from Lord Fountainhall's diary, a very limited edition (120 copies) of which was only printed. The original manuscript of the volume is preserved in the Advocate's Library at Edinburgh. It is merely necessary to observe, that the author, (Sir John Lander, a distinguished judge in the court of sessions, called in courtesy to that station Lord Fountainhall) was a constant, close, and singularly impartial observer of the remarkable events of his time; and while his rank and character gave him access to the best information, he displayed much shrewdness in digesting it, and appears to have had the habit of committing most remarkable particulars to writing.

"The Duke of York took leave of his brother, King Charles II, on the 20th of October, 1680, at Woolwich on the Thames, and after a great storm landed at Kirkaldie the 26th ditto with his Duchess. There, after he went to Leslie till the 29th ditto, frae thence to Holyrood House, thence went and saw Edinburgh Castle, where the great canon, called Monns Meg, being charged, burst in her off going, which was taken as a bad

omen.

'A Mr. William Wishart, minister at Wells in Annan, turned papist.

It is observed in England, that in the space of twenty years, the English changed oftener their religion than all Christendom had for one hundred and fifty years; for they made four mutations from 1540 to 1560. King Henry the Eighth abolished the Pope's supremacy, suppressed abbeys, but retained the bulk of the Popish religion; his son, King Edward, brings in the protestant religion; Queen Mary throws it out; but Queen Elizabeth brings it in again.'

Paterson, Bishop of Edinburgh. The presbyterian lampoons upbraided him as a profligate and loose liver. See the answer to presbyterian eloquence, where there is much ribaldry on this subject. He is said to have

kissed the band strings in the pulpit, in the midst of an eloquent discourse, which was the signal agreed upon betwixt him an I a lady to whom he was a suitor, to show he could think upon her charms even whilst he was engaged in the most solemn duties of his profession. Hence he was nicknamed Bishop Bandstrings.'

The death of King Charles is described in the following concise but simple and affecting manner:

King Charles II died peaceable on Friday, at twelve o'clock of the day, 6th of February, 1685, having taken the sacrament before from Dr. Kenn, Bishop, of Bath and Wells. On the 2d of February he had a strong fit of convulsions, but afterwards, being recovered a little, he called his brother and craved him pardon, if ever he had offended him, and recommended him the care of his queen and children, and delyvered him some papers, and entreated him to maintain the protestant religion. The queen being unwell, was unable to attend him; but sent to ask his pardon wherein she had ever offended him he said, Ah! poor Kate, many a time have I wronged her, but she never did me any. He dyed most composedlie, regretting the trouble his friends had been. at in attending him. He was certainly a prince (whose only weak side was to be carried away with women; which had wasted his bodie, being only fifty-five years old when he dyed) endued with many royal qualities, of whom the divine providence had taken especial care; witness his miraculous escape at Worcester battle; his treatment in royal oak, when thousands were rummaging the fields in quest of him; his restoration being without one drop of blood, so that the Turkish Emperor said, if he were to change his religion, he would only do it for that of the King of Great Britain's God, who had done such wonderful things for him. His clemencie was admirable; witness his sparing two of Cromwell's sons, one of whom had usurped his throne. His firmness in religion was evident, for in his banishment, great offers were

made to restore him, if he would turn Papist, which he altogether slighted. A star appeared at noon on his birth day. He was a great mathematician, chemist, and mechanick, and wrought often in the laboratorie himself; and he had one natural mildness and command over his anger, which never transported him beyond one innocent puff and spitting, and was soon over, and yet commanded more deference from his people than if he had expressed it more severely, so great respect had all persons to him. He was buried the 14th September, 1685, privately in King Henry the Seventh, his chapell, Westminster, the Prince of Denmark being chief mourn er, having desired to be buried privatelie.'

Royal Injunction.- King James ordered the Duchess of Portsmouth [not] to leave England till she paid all her debts, because she was transporting £50,000 sterling in gold and jewels, which was seized by the collectors of the customs.'

Costly Coronation of Queen Mary.-'Queen Mary, wife of King James the Seventh, was not crowned with the Imperial crown of England, but there was a new one of gold made on purpose for her, worth £300,000 sterling, and the jewels she had on her were reckoned to a million, which made her shine like an angel; and all the peeresses were richly attired with their coronets on their heads. The King and she were crowned 23rd April, 1685, being St. George's day.'

Nota. The crown of Scotland is not the ancient one, but was casten of new by King James the Fifth. There was a poem made on the coronation by Elkena Settle, formerly the poet of the whigs, wherein he mentions Gibby Burnet's reforming pupils, as Shaftsberre, Essex, an. Russell, to be gnashing their teeth to hell at the news of King James's coronation.

Political State of Scotland. The state of parties in Scotland, the clashing of personal and political interests; the barbarous tortures; and the executions of their op-ponents as the different sides prevailed; the ramifications of the Rye-house plot in this country; the conflicts of episcopacy, presbyterianism and popery; besides private concerns, from many of the illustrative paragraphs of our miscellaneous record. For example, in 1684, we have

A Parson fined for getting drunk.-Mr. Hunter, second minister of Stirling, staged for drunkenness, in spewing after he had taken the sacrament. Kennedy, provost of Stirling, and Mr. Munro, the first minister, were his accusers, 6th of April, 1684. He after turned a buckle-beggars, and was suspended if not deprived by the Bishop therefore; and married in his old age, a daughter of Anne Stevenson, a gardener at Habaye Hall.'-Fount. Diary.

TORTURE OF THE BOOTS AND THUMBIKEN.

'Mr. William Spence, late servant to Argyle, is tortured by boots to force him to reveal what he knows of the Earle's and other's accession to the late English fanatic, Platt, and a design of rebellion; and in regard that he refused to depose if he had the key whereby he could read some letters of the Earle's, produced by Major Holmes, in cypher; and seeing that he would not depose that he could not read them, and that they offered him a remission; it rendered him very obnoxious, and suspect of prevarication, so that after the torture he was put in General Dalyell's hands; and it was reported, that by a hair short and pricking (as the witches are used) he was five nights kept frae sleep, till turned half distracted;

but he eat very little, on purpose that he might require less sleep; yet never discovered anything.' 26 July, et diebus sequentibus.

'Mr. Spence, Argyle's servant, is again tortured with the thumbikens, a new invention, and discovered by Generals Dalyell and Drummond, who saw them used in Muscovy: and when he heard they were to put him in boots again, being frightened therewith, desired time, and he would declare what he knew; whereupon they gave him some time, and sequestrat him in Edinburgh Castle, 6th August, 1684.'—See Plate.

'Mr. William Spence, to avoid further torture, desyphered Argyle's letters, and agrees with Holmes's declaration, that Argyle and Loudon, Dalrymple of Stains, Sir John Cochran and others, had formed a design to raise rebellion in Scotland; and that there were three keys to the said letters, whereof Mr. Carstairs had two, and Holmes a third; and he approved of Gray of Crichie, after Lord Gray, his explanation of the said letters; and Campbell of Arkanlass was apprehended by the laird of M'Naughten. Spence got the liberty of the castle, and recommended for a remission. And Gordon of Earlston was sent for from the Bass, to be tortured and confronted with Spence, and the council resolved not to admit of his madness for ane excuse (which they es teemed simulat,) as Chancellor Gordon had done, August 22.'

'Mr. William Carstairs, son of Mr. John Carstairs. minister of Glasgow, brought before the secret committee of council, and tortured with the thumbikens, whereon he confessed, there had been a current plot in Scotland for ten years, and that some were for rising in rebellion, others for associating with the English for keeping out [the] Duke of York, and to preserve [the] protestant religion.'-Fount. Diary.