haill horse in and about the toun of Restalrig, his foote at that place
callit Jokis Ludge, and his cannoun at the foote of Salisberrie Hill,
within the park dyke; and twelf of his schips advanced to the Raid of
Leith, and thrie utheris betuix Edinburgh and Dumbar; and thair, both
be sea and land, played with thair cannoun aganes the Scottis Leaguer,
lyand in Sant Leornardis Craiges; the Scottis airmy also schuting at
thame: bot small skaith on ather syde.
Penult, Julij 1650.—Thair wes ane commandit pairtie sent out from the
Scottis Leagure, quha rancountered with ane pairtie of the Englische,
both of thame being horsmen, and at Restalrig thai skirmisched about
thrie houres. Quhairat the Scottis behaved thame selffis gallantlie
at the first, and killed ane major to the enymie with sindrie utheris
of thair commoun trouperis; but thair went out sindry gentillmen
and volunteiris, and, throw thair ignorance of militarie effaires,
maid great confusioun, so that the Scottis were forced to reteir.
Quhairupone the enymie tuik thair advantage, and persewed the Scottis
hard to the Leagure, and killed and hurt sindrie gentillmen and uther
volunteiris, and tuik sum of the Scottis men prissoneris, amongis
quhom ane simple sodger, quhois eyes they holkit out of his heid,
becaus upone his bak thair wes drawn with quhyte calk thir wordis,
I AM FOR KING CHARLES, stryped him naked of his cloathes, and sent
him bak to the Scottis Leagure, as wes reported. The enymie, eftir
this skirmische, finding the ground not so fit as he desyred for his
Leagure, reteirit bak his forces, both horse and fute, to the toun of
Mussilburgh.
Upone the morne thaireftir, being Weddinsday the last of Julij, 1650,
about brek of day, ane commandit pairtie of Scottis, consisting of 800
men, under the command of Colonell Robert Montgomerie and Colonell
Strachane, went out to rancounter the enymie at Mussilburgh, quhair
they behaved thame selffis stoutlie and gallantlie, killed many of the
enymie, both commanderis, trouperis, and commoun sodgeris, horse and
fute, and tuik sindry prissoneris; yit, in end, thai war forcit to
quhyte the prissoneris and reteir bak, for the enymie advanced upone
thame with fresche horses, and the Scottis, not haiffing a secound help
as had the Englische, wer in end compellit to returne to thair Leagure;
quhairas gif they haid gottin the help of 500 men, they haid totallie
routed the enymie. At this retreit of the Scottis pairtie, sindry
Scottis wer killed; bot many mae to the Englische, as wes reportit.
* * * * *
Upone the 5 of August, 1650, about midnight, the enymie did lift all
thair forces lying in and about Mussilburgh, and marched bak towardis
Dumbar, quhair thair schips being than rydand, they resavit from
thame fresche viveris and amunitioun in abundance; and immediatlie
thaireftir, within twa or thrie dayis, marched bak to Mussilburgh, and
fra thence to Dudingstoun, and alongis to Colingtoun and about, quhair
they did ly sum certane dayis thaireftir....
Sum of our prissoneris takin by the Englische wer miserablie used,
tirred naked, and fettirred in yrone cheynes, as wes reportit.
During the lying of thir twa airmeys in the feildis, all the cornes
betuix Berwik, and twa or thrie myles be west Edinburgh, on both sydes,
wer destroyed and eaten up. Lykewyse, thair wes such great skairshetie
in Edinburgh, that all soirt of viveris, meit and drink, could hardlie
be haid for money, and such as wes gottin wes fuisted, and sauld at a
double pryce. The haill inhabitantes, lykewyse, of Edinburgh wer forced
to contribute and provyde fuid for the airmy, notwithstanding of this
skairshitie; and also to furneis fedder beddis, bousteris, coadis,
blankettis, scheittis for the airmy, and for the hurt sodgeris to ly
upone, with pattis and pannis for making reddie thair meat; and to
collect money for providing honest intertenment to the hurt sodgeris
that lay in the Hospitall and Paullis Wark.
Upone the 11 day of August, 1650, being ane Saboth day, and a solempne
day of fasting and prayer, evin upone that day (according to the
Sectarians wonted custome,) the enymie cumed bak fra Braides Crages,
quhair he wes than lying, and returned to Mussilburgh, and set doun his
Leagure thair till Tysday thaireftir, and then removed from Mussilburgh
and returned bak to Braides Craiges, bringing with him great quantateis
of victuell, quhilk he haid takin out of the mylnes, killis, and bernis
of Mussilburgh, and uther pairtes thairabout.
The 15 of August, 1650, to the quhilk the Parliament of Scotland wes
adjorned, fur the Kinges coronatioun, wes of new prorogat and adjorned
to the [10] day of September thaireftir, be ressoun of the twa great
airmeyis on both sydes, both of thame lying about Edinburgh; and
thairfoir the Parliament wes forced to adjorne.
At this tyme, the Commissioneris of the Kirk presentit sum
Propositiounes to the King to be subscryvit, quhilk for a tyme was
refused; yit in end condiscendit unto, and subscryvit be his Majestie.
And, thairfoir, upone his refuisall at the first, the Commissioneris of
the Kirk wer pleased to emit this Declaratioun following, quhilk wes
sent into the Englische Airmy, with the Approbatioun thairof following,
subscryvit be the Committee of Estait. Westkirk, the 13 of August
1650....[435]
The enymie being now lying neir to the toun of Edinburgh, and the Toun
fearing thair invasioun and assalt, they usit all meanis for thair
awin defence; and, for this end, erectit scaffoldis within the haill
wallis of the toun, set up thair ensignes thairon, extending to xxxij
culloris, mannit the wallis with numberis of men, planted ordinance
thairon, demolisched the haill houssis in St Marie Wynd, that the
enymie sould haif no schelter thair, bot that thai mycht haif frie pas
to thair cannoun, quhilk thai haid montit upone the Neddir Bow. The
Toun also wes forcit to demolische and tak doun the four prickes bigged
on the Neddir Bow, quhilk wes ane verry great ornament thairto, and
placed cannoun thairon. The Committee also causit demolische sindrie
houssis at the Patterraw Poirt and West Poirt, that the Castell of
Edinburgh, and uther pairtes quhair thair cannoun wes stellit, mycht
haif sicht of the enymie in cais he sould assalt, and greater fredome
to assalt him, be taking doun of the houssis that wer impedimentis to
the sicht of the enymie and force of the cannoun.
Upone Settirday, the 24 of August, 1650, our airmy resavit a great
disgrace in this manner; to wit, Generall Cromwell and his airmy
haifing past throw this kingdome fra Berwik to the place of Colingtoun,
without ony oppositioun maid be ony of the gentillmenis houssis by
the way quhair they past, untill they come to the hous of Reidhall,
within thrie myles be west Edinburgh; in the quhilk hous of Reidhall,
the Laird of Reidhall, with thriescoir sodgeris, lay with provisioun,
and keipit and defendit the hous aganes the Englisches, and gallit
his sodgeris, and pat thame bak severall tymes with the los of sindry
sodgeris. The Englische Generall taking this very grevouslie, that
such a waik hous sould hald out aganes him and be ane impediment in
his way, he and his airmy lying so neir unto it; thairfoir he causit
draw his cannoun to the hous, and thair, fra four houris in the morning
till ten in the foirnune that day, he causit the cannoun to play on
this hous, encampit a great number of his sodgeris about it, with pik
and musket, bot all to lytill purpos; for the Laird and the pepill in
the hous defendit valiantlie evir till thair powder failled; and eftir
it failled they did not give over, evir luiking for help fra owr awin
airmy, quha wes then lying at Corstorphyn, within thrie quarteris of
ane myle to the hous, of quhais help thai war disapoynted. Generall
Cromwell perceaving thair powder to be gone, and that no assistance wes
gevin thame, he causit pittardis to be brocht to the hous, quhairwith
he blew up the dures, enterit the hous at dures and windois, and eftir
slaughter on both sydes, (bot much moir to the Englisches then the
Scottis,) tuik all that wer in the hous prissoneris, tirred thame
naked, seased on all the money and guidis that wer thairin, quhilk
wes much, be ressoun that sindry gentillmen about haid put thair
guidis thair for saiftie. So this hous and pepill thairin wer takin in
the sicht and face of our airmy, quha thocht it dangerous to hazard
thameselffis in such ane expeditioun, the enymie haiffing the advantage
of the ground and hillis about him for his defence.
Albeit the Covenant, the Kirk, and Kingdome aucht to be deir and
precious in the eyis of all trew Scottismen, yet such wes the
dispositioun of sum of thame, that thai wer corruptit with Englische
gold, and gaif intelligence of all the proceidingis of our airmy to
Generall Cromwell, quhairby much of our intentiounes wer surprised.
Sum of thir intelligenceris wer takin and committed to prisoun, and
becaus no probatioun could be haid aganes thame, they war liberat
upone cautioun. Bot ane of thame being conscious of his awin giltines,
strangled himselff in the tolbuith of Edinburgh, being wardit thairin;
and thaireftir takin out and publictlie exposit to the view of all the
pepill at the Trone of Edinburgh and Mercat Croce of the Cannogait,
and thairfra transportit and hung up on the gallous betuix Leith and
Edinburgh, quhair he yit hinges, to the terrour of utheris.
27 August, 1650. The twa airmeyis, both Scottis and Englisches, lyand
about Corstorphyn, Gogar, and neir to Mortoun and thairabout, began to
play with thair cannoun this day, quhilk indured fra thrie houris in
the eftirnune till sex at nycht, at the quhilk xij of our airmy wer
hurt, ane killed and twa horses. Sindrie men wer killed to the enymie
also.
Eftir the enymie haid takin the Laird of Reidhall prissoner, he
thaireftir pat him to liberty, commending much his valour and activitie
for holding out so stoutlie aganes him that hous of Reidhall.
It wer langsum and tedious to writt all circumstances of these thinges
that passed betuix the twa airmeis; for the Englisches removed from
Collingtoun, Reidhall, and Niddrie, to Mussilburgh; thaireftir to
Hadingtoun and Dumbar, resolving to haif past into England. Bot the
Scottis airmy following, inclosit thame at Dumbar, resolving to haif
cuttit thame of, as doutles easelie thai mycht haif done; bot our
Scottis airmy being devydit and still in purgatioun, removing such
as did not pleis the leaderis of this Kingdome for the tyme, the
Englisches taking advantage of this divisioun and purging, quhilk
lastit mony dayes, and haiffing with thame in thair company many
Scottismen quha favored thair courses, and haid resavit thair gold,
they prevailled over the Scottis, as heireftir sall be declared: for
it is certane thair wes great corruptioun and divisioun and much gold
gevin for intelligence to the enymie....
The Englische airmy entered in a parlee with the Scottis airmy both at
Corstorphyn and Dumbar, and did offer great and lairge offeris gif we
sould suffer him to returne to England without farder molestatioun. Bot
our airmy refuisand, he, upone a Monday the secound day of September,
anno 1650, pat himself in ordour, and that nicht being a drakie nycht,
full of wind and weit, quhairin our Scottis airmy wer cairles and
secure, and expecting no assalt be ressoun of the frequent parlees
and offeris maid by the Englische, he tymouslie, upone the morne
thaireftir, be brek of day, being Tysday the third of September, 1650,
invaidit our airmy, all of thame being at rest, and thair horses, and
slew of our airmy about—— thowsand men, tuik and apprehendit many
thowsand prissoneris, hurt and woundit many thowsands, scatterit all
the rest of our airmy, quha for feir fled to Edinburgh and uther
pairtes of the countrey.
The Scottis airmy being thus routit and put to flight, the Inglisches
war resolvit to content thameselffis with the victorie, and to returne
to England. Bot the Generall Cromwell being informed that Edinburgh and
Leith wer left desolat, and the inhabitantes thairof fled, and that
nather the airmy nor the cuntrie and kingdome war to defend it, the
Englische Generall held a counsell of warr at Dumbar, and being thus
informed of the hard conditioun of these twa tounes, he with his forces
come into Edinburgh and Leith upone the Settirday eftir the feght
at Dumbar, being the sevint day of September, planted his garisouns
thairintill, and commandit and reullit at his pleasure; these tounes
being all of thame weill fortifeyed and provydit to thair handis.
To speik or writt of the opiniounes of many twiching the tinsell of
this battell, it wer tedious, for the opiniouns of sum persones wer,
that in the Scottis airmy thair wer mony independantis and sectareis,
quho haid too much relatioun and correspondence with Generall Cromwell;
sum utheris wer in the opinioun that the Englische gold did corrupt
many. These wer the opiniounes of many, bot certane it wes that, befoir
this airmy wes routtit, thair wes much bussiness maid anent the purging
of the Scottis airmy of malignantis be the space of many dayis; evin
than quhen the Englische airmy mycht haif bene easelie routtit, and
quhen thair souldieris fled in to the Scottis for feir, and quhen
honorable conditiounes and lairge offeris wer maid to the Scottis airmy
to suffer thame to depairt and to leave the Kingdome; yea, evin the
nycht befoir the feght, our Scottis leaderis wer in purging the Scottis
airmy, as gif thair had bene no danger. For at this tyme the Scottis
airmy thocht that the Englische airmy wer thair prissoneris, be ressoun
of the double number of the Scottis above the Englisches, and that the
Inglisches wer than in capitulatioun with the Scottis to give thame
lairge moneyis and uther conditiounes to suffer thame depairt this
Kingdome....
Oh, what can be sufficientlie writtin of these thinges; for thir
trubles daylie increst, be ressoun of the divisiounes of this Kingdome
quhilk daylie increst: Sum of the commanderis dispysing honest men,
quhome thai termed Malignantis; these Malignantis (as they call thame)
being willing to ryse for defence of the natioun, bot wer rejected:
Utheris, in the west pairtes of this Kingdome, drawing togidder, and
takand up a great pairtie of men, be way of associatioun and refuising
to joyne in the publict service. And quhen the Scottis airmy mycht haif
easelie routtit the Inglisches, and sindry notable occasiounes offered
to invaid thame, yit the commanderis of the airmy still delayit, till
it pleased God to delyver thame all in the handis of thair enymies.
Thus the Englisches haifing obtenit the victorie, and haifing
fortifeyed both Edinburgh and Leith, and placeing garisones
thairintill, the Generall and Commanderis of the Englische airmy gaif
out this Proclamatioun following:—
“QUHAIRAS it hath pleased God, by his gracious providence and guidnes,
to put the citie of Edinburgh and town of Leith under my power, and
although I haif put furth several Proclamatiounes since my cumming into
this countrie to the lyke effect with this present; yit for farder
satisfactioun to all these quhome it may concerne, I do heirby agane
publische and declair, that all inhabitantes of the cuntrie, not now
being, or continuing in airmes, sall have full and frie leave and
libertie, to cum to the airmy, and to the citie and toun afoirsaid,
with thair cattell, corne, horses, and uther commoditeis and guidis
quhatsoevir; and sall haif thair frie and oppin mercattis for the
same, and salbe protected in thair persones and guidis, in thair
cuming and returning, as is afoirsaid, from ony injurie or violence
of the souldiarie under my command, as also salbe protected in thair
respective houssis, and the citizens and inhabitantes of the said citie
and toun sall and herby lykewyse haif frie libertie to vend and sell
thair waires and commoditeis, and sall be protected from the plunder
and violence of the souldieris. And I do heirby requyre all officeris
and souldieris of the airmy under my command to tak dew notice heirof,
and to yeild obedience heirto as thai will answer to the contrarie at
thair outmost perrel. Gevin under my hand at Edinburgh, the sevint day
of September 1650.
“O. Cromwell.
“To be proclaimed at Edinburgh and Leith be sound of trumpet and beat
of drum.”
Eftir this, the Inglische airmy marched throw Lynlithgow and Falkirk,
and went in full body to Sterling, upone Tysday, the 17 of September
1650; quhair thai, not being able to assalt the toun for feir of the
Castell, and of moir nor thrie thowsand fute lying within the toun,
quhilk wes stronglie fortifeyed and deiply trinsched, they, eftir two
dayis lying about the toun, returned bak agane to Lynlithgow, and from
thence to Edinburgh, quhair they establisched ordouris, and set doun
actis and ordinances at thair plesour....
Quhill these thinges war in doing by the Englische airmy, thair wes
lytill cair tane to oppose thame: bot faith and curage failled the
Scottis universalie throw the land; divisiounes, haitrent, and malice
still increst throw the Kingdome. Collonellis Ker and Strachane
withdrew thameselffis fra the Scotis generall, Generall Leslie, and
David Leslie his lievtenant; left thair ordouris, refuised to serve
under thair command; and not thairwith content, went to the west
cuntrie, sik as Glasgow, Paislay, Ranfrew, Irwing, Air, Lanerk,
Hammiltoun, quhair thair wes ane Associatioun concludit and drawn up
among the Westland schyres, and quhair thai and thair followeris keipit
thair randevous, quarterit thair men and hors upone the west pairtes of
the land, compellit the gentell men, burgesses and yeemenis to furneis
and rander thair horsses for thair service, exacted great soumes of
money for thair outreikis; and yit thai did lytill or no service, bot
trouping up and down throw the cuntrie a lang space, even fra the feght
at Dumbar to the end of November or thairby.
In the meantyme, Generall Oliver Cromwell, cheiff commander of the
Inglische airmy, come from Edinburgh to Lynlithgow, Falkirk, and
Kilsyth, and thairefter come with his haill airmy to Glasgow, upone
Fryday, the xi day of October, 1650; at quhais incuming the maist
pairt of the inhabitantes left the toun, and fled to sindry pairtes
of the cuntrie for scheltering thameselfis, not so much for feir of
the enymie, for thair cariage wes indifferentlie guid, bot becaus thai
feared to be brandit with the name of complyeris with sectarianes,
as befoir thai wer censured and puneist for remayning in the toun
the tyme of James Grahame his incuming, and brocht upone thameselfis
the name and style of Malignantes, devysit aganes thame be thair awn
nychtboures, quha haitted thame, and socht thair places and offices....
At this tyme, Godis anger wes manifest, and his hett displesour aganes
the inhabitantes of this land, for the cornes of the feild war not
onlie destroyed by this forrane enymie, and by the Scottis airmyes at
home, quha rampit and raged throw the land, eitting and destroying
quhairever they went, bot also the Lord from the hevines destroyed much
of the rest be stormes and tempestis of weit and wind....
Divisiounes still increst in Kirk and Kingdome, for the Ministrie gave
out thair Declaratiounes both aganes the King and the Commissioneris
sent to him to Gairsey and Holland.... By thir Declaratiounes of the
Ministrie the subjectis of the land wer moved to ceass, and not to lift
up airmes and go aganes the commoun enymie, and nane declared capable
to persew that enymie bot onlie Colonellis Strachane and Ker, quho wer
estemed to be for the Kirk and the Kirkis airmy; albeit it did not
prove so succesfull in the end as heireftir it fell out.
The Kingdome being thus in a moist pitifull and deplorabill conditioun
and sad estait, nane to ryse aganes the enymie, nor to defend the
Kingdome, severall meetingis wer appoynted by the Estait to meet and
to consult on the effaires of the land; sum tymes at Sterling, uther
tymes at Peerth, quhair dyveris dyettis of Parliament, Committee and
Commissioneris for the Kirk met and wer holdin, and for crowning of
the King; bot all wes to small purpos, the divisiounes both of Stait
and Kirk incresing, to the great advantage of the enymie, quha estemed
these inward divisiounes of this land to be worth to him and moir
profitable then twenty thowsand men.
I thoght guid to remember heir how that the names of Protestant
and Papist wer not now in use, nor hes bene thir sindrie yeiris
past, bot supprest: and, in place thairof, rais up the name of
Covenanteris, Anti-Covenanteris, Croce-Covenanteris, Puritanes,
Babarteres, Roun-heidis, Auld-hornes, New-hornes, Croce-Petitioneris,
Brownistes, Separistes, Malignantis, Sectareis, Royalistes, Quakeris,
Anabaptistes....
Lykewyse the Commissioun of the Kirk, beiring a great splene aganes all
these quha war of the Malignant factioun, (as they did call it), they,
be thair Declaratiounes and Commissioneris at Committee and Parliament,
maid these forces under the charge and command of David Leslie to
ryse aganes these under the charge and command of Lievtenant Major
Middletoun, to subdew thame, and croce thair rysing for the King....
So, to end this yeir of God, 1650, this Kingdome wes for the moist
pairt spoyled and overrun with the enymie, evin from Berwik to the toun
of Air, thair being Inglische garisounes in all quarteris of these
boundis; the land murning, languisching and fading, and left desolat,
every pairt thairof schut up, and no saif going out nor cuming in, and
many treacherous dealeris did deale verie treacherouslie, the Lord
hyding his face all this tyme for the synnes of Scotland.
* * * * *
1650.
_Excerpts from the Chronicle of Fife; being the Diary of John Lamont of
Newton._
Jan. 13.—Robert Maitlande, the Laird of Lundie, in Fyfe, meadde his
repentance (in his owne seatte) for having hand in the leate engagement
against Englande. Mr Ja. Magill, minister of Largo, did receave him,
and presentlie, after the covenant being reade, he did sweare the same,
and, in the afternone, did subscribe it before the session.—The day
before, he did subscribe the peaper emitted by the Gener. Assemb.
1649.—A litell before this, the Earle of Kelly made satisfactione in
this manner, in Petten-Weyme, and was receiued by Mr George Hamiltone,
m. of Newburne, and afteruarde his owne minister.
1650. Feb.—Ther was sundrie persons in Edenbroughe that had ther eares
nayled to the Trone, for bearing false witnes, and one that had his
tounge pearced with a hott iyron. About the same tyme, ther was one
scourged by the hangman, for having 7 weemen at one tyme with chielde.
Mar. 31.—At the church of Largo ther was read a declaration of the
Commiss. of the Gener. Assemb. answering a declaration leatlie
published, under the name of James Ghrame, sometyme E. of Montrose.
Also, the forsaid day, ther was a publicke fast intimate to be keiped
throughe out the whole kingdome, the folowing Lords day. The maine
cause of this fast appointed (besides these of former fasts) was, that
our commissioners gone to the king (before spoken of) might have a
gratious acceptatione, and ther iust desirs granted.
Apr. 27, being Satterday.—James Grahames forces (sometyme E. of
Montrose), being in the north parts of this kingdome, werre defeate by
L. Ge. Da. Leslie, his folowers.
May 21,—James Grahame (sometyme Earle of Montrosse), was execute at the
crosse of Edenbroughe.
A newe translation of the Psalms of David, in metre, first corrected by
the Assemblie of Divines, in Englande, bot afteruarde revised by the
Gener. Assemb. of this kingdome and their comissioners, was apointed to
be practised in all the kirks of the kingdome; the former discharged.
This translation is more neare the original Hebrew than the former,
as also, the whole psalmes are translated to comon tunes, (wheras, in
the former, ther werre many proper tunes); ther be proper tunes also
in this translation, bot, with all, ther is adjoyned comon tunes with
them. This translation was practised, the 2 of June 1650, at Largo
church, in the presbetrie of St Androus, as also through out the rest
of that presbetrey, and apointed, with all diligence, to be put in
practise through the rest of the presbetreys of the kingdome.