Dec. 28.—“Remitted to the noblemen, barrones, and burrowis, who wer wpoun the Conference to meitt and cloise the ansʳ to the Kirks remonstrance.”—P. 565. The Association in the west declared to be void, and any such association discharged in time coming; and a paper containing the sense of the King and Parliament on the remonstrance from the west, of 25 November, read and approved.—P. [566].
Dec. 30—Act ratifying all Acts of Parliament since the year 1641, and the late treaty at Breda.—“Act continueing the Parliament to the fyift of Februar 1651.”—P. [577].
The foregoing meagre abstract serves only as an index to some of the transactions in Scotland during the year 1650, one of the darkest and most perplexed in our history, which we must now endeavour, if possible, to render intelligible by a little more detail. Instead, however, of attempting to reduce into a connected narrative of our own the complicated “skein of mingled yarn,” we shall select a series of statements from the several records of the period, taking these indiscriminately from men of all the parties which then existed and fretted their hour upon the stage. This must be done at the expense of repetitions; but that is fully compensated by the additional light and evidence which will thus be concentrated within a narrow compass compared to what is at present to be found in any single record.
1650.
Excerpts from Balfour’s Annales of Scotland.
[February.] This mounthe manney basse and eiuell rumors wer vented abroad of the Lord Chanceler; amongest maney, ther was one anent a woman that had borne him a chylde, and was conwayed to the Englishe border, and was a missing, and thought to be killed. Some ministers went to him, to show him of thesse foule aspertions wich wer wented off him; he menteined his auen innocencey, and shew them that thesse wer bot calumnies forged by his enimies, and some others that affected independencey, to make him vngratious to the churche and people; bot God wold in his auen tyme cleire his innocencey, and discouer ther malice.
In Febrij: one Mr Johne Lawsone wes sentenced by the Lordes of Sessione to haue hes tounge perced with a bodkin by the hangman, at the tron of Edinburghe, for periurey and falsett; and hes 2 associattes had ther eares nailled to the trone that same day, for bearing falls wittnes; wich, conforme to the sentence, wes put to executione.
In this same monthe of Febrij: 25 day, wther 3 persons for bearing falls wittnes, wer lykwayes sentenced by the Lordes of Session to haue ther eares nailled to the trone of Edinburghe by the hangman, ther dittay being wrettin one a shedule one ther faces, and they thereafter to be banished the kingdome for euer; to wich, if euer heirafter they returned, and wer apprehendit, they shuld be hanged; wich sentence was accordinglie put to executione.
In Appryle this zeire, 1650, the rebells from Orknay invadit Cathnes, and spoyled both it and Sutherland; they wer commandit by _________. L. G. Dauid Lesley marched aganist them with 4000 horsse and footte; his randewous wes one Brechin Moore, the 25 day of the mounthe of Appryle, 1650.
27 of Appryle, 1650.—Leiuetenant Generall Lesley hauing appoynted a randeszwouse of his forces at Brechin, 25 of Appryle, did make all possible haist aganist the enimey, marching 30 myles eurey day: and to put a stope to the enimies aduance, he sent Leiuetenant Colonell Strauchan befor him, to command the troupes that wer laying about Rosse and Inernesse. Vpone Saterday, the 27 of Appryle, the enimey was quartered at Strathekell, in Rosse; L. Colonell Strachan, with hes auen troupe, Colonell Montgomerie, Colonell Kers, L. Colonell Hacketts, and the Irishe troupe, wer quartered about Kincardine. Ther number that were present being onlie about 230, the officers being conweined, and haueing consideredthe grate scarsity of prowisions for horsse, and that it was werey probable, the enemies strenth being in footte, they wold take the hills vpone the aduance of more of our horsses; they concludit to feight that wicked crew with the force they had: bot the Lordes day approaching, and the enimey being 10 myles distant, they doubted wither to marche towardes them presently, or to delay wntill Monday, and so declyne the hazard of ingageing vpone the Lordes day; bot this doubt wes soune remowed, for notice was presently brought that the enimey was marched from Strachekell to Corbisdale, sex myles neirer wnto them, whervpone they fourthwith drew vpe in 3 pairties, the 1 consisting of neire a 100 horsse, to [be] led one by L. Colonell Straquhan; the 2d some more then 80, to be led one by L. Colonell Hackett; and the 3d about 40, to be led one by Capitane Hutchesone; and 36 musqueteires of Lawers regiment (wich wer occasionally vpone the place) to be led one by Quartermaster Shaw. After prayers, said by ther minister, they marched about 3 a clocke in the afternoone towardes the enimey, quho wer drawn vpe in a place neire a hill of Scrogie Wood, to wiche, vpone the aduance of our horsses, they quickly reteired; yet L. Colonell Strachan persewed them into the woode, and at the first charge, made them all to rune. The Lord did stricke suche a terror into ther heartes, as ther most resolute commanders had not the courage to lifte a hand to defend themselues, and our forces, without oppositione, did executione one them for 5 or 6 myles, euen wntill sunne sett.