After meeting and some converse, with his wife's consent, (who was now near her time) he undertook to do his best for bringing the earl safe to London, and so he took Argyle under the name of Mr. Hope along with him to Midburn Grange, where he was to preach that Sabbath; and on Monday, he took him to a friend's house between Newcastle and Newburn, where he left Argyle and went to Newcastle, and bought three horses for him at his own expence, the earl being then scarce of money: after which they came to Leeds, and then to Roderam; and took up there one night; from thence they set off, and at last arrived safe at London.
After staying some time in London, Argyle set off to join with Monmouth in Holland, and Mr. Vetch returned to his house in Stanton-hall. But the thing breaking out, he narrowly escaped being taken; and after lurking sometimes in one place, and sometimes in another, he was obliged to go over secretly to Holland, where he met with old friends and acquaintances, Monmouth, Argyle, earl of Melvil, Polwart, Torwoodlee, and James Stuart. Monmouth and Argyle, having agreed to make a descent at one time, the one to England, and the other to Scotland, several of their friends were sent over incognito, to warn their friends in both kingdoms to make ready. It was Mr. Vetch's part, to give Northumberland and the Scots borders notice. Mr. Vetch had a verbal commission from Argyle to procure money for buying arms, drums, colours, horses, and taking on men, especially Oliverian officers: somewhat of all which he did. But the matter taking air, he was obliged to hide himself near Reidsdale head, even from his very friends, till the season of appearing came, where he narrowly escaped being taken, while hid on Carter-hill covered with a turff of heather, col. Strothers and Meldrum's troop being out in quest of him and others.
But this enterprize failing, Argyle being defeated and taken in Scotland, and Monmouth in England, the design came to nothing, only Mr. Vetch, besides his time, trouble (wherein he was in many dangers) lost about 120 l. ster. and its interest; and Argyle's son, the late duke, gave him repeated promises to reimburse him, yet never was there any thing of this kind done, his kindness being soon forgot.
But prior to this affair of Monmouth and Argyle, one tyrant was cut off to make way for another. But as the death of king Charles II. is related by so many historians, it were needless to relate the whole affair here: only the following circumstances seem more full and somewhat different from the accounts of the most part of writers in that period. The king's harlot, the Duchess of Portsmouth, (for so we may call her) being by the Duke of York's direction to give the king a treat on Sabbath night, and being by him stored with wines, especially Claret, which the king loved; after he was drunk, they bribed his coffee-man to put a dose of poison in his coffee, and then advised the Duchess to keep him all night; and likewise knowing that when he first awaked in the morning, he usually called for his snuff, they hired the Duchess's chambermaid to put poisoned snuff into his box. Accordingly having drunk the coffee at night, in the morning he awoke, and cried out he was deadly sick, and called for his box and took a deal of it. Then growing worse, he called for his servant to put on his cloaths; which doing, he staggered and got to the window, and leaning on it, cried, I am gone, I am poisoned, have me to my chamber. The Duke getting notice, came running undrest to lament his fate, saying, Alas, Sir! what is the matter? To whom he answered, O you know too well; and was in a passion at him. In the mean time he called for an antidote against poison he had got from a German mountebank; but that could not be found, being taken out of the way: neither was his physician to be got being as was thought out of town. All things failing, he being so enraged, made at his brother. But all entries being secured, in the mean time the duke seeing him so enraged, and that the poison was not likely soon to do his turn, set four ruffians on him, which made him cry out; but they soon choked him with his cravat, and beat him instantly on the head, so that he died. It is said, his head swelled bigger than two heads, and his body stunk, so that they were obliged to take him out in the night, and bury him incognito[263].
But to return; after the defeat of Monmouth and Argyle, Mr. Vetch was obliged to lurk for some time in a wood near Newcastle, until the storm was a little calmed: and then he ventured to Newcastle, to see his wife and family, where he met with some of his Scots relations; and some other good people of the town were also there.—They spent a part of the night in prayer and mourning over the sad case that the church and nation were now in, the most part fearing they were never like to see good days again.
After this, Mr. Vetch being wearied with such toil and confinement, went with a Nottingham merchant to Yorkshire, and staid some time in a town called Southeave.—From thence he was invited to preach to the people of Beverly. Here he met with another remarkable deliverance; for the mayor and aldermen compassed the house where he was preaching, and caused the clerk mark down all their names: but Mr. Vetch, by means of his landlord, got off under the name of William Robertson, and so he escaped, and hid himself, sometime amongst bushes, and then went to a man's house two miles from town, where he preached out the rest of his sermon to some people that followed that way, and then went home with his landlord.
From thence Mr. Vetch returned to Yorkshire, where he met with another deliverance; for a Scots jesuit priest, knowing him, procured a warrant to apprehend him; but, by a divine providence, he escaped their hand, and so went toward Newcastle. From Newcastle, he went to Nottingham. While there, king James's indemnity and liberty was proclaimed, and then he had a call from the people of Beverly to be their minister, which he complied with. At this place he had a numerous congregation, and several times he was invited to preach at Hull six miles from thence.—There the people declared, There was never such a reformation in that place. Some of the justices of the peace in that place, being papists, were greatly incensed against it, and used all means to break his preaching there, but were opposed by the people. Mr. Vetch never had more satisfaction of his ministerial work (as he himself says) than in that place.
Having preached six or seven months there, and settled a meeting-house and a people greatly reformed,—he was strongly invited to his native country by those who had accepted of the toleration then granted. And his wife being forward for his return, he took his leave of Beverly, a pleasant city, having preached his farewel sermon, where there were many tears shed. In his way home, he visited his friends at Darntoun, who persuaded him to stay some time, where he settled a congregation, and left one Mr. Long for his successor to that people. After all impediments removed, he returned to his native land; where the people in the parishes of Oxnam, Creilland, Eckford, Linton, Marbottle and Harnam gave him a call to preach to them at Whitton hall; unto which charge he entered in April 1688. Here he continued that summer, and sometimes was invited to preach at Reidsdale on the English side. But the prince of Orange having landed in England, Nov. 4, 1688. the ministers of Scotland who had been outed, thought it expedient to meet at Edinburgh, and called all their brethren to attend there to consult of matters.
It fell out unexpectedly to Mr. Vetch, that the meeting voted him to preach the next day after he came, in the new meeting-house over against Libberton's wynd. This he was most averse to, being a stranger to the transactions for the most part in Scotland for upwards of 30 years. But his reasons not being heard, he was so perplexed what to do, that till 8 o'clock, he could not find a text: but at length falling upon Psal. cxix. 18. Thou hast trod down all that err from thy statutes, &c. he was taken up the whole night in thinking on it without going to bed. When he came to the pulpit, seeing 16 of the old ministers sitting, and the congregation greatly increasing, his fear increased also. However, he delivered his thoughts upon the subject with respect to the then circumstances with such freedom and plainness as offended the prelates, who afterwards sent him a message, that ere long they resolved to be even with him.—All the answer he returned them was, to put on their spurs.—Upon the other hand, he seemed to give some offence to the godly party by some free expressions he had with respect to the present government, if presbytery was erected.
When the Presbyterian church was restored, he had calls from several parishes, viz. one to Creilland, another to Melross, and a third to Peebles; which he was persuaded by the earl of Crawford and others to embrace: and yet he met with such opposition there, from the old duke of Queensbury, that the church was so over-awed as to loose him from that charge: and he having a call from Edinburgh, one from Paisley, and another from Dumfries, the assembly, hearing his aversion to Edinburgh, voted him to Dumfries, after he had been minister of Peebles full four years from Sept. 1690 to 1694, when he was settled or admitted to his ministry at Dumfries.