It was usual to put insnaring questions to people living peaceably in their own houses; such as, "Will you renounce the covenant?
Do you esteem the rising at Bothwel to be rebellion?
Was the killing of the archbishop of St.Andrews murder ?" And when the poor deluded creatures refused to answer, capital punishments were inflicted on them.[**] Even women were brought to the gibbet for this pretended crime.

A number of fugitives, rendered frantic by oppression, had published a seditious declaration, renouncing allegiance to Charles Stuart, whom they called, as they, for their parts, had indeed some reason to esteem him, a tyrant.

This incident afforded the privy council a pretence for an unusual kind of oppression.

Soldiers were dispersed over the country, and power was given to all commission officers, even the lowest, to oblige every one they met with to abjure the declaration; and, upon refusal, instantly, without further questions, to shoot the delinquent.[***] It were endless, as well as shocking, to enumerate all the instances of persecution, or, in other words, of absurd tyranny, which at that time prevailed in Scotland.

One of them, however, is so singular, that I cannot forbear relating it.
Three women were seized;[****] and the customary oath was tendered to them, by which they were to abjure the seditious declaration above mentioned.
* Wodrow vol.ii.appendix, 94.
** Wodrow, vol.ii.