Ayrshire > Volume 2

94 HISTORY OF AYRSHIRE
which the young ladies stood with him. They seem to
have regarded the Lord Justice Clerk with the confidence
and affection that were his due, and the reward of his
unselfish kindness towards the family of his old friend.
How far their solicitation availed it is impossible to say.
For, between his duty as a Judge and the inducements
that were held out to him to be merciful, Lord Milton
had a hard choice to make. The letter, highly creditable
to the good feelings of the girls, is as follows : —
" The Petition of the six Vestal Virgins of Eglintoun
to the Honourable Lord Milton.
" Humbly sheweth — That whereas your petitioners
has taken upon them to solicite in behalf of Alexander
Aickenhead, part of whose storie your lordship knows
already. His new misfortune is that after he had
received sentence of banishment for three years out
of this regalty, he was unhappily seduced by his
principal creditors to come privately to his own house
to compound some debts, but was not an hour there
before the malitious neighbourhood inform' d against
him and had him unexpectedly aprehended and
carried to Irvine gaol ; so we, being importun'd by
his wife (who is extremely handsom), joyned with
our own inclinations to serve the poor man, we're in
hopes that these two motives will have some assendent
over your lordship's natural disposition to relieve
the distress' d ; and, to excite you still further to
this good action, his wife, as the only acceptable
reward she thinks she can make for this piece of
humanity, she hopes from your lordship in favours
of her husband's liberty, she protests you shall have
as many kisses as you please to demand.
" And we likeways bind and oblige our selves to
do the same when your lordship makes your publick
entrie here in May ; but we once more beg you'll use
your interest to get the man out of prison, which
you'll do a particular good to his family, and an