▁Epis cop ali ans ▁Smith ▁and ▁Bruce , ▁Adam ▁was ▁a ▁Pres by ter ian ▁Wh ig , ▁in ▁a ▁time ▁of ▁Wh ig ▁dom ination ▁of ▁the ▁British ▁government . ▁Scottish ▁Epis cop ali ans ▁were ▁associated ▁with ▁Jacob it ism , ▁and ▁as ▁such ▁found ▁little ▁favour ▁with ▁the ▁r uling ▁Han over ian ▁regime . ▁Sir ▁William ▁Bruce , ▁for ▁example , ▁was ▁imprison ed ▁on ▁at ▁least ▁three ▁occasions ▁between ▁ 1 6 9 3 ▁and ▁his ▁death ▁in ▁ 1 7 1 0 , ▁merely ▁on ▁account ▁of ▁his ▁principles . ▁Adam ' s ▁belief s ▁were ▁much ▁more ▁acceptable , ▁although ▁he ▁did ▁manage ▁to ▁maintain ▁relations ▁with ▁the ▁ex iled ▁Jacob ite , ▁and ▁amateur ▁architect , ▁John ▁Er sk ine , ▁Earl ▁of ▁Mar . ▁Adam ' s ▁political ▁st ance ▁allowed ▁him ▁to ▁ac quire ▁influ ential ▁pat rons ▁such ▁as ▁John ▁Dal ry m ple , ▁ 2 nd ▁Earl ▁of ▁St air , ▁and ▁Sir ▁John ▁C ler k ▁of ▁Pen ic u ik , ▁who , ▁besides ▁being ▁his ▁clients , ▁attempted ▁to ▁secure ▁government ▁positions ▁and ▁contract s ▁for ▁him . ▁For ▁example , ▁Sir ▁John ▁C ler k ▁un success fully ▁proposed ▁Adam ▁for ▁city ▁architect ▁under ▁the ▁" T own ▁of ▁Edinburgh ▁Bill ", ▁which ▁would ▁have ▁seen ▁him ▁over see ing ▁new ▁public ▁works ▁in ▁the ▁capital . ▁In ▁ 1 7 2 7 , ▁St air ▁tried , ▁again ▁un success fully , ▁to ▁have ▁Adam