king's name, commanded all the members to depart to their several homes.

But, instead of obeying that order, they all went in a body, with that poor weak creature the lord Crawford at their head, to the market cross: and there published a protestation, declaring, that the king had no authority in church affairs, nor any right to dissolve their general assembly.

I relate this story as it was told me, not only to give the reader an idea of the spirit that reigned in that kirk, established now in Scotland, as I have said, but likewise to do justice to the memory of king William, which may be the more acceptable, as coming from one who was in a contrary interest. And, indeed, I have so good an opinion of that prince, as to believe he would have acted much better than he did, with regard to the civil and ecclesiastical constitution in Scotland, if he had been permitted to govern by his own opinions.

But now to come to the conclusion of my story. The Hollantide * after I arrived in Ireland, my wife and two daughters followed me; and we settled in the county of Tyrone, with my father (who died two years afterward) on a small freehold; where I made a hard shift to maintain them, with industry and even manual labour, for about twelve years, till my wife died, and my daughters were married, which happened not very long after I became a widower.

I am at present in the eighty-third year of my age; still hated by those people who affirm the old covenanters to have been unjustly dealt with and therefore believe a great number of improbable stories concerning me; as that I was a com

*

mon murderer of them and their preachers, with many other false and improbable stories. But the reader, I hope, from whom I have not concealed any one transaction or adventure that happened to me among those rebellious people, or misrepresented the least circumstance, as far as my memory could serve me, will judge whether he hath reason to believe me to have been such a person as they represented; and to hate me, as they do, upon that account. And my comfort is, that I can appeal from their unjust tribunal, to the mercy of God; before whom, by the course of nature, I must soon appear; who knows the integrity of my heart, and that my actions (condemned by them) were, as far as my understanding could direct me, meant for the good of the church, and the service of my king and country.

And although such people hate me, because they give credit to the false reports raised concerning

* During the childhood of the present editor, many stories were current, about the persecution, which are probably now forgotten. One old man was often mentioned to him, who had survived these scenes more than half a century, and had himself been an active persecutor, -a follower, it was believed, of Grierson of Lag. This man was spoken of with a strange mixture of abhorrence, terror, and something approaching to respect. The poor in his neighbourhood avoided him in social intercourse, but were ready to minister to his wants, for he was himself in poverty. As far as could be learned, he was, like Creichton, an enthusiast in the episcopal persuasion, and a firm believer in the justice of all that he had done. He was regular in his devotions from the Common Prayer, silent and grave in conversation, and lived, as it were, alone in the world, without meeting sympathy from a human being. No one ventured to ask him of the deeds he had done or witnessed, nor did he himself ever talk upon the subject. The generation then alive only knew his character and exploits from the report of their fathers, whose embittered hatred had, in the succeeding generation, sunk into a sort of superstitious dislike and dread. This person probably died about 1750. This character is here noticed as an illustration of what Creichton mentions in the text.

me, another comfort left me in my old age is, that I have constantly preserved (and still do so) the love and esteem of all honest and good men, to whom I have had the happiness at any time to be known.

JOHN CREIGHTON.

IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD, 1780.

NOTES

ON

ADDISON's FREEHOLDER.

The Freeholder, it must be remembered, was a kind of political Spectator, published periodically, with the purpose of reconciling the people of England to the accession of the House of Hanover. These papers, while they exhibit the exquisite humour and solid sense peculiar to the author, shew also, even amid the strife of party, that philanthropy and gentleness of nature, which were equally his distinguishing attributes. None of these qualities would have conciliated his great opponent Swift, had the field of combat yet remained open to him. But as he withdrew from it in sullen indignation, he seems to have thrown out the following flashes of satire, as brief examples of what he would have done had the hour of answer been yet current.

The following MS. Notes were transcribed from the original, in Swift's own hand, in Addison's Freeholder, which belonged to Dr Bernard, late Bishop of Limerick.

FREEHOLDER, No. 2.-Character of George I.

"It was by this (this firmness of mind) that he surmounted those many difficulties which lay in