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

INTRODUCTION
XXXI
Scottish advisers were eager, urged the supplicants to consider
the two parts of the Proclamation, in which the king declared
that his royal authority had been injured by the matter and
carriage of the supplications, and offered not to shut his ears to
such new supplications as should not be prejudicial in matter
and manner to his royal authority; and he pressed them to
‘ clear thair intention, professe thair sorrou for the Kings taik-
ing them so, and offer to follou any way the King wald prae-
scryve be himselth or his Counsail.’ It may be gathered from
the Diary that it was feared that these proposals coming from
a man so highly esteemed as Sir Lewis Stewart might find
favour with many and so break up the unity of the party.
Wariston therefore proceeded at once to expose what he
considered their ‘many absurdities’ first to the noblemen and
afterwards to the gentry; and his views were universally
applauded and accepted. It may be presumed that he warned
them that, if they should leave themselves in the hands of the
king and the persons whom he would be likely to consult, any
concessions would come far short of the least they could be
satisfied with, and that the only result of entertaining the
proposals would be a surrender of their case and a victory for
the bishops. It was no doubt on this occasion that he un¬
folded to them his plan for preserving the unity of the party
and binding the nation to a determined opposition, which
was a revival of the old Covenant of 1580 against Popery
with such additions ‘ as the change of tymes and the present
occasion required.’1 The plan was approved, and Wariston
notes ‘the insupportable burden of drauing up the Band,
quherby al sould be linked together after subscryving of the
Confession of Fayth, was laid upon my weak schoulders; so
that afternoon, after manifold thanks for quhat grounds he
had put in my mynd foranoone and for thair happie succes, I
prayed on my knees earnestly the Lord to assist . . . my heart,
1 Relation, p. 71.