SIR ROBERT STBBALD. 45 



searching for me, of our owne people, I 

 oined them, and came home. They had broken 

 up the utter door, and soon after the other door 

 was opened to them ; they entered with durks 

 md axes, and for-hammers, and one fetcht a 

 stroak with a durk to have killed my wyfe, hot 

 was hindered by one that told she was a Prote- 

 stant. They searched the Bed, and not finding- 

 lie, went away, after they had sworn they would 

 Rathillet'* me. I was conveyed down to the 

 Abbey by Lieutenant Generall Drumond in 

 nis coach, with Claverous, who was then Viscount 

 of Dundee, and finding the spighte continued 

 against me, I took journey with Lieutenant 

 Drumond of the lyfe guard, and went to Berwick, 

 where I . mett with the Earl of Traquaire, Mr 

 Irvvin, and Mr Lindsay, and wee road post to 

 London in six days. At Stonegate hold we 

 perceived six Highway men, three upon each 

 side of the road, waiting for us : we rode through 

 them without any harme. At Stamford, after 

 we had mounted our horses, and were riding out 



An allusion to the murder of Archbishop Sharpe, in 

 which Halkerston of Rathillet was a principal actor. 

 Hence, the populace adopted the phrase " to Rathillet" 

 in lieu of "to assassinate," and as more forcibly expres- 

 sing the same thing. In like manner, the word * Burked" 

 has recently come into general use, as indicating the 

 peculiar mode of assassination by suffocation, used by that 



execrable miscreant, William Burke Note by Mr 



Maif/ment. 



