But even Baillie, whose complaints on such grounds had been bitter in 1654, and to whom the appointment of Gillespie to the Glasgow Principal-ship had been a particular private grievance, was in better spirits before 1656.

Glasgow, he then reports, was flourishing.

"Through God's mercy, our town, in its proportion, thrives above all the land.

The Word of God is well loved and regarded; albeit not as it ought and we desire, yet in no town of our land better.

Our people has much more trade in comparison than any other: their buildings increase strangely both for number and fairness." Burnet's account is that the whole country partook of this growing prosperity, which he attributes to the excellent police of the English, the trading they introduced, and the money they put in circulation.