 

 sceptre the Act of Parliament ratifying the Assembly holden at Perth, 

 2.5th August, 1618, now ratitied. In which Parliament John Corsan was 

 an affirming Voter for the Town of Drum [fries] and Amisfield and Lag 

 for the shire of Dumfries, ratifying the five Articles of Perth — there fell 

 out such Blackness and Darkness, three successive great Lightnings, 

 three loud claps of Thunder, Hailstones and prodigious Eains, Fire in 

 the houses of Edinburgh in the morning called the Black Saturday. This 

 Prodigious, tremendous, terrifying, unseasonable weather continued all 

 August, began again in October, And on the 4th of October Ten arches 

 of the Bridge of Perth were broken down by the deluge of waters, and 

 the Bridge of Tweed, almost finished, at Berwick was broken down, and 

 one or two arches of the Bridge of Dumfries next to the town fell, all as 

 tokens of God's displeasure against the cowardly Commissioners, and 

 the places who sent them, in concurring to destroy the Church of Scot- 

 land. So that it may be apply'd, that for 120 years these places and 

 families have not prospered. As to the falling or demolishing of the 

 one or two arches of the Bridge of Dumfries nigh the town, I remember, 

 says mine author, a Tradition from some old people in my hearing, half- 

 a-century ago. That a worthy Presbyterian minister being lodged in the 

 house on the East of the Friers' Vennel, named Lag's Lodging, did all 

 that day to twelve o'clock at night, watch and enjoin the people to watch 

 and pray, for that some strange occurence would fall out that night, 

 and that He himself did watch and heedfully observe the swelling of the 

 Hiver Nith, with the great Tempest of Wind and Rain, and said that he 

 perceived a moles or monstrous Bulk as of many Stones or Trusses of 

 Hav together come down through the Bridge, which took away one or 

 two arches between eleven and twelve at night about that time. 



