Owing to the confusions, the Court of Session did not sit down as
usual for the winter session to-day; ‘but was vacant the haill winter
session, to the great grief of the true creditor, and the pleasure of
the debtor unwilling to pay his debt.’--_Spal._
* * * * *
[Sidenote: NOV. 2.]
A base coin called Turners had been struck by the Earl of Stirling
under royal licence, and were to him a source of considerable gain, at
the expense of the rest of the community. On the day marginally noted,
‘King Charles’s turners stricken by the Earl of Stirling, was, by
proclamation at the Cross of Edinburgh, cryit down frae twa pennies to
ane penny; King James’s turners to pass for twa pennies, because they
were no less worth; and the caird turners[87] simpliciter discharged as
false cunyie. But this proclamation was shortly recalled, because there
was no other money passing to make change.’ _April 1640._--‘You see
before some order taken with the passing of turners, whereof some was
appointit to pass for ane penny. Now they would give nothing, penny nor
half-penny, for King Charles’s turners; but King James’s turners only
should pass. Whereby all change and trade was taken away through want
of current money, because thir slight turners was the only money almost
passing through all Scotland.’--_Spal._
* * * * *
[Sidenote: NOV.]
John Dhu Ger, the Highland robber, came with twenty-four men to William
Stewart’s house on Speyside, set out watches, and took up house there.
From this post he sent armed emissaries here and there to raise money
by practising on the terrors of the people. The people gave fair
words, but privately were active in collecting men for an effectual
resistance. ‘And John Dhu Ger, being informed of their gathering by
his watches, shortly takes both the ferry-boats, and carries over his
men to the Stannars, whilk is in the midst of the water of Spey, and
keepit the ferry-boats close beside himself, so that there was no
other boat near enough to follow them.’ The country people had then
to commence firing at the robbers from the bank, exposing themselves
of course to be fired at in return. At length, by a shot from the gun
of one Alexander Anderson, John Dhu Ger fell dead, and his followers
dispersed.--_Spal._
* * * * *
[Sidenote: 1639.]
The Viscountess Melgum, widow of the young nobleman who had been burnt
in Frendraught Castle, lived for several years in Aboyne Castle on the
Dee, a gentle, charitable, and devout life, being a strict Catholic. A
certain Father Blackhall, who was her domestic chaplain or _frere_ from
July 1638 till her death in March 1642, has left a copious gossiping
narrative of his career as a priest in Scotland, including much that is
curious regarding the private life of the lady, as well as the state of
the country in that agitated time. He tells us that he had an apartment
to himself, where four dishes of meat, as well as wine and ale, were
sent to him at every meal, till, remonstrating about the expensiveness
of this practice to the lady, he was allowed by her to eat at her own
table. It was customary, he says, for a domestic priest in those days
to confine himself very much to his chamber; and if he but opened his
window, ‘the people would run to get a sight of him as a monstrous
thing.’ But he, going freely about, soon ceased to be an object of
curiosity.
By permission of his lady--whom, by the by, he always calls by her
inferior title of Lady Aboyne--he made professional tours through the
country, to confess and communicate the Catholics scattered about,
usually staying a night in each house, or convening the poorer sort in
a tavern. He does not speak of any dangers or difficulties encountered
in performing this duty. He tells us, however, of some considerable
troubles he had in defending the widow lady’s castle from the armed
bands of Highlanders and others who were continually going about
the country in consequence of the Covenanting wars. If he is to be
believed, he was as much his lady’s captain as her priest.
[Sidenote: 1639.]
On one occasion, a party of the Clan Cameron, forty or fifty in
number, vassals of the Huntly family, came into the court of Aboyne
Castle, asking to see my lady, with the hope of obtaining money from
her. Blackhall, finding there was no other man in the house besides a
porter and himself, amused them with fair speeches till he obtained
assistance, and then closing the gates against them, sent them out some
food, as all that Lady Aboyne was willing to bestow upon them. They
went away grumbling, and presently quartered themselves upon one of her
ladyship’s tenants, named Finlay, who kept a tavern, compelling him to
kill poultry and mutton for their supper; and next day, they plundered
the house, and set out for another, the Mill of Bountie, which they
seemed likely to treat in the same way. Blackhall, hearing of their
doings, mustered an armed party of sixteen, and set out to surprise the
depredators. The dispositions he made shewed a good deal of sagacity,
and were attended with the desired effect.
Marching in single file, after the Highland fashion, and in perfect
silence, they had got near the house before the Cameron sentinel
observed them. ‘Having discovered us, he did run to the house, and we
after him, so near that he had not leisure to shut the gate of the
court behind him. All the vantage that he had before us was to win
the house, and shut that door behind him, which chanced well for both
parties; for if we could have entered the house with him, we should
have killed every one another, for we were in great fury to be revenged
of them, and they could do no less than defend themselves, selling
their lives at the dearest rate they could, as men in despair should
do. They would have had a great advantage upon us, for they, being in a
dark house, would have seen us well, and we, coming in from the snow,
would have been blind for some length of time, in the which they might
have done us great skaith, before we could have done them any, not
seeing them. But God provided better for us.
[Sidenote: 1639.]
‘How soon we were in the court, I said with a loud voice: “Every one
to his post;” which was done in the twinkling of an eye. Then I went
to the door, thinking to break it up with my foot: but it was a thick
double door, and the lock very strong. Whilst I was at the door, one of
them did come to bolt it, and I hearing him at it, did shoot a pistolet
at him. He said afterwards that the balls did pass through the hair
of his head; whether he said true or not, I know not. I did go from
the door to the windows, and back again, still encouraging them, and
praying them at the windows to hold their eyes still upon our enemies,
and to kill such as would lay their hands to a weapon; and to these at
the door to have their guns ever ready to discharge at such as would
choose to come forth without my leave. And I still threatened to burn
the house, and them all into it, if they would not render themselves at
my discretion, which they were loath to do, until they saw the light
of bits of straw, that I had kindled to throw upon the thatch of the
house, although I did not intend to do it, nor burn our friends with
our foes. But if Malcolm Dorward, and his wife and servants, and his
son George Dorward, and John Cordoner, all whom the Highlanders had
lying in bonds by them, had been out, I would have made no scruple
to have burned the house and all the Highlanders within it, to give
terror to others who would be so brutal as to oppress ladies who never
wronged them.
‘They seeing the light of the burning straw coming in at the windows,
and the keepers of the windows bidding them render themselves before
they be burned, they called for quarters. I told them they should get
no other quarters but my discretion, unto which, if they would submit
themselves faithfully, they would find the better quarters; if not, be
it at their hazard. Thereupon I bid their captain come and speak with
me all alone, with his gun under his arm, disbended, and the stock
foremost. Then I went to the door and bid the keepers thereof let out
one man all alone, with his gun under his arm, and the stock foremost;
but if any did press to follow him, that they should kill both him and
them who pressed to follow him. He did come out as I ordained, and
trembled as the leaf of a tree. I believe he thought we would kill him
there. I did take his gun from him, and discharged it, and laid it down
upon the earth by the side of the house. Then, after I had threatened
him, and reproached their ingratitude, who durst trouble my lady or her
tenants, who was and yet is the best friend that their chief, Donald
Cameron, hath in all the world. “For,” said I, “he will tell you how I
and another man of my lady’s went to him where he was hiding himself,
with his cousin, Ewen Cameron, in my lady’s land, and brought them in
croup to Aboyne, where they were kept secretly three weeks, until their
enemies, the Covenanters, had left off the seeking of them; and you,
unthankful beast as you are, have rendered a displeasure to my lady for
her goodness toward you.” He pretended ignorance of that courtesy that
she had done to his chief.
[Sidenote: 1639.]
‘“Be not afraid, sir,” said I; “you shall find my discretion to you
better than any quarters that you could have gotten by capitulation;
for I shall impose nothing to you but that which you shall confess to
be just.” This encouraged him, for he was exceeding feared. Then I
said: “Think you it is not just that you pay this poor man, Alexander
Finlay, what you spent in his house, and render what you plundered from
him?” He said: “It is very just,” and paid him what he asked; to wit,
four crowns in ready money; and promised to restore what other things
they had plundered from him as soon as his companions, who had the
things, were come out. All which he performed. “Is it not just,” said
I, “that you render to Malcolm Dorward, in whose house you are here,
and to his son, George Dorward, and to their friend, John Cordoner, all
whatsoever you have taken from them?” “It is just,” said he; “and I
shall not go out of his court in which I stand, until I have satisfied
everybody.” “Is it not just,” said I, “that you promise and swear
that you shall go out of the land pertaining to my lady peaceably,
untroubling any of her tenants or servants any more; and that you
promise and swear never to molest her tenants hereafter?” “It is just,”
said he; and did swear to perform all these things. When he had sworn
by his part of Heaven to keep these articles, I made him swear by the
soul of his father, that neither he, nor none whom he could hinder,
should ever thereafter trouble or molest my lady, nor any of her
tenants. Then I sent him into his company in the house to see if they
would stand to all that he had promised and sworn. He said: “They have
all sworn fidelity and obedience to me, and therefore they must stand
to whatsoever I promise, and perform it.” “Notwithstanding,” said I,
“send me them out as you did come--their guns under their arms, the
stocks foremost; and send no more out but one at a time; and let no
more out until he who is out return in again; and when you have all
come out severally, and made the same oath which you have made, you
shall have leave to take up all your guns, but upon your oaths that you
shall not charge them again until you be out of the lands pertaining to
my lady.”
[Sidenote: 1639.]
“They did all come out severally as I had commanded, and as they did
come to me, I discharged their guns to the number of six or eight and
forty, which made the tenants convene to us from the parties where the
shots were heard; so that, before they had all come out, we were near
as many as they, armed with swords, and targes, and guns. When they
all had made their oaths to me, I ranked our people like two hedges,
five paces distance from one another rank, and but one pace every man
from another in that same rank, and turn[ed] the mouths of their guns
and their faces one rank to another, so as the Highlanders might pass
two and two together betwixt their ranks. They passed so from the door
of the hall in which they were, to the place where their guns were
lying all empty. They trembled passing, as if they had been in a fever
quartan. I asked their captain, when they had taken up their guns, what
way they would hold to go out of my lady’s land. He said, they desired
to go to Birse. I said we would convoy them to the boat of Birse,
a good mile from the place where we were. I did so, because I had
promised never to come in my lady’s sight if I did not put them out of
her lands; and therefore, to come in her house, I would see them pass
over the water of Dye, out of her lands, which went to the water-side,
and we stood by the water-side until the boat did take them over in
three voyages; and when they were all over the water, we returned home.
Alexander Davidson returned from Bountie how soon they began to march
away. He told to my lady the event of our siege, who was very joyful
that no blood was shed on either side.”
‘Their captain and I going together to the water-side, [he] said to me:
“Sir, you have been happy in surprising us, for if our watchman had
advertised us before your entry into the court, but only so long as we
might have taken our arms in our hands and gone to the court, we could
have killed you all before you had come near us, we being covered from
you, and you in an open field to us; or if we had but gone the first
to the windows, we could have beaten you out of the court, or killed
you all in it.” “Good friend,” said I, “you think you had to do with
children; but know that I was a soldier before you could wipe your own
nose, and could have ranged my men so by the side of the house wherein
you was, that you should not have seen them through the windows, and in
that posture kept the door so well that none of you should have come
out unkilled, and so kept you within until the country had convened
against you. I confess, if you had been masters of the court, and we
in open fields, you might have done what you say; but we were not such
fools as to lay ourselves wide open to you, being covered from us. If
any house had been near us, we could have made a sconce of it to cover
ourselves; if none were near us, we could retire in order, and you
could not pursue us, unlaid yourselves as open to us as we were to you,
and there we should have seen who did best.”
[Sidenote: 1639.]
‘In the parish of Birse, these same fellows did call away a prey of
cattle, and killed some men who resisted them. Then they went to
Craigyvar, and although he was esteemed the most active man in all
the name of Forbes, they plundered his tenants, and carried away a
prey of cattle, for all that he could do against them. And this I
say, to shew that these Highlanders were active and stout fellows,
and that, consequently, it was God, and not I with sixteen boys, that
did put them out of the lands of that pious and devout lady, whom he
did protect, and would not suffer to be oppressed. And to shew that
it was he himself, and none other, he made choice of weak and unfit
instruments; to wit, a poor priest, who made no profession of arms,
unless charity, as at this time, or his own just defence obliged him
to it, and sixteen boys, who had never been at such play before, to
whom he gave on this occasion both resolution and courage, and to
me better conduct than could have proceeded from my simple spirit,
without his particular inspiration; to whom I render, as I should, with
unfeigned submission, all the glory of that action.’
* * * * *
[Sidenote: (NOV.?)]
The Marquis of Huntly being at this time resident in the Canongate,
two of his daughters were married there ‘with great solemnities’--Lady
Anne, who was ‘ane precise puritan,’ to Lord Drummond; and Lady
Henrietta, who was a Roman Catholic, to Lord Seton, son of the Earl of
Wintoun. The ladies had each 40,000 merks, Scots money, as her fortune,
their uncle the Earl of Argyle being cautioner for the payment, ‘for
relief whereof he got the wadset of Lochaber and Badenoch.’--_Spal._
Lady Jean, the third daughter, was married in the ensuing January to
the Earl of Haddington, with 30,000 merks as her ‘tocher good.’
* * * * *
[Sidenote: 1640.