by John Galt
CHAPTER LXXXVIII
The news of the fall of Argyle was as gladdening wine to the cruelspirit of James Stuart. It was treated by him as victory was of oldamong the conquering Romans, and he ordained medals of brass and ofsilver to be made, to commemorate, as a glorious triumph, the deed thatwas a crime. But he was not content with such harmless monuments ofinsensate exultation; he considered the blow as final to thepresbyterian cause, and openly set himself to effect there-establishment of the idolatrous abominations of the mass and monkrie.
The Lord Perth and his brother, the Lord Melford, and a black catalogueof others, whose names, for the fame of Scotland, I would fain expungewith the waters of oblivion, considering Religion as a thing of royalregulation, professed themselves papists, and got, as the price of theirapostacy and perdition, certain places of profit in the government.Clouds of the papistical locust were then allured into the land, to eatit up leaf and blade again. Schools to teach children the deceits, andthe frauds, and the sins of the jesuits, were established even in thepalace of Holyrood-house; and the chapel, which had been cleansed in thetime of Queen Mary, was again defiled with the pageantries of idolatry.
But the godly people of Edinburgh called to mind the pious bravery oftheir forefathers, and all that they had done in the Reformation; andthey rose, as it were with one accord, and demolished the schools, andpurified the chapel, even to desolation, and forced the papist priest toabjure his own idols. The old abhorrence of the abominations wasrevived; for now it was clearly seen what King Charles and his brotherhad been seeking, in the relentless persecution which they had so longsanctioned; and many in consequence, who had supported and obeyed theprelatic apostasy as a thing but of innocent forms, trembled at theshare which they had taken in the guilt of that aggression, and theirdismay was unspeakable.
The tyrant, however, soon saw that he had over-counted the degree of thehumiliation of the land; and being disturbed by the union which his openpapistry was causing among all denominations of protestants, he changedhis mood, and from force resorting to fraud, publishing a generaltoleration,--a device of policy which greatly disheartened the prelaticfaction; for they saw that they had only laboured to strengthen aprerogative, the first effectual exercise of which was directed againstthemselves, every one discerning that the indulgence was framed to givehead-rope to the papists. But the Covenanters made use of it to advancethe cause of the Gospel, as I shall now proceed to rehearse, as well ashow through it I was enabled to perform my avenging vow.
Among the exiled Covenanters who returned with Argyle, and with whom Ibecame acquainted while with him, was Thomas Ardmillan, when, after myescape at the time when the Earl was taken, I fell in again with atKirkintilloch, as I was making the best of my way into the East Country,and we went together to Arbroath, where he embarked for Holland.
Being then minded to return back to Edinburgh, and to abide again withMrs Brownlee, in whose house I had found a safe asylum, and a convenientplace of espial, after seeing him on board the vessel, I also tookshipping, and returned to Leith under an assurance that I should hear ofhim from time to time. It was not, however, until the indulgence wasproclaimed that I heard from him, about which era he wrote to me a mostscriptural letter, by the reverend Mr Patrick Warner, who had received acall from the magistrates and inhabitants of the covenanted town ofIrvine, to take upon him the ministry of their parish.
Mr Warner having accepted the call, on arriving at Leith sent to MrsBrownlee's this letter, with a request that, if I was alive and there,he would be glad to see me in his lodging before departing to the WestCountry.
As the fragrance of Mr Warner's sufferings was sweet among all the trueand faithful, I was much regaled with this invitation, and wentforthwith to Leith, where I found him in a house that is clad withoyster-shells, in the Tod's-hole Close. He was sitting in a fair chambertherein, with that worthy bailie that afterwards was next year, at thetime of the Revolution, Mr Cornelius Neilsone, and his no less excellentcompeer on the same great occasion, Mr George Samsone, both persons ofgodly repute. Mr Cheyne, the town-clerk, was likewise present, a mostdiscreet character, but being a lawyer by trade, and come of anepiscopal stock, he was rather a thought, it was said, inclined to theprelatic sect. Divers others, douce and religious characters, were alsothere, especially Mr Jaddua Fyfe, a merchant of women's gear, then inmuch renown for his suavity. Mr Warner was relating to them manyconsolatory things of the worth and piety of the Prince and Princess ofOrange, to whom the eyes of all the protestants, especially of thepresbyterians, were at that time directed.
"Aye, aye," said Mr Jaddua Fyfe, "nae doot, nae doot, but the Prince isa man of a sweet-smelling odour,--that's in the way of character;--andthe Princess; aye, aye, it is well known, that she's a pure snowdrop,and a lily o' the valley in the Lord's garden,--that's in the way ofpiety."
"They're the heirs presumptive to the crown," subjoined Mr Cheyne.
"They're weel entitled to the reverence and respect of us a'," added MrCornelius Neilsone.
"When I first got the call from Irvine," resumed Mr Warner, "thatexcellent lady, and precious vessel of godliness, the Countess ofSutherland, being then at the Hague, sought my allowance to let thePrincess know of my acceptance of the call, and to inquire if herHighness had any commands for Scotland; and the Princess in a mostgracious manner signified to her that the best thing I, and those whowere like me, could do for her, was to be earnest in praying that shemight be kept firm and faithful in the reformed religion, adding manytender things of her sincere sympathy for the poor persecuted people ofScotland, and recommending that I should wait on the Prince beforetaking my departure. I was not, however, forward to thrust myself intosuch honour; but at last yielding to the exhortations of my friends, Iwent to the house of Mynheer Bentinck, and gave him my name for anaudience; and one morning, about eight of the clock, his servant calledfor me and took me to his house, and he himself conveyed me into thepresence of the Prince, where, leaving me with him, we had a mostweighty and edifying conversation."
"Aye, aye," interposed Mr Jaddua Fyfe, "it was a great thing to conversewi' a prince; and how did he behave himself,--that's in the way o'manners?"
"Ye need na debate, Mr Fyfe, about that," replied Mr Samsone, "thePrince kens what it's to be civil, especially to his friends;" and Ithought, in saying these words, that Mr Samsone looked particulartowards me.
"And what passed?" said the town-clerk, in a way as if he pawkilyjealoused something. Mr Warner, however, in his placid and minister-likemanner, responded,--
"I told his Highness how I had received the call from Irvine, andthought it my duty to inquire if there was any thing wherein I couldserve him in Scotland.
"To this the Prince replied in a benign manner--"
"Aye, aye," ejaculated Mr Jaddua Fyfe, "nae doubt it was in a benignantmanner, and in a cordial manner. Aye, aye, he has nae his ill-wand toseek when a customer's afore the counter,--that's in the way o'business."
"'I understand,' said his Highness," continued Mr Warner, "'you arecalled home upon the toleration lately granted; but I can assure you,that toleration is not granted for any kindness to your party, but tofavour the papists, and to divide you among yourselves; yet I think youmay be so wise as to take good of it, and prevent the evil designed,and, instead of dividing, come to a better harmony among yourselves whenyou have liberty to see and meet more freely.'
"To which," said Mr Warner, "I answered, that I heartily wished it mightprove so, and that nothing would be wanting on my part to make it so;and I added, the presbyterians in Scotland, Great Sir, are looked uponas a very despicable party; but those who do so measure them by theappearance at Pentland and Bothwell, as if the whole power of thepresbyterians had been drawn out there; but I can assure your Highnessthat such are greatly mistaken; for many firm presbyterians were notsatisfied as to the grounds and manner of those risings, and did notjoin; and others were borne down by the Persecution. In verity I ampersuaded, that if Scotland were left free, of three parts of
the peopletwo would be found presbyterians. We are indeed a poor persecuted party,and have none under God to look to for our help and relief but yourHighness, on account of that relation you and the Princess have to thecrown."
"That was going a great length, Mr Warner," said Mr Cheyne, thetown-clerk.
"No a bit, no a bit," cried I; and Mr Jaddua Fyfe gave me an approvinggloom, while Mr Warner quietly continued,--
"I then urged many things, hoping that the Lord would incline hisHighness' heart to espouse His interest in Scotland, and befriend thepersecuted presbyterians. To which the Prince replied--"
"Aye, aye, I like to hear what his Highness said, that's in the way ofcounselling," said Mr Jaddua Fyfe.
"The Prince," replied Mr Warner, "then spoke to me earnestly, saying,--
"'I have been educated a presbyterian, and I hope so to continue; and Iassure you, if ever it be in my power, I shall make the presbyterianchurch-government the established church-government of Scotland, and ofthis you may assure your friends, as in prudence you find itconvenient.'"
Discerning the weight and intimation that were in these words, I said,when Mr Warner had made an end, that it was a great thing to know thesentiment of the Prince; for by all signs the time could not be far offwhen we would maybe require to put his assurance and promise to thetest. At which words of mine there were many exchanges of gathered browsand significant nods, and Mr Jaddua Fyfe, to whom I was sitting next,slyly pinched me in the elbow; all which spoke plainer than elocution,that those present were accorded with me in opinion; and I gave inwardthanks that such a braird of renewed courage and zeal was beginning tokithe among us.