ll I desire.----I was real and cordial in my desires
to bring the king home, and in my endeavours for him when he was home,
and had no correspondence with the adversaries army, nor any of them
when his majesty was in Scotland, nor had I any hand in his late
majesty's murder. I shall not speak much to these things for which I am
condemned, lest I seem to condemn others.--It is well known it is only
for compliance, which was the epidemical fault of the nation; I wish the
Lord to pardon them. I say no more----but God hath laid engagements on
Scotland. We are tied by covenants to religion and reformation, those
who were then unborn are yet engaged, and it passeth the power of all
the magistrates under heaven to absolve from the oath of God. These
times are like to be either very sinning or suffering times, and let
Christians make their choice, there is a sad dilemma in the business,
sin or suffer, and surely he that will choose the better part will
choose to suffer, others that will choose to sin will not escape
suffering. They shall suffer, but perhaps not as I do (pointing to the
maiden) but worse. Mine is but temporal, theirs shall be eternal. When I
shall be singing, they shall be howling. Beware therefore of sin,
whatever you are aware of, especially in such times.--And hence my
condition is such now, as, when I am gone, will be seen not to be as
many imagined. I wish, as the Lord hath pardoned me, so may he pardon
them, for this and other things, and what they have done to me may never
meet them in their accounts.----I have no more to say, but to beg the
Lord that when I go away, he would bless every one that stayeth behind."

When he had delivered this his seasonable and pathetic speech, which
with his last words is recorded at length in Naphtali[101]. Mr. Hamilton
prayed, after which he prayed most sweetly himself, then he took his
leave of all his friends on the scaffold. He first gave to the
executioner a napkin with some money in it; to his sons in law
Caithness and Ker his watch and some other things out of his pocket, he
gave to Loudon his silver penner, to Lothian a double ducat, and then
threw off his coat. When going to the maiden, Mr. Hutcheson said, My
lord, now hold your grip sickker.----He answered, "You know Mr.
Hutcheson, what I said to you in the chamber. I am not afraid to be
surprised with fear." The laird of Shelmerlie took him by the hand, when
near the maiden, and found him most composed. He kneel