Series 1 > Chronicles of the Frasers

464
POLICHRONICON SEU
and his brother in law, James Fraser of Brey,1 lived in my own
parish at Moniak, heard and wrot my sermons. Mr. Hary
Forbes, minister at Aldern, a Presbiterian, sat in our Sinods as
Dean of Murray. Many joined south and north without
scruple of Episcopall government, all haveing closed with it,
took oaths of alleadgance and canonicall obedience; now they
must nicely desert us, keep field conventicles, and foment
rebellion and seism!
It was a pretty jest and droll of a minister in our diocess of
Murray, Master Gilbert Marshall at Cromdell, usually termd
Jupiter for his flights and nimbleness, heareing often of the
wonderfull fatall year 1666 and many prodigies to happen on
it, would seemingly assent to it and flatter men in their humor,
telling it would prove so by this verse:—
In this instant year you ’le see a great wonder.
Sex shall chase sexty, and sexty sex hunder !
This proves true in the figures of 1666, sex being last, sexty
next, and sex hunder first, retrograd. Besids there is a verse
runs this yeare in mens mouths as a presage of omens; many
repeat it, few or non understand it, and I as litle. The dis.-
tich is :—
Bartholomeus flet, quoniam deest Presbiter Anglo,
Adventu leta, Sancta Maria tua est.
What to make of these two lines I leave it arbiter to any who
reads it, and I think it may be applied to any other year as
well as this. Though many have had wild notions of this year
I discovered nothing in it but ordinary contingencies. I heard
that some in the north of England crost Twid into Scotland ;
and some on the Borders and Mers went into England. Sir
John Urqhart of Cromarty and Sir George Mackenzie of Tar-
but, with their ladyes and famelies, went up to York, and
reseeded there till the closur of the year at a considerable cost
and expense. Whey they went and what they did I cannot yet
learn. I know they were out of publick place and trust, for
the Earl off Lauderdale keeps still his gall at Mackenzes: for
1 Rev. James Fraser, son of Sir James of Brey, and a noted Covenanter. He
was minister of Culross, and suffered imprisonment in the Bass and other places.