The pest was at this time at Cramond, near Edinburgh--supposed to have
been introduced by a ship from the Low Countries, where the disease
largely prevailed. The inhabitants were ordered to keep within their
own parish, and two _clengers_ from Newhaven were despatched to bury
the dead and take all other needful steps to prevent the spread of
infection. A strict order was issued to prevent the landing of people
out of ships from Holland, or any intercourse with such vessels as
might come into the Firth of Forth. The wife of Thomas Anderson,
skipper, having gone on board her husband’s vessel, and remained there
some time, after which she returned to her house in Leith, she was
commanded to remain within doors. One Francis Vanhoche, of Middleburg,
had embarked in a ship bound for Scotland, in order to settle his
accounts for lead ore; he had been detained by contrary winds, and
then landed at Hull, whence he proceeded to Edinburgh, and took up his
quarters with Gilbert Fraser, a merchant-burgess of the city. To the
surprise of Francis, he was shut up in the house as a dangerous person,
and not liberated till the Laird of Lamington engaged to take him
immediately off to Leadhills, where he had business to attend to. The
order for the seclusion of the parishioners of Cramond caused enormous
misery to the poor, who, being prevented from working, could obtain
no supply of the necessaries of life. After a representation of their
extreme sufferings, the order was removed (December 15).--_P. C. R._
During the ensuing year, the plague declared itself in London,
Newcastle, and other towns in England, but hardly appeared in Scotland
till November, when the towns of Preston, Prestonpans, and Musselburgh
were slightly infected.
* * * * *
[Sidenote: (NOV.)]
[Sidenote: 1635.]
Soon after the Marquis of Huntly’s summer journey to Edinburgh, Captain
Adam Gordon of Park, offended at the severe proceedings of the great
lord against himself and others, went to the Council in Edinburgh, and
making a separate peace, gave information which led the Council to
believe that the marquis had receipted and supplied some of the broken
men after undertaking their reduction. The aged noble was accordingly
summoned once more, and forced to obey, though it was now ‘the dead
of the year, cold, tempestuous, and stormy.’ He and his lady again
travelled ‘by chariot.’ On this occasion, he had to submit to a period
of imprisonment in the Castle of Edinburgh, in a room where he had no
light, and was denied the company of his lady, except on a visit at
Christmas. He was afterwards permitted to live in ‘his own lodging,
near to his majesty’s palace of Holyroodhouse, with liberty to walk
within ane of the gardens, of walks within the precinct of the said
palace, and no further.’ Thence, in June 1636, finding himself growing
weaker and weaker, he set out for his northern castle, ‘in a wand-bed
within his chariot, his lady still with him.’ He died on the journey,
in an inn at Dundee, whence his body was brought in a horse-litter to
Strathbogie, for burial.
At the end of August, this great man was buried in state at Elgin,
according to the forms of the Catholic Church, to which he belonged.
‘He had torch-lights carried in great numbers by friends and
gentlemen.’ His son and three other nobles bore the coffin. ‘He was
carried to the east style of the College Kirk, in at the south door,
[and] buried in his own aile, with much mourning and lamentation;
the like form of burial with torchlight was seldom seen here
before.’--_Spal._
This grand old nobleman had been in possession of his honours for sixty
years. In his youth, he had great troubles from his rivalry with the
Earl of Moray, and his adherence to the ancient faith. But he had lived
down all difficulties, and, considering the sad affair at Dunnibrissle
in 1592, died with a wonderfully good character. ‘The marquis,’ says
Spalding, ‘was of a great spirit, for in time of trouble he was of
invincible courage, and boldly bare down all his enemies. He was never
inclined to war himself, but by the pride and influence of his kin, was
diverse times drawn into troubles, whilk he did bear through valiantly.
He loved not to be in the law contending against any man, but loved
rest and quietness with all his heart, and in time of peace he lived
moderately and temperately in his diet, and fully set to building all
curious devices. A good neighbour in his marches, disposed rather to
give than to take a foot wrongously. He was heard to say he never drew
sword in his own quarrel. In his youth, a prodigal spender; in his old
age, more wise and worldly, yet never counted for cost in matters of
credit and honour. A great householder; a terror to his enemies, whom
he ever with his prideful kin held under subjection and obedience. Just
in all his bargains, and was never _heard_ for his true debt.’
[Sidenote: 1635]
The marquis had had infinite trouble through life in maintaining his
faith as a son of the Church of Rome, and it fully appears that the
Presbyterians had the trouble of converting him four or five times.
‘In 1588, he gave in his adherence to the reformed establishment,
and subscribed the Confession; but in his intercepted letters to the
Spanish king, he says that “the whole had been extorted from him
against his conscience.” In 1597, his lordship was again reconciled
to the kirk, with much public solemnity, signed the Confession of
Faith, and partook of the sacrament. His fidelity, however, was wholly
feigned, and did not last long. In 1607, Mr George Gladstanes, minister
at St Andrews, was appointed by the General Assembly to remain with the
Marquis of Huntly “for ane quarter or ane half year, to the effect by
his travels and labours, the said noble lord and his family might be
informit in the word of truth.” In the following year, Mr Gladstanes
reported that he had stayed three days with the marquis, apparently
at the time when his lordship was engaged in the re-edification of
his castle of Strathbogie, of whose grandeur the existing remains as
yet afford ample proof; and having among other things inquired at his
lordship “why he resorted not to the preaching at the ordinar times
in parish kirks,” he was informed that he could not well resort to
the parish kirk, partly in respect of the mean rank of such as were
within the parish, and partly in respect his lordship’s predecessors
were in use to have ane chapel in their awn house, whilk he was
minded to prosecute now, “seeing he was presently preparing his house
of Strathbogie.” In 1606, he was accused of giving encouragement to
the Roman Catholics, and thereby occasioning a great defection from
the reformed opinions, and in 1608 he was excommunicated. In 1616, he
was absolved from excommunication by the Archbishop of Canterbury,
and afterwards by the General Assembly which met at Aberdeen in that
year. There is, however, no doubt that during his whole life he was
a warm adherent of the ancient religion.’[68] It would be difficult
for a candid mind to say which was most to blame in all this--the
marquis for his insincerity, or the church-courts for exercising force
and accepting professions where they knew that there was no hearty
concession attainable.
[Sidenote: 1635.]
In his latter years, the marquis devoted himself much to what was then
called _policy_--that is, building and planting. We have already seen
that he erected an elegant mansion at Strathbogie--the now ruinous
Huntly Castle. ‘He built a house at Kinkail on the Dee, called the
New-house, which standeth amidst three hunting-forests of his own.
He built the house of Ruthven in Badenoch twice, [it] being burnt by
aventure or negligence of his servants after he had once finished the
same. He built a new house in Aboyne; he repaired his house in Elgin;
he hath built a house in the Plewlands in Moray; he hath enlarged and
decored the house of Bog-Gicht, which he hath parked about; he repaired
his house in the old town of Aberdeen.’--_G. H. S._
* * * * *
[Sidenote: DEC.]
We light upon a curious bit of life in the book of the Privy Council.
One day, not long before the date noted, Nicolas Johnston, wife of
Mr Francis Irving, commissary-clerk of Dumfries, was walking on the
street of that burgh, passing from her mother’s house to the residence
of ‘Lady Cockpool,’ when she met Marion Gladstanes, spouse of the
schoolmaster. Marion, after many flattering words, invited Nicolas
Johnston into her house ‘to drink with her.’ Yielding with some
reluctance to this invitation, Nicolas was taken into a quiet room in
Marion’s house, where presently a mutchkin of white wine was brought
in for the solacement of the two ladies. Marion, as the hostess,
drank the first cupful to the health of her gossip’s husband; then,
while Nicolas was looking at the hangings of a bed (few rooms were in
those days without beds), she filled the cup again. ‘Nicolas, looking
about, perceived her tottering the cup in her hand, as if she had
the perellis’ [paralysis]. Then she gave it to Nicolas to drink. It
appeared to have some brayed nutmeg infused into it. Nicolas, having
drunk a little, handed back the cup to Marion, who, ‘pretending it was
to the said Nicolas’s husband’s health, urged her at three drinks to
drink the same out. Thereafter Marion took the cup, and set it down,
saying: “The last that drank out of that cup, loved the wine the better
of the nutmegs,” and with that changed her countenance and grew red.
Nicolas, fearing some harm, and yet not suspecting any poison to be in
the cup, the said Marion took ane clean linen and said: “I think you
love not nutmegs,” rubbed the cup clean, filled a drink of wine, drank
thereof, and her servant also.’
[Sidenote: 1635.]
Nicolas Johnston afterwards proceeded to Lady Cockpool’s, but in the
way experienced a violent attack of thirst, ‘so that she was forced to
call for drink, and could scarce be slockened. Thereafter, she came
to her mother’s house, and being troubled with the like thirst, drank
weak ale and got little rest all the night.’ Next day, her body, from
the middle downwards, was enormously swelled, making her a monstrous
figure, and this illness did not much abate for twenty days. Soon
after, she had to take to her bed again, nor did she begin to recover
‘till she received an antidote from Dr Hamilton.’ Her health did not
fully come back.
A commission was issued for inquiry into this affair, but with what
result does not appear.--_P. C. R._
* * * * *
[Sidenote: 1636.