144 A Covenanter's Narrative. 



hearing I had payit more than my whole rent. Then the 

 Commissioner askit if it was for these things the countrie 

 thought the rebells raise? I said indeed it was thought so; 

 they were so rakit, spuiUt, and put frae house holding and 

 was made desperat. He askit me what causit me to be of 

 that business seeing I was cest also? I said there was few 

 or nane within Nithisdale raise with them more than I 

 although we were for the maist part oprest also, and that I 

 did not like the remedie. My Lo/ Annandale declared that 

 he tuik no cess of me. I said they had cest me weil enough 

 for they had left me amongst them no quick guids and very 

 few cloths. Then the Commissioner askit me the declara- 

 tion'^^ to take. I said I was not cleir to take it. One of the 

 Lords [askit] will ye not objure the Covenant, that bloody 

 covenant that was hatched in Hell and tuik off the King's 

 head? I replied that it was the treacherous and wicked 

 sectaries that did that cruel deed contrair to the covenant, for 

 the covenant was blameless of it. Had it been keepit his 

 Majestie would have been alive. That same lord insisted and 

 said that I mentionat ye same thing that the rebells meintain. 



38 On 17th November, 1666, a letter was despatched by the 

 Council to Rothes informing him of the taking of Turner, and 

 stating as their unanimous opinion "that the heretours of the 

 several countryes, especially those of the southerne and westerne 

 shyres and such others as his Majesties councill shall think fitt be 

 personally requyred to signe the Declaration concerning the Cove- 

 nant, and that such as shall delay or refuse be secured and looked upon 

 as enemies to his Majesties authority and government as this will be a 

 ready mean to discover who are weill or ill affected to his Majestie " 

 (Beg. of P.O., 3rd ser., ii., pp. 211-12). This declaration has been 

 imposed by statute in 1662 (Folio Acts, vii., p. 405). It was to be 

 taken by all persons holding positions of public trust. By it the 

 declarant affirmed that it was unlawful to enter into leagues or 

 covenants, and that the oaths called the National Covenant of 1638 

 and the Solemn League and Covenant were unlawful oaths. On 

 24th November the King directed the Council to suspend putting 

 in force their order for subscribing the Declaration until Rothes' 

 return to Scotland (Reg. of P.C., 3rd ser., ii., p. 225; Wodrow, 

 ^tt supr. cit., i., app. bk. ii., No. vii.); and on 20th March, 1667, he 

 gave the Council permission to put the Declaration to all suspected 

 persons, and to imprison those who refused to take it (Beg. of P.C, 

 3rd ser., ii., p. 267). 



