I ken well enough it is not the Faſhion of this place to ſpeak any thing after Prayer, but becauſe I had meikle to ſay, and one thing dang another out of my Head, wherefore I muſt beg Leave to add a Word or twa.
AND firſt of all, I will ſpeak to you who are the Members of the College of Juſtice, and why I pray you, will not ye Subſcrive the Covenant ye will ſay to me, ye are Imployed by His Majeſty in ſome ſpecial Affairs, and ye cannot with your Honour Subſcrive the Covenant; This is a bra Anſwer indeed, there is not the Meaneſt Man that gathers up Twenty Merks for the King per Annum, but may have this Hole to go out at, then we ſhall have a bra Subſcriving. Yea, yea, there is but one Man between God and you, get by that Man, and get to God.
And in the ſecond place, Why do not ye Noblemen Subſcrive the Covenants ye will ſay noli me tangere, Howſoever I'le give you a Touch, It may be you will be put to it, ye will ſay, we muſt Ride in Parliament Order, the meaneſt Man muſt go foremoſt and Subſcrive the Covenant, and then we will come after, that is a bra Anſwer indeed, you have a Faſhion in the South part of Scotland, that when ye come to a Foord, the Jackman muſt venter over firſt upon his weak weary Naig, and if he can go and come back again, then up comes the Laird mounted on his Stately Steed end over goes he, this is no Right. But we that are Highlanders have a better Faſhion, for we usually come on Foot, and when we come to the
Foord we are loath to leave a Man; therefore we join Oxſter to Oxſter, and Arm to Arm, and Loops altogether in the Foord, and if one Drown
all
