nanter he became a fiery bigot for prelacy, and was the
first after the restoration that wrote in defence of that constitution
(against Naphtali) for that, that hand upon the wrist received the
pistol shot intended for Sharp 1668. But this did not deter him from his
former wicked practices, till about the year 1677, he met with harsher
treatment (says the historian) from a more dreadful quarter, when he
died at his house in Orkney.--_Sharp's life, Wodw._

MR. THOMAS BELL, born in Westruther in Berwickshire, was, by Mr. John
Vetch's generosity, put to school, and being minister there, he procured
also a bursary for him; but after his laureation, falling into
drunkenness, he went over to the English side, where shifting sides, he
obtained a parsonage and became curate of Longhorsly; and was a violent
persecutor of the presbyterians, especially these who had fled from
Scotland, and particularly Mr. William Vetch (brother to his former
benefactor) then at Stanton-hall; and being one time drinking with some
papists who were stimulating him one against Mr. Vetch and his meeting,
he vowed he should either ruin him or he him: in which he was as good as
his word; for having brought him to many hardships he at last got him
apprehended and sent off to Edinburgh, 1679. He did not long continue
this trade; for, meeting with a gentleman, he boasted, that this night
Mr. Vetch would be at Edinburgh, and to-morrow hanged. But in three days
he himself, being abroad and drinking at a certain place till ten
o'clock at night, must needs set home. The curate of the place urged him
to stay the night being stormy and the water big, but he would not: so
setting off and losing his way, and coming to the river Pont, where, as
was supposed, he alighted to find the way by reason of the snow; and
stepping over the brink of the river to the arm-pit, where the old ice
bare him up, and the new ice by reason of some days thaw, froze him in;
so that, after two days, he was found standing in this posture with the
upper part of his body dry. Some went to help him out, but few could be
got to give his corpse a convoy: So that they were obliged to lay him
across a horse's back with a rope about his neck and through below the
beasts belly fastened to his heels; and so he was carried off by a death
suitable enough to such a wicked malevolent life.--_Vetch's life at
large_.

MR. JAMES SHARP was son to William Sharp and grand son to the piper of
---- so much fa