78 Appendix. 
soon they may execute by forcing upon us a Popish successor, and cutting 
off all who shall oppose them in their designs. 
The convictionis of this our immenent danger hes engadged some of our 
good friends of all ranks now on the place who wish well to Her Majestie 
and present establishment, to meet together and to consult of means which, 
through the blessing of God, may prevent the stroak ; and in order to this 
it is thought necessary to let the country understand thair danger, and to 
make the grounds of our fears as public among the well-affected as can be, 
and to fix a correspondence with the honest partie of the whole nation, 
that we may understand the state of the country, the number of these we 
may reckon upon as our friends, how they are armed, what number of arms 
will yet be wanting, How arms and ammunition may be provided and 
distributed, How the people may be modelled, and that overtures for 
effectuating these may be interchanged and communicated ; and for that 
purpose they have made choice of some persons who are of known prudence, 
interest, and zeal, to meet weekly thereto, receive account thairof, and to 
consider how to forward this good design ; also, there is chosen out of each 
shyre and some considerable Burghs and Townes one or more well-affected 
and of general acquaintance and influence, to take their own prudent wayis 
for making tryall of these things, and who may pitch upon other persons 
to join and concert with them in this affair, and who may keep a constant 
correspondence with these bere at Edinburgh, that we both may under- 
stand what is done here, or advised to be done, and may communicate our 
measures each to other. And you are pitched upon for the Burgh of 
Drumfries as a fit person for that purpose, having all the qualifications 
requyred for managing such a design. And it being understood here that 
I, having the honour of your acquaintance, its laid upon me to write this 
to you to intreat your assistance in this work, which tends so much to the 
security of the present establishment of this Church and nation, and of all 
the Protestant religion in general, which is in imminent danger from the 
attempts of a Jacobite party in this nation, considering the present posture of 
‘affairs, and to allow of this as the beginning of a correspondence which our 
friends in this place for our common safety, the rather expected since it is 
agreeable to the Act for the Security of the Nation now past in the last 
session of Parliament, whereby we are warranted to do all that’s here 
recommended, wherein if we be wanting we can never answer to God, the 
Church, or the Nation, but must lay our accounts to be ane easy prey to a 
furious and enraged enemy. And if by your return to this you signifie 
your willingness to assist us you shall have further particulars by the next, 
from Sir, your most humble Sert., 
: . (Signed) ApsaM Broun. 
In addition to the above, there was another letter from the 
Deputy-Governor of Carlisle, dated “ye 28th May, 1689,” con- 
veying the Lieutenant-Governor’s thanks to the Provost of Dum- 
fries. for being so hearty in the King’s service, “and that you 
clap up ill men” and deserters who came across the border. A 
letter written by Boswell to an early friend, John Johnstone of 
Grange, Annandale, was shown by Wr Thomas Johnstone Carlyle. + 
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