Nothing very material, after Jeanie Gaisling's affair, happened in the
town till the time of my first provostry, when an event arose with an
aspect of exceeding danger to the lives and properties of the whole town.
I cannot indeed think of it at this day, though age has cooled me down in
all concerns to a spirit of composure, without feeling the blood boil in
my veins; so greatly, in the matter alluded to, was the king's dignity
and the rightful government, by law and magistracy, insulted in my
person.
From time out of mind, it had been an ancient and commendable custom in
the burgh, to have, on the king's birth-day, a large bowl of punch made
in the council-chamber, in order and to the end and effect of drinking
his majesty's health at the cross; and for pleasance to the commonality,
the magistrates were wont, on the same occasion, to allow a cart of coals
for a bonfire. I do not now, at this distance of time, remember the
cause how it came to pass, but come to pass it did, that the council
resolved for time coming to refrain from giving the coals for the
bonfire; and it so fell out that the first administration of this economy
was carried into effect during my provostry, and the wyte of it was laid
at my door by the trades' lads, and others, that took on them the lead in
hobleshows at the fairs, and such like public doings. Now I come to the
issue and particulars.
The birth-day, in progress of time, came round, and the morning was
ushered in with the ringing of bells, and the windows of the houses
adorned with green boughs and garlands. It was a fine bright day, and
nothing could exceed the glee and joviality of all faces till the
afternoon, when I went up to the council-chamber in the tolbooth, to meet
the other magistrates and respectable characters of the town, in order to
drink the king's health. In going thither, I was joined, just as I was
stepping out of my shop, by Mr Stoup, the excise gauger, and Mr Firlot,
the meal-monger, who had made a power of money a short time before, by a
cargo of corn that he had brought from Belfast, the ports being then
open, for which he was envied by some, and by the common sort was
considered and reviled as a wicked hard-hearted forestaller. As for Mr
Stoup, although he was a very creditable man, he had the repute of being
overly austere in his vocation, for which he was not liked over and above
the dislike that the commonality cherish against all of his calling; so
that it was not possible that any magistrate, such as I endeavoured to
be, adverse to ill-doers, and to vice and immorality of every kind, could
have met at such a time and juncture, a greater misfortune than those two
men, especially when it is considered, that the abolition of the bonfire
was regarded as a heinous trespass on the liberties and privileges of the
people. However, having left the shop, and being joined, as I have
narrated, by Mr Stoup and Mr Firlot, we walked together at a sedate pace
towards the tolbooth, before which, and at the cross, a great assemblage
of people were convened; trades' lads, weavers with coats out at the
elbow, the callans of the school; in short, the utmost gathering and
congregation of the clan-jamphry, who the moment they saw me coming, set
up a great shout and howl, crying like desperation, "Provost, 'whar's the
bonfire? Hae ye sent the coals, provost, hame to yersel, or selt them,
provost, for meal to the forestaller?" with other such misleart
phraseology that was most contemptuous, bearing every symptom of the
rebellion and insurrection that they were then meditating. But I kept my
temper, and went into the council-chamber, where others of the
respectable inhabitants were met with the magistrates and town-council
assembled.
"What's the matter, provost?" said several of them as I came in; "are ye
ill; or what has fashed you?" But I only replied, that the mob without
was very unruly for being deprived of their bonfire. Upon this, some of
those present proposed to gratify them, by ordering a cart of coals, as
usual; but I set my face against this, saying, that it would look like
intimidation were we now to comply, and that all veneration for law and
authority would be at an end by such weakness on the part of those
entrusted with the exercise of power. There the debate, for a season,
ended; and the punch being ready, the table was taken out of the council-
chamber and carried to the cross, and placed there, and then the bowl and
glasses--the magistrates following, and the rest of the company.
Seeing us surrounded by the town-officers with their halberts, the
multitude made way, seemingly with their wonted civility, and, when his
majesty's health was drank, they shouted with us, seemingly, too, as
loyally as ever; but that was a traitorous device to throw us off our
guard, as, in the upshot, was manifested; for no sooner had we filled the
glasses again, than some of the most audacious of the rioters began to
insult us, crying, "The bonfire! the bonfire!--No fire, no bowl!--Gentle
and semple should share and share alike." In short, there was a moving
backwards and forwards, and a confusion among the mob, with snatches of
huzzas and laughter, that boded great mischief; and some of my friends
near me said to me no to be alarmed, which only alarmed me the more, as I
thought they surely had heard something. However, we drank our second
glass without any actual molestation; but when we gave the three cheers,
as the custom was, after the same, instead of being answered joyfully,
the mob set up a frightful yell, and, rolling like the waves of the sea,
came on us with such a shock, that the table, and punch-bowl, and
glasses, were couped and broken. Bailie Weezle, who was standing on the
opposite side, got his shins so ruffled by the falling of the table, that
he was for many a day after confined to the house with two sore legs; and
it was feared he would have been a lameter for life.
The dinging down of the table was the signal of the rebellious ring
leaders for open war. Immediately there was an outcry and a roaring,
that was a terrification to hear; and I know not how it was, but before
we kent where we were, I found myself with many of those who had been
drinking the king's health, once more in the council-chamber, where it
was proposed that we should read the riot act from the windows; and this
awful duty, by the nature of my office as provost, it behoved me to
perform. Nor did I shrink from it; for by this time my corruption was
raised, and I was determined not to let the royal authority be set at
nought in my hands.
Accordingly, Mr Keelivine, the town clerk, having searched out among his
law books for the riot act, one of the windows of the council-chamber was
opened, and the bell man having, with a loud voice, proclaimed the "O
yes!" three times, I stepped forward with the book in my hands. At the
sight of me, the rioters, in the most audacious manner, set up a
blasphemous laugh; but, instead of finding me daunted thereat, they were
surprised at my fortitude; and, when I began to read, they listened in
silence. But this was a concerted stratagem; for the moment that I had
ended, a dead cat came whizzing through the air like a comet, and gave me
such a clash in the face that I was knocked down to the floor, in the
middle of the very council-chamber. What ensued is neither to be told
nor described; some were for beating the fire-drum; others were for
arming ourselves with what weapons were in the tolbooth; but I deemed it
more congenial to the nature of the catastrophe, to send off an express
to Ayr for the regiment of soldiers that was quartered there--the roar of
the rioters without, being all the time like a raging flood.
Major Target, however, who had seen service in foreign wars, was among
us, and he having tried in vain to get us to listen to him, went out of
his own accord to the rioters, and was received by them with three
cheers. He then spoke to them in an exhorting manner, and represented to
them the imprudence of their behaviour; upon which they gave him three
other cheers, and immediately dispersed and went home. The major was a
vain body, and took great credit to himself, as I heard, for this; but,
considering the temper of mind the mob was at one time in, it is quite
evident that it was no so much the major's speech and exhortation that
sent them off, as their dread and terror of the soldiers that I had sent
for.
All that night the magistrates, with other gentlemen of the town, sat in
the council-chamber, and sent out, from time to time, to see that every
thing was quiet; and by this judicious proceeding, of which we drew up
and transmitted a full account to the king and government in London, by
whom the whole of our conduct was highly applauded, peace was maintained
till the next day at noon, when a detachment, as it was called, of four
companies came from the regiment in Ayr, and took upon them the
preservation of order and regularity. I may here notice, that this was
the first time any soldiers had been quartered in the town since the
forty-five; and a woeful warning it was of the consequences that follow
rebellion and treasonable practices; for, to the present day, we have
always had a portion of every regiment, sent to Ayr, quartered upon us.