est or trouble that house or any other place
in the bounds again, under pain of death:--and they went off without any
further molestation.

Charles I. having been beheaded Jan. 30, 1648-9, and Charles II. called
home from Breda 1650, upon notice of an invasion from the English, the
Scotch parliament appointed a levy of 10,000 foot and 3000 horse to be
instantly raised for the defence of the king and kingdom; among whom it
behoved the captain again to take the field, for he was now become too
popular to be hid in obscurity.

Accordingly Cromwel and his army entered Scotland in July 1650. After
which several skirmishes ensued betwixt the English and the Scots army,
till the Scots were, by Cromwel and his army, upon the 3d of September,
totally routed at Dumbar. After which, the act of classes being
repealed, both church and state began to act in different capacities,
and to look as suspiciously on one another as on the common enemy. There
were in the army on the protestors side, colonels Ker, Hacket and
Strahan, and of inferior officers, major Stuart, captain Arnot (brother
to the laird of Lochridge) captain Paton, and others. The contention
came to such a crisis, that the colonels Ker and Strahan left the king's
army, and came to the west[205] with some other officers; and many of
them were esteemed the most religious and best affected in the army.
They proceeded so far as to give battle to the English at Hamilton, but
were worsted; the Lord's wrath having gone forth against the whole land,
because Achan was in the camp of our Scottish Israel[206].

The king and the Scots army, being no longer able to hold out against
the English, shifted about and went for England, and about the end of
August 1651, had Worcester surrendered to them. But, the English army
following hard upon their heels, they were by them totally routed upon
the 3d of September, which made the king fly out of the kingdom. After
which the captain returned home, when he saw how fruitless and
unsuccessful this expedition had been.

About this time, he took up the farm of Meadow-head, where he was born,
and married one Janet Lindsay (who lived with him but a very short
time). And here he no less excelled in the duties of the true Christian
life, in a private station, than he exceeded others while a soldier in
the camp; and being under the ministry of that faithful man Mr. William
Guthrie, by whom he was made one of the members of his session, and
continu