[117]. From Scotland to England!—a strange banishment a southron would think!
[118]. Memoirs of Veitch, pp. 112, 114.
On the same day on which Sharpe paid the penalty of his accumulated guilt, Andrew Aytoun, younger of Inchdairney—characterized by the venerable Wodrow as an excellent young gentleman, who had the blessing of early piety, and who when at the University of St Andrews had spent much of his time in prayer—was wantonly murdered by a soldier belonging to one of those parties ordered to scour Fife in consequence of the primate’s death. He had been very active in procuring Presbyterian ministers to preach the gospel, instead of the worthless incumbents who prostituted the sacred office in Fife; and for this, when little more than seventeen years of age, he was intercommuned, forced to quit his father’s house, and seek refuge with some of his relations in Morayshire. While there, Mr Walter Denvon was sent south a prisoner. Inchdairney followed; and gathering some of his young acquaintances in Fife, resolutely rescued the good man.
After this exploit, he continued lurking in his father’s house till the 3d of May, where he dined with the minister who gave Wodrow the information. They parted about two o’clock, neither of them having heard any thing of the bishop’s catastrophe. Thence young Inchdairney went to Lady Murdocairnie, his aunt’s house. When not far from Auchtermuchty, he saw a party of horse riding furiously on the Cupar road, and quickened his pace to escape them. The officer of the troop ordered one of his men to pursue, which he did; and firing struck Inchdarnie’s horse; then firing again, mortally wounded himself, two musket balls—for it was double shotted—passing through his body. The bleeding youth could with difficulty keep his seat till he reached a house not far off, where he was put to bed, and notice sent to Sir John Aytoun of Aytoun, a relation of his own, whose seat was quite near, who immediately came, having first despatched a servant to Cupar to fetch a surgeon. The commander of the party, however, probably anticipating such a message, had, with a refinement of cruelty, given orders that no surgeon should leave the place without his permission; and when applied to, he sent some of his soldiers to bring the wounded gentleman prisoner to Cupar. When they came, Sir John Aytoun represented the inhumanity of carrying any person in his situation three miles, and offered bail or to entertain them till surgical aid was procured; but nothing could prevail. He was placed upon one of their horses, and hurried immediately away. Through loss of blood, he fainted four times upon the road. When he arrived, the magistrates of Cupar allowed him to be carried to an inn, where he languished till next day about twelve o’clock, when he died in much serenity and peace. His parents were with him, and saw him die. The person who murdered him is said to have been a relation of his own, who came to him when he was dying and entreated his forgiveness, which he frankly gave, accompanying it with serious exhortations; but the unhappy man, some years after, died in great agony of mind, reproaching himself with the deed.
BOOK XIV.
MAY TO DECEMBER, A.D. 1679.
Outrages of the soldiery—Dissensions among the persecuted—Commotions in the West—Rutherglen declaration—Rising of the Presbyterians—Skirmish at Drumclog—Royal troops retire to Edinburgh—Divisions among the Presbyterians—Arrival of Monmouth—Battle of Bothwell Bridge.
Matters were now fast hastening to a crisis, especially in the west country. The licentiousness of the soldiery increased by indulgence; and after they had, through the accurate intelligence of the incumbents, pillaged every intercommuned or recusant inhabitant worth plundering, especially in the rural districts, their insatiable greed did not spare the conformist part of the community. Money was their great object; and when they could not obtain that, they vented their rage upon the property they could not carry off. In some places, they thrashed out the corn and threw it into the stream, and took the meal and trode it in the dunghill; in others, they set fire to the stacks, and if there were any grain in the garner, cast it into the flames, while they rioted on all the stock or whatever edibles they could lay their hands on. In this indiscriminate pillage, many suffered who made no great pretensions to religion, and who, without that grand counteracting principle, were by no means disposed to take patiently the spoiling of their goods by military ruffians. These, from motives of self-interest, were led to make common cause with the Presbyterians, in defence of their national rights and to avenge their civil oppressions.
The small armed conventicles finding it hazardous to meet in the neighbourhood of the garrisons, withdrew to more retired situations, and assembled in greater numbers, while their discussions involved the general principles of civil liberty, as well as the more isolated question of their right to hear the preaching of the gospel. The constant harassings they met with from the soldiers in going to or coming from the meetings, who being pre-pardoned for whatever outrage they might commit, were restrained by no motive but fear, obliged them to keep as much and as long together as they could. Their little parties gradually approximated each other; and all converging towards one focus, they at length mustered a formidable body; but not all of one mind.