The National Covenant of 1638. 115 



Jiis ministry at Minnigaff. He had a long connection with 

 the Covenanters, and in 1662 was deprived of his living for 

 refusing to conform. His son was the gallant Colonel 

 William Maxwell, who on June 30, 1685, boldly stood by the 

 side of Argyle on the scaffold and followed his body to the 

 Magdalen Chapel, and for whom William of Orange con- 

 ceived a warm affection, presenting him with a ring contain- 

 ing his hair and portraits of himself and his Queen by 

 Kneller. He it was, too, who acted as Governor of Glasgow 

 during the rebellion of 1715, and on whom the Town Council 

 bestowed a service of silver " as a mark of the town's favour 

 and respect towards him," he having " left his own family 

 and countrey, above 70 miles distant from this place, at the 

 desire of the Magistrates and Chiefs of the inhabitants." 

 Colonel Maxwell married Nicolas Stewart of Castle-Stewart, 

 grand-daughter of the Earl of Galloway, and heiress, 

 through her mother, of Cardoness. Thus, either through his 

 father or his wife. Colonel Maxwell may have come into pos- 

 session of these documents. In the same charter chest was 

 preserved, it may be noted, that other Covenanting document 

 of historical value. The Minute Book of the War Committee 

 of the Covenanters in the Stewartry of Kirkcudhripht, 

 .1640-1, published by J. Nicholson at Kirkcudbright in 1855. 



16th January, 1914. 



Chairman— Mr Hugh S. Gladstone, President. 



Plant Superstitions. 



By S. Arnott, F.R.H.S. 



[Mr Arnott, in an interesting manner, recounted many of 



the popular beliefs attached to particular plants, drawing his 



;matter from widely distributed sources and districts. He 



illustrated his paper with a number of lantern slides of ihe 



various plants.] 



