H. O. p. l I0.

Decisions, i.
1 13(iG.

His repugnance to anything savouring of revolutionary'
methods, combined with his always candid recognition of
merit, appears in his observation when Sidney was executed.
He was a gallant man, yet had he been so misfortunat as

ev er to be on the disloyal side, and seemed to have drunk in
with his milk republican principles: In December 1684
Baillie of Jerviswood was prosecuted for being art and part
in a treasonable conspiracy in England, along with Shaftes-
bury, Russell, and others. Lauder and Sir George Lockhart
were commanded on their atlegiance to assist the King's
Advocate in the prosecution. The Court, after deliberating
from midnight till three in the moming, brought in a verdict
finding his being art and part of the conspirncy and design
to rise in arms, and his concealing the same pro\'en. '1 He
was hanged and quartered the same day Fountainhall did
not disapprove of his condemnation. He says, he cairied all
this with much calmness and composure of mind only he
complained the time they had given him to prepare for
death was too short, and huffed a littIl' that he should be
esteemed guilty of any design against the liCe of the King or
his brother, of which he purged himself, as he hoped to find
mercy, so also he denied any purpose of subverting the
monarchial government, only he had wished that some
grievances in the administration of our afli~irs might be
rectified and reformed: but seeing he purgcd not himself
of the rest of his libel, his silence as to these looked like n
tacit confession and acknowledgment thereof.'

A still more striking illustration of Laucier's holitical
views is affiôrdeci by~ his numerous observations on Argyll,
who played so grcat a part iu public nffi~irs during the
period eovere~l by the iuauuscripts until his execution in 1685.
Argyll was not a s)'mpnthetic figure to Lauder, but, as usual,
he does justice to his qualities, and rerognises the tragedy of
his fate. On the day of his eaecutiou he notes, And so