The year closed with the appointment of ten special commissioners, to whom two were added in January next year, to hold justiciary courts in twelve shires. Their instructions were, to hang immediately in the place all males who owned or did not disown the “horrid principles” of the declaration, and to drown such women as had been active in disseminating them; and the same day a proclamation was issued, requiring all heritors, and in their absence, their factors and chamberlains, to convocate all the inhabitants on their lands, and to bring them before any of the privy councillors or commissioners appointed by the council, and cause them swear the abjuration-oath, and receive a testificate to serve as a free pass, without which any person who should adventure to travel should be holden and used as a communer with the said execrable rebels; and all housekeepers, as well as hostler-houses, inn-keepers, or other houses of common resort, were forbid to entertain any person who could not produce such a testificate, under the same penalty; which testificate the holders, if required, were obliged to swear was no forged or false document—so suspicious ever are rogues of deceit!—and finally, whoever should discover any of the said traitors and assassins, who had been in any way accessary to the said traitorous and damnable paper, or the publishing or spreading of the same, were to receive a reward of five hundred merks, Scots, for each of them who should be found guilty.

[1685.] This year was ushered in by increasing severities, and whoever would not disclaim the society’s declaration, and take the abjuration-oath, were subjected to be shot by any trooper who chose to interrogate them, or to be sent by the justiciary miscreants to slavery, exile, imprisonment, or death, after being robbed of all they possessed. Nor did the decrepitude of age, the stenderness of sex, or even boyhood, afford any plea for mitigation. Captain Douglas, the Marquis of Queensberry’s brother, stationed in the parish of Twineholme, oppressed it terribly in the beginning of January, having prevailed with a poor tenant, after many severities, to swear the oath, they insisted upon his discovering the retreats of the wanderers. While dragging him along with them for this purpose, they met another poor man upon the road, who would neither answer their questions nor swear. Him they immediately murdered; and when their prisoner entreated the captain to give him a little more time, and not be so hasty, they beat and bruised the intercessor so cruelly, that in a few days he died the victim of his humanity.[[159]]

[159]. How low the clergy could descend in their malice, may be judged from the case of a cripple but pious beggar, John Watson, in the parish of Cathcart. Mr Robert Fennie, curate of the parish, enraged at the poor man, because he would not come to hear him, gave information against him as a disloyal and dangerous person, and procured a party of soldiers to be sent to seize him. John could neither get from them nor go with them; nor would he swear the abjuration-oath. The soldiers, ashamed of their errand, were at a loss what to do, when some of his neighbours offered to send him to Hawk-head, Lord Ross’s residence, in a sledge; and they were proceeding accordingly, when his lordship hearing of the cavalcade, and being informed of the circumstances, sent his servant with an alms, and ordered them to carry the cripple home again.—Wodrow, vol. ii. p. 457.

On the 18th, four of the persecuted were surprised at prayer, in a sequestered spot in the parish of Monigaff, in Galloway, by Colonel Douglas, with a party of horse; and as their serious occupation was sufficient evidence of their “atrocious rebellion,” they were, without any process, murdered on the spot. On the 26th, three remarkable characters were forfeited—Sir Patrick Home of Polwart, George Pringle of Torwoodlee, and Andrew Fletcher of Saltoun. They all escaped to the Continent, and were reserved by Providence for better days. On the 30th, Dalziel of Kirkmichael and Lieutenant Straiton, with fifty soldiers, surprised a few of those under hiding asleep in the fields at Mortoun, in Nithsdale; but they all fled and escaped, except David Macmichael, who from bodily indisposition, and being wounded, could not follow. Him they took to Durisdeer, and told him if he would not own the supremacy in church and state, and take the oath that would be tendered, the law declared him guilty of death. “That,” said David, “is what of all things I cannot do; but very cheerfully I submit to the Lord’s disposal as to my life.” The commander said, “Do not you know your life is in my hands.”—“No!” replied he, “I know my life is in the Lord’s hand; and if he see good, he can make you the instrument to take it away.” Being ordered to prepare for death next day, he answered, “If my life must go for his cause, I am willing; my God will prepare me!” He next day suffered at Dalveen with a composure and courage that melted even the rude soldiers who shot him.

An instance of the ferocious thirst after blood which urged on the persecutors, occurred February 1st. John Park and James Aldie, two young men, in Eastwood, were brought before the commissioners for Renfrewshire, Lord Ross and Hamilton of Orbiston; and when they were persuaded to consent taking the abjuration, “that shall not save you,” said Orbiston; “unless you take the test, you shall hang.”—“Then,” replied the intrepid conscientious youths, “if the abjuration will not save us, we will take no oath at all.” They were condemned, and immediately led to execution. While they were yet hanging, Robert King, miller at Pollockshaws, in the same parish, was brought into court, and had the test offered to him, which he refused. He was then led to the window, bid look upon the two suspended before it, and told if he did not comply, he should immediately be tied up along with them. Still resisting, he was shut up in a dark corner and assured that he had only an hour to live. They would, however, out of charity, give him three warnings by sound of trumpet, but if he sat the third, there was no mercy. He heard the two blasts, when his courage failing, he took the test. His wife was a “composed woman, of uncommon sound sense.” One day, as some of the plunderers were driving away her cattle, having rifled the house besides, she came to the door, and was looking after them, when a soldier, rather more merciful than his comrades, turned and said, “Poor woman, I pity thee.” Janet answered with great gravity, yet cheerfulness, “Poor! I am not poor; you cannot make me poor! God is my portion; you cannot make me poor!”

On the 3d of February, the privy council passed an act for classifying prisoners; but the king dying, these measures underwent considerable alteration. Charles, it is said, having become dissatisfied with the rash violence of the Duke of York’s proceedings, meditated the recall of his favourite bastard Monmouth, the exile of his brother, and the adoption of more moderate measures. If he entertained any such designs, they were never to be accomplished. An attack of apoplexy, or poison, as was suspected at the time, finished all his earthly projects; and, after a few days’ illness, he died in the fifty-fifth year of his age. But oh! how different his deathbed from the scaffold scenes we have been recording. He could only mutter he hoped he would climb to heaven after all! and eagerly grasped at the delusive phantoms of Romish superstition. When Huddleston, a papist priest, who had saved his life at Worcester, was introduced to save his soul, he sighed out expressively, “He is welcome!” received the last sacraments of that church, and expired in her communion.

BOOK XXI.

A.D. 1685.

Accession of James VII.—Proceedings of the privy council—Field murders—Northern commission—Indemnity—Outrages in the south—Two women drowned—John Brown, the Christian carrier—Parliament—Argyle’s expedition—Suspected persons sent to Dunotter—Argyle defeated—taken—executed—Colonel Rumbold—Nisbet of Hardhill and other sufferers.