religious worship. It must be admitted that, with Presbyterians as well as with other denominations, "freedom of worship" sometimes meant freedom for their own church but not necessarily for other faiths.

Through the long years of persecution, there were intervals of relief for the Presbyterians—even times when they were in the ascendancy and did some oppression of their own. Their piety did not prevent them from enjoying life. They had their sports and recreation and found pleasure in music and literature.

Among the Houstons, the young loved and married and had a fruitful and congenial family life. Their pastimes included dancing, feasting and parlor games-excluding of course, drunkenness and lewd revelry. Young and old alike enjoyed lawn bowling, ice curling, fowling, gunning, tod-hunting (fox hunting), fishing and other activities in vogue in the 17th century. Most of the ministers enjoyed some forms of sports themselves and encouraged their parishioners to engage in wholesome activities.

The Lowland Scots had an appreciation for good music but could not abide the Highlanders’ bagpipes which reminded them of ruthless foes and cattle thieves. James K. Hewison, in "The Covenanters," says: "The Scots loved the harp, the harpsichord, the viol and the flute, and still more the sweet voices that sang those martial ballads and love lyrics which still charm the dainty ear."

It may come as a surprise to some that the "sweet voices" belonged to some of the Houstons. The writer Hewison continues: "Simon, the master of Lovat [in Inverness-shire], ‘had a wonderful fancy for musick, variety of which he had still by him, the harp, virginels [a type of harpsichord], base and trible viol in concert’." Frequent attendants at Lord Simon’s musicales were Mr. John Houston and his son, Mr. Thomas, who were described as "great musicians, vocal and instrumental." 1

Mr. John Houstoun was minister of the parish of Warcllaw. He was a Covenanter of considerable prominence and served as a member of the famous 1638 Presbyterian Assembly at Glasgow during the reign of Charles I. This was the National Assembly in which the historic Covenant was adopted which set up Presbyterianism in place of Episcopacy as the state religion— an act which led to war with the king.

l James King Hewison, The Covcnanters (Glasgow, 1908), Vol. ii, p. 103.