10 DIARY OF PATRICK GORDON. [1653 conceit that this fellow had brought me out of the way, and intended to

Passages from the diary of General Patrick Gordon of Auchleuchries : A.D. 1635-A.D. 1699"

10 DIARY OF PATRICK GORDON. [1653

conceit that this fellow had brought me out of the way, and intended to
lead me into that wood, and there to murtlier me for my cloaths, or any-
thino- also he thought to find by me. This conceit of myn strongly encreas-
ing wee came to a little house, where he asked me if I would drink any
beer. I told him I had no money ; so he calling for beer, I took out my
purse, wherein were seven or eight grosses, all in small shillings, which I
on purpose shewed him, telling him it was all I had to bring me to Dant-
zick. I called for small beer for two shillings, which, haveing drunk, my
guide and fellow traveller, whom I would have very faine been ridd of if I
could, brought me on a way towards the left hand, and by and by to a
village.

Wee went into the inne, where my fellow traveller called for beer, and
I for small beer ; wherat the landlady wondering, was satisfyed at last by
the information she received from the fellow that cam with me. At my
comeing in, I saw, in the other roome, a fellow standing befor a pack,
measuring of lawn ; and haveing heard m Brawnsberg that there were
diverse Scottishmen who used this kind of trade in Prussia, I began to
suspect this w^as a countreyman. The landlady understanding that I
could speak no Dutch, nor Polls either, called out this packman, who have-
ing asked me something in Dutch, and receiving my usuall answer, that I
understood no Dutch, he asked me what contreyman I was. I told him a
Scotishman. Then asking me, very confidently, from whence I came,
whither I was going, what course of life I intended to take, and why I
travelled in company of that fellow (whom he knew, as he said, to be a
robber, and wondring that I had travelled so farr with him unrobbed), he
told me, if I had a mind for Dautzick, I should go along with him to his
house, which was but a mile off, and stay three or foure dayes, and he would
take me upon a waggon to Dantzick. I answered to every thing as circum-
spectly as I could, and thanked him for his kind profer, telling him I must
be precisely in Dantzick the next day. He urged my going along with him,
and the mor he urged, the mor jealous I was that he had some designe upon
me ; and so, shifting him fairely off, I made ready to be gone. My coun-
tryman diswaded me from going any farther with that fellow, but 1 told
him that I had found nothing in him as yet, and intended at night to hire a
waggon for the next day.

So wee went away together, and came to a house called Wcyershoffe,
and being sett downe in the inne, which is hard by, my fellow traveller told