ty required; and now when I cannot lay down my own head nor
lift it without help, yet of all the cases that ever I was, I had never
more contentment. I can now give the cross of Christ a noble
commendation. It was always sweet and pleasant, but never so sweet and
pleasant as now. Under all my wanderings, and all my toilings, a prison
was still so terrifying to me, that I could never have been so sure as I
would have been. But immediately at my taking, he so shined on me, and
ever since that, he and his cross are to me far beyond whatever he was
before. Therefore let none scare or stand at a distance from their duty
for fear of the cross, for now I can say from experience, that it is as
easy, yea, and more sweet, to ly in prison in irons, than it is to be at
liberty. But I must forbear at present."

Upon the 26th, he was ordered by the council to be prosecuted before the
justiciary. Accordingly on the 30th he was before the justiciary, and
arraigned, his own confession being the only proof against him, which
runs thus, "John Nisbet of Hardhill, prisoner, confesses, when examined
before the council, That he was at Drumclog, had arms, and made use of
them against the king's forces; and that he was at Glasgow; and that he
was at a field meeting within these two months, betwixt Eglesham and
Kilbride; &c." The which being read, he adhered to, but refused to
subscribe it. The assize brought him in guilty, and the lords sentenced
him to be hanged at the grass-market, Dec. 4th, betwixt two and four in
the afternoon, and his lands, goods and gear to be forfeited to the
king's use.

It was inserted by the council in his confession, That the reason why he
could not join with Argyle was, that one Cleland told him, that Argyle
and his party were against all kingly government. Mr. Wodrow thinks this
false, and that it was only foisted in by the clerk of the council, it
not being the first time that things of this nature had been done by
them. But he behoves to have been in a mistake here, for in one of
Hardhill's papers, in manuscript, left behind him in way of testimony,
he gives this as the first reason for his not joining with Argyle, and
the second was to the same purpose with what Mr. Wodrow has observed,
_viz._ because the societies could not espouse his declaration, as the
state of the quarrel was not concerted according to the ancient plea of
the Scottish covenanters, and because it opened a door to a sinful
confederacy.

H