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ich followed it。  It is; as it were; the  evening of the night of persecution … a sort of twilight;  dark indeed to us; but light as the noonday when compared  with the midnight gloom which followed。  This fact; of its  being the very threshold of persecution; lends it; however;  an additional interest。

The prejudices of the people against Episcopacy were 'out of  measure increased;' says Bishop Burnet; 'by the new  incumbents who were put in the places of the ejected  preachers; and were generally very mean and despicable in all  respects。  They were the worst preachers I ever heard; they  were ignorant to a reproach; and many of them were openly  vicious。  They 。 。 。 were indeed the dreg and refuse of the  northern parts。  Those of them who arose above contempt or  scandal were men of such violent tempers that they were as  much hated as the others were despised。' (2)  It was little  to be wondered at; from this account that the country…folk  refused to go to the parish church; and chose rather to  listen to outed ministers in the fields。  But this was not to  be allowed; and their persecutors at last fell on the method  of calling a roll of the parishioners' names every Sabbath;  and marking a fine of twenty shillings Scots to the name of  each absenter。  In this way very large debts were incurred by  persons altogether unable to pay。  Besides this; landlords  were fined for their tenants' absences; tenants for their  landlords'; masters for their servants'; servants for their  masters'; even though they themselves were perfectly regular  in their attendance。  And as the curates were allowed to fine  with the sanction of any common soldier; it may be imagined  that often the pretexts were neither very sufficient nor well  proven。

When the fines could not be paid at once; Bibles; clothes;  and household utensils were seized upon; or a number of  soldiers; proportionate to his wealth; were quartered on the  offender。  The coarse and drunken privates filled the houses  with woe; snatched the bread from the children to feed their  dogs; shocked the principles; scorned the scruples; and  blasphemed the religion of their humble hosts; and when they  had reduced them to destitution; sold the furniture; and  burned down the roof…tree which was consecrated to the  peasants by the name of Home。  For all this attention each of  these soldiers received from his unwilling landlord a certain  sum of money per day … three shillings sterling; according to  NAPHTALI。  And frequently they were forced to pay quartering  money for more men than were in reality 'cessed on them。'  At  that time it was no strange thing to behold a strong man  begging for money to pay his fines; and many others who were  deep in arrears; or who had attracted attention in some other  way; were forced to flee from their homes; and take refuge  from arrest and imprisonment among the wild mosses of the  uplands。 (3)

One example in particular we may cite:

John Neilson; the Laird of Corsack; a worthy man; was;  unfortunately for himself; a Nonconformist。  First he was  fined in four hundred pounds Scots; and then through cessing  he lost nineteen hundred and ninety…three pounds Scots。  He  was next obliged to leave his house and flee from place to  place; during which wanderings he lost his horse。  His wife  and children were turned out of doors; and then his tenants  were fined till they too were almost ruined。  As a final  stroke; they drove away all his cattle to Glasgow and sold  them。 (4)  Surely it was time that something were done to  alleviate so much sorrow; to overthrow such tyranny。

About this time too there arrived in Galloway a person  calling himself Captain Andrew Gray; and advising the people  to revolt。  He displayed some documents purporting to be from  the northern Covenanters; and stating that they were prepared  to join in any enterprise commenced by their southern  brethren。  The leader of the persecutors was Sir James  Turner; an officer afterwards degraded for his share in the  matter。  'He was naturally fierce; but was mad when he was  drunk; and that was very often;' said Bishop Burnet。  'He was  a learned man; but had always been in armies; and knew no  other rule but to obey orders。  He told me he had no regard  to any law; but acted; as he was commanded; in a military  way。' (5)

This was the state of matters; when an outrage was committed  which gave spirit and determination to the oppressed  countrymen; lit the flame of insubordination; and for the  time at least recoiled on those who perpetrated it with  redoubled force。

(1) THEATER of MORTALITY; p。 10; Edin。 1713。 (2) HISTORY OF MY OWN TIMES; beginning 1660; by Bishop  Gilbert Burnet; p。 158。 (3) Wodrow's CHURCH HISTORY; Book II。 chap。 i。 sect。 I。 (4) Crookshank's CHURCH HISTORY; 1751; second ed。 p。 202。 (5) Burnet; p。 348。



THE PENTLAND RISING  CHAPTER II … THE BEGINNING



I love no warres; I love no jarres; Nor strife's fire。 May discord cease; Let's live in peace: This I desire。

If it must be Warre we must see (So fates conspire); May we not feel The force of steel: This I desire。

T。 JACKSON; 1651 (1)


UPON Tuesday; November 13th; 1666; Corporal George Deanes and  three other soldiers set upon an old man in the clachan of  Dalry and demanded the payment of his fines。  On the old  man's refusing to pay; they forced a large party of his  neighbours to go with them and thresh his corn。  The field  was a certain distance out of the clachan; and four persons;  disguised as countrymen; who had been out on the moors all  night; met this mournful drove of slaves; compelled by the  four soldiers to work for the ruin of their friend。  However;  chided to the bone by their night on the hills; and worn out  by want of food; they proceeded to the village inn to refresh  themselves。  Suddenly some people rushed into the room where  they were sitting; and told them that the soldiers were about  to roast the old man; naked; on his own girdle。  This was too  much for them to stand; and they repaired immediately to the  scene of this gross outrage; and at first merely requested  that the captive should be released。  On the refusal of the  two soldiers who were in the front room; high words were  given and taken on both sides; and the other two rushed forth  from an adjoining chamber and made at the countrymen with  drawn swords。  One of the latter; John M'Lellan of Barscob;  drew a pistol and shot the corporal in the body。  The pieces  of tobacco…pipe with which it was loaded; to the number of  ten at least; entered him; and he was so much disturbed that  he never appears to have recovered; for we find long  afterwards a petition to the Privy Council requesting a  pension for him。  The other soldiers then laid down their  arms; the old man was rescued; and the rebellion was  commenced。 (2)

And now we must turn to Sir James Turner's memoirs of  himself; for; strange to say; this extraordinary man was  remarkably fond of literary composition; and wrote; besides  the amusing account of his own adventures just mentioned; a  large number of essays and short biographies; and a work on  war; entitled PALLAS ARMATA。  The following are some of the  shorter pieces 'Magick;' 'Friendship;' 'Imprisonment;'  'Anger;' 'Revenge;' 'Duells;' 'Cruelty;' 'A Defence of some  of the Ceremonies of the English Liturgie … to wit … Bowing  at the Name of Jesus; The frequent repetition of the Lord's  Prayer and Good Lord deliver us; Of the Doxologie; Of  Surplesses; Rotchets; Canonnicall Coats;' etc。  From what we  know of his character we should expect 'Anger' and 'Cruelty'  to be very full and instructive。  But what earthly right he  had to meddle with ecclesiastical subjects it is hard to see。

Upon the 12th of the month he had received some information  concerning Gray's proceedings; but as it was excessively  indefinite in its character; he paid no attention to it。  On  the evening of the 14th; Corporal Deanes was brought into  Dumfries; who affirmed stoutly that he had been shot while  refusing to sign the Covenant … a story rendered singularly  unlikely by the after conduct of the rebels。  Sir James  instantly dispatched orders to the cessed soldiers either to  come to Dumfries or meet him on the way to Dalry; and  commanded the thirteen or fourteen men in the town with him  to come at nine next morning to his lodging for supplies。

On the morning of Thursday the rebels arrived at Dumfries  with 50 horse and 150 foot。  Neilson of Corsack; and Gray;  who commanded; with a considerable troop; entered the town;  and surrounded Sir James Turner's lodging。  Though it was  between eight and nine o'clock; that worthy; being unwell;  was still in bed; but rose at once and went to the window。

Neilson and some others cried; 'You may have fair quarter。'

'I need no quarter;' replied Sir James; 'nor can I be a  prisoner; seeing there is no war declared。'  On being told;  however; that he must either be a prisoner or die; he came  down; and went into the street in his night…shirt。  Here Gray  showed himself very desirous of killing him; but he was  overruled by Corsack。  However; he was taken away a prisoner;  Captain Gray mounting him on his own horse; though; as Turner  naively remarks; 'ther

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