guessing the author, began to baule and foame, and scrued up the cryme to such a height as that it deserved emprisonment, deprivation, and a most severe reprimande.  At last the Counsell agried in a more moderat censure, that he should with close doors (tho my Lord Commissioner would have had it publick) acknowledge his offence upon his knees before the wholle Lords, and recant and disclame the forsaid expression as seditious and not becoming a subject:  And theiron, as its said, ane act was made, that no petition should be presented heirafter but subscryved ather by the party or the Advocat.

    [616] Lauderdale.

Theirs no expression so innocent wheirupon malice will not fasten its teeth; and truly their hes bein many expressions by far harsher then this escaped the pens of advocats, and which hes never bein noticed.  And yet I think its justo Dei judicio casten in Sir Roberts lap for his so dishonourable complying, yea, betraying the priviledges of the Advocats, and breaking the bond of unity amongs them, and embracing first that brat of the Regulations.  The excuse that he made for so over shoting him selfe was most dull and pittifull, vid. that they had come to him just after he had dined, and he had drawen it then, and so was hasted.

On the 24 July 1672, in the Parliament, Sir Colin Campbell was reproved for disorderly tabling of the Summer Session:[617] the circumstances see alibi.  So the Commissioner seimed in a manner set to afront the Advocats.

    [617] The proposal to abolish the Summer Session of the Court and add a
        month to the winter was made by the Commissioner in his speech,
        and argued before him in the Exchequer Chamber, where he decided
        against it.  The account of the matter given by Mackenzie
        (Memoirs, 222 sqq.) is curious and interesting.  In favour of
        the change it was argued that ’before men could settle at home
        after the Winter Session, they were called again to the Summer
        Session, so that their projects and designs were interrupted and
        ruined, and the months of June and July, which were the only
        pleasant months, and the only months wherein gardens and land
        could be improved, were spent in the most unwholsome and
        unpleasant town of Scotland [Edinburgh].’  Sir C. Campbell tried to
        revive the question in plain Parliament, but the Commissioner
        vetoed it.

In November 1672 died Mr. Andrew Beaton, Advocat, and brother to the Laird of Balfour.