‘There began a great storm of snow, with horrible high winds, whilk
were noted to be universal through all Scotland.... The like had never
been seen in these parts, for it would overturn countrymen’s houses to
the ground, and some persons suddenly smo’ered within, without relief.
It also threw down the stately crown bigged of curious ashler wark,
off the steeple of the King’s College of Old Aberdeen. This outrageous
storm stopped the ordinary course of ebbing and flowing on sundry
waters, by the space of twenty-four hours, such as the waters of Leith,
Dundee, Montrose, and other ports--whilk signified great troubles to be
in Scotland, as after ye sall hear how truly came to pass.’--_Spal._
An irregular tide on the east coast of Scotland is no unexampled
phenomenon, and could easily be explained; but it would probably defy
a Humboldt or a Whewell to explain another wonder which a grave church
historian of the eighteenth century--a ‘writer’ in Edinburgh, too--sets
down as occurring at the same time. ‘What was yet more marvellous,’
says he, ‘the moon, though in her first quarter, set not, but was seen
from the Wednesday to the Thursday at even.’[45]
* * * * *
[Sidenote: 1633.]
George Nicol, the son of a tailor in Edinburgh, and who had been
secretary or clerk to Sir Archibald Acheson, under an unlucky zeal for
the public good, resolved to expose some malpractices of the Scottish
rulers which had fallen under his attention, or which he believed to
exist. Being in London, he presented to the king some information
against the Chancellor, the Earls of Morton and Stratherne, the Lord
Traquair, the Lord Advocate, &c., for mismanagement of the treasury.
These officers were summoned to London to meet the charges brought
against them, when it soon appeared that Nicol had advanced what he
could not prove.
[Sidenote: MAR. 5.]
He was returned to Scotland under the power of the men whom he
had accused, and was adjudged by the Privy Council guilty of
_leasing-making_, and to stand at the entry of the session-house for
an hour, and two hours at the Cross, with a paper on his head bearing,
‘_Here stands Mr George Nicol, who is tried, found, and declared to be
a false calumnious liar_,’ and thereafter to receive six stripes on his
naked back by the hand of the hangman, and then to be led back to the
Tolbooth with his shoulders still exposed.[46]
This prototype of Scottish political reformers met ‘with much
compassion from the promiscuous beholders, who generally believed he
suffered wrongfully.’ He was afterwards deported to Flanders.
* * * * *
Colin Campbell, Laird of Glenurchy, who had succeeded his father Duncan
in 1631, seems to have outrivalled him in his taste for elegant things.
In the quaint memoir of his family written about this time, it is
stated: ‘The said Sir Colin bestowit and gave to ane German painter,
whom he entertainit in his house aucht month, and that for painting of
thretty brods of the kings of Scotland, and of Great Britain, France,
and Ireland, and twa of their majesties’ queens of guid memory, and
of the said Sir Colin his awn and his predecessors’ portraits, whilk
portraits are set up in the hall and chalmer of dais of the house of
Balloch, the soum of ane thousand pounds.’[47]
He also patronised the portrait-painter, George Jameson, now in the
zenith of his fame, and settled in Edinburgh. From a letter written
by this distinguished person to Sir Colin, June 23, 1635, it appears
that he charged for his portraits twenty merks each, he furnishing
‘claith and colours.’ The laird had given an order for pictures of a
considerable number of his friends, and Jameson promised, if he began
in July, to have sixteen ready in September.[48]
[Sidenote: 1633.]
His labours are thus spoken of in the family chronicle: ‘Sir Colin gave
unto George Jameson, painter in Edinburgh, for King Robert and King
David Bruces, kings of Scotland, and Charles I., king of Great Britain,
and his majesty’s queen, and for nine more of the queens of Scotland
their portraits, whilk are set up in the hall of Balloch, the soum of
twa hundred threescore pounds.’... ‘For the knight of Lochow’s lady,
and the first Countess of Argyle, and six of the ladies of Glenurchy
their portraits, and Sir Colin his awn portrait, whilk are set up
in the chalmer of dais of Balloch, [he gave] ane hundred fourscore
pounds.’[49] If we are to presume that Scots money is meant in all
these instances, it would appear that this eminent artist was content
to execute a bust portrait at a pound sterling!
* * * * *
[Sidenote: JUNE 13.]
The king arrived in Edinburgh, accompanied by the Duke of Lennox, the
Marquis of Hamilton, and divers other Scotch and English lords and
gentlemen, to the number of about five hundred. His furniture and
plate were carried about with him in princely form. He, riding on
horseback, was received at the West Port in a theatrical manner, after
the fashion of the allegorical entertainments with which Ben Jonson
has made us familiar. There was a kind of theatre under an arch, where
a nymph representing Edinburgh appeared on a mountain, which was so
arranged as to move at the approach of majesty. The nymph was attired
in a sea-green velvet mantle, with sleeves and under-robe of blue
tissue, and blue buskins on her feet: about her neck she wore a chain
of diamonds; her head-dress represented a castle with turrets, and her
locks dangled about her shoulders.
A speech of welcome was delivered by this fair lady, together with the
keys of the city. Meanwhile, the provost, Alexander Clark, and the
bailies, in furred red robes, with about threescore councillors and
others, in black velvet gowns, had taken up a position on a wooden
stand at the other side of the gate. Thence the provost addressed the
king in a brief speech, presenting him at the same time with a gold
basin worth five thousand merks, into which were shaken out of an
embroidered purse a thousand golden double angels, as a token of the
town’s love and service. ‘The king looked gladly upon the speech and
gift both; but the Marquis of Hamilton, master of his majesty’s horse,
hard beside, meddled with the gift, as due to him by virtue of his
office.’ [Sidenote: 1633.]
The provost then mounted his own horse, which was sumptuously attired,
and, followed by the councillors and others on foot attended his
majesty along the Grassmarket. Here appeared ‘a brave company of town’s
soldiers all clad in white satin doublets black velvet breeches, and
silk stockings, with hats, feathers, scarfs, bands, and the rest
correspondent. These gallants had dainty muskets, pikes, and gilded
partisans, and such like,’ and attended his majesty as a guard. At
the gate in the middle of the West Bow, there was another theatre,
presenting a Highland scene, labelled with the word GRAMPIUS, and from
which a female, representing the genius of Caledonia, welcomed his
majesty in verse. Coming to the west end of the Tolbooth, he there
found an arch across the narrowed street, surmounted by a crown; Mars,
as the protecting deity of the country, on one side, and Minerva on
the other. Here, on the withdrawal of a curtain, Mercury appeared,
as just arrived from the Elysian fields with his majesty’s deceased
progenitors. This was a part of the spectacle really interesting to the
king, for the portraits struck his tasteful eye as well executed; and
so they were, being the work of George Jameson of Aberdeen.[50] Here
there was a fourth speech.
‘At the Mercat Cross, he had a fifth speech, where his majesty’s health
was drunk by Bacchus on the Cross, and the haill stroups [spouts]
thereof running over with wine in abundance. At the Tron, Parnassus
hill was erected curiously, all green with birks, where nine pretty
boys, representing the nine nymphs or muses, was nymph-like clad [in
varying taffetas, cloth of silver, and purple].’ Amidst the trees,
appeared Endymion, like a shepherd, in a long coat of crimson velvet,
with gilt leather buskins, telling the king, in William Drummond’s
verse, that he had been despatched by Cynthia to celebrate the day.
‘Roused from the Latmian cave, where many years
That empress of the lowest of the spheres,
Who cheers the night, and kept me hid, apart
From mortal wights, to case her love-sick heart;
As young as when she did me first enclose,
As fresh in beauty as the Maying rose,
Endymion, that whilom kept my flocks
Upon Ionia’s flowery hills and rocks,
And sweet lays warbling to my Cynthia’s beams,
O’ersang the swannets of Meander’s streams,’ &c.
[Sidenote: 1633.]
At the Nether Bow, where he made his exit from the city, another
speech was addressed to him. ‘Whilk haill orations his majesty, with
great pleasure and delight, sitting on horseback, as his company did,
heard pleasantly; syne rode down the Canongate to his own palace of
Holyroodhouse, where he stayed that night. The provost with the rest
returned home.’--_Spal._[51]
Next day (Sunday) the king received Cornelius Smoski, the Polish
ambassador, in great state, in his privy chamber at Holyrood; and
on the ensuing day, the Prince Shemei and his brother, two proper
gentlemen, sons of the Duke de Arscotte, had audience in the same
place. The ambassador was entertained, while in Scotland, ‘upon his
majesty’s charges.’--_Bal._
On the same day, the king made a procession in his coach to the Castle,
where he was magnificently banqueted, ‘served with his awn official’s
and with his awn provision, vessels, and plate.’ Thence he returned
next day, conducted by his nobility in state, in his royal robes, to
the Abbey Kirk of Holyrood, and there was solemnly crowned by the
Bishop of Brechin. ‘It is markit that there was are four-nuikit table
in manner of ane altar, having standing thereon twa books called
_blind books_, with twa chandlers, and twa wax-candles, whilks were
unlichtit, and are basin wherein there was nothing. At the back of this
altar there was ane rich tapestry, wherein the crucifix was curiously
wrought; and as thir bishops who was in service passed by this
crucifix, they were seen to bow their knee and beck, which with their
habit was noted, and bred grit fear of inbringing of popery.’--_Spal._
[Sidenote: 1633.]
On the 20th, the Estates sat down, after one of those formal
processions so often alluded to in Scottish history as the _Riding of
the Parliament_. Such had been the custom from an early period; but
latterly the riding was an affair of greatly increased splendour, and
never had it been so grand as on this occasion. The procession started
at the Abbey Close, or court in front of the palace, and extended along
the principal street of the city to the Tolbooth, where the parliament
was to be held. First went the commissioners for burghs, ‘ilk ane in
their awn places, weel clad in cloaks, having on their horses black
velvet footmantles.’ Then in order went the commissioners for barons
or minor gentry, the lords of spirituality, and the bishops, the
latter being all present but the Bishop of Aberdeen, who lay sick at
home. The temporal lords, the viscounts, and earls followed in order
of rank and date, the Earl of Buchan carrying the sword, and Rothes
the sceptre; after whom came the Marquis of Douglas (lately Earl of
Angus) bearing the crown, and with the Duke of Hamilton on his right
hand, and the Marquis of Hamilton on his left. All the nobles rode in
scarlet furred robes, with footmantles. ‘Then cam his majesty riding
upon ane gallant chestnut-coloured horse having in his head ane fair
bunch of feathers, with ane foot-mantle of purpour velvet. His majesty
made choice to ride in King James IV.’s robe-royal, whilk was of
purpour velvet, richly furrit and lacit with gold, hanging over his
horse-tail ane great deal,’ and borne by five grooms in a line. The
king ‘had upon his head ane hat and ane rod in his hand. The lion
heralds, pursuivants, macers, and trumpeters followed his majesty in
silence.’ At the Nether Bow, where he entered the bounds of the city,
the king was saluted by the provost, who attended him closely the rest
of the way. Within the city there was a space of the street staked
off, sanded, and lined with a guard of armed citizens. At a style or
passage in the Luckenbooths, the king lighted, and was conducted by
the Lord High Constable, the Earl of Errol, to ‘the outer door of the
Heich Tolbooth,’ where ‘the Earl Marischal, as Marischal of Scotland,
with all humility received him, and convoyed him to his tribunal.’ On
the second day of the parliament, the king went in his coach, and after
the business was ended, walked back to the palace, moving so swiftly as
to throw his foot-guard into a perspiration, ‘being ane able footman
as was within, the town.’--_Spal._ The whole reception of King Charles
was magnificent to a degree unprecedented. The people viewed their
sovereign as a stranger of great distinction, and were more awed than
won by his grandeur, while under all lurked the dread of that constant
tampering with the national church and worship which for some years had
been so conspicuous.
[Sidenote: JUNE 23.]
[Sidenote: 1633.]
(Sunday) ‘the king came to St Giles’s Church to hear sermon, and
after he was set down in his awn place, the ordinary reader being
[engaged in] reading the word and singing psalms, before sermon, Mr
John Maxwell, minister of Edinburgh, came down from the king’s loft,
caused the reader remove from his place, and set down there two English
chaplains, clad with surplices, who with the help of other chaplains
and bishops there present, acted their English service. This being
ended, in came Mr John Guthrie, Bishop of Moray, clad also with a
surplice, went up to the pulpit, and taught a sermon. At thir things
many marvelled.
‘Sermon being ended, the king and all his nobles goes into the
banqueting-house, prepared by the town of Edinburgh, that they might
feast him. The banqueting-house was so near the kirk, and so great
noise in it of men, musical instruments, trumpets, playing, singing,
also shooting of cannon, that no service was had in the afternoon,
either in the greater or lesser kirk of St Giles.’--_Row._
Another contemporary says: ‘The people of Edinburgh, seeing the bishop
teach in his rochet, whilk was never seen in St Giles’s Kirk sin’
the Reformation, and by him who sometime was are of their awn town’s
puritan ministers, were grievit, thinking the same smellit of popery.’
Here lay the canker of this flowery scene. Could any one have foretold
that, in the course of a series of circumstances flowing from these
matters of dress and ceremonial, the youthful king now present in
such grandeur would perish on a scaffold; that Bishop Guthrie would,
for what he did this very day, be deposed and excommunicated; and
that Maxwell, who was now on the eve of being made a bishop, would
be deposed and frightened out of his country, be half cut to pieces
in a massacre in Ireland, and finally die of grief on account of his
sovereign’s irretrievable misfortunes--how strange it would have
appeared!
[Sidenote: JUNE 24.]
This day, being St John’s Day, the king went in state to the Chapel
Royal, Holyroodhouse, and there, after a solemn offertory, touched
about a hundred persons for the king’s evil, ‘putting about every one
of their necks a piece of gold, coined for the purpose, hung at a white
silk riband.’--_Bal._
On the same day, the city gave a banquet to the English nobility, ‘with
music and much merriment. After dinner, the provost, bailies, and
councillors, ilk are in others’ hands, with bare heads, cam dancing
down the High Street with all sort of music, trumpeters, and drums. The
nobles went to the king, and told him their entertainment, joy, and
gladness, whereat the king was weel pleasit.’--_Spal._
[Sidenote: JULY 8.]
[Sidenote: 1633.]
After a sporting tour by Linlithgow, Dunfermline, and Falkland, ‘his
majesty came to Perth, and was weel receivit with tenscore of men for
guard, all in white doublets and red breeks, with partisans. Mr William
Bell delivered him a speech.... There was are sword-dance dancit to his
majesty the morn after his coming, upon an island made of timmer on
the water of Tay, and certain verses spoken to his majesty by ane boy,
representing the person of the river Tay, and some conference in his
majesty’s praise betwixt Tay and another representing Perth, made by
Andrew Wilson, bailie.’--_Chron. Perth._
The king on this occasion lodged in the house which had belonged to the
late Earl of Gowrie, and where his father had had a memorable adventure
in 1600. The arrangement for the sword-dance is more particularly
described in the record of the corporation of glovers. His majesty
‘went down to the garden, and being set upon the wall next the water
of Tay, whereupon was ane fleeting stage of timber clad about with
birks, upon the whilk thirteen of this our calling of glovers, with
green caps, silver strings, red ribbons, white shoes, and bells about
their legs, shewing rapiers in their hands, and all other abulyiement,
dancit our sword-dance, with mony difficile knots, five being under and
five above, upon their shoulders, three of them dancing through their
feet and about them, drinking wine and breaking glasses. Whilk, God
be praisit, was actit and done without hurt or skaith till any. Whilk
drew us till great charges and expenses, amounting to the sum of 350
merks.’[52]
We have no actual account of Highlanders present on this occasion;
but it fully appears that Charles, ten days before, caused a letter
to be sent to the Laird of Glenurchy, desiring that there might be a
‘show and muster’ of that class of his subjects at Perth, ‘in their
country habit and best order.’ The laird was requested to ‘single out
and convene a number of [his] friends, followers, and dependers, men
personable for stature, and in their best array and equipage, with
trews, bows, dorlochs [swords], and others their ordinary weapons and
furniture, and to send them to the burgh of Perth,’ for the king’s
contentment.[53]
If these mountaineers made their appearance as requested, there must
have been precisely the same mixture of Highland and more civilised
costumes at Perth on this occasion, as was presented in Edinburgh at
the visit of George IV. in 1822.
[Sidenote: JULY 10.]
[Sidenote: 1633.]
On his return to Edinburgh, the king crossed the Firth of Forth, in
fair weather; nevertheless, a boat perished in his sight, containing
thirty-five of his domestics, all of whom excepting two were
drowned.[54] ‘His majesty’s silver plate and household stuff perished
with the rest; a pitiful sight, no doubt, to the king and the haill
beholders ... betokening great troubles to fall betwixt the king and
his subjects, as after does appear.’--_Spal._
[Sidenote: JULY 12.]
The aged Marquis of Huntly desired to take advantage of the king’s
presence in Scotland to interest him in the affair of Frendraught; but
in his journey from the north to Edinburgh he fell sick at Candechyll,
a country-house he had on Dee-side, and could go no further. ‘He
sent his lady with the Lady Aboyne [his daughter-in-law] to complain
unto his majesty anent the fire of Frendraught; who took their own
time as commodiously as they could, and, accompanied with some other
ladies in mourning weed, pitifully told the king of the murder ...
humbly craving at his hands justice. The king with great patience
heard this complaint, whilk he bewailed, comforted the ladies the best
way he could, and promised justice.’ They could get no more for the
present, but humbly took their leave at the king, and returned to their
lodgings.--_Spal._
This mourning procession for justice was in imitation of similar
incidents which took place while James lived in Holyrood. The two
ladies were not altogether unsuccessful, as they did not return from
Edinburgh till they had urged on the trial of John Meldrum, and seen
him executed. He ‘died but any certain or real confession, as was said,
anent this doleful fire.’--_Spal._
The king left Edinburgh on the 13th of July, on his journey to London.
‘It is said his majesty commendit our Scottish enterteinment and brave
behaviour, albeit some lords grudgit with him.’--_Spal._
* * * * *
[Sidenote: JULY 30.]
Licence was given to one Edward Graham to have the keeping of a camel
belonging to the king, and to take the animal throughout the kingdom
that it might be shewn to the people, ‘by tuck of drum or sound of
trumpet, from time to time, without trouble or let,’ he and his
servants engaging to behave themselves modestly, and not exhibit the
camel on the Sabbath-day.--_P. C. R._
* * * * *
[Sidenote: _Aug. 19._]
[Sidenote: 1633]
The moral wildness which still clung to the Highlands was evinced by a
rude incident which happened in the course of a deer-stalking adventure
of Alexander Gordon of Dunkintie and his eldest son. Having gone into
the savage wilderness at the head of Strathaven, the two gentlemen
suddenly lighted upon a party of natives, believed to be of the Clan
Chattan, who were sleeping upon the hillside. Suspecting these men
to be rogues, the two gentlemen shot at them, and wounded one. The
men then set upon Gordon and his son, and killed both, but not before
two more of their party had fallen. The servants of the Gordons then
retreated to give an alarm.
When Dunkintie’s second son soon after came to the spot with a few
friends, he found his father’s and brother’s bodies lying on the
ground, beside one of the slain Highlanders, while the other two slain
men were very cunningly buried in one hole. The young man piously
disposed the bodies of his father and brother in two chests, to be
taken to Elgin for interment. Then cutting off the head of one of the
Highlanders, he caused it to be erected on a pointed stick, and carried
before the coffins on their way to the grave. ‘Upon the 22d day of
August, with great lamentation, they were buried within the Marquis’s
Aisle, and immediately thereafter this limmer’s head was set up on ane
iron stob, upon the end of the Tolbooth of Elgin, in example of others
to do the like.’
The Marquis of Huntly took the death of these his near relatives
greatly to heart, and used his utmost influence to detect the offenders
and bring them to justice, but in vain: ‘some thought this strange
that the great marquis should see his blood destroyed without trial or
reparation.’--_Spal._
* * * * *
[Sidenote: NOV.]
[Sidenote: 1633.]
The parish of Duddingstone, near Edinburgh, had for its pastor Mr
Robert Monteath, who came to have a strange history. Of Arminian
tendencies, and perhaps further infected with Romanism from his
parishioner the Marchioness of Abercorn, he incurred the enmity of
the Calvinists in consequence of pasquinading them. Such a walk as
his would have required great circumspection; he, on the contrary,
fell under the serious blame of adultery with the wife of another
parishioner, Sir James Hamilton of Priestfield. The unfortunate
minister fled to France, there joined the Catholic church, and attached
himself to the service, first of M. de la Porte, Grand Prior of France,
and afterwards of the famous Cardinal du Retz, who, forming a high
opinion of his talents, bestowed on him a canonry in Notre Dame. He
wrote _Histoire des Troubles de la Grande Brétagne depuis l’an 1633
jusques 1649_ (Paris, fol. 1661), of which an English translation
appeared in 1735, bearing the words ‘by Robert Monteth of Salmonet.’
It is told of him that, on arriving in France, being asked of what
family he was, and finding that ‘blood’ was essential to his prospering
there, he described himself as one of the Monteaths of _Salmonet_--a
word that sounded well, while the fact was that his father was a mere
fisherman (user of a _salmon-net_) on the Forth at Stirling; but
another account denies this story, and makes Salmonet a real house of
that age, and one in tolerable esteem, being a branch of the Monteaths
of Kerse.
* * * * *
William Coke and Alison Dick were burnt for witchcraft on the sands of
Kirkcaldy. An account, which has been preserved in the session records
of the parish, of the expenses incurred on the occasion, reveals some
parts of the process of witch-prosecution, including the lamentable
fact of the concern borne in such matters by the ministers of religion.
There is first paid, _for the kirk’s part_, £17, 10s., composed as
follows: Mr John Miller, when he went to Preston for a man to try
them, £2, 7s.; to the man of Culross, when he went away the first time
[probably a pricker], 12s.; for coals for the witches, £1, 4s.; in
purchasing the commission, £9, 3s.; for one to go to Finmouth for the
laird to sit upon their assize as judge, 6s.; for harden to be jumps to
them, £3, 10s.; for making of them, 8s. Then, of the town’s part, for
ten loads of coal to burn them, 5 merks, £3, 6s. 8d.; for a tar-barrel,
14s.; for tows, 6s.; to him that brought the executioner, £2, 18s.; to
the executioner for his pains, £8, 14s.; for his expenses here, 16s.
4d.; for one to go to Finmouth for the laird, 6s.; in all, £17, 1s. Sum
of the expense, £34, 11s. Scots.
[Sidenote: 1634.