be constant and stedfast, not to say and unsay: not a reid; and that which is spoken to them is spoken to me. I heard that the Parliament was to declar me uncapabl of publick Trust: sicklyk, Latherdal, &c. I desird to consider this. 16.-I cam from Edinburgh on my journey homward, and cam that night to Couper. 17.- From Couper I cam to Fetercarn late. 18. Next day at night to Cap[tain] Eleis at Clat; and on Friday, the 19th, to Kinloss. The Lord gaue a tolerabl journey, and his prouidenc broght thus farr throgh in safety: He has helped hitherto. 20.—I cam hom, and had som sence of the Lord's goodnes and prouidence towards me, as in the way of my return, and my daughter-in-law, and our companie. 22.-I did meit with Park and his uncl, who enquird counsel anent the fynn, with Mr. Wil. Falconer, quhom I found inclind to complie. 23-I did see my litl grandchild Anna Brodie. I went to visit my freinds in the West, and desird to aknowledg the Lord in this mercie to them and me. I spok with Mr. Hari, and did see his exercis and trial, and desird to be exercisd with it, as in the same cace myself: nay, the trial and suffering of others in his being deprived of his ministrie is mor then his own loss. Let me not be unsensibl of this. 24. Calder and his Ladi cam heir. I spok with them, and oppend to them the condition of ther own effairs, and warned them. 27.-I went to Darnway, and spok with the E. of Murray anent Calder, and found him speak a semblanc of mor kindnes. He is one of thes by quhom the Lord has exercisd me; and I desir to aknowledg the Lord that has not given them hart's desir of me. I held court with my tenents, and was helpd to som fredom as to them not to couet ther goods, but found som willingnes to dispence with that which was myn to them. Both to will and to doe is of thy good pleasur. I desird to be helpd to enquir into the misteri of Witchcraft, and cal'd for the 2 persons and examind them, and for Sandie Hardi and Margaret Clerk; but they denied soe vehementlie that we could get noe clearnes. Let the Lord cleir and goe befor us. I desir'd that noe sinful piti or respect might blind upon the one hand, nor misguided zeal on the other. 28.-I desir, if the Lord permit, to set the next Saboth a part both in humbl thankfulnes to prais him for his common mercie in my return, and in the ishue of our trouble; as lykways to be afflicted for the outbreaking of sin in this place, and the prevailing of the Deuel, and to supplicat the Lord that his wrath may be turnd away; [that] he would not let himself be driven out of his own land by Sathan, nor out of this place; [that] he would both forgiv and purg the land, giv his Spirit, gifts of wisdom, zeal for finding out thes crafti workings of the Deuel, and that he may be cast out. 29.-I was this day at Findorn leading stones, and had som fit of the grauel. By al things the Lord doth convinc me of frailtie, and seims to be drawing me from this world. Oh! let me be found prepard and readi. I spok with Mr. Wm. Falconer to adviz the Bishop to moderation, and to lay noe bands on Ministers; which he did undertak to doe. 30.-My Son went to Aldern to see the trial of the witch Bandon; who adheard to her confessions, and was condemd. October 1.-I did speak to Granga anent Mr. Harie's presentation, and found him not soe sensible of his condition as I expected; yet he yielded to giv him a presentation, on the terms which Mr. Jhon Brodi had, and he giving him right to the teinds. I desird him to send me the one and other, and if he did not grant it, he should be in his oun place. . . . I found many anxieties breaking in upon me, which made me willing to be at home, and loosd from this flesh. 2.—I was desird to go to Aldern anent the witch; and had som reluctancie lest I should be found out of my line and calling; yet efter an ejaculation to God, I obeyed, but did not see or speak with the poor woman, knowing that it was propper onli for thes that hav the commission, and therfor I did forbeare. I heard much of her blaming Betti Hay as a teacher and partner in her witchcrafts. b This is a dark misterie of. Let God manifest himself in making wickednes manifest, and in bringing it to light. I neither would press her to tell, nor yet hinder her, onli exhort her to doe nothing ignorantli or out of ani sinistrous end, by respt. [respect], passion, anger, reveng, prejudic, or the lyk. Let God hav glorie. a Dunbar of Grange. b Short-hand in MS. I heard of Lorn's reprive, and something settled on him. I desir to aknowledg the Lord in this. Pa. Dumbar writ to me to send my Sone to go with him to Elgin to the head court. I desird not to feed or nourish him in his vanitie, and therfor declind it. I and my father's hous ar compast with mani enemies: let the Lord uphold us! The Ladie spok to me (my mother) anent the taking off the charge of the hous, anent suspicions she had of me, as if I had written to her not to medl in effairs and buisines of myn; and desird her oun contract of mariag with my father; and chalendgd me for keeping it up from her. She soght it for securiti of her conjunct fee. Oh! this is humbling, euen quhen shee has her foot in the grave Speaking of death, and yet so suspicious, anxious, unquiet. Let the Lord visit her in mercie, and do her good, and us by her, and mak us comfortable one to another. 3-I was at Findhorn, and perceau'd an ouerflowing of corruption, and an inbreaking, and ouerspreading of sin on al persons and ouer al the land. . . . 4.-I was counting with the tenents in Forres, and desird grac to exercis sobernes, righteousness, moderation, lov and tendernes towards them in my dealing, even as being in need of forgivnes, and pitie myself from the Lord, if he should exact all that I ow him. I heard they purposd to intend action agt. D. Brodie for perjuri anent a simualat consignation which was made, in his hand. I spok with Patrick, the sherif, anent this; and albeit he profess much to me, yet I desir grac to discern ani thing in him that's unstraight, that he be noe snare to me. I had purposes to tak the sherif's sone to bring up at schoole, and to doe it unto the Lord. Let my hart be found bund in thy ways, and in this particularlie, that the mixing anything of prudenc in oblidging thes of that familie may [not] be imputed to me as sin. 4.-My Son feard the Declaration, anent the disclaiming of the Couenant, &c., and was in som perplexiti. I desird by noe counsel of myn to be a snar to him, nor by my silenc. It is the Lord quhom I desir to serv.. Mr. Jhon Makulikin cam to me. I did see his perturbation, and desird to sympathiz with him. 5.-Die Dom. I am this day under new exercises and trials. 1. The condition of mani who fear God in thes lands, and ther distress, straits, and temptations. 2. The overflowing of sin, profannes, and loosnes, declining, darknes, untendernes. . ... 6. The sin of witchcraft and develri, which has prevaild, and cannot be gotten discoverd, and purgd out, Satan having set up his verie throne among us. 6. I was at Findhorn quher the E. of Murray cam from the meiting to me, and expostulated for my not keiping the publick meitings. I did observ how much deceitfulnes is in the hart of man, and besoght the Lord for an honest hart. That man withstood my being on ani publick buisines. Oh! my corruption, and impatienci which then I found against it. But now I hau caus to ador the Lord and to be thankful. I heard that the King lykd not the seclusion. I aknouledgd God in it. S.-I heard that at Inuernes ther was non of the witches condemnd, and I desird to consider this and be instructed. This, if God prevent not, will be of veri ill example. 9-10.-Calder was with me and spok of his effairs. I saw how ill his government was, and a cloud about the head of that familie. His judgments, thogh secret, ar ever just; but the causes of this ar not difficil to be found out, besid ani secret causes which ar onli known to God. If it wer possible, I desird the Lord might turn away his wrath, and be at peac with him, and with that familie, and may vouchsaf his blessing and direction to them in ther effairs, shyn on ther counsills, and lead them forth out of ther difficulties. If he hav pleasur in them, and hav use for them on this earth, let him so doe; and if not, that it may be for his glori and his churches good, let him doe what ever seems good to him He appointed a meeting on Monday at Aldearn. I was doubtful whether to goe thither or not, but depends on God for an issue. 11.-I heard what state and ostentation Mr. Murdoch M'enzia kept at his court, and Mr. Georg, the Justic Deput, and saw the corruption off mankind. Prayd that God would put an end to thes days of sin, bind up Sathan whom he has leten loos and noe forsak us. I did send my sone to Moortoun, to se if he had ani money. He objected my promis to giv them som favour in the anuel. I desird grac to walk evenli in this promis, that it may be noe snar to me. Therfor all I hav to say befor God for it is this: I did offer it onli, but he did not accept it, nay, a Bishop of Moray. b Innes of Muirtown. since, he hath mani tyms prest land on me for it. 2. Things ar now changd in my effairs, for I hav bein put to great troubl since, but was in better cace then to have ansd. it. 3. I am owing it all, and mor, to others: and I know not if it wer acceptable to God to draw a burthen on myself to spar another, who has it payd in to him, and is as abl to bear his own burthen, as I am to bear myn. 4. I hav some freidom to put it yet in his will to doe in it as he thinks fitt. Now, thogh I hav some clearnes, and had some clearnes in it, at Edinburgh, quhair Moortoun offerd it, yet I am jelous and suspicious off ani thing that may be a snar to me, becaus I am bound up from usurie for money of my own, and lent to thes that ar in distress, and not to thes that tak it from others, and maks benefit of my moneye. 15. I met betwix the toun of Forres and Moortoun. But it took noe effect. I did see something of human corruption. I heard of Tarbet's return. I did at night goe to Windihils.a b ... 16.—I did meit with Bogie, and found his humour and resentment against my cousen Francis. . I did see the Bp. at Spinie. He dis covered much of a I hav reason to mourn under it. In my discours with him, I did goe far alongst in complying by titles, fair words, and the lyk. Oh! discover the secret sin of my natur and inclinations, that this complacencie be noe snar to me, nor may it be to others. I met with Calder and his freinds at Auldern, and did reflect on his effairs, and saw how desperat they were. Som resolution they took, but al is in vain, whyl God's wrath is not turnd away. Mr. Hari Forbes was with me, resolving anent himself. I proposd that he should send Moortoun to the Bishop; but he refusd. Mr. Hari proposd onli to get this—b 17.-I cam from Kined. to Mon[aghtie.] 18.—From Monaghtie the importuniti of my uncl did draw me to Elgin, to mediat betwix him and Bogie; quhairin with much aversnes I yelded to pleas him, but not my self. With much difficulti it was broght to som conclusion. I heard that the whol ministers in Dumfreis and Glasgow wer put out, a John Brodie was, at this time, proprietor of Windihills. He died previous to July 16, 1673, at which date his son Francis was served his heir. (Inquis |