Series 2 > Seafield correspondence from 1685 to 1708

450 CORRESPONDENCE OF JAMES [march
give us all a better mind on all such occasions.—I am, My
Lord, Yr Lps. most humble and most obed* servitr,
J. St.1
For THE EARL OF SEAFIELD
My Lord,—I had the honor of your Lop’s. I was very
sensible of your concern to preserve a court judged neces¬
sary for the peace of the countrey and welfare of the
church. By a letter from Elgin at this time we are in¬
formed that the dissaffected boast already that there will
be no Council2 to complain to. I shall heartily wish what
is substituted may ansuer the design. We have done but
little in the Commission at this time. Mr. Black is con¬
tinued at Perth, but it is humbly expected yor Lop. w1
others or freinds will concur for obtaining a presentation
to a minister well qualified for that post. At the close of
our meeting there was a motion made for a fast through
this whole church. The certain prospect we had of its
being urged at the Assembly with greater inconveniencies,
and the hopes of doing some service to the Queen at this
juncture by it among the people, after we understood
most of the Councellors upon the place were for it, prevailed
w1 us to goe in to the overture. The draught is herewith
sent, and the Privy Council is to be addressed Tuesday nixt
about it. My Lord, it is earnestly intreated yor Lop. would
be pleased to mind the proclamation against profaness,
and I doe also presume to beg on the university’s behalf
you wou’d be pleased to mind the gift, which was promised
to be dispatched when I left London, the granting wherof
wou’d be of good use at this time.—I am, My Lord, Yor
Lop’s, most humble most obliged and most obedient
servant, Jo. Stirling.3
Edr., 6th March 1708.
1 The Lord Advocate. 2 The Scots Privy Council.
3 Principal of Glasgow University.