It has already been mentioned that Lauder’s later journals, when he came to chronicle public affairs and legal decisions, though they are full of graphic detail, contain little that is personal to himself.  The manuscripts here printed, besides giving a picture of a Scottish student’s life in France during the seventeenth century, include a narrative of his visits to London and Oxford on his return from abroad, his journey by coach and post from London to Edinburgh, and various expeditions in Fife, the Lothians, and the Merse, Glasgow, and the Clyde district, places where he had connections.  He travelled on horseback.  He kept one horse at this time, which appears in the Accounts.  Considering his evident relish for travelling, it is remarkable that in his long life he never seems to have left Scotland after his return in 1667, though many of his more political brethren at the bar were constantly on the road between Edinburgh and Whitehall.

He kept his accounts with great care.  There were no banks, and his method was to account for each sum which he received, detailing how it was spent in dollars, merks, shillings sterling and Scots, pennies, etc.  We have both his accounts during his period of travel, which are included in the first manuscript, and those during the years 1670 to 1675.  From the latter copious extracts are given, and they are informatory as to the prices of commodities, and the mode of life of a young lawyer recently married.  There was settled on him by his father in his marriage contract an annuity of 1800 merks (L100), secured on land.  His wife’s marriage portion was 10,000 merks (about L555), half of it paid up and invested, the remainder bearing interest at 6 per cent.  His ‘pension’ as one of the assessors of the burgh was L12 (sterling).  His house-rent was L20 (sterling):  in one place it is stated a little higher; and he sublet the attics and basement.  The wages of a woman servant was nearly L2 (sterling).  We find the prices of cows, meal, ale, wine, clothing, places at theatres, etc., the cost of travelling by coach, posting, fare in sailing packet to London and so on.

  [Sidenote:  H.O. 137.]

  [Sidenote:  Genealogical Roll.]

There are many illustrations throughout Lauder’s manuscripts of the poverty of Scotland, relatively not only to the present time but to England.  The official salary of a judge before the Union was L200, and it only reached that figure during his lifetime.  Some time after the Union it was raised to L500.  On the appointment of the Earl of Middleton as joint Secretary of State for England with Sunderland, in place of Godolphin, Lauder notes, ’This was the Dutchesse of Portsmouth’s doing, and some thought Midleton not wise in changing (tho it be worth L5000 sterling a year, and 3 or 4 years will enrich on), for envy follows greatnesse as naturally as the shadow does the body, and the English would sooner bear a Mahometan for ther Secretar than a Scot, only