Tlie Environs of Craigniillar. 185 



thar to remain, 1580." These books are still in 

 good preservation. In Pitcairn's ' Criminal Trials ' 

 (p. 261) it is stated that William Little, Provost 

 of Edinburgh, was on commission for examining 

 witches in 1587. 



On 2d June 1592 Mr Walter Balcanquall, in his 

 sermon, charged the king and nobility with great 

 negligence of their duties. The king requested the 

 Lords of the Articles to agree to an Act against 

 such liberty of speech, and to a commission to some 

 special magistrates to pull the ministers out of the 

 pulpit when they spoke after that manner. He 

 directed his speech specially to William Little, who 

 was then Provost. Mr Little, however, replied, 

 " Sir, you may discharge me of my office if you 

 please, but that I cannot do." " What ! " said the 

 king; "will you prefer them to me?" "I will 

 prefer God before man," said the Provost. On the 

 17th December 1596 William Little, along with 

 Walter Balcanquall and other nine persons, were 

 apprehended for " the treasonable and seditious 

 stirring up and moving of the treasonable tumult 



M 2 



