ROBERT MILNE, bailie (or according to some provost) sometime of Linlithgow, swore the covenants with uplifted hands; but soon after the restoration, to shew his loyalty, did in a most contemptuous manner burn the said covenants, the causes of wrath, lex rex, western remonstrance, with several other acts of church and state at the Cross, and to grace the solemnity, French and Spanish wine was distributed most liberally, wherein the King's and Queen's healths were drunken. But this vile Pageantry, similar to Balthazzers quaffing in the holy vessels, did not pass long without a note of observation, for though Milne had scraped together much riches, yet, in a short time, he became an insolvent bankrupt, and was forced to flee to the Abbey; after which he became distracted, and died in great misery at Holyrood-house.—Wodrow.
—— MAXWELL of Blackston rose with Caldwall, Kersland and some others of the Renfrew gentlemen, who intended to join Col. Wallace, and that handful who rose 1666; but being by Dalziel prevented from joining them, was obliged to disperse; and, though Blackston was a socius criminis, (had it been a crime,) yet to save his estate and neck, he went first to the arch-bishop, then to the council, and accused and informed against the rest: and, though he thus purchased his liberty, he had nothing afterwards to boast of; for these gentlemen mostly got honourably off the stage; whereas after that he never had a day to do well, (as himself was obliged to confess) every thing in providence went cross to him, till reduced, and then he took a resolution to go to Carolina: but in this he was disappointed also; for he died at sea in no comfortable manner; and was turned into the fluid ocean as a victim for fishes to feed upon.—Wodrow.
DAVID M'BRYAR, an heritor in Irongray parish, was chosen a commissioner of the burgh for Middleton's parliament, in which he intended to have charged his minister Mr. Welch with treason. After which he became a cruel persecutor; nor was he less remarkable in that country for a wicked and villainous practice, than for his furious rage against the godly; but in a short time he became insolvent, and for fear of caption was obliged to skulk privately among his tenants. In the mean time, one Gordon, a north country man of the same stamp, coming forth to agent a curate's cause in that country, and travelling through Irongray parish found Mr. M'Bryar, in the fields very dejected and melancholy like, and concluding him to be one of the sufferers, commanded him to go with him to Dumfries. But M'Bryar, fearing nothing but his debt, refused: whereupon Gordon drew his sword, and told him he must go. He still refused, till in the struggle Gordon run him through the body, and so he expired. Gordon made it no secret, that he had killed a whig (as he called him) but when they saw the body, they soon knew who it was, and immediately Gordon was taken to Dumfries himself, and hanged for killing one as honest as himself. Here remark a notable judgment of God: M'Bryar was killed under the notion of one of those he persecuted, and then one persecutor was the instrument to cut off another.—Wodrow, Fulfilling of the Scriptures.
Sir Wm. BANNANTINE, another of this wicked persecuting gang, having got a party under command, took up garrison in the castle or house of Earlston after Pentland, where he committed such cruelties upon the poor people in these bounds who would not comply with prelacy as are shocking to nature to relate: In the parishes of Dalry, Carsphern and Balmagie, he fined and plundered numbers. He tortured a poor woman, because he alledged, she was accessory to her husband's escape, with fire matches betwixt her fingers, till she almost went distracted and shortly after died. He also tortured James Mitchel of Sandywell the same way, though nothing but 16 years of age, because he would not tell things he knew nothing of. Sometimes he would cause make great fires, and lay down men to roast before them, if they would not or could not give him money, or information concerning those who were at Pentland. But his cruel reign was not long-lived; for the managers not being come to that altitude of cruelty as afterward, an enquiry was made into his conduct, and he laid under two hundred pounds of fine; and, because Lauderdale would not remit this, it is said, he attempted to assassinate him. However, he was obliged to leave the king's dominions, and go over to the wars in the low countries, where, at the siege of Graves, as he was walking somewhat carelesly, being advised to take care of himself, he said, canons kill none but fey folk. At that very nick of time, a canon ball came, and severed his heart from his body to a considerable distance according to a wicked imprecation often used by him in his ordinary discourse, that if such a thing were not so, he wished his heart might be driven out of his body.—Wodrow.
Mr. JAMES HAMILTON, brother to lord Belhaven, but of the clerical order. Before the 1638 assembly, he had received episcopal ordination; but upon the turn of affairs then, he became a zealous covenanter; and being settled minister at Cambusnethen, such was his zeal, that he not only bound his people to these covenants, but excommunicated all from the tables, who were not true to them, using Nehemiah's form, shaking the lap of his gown, saying, So let God shake out every man, &c. But how he himself kept them, the sequel will declare. For his cunning, time serving temper made him too volatile for a presbyterian; for no sooner did prelacy again get the ascendant after the restoration, then he got himself into the leet of bishops, and must needs up to London to be consecrated. The bishoprick of Galloway came to his share; and then he began to shew his teeth against the covenanters, and procured letters from the council against several of the field preachers: and having got Sir Thomas Turner south for that purpose, he oftimes hunted him out beyond his intention unto many outrageous oppressions, though Turner was one like himself every way qualified for such exercises. Thus he continued for about 12 years, till at last he was called before the supreme tribunal to answer for his perfidy, apostacy, treachery and cruelty by a death suitable and similar unto such a life. The circumstances of which for want of certain information I am not able to relate at present[277].
Mr. ANDREW HONYMAN, son to a baker who dedicated more than one cake to the muses; for all his four sons were scholars. Mr. Andrew, the eldest, was first minister at Ferry-parton, then transported to St. Andrew's, and being zealously affected to presbyterian church-government, and one of good parts, he was employed by the presbytery to draw up a testimony for the same about 1661. Nay, such was his zeal, that he said, if ever he spoke or acted otherwise, he was content to be reckoned a man of a prostitute conscience; and that, if he accepted a bishoprick, he wished he might worry on it. But on an interview with Sharp at Balmany Whins, he first got the arch-deanry of St. Andrew's, and then the bishoprick of Orkney; and having alway run greedily after the error of Balaam, from a zealous covenanter he became a fiery bigot for prelacy, and was the first after the restoration that wrote in defence of that constitution (against Naphtali) for that, that hand upon the wrist received the pistol shot intended for Sharp 1668. But this did not deter him from his former wicked practices, till about the year 1677, he met with harsher treatment (says the historian) from a more dreadful quarter, when he died at his house in Orkney.—Sharp's life, Wodw.
Mr. THOMAS BELL, born in Westruther in Berwickshire, was, by Mr. John Vetch's generosity, put to school, and being minister there, he procured also a bursary for him; but after his laureation, falling into drunkenness, he went over to the English side, where shifting sides, he obtained a parsonage and became curate of Longhorsly; and was a violent persecutor of the presbyterians, especially these who had fled from Scotland, and particularly Mr. William Vetch (brother to his former benefactor) then at Stanton-hall; and being one time drinking with some papists who were stimulating him one against Mr. Vetch and his meeting, he vowed he should either ruin him or he him: in which he was as good as his word; for having brought him to many hardships he at last got him apprehended and sent off to Edinburgh, 1679. He did not long continue this trade; for, meeting with a gentleman, he boasted, that this night Mr. Vetch would be at Edinburgh, and to-morrow hanged. But in three days he himself, being abroad and drinking at a certain place till ten o'clock at night, must needs set home. The curate of the place urged him to stay the night being stormy and the water big, but he would not: so setting off and losing his way, and coming to the river Pont, where, as was supposed, he alighted to find the way by reason of the snow; and stepping over the brink of the river to the arm-pit, where the old ice bare him up, and the new ice by reason of some days thaw, froze him in; so that, after two days, he was found standing in this posture with the upper part of his body dry. Some went to help him out, but few could be got to give his corpse a convoy: So that they were obliged to lay him across a horse's back with a rope about his neck and through below the beasts belly fastened to his heels; and so he was carried off by a death suitable enough to such a wicked malevolent life.—Vetch's life at large.
Mr. JAMES SHARP was son to William Sharp and grand son to the piper of —— so much famed for his skill in playing a spring called Coffee. However, the wind of the bag procured James a handsome education, after which he obtained a regent's post in the university of St. Andrew's. To relate every thing in the black and dismal story of his life would fill a volume. I shall only point at the principal lineaments thereof. While regent, he furiously beat one of his colleagues honest Mr. Sinclair on the Lord's day at the college table. He took up his lodging in a public inn, and there got the hostler one Isabel Lindsay with child. When she came to be delivered, he prevailed with her, upon promise of marriage, to consent to murder the infant, which he himself effected with his handkerchief, and then buried it below the hearth stone. When the woman, after he was bishop, stood up once and again before the people, and confronted him with this, he ordered her tongue to be pulled out with pincers, and when not obeyed, caused her to be put in the branks and afterwards banished with her husband over the water. For this and the striking of Mr. Sinclair he pretended a great deal of repentance and exercise of conscience, and being one eloquent of tongue, he soon deceived the ministry, and was by them advanced to be minister at Crail and then to make sure, he took the covenants a second time. In Cromwel's time, he took the tender, and became a thorough paced Cromwelian. When the time of his advancement approached at the restoration, being one of a zealous profession, his brethren sent him (as one whom they could confide in) over to Charles II. at Breda, that they might have the Presbyterian form of church-government continued. In the mean time, he in their name supplicated him to have episcopacy restored, because he saw it would please the malignant faction. After the king's arrival, he was again employed in the same errand, and, while at London undermining that noble constitution, he made his brethren believe all the while by letters, how much he had done for their cause, till he got it wholly overturned; and then, like another Judas, he returned, and for his reward obtained the arch bishoprick of St. Andrew's, and according to some 50,000 merks a year, and counsellor and primate of Scotland. No sooner was the wicked Haman advanced, than he began to persecute and harrass all who would not comply with his measures. He perjured himself in Mr Mitchel's case, had an active hand in all the bloodshed on scaffolds and fields from 1660 till his death, and kept up the king's orders of indemnity till the last ten of the Pentland men were executed. Nor was he any better in his domestick character, for sometimes he would, when at table, whisper in his wife's ears, the devil take her, when things were not ordered to his contentment. In a word, the ambition of Diotrephes, the covetousness of Demas, the treachery of Judas, the apostacy of Julian, and the cruelty of Nero, did all concenter in him. But to come to his death, having hunted out one Carmichael to harrass the shire of Fife, a few Fife gentlemen went out in quest of the said Carmichael, upon the 3d of May 1679—But missing him, they providentially met the bishop his master, which they took as a kind of providential call to dispatch him there. And having stopt his coach, commanded him to come out and prepare for death. But this he refused. This made them pour in a number of shot upon him, after which, being about to depart, one behind heard his daughter who was in coach, say, There is life yet. This made them all return. The commander (Burly) finding him yet safe, and understanding shooting was not to do his turn, commanded him to come out, and told him the reason of their conduct, namely, his opposition to the kingdom of Christ, murdering of his people, particularly Mr. James Mitchel, and James Learmond. The bishop still lingered, and cried for mercy, and offered them money. He said, Thy money perish with thee. He again commanded him to come out and prepare for death and eternity. At last he came out; but by no means could they prevail with him to pray. Upon which they all drew their swords, and then his courage failed him. The commander struck him, which was redoubled by the rest, until he was killed. And so he received the just demerit of his sorceries, villanies, murders, perfidy, perjury and apostacy. Then Phinehas rose and executed justice.—Vid. his life, Wodrow.
JOHN, Earl (afterwards Duke) of Rothes, was son to that famous reformer the Earl of Rothes. He at first set out that way. But, after the Restoration, being one of a profane wicked life, he exactly answered the taste of king and court. So he was made president of the council, and on Middleton's fall, commissioner, with many other places of power and trust heaped upon him, all which titles, &c. died with him. After Pentland, with others, he made a tour through the west, and caused twelve more of the Pentland men to be executed at Irvine and Air.—He perjured himself in Mr. Mitchel's case, and was the contriver of that barbarous unheard-of cruelty exercised on worthy Hackston of Rathillet. Nay, such was his zeal in serving his master Charles (or rather Diabolus) that he professed his willingness to set up popery in Scotland at the king's command, for which, with his other flagitious wickedness, such as uncleanness, adulteries, ordinary cursing, swearing, drunkenness, &c. he was one of those excommunicated by Mr. Cargil at Torwood, Sep. 1680. Thus he continued to wallow in all manner of filthiness, till July next year, that death did arrest him, Mr. Cargil being then in custody, he threatened him with a violent death; to whom Mr. Cargil answered, that die what death he would, he should not see it: which came to pass; for that morning (Mr. Cargil was to be executed in the afternoon) Rothes was seized with sickness and a dreadful horror of conscience; some of his wife's ministers were sent for, who dealt somewhat freely with him: to whom he said, "We all thought little of that man's sentence, (meaning Mr. Cargil) but I find that sentence binding on me now, and will bind me to eternity." And so roaring out, till he made the bed shake under him, he died in that condition,—Wodrow, Walker's life of Mr. Cargil, &c.
HUGH PINANEVE, factor to the lady Loudon while the earl was a refugee in Holland, was a most wicked wretch both in principle and practice, and an inveterate enemy to the sufferers, in so much, that being at a market at Mauchlin some time after Mr. Cameron's death, when drinking in a room with one Robert Brown, before they took horse, he brake out in railery against Mr. Cameron and the sufferers: Mr. Peden, overhearing him in the next room, came to the chamber door and said, Sir, hold your peace, ere twelve o'clock, you shall know what for a man Mr. Cameron was: God shall punish that blasphemous mouth and tongue of yours in a most remarkable manner for a warning to all such railing Rabshakehs. Brown, knowing Mr. Peden, hastened the factor home and went to his own house, and Hugh to the earl's house. But when casting off his boots, he was suddenly seized with great pains through his whole body. Brown, using to let blood, was immediately sent for.—But when he came, he found him lying, and his mouth gaping wide, and his tongue hanging out: he let a little blood, but to no effect; he died before midnight in this fearful condition.—Peden's life, &c.