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

304
DIARY OF LORD WARISTON
nor half ane throught that day on the Hie Commission be
Gods assistance, conforme to my prayer. At night, in the
meiting of the Commissioners, I was desyred to comunicat
the Information to the whol advocats that they might schau
thair judgments, whither it was for sending up to Court or
spreading at home.
Janu. Upon the Saturday morning in Mr. Roger Mouats chalmer,
al the foor advocats, after reading the Information, they con¬
cluded that thair sould be no Information sent at al; and,
as for that, condemned it altogither as superfluous and danger¬
rubbing on the King, his Counsel, his gouvernement; they
publikly declayred this thair judgment and protested against
this Information.1 This greived the mightely and cast the al
day in a great heavines, considering somtymes the Information
was sent up already, by this thair declaration many weak
ons wald be discouraged, and the enemies heartned ; til at
night, after thou heard of Mr. John Nisbet evin the privat
speetches used in Mr. R. Mouats chamber quherby thou
perceaved thou was betrayed, I got some ease to my mynd
in resolving to searche out the cause of this crosse and thorter
in the Lords busines, out of my wayes thairin. I remembred
the prayer the Lord put in my mouth to hold or put out of
the Information quhat tended any wayes to the prejudice of his
glory, or of this cause; and to hold in quhatsoever furthered
them ; as also my speatch to Earliston 2 in my going doune the
gait in the morning to Mr. R. chalmer, that they, out of anger
that they wer not acquaint with it of befor, and out of
jealousie against me as the doer of it, wald censure every
point of the Information. That night I wryte over the whol
story to my L. Rothes.
Janu. On Sunday morning, in the searching of my auin heart for
the cause thair of al this mischeif, I fand and remembred
sutch selthconceat, pryde, vainglory, desyre, and delyte of
1 See note, p. 311.
2 Alexander Gordon of Earlston, in the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright, a
resolute opponent of the introduction of the liturgie. For nonconformity he
was fined five hundred merks by the High Commission set up by Sydserff,
Bishop of Galloway, and banished to Montrose. In the General Assembly of
1638 he sat as one of the ruling elders for the Presbytery of Kirkcudbright.