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THE Students of the University here, designed some time ago to burn the Pope's Effigies; but that was not more zealously desired to be prevented by some, than to be done by others: Notwithstanding all the imaginable Care taken to prevent it, yet it was done about Ten Days ago, after day-light gone, at the Cross, and blown up with Art, that seems to have been beyond their Invention,
above four Stories high. Two Days thereafter they went to the Parliament-House, at mid-day, passing by the Guards, cry∣ing, No Pope, No Papist: And being got into the Parliament-House, (after they had required the Guards to be present at the Sentence) and having got upon the Bench, they Arraigned his Holiness before his Judges, and gave the Jury their Com∣mission, who brought him in Guilty; whereupon, he was sen∣tenced to be burnt publickly at the Cross the Twenty Fifth of this Instant; and withal declared, and protested for a Free Parliament.
On Sunday last, Advertisement was given by a Papist, to a Gentlewoman, to remove her self out of this City, and to car∣ry out her Husband's Papers forthwith, because that Night there should be here a hot Wakening, such as had not been heretofore; and advised her to give the same Advice to any of her Friends she pleased.
Your Friend Mr. M. being acquainted with this, he revealed the same to several of our Magistrates, (which, as is alledged, was not regarded) he went thereafter and acquainted the Guard of our Trained-Bands therewith; whereupon Captain Patrick Johnstone (Hilton's Brother) caused to beat the Drums, and the Noise having gone abroad, and several Persons having ordered their Arms, and People flocking together to consider what was fit to be done, the Magistrates, with the Council, convened for the same purpose. A great many Boys met also, and went through the whole Town, crying aloud, No Pope, No Papist, No Popish Chancellor, No Melfort, No Father Pe∣ters. But the Gates were shut, the Magistrates went along the Streets for the keeping of the Peace; and nothing more was done that Night, except the breaking of three or four Glass-Windows of Papists Houses, and that some of the Boys got up to the Cross, and proclaimed a Free-Parliament, and offered Two Thousand Pounds for Melford's Head; so that Night past over, when all People here were in fear of some ill Designs, and the rather, because of their certain knowledg that there were lying in the Suburbs, a great many Hundreds of Highland-men, (or rather Thousands) and that all that day the Abbey Gates were exactly kept by Souldiers, Commanded by Captain Wallace a Papist, and none admitted to enter except Papists or Highland-men.
On Monday, about mid-day, the Chancellor parted thence and went towards the Highlands, by Advice of several of the Privy Council and his Friends, and took a good Guard with him. At Night the Students went (without Arms) to the Abbey, to condemn the Pope, and to Proclaim a Free Parlia∣ment, and perhaps to burn what was contained in the Chap∣pel, but without asking Questions, were repulsed by a shower of Ball, whereby several were wounded, and some since dead of their Wounds; which coming to the Privy Coun∣cils Knowledg, (which was then sitting) they called the Town Council (then also met) and Captain Grahame; desired them to see to the preservance of the Peace, and sent Six Heralds with an Order to Captain Wallace and his Men, to lay down their Arms, render themselves Prisoners, and deliver their Guards to the Magistrates, but they were answered by Ball; which being reported to the Privy Council, they forthwith or∣dered Captain Grahame and his Company, Trained-Bands and Militia, to fall upon them, which they did; Wallace and his Men fled, several of them were taken, and some wounded, as were some of Captain Grahame's Men. The Rabble were so incensed upon the firing, and supposition that it was Boys were killed, that they burnt all that was contained in the Chap∣pel, the Jesuits Colledg, the Popish Printing-house, the Ab∣bey Church, the Chancellor's Lodgings; and generally, all that was contained in the Houses of Papists, in the Town and Cannon-gate, excepting what was taken away by some People who designed Plunder.
They had Fires in the Abbey-Court, and at the Cross, all the Night, and spared nothing they got in Papists Houses. Some few Houses were spared at the intercession of some Pro∣testants their Friends, and after true enquiry, I heard the Loss is called greater than it is. None of the Papists themselves were killed or wounded; they met with few of them, those they got they carried into the Guard.
In some of the Popish Houses, they found Arms and Barrels of Powder, which provoked to a more narrow search. All this time the Castle never fired one Gun, which is more attri∣buted to the Duke of Gordon, than to any other inferior Offi∣cer. I am told, the Council sent and dis••harged an Execution from the Castle. Some of the Boys are dead of their Wounds.
Traquair (a Popish Lord) and several others went to, and continue in the Castle for their security. The Council ordered the searching for Ammunition and Arms in some Popish Houses in the Country, and this day committed a Warrant for the re∣storing of what was plundred out of the Papists Houses.
I had forgot to tell you, that on Monday last the Privy Council disbanded Six Hundred Men, taken on the Friday before, and commanded all the Highlanders forthwith to depart upon pain of Death; and yesterday ordered all Gentlemen to depart out of the Town, excepting such as should give account of their Bu∣siness to some of the Privy Council. I am credibly informed, that this day in the Privy Council, was voted an Address to be made to his Majesty for a Free Parliament; there are several Noblemen and Gentlemen gone from hence into England, and more to follow, but it's suspected they are going to the Prince of Orange.