The death of Elizabeth, March 24, 1603, opened the way for King James
to the English throne. He left Scotland on the 5th of April, after
taking a tender farewell of his Scottish subjects, and promising
to revisit them once every three years. He did not allow one year
to elapse without making an effort to accomplish a union between
England and Scotland; but it ended in the comparatively narrow result
of establishing that the _postnati_--that is, Scotsmen born after
the king’s accession to the English crown--should be regarded as
naturalised in both countries.
James, thoroughly believing that no puritan could be a loyal subject,
continued to be anxious for the reduction of the Scottish Church under
the royal supremacy and a hierarchy. The personal influence he acquired
as king of England enabled him in some degree to accomplish this
object, though all but wholly against the inclinations of the clergy
and people.
The more zealous Presbyterian clergy had made up their minds, in a
General Assembly now to be held at Aberdeen, to ‘call in question
all the conclusions taken in former assemblies for the episcopal
government.’[308] The king, hearing of their design, caused his
commissioner, Sir Alexander Straiton of Laurieston, to forbid the
meeting. About twenty bold spirits, nevertheless, assembled (July
1605); and when Sir Alexander ordered them to dissolve, they did not
obey till they had asserted their independence by appointing another
day of meeting. When called soon after before the Privy Council,
thirteen came in the king’s mercy; but eight stood out for the
independence of their church, and were sent to various prisons.
Six of the recusant clergymen were tried at Linlithgow (January 1606)
for high treason, and found guilty. After their condemnation, they
were remanded to various prisons to await his majesty’s pleasure. (See
November 6, 1606.)
At a parliament held in Perth (July 1606), under the king’s favourite
minister, George Home, Earl of Dunbar, bishops were introduced, and the
king’s prerogative confirmed in ample style. The Scottish statesmen and
councillors were full of servility to the king. James caused several
of the more zealous Presbyterian clergy, including the venerable but
still energetic Andrew Melville, and his nephew James, to be brought
to a conference in London, hoping to prevail upon them to cease their
opposition; but it ended in the one being banished for an epigram,
and the other being confined for life to the town of Berwick. In 1610,
the king’s supremacy was acknowledged by the General Assembly, and
consecrated bishops were settled in authority over dioceses. A court
of High Commission, with immense power over clergy, schools, colleges,
and people was also introduced. Regal influence, gold, cajolery, and
a judicious deliberation, effected the _appearance_ of an episcopal
reformation, while the great bulk of the people endured with a silent
protest what they could not resist.
At the same time, the new strength of the crown, as administered under
the able chancellor, Seton, Earl of Dunfermline, and Thomas, Earl of
Melrose (subsequently of Haddington), caused such an obedience to the
laws throughout Scotland as had never before been known. The attempt at
a plantation of the island of Lewis, with a view to the civilisation
of the Hebrides, was renewed under these favouring circumstances, but
altogether without success.
The king’s sole visit to his native kingdom took place in 1617, as to
some extent detailed in the chronicle. His chief design was to advance
the desired reformation of the national religion, by paving the way for
an introduction of some of the English ceremonies. These were--kneeling
at the eucharist, private administration of baptism to weak children,
private administration of the communion to dying Christians, the
confirmation of children, and the observance of Christmas and Easter.
Protestant churches of most respectable character make no objection to
these rites and forms; but among the Scottish people of that day they
were viewed with great dislike. From a subservient General Assembly
(1618), the Five Articles of Perth, as they were called, received
a reluctant assent, and three years after they were confirmed by
parliament.
While these struggles were going on between Presbyterianism and
Episcopacy, the adherents of both systems cordially concurred in the
persecution of the Catholics. Nobles and gentlemen of that persuasion
were unblushingly called upon either to embrace Protestantism or submit
to forfeiture of property and country. Priests were severely punished;
one hanged. Shewing severity to the Papists was one of the principal
means used by the king to conciliate the Presbyterians to his prelatic
innovations.
Beyond inducing a few ministers to accept the mitre, and obtaining a
hollow conformity from persons in authority, James made no progress
in converting the Scotch to episcopacy, excepting in Aberdeenshire
and some other northern provinces. The people refused to kneel at the
communion, or have baptism and the eucharist administered in private.
The holidays were disregarded. Withdrawing from the churches, the
people began to meet in conventicles or in private houses for worship
after their own manner. The established church sank into the character
of ‘an institution.’
The English reign of James VI. was, nevertheless, in secular respects,
a comparatively serene and happy time in Scotland. Peace blessed
the land. For the first time, the law was everywhere enforced with
tolerable vigour; some practical improvements were introduced. Even the
Highlands began during this period to shew some approach to order.
James died March 27, 1625, in his fifty-ninth year, after a nominal
reign over Scotland of little less than fifty-eight years.
* * * * *
[Sidenote: 1603.]
[Sidenote: MAR. 26.]
[Sidenote: APR. 3.]
Intelligence of the death of Elizabeth--the event took place at an
early hour on the morning of Thursday the 24th March--was brought to
King James by Robert Carey, a young aspirant of the English court,
who, making a rapid journey on horseback, reached Holyroodhouse on
Saturday evening after the king had retired to rest. This was probably
the most rapid transit from London to Edinburgh previous to the
days of railways. The son of the governor of Berwick came next day
and delivered the keys of that town to the Scottish monarch. On the
ensuing Sunday, James appeared in his ordinary seat in St Giles’s Kirk,
attended by a number of the English nobility; and after service, made
an _orison_ or harangue to the people, promising to defend the faith,
and to ‘visit his people and guid subjects in Scotland every three
years.’ On the 5th of April, ‘his majesty took journey to Berwick; at
whilk time there was great lamentation and mourning amang the commons
for the loss of the daily sight of their blessit prince. At this time,
all the haill commons of Scotland that had rede or understanding were
daily speaking and exponing of Thomas the Rhymer his prophecy, and of
other prophecies whilk were prophecied in auld times; as namely it was
prophecied in Henry the 8 days--HEMPE is begun, God give it long to
last; Frae Hempe begun, England may tak rest. To make it that it may be
understood, H for Henry, E for England, M for Mary, P for Philip, king
of Spain, that marryit with Queen Mary, and E for worthy good Queen
Elizabeth: sae it is come that England may tak rest; for there is no
more England, but Great Britain. Siclike it was spoken in Scots--Ane
French wife shall bear a son shall brook all Britain by the sea. For it
is true that King James 6 his mother was ane French wife, in respect
she was marryit to the Prince of France, wha was so stylit.... It was
likewise writ in another prophecy:
[_Post Jacobum, Jacobus Jacobum, Jacobus quoque quintus;
At Sextus Jacobus regno regnabit utroque._]--_Bir._
Now-a-days, it would be ‘all the people that had _not_ rede or
understanding’ that would be speaking of prophecies in relation to
public events. At that time, however, as has been stated before,
metrical and other prophecies, commonly attributed to Thomas the
Rhymer, a sage who lived at the end of the thirteenth century, were
in great vogue. In this year, Robert Waldegrave printed a _brochure_
containing a collection of these metrical predictions, ascribed to
Merlin, Bede, Waldhave, Thomas Rymour, and others. In this volume may
be found the prediction of Hempe, but in a different form, and the two
others quoted by Birrel. The reader may turn back to January 1, 1561-2,
for an account of Waldegrave’s book of prophecies, and some remarks on
that special prediction regarding the son of the French wife, which was
now called so particularly into notice.
[Sidenote: MAY 28.]
‘The queen and prince came from Stirling [to Edinburgh]. There were
sundry English ladies and gentlewomen come to give her the convoy.’
On the 30th, ‘her majesty and the prince came to St Giles Kirk, weel
convoyit with coaches, herself and the prince in her awn coach, whilk
came with her out of Denmark, and the English gentlewomen in the rest
of the coaches. They heard ane guid sermon in the kirk, and thereafter
rade hame to Halyroodhouse.’--_Bir._
* * * * *
[Sidenote: JUNE.]
The pestilence, which had for some time been raging in England, is
noted as now affecting the south of Scotland, and continuing till the
ensuing February.--_Chron. Perth._
* * * * *
[Sidenote: JULY 21.]
[Sidenote: 1603.]
James Reid, a noted sorcerer and charmer, was strangled and burnt on
the Castle Hill of Edinburgh for his alleged practice of healing by
the black art. ‘Whilk craft,’ says his dittay, ‘he learnt frae the
devil, his master, in Binnie Craigs and Corstorphin Craigs, where he
met with him and consulted with him to learn the said craft; wha gave
him three pennies at ane time, and a piece creish[309] out of his bag
at ane other time; he having appeared to the said James diverse times,
whiles in the likeness of a man, whiles in the likeness of a horse
... whilk likewise learned him to tak south-rinning water to cure the
said diseases.’ It was alleged that James had cured Sarah Borthwick of
a grievous ailment by ‘casting a certain quantity of wheat and salt
about her bed.’ He had tried to destroy the crops of David Libberton,
a baker, by directing an enchanted piece of raw flesh to be put under
his mill-door, and casting nine stones upon his lands. Nay, he had
done what he could to destroy David himself, by making a picture of
him in wax, and turning it before a fire. The authorities made short
work of so grievous an offender by sending him direct from judgment to
execution.’--_Pit._
* * * * *
[Sidenote: OCT. 2.]
Campbell of Ardkinlas, set on by the Earl of Argyle, exerted himself
to capture Macgregor of Glenstrae, who for some months had been under
ban of the government on account of the slaughterous conflict of
Glenfruin. He called Macgregor to a banquet in his house, which stands
within a loch, and there made no scruple to lay hold of the unfortunate
chieftain. Being immediately after put into a boat, under a guard of
five men, to be conducted to the Earl of Argyle, Macgregor contrived to
get his hands loose, struck down the guardsman nearest him, and leaping
into the water, swam to land unharmed.
Some time after, the Earl of Argyle sent a message to Macgregor,
desiring him to come and confer with him, under promise to let him go
free if they should not come to an agreement. ‘Upon the whilk, the
Laird Macgregor came to him, and at his coming was weel received by the
earl, wha shew him that he was commanded by the king to bring him in,
but he had no doubt but his majesty wald, at his request, pardon his
offence, and he should with all diligence send twa gentlemen to England
with him.... Upon the whilk fair promises, he was content, and came
with the Earl of Argyle to Edinburgh’ (January 9, 1604), ‘with eighteen
mae of his friends.’[310]
[Sidenote: 1603.]
The sad remainder of the transaction is narrated by the diarist Birrel,
with a slight difference of statement as to the agreement on which the
surrender had taken place. Macgregor ‘was convoyit to Berwick by the
guard, conform to the earl’s promise; for he promised to put him out
of Scots grund. Sae he keepit ane Hieland-man’s promise, in respect
he sent the guard to convoy him out of Scots grund; but they were not
directed to part with him, but to fetch him back again. The 18 of
January, he came at even again to Edinburgh, and upon the 20 day, he
was hangit at the Cross, and eleven mae of his friends and name, upon
ane gallows; himself being chief, he was hangit his awn height above
the rest of his friends.’
A confession of Macgregor has been printed by Mr Pitcairn. It might
rather be called a justification, the whole blame being thrown upon
Argyle, whose crafty policy it fully exposes. It is alleged that, after
instigating Ardkinlas to take Macgregor, the earl endeavoured to induce
Macgregor to undertake the murder of Ardkinlas, besides that of the
Laird of Ardencaple. ‘I never granted thereto, through the whilk he did
envy me greatumly’ [that is, bore me a great grudge]. His whole object,
Macgregor says, was ‘to put down innocent men, to cause poor bairns and
infants beg, and poor women to perish for hunger, when they are herried
of their geir.’
Even in that barbarous age, when executions were lamentably frequent,
the spectacle of twelve men hanging on one gallows, one of them a
chieftain of ancient lineage, must have been an impressive one. ‘A
young man, called James Hope, beholding the execution, fell down, and
power was taken from half of his body. When he was carried to a house,
he cried that one of the Highland men had shot him with an arrow. He
died upon the Sabbath-day after.’--_Cal._
The subsequent persecution of the Macgregors, persevered in by the
government during many years, belongs to history. Its severity ‘obliged
multitudes of them to abandon their habitations; and they retired to
such places as they thought would afford them security and protection.
The better sort made the best bargains they could with their enemies,
and gave up their estates and possessions for small compositions. By
these transmigrations, they came, in the end, to be scattered through
all parts of the kingdom, where their posterity are still to be found
under different names, and even many of them have lost the very memory
of their original.... They are still pretty numerous in the Highlands
... many are found in other parts of the kingdom, who are possessed of
opulent fortunes; and some of that race have since made a considerable
figure, both in civil and military government, though covered under
borrowed names.’--_Memoir of Sir Ewen Cameron, by Drummond of
Balhadies, about 1737._
* * * * *
[Sidenote: NOV. 20.]
[Sidenote: 1603.]
It was found at Aberdeen, that, great numbers of people resorting
thither at Whitsunday and Martinmas ‘for their leesome affairs, some
to receive in their debts, others to uplift and give out siller on
profit,’ quarrels were extremely apt to fall out amongst them, on
account of old ‘feids standing unreconcilit.’ Hence, it sometimes
happened that this commercial city became a scene of wide-spread
tumult, the strangers dividing into hostile parties and fighting with
each other, in defiance of all that the magistrates could do to make
them desist. Nay, ‘the magistrates and neighbours of this burgh,
standing betwixt the said parties, for redding and staunching the said
tumults, has been divers and sundry times in great danger and peril,
and some of them hurt and woundit, not being of power to resist the
said parties.’
For these reasons, the town-council, at this date, passed a strict
act for the preservation of the peace, but probably with very little
immediate effect.
* * * * *
[Sidenote: 1604.