LXIV. 1668. CHAP. not fo much as made: But as fast as information was given in against any man, he was marked down for a particular fine: And all was tranfacted in a fecret committee. When the lift was read in parliament, exceptions were made to feveral: Some had been under age during the civil wars; feme had been abroad. But it was ftill replied, that a proper time would come, when every man fhould be heard in his own defence. The only intention, it was faid, of fetting the fines was, that fuch persons should have no benefit by the act of indemnity, unless they paid the fum demanded: Every one that chofe to ftand upon his innocence, and renounce the benefit of the indemnity, might do it at his peril. It was well known, that no one would dare fo far to fet at defiance fo arbitrary an administration. The king wrote to the council, ordering them to fuperfede the levying of thofe fines: But Middleton found means, during fome time, to elude thefe orders *. And at last, the king obliged his minifters to compound for half the fums which had been impofed. In all these transactions, and in moft others, which paffed during the prefent reign, we ftill find the moderating hand of the king, interpofed to protect the Scots from the oppreffions which their own countrymen, employed in the miniftry, were defirous of exercifing over them. BUT the chief circumftance, whence were derived all the fubfequent tyranny and diforders in Scotland, was the execution of the laws for the establishment of epifcopacy; a mode of government, to which a great part of the nation had entertained an unfurmountable averfion. The rights of patrons had for fome years been abolished; and the power of electing minifters had been vested in the kirk-feffion, and lay elders. It was now enacted, that all incumbents, who had been admitted upon this title, fhould * Burnet, p. 201. receive LXIV. 1668. receive a presentation from the patron, and should CHA P. be instituted anew by the bishop, under the penalty of deprivation. The more rigid prefbyterians concerted measures among themfelves, and refufed obedience: They imagined, that their number would protect them. Three hundred and fifty parishes, above a third of the kingdom, were at once declared vacant. The western counties chiefly were obstinate in this particular. New minifters were fought for all over the kingdom; and no one was fo ignorant or vicious as to be rejected. The people, who loved extremely and respected their former teachers; men remarkable for the feverity of their manners, and their fervor in preaching; were inflamed against these intruders, who had obtained their livings under fuch invidious circumftances, and who took no care, by the regularity of their manners, to often the prejudices entertained against them. Even most of those, who retained their livings by compliance, fell under the imputation of hypocrify, either by their fhewing a difguft to the new model of ecclefiaftical government, which they had acknowledged; or, on the other hand, by declaring that their former abhorrence to prefbytery and the covenant had been the refult of violence and neceffity. And as Middleton and the new miniftry indulged themselves in great riot and diforder, to which the nation had been little accustomed, an opinion univerfally prevailed, that any form of religion, offered by fuch hands, must be profane and impious. THE people, notwithstanding their difcontents, were refolved to give no handle against them, by the least symptom of mutiny or fedition: But this fubmiffive difpofition, instead of procuring a mitigation of the rigours, was made ufe of as an argument for continuing the fame measures, which, by their vigour, it was pretended, had produced fo prompt an obedience. The king, however, was disgusted CHAP. difgufted with the violence of Middleton; and he LXIV. made Rothes commiffioner in his place. 1668. This nobleman was already prefident of the council; and foon after was made lord keeper and treasurer. Lauderdale ftill continued fecretary of ftate, and commonly refided at London. AFFAIRS remained in a peaceable ftate, till the fevere law was made in England against conventicles. The Scottish parliament imitated that violence, by paffing a like act. A kind of high commiffion court was appointed by the privy-council, for executing this rigorous law, and for the direction of ecclefiaftical affairs. But even this court, illegal as it might be deemed, was much preferable to the method next adopted. Military force was let loose by the council. Wherever the people had generally forfaken their churches, the guards were quartered throughout the country. Sir James Turner commanded them, a man whofe natural ferocity of temper was often inflamed by the ufe of ftrong liquors. He went about, and received from the clergy lifts of those who abfented themselves from church, or were fuppofed to frequent conventicles. Without any proof or legal conviction, he demanded a fine from them, and quartered foldiers on the fuppofed delinquents, till he received payment. As an infurrection was dreaded during the Dutch war, new forces were levied, and intrufted to the command of Dalziel and Drummond; two officers, who had ferved the king during the civil wars, and had afterwards engaged in the fervice of Ruffia, where they had increased the native cruelty of their difpofition. A full career was given to their tyranny by the Scottish miniftry. Reprefentations were made to the king against thefe enormities. He feemed touched with the state of the country; and befides giving orders, that the ecclefiaftical commiffion fhould be difcontinued, he fig21664. * Burnet, p. 202. nified nified his opinion, that another way of proceeding CHAP. was neceffary for his fervice". LXIV. THIS lenity of the king's came too late to remedy | 1668. the disorders. The people, inflamed with bigotry and irritated by ill ufage, rofe in arms. They were inftigated by Guthry, Semple, and other preachers. They furprised Turner in Dumfries, and refolved to have put him to death; but finding, that his orders, which fell into their hands, were more violent than his execution of them, they spared his life. At Laneric, after many prayers, they renewed the covenant, and published their manifefto; in which they profeffed all fubmiffion to the king: They defired only the re-establishment of prefbytery and of their former minifters. As many gentlemen of their party had been confined on fufpicion; Wallace and Learmont, two officers, who had served, but in no high rank, were entrusted by the populace with the command. Their force never exceeded two thousand men; and though the country in general bore them favour, men's fpirits were fo fubdued, that the rebels could expect no farther acceffion of numbers. Dalziel took the field to oppose their progrefs. Their number was now diminished to 800; and thefe, having advanced near Edinburgh, attempted to find their way back into the weft by Pentland Hills. They were attacked by the king's forces. Finding that they could not efcape, they stopped their march. Their clergy endeavoured to infufe courage into them. After finging fome pfalms, the rebels turned on the enemy; and being affifted by the advantage of the ground, they received the firft charge very refolutely. But that was all the action: Immediately they fell into diforder, and fled for their lives. About forty were killed on the spot, and a hundred and thirty taken prifoners. The reft, favoured by a Burnet, p. 213. 28th November 1666. the CHAP. the night, and by the wearinefs, and even by the pity of the king's troops, made their escape. LXIV. 1668. Affairs of Ireland. THE oppreffions which thefe people had suffered, the delufions under which they laboured, and their inoffenfive behaviour during the infurrection, made them the objects of compaffion: Yet were the king's minifters, particularly Sharpe, refolved to take fevere vengeance. Ten were hanged on one gibbet at Edinburgh: Thirty-five before their own doors in different places. Thefe criminals might all have faved their lives, if they would have renounced the covenant. The executions were going on, when the king put a stop to them. He faid, that blood enough had already been fhed; and he wrote a letter to the privy-council, in which he ordered, that fuch of the prifoners as fhould fimply promife to obey the laws for the future, fhould be fet at liberty, and that the incorrigible should be fent to the plantations. This letter was brought by Burnet, archbishop of Glasgow; but not being immediately delivered to the council by Sharpe, the prefident, one Maccail had in the interval been put to the torture, under which he expired. He feemed to die in an ecstasy of joy. "Farewel fun, "moon, and stars; farewel world and time; fare"wel weak and frail body: Welcome eternity, "welcome angels and faints, welcome Saviour of "the world, and welcome God, the judge of all-!” Such were his laft words; and thefe animated fpeeches he uttered with an accent and manner, which ftruck all the byítanders with astonishment. THE fettlement of Ireland, after the restoration, was a work of greater difficulty than that of England, or even of Scotland. Not only the power, during the former ufurpations, had there been vefted in the king's enemies: The whole property, in a d Wodrow's History, vol. i. p. 255. manner, Burnet, p. 237. |