mission of the kirk sat at Perth in July 1645. The
parliament was opened with a sermon by Mr. Blair; and, after he had,
upon the forenoon of the 27th, a day of solemn humiliation preached
again to the parliament, he rode out to the army, then encamped at
Torgondermy, and preached to Crawford's and Maitland's regiments, to the
first of whom he had been chaplain:--He told the brigade, That he was
informed that many of them were turned dissolute and profane, and
assured them, that though the Lord had covered their heads in the day of
battle (few of them being killed at Marston-muir), they should not be
able to stand before a less formidable foe, unless they repented. Though
this freedom was taken in good part from one who wished them well, yet
was too little laid to heart; and the most part of Crawford's regiment
were cut off at Kilsyth in three weeks afterwards.

After the defeat at Kilsyth, severals were for treating with Montrose,
but Mr. Blair opposed it, so that nothing was concluded until the Lord
began to look upon the affliction of his people; for the committee of
estates recalled general Leslie, with 4000 foot and 1000 dragoons, from
England, to oppose whom Montrose marched southward; but was shamefully
defeated at Philiphaugh Sept. 13, many of his forces being killed and
taken prisoners, and he hardly escaped. On the 26, the parliament and
commission of the general assembly sat down at St. Andrews (the plague
being then in Edinburgh); here Mr. Blair preached before the parliament,
and also prayed before the several sessions thereof; and when several
prisoners, taken at Philiphaugh, were tried, three of them, _viz._ Sir
Robert Spotiswood, Nathaniel Gordon, and Mr. Andrew Guthrie, were to be
executed on the 17th of January thereafter, Mr. Blair visited them
often, and was at much pains with them: He prevailed so far with Gordon,
that he desired to be relaxed from the sentence of excommunication which
he was under; and accordingly Mr. Blair did the same: The other two, who
were bishops sons, died impenitent.--_Mali corvi malum ovum._

_Anno_ 1646, the general assembly, sitting at Edinburgh ordered Mr.
Blair (who was then moderator), with Mr. Cant and Mr. Robert Douglas, to
repair to the king at Newcastle, to concur with worthy Mr. Alexander
Henderson and others, who were labouring to convince him great
bloodshed in these kingdoms, and reconcile him to presbyterian
church-government and the covenants. When these thre