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

252 NOTES.
king, and exclamations against the Union, and those that had
promoted it.
" Naj, so great a length did their indignation lead them, that
the Presbyterian ministers became universally hated and despised,
and lost all their interest with the commons ; these not sticking
to tell them publicly that they were time-servers, and had
preached up against the Union whilst they thought their kirk
not well enough secured ; but that once being done, they valued
not the country nor the people's liberties : and thus were the
commons come to this lucky pass, that they would have entered
into and prosecuted any measure without the previous advice and
constant concurrence of their ministers, who formerly, on all other
occasions, acted only with a view to themselves, could never be
guided by the nobility and gentry, and rendered the commons
ungovernable by the influence they had over them.
" As these were the people's inclinations, so likewise was there
an universal expectation of the king's coming over to them.
Whence this came I cannot tell, but people were over all parts
prepossessed, and pleased themselves with an opinion it would
happen very soon, so that for several months they were in constant
expectation of him ; and this was before any measure for the pur-
pose was finally concluded, and in such countries where few or
none were privy to the concert. Besides, they acted consequen-
tially to this their belief and expectation, in preparing themselves
to receive and assist him ; for the western shires had their private
delegates from each parish to meet and concert measures together;
and, amongst others, they appointed several of their number to
apply themselves towards getting of intelligence ; they named
their officers who should head them, till once the nobility and
gentry took the command npon them ; they had arms making in
all places, and appointed people to buy horses ; so that a worthy
friend of mine, in the shire of Ayr, assured me, that very summer
twelve or fifteen hundred good horses had been brought over from
Ireland, which were picked and brought up by country people,
and carried where nobody knew : and some of these delegates and
ringleaders in Clydesdale did come to Mr Lockhart of Carnwath,
telling him they were ordered by a considerable party to inquire