from those that either can not, or will not help them: And yet can hardly be perswaded to go to a most profitable, fertile and fafe Countrey, where they may have every thing that is either necessary, profitable or pleafant for the life of Man, with very little pains and industry; The Woods and Plains are stored with infinite quantities of Deer and Rae, Elcks, Beaver, Hares, Cunnies, wild Swine, and Horses, &c. and Wild-honey in great abundance: The Trees abound with feveral forts of Wine-grapes, Peaches, Apricoks, Chastnuts, Walnuts, Plumbs, Mulberries, &c. The Sea and Rivers with Fishes, the Banks with Oysters, Clams, &c. Yea, the Soil is fo excellent and fertile, that the Meadows naturally produce plenty of Straberries, Purpy, and many more tender Plants, which will hardly grow here in Gardens: Wheat, Ry, Barley, Oats, Peafe and Beans, &c. when fown yields ordinarly 20. and fometimes 30. fold Increase, and Indian-Corn, which is a Grain both wholesome and pleasant, yields ordinarly 150. and fometimes 200. fold: Sheep never miss to have two Lambs at a time, and for the most part three, and these Lambs have generally as many the next year: The Winter lasts not ordinarly above two moneths; and one Mans ordinary Labour will with ease and plenty, maintain a Family of ten or twelve Perfons; It was no wonder then that Ogilvie in his New-Atlas, calls this place the Garden of the World, and the Terrestrial Paradife: Why then should our Countreymen, in spite of those and many other Incouragements, be detained at home, either upon no ground at all, or upon fuch frivolous fcruples and objections as these are.

First, they alleadge that it is a long and dangerous Voyage thither! To which it is answered, that ordinarly it is not above 6. or 7. Weeks failing from Scotland, which in a good Ship, well Victualled, and with good Company in the Summer time, is rather a pleasant Divertisement then a Trouble or Toyl, and it is certainly more dangerous to fail from Leith to London or Holland, then to New-East-Jersy.

Next, they say there is no Company to be had there save Barbarians, Woods and Wilderness! To which it is answered, that this is a great mistake, for this Countrey has been Peopled and Planted these several years by gone, so that Horses, Oxon, Cows, Sheep, Hogs, &c. are to be fold almost as cheap there as in Scotland, and furely they are much better being all of the English kinds. Nor are the Woods there any thing so wild and inhofpitable as the Mountains here; Savage Beasts there are none fave Wolfes, and those are only enemies to Sheep: The Natives are very few, and easily overcome, but these simple, serviceable Creatures, are rather an help and Incouragement, then any ways hurtful or troublesome: and there can be no want of Company, feing there are many thousands of Scots, English, and others living there already, and many more constantly going over, and this Summer there are several Gentlemen going from Scotland, fuch as David Toshach of Monyvard, with his Lady and Family, James Johnston of Spoteswood, Kenith Mackenzie younger of Kildin, Captain Patrick Macgreiger, Robert and Thomas Fullertons, Brothers German to the Laird of Kinaber, and John Barclay, Brother German to the Laird of Vrie, William Robison, Doctor of Medicine, and many others, who are all Perfons of good quality and Estates, and go not out of neceffity, but choice.

Lastly, they object that far fetcht Fowls have fair Feathers, and they do not believe the truth of half what is Written and Spoken in Commendation of these Countreys! To which it is anfwered, they may as easily deny the truth of every thing which they have not feen with their own Eyes, for all these things are as verily true, as that there is any fuch pleasant Countrey as France, Italy, Spain, &c. The things being matter of Fact, are Confirmed by Letters from Persons of undoubted Credit, living on the place, and by certain Information of many Eye-witnesses, who having once been there, can never after be induced to live in Scotland, nor can it be reasonably imagined that the Persons above-written are all Fools, to be imposed upon by lies and Fancies; on the contrary, there are none (fave those that are wife in their own Eyes, but are really Ignorant) that are not undenyably convinced of the excellency of the Design. Let but fuch as condemn it be so just as first to hear it and know it, which they may easily do by applying to fome of the forefaid Persons, who can best inform them, and then if they think it not below them to be convinced, they will be forced to homologat.

VIVAT REX.

EXTRACTS

FROM THE ACTS AND PROCEEDINGS OF THE

PRESBYTERY OF HADDINGTON,

RELATING TO DR GILBERT BURNET,

AND THE LIBRARY OF THE KIRK OF SALTΟΝ.

M.DC.LXIV. - M.DC.LXIX.

DR GILBERT BURNET, Bishop of Salisbury, was born at Edinburgh on the 18th of September 1643. His family were connected with Aberdeen, and he received his education in Marischal College, having taken his degree as Master of Arts in the year 1657. He afterwards spent some time in England, and visited Holland and Paris. On his return to Scotland, the Church of Salton in East Lothian having for some time been vacant, Burnet, through the influence of Sir Robert Fletcher, obtained a presentation from the King, and letters from the Bishop of Edinburgh requiring the Presbytery of Haddington to admit him to his examination. Before his induction, however, on the 29th of January 1665, he was called upon to lament the death of his friend and patron. He soon afterwards published "A Difcourse on the memory of that rare and truly virtuous person, Sir Robert Fletcher of Saltoun: who died the 13 of January last, in the thirty-ninth year of his age. Written by a Gentleman of his acquaintance. Edinburgh, printed by a Society of Stationers, Anno Dom. 1665." 12mo. pp. ix. 180. This little volume, the earliest of Burnet's publications, is anonymous; and, in his address to the Reader, he calls it "the rude Effay of an unpolisht hand."

The following Extracts from the Presbytery Records of Haddington contain notices of Burnet during the period of his life, when, with great earnestness and assiduity, he filled the charge of a Parish Minister. In his turn he acted for a time as Presbytery Clerk, and the minutes are attested with his signature, of which the following is a facsimile :

G. Burnett CL-Lr:

On the 18th of November 1669, Burnet left Salton, having received an invitation to become Professor of Divinity in the University of Glasgow; but the history of his life is sufficiently well known, to render any further details unnecessary.