The Regent, seeing the present abundance of corns in the country, and
considering how in bypast times of dearth the people of Scotland had
‘received large help and support of victuals out of the easter seas,
France, Flanders, and England,’ thought it proper that ‘the like favour
and guid neighbourheid, charity and amity, should be extendit towards
the people of the said countries in this present year, when it has
pleasit God to visie them with the like dearth and scarcity.’ This was
the more proper, in as far as ‘the farmers sould be greatly interested,
gif they were constrainit to sell their corns at the low prices now
current,’ seeing that their expenses were now as great as when in
other times they were getting double prices. For these and other good
reasons (whereof probably not the least was a good douceur from a few
corn-merchants, such as Robert Gourlay), the Regent was pleased to
arrange for a short suspension of the act of parliament forbidding
the export of corn out of the country, taking on himself the power of
licensing that operation to a certain modified extent.--_P. C. R._
* * * * *
[Sidenote: 1577.]
‘That April, right evil weather; and the May, mickle weet and rain; and
June, right evil, weet and wind; and the beir seed right late in all
places, while after Sanct Colm’s Day [9th June].’--_C. F._
* * * * *
[Sidenote: NOV. 13.]
‘This year, in the winter, appeared a terrible comet, the stern [star,
forming the head] whereof was very great, and proceeding from it
towards the east a long tail, in appearance of an ell and a half, like
to a besom or scourge made of wands all fiery. It raise nightly in the
south-west, not above a degree and a half ascending above the horizon,
and continued about a sax weeks or twa month, and piece and piece wore
away. The greatest _effects_ whereof that out of our country we heard,
was a great and mighty battle in Barbaria in Afric, wherein three kings
were slain, with a huge multitude of people. And within the country the
chasing away of the Hamiltons, &c.’--_Ja. Mel._
[Sidenote: 1577.]
The notices of comets given by our old historical writers and diarists
have no scientific value. They are only worthy of notice, as shewing
the views entertained regarding comets by the people of an early and
unenlightened age. The real nature of these strangers of the sky is not
yet ascertained; but we have at least come to know some of the laws
by which they are governed; above all, we know the great fact, that
they are obedient to law. To our ancestors, they appeared in a very
different light--as menacing messengers, sent for special reasons,
‘importing change of times and states.’ Some of the views expressed
regarding them are sufficiently remarkable to be worthy of preservation.
The comet of 1577 was a very noted one, seen over Europe and Asia, also
in Peru, and well observed by Tycho Brahé. Its tail, according to the
description of the Danish astronomer, extended over 22 degrees. Such
was the real space described by James Melville as an ell and a half!
This comet passed its perihelion on the 26th of October in the year
mentioned, and was visible, as we see, for a considerable portion of
the winter. The date here given for its first appearance in Scotland is
from the _Aberdeen Chronicle_.
The most noted comet at this time recent, was one called in Scotland
the _Fiery Besom_, which has been set down at various dates by English
and Scottish historians, but was undoubtedly identical with that so
well known in the history of astronomy as having appeared in 1556. John
Knox tells us that it presented itself during the winter which he spent
in Scotland before his last return to France--a time when the doctrines
of the Reformation stood in the most perilous circumstances in both
England and Scotland, and men’s minds were consequently in a state of
great excitement. Sir James Balfour speaks of it as having portended
change not only in government, but in religion, and Knox takes care
to note--‘_Soon after_, Christian, king of Denmark, died, and war
raise betwixt Scotland and England, &c.’ Modern astronomers believe
this comet to be the same with one which alarmed Europe in 1264, and
Professor Hind is predicting that it must speedily revisit our skies,
at the very time when these sheets are passing through the press. It is
a curious consideration, that a heavenly body which left the confines
of our sphere on its stated journey when Cranmer stood at the stake
in Oxford, should next come amongst us when we are busy with such an
affair (for example) as the laying of the electric telegraph across the
Atlantic.
* * * * *
[Sidenote: DEC. 18.
1577.]
‘The Lord Somerville had often importuned the Lords of Session for a
hearing in the Inner House [of a cause respecting lands, in which he
was engaged against his relation, Somerville of Cambusnethan], but
was still postponed by the moyen [means] and interest of the Laird
of Cambusnethan and the Lady. At length he was advised to use this
policy, by one who knew the temper and avarice of Morton, then Regent.
This gentleman’s advice was, that the Lord Somerville should have his
advocates in readiness, and his process in form, against the next
day; timely in the morning, that he might not be prevented by other
solicitors, he should wait upon the Regent in his own bed-chamber, and
inform him that his business was already fully debated and concluded;
that only Cambusnethan had given in a petition of new, craving that his
business might be heard again _in presentiâ_, before their decerniture,
which hitherto, notwithstanding of his bill, he had hindered himself;
therefore his desire should be that his royal highness[99] should be
pleased to call his action against Cambusnethan, that so long had been
depending before them. And, whatever answer he should receive from the
Regent, he desired my Lord Somerville not to be much concerned; but
upon his taking leave, he should draw out his purse, and make as though
he intended to give the waiting-servants some money, and thereupon slip
down his purse with the gold therein, upon the table, and thereafter
make quickly down stairs, without taking notice of any cry that might
come after him. The Lord Somerville punctually obeyed this gentleman’s
direction and advice in all points; for, having advised his business
the night before with his advocates, and commanded his agents to have
all his papers together against the morrow, for he hoped to bring his
business to a close, being prepared, timely the next morning with his
principal advocate he was with the Regent, and informed him fully of
his affair; he gave a sign to his advocate to remove, as though he
had something to speak to the Regent in private; when he observed his
advocate to be gone, he takes his leave of the Regent, there being
by good-fortune none in the room but themselves, two of the Regent’s
pages, and the door-keeper within. It being the custom for noblemen
and gentlemen at that time always to keep their money in purses, this
the Lord Somerville draws out, as it were to take out a piece of money
to give to the door-keeper, and leaves it negligently upon the table.
He went quickly down stairs, and took no notice of the Regent’s still
crying after him: “My lord, you have forgot your purse,” but went on
still, until he came the length of the outer porch, now the Duke of
Hamilton’s lodging, when a gentleman that attended the Regent came up,
and told him that it was the Regent’s earnest desire that his lordship
would be pleased to return and breakfast with him; which accordingly
the Lord Somerville did, knowing weel that his project had taken effect.
[Sidenote: 1577.]
‘About ten o’clock, the Regent went to the house, which was the same
which is now the Tolbooth Church, in coach. There was none with him but
the Lord Boyd and the Lord Somerville. This was the second coach that
came to Scotland, the first being brought by Alexander Lord Seaton,
when Queen Mary came from France. Cambusnethan, by accident, as the
coach passed, was standing at Niddry’s Wynd head, and having inquired
who was in it with the Regent, he was answered: “None but the Lord
Somerville and the Lord Boyd;” upon which he struck his breast, and
said: “This day my cause is lost;” and indeed it proved so; for about
eleven hours, the 18th day of December 1577, this action was called
and debated until twelve most contentiously by the advocates upon both
sides.... After the debate was closed, the interlocutor passed in my
Lord Somerville’s favours.... Thus ended that expensive plea betwixt
the houses of Cowthally and Cambusnethan, after seven or eight years’
debate, and these lands of Lothian [Drum, Gilmerton, and Goodtrees]
returned again to the Lords Somerville, when they had been fourscore
years complete in the possession of the family of Cambusnethan.’--_M.
of S._
Although this story was transcribed from family tradition a century
after the alleged occurrence, there is too much reason in the monstrous
avarice of Morton to believe it near the truth.
The commencement of the lawsuit between Lord Somerville and his cousin
forms an equally curious tale. The Laird of Cambusnethan had a second
wife, exceedingly ambitious of the advancement of her own children.
First and second alike had been favourites of King James V., and women
of great beauty. To promote a match for her son with Lord Somerville’s
second daughter, Lady Cambusnethan brought a package of family papers
to Cowthally, intending to shew that the young man would inherit
a large portion of his father’s property--namely, the Mid-Lothian
estates. It happened that Mr John Maitland, younger brother of
Secretary Lethington, was then living in retirement with his kinsman,
Lord Somerville; and, the papers being put into his hands, he soon
discovered that the lands destined for the young man were recoverable
by his lordship. He took a duplicate of one important document, and
then the whole were returned to Lady Cambusnethan, who by and by took
her leave with a fair answer from Lord Somerville, though in reality he
only felt disgust at a proposal which aimed at a severe injury to the
heir of her husband’s house.
Lord Somerville and Maitland took the pleasure of hunting that
afternoon. ‘During their sport, Mr Maitland takes occasion to inquire
at his cousin, if his lordship’s predecessors had ever any interest
in Mid-Lothian, and if he knew how they parted with the same. He
answered they had; and to the best of his knowledge, the house of
Cambusnethan had these among many other lands they received from his
great-grandfather, Lord John, who, upon the account of his son of the
second marriage, went near to have ruined his family, by reason of the
great fortune he left to the son of that marriage. By this answer, Mr
Maitland understood that his cousin Lord James was altogether ignorant
of the way and manner of the conveyance of Drum, Gilmerton, and
Goodtrees from his family to that of Cambusnethan, and therefore, in a
drolling way, he asked his cousin what he would bestow upon that person
that should put him in a way to recover these lands. My Lord, smiling,
said: “Cousin, the bargain should soon be made, if once I saw the man
that made the offer.” Whereupon Mr Maitland pulling out the paper,
which was the double of King James the Fourth’s gift, delivers it to my
lord, saying: “There it is that will effectuate and do that business;
and seeing I am the man that has made the discovery, I crave no more
but your lordship’s white gelding.” Hearing this discourse, and having
read the note, Lord Somerville immediately lights from his horse, and
taking his cousin all in his arms--“Here is not only my gelding, but
take this, which in these troublesome times I have still kept upon
me, not knowing what might befall, having, as was my duty, sided and
taken part with that just interest of my princes which has had but
bad success in the world.” That which the Lord Somerville gave with
the gelding to his cousin was a purse sewed by his mother, Dame Janet
Maitland, with silk and silver, containing twenty old pieces of gold;
and, indeed, it could not be better bestowed than upon her nephew, a
brave gentleman, whose great abilities and personal worth afterward
brought him to be the principal officer of state in Scotland.’
* * * * *
[Sidenote: 1577.]
The crop of this year must have failed to a lamentable extent,
as, immediately after harvest, we hear of ‘exorbitant dearth of
victual and penury thereof,’ and the ensuing year was, according to
a contemporary diarist, marked by ‘ane great dearth of all kinds of
victuals, through all Scotland, that the like was not seen in man’s
days afore.’ According to the latter authority, ‘the meal was sauld
for sax shillings the peck, the ale for tenpence the pint, the wine
for the best cheap forty pence the pint; fish and flesh was scant and
dear.’--_Aber. Chron._
In November 1577 two boat-loads of _beir_ were about to sail from
Aberdeen harbour for Leith, when the town-council arrested them, and
ordained the victual to be sold to the inhabitants of Aberdeen at
‘competent prices.’[100]
According to the usual policy in such cases, the government (April
14, 1578) issued a proclamation commanding the possessors of grain to
thrash it out before the 10th of June, under pain of escheating, and
that no person should keep more victual than was sufficient to serve
him and his family a quarter of a year, the rest to be brought to the
market within twenty days. It was also ordered, that no grain should
be taken forth of the kingdom, but ‘strangers bringing in victual
should be favourably enterteened and thankfully paid.’--_Cal._ This
proclamation, being entirely accordant with the prejudices of the
masses, was ‘mickle commendit.’--_Moy._
Following the usual rule, the scarcity of 1577 was attended by an
epidemic disease. At least, so we think may be inferred from an entry
in Marjorebanks’s _Annals_, under 1580:
‘There was twa years before this time ane great universal sickness
through the maist part of Scotland: uncertain what sickness it was, for
the doctors could not tell, for there was no remede for it; and the
commons called it _Cowdothe_.’
* * * * *
[Sidenote: 1577-8.