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

DIARY, 1637-1639
265
general and, be his providence, to this occasion in particular,
and thairfor I hoope wil both gift me with gifts for the first,
and exercise thos gifts in this particular for his auin naimes
saik. Foranoon, on a sudain being called in to repeat the
caise betuixt the Constable and Bruces, I was confused with
the confused outcrying of every body throu uther, so that I
got not leave to opin my mouth, quhairwith being castin
doune at desner in my L. Duries, after desner I gathered in
order my morning thoughts in wryt, and being sent for went
to the Tolbuith, quhair the Lords decerned tuo thous. merks.
Yet I blisse the Lord for his assistance as mutch as gif I had
caived in it, ever blissed be his na[ime].
Upon Sunday, the tuentie thrid of July, that blak doolful 23 July.
Sunday to the Kirk and Kingdome of Scotland, the service Service book,
book begoud to be read in the Kirks of Edr. At the begin¬
ning thairof thair rayse sik a tumult, sik ane outcrying quhat
be the peoples murmuring, mourning, rayling, stoolcasting, as
the lyk was never seien in Scotland; the bischop both after
the foranoones sermon was almost trampled under foot, and
afternoone being coatched with Rosbrugh was almost stoned to
dead ; the dean was forced to caige himselth in the steeple ; Mr.
James Fairly to leave of reading at al; Mr. Hery Rollok not
to beginne; and Mr. David Fletcher to stay til the people
went out. This uproar was greater nor the 17 of December,1
and in al historie wil be remarqued as the faire, plausible, and
peacible wealcome the service book receaved in Scotland. I
pray the Lord to maik his auin children with tears and cryes
to pray against this spritual plauge of iEgiptian darknes cover¬
ing the light of the Gospel schyning in this nation, as the Lord
in publik assisted me to recomend it to the Lord in my familie
with fervencie, quhyle I was in privat haiving, as it wer, a litle
grudge in my mynd at the Lords providence in not occasion-
ating a vent to thos thoughts he had furnisched me in that
particular to the quhilk he had called me, and assisted me in it,
maid me to call for it and to hoope for it. The most gracious,
merciful, God pitying my chyldisch weaknes, quho instead of
1 l.e. the riot in Edinburgh on December 17, 1597, following upon which the
king and his Court retired to Linlithgow. See Row (Wodrow Society),
pp. 184-185.