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nisters　found　it　expedient　to　have　their　lion's　paw。

Matters　were　brought　to　a　bearing　differently；　when；　in　the　second　edition　of　the　late　war；　it　was　thought　necessary　to　call　on　the　people　to　resist　the　rampageous　ambition　of　Bonaparte；　then　champing　and　trampling　for　the　rich　pastures　of　our　national　commonwealth。　Accordingly；　I　kept　myself　aloof　from　all　handling　in　the　pecuniaries　of　the　business；　but　I　lent　a　friendly　countenance　to　every　feasible　project　that　was　likely　to　strengthen　the　confidence　of　the　king　in　the　loyalty　and　bravery　of　his　people。　　For　by　this　time　I　had　learnt；　that　there　was　a　wake…rife　common　sense　abroad　among　the　opinions　of　men；　and　that　the　secret　of　the　new　way　of　ruling　the　world　was　to　follow；　not　to　control；　the　evident　dictates　of　the　popular　voice；　and　I　soon　had　reason　to　felicitate　myself　on　this　prudent　and　seasonable　discovery。　　For　it　won　me　great　reverence　among　the　forward　young　men；　who　started　up　at　the　call　of　their　country；　and　their　demeanour　towards　me　was　as　tokens　and　arles；　from　the　rising　generation；　of　being　continued　in　respect　and　authority　by　them。　　Some　of　my　colleagues；　who　are　as　well　not　named；　by　making　themselves　over　busy；　got　but　small　thank　for　their　pains。　　I　was　even　preferred　to　the　provost；　as　the　medium　of　communicating　the　sentiments　of　the　volunteering　lads　to　the　lord…　lieutenant；　and　their　cause　did　not　suffer　in　my　hands；　for　his　lordship　had　long　been　in　the　habit　of　considering　me　as　one　of　the　discreetest　men　in　the　burgh；　and　although　he　returned　very　civil　answers　to　all　letters；　he　wrote　to　me　in　the　cordial　erudition　of　an　old　frienda　thing　which　the　volunteers　soon　discerned；　and　respected　me　accordingly。

But　the　soldiering　zeal　being　spontaneous　among　all　ranks；　and　breaking　forth　into　ablaze　without　any　pre…ordered　method；　some　of　the　magistrates　were　disconcerted；　and　wist　not　what　to　do。　　I'll　no　take　it　upon　me　to　say　that　they　were　altogether　guided　by　a　desire　to　have　a　finger　in　the　pie；　either　in　the　shape　of　the　honours　of　command　or　the　profits　of　contract。　　This；　however；　is　certain；　that　they　either　felt　or　feigned　a　great　alarm　and　consternation　at　seeing　such　a　vast　military　power　in　civil　hands；　over　which　they　had　no　natural　control；　and；　as　was　said；　independent　of　the　crown　and　parliament。　　Another　thing　there　could　be　no　doubt　of：　　in　the　frame　of　this　fear　they　remonstrated　with　the　government；　and　counselled　the　ministers　to　throw　a　wet　blanket　on　the　ardour　of　the　volunteering；　which；　it　is　well　known；　was　very　readily　done；　for　the　ministers；　on　seeing　such　a　pressing　forward　to　join　the　banners　of　the　kingdom；　had　a　dread　and　regard　to　the　old　leaven　of　Jacobinism；　and　put　a　limitation　on　the　number　of　the　armed　men　that　were　to　be　allowed　to　rise　in　every　placea　most　ill…advised　prudence；　as　was　made　manifest　by　what　happened　among　us；　of　which　I　will　now　rehearse　the　particulars；　and　the　part　I　had　in　it　myself。

As　soon　as　it　was　understood　among　the　commonality　that　the　French　were　determined　to　subdue　and　make　a　conquest　of　Britain；　as　they　had　done　of　all　the　rest　of　Europe；　holding　the　noses　of　every　continental　king　and　potentate　to　the　grindstone；　there　was　a　prodigious　stir　and　motion　in　all　the　hearts　and　pulses　of　Scotland；　and　no　where　in　a　more　vehement　degree　than　in　Gudetown。　　But；　for　some　reason　or　an　other　which　I　could　never　dive　into　the　bottom　of；　there　was　a　slackness　or　backwardness　on　the　part　of　government　in　sending　instructions　to　the　magistrates　to　step　forward；　in　so　much　that　the　people　grew　terrified　that　they　would　be　conquered；　without　having　even　an　opportunity　to　defend；　as　their　fathers　did　of　old；　the　hallowed　things　of　their　native　land；　and；　under　the　sense　of　this　alarm；　they　knotted　themselves　together；　and　actually　drew　out　proposals　and　resolutions　of　service　of　their　own　accord；　by　which　means　they　kept　the　power　of　choosing　their　officers　in　their　own　hands；　and　so　gave　many　of　the　big…wigs　of　the　town　a　tacit　intimation　that　they　were　not　likely　to　have　the　command。

While　things　were　in　this　process；　the　government　had　come　to　its　senses；　and　some　steps　and　measures　were　taken　to　organize　volunteer　corps　throughout　the　nation。　　Taking　heart　from　them；　other　corps　were　proposed　on　the　part　of　the　gentry；　in　which　they　were　themselves　to　have　the　command；　and　seeing　that　the　numbers　were　to　be　limited；　they　had　a　wish　and　interest　to　keep　back　the　real　volunteer　offers；　and　to　get　their　own　accepted　in　their　stead。　　A　suspicion　of　this　sort　getting　vent；　an　outcry　of　discontent　thereat　arose　against　them；　and　to　the　consternation　of　the　magistrates；　the　young　lads；　who　had　at　the　first　come　so　briskly　forward；　called　a　meeting　of　their　body；　and；　requesting　the　magistrates　to　be　present；　demanded　to　know　what　steps　had　been　taken　with　their　offer　of　service；　and；　if　transmitted　to　government；　what　answer　had　been　received。

This　was　a　new　era　in　public　affairs；　and　no　little　amazement　and　anger　was　expressed　by　some　of　the　town…council；　that　any　set　of　persons　should　dare　to　question　and　interfere　with　the　magistrates。　But　I　saw　it　would　never　do　to　take　the　bull　by　the　horns　in　that　manner　at　such　a　time；　so　I　commenced　with　Bailie　Sprose；　my　lord　being　at　the　time　provost；　and　earnestly　beseeched　him　to　attend　the　meeting　with　me；　and　to　give　a　mild　answer　to　any　questions　that　might　be　put；　and　this　was　the　more　necessary；　as　there　was　some　good　reason　to　believe；　that；　in　point　of　fact；　the　offer　of　service　had　been　kept　back。

We　accordingly　went　to　the　meeting；　where　Mr　Sprose；　at　my　suggestion；　stated；　that　we　had　received　no　answer；　and　that　we　could　not　explain　how　the　delay　had　arisen。　　This；　however；　did　not　pacify　the　volunteers；　but　they　appointed　certain　of　their　own　number；　a　committee；　to　attend　to　the　business；　and　to　communicate　with　the　secretary　of　state　direct；　intimating；　that　the　members　of　the　committee　were　those　whom　they　intended　to　elect　for　their　officers。　　This　was　a　decisive　step；　and　took　the　business　entirely　out　of　the　hands　of　the　magistrates；　so；　after　the　meeting；　both　Mr　Sprose　and　myself　agreed；　that　no　time　should　be　lost　in　communicating　to　the　lord…lieutenant　what　had　taken　place。

Our　letter；　and　the　volunteers'　letter；　went　by　the　same　post；　and　on　receiving　ours；　the　lord…lieutenant　had　immediately　some　conference　with　the　secretary　of　state；　who；　falling　into　the　views　of　his　lordship；　in　preferring　the　offers　of　the　corps　proposed　by　the　gentry；　sent　the　volunteers　word　in　reply；　that　their　services；　on　the　terms　they　had　proposed；　which　were　of　the　least　possible　expense　to　government；　could　not　be　accepted。

It　was　hoped　that　this　answer　would　have　ended　the　matter；　but　there　were　certain　propugnacious　spirits　in　the　volunteers'　committee；　and　they　urged　and　persuaded　the　others　to　come　into　resolutions；　to　the　effect　that；　having　made　early　offers　of　service；　on　terms　less　objectionable　in　every　point　than　those　of　many　offers　subsequently　made　and　accepted；　unless　their　offer　was　accepted；　they　would　consider　themselves　as　having　the　authority　of　his　majesty's　government　to　believe　and　to　represent；　that　there　was；　in　truth；　no　reason　to　apprehend　that　the　enemy　meditated　any　invasion　and　these　resolutions　they　sent　off　to　London　forthwith；　before　the　magistrates　had　time　to　hear　or　to　remonstrate　against　the　use　of　such　novel　language　from　our　burgh　to　his　majesty's　ministers。

We；　however；　heard　something；　and　I　wrote　my　lord；　to　inform　him　that　the　volunteers　had　renewed　their　offer；　（for　so　we　understood　their　representation　was；）　and　he；　from　what　he　had　heard　before　from　the　secretary　of　state；　not　expecting　the　effect　it　would　have；　answered　me；　that　their　offer　could　not　be　accepted。　　But　to　our　astonishment；　by　the　same　post；　the　volunteers　found　themselves　accepted；　and　the　gentlemen　they　recommended　for　their　officers　gazetted；　the　which；　as　I　tell　frankly；　was　an　admonition　to　me；　that　the　peremptory　will　of　authority　was　no　longer　sufficient　for　the　rule　of　mankind；　and；　therefore；　I　squared　my　after　conduct　more　by　a　deference　to　public　opinion；　than　by　any　laid　down　maxims　and　principles　of　my　own；　the　consequence　of　which　was；　that　my　influence　still　continued　to　grow　and　gather　strength　in　the　community；　and　I　was　enabled　to　accomplish　many　things　that　my　predecessors　would　have　thought　it　was　almost　beyond　the　compass　of　man　to　undertake。



CHAPTER　XXIXCAPTAIN　ARMOUR



In　the　course　of　these　notandums；　I　have；　here　and　there；　touched　on　divers　matters　that　did　not　actually　pertain　to　my　own　magisterial　life；　further　than　as　showing　the　temper　and　spirit　in　which　different　things　were　brought　to　a　bearing；　and；　in　the　same　way；　I　will　now　again　step　aside　from　the　regular　course　of　public　affairs；　to　record　an　occurrence　which；　at　the　time；　excited　no　small　wonderment　and　sympathy；　and　in　which　it　was　confessed　by　many　that　I　performed　a　very　judicious　part。　　The　event　here　spoken　of；　was　the　quartering　in　the　town；　after　the　removal　of　that　well…behaved　regiment；　the　Argyle　fencibles；　the　main　part　of　another；　the　name　and　number　of　which　I　do　not　now　recollect；　but　it　was　an　English　corps；　and；　like　the　other　troops　of　that　nation；　was　not　then　brought　into　the　sobriety　of　discipline　to　which　the　whole　British　army　has　since　been　reduced；　by　the　paternal　perseverance　of　his　Royal　Highness　the　Duke　of　York；　so　that；　after　the　douce　and　respectful　Highlanders；　we　sorely　felt　the　consequences　of　the　outstropolous　and　galravitching　Englishers；　who　thought　it　no　disgrace　to　fill　themselves　as　fou　as　pipers；　and　fight　in　the　streets；　and　march　to　the　church　on　the　Lord's　day　with　their　band　of　music。　　However；　after　the　first　Sunday；　upon　a　remonstrance　on　the　immorality　of　such　irreligious　bravery；　Colonel　Cavendish；　the　commandant；　silenced　the　musicians。

Among　the　officers；　there　was　one　Captain　Armour；　an　extraordinar　well　demeaned；　handsome　man；　who　was　very　shy　of　accepting　any　civility　from　the　town　gentry；　and　kept　himself　aloof　from　all　our　ploys　and　entertainments；　in　such　a　manner；　that　the　rest　of　the　officers　talked　of　him；　marvelling　at　the　cause；　for　it　was　not　his　wont　in　o