As soon as those of the Privy Council had, with their attendants, left
the house, and proceeded to join the Duke of York in the palace, the
charitable damsel came to me, and conveyed me, undiscovered, through the
hall and into the Cowgate, where she had provided a man, a friend of her
own, one Charles Brownlee, who had been himself in the hands of the
Philistines, to conduct me out of the town; and by him I was guided in
safety through the Cowgate, and put into a house just without the same,
where his mother resided.
"Here," said he, "it will be as well for you to bide out the daylight,
and being now forth the town-wall, ye'll can gang where ye like
unquestioned in the gloaming." And so saying he went away, leaving me
with his mother, an ancient matron, with something of the remnant of
ladyness about her, yet was she not altogether an entire gentlewoman,
though at the first glimpse she had the look of one of the very highest
degree.
Notwithstanding, however, that apparition of finery which was about her,
she was in truth and in heart a sincere woman, and had, in the better
days of her younger years, been, as she rehearsed to me, gentlewoman to
the Countess of Argyle's mother, and was on a footing of cordiality with
divers ladies of the bedchamber of what she called the three nobilities,
meaning those of Scotland, England, and Ireland; so that I saw there
might by her be opened a mean of espial into the camp of the
adversaries. So I told her of my long severe malady, and the shock I had
suffered by what I had seen of my martyred son, and entreated that she
would allow me to abide with her until my spirits were more composed.
Mrs Brownlee having the compassion of a Christian, and the tenderness of
her gentle sex, was moved by my story, and very readily consented.
Instead therefore of going forth at random in the evening, as I was at
one time mindet, I remained in her house; where indeed could I at that
time flee in the hope of finding any place of refuge? But although this
was adopted on the considerations of human reason, it was nevertheless a
link in the chain of providential methods by which I was to achieve the
fulfilment of my vow.
The house of Mrs Brownlee being, as I have intimated, nigh to the gate
of the city, I saw from the window all that went into and came out
therefrom; and the same afternoon I had visible evidence of the temper
wherewith the Duke of York and his counsellors had been actuated that
day at Holyrood, in consequence of the manner in which we had been
delivered from prison;--for Jack Windsor, the poor sentinel who was on
guard when we escaped by the window, was brought out, supported by two
of his companions, his feet having been so crushed in the torturous
boots before the Council, during his examination anent us, that he could
scarcely mark them to the ground; his hands were also bound in cloths,
through which the blood was still oozing, from the pressure of those
dreadful thumbikins of iron, that were so often used in those days to
screw accusations out of honest men. A sympathizing crowd followed the
destroyed sufferer, and the sight for a little while afflicted me with
sore regret. But when I considered the compassion that the people showed
for him, I was filled with a strange satisfaction, deducing therefrom
encouraging persuasions, that every new sin of the persecutors removed a
prop from their own power, making its overthrow more and more
inevitable.
While I was peering from the window in these reflections, I saw Quintin
Fullarton, the grandson of John Fullarton of Dykedivots, in the street,
and knowing that from the time of Bothwell-brigg he had been joined with
that zealous and martyred youth, Richard Cameron, and was, as Robin
Brown told me, among other acquaintances at Airsmoss, I entreated Mrs
Brownlee to go after him and bid him come to me,--which he readily did,
and we had a mournful communing for some time.
He told me the particulars of my gallant Joseph's death, and that it was
by the command of Claverhouse himself that the brave stripling's head
was cut off and sent in ignominy to Edinburgh; where, by order of the
Privy Council, it was placed on the Netherbow.
"What I hae suffered from that man," said I, "Heaven may pardon, but I
can neither forget nor forgive."
"The judgment time's coming," replied Quintin Fullarton; "and your part
in it, Ringan Gilhaize, assuredly will not be forgotten, for in the
heavens there is a Doer of justice and an Avenger of wrongs."
And then he proceeded to tell me, that on the following afternoon there
was to be a meeting of the heads of the Cameronian societies, with Mr
Renwick, in a dell of the Esk, about half a mile above Laswade, to
consult what ought to be done, the pursuit and persecution being so hot
against them, that life was become a burden, and their minds desperate.
"We hae many friens," said he, "in Edinburgh, and I am entrusted to warn
them to the meeting, which is the end of my coming to the town; and
maybe, Ringan Gilhaize, ye'll no objek yoursel to be there?"
"I will be there, Quintin Fullarton," said I; "and in the strength of
the Lord I will come armed, with a weapon of more might than the sword
and more terrible than the ball that flieth unseen."
"What mean you, Ringan?" said he, compassionately; for he knew of my
infirmity, and thought that I was still fevered in the mind. But I told
him, that for some time, feeling myself unable for warlike enterprises,
I had meditated on a way to perplex our guilty adversaries, the which
was to menace them with retaliation, for resistance alone was no longer
enough.
"We have disowned Charles Stuart as our king," said I, "and we must wage
war accordingly. But go your ways and execute your purposes; and by the
time you return this way I shall have a paper ready, the sending forth
of which will strike terror into the brazen hearts of our foes."
I perceived that he was still dubious of me; but nevertheless he
promised to call as he came back; and, having gone away, I set myself
down and drew up that declaration, wherein, after again calmly disowning
the royal authority of Charles Stuart, we admonished our sanguinary
persecutors, that, for self-preservation, we would retaliate according
to our power, and the degree of guilt on such privy counsellors, lords
of justiciary, officers and soldiers, their abettors and informers,
whose hands should continue to be imbrued in our blood. And on the
return of Quintin Fullarton, I gave the paper to him, that it might be
seen and considered by Mr Renwick and others, previous to offering it to
the consideration of the meeting.
He read it over very sedately, and folded it up and put it in the crown
of his bonnet without saying a word; but several times, while he was
reading, he cast his eyes towards me, and when he rose to go away he
said, "Ringan Gilhaize, you have endured much; but verily, if this thing
can be brought to pass, your own and all our sufferings will soon be
richly revenged."
"Not revenged," said I; "revenge, Quintin Fullarton, becomes not
Christian men. But we shall be the executioners of the just judgments of
Him whose ministers are flaming fires, and pestilence, and war, and
storms, and perjured kings."
With these words we parted; and next morning, by break of day, I rose,
after the enjoyment of a solacing sleep, such as I had not known for
many days, and searched my way across the fields towards Laswade. I did
not, however, enter the clachan, but lingered among the woods till the
afternoon, when, descending towards the river, I walked leisurely up the
banks, where I soon fell in with others of the associated friends.