I have been too late in beginning this work, as I have entered on the seventy-ninth year of my age, but I will endeavour, with God’s blessing, to serve posterity to the best of my ability with such a faithful picture of times and characters as came within my view in the humble and private sphere of life in which I have always acted.

My father, minister of Prestonpans, was of a warm and benevolent temper, and an orthodox and eloquent orator.  My mother was a person of an elegant and reflecting mind, and was as much respected as my father was beloved.  Until 1732, when I was ten years of age, they were in very narrow circumstances, but in that year the stipend was raised from L70 to L140 per annum.  In 1735 I was sent to college.

Yielding to parental wishes, I consented, in 1738, to become a student of divinity, and pursued my studies in Edinburgh and, from 1743, in Glasgow, passing my trials in the presbytery of Haddington in the summer of 1745.  Early in September I was at Moffat, when I heard that the Chevalier Prince Charles had landed in the north.  I repaired to Edinburgh, and joined a company of volunteers for the defence of the city.  Edinburgh was in great ferment, and of divided allegiance; there was no news of the arrival of Sir John Cope with the government forces; the Highlanders came on, no resistance was made, and the city surrendered on the sixteenth.  That night, my brother and I walked along the sands to Prestonpans, and carried the news.  Proceeding to Dunbar, where Sir John Cope’s army lay, I inquired for Colonel Gardiner, whom I found very dejected.

“Sandie,” said Colonel Gardiner, “I’ll tell you in confidence that I have not above ten men in my regiment whom I am certain will follow me.  But we must give them battle now, and God’s will be done!”

Cope’s small army was totally defeated at Prestonpans on the morning of the twenty-first.  I heard the first cannon that was fired, and started to my clothes.  My father had been up before daylight, and had resorted to the steeple.  I ran into the garden.  Within ten minutes after firing the first cannon the whole prospect was filled with runaways, and Highlanders pursuing them.  The next week I saw Prince Charles twice in Edinburgh.  He was a good-looking man; his hair was dark red and his eyes black.  His features were regular, his visage long, much sunburnt and freckled, and his countenance thoughtful and melancholy.

In October of the same year I went to Leyden, to study at the university there.  Here there were twenty-two British students, among them the Honourable Charles Townshend, afterwards a distinguished statesman, and Mr. Doddeswell, afterwards Chancellor of the Exchequer.  We passed our time very agreeably, and very profitably, too; for the conversations at our evening meetings of young men of good knowledge could not fail to be instructive, much more so than the lectures, which were very dull.  On my return from Holland, I was introduced by my cousin, Captain Lyon, to some families of condition in London, and was carried to court of an evening, for George II. at that time had evening drawing rooms, where his majesty and Princess Amelia, who had been a lovely woman, played at cards.