person to reign over us
is not only contrary to our solemn League and Covenant, but to the very
word of God itself, Deut. xvii."]

[Footnote 309: History of the late Revolution in Scotland; London
Gazette, May 16, 1689. The official account of what passed was evidently
drawn up with great care. See also the Royal Diary, 1702. The writer of
this work professes to have derived his information from a divine who
was present.]

[Footnote 310: See Crawford's Letters and Speeches, passim. His style of
begging for a place was peculiar. After owning, not without reason, that
his heart was deceitful and desperately wicked, he proceeded thus: "The
same Omnipotent Being who hath said, when the poor and needy seek water
and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, he will not
forsake them; notwithstanding of my present low condition, can build me
a house if He think fit."--Letter to Melville, of May 28. 1689. As to
Crawford's poverty and his passion for Bishops' lands, see his letter to
Melville of the 4th of December 1690. As to his humanity, see his letter
to Melville, Dec 11 1690. All these letters are among the Leven and
Melville Papers, The author of An Account of the Late Establishment of
Presbyterian Government says of a person who had taken a bribe of ten or
twelve pounds, "Had he been as poor as my Lord Crawford, perhaps he
had been the more excusable." See also the dedication of the celebrated
tract entitled Scotch Presbyterian Eloquence Displayed.]

[Footnote 311: Burnet, ii. 23. 24.; Fountainhall Papers, 73, Aug, 1684;
14. and 15. Oct. 1684; 3. May, 1685; Montgomery to Melville, June 22.
1689, in the Leven and Melville Papers; Pretences of the French Invasion
Examined; licensed May 25. 1692.]

[Footnote 312: See the Life and Correspondence of Carstairs, and the
interesting memorials of him in the Caldwell Papers, printed 1854. See
also Mackay's character of him, and Swift's note. Swift's word is not
to be taken against a Scotchman and a Presbyterian. I believe, however,
that Carstairs, though an honest and pious man in essentials, had his
full share of the wisdom of the serpent.]

[Footnote 313: Sir John Dalrymple to Lord Melville, June 18. 20 25.
1689; Leven and Melville Papers.]

[Footnote 314: There is an amusing description of Sir Patrick in the
Hyndford MS., written about 1704, and printed among the Carstairs
Papers. "He is a lover of set speeches, and can hardly give audience to
private friends wi