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down their arms, and that, till the Convention should have chap.settled the government, the clergy of the Established Church—should be suffered to reside on their cures without molestation.

But this proclamation, not being, supported by troops, wasvery little regarded. On the very day after it was published atGlasgow, the venerable Cathedral of that city, almost the onlyfine church of the middle ages which stands uninjured in Scot-land, was attacked by a crowd of Presbyterians from the meetinghouses, with whom were mingled many of their fiercer brethrenfrom the hills. Itw T as a Sunday; hut to rabble a congregationof prelatists was held to be a work of necessity and mercy. Theworshippers were dispersed, beaten, and pelted with snow-balls. It was indeed asserted thkt some Avounds were inflictedwith much more formidable weapons.*

Edinburgh, the seat of government, was in a state of anarchy. »fThe Castle, which commanded the whole city, was still held burgh,for James by the Duke of Gordon. The common people weregenerally Whigs. The College of Justice, a great forensic so-ciety composed of judges, advocates, writers to the signet, andsolicitors, was the stronghold of Toryism: for a rigid test hadduring some years excluded Presbyterians from all the depart-ments of the legal profession. The lawyers, some hundreds innumber, formed themselves into a battalion of infantry, andfor a time effectually kept down the multitude. They paid,however, so much respect to William’s authority as to disbandthemselves w'hen his proclamation was published. But theexample of obedience which they had set w r as not imitated.Scarcely had they laid down their weapons, when Covenantersfrom the west, who had done all that was to he done in the wayof pelting and hustling the curates of their own neighbourhood,

* Account of the Present Persecution, 1690; Case of the afflicted Clergy,

3690; A true Account of that Interruption that was made of the Service ofGod on Sunday last, being the 17th of February, 1689, signed by JamesGibson, acting for the Lord Provost of Glasgow.