asters, and for some years lay desolate; and it has been
observed, that till of late, no man dwelt in it above the space of seven
years.--_M. S._

---- DOUGLAS, laird of Stenhouse, was another of this fraternity. He
assisted Maxwelton at the murder of William Smith in Hill; and, though
but a man of mean estate, for this and his excessive harrassing,
spoiling and fining the people of God, and because a professed papist,
he was advanced to the honour of being sometime secretary to king James
VII. (whether it was he that was advanced to be earl Milford, I know
not) but his wicked honours were short lived; his name soon became
extinct, having neither root nor branch, male nor female, for a
remembrance left of him. _Their fruit shalt thou destroy from earth, and
their seed from among the children of men_.

WILLIAM, Duke of Queensbury, was a prime instrument in managing the
persecuting work in that period: he once said, they should not have time
to prepare for heaven, hell was too good a place for them to dwell in.
He was, while an earl, for his zeal in suppressing the rebels (as they
called them) made a chancellor and treasurer in 1679.--Afterwards made a
Duke and appointed commissioner by James VII. to the parliament 1685,
where he got an act made for taking the test,--act of regularity,--act
for taking the allegiance,--and that heaven-daring act declaring it
treason to take the covenants,--with a great number banished during the
parliament. Such was his vigilance by his factors and emissaries, that
saints blood like water was shed; and his own tenants were cruelly
spoiled and harrassed; and though he fell somewhat out of king James's
favour in the last years of his reign, yet he still retained his
persecuting spirit, even after the Revolution; for he opposed Mr.
Vetch's settlement at Peebles, and for seven sessions pleaded it both
before the lords and the church, till he {illegible} removed, 1694--But
all this did not pass without a note of observation of divine vengeance
even in this life; for, taking a fearful disease, it is said, that, like
another Herod, the vermin issued in such abundance from his body, that
two women were constantly employed in sweeping them into the fire. Thus
he continued, till the fleshy parts of his substance were dissolved, and
then he expired.[282]--_M. S. History of the sufferings_, &c.

JOHN MAXWEL of Milton, (commonly called Milton Maxwel) another of the
persecuting tribe, caused apprehend