was making below: The chamber where he lay was called the chamber of Deefe, which is the name given to a room, where the laird lies when he comes to a tenant's house. Steele, fuddenly opening the door, fired a blunderbufs down at the two dragoons, as they were coming up the fairs; but the bullets, grazing against the fide of the turnpike, only wounded and did not kill them. Then Steele violently threw himself down the fairs among them, and made towards the door to fave his life, but loft it upon the spot; for the dragoons who guarded the house, difpatched him with their broad-fwords. I was not with the party when he was killed, being at that time employed in searching at one of the other four houses, but I foon found what had happened, by hearing the noise of the fhot made with the blunderbufs: From hence I returned strait to Lanerick, and immediately fent one of the dragoons exprefs to general Drummond at Edinburgh.

General Dalziel died about Michaelmas this year, and was fucceeded by lieutenant general

general Drummond, who was likewise my very good friend.

But I cannot here let pafs the death of fo brave and loyal a commander, as general Dalziel, without giving the reader fome account of him, as far as my knowledge, or enquiry, can reach.

Thomas Dalziel, among many other officers, was taken prifoner at the unfortunate defeat at Worcester, and fent to the tower; from whence, I know not by what means, he made his escape, and went to Muscovy; where the Czar, then reigning, made him his general: But fome time after the restoration of the royal family, he gave up his commiffion, and repairing to king Charles the Second, was, in confideration of his eminent fervices, conftituted commander in chief of his majefty's forces in Scotland; in which post he continued till his death, excepting only one fortnight, when he was fuperfeded by the duke of Monmouth, fome days before the action at Bothwell-Bridge, as I have already related. He was bred up very hardy from his youth, both in dyet and cloathing. He never wore boots, T 4

nor

nor above one coat, which was close to his body, with close fleeves, like those we call jockey-coats. He never wore a peruke; nor did he fhave his beard fince the murder of king Charles the Firft. In my time, his head was bald, which he covered only with a beaver-hat, the brim of which was not above three inches broad. His beard was white and bushy, and yet reached down almoft to his girdle. He ufually went to London once or twice in a year, and then only to kifs the king's band, who had a great, efteem for his worth and valour. His unusual dress and figure, when he was in London, never failed to draw after him a great crowd of boys, and other young people, who conftantly attended at his lodgings, and followed him with Huzzas, as he went to court, or returned from it. As he was a man of humour, he would always thank them for their civilities, when he left them at the door, to go into the king; and would let them know exactly, at what hour he intended to come out again, and return to his lodgings. When the king walked in the park, attended by fome of

his courtiers, and Dalziel in his company, the fame crowds would always be after him, fhewing their admiration at his beard and drefs, fo that the king could hardly pafs on for the crowd; upon which his majefty bid the devil take Dalziel, for bringing fuch a rabble of boys together, to have their guts fqueezed out, whilft they gaped at his long beard and antick babit; requesting him, at the same time, (as Dalziel used to exprefs it) to fhave and drefs like other Chriftians, to keep the poor bairns out of danger. All this could never prevail on him to part with his beard, but yet, in compliance to his majefty, he went once to court in the very height of the fashion; but as foon as the king and thofe about him had laughed sufficiently, at the ftrange figure he made, he re-affumed his ufual habit, to the great joy of the boys, who had not difcovered him in his fashionable dress.

When the duke of York fucceeded to the crown, general Dalziel was refolved ftill to retain his loyalty, although, at the fame time, he often told his friends, that all things were going wrong at court;

but

but death came very seasonably, to rescue him from the difficulties he was likely to be under, between the notions he had of duty to his prince on one fide, and true zeal for his religion on the other.

I must now resume a little my discourse upon captain Steele. Some time before the action, in which he was killed, general Drummond, who was then newly made commander in chief fent for me in hafte, to attend him in Edinburgh: My way lay through a very strong pass, hard by Airs-Mofs, and within a mile of Cumlock: As I was going through Cumlock, a friend there told me, that Steele, with a party, waited for me at the pass." I had with me only one dragoon and a drummer: I ordered the latter to gallop. on ftrait to the pass, and when he got thither, to beat a dragoon-march, while I with the dragoon fhould ride along the by-path, on the edge of the Mofs. When Steele and his men heard the drum, they fcoured cross the by-path into the Mofs, apprehending that a strong party was coming in fearch of them: But either I, or the dragoon, (I forgot which) fhot one

of