wick,] where we had a very considerable auditory, all winter, notwithstanding all the endeavours that were made to break it. I kept my own house still, only went out to Hedderwick on Saturday's night, as long as my wife was able to go with me, and afterwards on Sabbath morning, and came in on Sabbath night; and though I went but seldom out of my house, yet when I did go out, it was in the most public manner I could, keeping the crown of the causeway, notwithstanding of all their threats against me particularly, which would fill a volume to write them. And I can scarce say I was ever uneasy by them, though my wife was many times almost at death's door by them; but God has preserved her, and given us a lively son, which makes up [for] her former fears.

All our ministers in this Presbytery have kept true except Mr Geddie at Farnell, [Farnwell,] whom we deposed at our second meeting of Presbytery, after our other ministers came, and I suppose you will see an account of it in the Flying Post very shortly, and so I say no more of it. I cannot tell particularly of the bad treatment the ministers met with in this country; only, in general, there was not one suffered to live in peace or enjoy their houses, but were either driven from their houses or had them plundered, except myself, in this corner; and, indeed, I must say I have found the outmaking of that word, which, I thought, was not only spoke to me when I came first to this place, but was renewed to me again at the beginning of this Rebellion-" Verily, I will cause the enemy to entreat thee well," &c.-Jer. xv. 11. Hedderwick kept his ground very well, and so did Benholm, and severals in this corner of the shire, and the most part of the gentry in the Mearns staid at home, and did not join the Rebellion, for which Provost Doig in Brechin calls the gentlemen in this corner of the shire, "The wise men of the east." I need not say any thing of the Pretender's going off, or of the way the clans behaved when here; only they being a fleeing army, and the terror of God upon their spirits, as I saw by those that were quartered upon me, they did little or no damage in respect of what was expected, and when

the Pretender having left them, and Argyle's advance guard being within four or five miles of them before they got notice to march, they went off without disturbance, and I thought I scarce ever heard more pleasant music than the bagpipe was that night, when they were drawing up at the cross about eight at night to flee

away.

As to those pamphlets you wrote about, I shall cause inquire at the carrier for them; but I am afraid they will be lost.

After I came this length in writing I was interrupted, and got no time to do any thing for public business, General Cadogan being here, whom I waited upon again and again, and never conversed with a more civil, condescending, familiar, great man. But as for Argyle, when he was here, though a great many ministers waited upon him in a body, yet we could not get a word from him. As to our town, I can say nothing of them, but that as they have been, so they will still be, Falkirk bairns,' or worse. We have a great many rebels lurking among us, but not so much as one of them is troubled; nay, some of them walk publicly in the streets, and nobody troubles them. My wife and I remember you and yours, and all friends with you. I am, Sir, your most humble servant, and much obliged friend,

[Montrose,] March 8, 1716.

J. T. [J. TRAIL.]

1 Falkirk bairns die ere they thrive, as the proverb says.

LETTER XXXVIII.

STATE OF THE COUNTRY AFTER THE REBELLION.

William Trail to Wodrow.2

REV. AND DEAR BROTHER,-Yours of the 17th instant from Edinburgh, directed to Mr Archer and me, I had yesterday, and 2 Letters to Wodrow, vol. xi. No. 80.

VOL. II.

I

thank you for the news you write, and shall be very glad to keep up a correspondence with you, and would have written more frequently than I have done, had I not been afraid of encroaching upon your time either to read mine, or let me hear from you. I believe Mr Archer will be very willing to comply with your desire of our writing for news every week, and for my part I shall not fail if I have any thing to write that can be any way satisfying to you.

I was very much troubled when I heard that your brother-inlaw, Ducathall, was so maltreated in Montrose, but was so unhappy as not to hear the least syllable of it till he was out of the country, else I had waited upon him, and contributed any thing I could for his ease in this country. I am humbly of opinion, that that matter should be fairly represented to the Government, and it would do no small service to the interest in this country, that the authors of that maltreatment were put from all management of public affairs here-away, for they are but pretended friends for their own interest sake.

Several of the regi

As for news I shall give you what occurs. ments that were in the North are marched South, but it is not yet known here upon what design. On Wednesday last six hundred of the garrison in Montrose marched southward also; some say they are to form a camp above Perth for the more easy sending out of parties to apprehend the rebels, but this is uncertain with

us.

The Pretender's party here are yet very insolent, and spreading lies as fast as ever, and some of them ridiculous enough. Some think they are buoyed up with the hopes of an indemnity, which we hear is much talked of at Edinburgh; but, in my opinion, if an indemnity be not very well qualified, and considerable exceptions made in it, it will do the Government very ill service at this juncture. Some attempts made to apprehend particular rebels that were lurking in these bounds have proven ineffectual, because previous private notice was sent them, even by some that should have apprehended them.

The Presbytery of Brechin have deposed one of their number for praying for the Pretender, and other things they had against him; as also a prelatical minister in their bounds, for his accession to the Rebellion and other vices. They have likewise deposed several Jacobite schoolmasters, and our Presbytery have deposed one of the latter, and will give some more the same fate.

Many, both gentlemen and others, who went to the prelatical meeting-houses, are now beginning to come to the churches of the several parishes to which they belong. But, Oh! there is great need of a day of power from on high in order to do them good, for they are strangely prejudicate against the servants of Christ in this corner, and I find my own share of it, which is owing partly to the doctrine the intruder, in my absence, instilled into them, for he was a most malicious, invective creature as ever breathed; and partly to some rebels yet lurking amongst us, who hiss into the people's ears such lying stories as keep up still the division in heart, though meeting-houses be taken away.

This is all that I remember at present, hoping to hear from you with your conveniency, for, to say it without compliment, I reckon your correspondence very edifying and profitable, and shall be glad to do any thing that may continue this privilege with me.

When I came to Edinburgh, and was looking over my father's books, I could not light upon that manuscript which contained the account of his trial before the council of Dublin ; but among his papers in my hand I find both letters and papers relative to that affair, but they hardly set it in a true light, as that other book would do, and it being a matter transacted in Ireland, I suppose your History will not be concerned in it, and as to the particular time that my father escaped that danger of the Bishop's hands at Glasgow, I cannot give you an account of it as yet, though I have all his Diary from 1674 till his death, yet, I suppose, it was before that year. If I light upon any of his papers that can give account of it you shall have them. I give my humble service to your spouse and all friends,

1 See Note, p. 144.

wishing you much comfort and success in every part of your work; Rev. Dear Brother, yours to serve you,

and

am,

[WILLIAM TRAIL.]

Direct for me to the care of the postmaster in Bervie.

Benholm, March 23, 1716.

LETTER XXXIX.

"ANENT CARRIAGE OF REBELS."-HIGHLAND DISCRETION.-ROB ROY'S CHARACTER.-THE HIGHLANDMEN'S MODE OF DOING BUSINESS.

J. Row to Alexander Archer, Candlemaker at Hamilton.1

Leslie, March 28, 1716.

DEAR FRIEND, By this I humbly greet you, your honest wife, and children. George Greig told me you desired a relation of the rebels' discretion and civility in this country. I wish you would employ some that did more exactly notice what they saw, and likewise recorded, or at least kept in mind, what they either saw or heard better than I can possibly signify to you as yet. I believe first when they took the field there was something like an evening (I cannot say morning) twilight of discretion among some of their heads, with respect to their paying what they called for, of meat and drink ; but as to the commons, yea, the most of all their inferior officers, they neither did nor would pay one farthing wherever they went, through either country or towns, if it was not in Perth. And yet if they had done no more skaith than taking meat and drink free, there had been either none, or but few complaints. But we thought there was but little discretion in breaking up doors, and taking from honest people what of body or bed clothes, belonging either to men, women, or children, they got their rapacious claws upon, linen, yarn, ticking, or whatever of cloth, made or unmade, linen yarn or woollen; yea, taking the clothes off the people's very backs, plaids from women, and setting men down and taking their 1 Inserted among Letters to Wodrow, vol. xi. No. 92.