‘Ane servant woman of Mr John Hall, minister, died in his awn house,
alleged to be the pest, as God forbid: yet he and his house was
clengit.’--_Bir._ The fear of pestilence, here so strikingly expressed,
was too well founded. The disease spread in May, and increased in the
heat of July. The people fled from the town, and we find that one
William Kerr, a blacksmith, thought it a good opportunity for helping
himself to property not his own, and was hanged in December for having
opened the doors of several of the empty houses.--_Bir._
* * * * *
[Sidenote: JUNE 15.]
‘The men of Black Ruthven and Huntingtower cuist turfs on our burgh
moor at command of the comptroller, Sir David Murray, captain of his
majesty’s guard, and our provost for the time. The town rase aught
hundred men in arms, and put them off. Angus Cairdney died of the
apoplexy there. No ma harm, but great appearance of skaith.’--_Chron.
Perth._
It is remarkable to find that Perth could then send out 800 armed men.
This, however, was not the utmost strength of the Fair City; for in the
ensuing month, when a parliament was held there, ‘the town mustered
fourteen hundred men in arms and guid equipage.’--_Chron. Perth._
* * * * *
[Sidenote: 1604.]
Patrick, Earl of Orkney, paid a visit to the Earl of Sutherland at
Dornoch, where he spent some time, ‘honourably enterteened with
comedies, and all other sports and recreations that Earl John could
make him.’--_G. H. S._
James Melville notes in his _Diary_ the appearance of a brilliant star
which shone out this year ‘aboon Edinburgh, hard by the sun,’ in the
middle of the day; ‘prognosticating, undoubtedly, strange alterations
and changes in the world; namely, under our climate.’
This notice most probably refers to a star, of the same kind with that
mentioned in 1572, and nearly as brilliant, which is described as
having appeared in the east foot of Serpentarius, in October of this
year.
* * * * *
[Sidenote: SEP. 10.]
‘The general master of the cunyie-house took shipping to London, for
the defence of the Scotch cunyie before the Council of England. Wha
defendit the same to the uttermost; and the wit and knawledge of the
general was wondered at by the Englishmen. The said general and master
came hame the 10 of December.’--_Bir._
That the general master of the cunyie-house should have shewed so much
wit and knowledge on this occasion, will not excite much surprise in
the reader, when it is made known that he was Napier of Merchiston,
father of the great philosopher.--_Bal._
* * * * *
[Sidenote: DEC. 7.]
‘Ane hour before the sun rose, the moon shining clear two days before
the change, in a calm and pleasant morning, there was at ane instant
seen great inflammations of fire-flaughts in the eastern hemisphere,
and suddenly thereafter there was heard ane crack, as of a great
cannon, and sensibly marked a great globe or bullet, fiery coloured,
with a mighty whistling noise, flying from the north-east to the
south-west, whilk left behind it a blue train and draught in the air,
most like ane serpent in mony faulds and linkit wimples; the head
whereof breathing out flames and smoke, as it wald directly invade the
moon, and swallow her up; but immediately the sun, rising fair and
pleasant, abolished all. The crack was heard of all, within as without
the house; and sic as were without at the time, or hastily ran out to
see, did very sensibly see and mark the rest above rehearsed. Here was
a subject for poets and prophets to play upon....’--_Ja. Mel._
* * * * *
[Sidenote: 1605.