Glen Collection of printed music > Printed music > Jacobite relics of Scotland > [First series]

232 NOTES.
many gentlemen, by tedious vexatious suits, and compelling them
to pay him considerable sums for renewing the leases of their
tithes ; and he was apprehensive the designed resumption would
cut off his right amongst others : whereupon he accosted me,
desiring to know if his grant was designed to be comprehended
within the act of resumption which Mr Shippen and I had moved
for, and were ordered to bring in. I told him I admired how he
made any question of it ; for as we designed to strike at all grants
in general, his could not fail to be comprehended. He returned,
that he did not doubt but he would be able to satisfy the house so
far with the account he would give, of the occasion of the grant,
that they'd except it from the resumption ; but at the same time
he'd be obliged to discover some things to which none yet, except
the late King William and the Lord Portland, were privy, and
which would appear so amazing, that people's hair would stand
on end on their heads at hearing of them. I was thereupon very
curious to know what these wonderful things were, that would
appear so strange in an age that vras not very nice, and begged
him to let me into the secret. He seemed to be exceedingly un-
easy ; but I could bring him no farther than that, if the resump-
tion bill went on, and he found himself obliged to make this dis-
covery, he would previously communicate the matter to me : and
here he once more repeated, that my hair would stand in my head
at it. I must confess, the loss of the resumption bill was so much
the more regretted by me, that I thereby lost an opportunity of
discovering some things that probably would have appeared very
extraordinary, with respect to some secret transactions of King
"William's life.
David Bailey. — A gentleman engaged at that time in some
plots with the Duke of Queensberry and Marquis of Annandale.
He was employed as an evidence by the Squadronie ; and the
Duke of Roxburgh set Kersland, after his death, on the same
villanous business, and decoyed several poor gentlemen.
Honest Kersland. — Mr Ker of Kersland was the son of a pri-
vate gentleman in the shire of Ayr ; and being married to the
heiress of the Kers of Kersland, an inconsiderable but ancient
family, and always violent Presbyterians, he set upon that footing.