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inclination, nor no light to goe aboard. I thought both in regard of the prophane malignant companie, and in regard how matters stood in the treaty, we were taking along the plague of God to Scotland, [and] I should not desyre to goe along, but would goe back to Rotterdam, and come with the first conveniency I could. Hereat Mr Hucheson said he would goe along with me to Rotterdam, and not let it be said that I was left alone in a strange land. I urged him, that seeing his light served him to goe aboard, he would not draw back from it for me. I had Edward Gillespie, who brought us the Parliament's letters, and John Don, and my brother, Andrew Stevensone, to goe along with me. He persisted that he would goe¹ with me, yet thereby my minde did not inclyne me to go aboard. By this time ane boat comes from the king's ship, and letters from the two Lords, to desire us, as we would not marr the bussiness of the king and kingdome, to come aboard. Yet for all this my mind was bent for Rotterdam. At last, Brody and Mr Huchesone proponed ane overture that I should only goe in the boat to the ship's side, and there the rest to come down to the boat, that we might speak ane little of our bussiness, and I take my leave of them, and² come ashoare again in the same boat. To this, although unwillingly, I agreed. When the boat was come to the ship's side, and the rest gone up, I stayed in the boat looking they should come down; but Cassills and Mr Hucheson came and called me up, saying, it would be unseemly for commissioners of the kingdom of Scotland, in sight of so many onlookers, to come to ane open boat to speak of³ any bussines; I only should⁴ come a little to the gunner-room and speak with them, and the boat should be stayed till I should goe⁵ back. I went up, desyring⁶ an young man that was with me to wait that the boat did not goe away; but within a little time he comes and tells me the boat was gone and under sail. Whether this was done of purpose, men making an mock at my peevishness and folly, as they thought it, or otherwise, I will not determine; but I looked on myself as in

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¹    "Along."

²    "Then."

³    "About."

⁴    "Should only."

⁵    "Till I came bak."

⁶    "And desired."

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little other condition than ane prisoner. That night, when they were consulting what to doe in reference to their last instructions, Lothian and Liberton were of the minde that no application bypapers should be made to the king anent these last late instructions till they were arrived in Scotland, saying, that if they did it, it would provock the king to take some other course, and not to goe to Scotland at all. The next day, I not being well, and having but very ill accommodation in that ship wherin the king was, Mr JafFray and I went to the Sun of Amsterdam, ane other of the three ships, and stayed there till Tuesday of the next week, at which time, having had the winds alwayes contrary, we came all to ane anchor at Heylighland,¹ in the mouth of the Elve;² at which time, Mr Jaffray and I being called aboard the king's ship, and consultation being had what to doe in reference to the new instructions, if it had not been that Sir John Smith, who used not before in his vote to differ from Lothian and Liberton, had given his vote for applications, there had none been made before we had come to Scotland. But he and Brodie and Jaffray being for application, it was carried by one vote, and so papers were prepared and given to the king, who by his next paper desyred to know whether or not the commissioners would stand to their first agreement, and give him assureance of honor, freedom, and safety in Scotland, as they had done before. When much debate too and again had been used for many dayes, and at last papers had been prepared both by³ commissioners⁴ of State and Church for exoneration, and in ane sort giving up the treatie, [and] when no appearance of satisfaction was, but rather the contrary, all of ane sudden, on the Friday before we came ashoare in Scotland, Liberton comes from the king, and tells the king was ready to swear and subscryve the Covenant. This was suspicious like to some of us, especially seeing some other things which were to have been⁵ granted before that were not then agreed to, and that the Parliament in these⁶ last instructions had not desyred the

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¹    "Heligoland."

²    "Elbe."

³    "The."

⁴    "Both."

⁵    "Which should have been."

⁶    "Theire."