Series 1 > Diary of Sir Archibald Johnston of Wariston 1632-1639

INTRODUCTION xxiii
chosen this mode of supplying him with funds :—‘ The Lord
brought to my mynd his particular caire and providence in
casting in my lap, during al my wants and sumptuous expenses
of building and spending, ever aboundance of moneys albeit
perteining to uthers, as first Riccartons moneys, then Beatrix
[his sister] hir moneys, then Anna [his sister-in-law] hir
moneys, quherby the Lord hes staiked me in the mean
tyme, and be that his provyding caire forassures me
that, in his auin tyme, he wil find out the wayes (quhilk
semes nou to be hedged in on al hands and syds) quherby to
releave my estait and mynd both of this burden of debts,
compts and reckonings.’1 Bishop Burnet, his nephew, wrote
of him that he was an honest man in his private dealings,
and doubtless, in the cases to which he refers he had no inten¬
tion of defrauding; but this appropriation of his relatives’
money, which, humanly speaking, he knew of no means of
paying back, might, at any rate in the present day, have
laid him open to a criminal charge.
The ‘heavenly raptures,’ ‘the admirable speetches, exhorta¬
tions, prayers, prayses out of the mouth of’ Margaret
Mitchelson made a strong impression upon his highly imagi¬
native nature.2 He notes that her ‘ saule was full to the
brim and to the overflouing of the most sensible conceptions
and expressions of the greatnes, goodnes, and glorious excellency
of King Jesus’; that she ‘ spak strainge things for the happy
succes of Gods cause and Chryst croune in this kingdome quhilk
was already inacted in heavin, and this in the audience and to
the astonischment of many thousand ; quherby our noblemen,
especyaly som doubtsome of befor, wer strongly confirmed
and incouraged to had hand to this great work of God.’
‘ Upon Tuesday, 23’ [October 1638], he writes, ‘ it pleased the
Lord of his favourable providence to me to bring Margret
Mitchel to my house and familie. Lord, maik me thankful.
P. 380.
2 Pp- 385. 393> ‘t seq.