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 and he killed some in cold blood, or rather in hot blood, for he was then drunk when he ordered one to be hanged because he would not tell where his father was for whom he was in search. When he heard of any that did not go to church, he did not trouble himself to put a fine upon him, but he set as many soldiers upon him as should eat him up in a night. By this means all people were struck with such a terror that they came regularly to church. And the clergy were so delighted with it that they used to speak of that time as the poets do of the golden age’ (, Own Time, ed. 1838, p. 161). Although such statements are often exaggerated, it must be borne in mind that Burnet was not biassed in favour of the covenanters. There can be no doubt that Dalyell had recourse to harsh methods of punishment, learnt when serving the czar. The peremptory fierceness of his manner and his violent threats were, however, frequently sufficiently effectual without resort to extreme measures. He was a plain, blunt soldier, desirous chiefly to perform his duty to his sovereign as efficiently as possible; and had no doubts of the justice of persecuting those who did not conform to the religion of all good royalists. ‘He was bred up very hardy from his youth,’ says Captain Creichton, ‘both in diet and clothing; he never wore a peruke, nor did he shave his beard since the murder of king Charles I. In my time his head was bald, which he covered only with a beaver hat, the brim of which was not above three inches broad. His beard was white and bushy, and yet reaching down almost to his girdle. He usually went to London once or twice a year, and then only to kiss the king's hand, who had a great esteem for his worth and valour’ (‘Memoirs of Captain John Creichton’ in Works, ed. Scott, vol. xii). The eccentric appearance of Dalyell no doubt excited the imaginations of the peasantry. He was reputed by them to be a wizard, in league with the satanic powers, and therefore bulletproof, the bullets having been seen plainly on several occasions to recoil from his person when discharged against him.

Relentless though Dalyell was against persistent nonconformists, his better feelings were easily touched through his royalist sentiments. When Captain John Paton of Meadowbank was about to be examined before the privy council, a soldier taunted him with being a rebel. ‘Sir,’ retorted Paton, ‘I have done more for the king perhaps than you have done—I fought for him at Worcester.’ ‘Yes, John, you are right—that is true,’ said Dalyell; and, striking the soldier with his cane, added, ‘I will teach you, sirrah, other manners than to abuse a prisoner such as this.’ A less pleasing illustration of Dalyell's choleric temper, manifested, however, under strong provocation, is given by Fountainhall. The covenanter Garnock having ‘at a committee of council railed on General Dalyell, calling him a Muscovian beast, who used to roast men, the general struck him with the pommel of his shable on the face till the blood sprung’ (Historical Notices, 332). Another act of severity recorded by Fountainhall was doubtless attributable to his sensitive regard for royalty. During the Duke of York's visit to Edinburgh in 1681 a sentinel was found asleep at the gates of the abbey of Holyrood when the Duke of York passed, upon which Dalyell immediately condemned him to be shot, his life only being spared through the intervention of the duke (Historical Observes, 28).

Dalyell, after the action of Rullion Green, was created a privy councillor, being sworn 3 Jan. 1667. He also obtained various forfeited estates, including those of Mure of Caldwell, which remained in the possession of the Dalyells till after the revolution. From 1678 till his death he represented his native county of Linlithgow in parliament. His self-esteem was deeply wounded by the apparent slight put upon his services through the appointment of the Duke of Monmouth as commander-in-chief in June 1679, and, having refused to serve under him, he was not present at the battle of Bothwell Bridge. Charles II, who always regarded his eccentricities with good-humoured indulgence, and usually addressed him familiarly as ‘Tom Dalyell,’ salved, however, his wounded feelings by issuing a new commission reappointing him commander-in-chief, with the practical control of the forces, the appointment of the Duke of Monmouth, who was styled lord-general by the privy council, remaining chiefly nominal. With this commission Dalyell arrived shortly after the close of the battle, and at once took prompt measures for the apprehension of the fugitives. On account of representations made to the king of the necessity of more stringent measures against the covenanters, Dalyell was on 6 Nov. declared commander-in-chief of the forces in Scotland, ‘and only to be accountable and judgeable by his majesty himself, for he would not accept otherwise’ (, Historical Notices, 243). He was also appointed a commissioner of justiciary, with the advice of nine others, to execute justice on such as had been at Bothwell Bridge (ib. 264). On Christmas day, 1680, learning that the students of Edinburgh University intended to burn an effigy of the pope, Dalyell marched his troops from