JOURNAL OF JOHN ASTON, 1639 99 



by making the roofe upwards and the doore dowue the hill, 

 Theire Generall Lessley was very courteous to all the English, 

 and at the laird of Aton's^'^ house (a small house built of 

 stone somewhat in forme of a castle) neere the campe where 

 hee lay, hee dined as many of the English lords and gentle- 

 men as were there betime and could sitt at his owne table ; 

 and there was a side table for other gentlemen that came 

 in later, and still as one company had dined annother sate 

 downe, and they had very goode meate and great plenty, 

 as allsoe of wine, beere, and ale ; and at his own table after 

 dinner hee had a great banquett. There dined with him 

 the earle of Northampton and the earl of Westmoreland, and 

 divers of the king's servants. Immediately after dinner the 

 lord chamberlaine came to the campe, and Generall Lessley 

 went to meet him, and conducted him up to the campe, with 

 much ceremony betwixt them, both ryding bare a great way. 

 The generall was much admired by souldiours for his judge- 

 ment in encamping and the good discipline of his men. It 

 was a very gracefull sight to behold all the army soe united 

 together in such a ground, and all the souldiours standing 

 to their arnies, theire drumme beating and colours flying ; 

 and though one ride often round, yet hee could not without 

 curious observation tell when hee had compassed them, which 

 was a good pollicy of Lessley to beguile men's view, which 

 could not bee satisfied of their number, till as now they had 

 freedome to ride amongst them and goe into their hutts, 

 where they (sic) better sort entertained the English courteously, 

 but the ordinary souldiours would look very bigg with laugh- 

 ing countenances, as imagining wee were happy in the peace, 

 otherwise we had smarted for it. They were, as Lieutenant- 

 colonell Sydenham informed mee, 92 colours, I endeavoured 

 to have tould them but could not (because of the circular 

 ryding I could not tell where I began nor ended). Most 

 guessed them to bee about 10 or 12,000 at the most, accounting 

 the highlanders, whose fantastique habitt caused much gazing 

 by such as have not scene them heertofore. They were all 



^'' The words " Laird of Duase, a Hume," are written in the margin 

 of the document. 



