Warriston was. What he told I to receive him at the shore of Leith when 1663 cannot positively say, but when he is landed; and that he be brought up dismissed and gone to his lodgings, he from thence on foot bareheaded to the never came any more abroad, but pined tolbooth of Edinburgh, where the magisaway in grief, till in a few days he died. trates of Edinburgh are to secure his person Those circumstances, and a good part of in close prison, without suffering his wife or what is in this section, I have from the children, or any others, to have access to papers of a reverend minister, who lived at speak with him, while further order from this time, and had a particular occasion to the council or lord chancellor." know the state of my lord's sufferings.

June 8th, he landed at Leith, and was brought up under a guard, and dealt with as above. June 9th, the council meet, and the king's letter about him is read. “Right trusty, &c.-You shall give order to receive into our prison, the body of Archibald Johnston, sometime of Warriston, whom we have sent into that our kingdom, to the end that he may be proceeded against according to law and justice. Given, &c. May 16th, 1663.” -That same day the council give the following order, about the desire of my lord Warriston's friends. "The council having considered the desire of several friends of Archibald Johnston, late of Warriston, desiring they may have liberty to speak with him, do grant liberty to any one of his relations or friends, to have access unto him, at any tiine betwixt eight of the clock in the morn

In the meantime one Alexander Murray, commonly called crooked Murray, is despatched over to France, where notice had been got my lord Warriston was: the messenger, they say, was not unfit, and it was believed, as he lived, so he died an atheist. This man, when he went over, found means to trace out the lady Warriston, and by noticing her narrowly, at length he came to discover my lord at Roan. In that city, a very little after he was come to that lodging, he was seized, when at secret prayer, which duty he was much exercised in. Murray applied to the magistrates to send over Warriston to England, producing the king's commission to him for that effect. They put my lord into custody, and sent up an account of the affair to the French king and council, before they would take any furthering and eight at night, and do discharge the steps. I hear the question was put in council, whether the prisoner should be retained or delivered up? and the most part were for his being kept in France, at least till more reason was shown for giving him up than yet appeared. But that king, to whose influence in part we owe many of the bloody measures, and destructive steps to good men and religion, fallen into during the reigns of the two brothers, determined he should be delivered up. Accordingly, in January this year he was brought over prisoner, and put in the Tower of London; and in the beginning of June he is sent down to Edinburgh, to be executed with the greater solemnity, when the parliament is sitting. By the council registers I find that, June 2d, "The lords of council having received certain intelligence, that Archibald | Johnston, sometime of Warriston, is coming home, and that in a few days he is to arrive at Leith, do therefore ordain the magistrates of Edinburgh to provide a sufficient guard

magistrates of Edinburgh and keeper of the tolbooth, to suffer any more persons to enter the prison but three at once; and those three to stay no longer than an hour, or two at farthest, and ordain the keeper of the tolbooth by himself, or those he shall intrust, to wait upon the chamber where he is, to take care of the security of his person, that he escape not in disguise or otherwise; and continue to determine the time and manner of his execution, till next council day."

It would seem from this, that at first it was projected that the council should name the time and place of his public death, upon the old sentence passed by the parliament: but afterwards it was resolved to bring him before the parliament, and to have his sentence solemnly pronounced at the bar. Accordingly, July 8th, he is brought before the parliament. I suppose their forms in his circumstances did not make any indictment necessary, at least I have heard of none, nor of any lawyers allowed him. When he

appeared at the bar, he was so evidently | eternal happiness, and used to say, 1663. weakened in his memory and judgment, by I dare never question my salvation, the vile methods taken with him, that every I have so often seen God's face in the body lamented the vast change upon him. house of prayer.'" It was certainly a My lord Warriston was once in case to have most remarkable appearance of providence reasoned before the greatest assembly in in behalf of this good, and once great, Europe, yea, to have presided in it; but now man, that the very morning before his exehe could scarce speak to any purpose in his cution, notwithstanding for some time forown case. The primate and bishops, now merly, he had, as it were, lost the exermembers in parliament, pleased with this cise of those extraordinary parts and talents vast change in this great man, scandalously he once enjoyed, and his memory for some and basely triumphed over him, and mocked time was almost quite gone, yet like the him in the open house. No sober man sun at his setting, after he has been for could refuse him a great deal of compassion a while under a cloud, he shone most in such circumstances, and, it seems, most brightly and surprisingly, and so in some of the members of parliament were inclinable measure the more sweetly. That morning to spare his life. This began to appear in he was under a wonderful effusion of the the vote upon this question, "Whether the spirit of sons, as great perhaps as many have time of his execution should be just now had since the primitive times. With the fixed, or delayed ?" When the rolls were greatest confidence and holy freedom, and called, at first a great number of members yet the deepest humility, he repeated that, were for a delay. Which Lauderdale observ-" Father, Father, Abba, Father," the savour ing, and knowing he needed scarce return to his master if Warriston were spared, contrary to all order and form, in the middle of the calling of the rolls, rose up and had a very threatening harangue for his present execution. And thus upon the proceeding in the rolls, sentence was pronounced against him, that he should be hanged at the cross of Edinburgh the 22d day of July, and after he was hanged dead, that his head be severed from his body, and put up upon the Netherbow Port, beside his dear friend Mr. James Guthrie's. It is said, with what certainty I know not, that the bishops would have had the day of his execution to have been the 23d day of July, as a kind of expiation for what was done against their predecessors in office, July 23d, 1637, when the first open opposition was made to their innovations and the service book: but they were not humoured in this.

of which did not wear off the spirits of some who were witnesses for many days.*

* We have the following account of this eminent man's last appearance, from the pen of Sir George Mackenzie:-" He was brought up the street discovered, and being brought into the cellor and others waited to examine him, he fell council house of Edinburgh, where the chanupon his face roaring and with tears entreated they would pity a poor creature who had forgot all that was in the Bible. This moved all the spectators with a deep melancholy, and the chancellor, reflecting upon the man's [great parts] former esteem, and the great share he had in all the late revolutions, could not deny some tears At his examinto the frailty of silly mankind. ation he pretended that he had lost so much blood by the unskilfulness of his chirurgeons that he lost his memory with his blood; and I really believe that his courage had indeed been drawn out with it. Within a few days he was brought before the parliament, where he discovered down upon his knees begging mercy. But the nothing but much weakness, running up and parliament ordained his former sentence to be put to execution, and accordingly he was executed at the cross of Edinburgh. At his execution he showed more composure than formerly, which his friends ascribed to God's miraculous kindness for him, but others thought that he had only formerly put on this disguise of madness to escape death in it, and that finding the mask useless, he had returned, not to his wit, which he had lost, but from his madness which he had counterfeited. However it cannot be denied but he had been a man of [eminent parts and more eminent devotion] some parts and devotion; but his natural choler being kindled by his zeal, himself."-History of Scotland, pp. 134, 135. had been fatal first to this kingdom, and then to It is probable that by writing such descrip

1663.

The day of his execution, a ings for the interests of Christ, or stumble high gallows or gibbet was set at any thing of this kind falling out in those up at the cross, and a scaffold made by days; but be encouraged to suffer for him; it. About two of the clock he was taken for I assure you in the name of the Lord he from prison: many of his friends attended will bear your charges." This he repeated him in mourning. When he came out again with great fervour, while the rope was he was full of holy cheerfulness and tying about his neck, adding, “The Lord courage, and in perfect serenity and com- hath graciously comforted me." Then he posure of mind as ever he was. Upon asked the executioner if he was ready to do the scaffold he acknowledged his com- his office, who answering he was, he bid him pliance with the English, and cleared him- do it, and crying out, “ O, pray, pray, praise, self of the least share in the king's death. praise!" was turned over, and died almost He read his speech with an audible voice, without a struggle, with his hands lift up to first at the north side and then the south heaven. He was soon cut down, and his side of the scaffold : he prayed next with the head struck off, and his body carried to the greatest liberty, fervour, and sense, of his own Grayfriars' church-yard. His head was put unworthiness, frequently using the foresaid up upon the Nether-bow Port; but in a little expression. After he had taken his leave of time, by the interest and moyen of lieutenant his friends, he prayed again in a perfect general Drummond, who married one of his rapture, being now near the end of that sweet daughters, it was permitted to be taken down work he had been so much employed about and buried with the body. His speech upon through his life, and felt so much sweetness in. the scaffold is printed in Naphtali; and there Then the napkin being tied upon his he declares, that what he had prepared to head, he tried how it would fit him, and have said at his death, was taken from him, come down and cover his face, and directed but he hoped it should be preserved to be a to the method how it should be brought testimony to the truth. In what is printed down when he gave the sign. When he was he speaks his very heart, touching his own got to the top of the ladder, to which he was soul's state, his sins and infirmities, the helped because of bodily weakness, he cried public, and his poor family, and present sufwith a loud voice, “ I beseech you all who | ferings; and though it hath been often are the people of God, not to scar at suffer- printed, I could not but insert it in a note,*

tions as the above, Sir George Mackenzie had fortified himself against the reproaches of conscience, and imposed on his own understanding to that degree, as to be perfectly serious when he wrote his defence of the government of that period, in which he affirms that no man, under the government of Charles II. died for or on account of religion.

Burnet, who was Warriston's nephew, says, "He was so disordered both in body and mind, that it was a reproach to any government to proceed against him. His memory was so gone, that he did not know his own children.". History of his Own Times, Edinburgh edit. p. 297.

Laing, who was certainly no fanatic, says, "He was a man of more than common understanding or genius; of an active, violent, and disinterested spirit; of a quick and vivid invention; of an extensive and tenacious memory; incapable of repose; indefatigable in application; ever fertile in expedients; endowed with a vehement, prompt, and impressive elocution; and at a time when the nobility themselves were statesmen, his political talents raised him from an obscure advocate, to a level with the prime nobility, in affairs of state."-History of Scotland, vol. iv. p. 36.-Ed.

Lord Warriston's speech, July 224, 1663,

with some account of his carriage. Right honourable, much honoured, and beloved auditors and spectators, that which I intended and prepared to have spoken at this time, and in this condition, immediately before my death, (if it should be so ordered that this should be my lot) is not at present in my power being taken from me when apprehended; but I hope the Lord shall preserve it to bear my testimony more fully and clearly than now I can in this condition, having my memory much destroyed through much sore and long sickness, melancholy, and the excessive drawing of my blood: yet, I bless the Lord, (that notwithstanding all these forementioned distempers) I am in any capacity to leave this weak and short testimony.

1. I desire, in the first place, to confess my sins, so far as is proper to this place and case, and to acknowledge God's mercies, and to express my repentance of the one, and my faith of the other, through the merits of our Lord Jesus Christ, our gracious Redeemer and Mediator. I confess that my natural temper hath been hasty and passionate, and that in my manner of going about and prosecuting the best pieces of work and service to the Lord,

with some account of his carriage before and charge most falsely, of which he 1663. at his death, printed at this time. was perfectly innocent, particularly Many things are laid to this great man's his accession to the king's murder, as to

which he vindicates himself in his | quently to his dying day, and which was the 1663. printed speech. The one thing only reasonable pretext for this severe senwhich he himself heavily lamented, fre- tence, was his compliance with the English,