Series 1 > Miscellany of the Scottish History Society (First volume)

288
LAUDERDALE CORRESPONDENCE [MAY 6
XXXI
CHAKLES MAITLAND, LORD HATTON, TO SHARP
Edgr., G May [1675?]
May it please yr Grace,1—I can not bot tak this opor-
tunetie to render you hartie and humble thanks for all yr
labours, which ar so many that I can not mention them, and
will choys rather once for all to shut up my short aknoledg-
ment in a treu assurence off my constant indevors to serve the
Church and yrself personalie.
I have by this given my lord a larg acompt off what past in
Counsell,2 which I know ye will see. The subdivisions, parts,
and pendikils off phanatisism doe strangly incresse hier. At
first non pretched bot ordened ministers, and nixt only sutch
keept conventikils; for ye know it was the presbeterian prin-
sipall that ther could be no ministerium vagum and nullus
pastor sine grege. Then they lipt over this, and we had per¬
sons latly ordened in this way both in Irland and hier who
keept Conventikils; yet mor latlie ther wer expectants that
kept Conventikils ; and now I can tel you ther is pakmen that
pretcheth at conventikils, and on last wick in feif, near the
place wher Babudie lives.3 This was reported by the Chanslour
yesterday in Counsell. I shall farder tel you that the coinon
Hangman of Irven keeps conventikils and pretends to pretch.4
1 A letter of Paterson, Bishop of Galloway, 6 May 1675, to Sharp, pre¬
served in the ‘ Episcopal Chest,’ and printed (not completely) by Stephen {Life
and Times of Archbishop Sharp, p. 480), shows that the Archbishop was then
in London. 2 The Privy Council had met this day.
3 Query—‘ George Fleming in Balbuthie.’ See Wodrow, vol. ii. p. 287 note.
4 Wodrow describes this hangman, William Sutherland, as being ‘ pious,’
and ‘a man very much master of the Scriptures.’ His first professional job
appears to have been the execution of a witch at Paisley, being ‘engaged,’ he
himself tells us, ‘by the counsel of some honest men from that Scripture,
“ Suffer not a witch to live.” ’ This occupation was varied by that of ‘ cleaning
chimney heads.’ Finding, however, the people of Paisley ‘ to scar at my com¬
pany,’ he came to Irvine, where he learned to read the English Bible. ‘ I did
so affect,’ he writes, ‘ my book, the people, and the place, that, without engage¬
ment, I did act the part of an executioner, when they had any malefactors to
put to death.’ As his study of the Scriptures progressed he began to scruple to
execute any unless he was himself satisfied that they deserved to die. The
Bishops’ ‘ side tails’ gave him particular offence (Wodrow, vol. ii. pp. 54-58).