joining in every thing they said in condemnation of the streets;
telling them, at the same time, that the improvement of the causey
was to be the very first object and care of my provostry. And I
bade Mrs Pawkie bring in the wine decanters, and requested them to
sit down with me and take a glass of wine and a sugar biscuit; the
civility of which, on my part, soon brought them into a peaceable
way of thinking, and they went away, highly commanding my politess
and hospitality, of which they spoke in the warmest terms, to their
companion when they returned to the inns, as the waiter who attended
them overheard, and told the landlord, who informed me and others of
the same in the morning. So that on the Saturday following, when
the town-council met, there was no difficulty in getting a minute
entered at the sederunt, that the crown of the causey should be
forthwith put in a state of reparation.

Having thus gotten the thing determined upon, I then proposed that
we should have the work done by contract, and that notice should be
given publicly of such being our intent. Some boggling was made to
this proposal, it never having been the use and wont of the
corporation, in time past, to do any thing by contract, but just to
put whatever was required into the hands of one of the council, who
got the work done in the best way he could; by which loose manner of
administration great abuses were often allowed to pass unreproved.
But I persisted in my resolution to have the causey renewed by
contract; and all the inhabitants of the town gave me credit for
introducing such a great reformation into the management of public
affairs.

When it was made known that we would receive offers to contract,
divers persons came forward; and I was a little at a loss, when I