d them at Leith, being to
carry them no farther, delivered them to another to carry them to
Virginia, to whom they were represented as thieves and robbers. But when
he came to see them, and found they were all grave sober Christians,
banished for presbyterian principles, he said, he would sail the seas
with none such. In this confusion, that the one skipper would not
receive them, and the other would keep them no longer for being
expensive to him, they were set at liberty. Some, says the skipper, got
compliments from friends in London. Others assure us, That they got off
through means of the Lord Shaftesbury, who was always friendly to the
presbyterians. However it is certain that they were all liberated at
Gravesend, without any bond or imposition whatever. And in their way
homeward the English showed them no small degrees of kindness.

After they were set at liberty, Mr. Peden stayed in London and other
places of England until June 1670, that he came to Scotland, and that
dismal day, the 22d of that month, when the Lord's people fell and fled
before their enemies at Bothwel-bridge, he was 40 miles distant (being
near the border), where he kept himself retired until the middle of the
day, that some friends said to him, Sir, the people are waiting for
sermon, (it being the Lord's day). To whom he said, Let the people go to
their prayers; for me, I neither can nor will preach any this day; for
our friends are fallen and fled before the enemy at Hamilton, and they
are hashing and hagging them down, and their blood is running down like
water.

Shortly after this stroke at Bothwel-bridge, he went to Ireland, but did
not stay long at that time. For in the year 1630, being near Mauchlin in
the shire of Ayr, one Robert Brown, in Corsehouse in Loudon parish, and
one Hugh Pinaneve, factor to the earl of Loudon, stabling their horses
in that house where he was, went to a fair in Mauchlin, and in the
afternoon, when they came to take their horses, they got some drink; in
the taking of which the said Hugh broke out into railing against our
sufferers, particularly against Mr. Cameron, who was lately, before
that, slain at Airs-moss. Mr. Peden, being in another room overhearing
all, was so grieved that he came to the chamber door and said to him,
Sir, hold your peace; ere twelve o'clock you shall know what for a man
Mr. Cameron was: God shall punish that blasphemous mouth of yours in
such a manner, that you shall be set up for a bea