his fury and violence in taking me, by which he had hastened the death of my dear wife, who, within three or four days after my being taken, departed this life. 1 was married to her twelve years, during which time I had very much contentment, she being a most kind and loving wife; she bore me ten children, whereof there is but one now living, called Alexander; he was baptized by Mr. Andrew Cant, [one of the ministers of Aberdeen,] the 17th day of October, 1641. As her life was blameless before the world, so was she beginning to be a serious seeker of God, and departed this life, having given good evidences of her hope of a better:-as was testified to me by the ministers and other Christians of that place, who were much comforted with her Christian expressions, especially with her free and most Christian exhortations to her uncle Dr. Dune the elder, and other her friends and mine. I desire, upon every remembrance of her, to be thankful to the Lord, who so ordered me in my choice; though I was then so ignorant, that I remember not if I sought it of him, but his goodness in this, as in many things more, did prevent me.

In that contest I had with the Laird of Haddo, I was wonderfully delivered from extreme danger. The first time that we encountered near Kintore, he fired two pistols at me, one after another, being then within twice the length of his horse from me; both of them misserved; whereat he was in great fury, alleging, they had never done the like before. And that same night, in Old Aberdeen, to try them if they would misserve again, he put out the candle at which he shot. The other time was that day when he took me prisoner: he, having entered my father's study, fired a pistol at me from the window, whence

he pursued me in another study. Just opposite to the window where he was, that pistol also misserved, at which he cursed, alleging, he would never get me felled. I knew nothing of this second attempt, before he himself told it me in Aberdeen, as he was going prisoner to Edinburgh, sent by the Marquis of Argyle, after the taking of his house.

CHAPTER III.

1644: THE IRISH, ENTERING SCOTLAND UNDER MACDONALD AND MONTROSE, ADVANCE TO ABERDEEN; THEY ARE INEFFECTUALLY OPPOSED BY THE CITIZENS UNDER THE LORD BURLEIGH-ALEXANDER JAFFRAY, RETIRING FROM ABERDEEN, IS KINDLY RECEIVED BY THE EARL MARISCHALL-BEING TAKEN PRISONER BY HARTHILL THE YOUNGER, HE IS KEPT SEVERAL WEEKS AT PITCAPLE-HE IS NOMINATED ON A COMMISSION OF PARLIAMENT TO TRY DELINQUENTS-1647: HIS SECOND MARRIAGE WITH SARAH CANT-THE DEATH OF HIS PARENTS-A PESTILENCE AT ABERDEEN; HE BEING A MAGISTRATE THERE-1649-50: BEING A MEMBER OF THE SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT FOR ABERDEEN, HE IS TWICE SENT TO HOLLAND, WITH OTHER COMMISSIONERS, TO TREAT WITH KING CHARLES THE SECOND.

SHORTLY after this, [namely, in 1644,] the Irish that entered Scotland under Alester Macdonald and Montrose, having come the length of Aberdeen, were fought by a regiment of the country soldiers, under the command of the Lord Burghly [or Burleigh,] accompanied with some country gentlemen, and most of all the citizens of Aberdeen; where about seven or eight score men, besides women and children, were killed. I was at that time in no small hazard, having staid too long on the field, after our men began to run; yet it pleased God to deliver me. Being very evilly horsed, I was well near among the Irish hands; yet, by the good providence of God, I escaped, carrying a pair of colours with me, which I had taken from one of our soldiers, who was casting the same from him in the flight.

Thereafter, the country being so loose and broken, I could not safely stay at Aberdeen, so went with sun

dry other honest families to Dunnotter, where we were very kindly received by the Earl Marischall, having house-room from him, and our entertainment from Aberdeen and Stonehaven. One day, having gone with Mr. Andrew Cant to Crathes, to visit his son Mr. Alexander; on our way back, we were encountered by the Laird of Harthill the younger, who was then returning from the battle of Kelsyth, where Montrose had gained the sixth and last battle he had over Scotland. We were by the said Harthill and the Laird of Newton Gordon taken prisoners, (Mr. Andrew Cant, my brother Thomas, and I,) after very much threatening presently to have killed us,-especially I was threatened, as being guilty, they alleged, of Haddo's death, who had been executed for his rebellion against the State. Yet it pleased the Lord to restrain their fury. We were that night kept prisoners at Aberdeen, and the morrow carried to Pitcaple, where we were kept under the custody of one Petrie Leathe, brother to old Harthill. Many things might I remember, that would be too tedious here to insert; only some few I shall point out, wherein the Lord's goodness, and his wonderful hand in delivering us, did most eminently appear. [SEE APPENDIX, H.]

At first, at our taking, where they with great fury and main fearful oaths did threaten sore, yet not one hair of our heads did fall to the ground. Secondly, all the time of our being prisoners, which was for the space of either five or seven weeks, though they were a company of as vile, profligate men as any I did ever see; yet was there so much restraint laid on them, as that they carried themselves civilly before us. And sometimes some of them were content to be

present at our private exercise of God's worship, morning and evening, which was constantly performed by that gracious and worthy man Mr. Andrew Cant, who on the Lord's day occasionally preached publicly in the great hall; sometimes all of them were present, and had something like convictions at the hearing of the word, which was preached unto them with much boldness and freedom. Yet did they go on, in the frequent practice of their drunkenness and abominable vices; so that we, being very weary of their company, frequently would project and talk among ourselves of ways to escape. At last, we attempted a very desperate-like piece of service, which, had it not pleased the Lord in a wonderful manner both to give us courage and success more than ordinary, we could never in any probability have been able to have carried through. But,-to the praise of the majesty of the Lord, let it be said, as an obligation for ever to be upon me!-I was, that twenty-four hours during which we kept the house, wonderfully assisted and borne out with more activity and courage; so that, in the most dreadful times of our danger, while we were almost in the very jaws of death, I had not any sense of danger or fear.

One day in the afternoon, all the men except two being abroad, whereof one was an old decrepid body, we resolved to go and shut the gate. Having had advertisement that some of our friends, commanded by Major General Middleton, were that night at Aberdeen, having come north after the battle of Philiphaugh, [which took place on the 13th of the month called September;] we were confident, that if we could get possession, and maintain the house till the morrow morning, our friends would before that time