The manuscripts of His Grace the Duke of ... - Electric Scotland

118
called Atkin, a drover, uho they say uas also a preacher.
Earleston has bein severall times examined, and I amhopefull he
may be ingenouous and tell iihat he knous. Great lenity is used
touards him to see if he uill tell ; uhich if he doe, I think he knous
uhat is uorthe his life. The other has never bein examined, but
at his first aryvall, and then he uold not ansuer to any thing. I
beliv he uill be found a ranke Cameroniane. The other Earlestone
declares against that sect, and all that relates to armes against
the authority." Lord Elphinstone's Protection had been staved
off witliout calling an Exchequer. Kobert Mill assured him that
the work at the Castle should be done in due time, and James
Baine had promised the same of the "Abay."
"The Bishop's murtherer is a silly fellou, and can giv no
accompt of any thing. He confesses he uas ther, and that ther uas
eight mor, uhos names he confesses to be as ue had them. He
has lurked thes tuo or three years aither in Angus or Lothian,
this is all . . . I doubt not but Heu Wallace has told your
lordship that ther is a letter come doun to discharge an}^
Councellor to come to London uithout his Majesty's leav, of which
divers conjectures are made, but for my self I knou nothing of the
truithe of it. Heu Wallace uold hav had me inquiring at the
Countess of Erroll, but I uold not, for I judged any inquisitivness
in that mater might breed jalusie, and the knouing of it certainely
could only satisfie a smal peice of curiosity, so I hav neaver so
much as named it to any, nor uill . . .
" This night the Chanslour shoued me a searcher of Newcastle
that uas the first apprehender of Earleston, and his commerade
Atkin, and desired, that for his pain in coming to testifie against
them, he might hav ten pounds, and he uold signe a recommendatione."
Drummond ordered the money, there not being
a quorum of the Council, but shunned the recommendation. By
direction of the Chancellor, he had just been giving order to
Captain Grahame to seize Danell Clerksone, an Englishman,
who was examined last week about Cloth importing, and his landlord,
Josias Jonstoun, informer in uinter against Eobert Blackuod,
and their papers.
"We find byEarleston's peapers, ther has bein a designe of rising
in armes in Ingland. He says it uas amongst the sectaries only,
and that the fanatiques uold not joine uith them, but it does not
apear so by other peapers ue hav of thers, but he is not yet fully
examined as to that mater."
Edinburgh, 23 June : 1683.
,193. "Since my last, ue hav had many letters from the uest
of the success of the Circuite, uhich your lordship uill be better
informed of then ue befor this can come to your hands . . .
Ther is a Bruer has deforced the survayours sent by Lenny to
survay his brueing, and beaten them."
against.
He was to be proceeded
Further notices about the town of Edinburgh, "wher ther is
found sett doun, for the bringing in of the water, 6,000 pounds