Agnews of Lochnaw

352 EARL OF GALLOWAY. [1663.
supplication presented unto them by James Earl of Galloway,
mentioning that he being employed in the engagement of 1648
for his Majesty's relief out of prison and restitution to his Eoyal
Government, was at his return most rigorously used by the pre-
tended authority of some unnatural countrymen, who ruled for
the time, and ordained him and other engagers within the
Stewartry of Kirkcudbright to put out an exorbitant number of
horse and foot in levys of that year far amounting their propor-
tions, and that by way of fine for their loyalty ; humbly desiring
that the sums of money so exorbitantly enacted might be
refunded unto him : They therefore ordain the Commissioners of
Excise, within the Steuartry, to give intimation to the Heretors to
meet, and that there they lay on the proportions of the Levy
thus imposed, that the Petitioner may have repetition of what
he has payed and given out more than his just proportion."
This Lord Galloway is thus noticed by the famous John
Evelyn in his Diaries, dated Wotton, in Surrey, May 19,
1659 :—
" Came to dine with me my Lord Galloway and his son, a
Scotch Lord and learned ; also my brother and his Lady, Lord
Berkeley and his Lady, Mrs. Shirley and ye famous singer Mrs.
Knight, and other friendes."
Notwithstanding the heartburnings occasioned by civil war,
Parliament found ume.to frame an injunction to all the sheriffs
to put in force the old laws as to " Planting of Woods, Forests, and
Orchards." This new Act was certainly more practical, if not
more effectual, than the grandly- worded statutes commanding woods
and parks with deer to spring ready-made into existence. The
law of 1661 ordained that all proprietors of a thousand pounds a
year should plant four acres of ground at the following Michael-
mas, and other heritors of greater or less rent to plant more
or fewer acres in proportion ; the land to be enclosed and planted
with oak, elm, ash, plane, larch, or other timber at three yards'
distance. " At the sight of the sheriffs," heritors might " cast
about the Highways to their conveniency," if these interfered
with suitable sites for woods ; and for further encouragement of