other Friends in Scotland; upon which, beginning to have some interest at court, and access to the King's presence, he delivered into his own hands the following petition on their behalf.

"The State of the Case of the People called Quakers in Scotland, presented unto the King's consideration.

"The Council of Scotland having about three months ago emitted a declaration, to reinforce former acts of Parliament against conventicles, and recommended the execution of them, because of the abuse several persons had made of the King's Indulgence, as the said declaration intimates; some inferior magistrates have taken occasion thereby, to imprison many of them [the "Quakers,"] and some deputies of the Council have stretched the laws against conventicles to the highest degree of severity, by heavy fines and tedious imprisonments, although their practices and principles never gave ground for such procedure.

"It is therefore on the behalf of the said suffering people, with all sincere respect, desired, that it would please the King favourably to recommend their case to the Council of Scotland; that a difference of character may be put upon them, who have ever lived and behaved themselves peaceably under the present government, from such as are said to have abused the Indulgence; with some present relief to those harmless sufferers, to prevent that utter ruin, which, in all probability, will attend so many of them, that live by their labour and trade.

"R. BARCLAY.”

The king's secretary, the Duke of Lauderdale, was thereupon instructed to underwrite a favourable reference of the matter, which was done in these words:

"His majesty is graciously pleased to refer this paper to the right honourable the Lords of his Majesty's Privy Council in Scotland. “LAUDERDALE.”

"Whitehall, August 7th, 1676."

In a collection of manuscript correspondence, belonging to Colchester Monthly Meeting, is an original letter of Robert Barclay, addressed to Stephen Crisp, and dated the 3rd of the preceding month, which shows that this favourable reference was not obtained without much persevering effort. "I have at last," says he, "after a long and tedious attendance, near finished my business; for the duke of Lauderdale tells me yesterday, he has received order to give me a letter to the council in Scotland, in order to grant Friends their liberty; which he has promised to give me tomorrow, so that I purpose in two or three days to be going homewards."

On the 7th of the 7th month, September, the above statement and reference were presented to the council, then sitting at Edinburgh; and at the same time was delivered in, a brief but respectful " Memorial" from those people at Aberdeen and its vicinity," in derision called Quakers."

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But the council at Edinburgh did not think proper to interfere in a matter, which they had formerly appointed their commissioners at Aberdeen to determine, and concerning which those commissioners had already pronounced their decree. They therefore still left the matter to the decision of the same judges, only appointing three others to join them; namely, "Sir Richard Maitland" of Pittrichie, Baird of Auchmedden, and Ogilvie of Aboyne.

The six commissioners accordingly sat at Aberdeen on the 28th of this month; and the prisoners being called in, the Earl of Errol, who was president, told them, that they had called them again, to know whether they were yet better advised, than when they were last before them? and whether they would give bond not to hold any more meetings? To which John Skene answered, that the last time they were before the king's council, he, being one of those accused for speaking in the meeting, desired the accusers might be asked, whether himself, or any other of them, had

ever been heard to speak any thing in the least tending to sedition, or to withdraw any of the king's subjects from their due obedience and subjection to his authority? To this the Earl replied, “It is enough: that matter was spoke to at our last sitting, and you were then found guilty." John Skene answered, that there had not been any seditious act proved against them, and that they had been kept prisoners about seven months, for no other cause than meeting in a peaceable manner to worship God" in spirit and in truth." But the Earl of Errol again interrupted him, saying, "It is enough :" then directing his speech to the other commissioners, "My Lords, I have delivered your minds, and therefore it is fit they should remove." Upon this, John Skene further added, "Though you now sit as our judges, yet I cannot forbear but put you in mind, from the zeal of the Lord, and from that respect I owe you as the king's counsellors, that the day is coming, when both you who are now sitting as our judges, and we who are judged, must stand before the judgment seat of the just Judge of heaven and earth-and therefore I wish ye may so judge now, as that, in that day, ye may have peace." The Earl observed, "You are not to be our lawgiver;" to which John Skene replied, "No: I only in all humility lay these things before you."

The Earl then queried, Whether they were all of that mind? Alexander Skene answered, "I hope there are none of us here, that will be so unfaithful to our God, as to give any bond, whereby we should bind ourselves not to meet together and worship God;" and further submitted to their consideration the circumstance, that, so far as he knew, there were at that time none of their Friends suffering on this account in either of the three kingdoms. "The king," he continued, "hath referred us to his council, and the council hath referred us to you here, so that ye have all the power of the civil authority, to do with us as it shall seem right to you, from whom we may expect as

much moderation, as our Friends elsewhere have met with. But, if it shall please the Lord to permit you to be the instruments of our sufferings, I hope he will enable us to bear it with that patience and submission which becometh Christians."

The Earl of Errol then addressed himself to the other commissioners, "My Lords, if ye have any more to say than I have said, ye may speak it." Upon this, the Earl Marischall remarked, "They plead themselves not guilty of seditious conventicles, as would seem by what that young man spoke, whereas the law concludes their very meetings seditious." Alexander Skene replied, that they could not help all the constructions of that kind, for it had been the lot of God's people in all ages to have misrepresentations cast upon them; "but we hope," said he, "we shall behave ourselves so peaceably and dutifully, that where for conscience-sake we cannot give active, we shall give passive obedience." Then said the Earl of Errol," Qualified loyalty smells of disloyalty: it seems, then, you will not give bond." To which John Skene answered, 'Let never that day dawn, in which we shall be so unfaithful to the Lord! but if any should prove so, let neither the king nor his council trust that man; for he that is not faithful to the Lord, will never be faithful to his king and country."

The prisoners being ordered to remove, as they were withdrawing, the Earl of Errol said again to Alexander Gellie, that the Quakers' loyalty was a qualified loyalty. Alexander replied, that he did not understand that to be loyalty, which was not qualified with the fear of God, and by obedience to him rather than man.

After some hours, the prisoners were called into court to hear the decree of the commissioners to this purport: that they should pay their respective fines to one Captain George Melvill, and that upon payment, they should be set at liberty; that, in default of payment within a limited time, Melvill was empower

ed to distrain them for the same, and that when the fines should be levied, the prisoners were to be released.

The Earl of Errol departing out of town the next morning, the remaining commissioners were unwilling to have further trouble, by issuing afresh a particular process against those who had been committed to prison since the rest were fined; and therefore added a clause to their former decree, by virtue of which, John Forbes of Aquorthies, Robert Gerard, and six others were liberated. Among these, was John Thomson, an aged and poor man. He had been a soldier in the king's service at the battle of Worcester, was taken prisoner, and sent as a slave to Barbadoes, where he remained five years. There was something in this case peculiarly calling for the indulgent interference of the higher authorities, when inferior servants of the crown could thus overlook the character, services, and bitter sufferings of a man, who had hazarded his life for his king and country, and was now made willing to lose his all, rather than relinquish the free exercise of his conscience towards the King of kings. He appears to have had his goods distrained and disposed of, and to have lain in prison, at one time, for about eight or nine months together, without being either called for, found guilty, or heard in his own defence.

CHAPTER VIII.

1676: Fines levied by Melvill-John Skene and Robert Burnett address the provost of Aberdeen-his severity; and Melvill's conductPatrick Livingston and James Halliday's preaching—further distraints and fresh imprisonments-David Barclay's liberation-letter of Princess Elizabeth to Robert Barclay—his imprisonment on his return home-letter of the Princess to Prince Rupert on behalf of Friends-Melvill executes his warrant of distraint at Ury.

Soon after the court of commissioners had come to