trophe, to send off an express
to Ayr for the regiment of soldiers that was quartered there--the roar of
the rioters without, being all the time like a raging flood.

Major Target, however, who had seen service in foreign wars, was among
us, and he having tried in vain to get us to listen to him, went out of
his own accord to the rioters, and was received by them with three
cheers. He then spoke to them in an exhorting manner, and represented to
them the imprudence of their behaviour; upon which they gave him three
other cheers, and immediately dispersed and went home. The major was a
vain body, and took great credit to himself, as I heard, for this; but,
considering the temper of mind the mob was at one time in, it is quite
evident that it was no so much the major's speech and exhortation that
sent them off, as their dread and terror of the soldiers that I had sent
for.

All that night the magistrates, with other gentlemen of the town, sat in
the council-chamber, and sent out, from time to time, to see that every
thing was quiet; and by this judicious proceeding, of which we drew up
and transmitted a full account to the king and government in London, by
whom the whole of our conduct was highly applauded, peace was maintained
till the next day at noon, when a detachment, as it was called, of four
companies came from the regiment in Ayr, and took upon them the
preservation of order and regularity. I may here notice, that this was
the first time any soldiers had been quartered in the town since the
forty-five; and a woeful warning it was of the consequences that follow
rebellion and treasonable practices; for, to the present day, we have
always had a portion of every regiment, sent to Ayr, quartered upon us.

CHAPTER XI--POLICY

Just about the end of my first provostry, I began to make a discovery.
Whether it was that I was a little inordinately lifted up by reason of
the dignity, and did not comport myself with a sufficient condescension
and conciliation of manner to the rest of the town-council, it would be
hard to say. I could, however, discern that a general ceremonious
insincerity was performed by the members towards me, especially on the
part of those who were in league and conjunct with the town-clerk, who
comported himself, by reason of his knowledge of the law, as if he was in
verity the true and effectual chief magistrate of the burgh; and the
effect of this discovery, was a consideration and dige