Procedure: petition, 31 December 1696, Edinburgh

Att Edinburgh the Fifth day of May J^aj vj^c nyntie six years

A1696/5/6

A1696/5/6¹

Act

Liberation Lord Drumcairne

Anent the petition given In to the Lords of his Majesties privie Councell By Sir John Murray of Drumcairne Sheuing That the petitioner was formerly under baile To ansuer when called And therafter made prisoner for severall months and then Confyned and upon the first of June Last He was againe Committed to the Castle of Edinburgh wher he hes remained ever since To the Great prejudice of his health and extream hurt and damnage of his privat affairs But what most afflicts him is the Condition of his only son a Boy of thretteen years of age who though otherwayes appears abundantly Lively and of a manly spirit and very docile yet Cannot speak Though he demonstrats that he hears very small sounds and noises and that the fault is not in the tongue yet articulat voices does not reach him And remedies heir having been used but still uneffectuall And the petitioner being Informed from very good hands that ther is att Oxfoord one Doctor Wallace who was Clerk to the Assembly at Westminster being now Eightie years of age and is presently professor of Geometry at Oxfoord who hes made severall persons speak who heard none only by bringing them to observe the sundrie openings of his mouth when he pronunced the is different Letters and hes been very successfull in making these who Cannot speak wryte their thoughts fullie and perfectly as he Did this Last year to ane English heir And the petitioner being very anxious to try his sone at Oxfoord uith the said Doctor Wallace and that he must necessarly attend him not only to see the Cure effectual but to Interpret the boy and obleidge him to yeild to what the Doctor shall order which none else can doe And now because the petitioners present Imprisonment This so Christian and fatherly duety Cannot be performed uithout their Lordships Grant warrand for that effect And the petitioner Having aluayes Lived peacably and quietly uith all submission to the present Government under his Majestie King William And is Content upon his being sett at Libertie and alloued to goe to Oxfoord To the effect above narraited To find sufficient Caution not only to Live peacably in tyme coming but to ansuer when Called And Therfore Humblie Craving their Lordships out of pity to the poor boy and the petitioners Circumstances To take the premisses to their serious Consideratione And to Grant warrand for setting the petitioner at freedome and Libertie And to allow him to goe uith his son to Oxfoord to the effect abovementioned as the said petitione Bears The saids Lords of his Majesties privie Councell Having Considered this petitione given in to them by the said Sir John Murray of Drumcairn They heirby Recommend to the Earle of Leven Governor of the Castle of Edinburgh and In his absence Gives order and warrand to the nixt Commanding office ther To sett the petitioner at Libertie furth therof And heirby Confynes the petitioner to the toune of Edinburgh and tuo myles about the same In respect He hath Given bond and found sufficient Cautione acted in the books of privy Councell That Immediatly after his Liberatione he shall repair to the place of his Confynment and shall remaine Confyned therat and not goe uithout the bounds of the same And that he shall Live peacably under and uith all submission to the present Government of his Majestie King William And that he shall not Act Consult nor Contrive any thing in prejudice therof nor shall not Converss or correspond uith any rebells And that he shall appear before the saids Lords when Called for under the penaltie of five hundreth pounds Sterling In caise He shall transgress in any pairt of the premisses