Part 49 (2/2)

J---- WYLIE, though of no great note, yet for a wicked life and practice was a tool fit enough for the dreary drudgery of persecution: in which he got a party of soldiers to a.s.sist him as often as he would. In this devilish employment, amongst other instances, he got a party of Blackaras' troop, 1683, and came upon John Archer, while his children were sick, and himself ill of the gravel; yet he must needs have the mother of the children too, though she could not leave them in that condition. While he insisted, one of the dragoons said, The devil ding your back in twa: have ye a coach and six for her and the children?

Wylie, with cursing, answered, She shall go, if she should be trailed in a sledge; which was his common bye-word when hauling poor people to prison. However, he got Archer and five small children to Kirkaldy tolbooth. But what then? In a little after, having taken a gentleman prisoner, he went with him to a public house near Clunie in the parish of Kingla.s.sie to see some public matters accommodated; but not agreeing, Wylie made a great splutter, and amongst other imprecations said, The devil take me, if I carry him not to Couper tolbooth this night. The gentleman's man, a young hardy fellow, told him roundly, his master should not go there. Upon which, Wylie gave him a blow: the fellow ran to a smith's shop, and getting a goad of iron, made at Wylie. A scuffle ensued, in which he broke Wylie's back in two; which obliged them to get two sledges and tie him across on them, and so carry him home; and in a short time he died in great agony. _The Lord shall break the arm of the wicked_--_Wodrow_.

MR. FRANCIS GORDON, a volunteer in the Earl of Airly's troop, but chiefly so from a principle of wickedness. He had committed several outrages upon the suffering people of G.o.d, and intended more (as appeared from several of their names in his pocket to be taken at his death) had not G.o.d cut his days short; for he and another wicked companion left their troop at Lanerk, and came with two servants and four horses to Kilkcagow, searching for sufferers. Gordon rambling through the town, offering to abuse some women, at night coming to East-seat, Gordon's comrade went to bed, but he would sleep none, roaring all night for women. In the morning, he left the rest, and with his sword in his hand came to Moss-plate. Some men who had been in the fields all night, fled; upon which he pursued. In the mean time, seeing three men, who had been at a meeting in the night, flee, he pursued and overtook them: one of them asked, why he pursued them? He said, to send them to h.e.l.l. Another said, That shall not be; we will defend ourselves.

Gordon said, Either you or I shall go to it just now: and so, with great fury, run his sword at one of them, which missed his body, but went through his coat. The said person fired at him, but missed him; whereupon he roared out, G.o.d d.a.m.n his soul; another fired a pocket pistol, which took his head; and so he fell down dead. Thus his a.s.siduity brought him to his end, near four miles from the troop, and one from his companion.--_Walker_.

THOMAS KENNOWAY, an officer of the guards and another booted apostle for the propagation of Episcopacy, was with Dalziel at Pentland and at the apprehending of Mr. M'Kail at Braid's craigs, and the apprehending of Mr. King after Bothwel. He attacked a meeting at Bathgate, shot one dead, and took fourteen prisoners, who were afterwards banished 1681. He came with a party to Livingston parish, where he rifled houses, broke open chests, abused women with child, took an old man and his son, and offered to hang them on the two ends of a tow. He spent the Lord's day in drinking, saying, he would make the prisoners pay it. He was a profane adulterer, a drinker, a fearful blasphemer, curser and swearer.

He would sometimes say, h.e.l.l would be a good winter but a bad summer-quarters. One asked him, if he was never afraid of h.e.l.l? He swore he was never afraid of that, but he was sometimes afraid the rebels (so he called the sufferers) should shoot him dead at a d.y.k.eside. In the midst of this career, he comes out of Edinburgh, Nov. 1683, with a roll of 150 persons, probably of his own up-giving to be apprehended. He alights at Livingston, where he meets one Stuart. When drinking, he shewed him his commission, and told him, he hoped in a few days to be as good a laird as many in that country: but regretted he was now so old, and would not get it long enjoyed. They came to Swine's-abbey, where they continued some days drinking, laying their projects. But on the 20th of November being somewhat alarmed, they run to the door of the house, thinking none would be so bold as attack them, but were instantly both shot dead on the spot.[278] And thus their wicked lives were ended, and their malevolent designs left unaccomplished.--_Wodrow_.

JAMES IRVIN of Bonshaw, at first a trader in Irish horses, then a high-way man, but one who loved the wages of unrighteousness:--for having got notice of Mr. Cargil, Mr. Smith, &c. he went to the council, and got a commission and a party, and surprized them at Coventorn mill. This made him cry out, ”O blessed Bonshaw! and blessed day that ever I was born! that has found such a prize!” meaning the 5000 merks set on Mr. Cargil's head. At Lanerk, when tying Mr. Cargil's feet hard below the horse's belly, Mr. Cargil said, ”Why do you tie me so hard? Your wickedness is great: you will not long escape the just judgment of G.o.d; and if I be not mistaken, it will seize you near this place.” Nor was this all; having apprehended George Jackson 1683, in the Lord's night, he offered to set him on a horse's bare back, and tie his head and feet together, and offered him the king's health, which he refused. On the morrow, when setting him on the horse, he caused hold a trumpet to his ear and bade sound him to h.e.l.l: at which the martyr smiled. In the same year having apprehended twelve prisoners, he carried them to Hamilton, then to Lanerk, where they were augmented to thirty.

They were cast at night into a dungeon without fire or candle: next morning, he tied them two by two on a horse's bare back, and their legs twisted below the horses bellies to the effusion of their blood, and so drove them to Edinburgh at the gallop, not suffering so much as one of the poor prisoners to alight to ease nature. But being now arrived at the very summit of his wicked cruelty, he returned to Lanerk, and at the very place where he had bound Mr. Cargil, one of his drunken companions and he falling at odds, while he was easing himself on a dunghill, his comrade coming out with a sword, ran him through the body till the blood and dirt, with Eglon's, came out. His last words were, ”G.o.d d.a.m.n my soul eternally, for I am gone.” _Mischief shall hunt the violent man, till he be ruined._--_Wodrow, Walker's remarks_.

CHARLES II. succeeded his father Charles I. He was from his infancy such a dissembler, that he could metamorphose himself unto any profession that was most for his carnal ends and political interest. In his exile, he confined himself to popery. When he came to treat with the Scots for a crown, he became a Protestant and a Presbyterian too. So that he took the covenants twice in one year at Spey and Sc.o.o.n, and emitted a declaration at Dunfermline of his own sins and his father's wickedness.

Upon his being again expelled these dominions, he turned papist again, and came under obligations to promote that interest, if ever he should be restored again. No sooner was he restored, than he restored episcopacy in England, and by the help of a set of poor time-serving wretches got the work of reformation overturned in Scotland, and then episcopacy, prelacy, and arbitrary power began to shake its b.l.o.o.d.y dart.

The persecuting work began; Presbyterian ministers were driven from their charges, and killed or banished. He got himself advanced head of the church, and then commanded these covenants he had more than once sworn, to be burnt by the hand of the hangman, and then the laws against covenanters were written in blood and executed by dragoons. It were almost endless to relate all the cruelties exercised upon the poor wanderers during his reign, before, at, and after Pentland, by the Highland host.--At and after Bothwel, boots, thumbkins and cutting off of ears came in fas.h.i.+on. Some put to death on scaffolds; some in the fields, and some made a sacrifice to the manes of Sharp; some drowned on s.h.i.+p-board, some women hanged and drowned in the sea mark, some kept waking for nine nights together; some had their b.r.e.a.s.t.s ript up, and their hearts plucked out, and cast into the fire, others not suffered to speak to the people in their own vindication for the beating of drums, &c. Nor were things in England much better: two thousand ministers were thrust out by the Bartholomew act, and laid under a train of cruel hards.h.i.+ps, even such as were a shame to any Protestant nation. Many of the English patriots were murdered; Ess.e.x, Russel and Sidney came to the razor and the block. And for his practice, he was now drunken in all manner of uncleanness and filthiness. For all the numbers of strumpets and harlots he had, his own sister the d.u.c.h.ess of Orleans could not be exempted. But drawing near his end, the popish faction of York his brother grew stronger, on suspicion that he intended to curb them. To cut the matter short, he was seized with an apoplectic fit, or rather had got a dose of poison: he formerly professed to caress the church of England, now in views of death father Huddleston was brought to administer the popish sacraments of the host and extreme unction, absolution and the eucharist. The host sticking in his throat, water was brought instead of wine to wash it down. Afterward bishop Ken came and p.r.o.nounced another absolution upon him; and here observe, that he who was justly excommunicated by a lawful minister of the church of Scotland for his gross perjury, contempt of G.o.d and religion, lechery, treachery, covenant breaking, bloodshed, &c. was now absolved, first by a popish priest, and then a prelate of the church of England, and all without any the least signs of repentance, else he would never in his last words have recommended the care of two of his harlots (one of whom being in bed beyond him, his queen being elsewhere) to the care of his brother.

And so, having drunk his death in a popish potion, he died unlamented.

For his character, in all respects in nature, feature and manners, he resembled the tyrant Tiberius; and for all the numerous brood of b.a.s.t.a.r.ds begot on other men's wives, he died a childless poltroon, having no legitimate heir to succeed him of his own body, according to the divine malediction, _Write this man childless: for no man of his seed shall prosper, sitting on the throne of David, and ruling any more in Judah._

THOMAS DALZIEL of Binns, a man natively fierce and rude, but more so from his being brought up in the Muscovy service, where he had seen little else than tyranny and slavery: Nay, it is said, that he had there so learned the arts of divilish sophistry, that he sometimes beguiled the devil, or rather his master suffered himself to be outwitted by him[279]. However he behoved to return and have a share of the persecuting work; and after murdering a number of the Lord's witnesses at Pentland, he came west to Kilmarnock, where he committed many unheard of cruelties; instance, his putting a woman in the thieves hole there, in the Dean amongst toads and other venomous creatures, where her shrieks were heard at a distance, but none durst help her, and all because a man pursued ran through her house: and also his shooting one Findlay at a post without the least crime or shadow of law; with the many cruelties exercised upon the country after Bothwel; for these and his uncleanness and contempt of marriage from his youth, drunkenness, atheistical and irreligious conversation, he was another of these excommunicated at Torwood. After which he waited sometime on the council at Edinburgh to a.s.sist them in the persecuting work there, till the year 1685, that one William Hannah was brought before the council, and, when pleading, he was too old to banish, Dalziel told him roughly, he was not too old to hang: he would hang well enough. This was among the last of his public maneuvres: For that same day August 22d, when at his beloved exercise, drinking wine, while the cup was at his head, he fell down (being in perfect health) and expired.--_Wodrow, Hind let loose, Naphtali_, &c.

GEORGE CHARTERS, sometime a kind of factor to the duke of Queensberry, in imitation of his master was such an a.s.siduous persecutor, ”That he could boast that he had made 26 journeys in a year in pursuit of the whigs.” And, if the same with Bailiff Charters who was on the scaffold with John Nisbet of Hardhill, and though the martyr spoke most meekly there, yet this Charters was rude to him. But that night he had a child overlaid in the bed, and in two days fell into great horror of conscience, crying out, Oh, for the life of John Nisbet. His friends thought to have kept it secret, and diverted him; but he became worse and worse, still crying out, Oh, for the life of John Nisbet, until he fell into a most terrible distraction. So that he sat night and day wringing about his nose and roaring ever, John Nisbet, to the terror of all around him[280].--_Appendix to the Cloud of Witnesses, and Lady Earlstoun's Letter from Blackness in ma.n.u.script_.

MR. ---- EVANS, a man of no great note, but abundantly qualified to make merchandize of the people of G.o.d; for being master or commander of a s.h.i.+p wherein 190 of Christ's prisoners were put to be banished 1685, to the West-Indies, during their voyage of three months s.p.a.ce, he made them endure the most excruciating hards.h.i.+ps. They were crammed in so close night and day, that they could have no air, and so tormented with hunger and thirst, that they were obliged to drink their own urine: Whereby 32 of them died. After their arrival in Jamaica, they were imprisoned and sold for slaves. But Evans fell sick, and his body rotted away piece-meal while alive, so that none could come near him for stink. This wrought horror of conscience in him; whereupon he called for some of the prisoners, and begged forgiveness, and desired them to pray for him, which they did; so he died. Howard's case who got the price was still less hopeful; for he fell down betwixt two s.h.i.+ps, and perished in the Thames. Nor were the s.h.i.+p's crew who a.s.sisted them much better; for 40 of them took a pestilent fever, and turned mad and leapt over board and perished.--_Wodrow_.

SIR ROBERT LAURIE of Maxwelton, was another enemy to the poor people of G.o.d. When Cornet Baillie had met with W. Smith in Glencairn parish, 1684, his Father being one of Sir Robert's tenants, went to beg favour for his son. But Sir Robert presently sentenced him to present death.

Bailie refused to execute it, because illegal. But the cruel monster threatened him to do it without delay; and being shot, Maxwelton refused him burial in the church-yard: The same day being the day of his daughter's marriage, his steward declared, that a cup of wine that day being put into his master's hand, turned into congealed blood. However, in a short time, he fell from his horse, and was killed dead--_Wodrow_, _Appendix to the Cloud_, &c.

---- WHITEFORD, son to Whiteford, pretended bishop of Brichen, (who was excommunicated by the a.s.sembly 1638) went first to England; thence to Holland, where he killed Dorislaus, and being turned papist, to be out of Cromwel's reach, he went over to the duke of Savoy's service, and was there when the terrible ma.s.sacre was committed upon the poor Vandois (probably about 1655) where he committed many barbarous murders upon them with his own hands. He returned home, and it appears, he was made a captain of the guard, and had a share in the persecuting work. However, he had a small pension given him for such service. But he sickened before York's parliament sat down, 1686, and being haunted with an intolerable horror of conscience of the execrable murders he had committed, called for some ministers, and told them his abhorrence of popery: ”For (said he) I went to priests of all sorts; they all justified me in what I had done, and gave me absolution. But now I am persuaded by an awakened conscience.” And so he died as one in despair, roaring out against that b.l.o.o.d.y religion that had undone him.--_Burnet's history_, &c.

PHILIP STANDFIELD, son to Sir James Standfield of New-milns, was a mocker of G.o.d and all things religious. While student at the university of St. Andrew's, he came to a meeting where Mr. John Welch was preaching in Kinkell Closs: in the time of the sermon, out of malice and mockery, he cast somewhat that hit the minister, who stopped and said, He knew not who it was, that had put that public affront upon a servant of Christ; but be who it would, he was persuaded that there would be more present at the death of him who did it, than were hearing him that day; and the mult.i.tude was not small. However, this profligate went home and continued his wicked courses, till the year 1688, that he murdered his own father; for which he was taken to Edinburgh, and executed. In time of his imprisonment, he told some, he was confident that G.o.d was now about to accomplish what he had been before by his servant forewarned of.--_Wodrow_.

JOHN ALLISON, sometime chamberlain to the duke of Queensberry, to please his master, became a most violent persecutor of G.o.d's people. It were needless to condescend upon particular instances: the way and manner of his death plainly shews what his conduct had been, and from what principle he had acted: for being seized with a terrible distemper wherein he had the foretaste of h.e.l.l both in body and soul; in body he was so inflamed, that it is said, he was put in a large pipe of water, and the water to s.h.i.+ft successively as it warmed. But the horrors of his awakened conscience they could by no means cool, but still he cried out in despair, that he had d.a.m.ned his soul for the duke his master, till he died.--_M. S. and Appendix to the Cloud_, &c.

GEORGE LORD JEFFERIES, an Englishman, was born in Wales about 1648. He first studied the law, then he became serjeant of the city of London; he next stepped to the recorders.h.i.+p of the city; from thence he became chief justice of the city of Chester; and in 1683, was made lord chief justice of the king's bench. In this, as in all his other offices, he behaved most indecently; for besides his being scandalously vitious, he was almost every day drunk, besides a drunkenness of fury in his temper by which he brought the lord Russel, and the famous Alg. Sidney unto their ends. He also handled Mr. Baxter and others severely. But the most tragical story of his life fell out 1685. After Monmouth was defeated and himself and many of his little army taken, Jefferies was sent by his master king James to the West as ordinary executioner to try the prisoners; and here his behaviour was beyond any thing ever heard of, I believe, in a Christian nation. He was perpetually after drink or in rage, liker a fury than a judge: where no proof could be had, he commanded the pannels to plead guilty, if they desired mercy; and then, if they confest any thing, they were immediately hung up. In a few towns in the west of England, he p.r.o.nounced sentence of death on some 500 or 600 persons, 292 of them received this sentence in an hours s.p.a.ce; and of these 600 250 were executed; others had the benefit of his avarice; for pardons were by him sold from 10 pound to 14000 guineas. He sentenced the lady Lesly for harbouring a stranger one night. Miss Gaunt was burnt. A poor man was hanged for selling three-pence worth of hay to Monmouth's horse. Some were hanged at the stanchions of windows, others had their bowels burnt and their bodies boiled in pitch, and hung round the town. b.l.o.o.d.y Kirk put in for part of the honour. At Taunton he hanged nine without suffering them to take leave of their wives and children. At some places they cast off so many with a health to the King, and a number more with a health to the Queen, drinking it at every turn, and perceiving the shaking of their legs in the agonies of death, they said, they were dancing, and called for music, and to every one cast over a spring was played on pipes, hautboys, drums and trumpets, with a huzza and a gla.s.s of wine. Jefferies sentenced one Tutchin for changing his name to seven years imprisonment, and whipping through all the market towns in the s.h.i.+re, which was once a fortnight during that time; which made Mr. Tutchin pet.i.tion the king for death. Many other cruelties were then committed, but the foregoing swatch may suffice.

Jefferies returned to London, where his master James, for his good services, made him lord chancellor. Being now above the reach or envy of the people, he set himself to a.s.sist his master in bringing in popery; but their mad hasty zeal spoiled the project, and so his master having to flee his dominions, Jefferies, disguised in a seaman's dress in a collier, essayed to escape after and in imitation of his master, but was taken and severely drubbed by the populace, and then brought to the lord mayor. Jefferies to be freed of the people, desired to be sent to the Tower; because they were waiting with clubs upon him. The mayor seeing this, and the chancellor in such a gloomy appearance, was so struck that he fell into fits and soon died. Jefferies, being sent to the Tower, continued with few either to pity or supply him. At last a barrel of oysters being sent him, he thanked G.o.d he had yet some friends left: but when tumbled out with or without oysters, a strong cord halter fell out, which made him change countenance on the prospect of his future distiny.

A distemper with the gravel seized him, contracted through his former intemperate wicked b.l.o.o.d.y life, and the horrors of an awakened conscience; and at last, whether nature wrought out itself, or, if he himself helped the fatal stroke, (as is most likely) is uncertain; 1689.--_Vide his life, and the Western Martyrology or b.l.o.o.d.y a.s.sizes_, &c.

JOHN GRAHAM of Claverhouse in Angus, a branch of the house of Montrose, another champion for the prince of the kingdom of darkness. To improve the cruelty of his nature, he was sometime in the French service. He returned to Scotland 1677. The vivacity of his genius soon recommended him to Charles and James, who bestowed upon him the command of a troop of horse: and then he began the spoiling and killing the people of G.o.d; wherein he was alway successful, except at Drumclog. One of his exploits was at Bewly-bog, where the writer of his memoirs says, he killed 75 and took many prisoners. After Bothwel, had Monmouth granted it, he would have killed the prisoners, burnt Glasgow, Hamilton and Strathaven, and plundered the western s.h.i.+res. To enumerate all the cruelties, bloodshed and oppression committed by him, while he ranged up and down the country for ten years s.p.a.ce, were a talk here too tedious: in which time it is said, he killed near 100 persons in cold blood. In Galloway, he and his party ravished a woman before her husband's eyes, took a young boy, tied his two thumbs with a cord, and hung him to the balk or roof of the house. Another they took and twisted a small cord about his head with their pistols to the scull. In 1682, he pursued and shot one W. Graham when escaping from his mother's house. In 1683, he shot four men on the water of Dee, and carried two to Dumfries, and hanged them there. In 1685, he caused shoot one in Carrick, and in the same year most cruelly shot John Brown at his own door in Moor-kirk, and a little after shot A.

Hyslop in Annandale. These and such services procured him a higher t.i.tle of honour: he was created Viscount Dundee, and made privy counsellor. In York's reign, his conduct was much of a piece, running up and down the country, making people swear they would never lift arms against king James. He was alway staunch to popery, and when the convention met at Edinburgh, he went off with some horse to the north, and raised the clans.h.i.+ps for James's interest; where he s.h.i.+fted from place to place till June 13, 1689, that he came to a pitched engagement with Gen.

Mackay on the braes of Gillicrankie on the water of Trumble. The battle was very b.l.o.o.d.y, and by Mackey's third fire Claverhouse fell, of whom historians give little account; but it has been said for certain, that his own waiting man taking a resolution to rid this world of this truculent b.l.o.o.d.y monster; and knowing he had proof of lead[281], shot him with a silver b.u.t.ton he had before taken off his own coat for that purpose. However he fell, and with him popery and king James's interest in Scotland. _Behold thou art taken in thy mischief, because thou art a b.l.o.o.d.y man_--_Claverhouse's memoirs_, _History of the Sufferers_, _Defoe's memoirs_, &c.

ALEX. GORDON of Kilstuers in Galloway set out amongst the suffering remnant, joined the united societies who followed faithful Mr. Renwick, and was for some time most zealous for that cause; for which he was apprehended, but rescued at Enterkine-path, August 1684, when going to Edinburgh; at which some of the sufferers were not a little (if not too much) elated. But never being right principled, as Mr. Peden perceived, when he refused to sail the sea with him from Ireland before this. He first fell in with Langlands and Barclay in favour of Argyle's attempt, 1685, and from that time he became a most violent traducer and reproacher of Mr. Renwick and the faithful party both by tongue and pen to render them odious: then he fell into a kind of profligate life, (as Mr. Renwick often said, that these who fell from strictness in principle would not long retain strictness of practice) at last being at Edinburgh, he got drunk, and then must needs fight, as is usual with such miscreants; and, having in the squabble lost much blood, his head became light, so that when going up stairs, he lost his feet and falling down brained himself, and so expired.--_Faithful Contendings_, _Walkers Remarks_.

SIR GEORGE M'KENZIE of Rosehaugh, was another notorious apostate; for after he had made no small profession of presbyterian principles and holiness of life, he after the restoration, not only apostatized from that profession, but fell into a most wicked and flagitious life and conversation; which were qualifications good enough then to gain him the post of an advocate. Sometime after Pentland, he pleaded the sufferers part; but afterwards s.h.i.+fted sides (being advanced to be king's advocate) and pleaded most strenuously against them, and even with such a degree of fury that neither prelate nor b.l.o.o.d.y manager could ever charge him with the least thing that looked like moderation. It were needless to relate what hand he had in the b.l.o.o.d.y work at that time, seeing he pleaded away almost the lives of all that were executed from 1677 to 1688. Nay, such was his rage at the cause of Christ and his people, that before they escaped his hands, he would charge them with what in his conscience he knew was false: and, if they would not answer questions to his mind, he would threaten to pull out their tongues with pincers. At the same time pleaded that murderers, sorcerers, &c. might go free. In one of his distracted fits, he took the Bible in his hand and wickedly said, it would never be well with the land till that book was destroyed. These and the like procured him a place in that black list excommunicated at Torwood. After the persecuting work was over, he went up to London, where he died with all the pa.s.sages of his body running blood (like Charles IX. of France author of the Paris ma.s.sacre.) Physicians being brought could give no natural cause for it, but that it was the hand of G.o.d on him for the blood he had shed in his own land.--_Vid._ _West's memoirs, and History of the sufferings of the church of Scotland_.

SIR JAMES JOHNSTON of Westerraw (alias Westerhall) another of the same kidney was an egregious apostate. He was such a zealous professor, that when the test was first framed, he could boast that he was an actual covenanter, and so scorned it. But, on the first trial, he not only took it, but furiously pressed it on others; and, having gathered the parish for that purpose, 1683, he in one of his rages said, ”The devil d.a.m.n his soul; but before to-morrow's night they should all be d.a.m.ned by taking it as well as he.” And for persecuting work, he exacted 11,000l. in Galloway by oppression, digged a man's body out of the grave, plundered the poor widow woman's house where he died, because he was one of the sufferers, and caused Claverhouse, somewhat contrary to his mind to shoot An. Hyslop because taken on his ground. He lived till or after the revolution, that he died in great torture of body and grievous torment and horror of conscience, insomuch that his cries were heard at a great distance from the house, as a warning to all apostates.--_Wodrow, Appendix to the Cloud_ &c.

SIR JOHN WHITEFORD of Milton (Carluke parish) was a wicked man, and such a persecutor, that he was said with his servants to have murdered severals when flying from Pentland, and had a princ.i.p.al hand in informing against Gavin Hamilton in Mauldslie, who was taken and executed with others at Edinburgh Dec. 7, 1666, and was one of the test circuits 1683. This and other pieces of the like employment made James Nicol a martyr say, That the world would see that house a desolation, and nettles growing in its closs:--which came to pa.s.s soon after the Revolution, when he became insolvent, his estate sequestrated, and orders obtained to apprehend him: which at last was effected although he defended himself some time with stones from the battlement. The lands changed many masters, and for some years lay desolate; and it has been observed, that till of late, no man dwelt in it above the s.p.a.ce of seven years.--_M. S._

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