[His Allowance paid him out of the King’s Store-houses.] For some years together after I removed to my own House from Laggen denny, the People from whence I came continued my allowance that I had when I lived among them.  But now in plain Terms they told me they could give it me no more, and that I was better able to live without it than they to give it me.  Which tho I knew to be true, yet I thought not fit to loose that Portion of Allowance, which the King was pleased to allot me.  Therefore I went to Court and appealed to the Adigar to whom such matters did belong.  Who upon consideration of the Peoples poor condition, appointed me monthly to come to him at the Kings Palace for a Ticket to receive my Allowance out of the King’s Store-houses.

Hereby I was brought into a great danger, out of which I had much ado to escape, and that with the loss of my Allowance for ever after.  I shall relate the manner of it in the next Chapter.

CHAP.  VIII.

How the Author had like to have been received into the Kings Service, and what means he used to avoid it.  He meditates and attempts an escape, but is often prevented.

[He voluntarily forgoes his pension.] This frequent Appearance at the Court, and waiting there for my Tickets, brought me to be taken notice of by the Great men:  insomuch that they wondered I had been all this while forgotten, and never been brought before the King, being so fit, as they would suppose me, for his use and service, saying, That from henceforward I should fare better than that Allowance amounted to, as soon as the King was made acquainted with me.  Which words of theirs served instead of a Ticket, Whereupon fearing I mould suddainly be brought in to the King, which thing I most of all feared, and least desired, and hoping that out of sight might prove out of mind, I resolved to forsake the Court, and never more to ask for Tickets, especially seeing God had dealt so bountifully with me as to give me ability to live well enough without them.  As when Israel had eaten of the Corn of the Land of Canaan, the Manna ceased; so when I was driven to forego my Allowance that had all this while sustained me in this wilderness, God otherways provided for me.

[Summoned before the King.] From this time forward to the time of my Flight out of the Land, which was five years.  I neither had nor demanded any more Allowance, and glad I was that I could escape so.  But I must have more trouble first.  For some four or five days after my last coming from Court, there came a Soldier to me, sent from the Adigar, with an Order in writing under his hand, that upon sight thereof I should immediatly dispatch and come to the Court to make my personal appearance before the King and in case of any delay, the Officers of the Countrey, were thereby Authorized and Commanded to assist the Bearer, and to see the same Order speedily performed.

The chief occasion of this had been a Person, not long before my near Neighbour and Acquaintance, Oua Matteral by name, who knew my manner of Life, and had often been at my House; but now was taken in and employed at Court; and he out of friendship and good will to me was one of the chief Actors in this business, that he might bring me to Preferment at Court.