A Covenanter's Narrative. 145 



I said that I knew not their designs for I was never upon their 

 contriving, neither was my counsel or consent socht for or 

 yet given thereunto. That same lord insistit and askit if 

 I would defend the covenant? I answered that I did approve 

 the covenant and would not condemn it. Then he said ye do 

 maintain it. They thought more of that than of the refusing 

 the declaration. 39 Then they wrote all down causand me to 

 subscribe the same, which I did with heart and hand. 



" And as I came through and through them from the 

 table where I had subscribed the paper, they sat to the number 

 of thirty, one said to me ye will be hangit, sir, but I was silent 

 and past it. Then the Commissioner commandit me to go to 

 Prison. I said since his grace commandit me I sould go 

 chearfully. So I was taken to an Prison where there was 

 neither fire nor chimney and nothing but ane dirty house, and 

 no companie at all in it. x4.bout 7 hours at night that same 

 Thursday I went in being the 20 day of Dec. 1666. And so 

 my dearest Lord and Master would not suffer me to take 

 quarters with none in Air, but only with himself in his awne 

 prison house, and would not let me be troublit with no com- 

 paynie, but only with his awne blessed, gratious, mercyful, 

 and sweet compaynie for to strengthen and help me through 

 trouble according to his word of promise which he keeps weel. 



" I sent for candles which burnt all night. There came 

 a friend of the Sheriffs to visit me that night about ten hours 

 att night, three soldiers with him (for they must aye hear all 

 that friends says to other). He stood still a long time very 

 sad, looking stedfastly to the ground, I walking up and down 



39 Rothes wrote from Ayr on the day of Dalgoner's examina- 

 tion : — " Bot altho I thought this cuntrie uer all phanoticks, yett 

 I never did expeckt to have found them so perverse in ther prin- 

 sapells, nor so impodend in ther ouning an aversione to giflt obedins 

 to the laus and ackts of parleament, for in our ffessies thay say 

 that they confess them selffs tayed to indevor to cip the cuffinant 

 in all its poynts and thatt tliey uill day rather than du anie thing 

 to disoun it; nou thes that oun thes prinsapells ar not onlie of thos 

 ffulithe reabells who hes bin leathe in earms, bot such uho near 

 uasier then to ventur ther esteats and layffs in a business which uas 

 so rashlie- underteakin. . ." (The Lauderdale Fapera, iit supr. 

 lit., i., p. 265.) 



