little
till he met a brisk strong fellow riding with a drawn sword in his hand,
who asked, Which way he came? He said, Biggar way. But, says he, Did you
not see all Colington on fire? I fear my house be burnt; for I hear the
Whigs are come. Mr. Vetch declared his ignorance of this, and so they
parted. Near Greenhill park, he met three women, who told him, that if
he went by Greenhill house, &c. he was a dead man; for there lord
Kingston was placed with a party to intercept all the Whigs from coming
to the town. This made him take a bye-road to Libberton wynd. A little
farther, he espied a centinel on horseback, which obliged him to take
Dalkeith way. But coming thither, some colliers told him, there was no
getting to the town; all the ports were shut and guards set upon them.
This put him to a stand. Reason said, You must turn back; credit cried,
You must go forward, else lose your reputation; and so he proceeded,
till taken by two centinels, and carried to the Potter-row port, where
he was examined by the captain of the guard; and instead of being let
into the city, was sent with a file of musqueteers back to lord
Kingston. Mr. Vetch, in this sad dilemma, had no other comfort but to
put up his desires to God, that he would direct him what to do or say,
if he had a mind to spare him any longer. Being examined by Kingston, to
whom he gave soft answers; in the mean time, an alarm rose, that the
Whigs (as they called them) approached; Kingston called them to their
arms; whereupon Mr. Vetch called for arms, saying, he would go against
them in the first rank: This made Kingston say, he was a brave fellow.

After the hurry was over, with great difficulty he got off into the
town. But finding nothing could be got there, the next morning hearing
that the western forces marched toward Pentland hills, he adventured to
return by Libberton way toward the house in the muir; and making his
escape at Pentland town, when passing through Roslin moor, coming to
Glencross water, a frontier of Dalziel's horse had almost taken him. But
being within cry of capt. Paton (now lieutenant of the rear-guard of the
western army) who beat back Dalziel's horse, and delivered him, saying,
O Sir, we took you for a dead man, and repented sore we sent you on such
an unreasonable undertaking. As they rode toward Pentland hills, they
perceived their friends leaving the high way, marching their main body
towards the hill, and a select body to the top: gener