HISTORICAL OBSERVES.

OCTOBER 1680.

His Royal Highneffe the D[uke] of A[lbany] and Y[ork,] having been earnestly delt with by the King's Privy Councell in England, (who fate 2 dayes without interruption almost theiron,) to declare himself Protestant, and he refufing to goe against his conviction, he was advised to retire unto Scotland, in regard the King's neceffities preffed to give way P. 2. to the Parliament's fitting; and accordingly he parted on the 20 of O&ober with his brother at Woolwich on the Thames, and arrived at Kirkcaldy bay on the 26 therafter, having borne out a mighty ftorme. The Chancelor and fundrie of the nobility and gentrie of Fyffe, and a part of his Majeftie's guards, attended his landing, and he with his Dutcheffe ware conveyed ftraight to Leflie, wheir he stayed till the 29 of O&tober; on which day he came from Bruntiland to Leith; from which, in much folemnity, he was conveyed to the Palace of Halirudhouse. (See his former reception in the other manufcript at the 21 of November 1679, page 178. See my law folio manuscript at the 2d of November 1680. See the printed narrative of his reception.)

A litle after his arriveall, having vifited the Caftle of Edinburgh, and for a teftimony of joy the gun called Muns Meg, being charged by the advice of ane English canoneer, in the fhooting was riven; which fome foolishly called a bad omen. The Scots refented it extreemely, thinking

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the Englishman might of malice have done it purposely, they having no canon in all England fo big as fhee.

About this tyme on Mr. William Wifeheart, minifter at Wells in Annandale (Nithfdale,) deferted his miniftry, and fent a dimiffion of it to the Prefbyterie, and turned Roman Catholick: fo this is one of the remarkable trophees and spoills the Papifts are beginning to gain upon our religion. On the 21 of October 1680, the English Parliament met; wheir the King had a pertinent difcourfe at ther opening, to which I refer, because it is befyde me in print. The Commons, nemine contradicente, elect one Mr. William Williams, (vide infra pa. 16,) recorder of the city of Chesters, for ther Speaker, who had been eminent in his oppofition against the Duke of York; he is approven by his Majesty, and obtains a grant of the 3 ufuall praeliminaries, that the members of the house, ther goods and fervants, be free from arrefts, that they may have freedome of fpeach within doors, and may have ready acceffe to his Majefty when required. By ane unanimous vote, they declare it was and is the duety of every true Englishman to petition the King for the fitting of the parliament, (tho we find in the other manuscript, page 181, the King by proclamation had difcharged it as factious, and feditious, and contrare to his praerogative,) and that theffe who gave in declarations bearing their abhorrency at these petitioners, were not dutifull fubjects, and ware therefore in contempt called the Abhorrers. (Vide infra pag. in principio.) They likewayes refolved upon a bill for difenabling the D[uke] of York, or any other Popish fucceffor, from inheriting the Imperiall crown of England. The Duke's party comfort themselfes with this, that ther was great bustle and oppofition made before, against both the entries of Quean Marie and Quean Elizabeth in England, as being unlawfully begotten; and yet after the cafe of ther fucceffions exifted, they ware admitted by the peeple of England, and did reigne peaceably all their lifetyme; and the Duke hopes it may even fo befall him.

Some ridiculously imagined they found a fimilitude betuixt Dux Albannus, the tyrranous Duke of Alva who oppreffed the Hollanders, and Dux Albania the Duke of Albany and York.

It is the obfervation of a learned man, that England in the space of 20 years changed oftener ther religion than all Chriftendome had done for 1500 years before; for they made 4 mutations and tranfitions from 1540 till 1560. King Hendry the 8th abolishes the Pope's fupremacy and fuppreffes Abbacies, but retains the bulk of the Popish religion; his fone Edward brings in the Reformed religion; Mary when the fucceeds throws it out and introduces Popery; Queen Elizabeth banishes Popery again, and re-establisheth the Proteftant religion; and all this done in leffe than the forfaid space.

Not only too many amongs ourselves, but the French turned the Plot into matter of sport and laughter; for at Paris they acted, in ther comedy called Scaramuchio, the English tryall, and busked up a dog in a goune like Cheiff Justice Scrogs, and a theiff is brought to the bar and accused P. 3. that he had ftollen one of the King's great fhips carrieng 100 guns, and had conveyed it away under his cloak. The pannell defends himselfe that the fact libelled against him was impoffible to be done, and they might as weell fay he had taken away Notre Dame Church on his back. Scrogs cryes, No, firrah, you did it, we can prove it, call the witneffes. And fo on is brought in like Titus Oats and Bedlo, who depone they faw him doe it. On the 12 of November 1680, a part of his Majefties forces apprehend fome of Mr. Donald Cargil, the minifter (who escaped narrowlie), his affociats, viz. on James Skein a wryter youth brother to the Laird of Skeen in the North, on Archbald Stewart skipper in Borrowftounneffe, [Robert] Hamilton in Broxburne, and [John] Spreul apothecarie in Glasgow. As for James Skeen, tho formerly knowen to be a fimple lad, yet was [he] fo obftinatly ftout that, both in face of Privy Councell and of the Criminall Court, he ouned Camron's declaration of war against Charles Stuart (as he

called the King) at Sanquhar, approved ther fighting at Bothuelbridge, Moorkirk, or Aerdfmoffe, ther covenant, ther excommunication, &c. tho he was prefent at none of them, and that he had freedome to kill the King as ane ennemy to God and the country, and fubferyved the fame. It was a pitty to fee his forwardneffe, confidering, if he had refrained what he confeffed with his oune tongue, no probation could have reached him. Some concluded him melancoly and hypocondriack. The other 3 (tho tortured in the boots) would give no pofitive categorick anfwer to that quaeftion, If they thought it lawfull to kill his Majefty? but would nather call it lawfull nor unlawfull: fo that they are fingly guilty of a perverse obftinacy in opinion, which principle might be fatally dangerous if they should happen to put it in executioun, as God forbid.

William Johnston and fome other marchands ware feized on upon a fufpition; but their being no evidence against them farder than that they were ftri& Presbyterians, they were set at liberty.

Old Mr. John Carftairs, once minifter at Glasgow, being brought before the Privy Councell, gave a very fatisfactory accompt of his fubmiffion to and acknowledgement of the King and Councell's power. The Bifchop of Edinburgh declared his contentment, but alledged, he fwerved from the Presbyterian principles, in his acquiefcing to the government and difclaming the rifing in armes. Mr. Carstairs, picked at this, replyed, he payed all deference to the King's Councell, but he did not oune Mr. Paterfone's power as a judge their; for which he was removed with a rebuke.

When the Bifchop of Edinburgh was reafoning in Councell for the Militia A&t, one whispered to another, Come let us hear the Apostle Paul difcourfing on the Militia: Epifcopus Miles is ane incongruity. (See Zieglerus book, fo called, against the late Bifchop of Munfter, Chriftopherus Bernardus.)

James Skein and the other 3 have got ane indytment of treason to anfwer at the Criminall Court on the 22 of November nixt; and the Advocat