Ringan Gilhaize, or, The Covenanters

by John Galt

  CHAPTER XVII

  As my grandfather, in the grey of the morning, was waiting in theCanongate till the worship was over in the house of the Lord JamesStuart, he frequently rode up and down the street as far theLuckenbooths and the Abbey's sanctuary siver, and his mind was at timessmitten with the remorse of pity when he saw, as the dawn advanced, thenumbers of poor labouring men that came up out of the closes andgathered round the trone, abiding there to see who would come to hirethem for the day. But his compassion was soon changed into a frame ofthankfulness at the boundless variety of mercies which are dealt out tothe children of Adam, for he remarked, that, for the most part, thesepoor men, whose sustenance was as precarious as that of the wild birdsof the air, were cheerful and jocund, many of them singing and whistlingas blithely as the lark, that carries the sweet incense of her melodioussongs in the censer of a sinless breast to the golden gates of themorning.

  Hitherto he had never noted, or much considered, the complicated caresand trials wherewith the lot of man in every station is chequered andenvironed; and when he heard those bondmen of hard labour, jocund aftersound slumbers and light suppers, laughing contemptuously as they beheldthe humiliating sight, which divers gallants and youngsters, courtiersof the court, degraded with debauch, made of themselves as they stumbledhomeward, he thought there was surely more bliss in the cup that wasearned by the constancy of health and a willing mind, than in all thepossets and malvesia that the hoards of ages could procure. So hecomposed his spirit, and inwardly made a vow to the Lord, that as soonas the mighty work of the redemption of the Gospel from the perdition ofpapistry was accomplished, he would retire into the lea of some pleasantgreen holm, and take, for the purpose of his life, the attainment ofthat happy simplicity which seeks but the supply of the few wants withwhich man comes so rich from the hands of his Maker, that all changes inhis natural condition of tilling the ground and herding the flocks onlyserve to make him poorer by increasing.

  While he was thus ruminating in the street, he observed two strangerscoming up the Canongate. One of them had the appearance of a servant,but he was of a staider and more thoughtful aspect than belongs to menof that degree, only he bore on his shoulder a willease, and had in hishand a small package wrapt in a woollen cover and buckled with aleathern strap. The other was the master; and my grandfather halted hishorse to look at him as he passed, for he was evidently no common mannor mean personage, though in stature he was jimp the ordinary size. Hewas bent more with infirmities than the load of his years. His hair andlong flowing beard were very grey and venerable, like those of theancient patriarchs who enjoyed immediate communion with God. But thoughhis appearance was thus aged, and though his complexion and countenancebetokened a frail tenement, yet the brightness of youth shone in hiseyes, and they were lighted up by a spirit over which time had no power.

  In his steps and gait he was a little hasty and unsteady, and twice orthrice he was obliged to pause in the steep of the street to draw hisbreath; but even in this there was an affecting and great earnestness, aworking of a living soul within, as if it panted to enter on theperformance of some great and solemn hest.

  He seemed to be eager and zealous like the apostle Peter in his temper,and as dauntless as the mighty and courageous Paul. Many in the streetstopped, and looked after him with reverence and marvelling, as heproceeded with quick and desultory steps, followed by his sedateattendant. Nor was it surprising, for he was, indeed, one of those who,in their lives, are vast and wonderful,--special creations that are sentdown from heaven, with authority attested by the glowing impress of thesignet of God on their hearts, to avenge the wrongs done to His truthsand laws in the blasphemies of the earth.--It was John Knox!

  When he had passed, my grandfather rode back to the yett of the LordJames Stuart's lodgings, which by this time was opened, and instanter,on mentioning to the porter from whom he had come, was admitted to hismaster.

  That great worthy was at the time sitting alone in a back chamber, whichlooked towards Salisbury Crags, and before him, but on the opposite sideof the table, among divers letters and papers of business, lay a largeBible, with brass clasps thereon, in which, it would seem, some one hadbeen expounding to him a portion of the Scriptures.

  When my grandfather presented to him the letter from the Earl ofGlencairn, he took it from him without much regarding him, and brokeopen the seal, and began to peruse it to himself in that calm andmethodical manner for which he was so famed and remarkable. Before,however, he had read above the half thereof, he gave as it were a suddenhitch, and turning round, looked my grandfather sharply in the face, andsaid,--

  "Are you Gilhaize?"

  But before any answer could be made, he waved his hand graciously,pointing to a chair, and desired him to sit down, resuming at the sametime the perusal of the letter; and when he had finished it, he foldedit up for a moment; but, as if recollecting himself, he soon runkled itup in his hand and put it into the fire.

  "Your Lord informs me," said he, "that he has all confidence, not onlyin your honesty, Gilhaize, but in your discernment; and says, that inrespect to the high question anent Christ's cause, you may be trusted tothe uttermost. Truly, for so young a man, this is an exceeding renown.His letter has told me what passed last night with the Queen's Highness.I am grieved to hear it. She means well; but her feminine fears make herhearken to counsels that may cause the very evils whereof she is soafraid. But the sincerity of her favour to the Reformed will soon betried, for last night John Knox arrived, and I was with him; and, strongin the assurances of his faith, he intends to lead on to the battle.This morning he was minded to depart for Fife.--'Our Captain, ChristJesus,' said he, 'and Satan, his adversary, are now at open defiance;their banners are displayed, and the trumpet is blown on both sides forassembling their armies.' As soon as it is known that he is within thekingdom, we shall learn what we may expect, and that presently too; forthis very day the clergy meet in the monastery of the Greyfriars, anddoubtless they will be advertised of his coming. You had as well try ifyou can gain admittance among the other auditors, to hear theirdeliberations; afterwards come again to me, and report what takes place;by that time I shall be advised whether to send you back to Glencairn orelsewhere."

  My grandfather, after this and some farther discourse, retired to thehall, and took breakfast with the household, where he was much edifiedwith the douce deportment of all present, so unlike that of the lewd andgraceless varlets who rioted in the houses of the other nobles. Verily,he used to say, the evidences of a reforming spirit were brightly seenthere; and, to rule every one into a chaste sobriety of conversation, apious clerk sate at the head of the board, and said grace before andafter the meal, making it manifest how much all things about the LordJames Stuart were done in order.

  Having taken breakfast, and reposed himself some time, for his long ridehad made him very weary, he rose, and, changing his apparel, went to theGreyfriars church, where the clergy were assembling, and elbowinghimself gently into the heart of the people waiting around foradmission, he got in with the crowd when the doors were opened.

  The matter that morning to be considered concerned the means to betaken, within the local jurisdictions of those there met, to enforce theprocess of the summons which had been issued against the reformedpreachers to appear at Stirling.

  But while they were busily conversing and contriving how best to aid andfurther that iniquitous aggression of perfidious tyranny, there came inone of the brethren of the monastery, with a frightened look, and criedaloud, that John Knox was come, and had been all night in the town. Atthe news the spectators, as if moved by one spirit, gave a triumphantshout,--the clergy were thunderstruck,--some started from their seats,unconscious of what they did,--others threw themselves back where theysat,--and all appeared as if a judgment had been pronounced upon them.In the same moment the church began to skail,--the session wasadjourned,--and the people ran in all directions. The cry roseeverywhere, "John Knox is come!" All the town came rushing into thestreets,--the ol
d and the young, the lordly and the lowly, were seenmingling and marvelling together,--all tasks of duty, and servitude, andpleasure, were forsaken,--the sick-beds of the dying were deserted,--thepriests abandoned their altars and masses, and stood pale and tremblingat the doors of their churches,--mothers set down their infants on thefloors, and ran to inquire what had come to pass,--funerals weresuspended, and the impious and the guilty stood aghast, as if somedreadful apocalypse had been made;--travellers, with the bridles intheir hands, lingering in profane discourse with their hosts, suddenlymounted, and speeded into the country with the tidings. At every cottagedoor and wayside bield, the inmates stood in clusters, silent andwondering, as horseman came following horseman, crying, "John Knox iscome!" Barks that had departed, when they heard the news, bore up totell others that they saw afar at sea. The shepherds were called in fromthe hills;--the warders on the castle, when, at the sound of manyquickened feet approaching, they challenged the comers, were answered,"John Knox is come!" Studious men were roused from the spells of theirbooks;--nuns, at their windows, looked out fearful and inquiring,--andpriests and friars were seen standing by themselves, shunned likelepers. The whole land was stirred as with the inspiration of some newelement, and the hearts of the persecutors were withered.

  "No tongue," often said my grandfather, "could tell the sense of thatgreat event through all the bounds of Scotland, and the papisticaldominators shrunk as if they had suffered in their powers andprincipalities, an awful and irremediable overthrow."