THE BIRTH OF ALEXANDER JAFFRAY IN 1614, AND HIS EDUCATION AT ABERDEEN-1632: HIS MARRIAGE WITH JANE DUNE-HE SPENDS SOME TIME WITH ROBERT BURNET, ADVOCATE, IN EDINBURGH-TAKES A JOURNEY TO LONDON1633: ATTENDS THE CORONATION OF KING CHARLES THE FIRST AT EDINBURGH-TRAVELS TO FRANCE TWICE-1636: SETTLES AT ABERDEEN-HIS LIFELESS FORMALITY IN PRIVATE AND PUBLIC DUTIES-1644: THE DEATH OF HIS WIFE "SIR GEORGE GORDON," LAIRD OF HADDO, VIOLENTLY ASSAULTS AND IMPRISONS HIM FOR THE SPACE OF FIVE WEEKS.

THE way of God with me, before, as well as since my conversion, (if I may so speak,) hath been full of kindness and love:-he saw and loved me, while I was cast out and lying in my blood. Ezek xvi. 6.Being born at Aberdeen, in the month of July, 1614, I was bred at [the grammar] school there by my parents, and sometimes with my uncle [of] Pittodrie, and at Banchory under Gilbert Leslie, Mr. David Wederburne, Mr. Alexander Strachan, and Mr. Robert Dewine, as school-masters. This was the evil and inconvenience of these times to me, that occasioned my little profiting:-I had, through the indulgence of my parents, too much liberty, in being sent here and there, from school to school,-as also the little care of these men who had charge over me; some of them being openly scandalous, and none of them having much profession of religion, except Mr. Robert Dewine, and he having so little natural prudence, that he was not very capable to teach and educate children in the fear of God, nor yet careful, making

conscience of their education in letters.

My parents, -though in every thing they were most tender, and evidenced much love and respect to me,—yet, not being themselves much acquainted with the great advantage there is in breeding young ones timely in the fear of God, and keeping them closely and diligently at their studies,-in this they were some way deficient. And I am likely myself to fall into the same fault, which will be much more inexcusable in me than in them; their breeding being very different from mine, and especially considering the opportunities I have had, both at home and abroad.

Yet the goodness of my God was such, that all this while he was watching over me, so that I was preserved from falling into any scandalous, known sin. Having formerly some way expressed what I desire may be for ever kept upon my heart of other guiltiness, I shall say nothing of these here; my good God having pardoned them, I purpose not to give Satan advantage any more to accuse me of them. Only some few things I shall [revive,] wherein, as the goodness of God and his loving providence towards me may be remembered, so may I be made more and more sensible of my unthankfulness, and unanswerable walking to such mercies wonderful and rich deliverances!

Having spent divers years very idly, from the time of my first entry at the grammar-school, which was, as I suppose, about the ninth year of my age,-sometimes with my uncle [of] Pittodrie in the Gorioch, and in Buchan, where I had no occasion to learn any good thing, and for one year or two at the school in Banchory; by this unfixed and unsettled way of getting too much liberty, I lost much, especially in at

taining a knowledge of the Latin tongue. About the middle of the year 1631, being then about seventeen years of age, I came from the school in Banchory to the College, where, passing the first class, having made the manner to learn some Greek in Banchory, I entered to my logics under Mr. Hugh [or Howe] Gordon, regent, and Dr. Dune, then principal, who were both of them unfit for training up youths, so that I had no good example from them.

Having staid a short time in the College, and profited as little, I was, in the month of April, the last day thereof, in the year 1632, married to Jane Downe [or Dune,] being then eighteen years of age. It hath been sometimes thought upon, as a thing for which I owe much praise and thankfulness to God, when I consider, that the motives and ends of my parents in this marriage were not right, but carnal and worldly;— and so brutish and senseless was I, that I never minded nor sought God in the matter, but went on in blindness as they directed me, not ever considering the Lord's mind in it, nor the qualities of the person with whom I was to join. And yet, such was the goodness of my God unto me, that in this [engagement] he directed me well, whereas he might have made the circumstance a cross and curse to me; but it pleased him to bless it, giving me not only much contentment of a meek and quiet yoke-fellow, who, all the time of our being together, was very comfortable and pleasing to me;-even this, is matter of very great mercy, for which I ought to praise God. There was also more in it; for, I trust I have good grounds to say, that the seeds of grace in good measure were begun to be sown in her heart, -as her sober and Christian carriage during her life witnessed, but

more especially God's presence with her at her death, which hereafter I shall mention, as it occurs in the story of my being violently withdrawn at that time, and taken from her.

Some twenty days after my marriage, I went to Edinburgh, my father thinking fit to send me there for some time, where I staid the space of five or six weeks. And here I am obliged to remember, the kind respect I met with from my worthy friend Mr. Robert Burneit, [Burnet] advocate, who kept me much of that time in his house, where I had good occasion to hear and see some good things; not only to learn some things of the law and practice of the Tolbooth, but some things as to the practice of holiness and charity, especially of observing the Sabbath-day, for the neglect of which he ofttimes challenged and reproved me. [SEE APPENDIX, B.]

About the end of July, (I having come there in the beginning of June,) my father advertised me, that it was his purpose to send me, with Robert Skeine and Andrew Birnie, two merchants of Aberdeen, to London, to see the country; and desired me to make ready, against their coming to Edinburgh, to go with them. But I resolved, I would first see my wife; and presently came from Edinburgh to Aberdeen, where I staid only about the time of eight days, and so went for London. I went by the way of Leeds and Wakefield, and there had occasion to see the form of their buying of Yorkshire cloth. I staid at London only the space of twenty days or a month, and in September or thereabouts returned home.

In the month of January, 1633, the King being then to come to Edinburgh to be crowned, I went over and attended that ceremony. [SEE APPENDIX, C.]

In July thereafter I came home, my wife being, before my coming, brought to bed of her first son, called Alexander. Shortly thereafter, I went again to London, in company with Robert Skeine, Andrew Birnie, and George Jamieson. [SEE APPENDIX, D.] I staid some time longer, and.. ... on my return, went off the road, and visited the University of Cambridge by the way.

In September, 1634, I went to France; and there staid in Caen in Normandy, for the space of three months; in which time, I learnt so much of the French language, that I was able to travel without a guide. From Caen I went to Rouen, and from thence to Paris, where I staid for the space of two or three months; from thence I returned to Rouen, and so to Dieppe, and in the month of June I landed in Leith. In September thereafter I went again to France, and staid five or six months, most part of the time in [Neufchatel,] dispatching some

and had them with me, and made some

but to very little purpose. [SEE APPENDIX, E.] In these my two journeys to France, many things of the goodness and kind providence of God towards me, might have been observed. These few only, for the present, occur to my memory. I was wonderfully preserved by sea, both going and coming, and during my abode in the country :-and more especially was I preserved from the sins of drunkenness and [licentiousness,] whereunto there was there great provocation. Having so much liberty and a full purse, (for I wanted not [inclination] to spend, my nature being as perverse and vile as any,) and having these occasions of provocation administered, I have often since thought it a great mercy and wonder, that I was kept from

C