Biographia Scoticana (Scots Worthies) Part 44

N. B. It has been thought somewhat strange, that the posterity of such ancient and religious families as this and Earlstoun should be now extinct in their houses and estates. But this needs be no paradox; for the condition of the covenant or promise of property and dignity is,--_if thy children will keep my covenant and testimony, their children shall also sit upon thy throne for ever, and shall return unto the Lord thy G.o.d, and obey his voice; thy G.o.d will bring them unto the land which thy fathers possessed, and thou shall possess it._ Now the contrary practices must produce the contrary effects: and upon none more remarkable than those who apostatize from the profession, principles and piety of their ancestors. It is said, that Sir Thomas Gordon of Earlstoun fell into a profligate and irreligious life. And for Donald Ker, he fell in with king William, and was killed at the battle of Steinkirk in Flanders, 1692. And for John Crawford (alias Ker) who married his sister, and with her the estate of Kersland, he got a patent to be a rogue, _patrem sequitur sua proles_, from Queen Ann and her ministry, by virtue of which, he feigned himself sometimes a Jacobite, and sometimes an old dissenter, or Cameronian, (as he calls them) unto whom he gives high encomiums. What correspondences he might have with some of these who had been officers in the Angus regiment I know not; but it is evident from the minute of the general meeting that he was never admitted into the community, or secrets of the genuine old dissenters: for, though he attended one or more of their meetings, yet he was refused, and so could never influence them to publish any of their declarations. But more of this, if the Lord will, elsewhere on another occasion.

The reader will find the above mentioned patent on the frontispiece of his memoirs: And what satisfaction he himself had in this dirty work and wicked courses in the courts interest, as he himself calls it, and how he was by them repaid as he deserved, in these memoirs, from page 31 to 81, &c.

[183] It appears that it was about this time, that he resolved to go over to Holland, but we have no certain account where or what time he stayed there; but from the sequel of the following account it could not be long.

[184] See Walker's remarkable pa.s.sages of the life of Mr. Cargil, &c.

page 8.

[185] The first of these was clearly verified in the case of lord Rothes, and the second was verified in the remembrance of many yet alive. (1.) Every person knoweth that Charles II. was poisoned. (2.) His brother the duke of York died at St Germains in France. (3.) The duke of Monmouth was executed at London. (4.) The duke of Lauderdale turned a belly G.o.d, and died on the chamber-box. (5.) The duke of Rothes died raving under the dreadful terror of that sentence, &c. (6.) b.l.o.o.d.y Sir George MacKenzie died at London, and all the pa.s.sages of his body running blood. (7.) General Dalziel died with a gla.s.s of wine at his mouth in perfect health. See Walker's remarks, page 10.

[186] About this time the Gibbites were all taken and imprisoned in the tolbooth and correction house of Edinburgh, but, by the duke of York and his faction, were soon liberated; after which the four men and two women went west to the Frost moss, betwixt Airth and Stirling, where they burnt the Holy Bible, every one of them using expressions at that horrid action which are fearful to utter.

[187] To these two men he said, If I be not under a delusion, (for that was his ordinary way of speaking of things to come) the French and other foreigners with some unhappy men in this land, will be your stroke: it will come at such a nick of time when one of these nations will not be in a capacity to help another. For me, I am to die shortly by the hand of those murderers, and shall not see it, I know not how the Lord's people will endure it that have to meet with it; but the foresight and forethought of it make me tremble. And then, as if it had been to himself, he said, Short but very sharp.

[188] Sometimes he ran on foot, having lost several horses in his remarkable escapes, one of which was shot under him at Linlithgow-bridge.

[189] The week before he was taken, he married two persons; and being in the Leewood, John Weir and his wife brought him his dinner. Being pressed to eat, he said, Let me alone, I cannot be pressed: for I took not that meal of meat these 30 years but I could have taken as much when I rose up as when I sat down. Vide Walk. Relation, page 45.

[190] See his examination and answers at large in Wodrow's history Vol.

II. page 184.

[191] Vid Walker in his remarkable pa.s.sages, &c.

[192] See a more full account of this in Wilton's impartial relation of Bothwel-bridge, page 13. &c.

[193] The reader will find an account of these their transactions in their own register now published of late, under the t.i.tle of Faithful Contendings displayed, &c.

[194] What relates to this worthy, I have extracted from the account of his life wrote by himself when in prison yet in ma.n.u.script; what concerns his trial and martyrdom, I have collected from history and other writings.

[195] {illegible} he says they saw a remarkable flash of fire the elements seeming as it were to open and then to close again.

[196] In his narrative he condescends upon four different times he apprehended he heard or saw the enemy; the last of which he was in company with another returning from a sermon. But I forbear to relate these as I did with a late instance in the life of Mr. Cargil lest they should seem incredible in this sceptical age.

[197] I have been more full in relating the way and manner of this skirmish, as it is omitted, so far as I can learn, in the histories of the sufferings of the church of Scotland.

[198] This seems to have been the skirmish at Bewly bog only mentioned in history.

[199] Whether this was Mr Law after the revolution minister at Edinburgh, Mr. Hutcheson or another, I can not say.

[200] Probably this was R. Garnock, who though a private man, was honoured of the Lord to be a public witness, which was most galling to them.

[201] N. B. The faithful and pious Mr. Renwick was present, and much affected at this execution: after which he a.s.sembled some friends, and lifted their bodies in the night, and buried them in the West Kirk. They also got their heads down; but, day approaching, they could not make the same place but were obliged to turn aside to Lauriston's Yards (to whom one Alexander Tweedie then in company with them, was gardener) where they in a box interred them. The said gardener, it is said, planted a white rose-bush above them, and a red one below them a little; which proved more fruitful than any bushes in all the garden. This place being uncultivated for a considerable time, they lay till October 7th, 1728, that another gardener trenching the ground found them. They were lifted and by direction were laid on a table in the summer house of the proprietor; and a fair linen cloth cut out and laid upon them, where all had access to come and see them; where they beheld a hole in each head which the hangman broke with his hammer when he drove them on the pikes.

On the 19th, they were put in a full coffin covered with black, and by some friends, carried unto Gray-Friars church-yard, and interred near the martyr's tomb (being near forty-five years since their separation from their bodies) they were re-buried on the same day Wednesday, and about four o'clock afternoon the same time that at first they went to their resting place: and attended, says one present, "with the greatest mult.i.tude of people old and young men and women, ministers and others, that ever I saw together." And there they ly awaiting a glorious resurrection on the morning of the last day, when they shall be raised up with more honour, than at their death they were treated with reproach and ignominy.

[202] Some accounts bear that Naphtali was wrote by him, but Wodrow says otherwise.

[203] So says the history of the civil wars, page 186. The history of Montrose's wars, or memoirs of his life, page 12{illegible}.; and his letters to the covenanters, appendix, page 49.

[204] Although Montrose got off at this time, yet when he made another insurrection _anno_ 1650, he was fought and routed by a few troops under the command of the forementioned colonels Strahan, Hacket and Ker, and he himself taken afterwards in the land of a.s.sen's, bound and brought to Edinburgh, where he was by the parliament condemned to be hanged May 21st, on a gallows thirty feet high, three hours s.p.a.ce, his head to be cut off and placed on the tolbooth, and his legs and arms to be hanged up in other public towns of the kingdom, which was executed accordingly.

See the history of the civil wars, page 30. Montrose's memoirs, page {illegible}, &c.

[205] Blair's memoirs, page 113.

[206] See this engagement in Cromwel's life.

[207] See a more full account of the battle in Wodrow's history, vol. 1.

page 250, &c.

[208] Their sword or short shabble yet remains, and may now be seen in the hands of the publisher of this collection. It was then by his progenitors, counted to have twenty eight gaps in its edge, which made them afterwards observe that there were just as many years in the time of the persecution, as there were steps or broken pieces in the edge thereof.

[209] Hebrews xi. 57, 58.

[210] Wilson's history of Bothwel-bridge, page 41.

[211] This house and family was always a harbour and succour to our late sufferers both gentlemen, ministers and private Christians; for which, after this and their non conformity to prelacy, they were not only harra.s.sed, pilaged and plundered to the number of ten or twelve times during that period, but also both the said James Howie the possessor, and John Howie his son, was by virtue of a proclamation, May 5th, 1689, declared rebels, their names inserted in the fugitive roll, and put up on the parish church-doors, whereby they were exposed to close hiding, in which they escaped many imminent dangers, and yet were so happy as to survive the revolution at last, yet never acceded to the revolution church, &c. But the said James Howie, when dying, Nov. 1691, emitted a latter will or testimony, wherein he not only gave good and satisfying evidence of his own well being, and having interest in Jesus Christ, but also gave a most faithful testimony to Scotland's covenanted work of reformation, and that in all the parts and periods thereof.

[212] In the time of this, or another plunder shortly after this, some of the soldiers burnt the Bible in the fire in a most audacious manner.

[213] This seems to have been when he made a tour through Ayr-shire to Galloway: a little after they were surprized by the enemy on a fast day, near Loudon hill, upon May 5th 1681.

[214] Mr. Wodrow's history, Vol. II.

[215] The reader may consult his last speech, which is at full in the cloud of witnesses.

[216] Here it was commonly said, that after the enemy went off at the first, they met with two persons one of whom told them, They were good seekers but ill finders; or somewhat to that purpose, which made them return. It has also been said, that one of their men confessed this at his death. However this be, people could not help observing that not many years ago three of the offspring of the other person blamed lost their lives by fire near the same place where these three gallant martyrs were killed. Whether it had any reference to that, G.o.d knoweth, I shall not, can not determine. Only we may say, _The Lord is known by the judgment he executeth_, Psal. ix. 16.

[217] This John Gemmel was brother to the martyr, and being lying of a fever in a house in the same parish, called Derwholling, he was that day apprehended by some of the same party, together with the goodman of the house Thomas Wylie, and his son William Wylie for reset. They were all taken to Ayr, where the said Thomas Wylie died. While in Ayr, it is said, this John Gemmel dreamed one night that he should be banished, and his fellow-sufferer Hardhill should be hanged: which accordingly came to pa.s.s.--They were taken to Edinburgh and examined, and the foresaid William Wylie was required to take the oath of allegiance, but refused.

They ordered him to take the test. This he refused also. They asked his reasons. He said, He had taken more oaths already than he had well kept, and if there should come a change of government, where stood he then?

Bishop Paterson's brother came, and clapping his hands on his shoulder said, Thomas, as sure as G.o.d is in the heavens, you'll never see a change of government. But in this he proved a false prophet. However, he and John Gemmel were, with eleven more banished to Barbadoes, and sold for slaves there, where they continued for about three years, and at last purchased their liberty and returned home at the Revolution. The first known person they saw, after their landing at Irvine, was lieutenant Nisbet, by whom they had been apprehended; and of whom see more in the appendix.

[218] According to Mr. Wodrow he was sometime also precentor at Finwick.

See the History, Vol. I. page 443.

[219] Wodrow's History, Vol. I. page 235.

[220] Walker, in his eighth additional pa.s.sage, &c. says, That he was in Ireland in the year 1670.; but of this we have no farther ac-{footnote truncated}

[221] In an old copy there are these words. "In the hands of a few who shall have neither magistrate nor minister among them, who shall be sore despised and undervalued of all, &c." Whether this alteration proceeds from different informations or from partiality is hard to determine, only it is affirmed that the author of these pa.s.sages was then amongst that party who had neither magistrate nor minister at that time; Or at least was not in full communication with any party, if it was not those adhering to Mr. Hepburn.

[222] The foresaid old copy says, This was within two hours of his death.

[223] Renwick's life wrote by Mr. Shields, page 99.

[224] Some have doubted of the certainty of this interview; however, there is no seeming improbability in it, nor does it make any thing to the disparagement of either Mr. Peden, or Mr. Renwick.

[225] After this (says Patrick Walker) that troop of dragoons came to quarter in Cambusnethen, two of them were quartered in the house of James Gray (one of his acquaintance) and being frighted in their sleep, they started up and clapped their hands, crying, Peden, Peden. These two dragoons affirmed, That out of their curiosity they opened his coffin to see his corps, and yet they had no smell, though he had been forty days dead.

[226] John Ker of Kersland, in his memoirs, page 8 where he adds, that when some people were going to join Argyle in 1685, Mr. Peden after a short e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.i.o.n, bid them stop, for Argyle was fallen a sacrifice that minute. Some taking out their watches marked the time, which accordingly answered his being taken.