[134]. This unusual severity was said to have been occasioned by Mr Spreul’s rather imprudent answer; but as York repeatedly and voluntarily was present, and appeared much interested in such spectacles, it would appear the natural unfeeling disposition of the tyrant was stimulated by the horrible maxims of his religion.
Mr Blackadder was seized in Edinburgh on Tuesday, April 5, and has left the following account of his apprehension, so characteristic of the manners of these satellites of prelatic domination, that I give it at length:—“The party came to his house before he arose. His daughter and servant were up expecting the Borrowstounness carrier, who had promised to come that day. About five or six o’clock, one knocked softly at the hanging gate. She looked through a hole in the door and spied a man with a grey hat, and thought it had been the carrier, who was there the night before with a grey hat of somebody’s on his head. She opened the door, but it proved to be Johnstoun the town-major, with a party at his back, who came into the hall, and asked, ‘If there were any strangers in the house.’ She said, ‘No.’ Yet he came to the chamber where her father was lying, putting the end of his staff to the side of the curtain, and then went up stairs to the gallery where the minister used to stay, and found only his son lying in the bed, and came down again to his chamber, saying to the minister’s wife, ‘Mistress, desire your husband to rise.’ He looking forth out of the bed, said, ‘How, now, major, is that you? I am not surprised, but where is your order?’ The other said, ‘You are only to rise and come down to a friend in the Canongate.’ ‘Well,’ said the minister, ‘if I were dressed, I am ready.’
“Meanwhile he spoke gently to his men to wait on the prisoner, but he himself went quickly to Dalziel in the Canongate; upon which and other presumptions, the minister conjectured he had no order at the time, except privately from Prelate Paterson, till after he was taken; for he did not take him out of his house till he returned. After he returned, the minister calling for a drink, sought a blessing, and caused give them all a drink, and went forth; his wife being very sickly, yet behaved more quietly than he could have believed. It was observable that such a wicked person as the major was, who used to swear and domineer in all such cases, did at that time carry most calmly, as all the party did, not one menacing word being heard. The major took him down the Cowgate, himself on the one hand, and the minister’s son Thomas on the other, the party following, and brought him to Dalziel’s lodgings, near the foot of the Canongate. The major went first, the minister following. Dalziel himself opening the door, the major told him he had brought the prisoner. Dalziel bade him take him to the guard. The minister stepping up stairs, said—‘May I speak a little?’ at which he rudely raged, ‘You, sir, have spoken too much; I would hang you with my own hands over that outshot.’ He knew not yet who he was, nor what was laid to his charge till afterward, as the minister perceived by a strange alteration in his calmness to him when he came to the court at twelve o’clock, at which time he was called.
“His examinators were, the Duke of Rothes, chancellor; the king’s advocate, Sir George Mackenzie; General Dalziel; and Bishop Paterson of Edinburgh. In answer to questions from the Chancellor, he acknowleged he was a minister at Troqueer, in Galloway, since 1653. ‘Did you excommunicate the king? or was you at Torwood at the time?’ ‘I have not been at Torwood these four years.’ ‘But what do you think of it? do you approve of it?’
“Perceiving that many such extraneous questions concerning his thoughts and judgments of things might be asked, and being resolved to make a stand at first, he shunned declaring his inward sentiments, and answered—‘Though I be as free to answer to that as to all the former, yet I must tell you I came here to give account of my judgment to no man; therefore, seeing this is an interrogating of me about my thoughts, I humbly beg to be excused. Produce a libel, and I’ll endeavour to answer it as I can.’ On this point he was repeatedly interrogated by the Chancellor and the Advocate, but to no purpose.
“‘But do you approve of taking the king’s life?’ ‘No, I do not, and no good man will.’ The Chancellor said, ‘Sir, you have done yourself a favour in saying so. But we hear you keep conventicles since the last indemnity?’ ‘I need not ask what is meant by conventicles, seeing that term has been frequently applied to our preaching who are ministers of the gospel, and under the strictest obligation to exercise our ministry, as we shall be answerable at the great day. My lord, I have the honour to be lawfully and duly called to the sacred function, and am bound to exercise that office, which I ever did and still do account my duty, abstracting from all indemnities whatever.’ ‘But you have preached in the fields, that is, on moors and hill sides? I shall not ask you if you have preached in houses or not, though there is not liberty even for that.’ ‘I place no case of conscience, nor make any difference betwixt preaching in houses or in the fields, but as may best serve the convenience of the hearers; nor know I of any restriction lying on me from the word of God, where I have my commission, which reaches to houses and fields, within and without doors.’ ‘You know, and no doubt have seen, the laws discharging such preaching?’ ‘My lord, no doubt I have; and I am sorry that there ever should have been laws and acts made against preaching the gospel.’ ‘Not against preaching the gospel, but against sedition and rebellion.’ ‘I preach no sedition or rebellion.’
“Then the Lord Advocate rose out of his place and came to the prisoner, and courteously asked him, why he answered not more clearly to the Chancellor about the excommunication, and alleged he was straitened. To this insidious query, Mr Blackadder replied, ‘I am noways straitened or confused about that; but I do of purpose shun to answer such interrogatories as require me to give account of my thoughts and judgment about persons or practices, not knowing how many such questions may be put, or what use may be made of them; and I am here only to answer for matters of fact that concern myself.’ Then intending to speak somewhat more, he craved liberty to be heard; to which the Chancellor replied, ‘You have leave to speak, if you speak not treason;’ but immediately rose and went out with the other two, it being near one o’clock, their dinner hour.
“Before the next examination, he sent his son to tell Colonel Blackadder, a cousin of his, who went and informed General Dalziel, whose comrade he had been in the wars, of the prisoner’s relation to the house of Tulliallan, with which Dalziel also was connected. The examination consisted only of a few trifling questions, and passed smoothly. At two o’clock on Wednesday, Captain Maitland, who was on the guard, told the prisoner he was to carry him up to the council at three, and desired him to be ready. When the Duke went to the council, he, Mr Blackadder, was ranked among three rank of musketeers in Captain Maitland’s company, who marched him up the rear of the life-guards who attended the Duke up streets. When he came to the Parliament Close, the captain sent four soldiers to wait on the prisoner in an outer room till he should be called. There he sat from three till five o’clock, when the council rose. He was not called, which he marvelled at; but sent his son Thomas to inquire what word was concerning him, who answered he believed he was sentenced to the Bass. On the morrow he was sent off. When they reached the Fisherrow, they observed a gathering of people upon some occasion or other at the end of the town, upon the green, which, when the captain perceived, he took the alarm, apprehending it might be a design to rescue the prisoner. Upon this he came to the minister, and said, ‘If these people attempt to rescue you, you are a dead man; for upon the first attack, I will shoot you through the head.’ The minister said he knew nothing about it, and did not believe there was any such design. They came to Castleton over against the Bass about three afternoon. The prisoner dined the whole party there! and after dinner two of them went over with him in a boat to the rock; and he was delivered to the governor of the Scottish Bastile about five afternoon, on Thursday, April 7, 1681, after he had laboured in the work from 1662, when he was cast out in many and divers places in the land under continual persecution, manifold hardships and hazards, till he accomplished the service appointed by his master.”
Mr Gabriel Semple, son of Sir Bryce Semple of Cathcart, minister of Kirkpatrick-Durham in Galloway, an able associate of Blackadder and Welsh, particularly obnoxious as being one of the first who took to the fields, was in July this year seized in the house of Sir Patrick Hepburn of Blackcastle, at Oldhamstocks, and liberated upon giving bond to appear when called for, under a penalty of ten thousand merks. When seized, he was labouring under an ague and unable to ride, yet would not the council dispense with his presence; but procuring the accommodation of Lady Stevenstoun’s calash, he was able to perform the journey, accompanied by his nephew. On his arrival, he was lodged in the Canongate jail, where he lay for a short time. When called before a committee of council, his petition was read to him, and he was called to acknowledge it; but the clerk, in reading, had added some strong expressions, disavowing the principles for which Mr Semple was suffering, in hopes that he would disclaim it. This he afterwards found had been done on purpose to extort money from him, (but Lord Maitland, who was one of the number, was very friendly.) When asked if he owned the supplication after it was read, he requested a sight of the paper; and observing that the paper itself had not been altered, he returned it, saying that that paper was the very same he had written and given in; upon which he was dismissed without being required to renew the bond, and shortly after he withdrew to England.
His host, however, did not escape so easily. He was brought before the council and fined in the sum of two hundred pounds sterling, and imprisoned till he found caution to pay it.