But this treaty
was but short lived, and as ill kept; for the very next year, the king
took arms again against the Scots, who immediately armed themselves a
second time, and went for England, where they defeated a party of the
English at Newburn, and pushed their way as far as Durham. The king,
finding himself in this strait, the English supplicating him behind, and
the Scots with a potent army before him, resolved on a second treaty,
which was set on foot at Rippon, and concluded at London; and thither
Mr. Henderson and Mr. Johnston were sent again, as the commissioners for
the church; in which affairs they behaved with great prudence and
candor. When the Scots parliament sat down this year, they, by an act,
appointed a fee of 100 merks to Mr. Johnston, as advocate for the
church, and 500 merks as clerk to the general assembly; so sensible were
they of his many services done to this church and nation.

Next year, 1641, the king, having fallen out with his English
parliament, came to Scotland, where he attended the Scots parliament. In
this parliament several offices of state were filled up with persons fit
for such employments. The earl of Argyle being put at the head of the
treasury, and the earl of Loudon made chancellor; among others, Mr.
Archibald Johnston stood fair for the register office; and the
generality of the well-affected thought it the just reward of his
labours; but the king, Lennox and Argyle, &c. being for Gibson of
Durie, he carried the prize. Yet Mr. Johnston's disappointment was
supplied by the king's conferring the order of knight-hood upon him, and
granting him a commission to be one of the lords of session, with an
annual pension of 200 pounds; and Orbiston was made justice clerk[125].

During this and the next year Mr. (now Sir) Archibald Johnston had
several great employments committed to his trust. He was one of those
nominated to conserve the articles of peace betwixt the two kingdoms
until the meeting of parliament, &c. And then he was appointed one of
these commissioners, who were sent up to London to negotiate with the
English parliament, for sending over some relief from Scotland to
Ireland (it being then on the back of the Irish rebellion). While at
London, they waited on his majesty at Windsor, and offered their
mediation betwixt him and his two houses of parliament; but for this he
gave them little thanks, although he found his mistake afterwards.

When the general assembly sat down