intelligence, they having fecured it. Whereupon, after we had gotten fome meat, we came to a piece of grafs, and lay down, and prefently we were all alarmed that they were upon us; and fo making ready, we faw them coming faft on; and that about three or four hours in the afternoon; and each one refolving to fight, I rode off and found a ftrength for our advantage, and drew up quickly eight horfe on the right hand with R. D. and fifteen on the left with me, being no more; the foot not being forty, and many of them ill armed, in the midft. The enemy advanced faft, about one hundred and twelve, well armed and horsed; who fending about twenty dragoons on foot to take the wind of us, we fent a party on foot to meet them, and the reft of us advanced immediately after, when our horfe fired, and wounded and killed fome both horfe and foot; our horfe advanced to their faces, and we fired on each other; I being foremost, and finding the horse behind me broken, I then rode in amongst them, and went out at a fide, without being wounded; 1 was purfued by feverals, with whom I fought a good space, but at length I was stricken down with three on horfe-back behind me; and receiving three wounds on the head, and falling, fubmitted to them. They gave us all teftimony of brave refolute men. What more of our men were killed, I did not fee, nor know; I was brought toward Douglas. They ufed me civilly, and brought me drink out of a houfe by the way. At Douglas, Janet Cleland was kind to me, and brought a Surgeon to me, who did but little to my wounds, only ftanched the blood.

Next morning I was brought to Lanerk, and brought before Dalziel, and Lord Rofs, but I not fatisfying them with anfwers, Dalziel did threaten to roaft me; and carrying me to the tolbooth, caufed me to be bound most barbarously, and caft me down, where I lay till Saturday morning, without any being admitted to look my wounds, or give me any eafe whatfomever. And next morning they brought me and John Follock, and other two of us, near two miles on foot, I being without fhoes, where that party which had broken us at firft, received us. They were commanded by Earlfhall. We were horfed, civilly ufed by them on the way, and brought to Edinburgh about four in the afternoon, and carried about the north-fide of the town to the foot of the Canongate,

where

where the town magistrates were, who received us; and fetting me on a horfe with my face backward, and the other three bound on a goad of iron, and Mr Cameron's head carried on a halbert before me, and another head in a fack, which I knew not, on a lad's back; and fo we were carried up the street to the parliament-clofs, where I was taken down, and the reft loofed; all was done by the hangman. I was carried up to the council, and first put up into a room alone, where the chancellor came, and afked if I knew him? I answered, yes; I was brought in before the council, where the chancellor read a ditto against me. First anent the bishop's murder, to which I answered, I was obliged by no law, either of God or man, to answer to it; and neither to accufe myself, nor reveal others by vindicating myself, or any other way. The advocate afked, where I was the third day of May was a year? To whom I anfwered, I am not bound to keep a memorial where I am, or what I do every day. The chancellor asked, if I thought it murder? To which I answered, though I was not bound to anfwer fuch queftions, yet I would not call it fo, but rather fay, it was no murder. The advocate faid, Sir, you must be a great liar, to say you remember not where you was that day, it being fo remarkable a day. I replied, Sir, you must be a far greater liar, to fay, I answered fuch a thing. Whereupon the chancellor replied, my lord advocate, he faid only, he was not bound to keep in memory every day's work.

The chancellor afked, if I adhered to Mr Cargil's papers, which they called the new covenant taken at the Ferry? I anfwered, I would know what any would fay against them. He asked, if I owned the king's authori ty? I told, though I was not bound to anfwer fuch queftions, yet being permitted to fpeak, I wou d fay fomewhat to that. And first, that there could be no lawful authority but what was of God; and that no authority, ftated in a direct oppofition to God, could be of God; and that I knew of no authority nor judicatory this day in these nations, but what were in a direct oppofition to God, and fo could neither be of God, nor lawful, and that their fruits were kything it, in that they were fetting bougerers, murderers, forcerers, and fuch others at liberty from juice, and employing them in their fervice, and made it their whole work to opprefs, kill, and de

ftroy

ftroy the Lord's people. The chancellor and all raged, and defired me to inftance one of fuch, fo fet at liberty and employed. I answered to that, though it were enough to inftance any fuch when I faw a judicatory to execute juftice, yet I would inftance one; and I instanced a bougerer, liberated at the sheriff court of Fife, and afterwards employed in their service. At which the chancellor raged, and faid, I behoved to be a liar; but I offered to prove it. Bifhop Paterson asked, if ever Pilate and that judicatory, who were direct enemies to Chrift, were disowned by him as judges? I answered, that I would answer no perjured prelate in the nation. He answered, that he could not be called perjured, because he never took that facrilegious covenant. I anfwered, that God would own that covenant when none of them were to oppofe it. They cried all, I was prophefying; I answered, I was not prophefying, but that I durft not doubt, but God, who had fuch fingular love to thefe lands, as to bring them into covenant in fo peculiar a manner with him, would let it be feen that his faithfulness was engaged to carry it through in oppofition to his enemies. Some asked, what I answered to that article of the confeffion of faith concerning the king? I answered, it was cleared in these two covenants. The advocate asked, what I faid of that article of the covenant, wherein we are bound to maintain and defend the king? I defired him to tell out the rest of it, which was, in defence of religion, but not in the deftruction of religion. The chancellor threatened me with boots, and other terrible things; and faid, I should not have the benefit of a fudden death. To which I anfwered, it would be but an addition to their cruelties ufed against God's people before, and that I was there a prifoner of Chrift, owning his truths against his open enemies, and referred it to their own acts of parliament and council, to let their cruelty and oppofition to God and his people be feen.

After this, they called for a furgeon, and removed me to another room; where he dreffed my wounds. In which time, the chancellor came, and kindly asked, if ever I faid to a fhepherd on the Mounthill, that if I thought they would not put me to an ignominious death, I would refer myself to the chancellor? I faid, No. He faid, a fhepherd came to him and faid fo. I said, that

he, or any other who faid so to him were liars. I was afked by fome, concerning our treng h. To which I told, how: few we were, and how turpiled by fuch a frong party, and that knowing with what cruel orders they came against us, we were forced to fight. After dreffing of my wounds, I was brought back to them, and thefe things being written, were read over to me; to which I adhered; and being asked, if I would fign them, laid, not. I he chancellor faid, he would do it Some one of them afked, at the first time, concerning my being at fome other bufinefs to whom I anfwered, that though I was not obliged to anfwer fuch questions, yet I adhered to all that had been done in behalf of that caufe against its enemies. After which, I was fent to the tolbooth, and have met fince with all manner of kindnefs, and want for nothing. My wounds are duly dreffed, which, I fear, may prove deadly, they being all in the head, the rest of my body is fafe.

for me..

In all thefe trials (I biefs the Lord) I was ftayed, unmoved, no alteration of countenance in the leaft, nor impatience appeared. Some of them have come to me, and regreted that fuch a man as I fhould have been led away with Cameron. I antwered, he was a faithful minifter of Jefus Chrift, and as for me, I defired to be one of thefe defpicab e ones whom Chrift choofed. They faid, it was a quaker like anfwer. I told it was the

words of Chrift and his apoftles Bishop Paterfon's brother, unknown to me, had a long realoning with me, but I think, not to truth's difadvantage. He told me, that the whole council obferved, that I gave them not their due titles; at which I fmiled, and made no reply. He laid, I was ill to the bithop. I told, that I afferted the truth. He laid, that he never took the covenant, and fo could not be perjured. I answered, prelacy-itfelf was abjured by the whole nation. He told me, that the whole council found, I was a man of great parts, and alfo of good birth. I replied, for my birth, I was related to the beft in the kingdom, which I thought little of, and for my parts they were fmall; yet I trufted fo much to the goodness of that caufe for which I was a prifoner, that if they would give God that juftice as to let his caufe be difputed, I doubted not to plead it again.t all that could fpeak against it. It was caft up to me both at the council and here, that there were not two hundred

D

dred in the nation to own our caufe. I anfwered at both times, that the cause of Christ had been often owned by fewer. I was preffed to take advice; I anfwered, I would advife with God and my own confcience, and would not depend on men, and refused to debate any more, fince it was to no purpose, being troublesome to me, and not advantageous to the caufe. At the council, fome faid, I was poffeffed with a devil; fome one thing, fome another. The chancellor faid, I was a vitious man; I answered, while I was fo, I had been acceptable to him; but now, when otherways, it was not fo. He asked me, if I would yet own that. cause with my blood, if at liberty? I anfwered, both our fathers had owned it with the hazard of their blood before me. Then was I called by all, a murderer. I anfwered, God fhould decide it betwixt us, to whom I refer it, who were most murderers in his fight, they or I

Ye have an account, as near as I can give, of what paffed among us. Be ye, and defire all others to-be, earneft with God, in my behalf; for I am weak, and cannot ftand without conftant fupplies of the graces of his fpirit. O! I am afraid left I deny him: I have rich promifes, but I want faith. Pray and wrestle in my behalf, and in behalf of the reft. And fhew this to my friends in that caufe with me, especially D. K. Let all ly before the Lord, that he would fhew us the cause of his anger against us; and let me know with the first occafion who of us were flain. Commend me to all friends and let none ftumble at the caufe, becaufe of this. It was often in my mouth to almost all, that if we purged not ourselves of the public and particular fins a mong us, God would break us, and bring a delivery out of our ashes. Let none murmur at what we should think our glory. And let minifters and others be afraid to be more tender of men than God's glory. And however it be a stumbling to fome, let it be a token of the love of God, to his church, to you, and all that love his truth. Fray for the out-lettings of all the graces of God's fpirit to me, and all the reft. I have need of patience, fubmiffion, humility, love to, and zeal for God: hope and faith above all, without which I am but a frail worm, and will fall before these enemies of mine, inward and outward. And thus recommending you to his grace,

who