[Sidenote: 1665.]
The Laird of Lundie, a young unmarried man, was buried in Largo Church,
with that novel and superfluous pomp with which all important matters
had been conducted since the Restoration. The funeral was attended
by a great number of the nobility and gentry of Fife, Lothian, and
the Carse of Gowrie, including the Earls of Crawford, Athole, Kellie,
Wemyss, Tweeddale, and Balcarres, Lords Lyon, Elphinstone, and Newark,
who all dined at the house of Lundie before the corpse ‘was lifted.’
The coach or hearse, decorated with the armorial insignia of the
deceased, and a pall of black velvet, was drawn by six horses, preceded
by three trumpeters and four heralds in proper costume.
‘The heralds and painter got, for their pains, about 800 merks;
the poor ten dollars; the coachmen seven dollars; the trumpeters
forty-eight dollars; the baxter, James Weiland, seven dollars; George
Wan, master of the household ...; the cooks, ...; Mr Waters, that
dressed the coach, seven dollars; ... some men that served ...; the
Kirkcaldy man, for the coffin, 40 lib.; John Gourlay, apothecary,
for drogs, attendance, and bowelling of him, ...; James Thomson, in
Kirkcaldy, for mournings, 412 lib. or thereby; at Edinburgh, for
mournings, 600 lib. or thereby; Gid. Sword for drogs, 16 lib. or
thereby; to the writer at Edinburgh for paper and the burial letters,
12 lib.; at Edinburgh, for claret wine, 200 merks; for seck, 100
lib.; at Edinburgh, two divers times, for spices, about 100 lib.;
for sugar ... R. Dobie, for tobacco, seven lib.; R. Clydesdale, for
ware, 54 lib., 11s.; Will. Foggo, for beef, 84 lib., 12s.; Capper, at
Scoonie, for capps, 6s. ster.; An. Brebner, smith, for the chimlay and
work, near ane 100 lib. or thereby; Robert Bonaly, for dyeing to the
servants, 21 lib., 6s. 8d.; Glover in the Wemyss, for servants’ gloves,
4 lib.’--_Lam._
* * * * *
[Sidenote: JAN. 9.]
Died at Cupar, Thomas Seaton, who is described as ‘a great exciseman,’
meaning a farmer of the revenue over a considerable district. The
event would not be worthy of notice, but for a connected circumstance.
‘He died a Catholic Roman, which was never divulged till his
death.’--_Lam._ Such a fact, revealing a lifelong hypocrisy in a man of
some consequence, is very startling amidst the universal professions of
anxiety for ‘the true religion.’ But it may well be supposed to be but
one of many instances in which intolerance produced one of its natural
fruits, dissimulation.
* * * * *
[Sidenote: FEB.]
[Sidenote: 1665.]
In the latter part of this month, for several days, ‘there appeared
in the clear light of day, even at twelve, one, and two o’clock, and
also in the haill afternoon, ane fiery blazing star in the firmament.
This star continued and increased daily and nightly thereafter, by the
space of many weeks, sometimes having a great brugh about it [a halo]
like the moon.’--_Nic._
* * * * *
[Sidenote: FEB.]
In consequence of the war between Great Britain and Holland, great
stagnation of trade was experienced in Scotland, ‘to the heavy damage
and wreck of the people.’ ‘The seamen were daily sought, taken,
and warded, till they were shipped for that service.’ ‘The towns
upon the north shore of the Firth of Forth had daily and nightly
watches for their defence, in case they should be surprised by the
Hollanders.’--_Nic._
* * * * *
Snow had begun at Christmas 1664, and it lay upon the ground till the
14th of March this year--a storm of which the like had not been seen
for many years before.--_Nic._ ‘Some began to say there would hardly
be any seed-time at all this year; but it pleased the Lord, out of
His gracious goodness, on a sudden to send seasonable weather for the
seed-time, so that in many places the oat seed was sooner done this
year [than] in many years formerly; for the long frost made the ground
very free, and the husbandmen, for the most part, affirmed they never
saw the ground easier to labour.’ Many sheep perished during the storm,
and the frost was severe enough to kill the broom and whins in many
places.--_Lam._
* * * * *
[Sidenote: MAR.]
In the end of this month, appeared a new and fearful comet, greater
than that seen in November. It was visible in all parts of Europe, and
‘set many heads at work.’ The recent alarms spread by the Turks through
Europe, and which had affected even Scotland, and the feeling of
anxiety occasioned by the Dutch war and constant threats of invasion,
gave more than its proper share of terrors to this celestial stranger.
‘They write from Frankfort, Dresden, Berlin, and other places, of
strange sights and terrible in the air; many of which are undoubtedly
augmented by imagination and report, yet a great part of the story is
looked upon as a truth.’--_Nic._
This comet, which was seen in France two months earlier than it
seems to have been in Scotland, was observed by Hevelius, Cassini,
and others. It passed its perihelion on the 24th of April, at
a comparatively small distance from the sun, and with a great
eccentricity of orbit.
* * * * *
[Sidenote: APR.]
[Sidenote: 1665.]
We get some idea of the expense of building at this time, from the
sum at which Robert Mylne, master-mason in Edinburgh, undertook to
erect an hospital at the kirk-town of Largo. It was a house of fourteen
fire-rooms and a public hall; each room containing a bed, a closet,
and a loom; besides which there was a stone-bridge at the entry, and
a gardener’s house, two stories high. ‘Some say he was to have for
the work, being complete, 9000 merks [£506], and if it was found weel
done, 500 merks more.’--_Lam._ In 1661, according to the same diarist,
when some mason-work was executed at Lundie, in Fife, the master had
tenpence a day, and the other men ninepence, ‘and all their diet in the
house.’
* * * * *
[Sidenote: JUNE 11.]
This day, being Sunday, the news of the great naval victory over the
Dutch reached Edinburgh (in three days from London) during the time
of service. ‘No sooner were these good news divulged, but they were
saluted from the [Leith] Road and from the Castle; as also with all
taikens of joy upon the morrow thereafter, by setting out of bonfires
in the town and places adjacent, and by ringing of bells, shooting of
cannons frae sea; the town of Edinburgh marching with their displayed
colours frae the Abbey, the commissioner’s lodging, to the Castle
yett; all of them dancing and louping for joy through the streets
and bonfires as they went, drinking his majesty’s health at the
bonfires.’--_Nic._
* * * * *
[Sidenote: JULY.]
Scotland was now under great alarm on account of the terrific plague
which had broken out in London, and which lasted with great violence
till October. Orders were issued by the Privy Council, forbidding any
to come on business from the south without a testimonial of health.
‘Albeit there were not a few travellers and resorters therefrae,’ it
pleased God that the pestilence should not come to Scotland.--_Nic._
The exemption of our country is the more remarkable, as the plague made
its way into Ireland, and proved highly destructive in Dublin.
[Sidenote: 1665.]
The great plague of 1665 was the subject of serious remark in Scotland,
in connection with circumstances much calculated to impress certain
minds in that part of the world. ‘I find it taken notice of,’ says
Wodrow, ‘by several papers written at this time, that the appearance of
a globe of fire was seen above that part of the city where the Solemn
League and Covenant was burnt so ignominiously by the hands of the
hangman. _Whatever was in this_, it seems certain that the plague broke
out there; and it was observed to rage mostly in that street, where
that open affront had been put upon the oath of God, and very few were
left alive there.’
* * * * *
[Sidenote: NOV. 2.]
The Lord High Commissioner, the Earl of Rothes, commenced a
progress through the west country, attended by the life-guard, the
foot companies, and a cavalcade of _nine hundred gentlemen_, with
trumpeters, kettle-drum, and royal standard. He went to Hamilton,
Paisley, Eglintoun, and Dumbarton, ‘in a triumphant and comely
manner;’ next to the Earl of Montrose’s house of Mugdock, and thence
by Callendar and Linlithgow, back to Edinburgh, everywhere ‘royally
entertained,’ and spending in all eighteen days on the journey.--_Nic._
It is to be suspected that idle and costly amusements of this kind,
which had come in with the Restoration, had something to do with the
poverty now complained of.
* * * * *
[Sidenote: NOV.]
The light regard paid to the personal rights of individuals was shewn
by a wholesale deportation of poor people at this time to the West
Indies. The chronic evil of Scotland, an oppressive multitude of idle
wandering people and beggars, was not now much less afflicting than
it had been in the two preceding reigns. It was proposed to convert
them to some utility by transferring them to a field where there was
a pressing want of labour. On the 2d of November, George Hutcheson,
merchant in Edinburgh, for himself and copartners, addressed the
Privy Council on this subject, ‘out of a desire as weel to promote
the Scottish and English plantations in Gemaica and Barbadoes for the
honour of their country, as to free the kingdom of the burden of many
strong and idle beggars, Egyptians, common and notorious thieves and
other dissolute and louss persons, banished or stigmatised for gross
crimes.’ The petitioners had, by warrant of the sheriffs, justices
of peace, and magistrates of burghs, apprehended and secured some of
these people; yet without authority of the Council they thought they
might ‘meet with some opposition in the promoting and advancing so good
a work.’ It was therefore necessary for them to obtain due order and
warrant from the Council.
[Sidenote: 1665.]
The Council granted warrant and power to the petitioners to transport
all such persons; ‘providing always, that ye bring the said persons
before the Lord Justice-clerk, to whom it is hereby recommended to
try and take notice of the persons, that they be justly convict
for crimes, or such vagabonds as, by the laws of the country may be
apprehended, to the effect the country may be disburdened of them.’
Two months later, James Dunbar, merchant, bound for Barbadoes, was
licensed to take sundry ‘vagabonds and idle persons prisoners in
Edinburgh, content to go of their own accord.’
The population of Barbadoes includes a greater proportion of whites
than that of any other island of the West Indies, and the industrial
economy of the island is also admittedly superior. It is understood
that this is in a great measure owing to the cruel deportations of the
poor people of Scotland to that island in the seventeenth century.
* * * * *
[Sidenote: NOV.]
Another good harvest, ‘whilk was the cause that a number of fee’d
servants, both men and women, did marry at Martinmas, by way of
penny-bridals, both within the town of Edinburgh and other parts of the
country.’--_Nic._
* * * * *
[Sidenote: 1666.