“Advertisement.—It must be observed in justice to the venerable author of the following sermon, that by the journal of the general assembly 1638, he had only allowed him from the evening of the preceding day to study that sermon. His thoughts, amidst such a multiplicity of work as was then on his hand, behoved also to be much perplexed; and his sermon, though subjoined at the end of that journal, seems only to have been taken down in the time of delivery by an amanuensis. Yet, mank as such a fragment is, it seems worthy of being preserved; and the same will, it is hoped, prove useful not only for vindicating the practice of that assembly, but also for stirring up others to attempt a faithful discharge of the like duty, upon grounds equally relevant, as necessary not only for reclaiming the impenitent, but also as an indispensable testimony to the truth of our Lord’s dominion over the Church.” VERSES UPON THE RAINBOW. The Rainbow was to man a signe of peace: This doth portend much blood—no sign of grace. God’s Rainbow stayed the floods—O, greatest wonder! This threats to burn us all with fyrie thunder. What greife!—that He was hop’t to grace our land, Should, to destroy it, in his Rainbow stand! Lord, either make his Rainbow like to the, Or, under Thyne, let us sure shaddowed be. Thyne reaches so long owre heaven, air, earth, sea— This but a blast, and bounded is by The: Tyme rotts the ane: Thyne doeth remain for ay, Proclaiming peace unto thy saints alway. Man’s Rainbowe’s collor’s red, and full of fyre; Thine whyte, blew, red—signes of thy quenched ire. It is curious to contrast these disclosures of the real state of facts at the time referred to, with a piece of gasconade in Heylyn’s Life of Laud, (p. 365,) which, in its leading points, is contradicted by letters under the King’s hand to Hamilton. “These preparations (for negotiation, says this Doctor of divinity) being made, they fand an easier business of it than they had any reason to expect, to bring his Majesty to meet them in the middle way. It was not his intent to fight them, as I have heard from a person of great trust and honour; but only by the terrour of so great an army to draw the Scots to do him reason. And this I am the more apt to credit, because when a Noble and well experienced commander offered him (then being in camp near Berwick) that with two thousand horse, (which the King might very well have spared,) he would so waste and spoil the country, that the Scots should creep upon their bellies to implore his mercy,—he would by no means hearken to the proposition.” The repulse of the King’s troops at Kelso took place on the 3d of June; and in the interval betwixt that day and the 7th, the Earl of Dunfermline was despatched from the Scotch to the King’s camp, with renewed supplications for opening negotiations. On the 7th, Sir E. Verney brought a message from the King, requiring his proclamation to be published; and it was read at General Leslie’s table on the 7th, when, accompanied by Dunfermline, Verney returned to the King’s camp with a favourable report. On the 8th, the King agreed to negotiate, and wrote a letter to that effect. On the 10th, (Burnet says the 11th,) the first meeting took place, and three more afterwards—viz., on the 12th, 15th and 18th—at the last of which the King’s Declaration was adjusted, and the articles of pacification agreed to.—Vide Baillie, vol. i. p. 179-183. “Memorandum.—That our desires are only the enjoying of our Religion and Liberties, according to the ecclesiastical and civil laws of his Majestys Kingdom, “To clear, by sufficient grounds, that the particulars are such, we shall not insist to crave any point which is not so warranted. And we humbly offer all civil and temporal obedience to your Majesty which can be required or expected of Loyal Subjects.—(Signed) Lowdon.”—(Rushworth, vol. iii., p. 941.) At the next Meeting in the King’s Camp, on the 13th, (where Henderson and Johnston were present,) the following answer, by the King, to Lowdon’s Memorandum, was produced:— “That, whereas his Majesty, the 11th of June, received a short paper of the general grounds and limits of their humble desires, his Majesty is graceously pleased to make this answer. That, if their desires be only the enjoying of their religion and liberties, according to the ecclesiastical and civil laws of his Majestys Kingdom of Scotland, his Majesty doth not only agree to the same, but shall always protect them to the uttermost of his power; and if they shall not insist upon any thing but that is so warranted, his Majesty will most willingly and readily condescend thereunto, so that in the meantime they pay unto him that civil and temporal obedience which can be justly required and expected of Loial Subjects.—At his Majestys Camp, the 13th of June 1639.”—(Ibid., p. 942.) We may also note that Rushworth gives all the dates more precisely than we find elsewhere. The Earl of Dunfermline went to the King’s from the Scotch Camp, on the 6th, with the petition from the Covenanters, (No. 49 of Documents, p. 225;) and Sir E. Verney returned with him, bearing the King’s answer, (No. 50, p. 226;) the “Reasons and Grounds,” &c., were produced on the 13th. The Scots deputies returned on Saturday the 15th, and again on Monday the 17th; and the treaty was signed on the 18th. On the 22d, the King left the Camp for Berwick; and, on the 24th, his army was dismissed and dissolved.—Rushworth, p. 943-946. By an Act of Assembly 1641, the Scotch church at Campvere was brought into connection with the Church of Scotland, and the Kirk Session thereof authorized to send its minister and a ruling-elder to the General Assembly. This connection continued long after, till that branch of the Scottish Church was swept away in the French revolutionary war, since which it has not been renewed, although that church has been revived. “The 3 estaits of parl: hes delett out of the roll of counsellors giuen in by hes Maiesty, thesse follouing—viz., George, Marques of Huntley; Villiam, Earle of Airth and Menteth; Alexander, Earle of Linlithgow; James, Earle of Home; Patrick, Earle of Tullibardyne; Alexander, Earle of Galloway; Villiam, Earle of Dumfreis; Robert, Earle of Carnwathe. And in ther places the 3 estaits did put in Johne, Earle of Sutherland; Villiam, Earle of Louthean; Alex: Earle of Dalhousie; Johne, Lord Zester; Johne, Lord St. Claire; Johne, Lord Balmerinache; Robert, Lord Burlie. “Acte anent the nominatione and electione of the counsellours votted and past, according to this subsequent roll:—James, Duck of Lennox and Richmond; James, Marq: of Hamilton; Archbald, Earle of Argyle; Villiam, Earle of Marishall; Johne, Earle of Sutherland; Johne, Earle of Mar; Alex: Earle of Eglintone; Johne, Earle of Cassiles; Villiam, Earle of Glencairne; James, Earle of Murray; Johne, Earle of Perth; Charles, Earle of Dumfermling; Johne, Earle of Vigtone; Johne, Earle of Kingorne; George, Earle of Seaforte; Johne, Earle of Lauderdaill; George, Earle of Kinnoule; Villiam, Earle of Louthean; Dauid, Earle of Southescke; John, Earle of Wymees; Alex: Earle of Dalhousie; James, Earle of Finlater; Alexander, Earle of Leuin; Archbald, Lo: Angus; Johne, Lo: Lindesay; Johne, Lo: Zester; Johne, Lo: St. Claire; Alex: Lo: Elphingstone; Johne, Lo: Balmerinoche; Robert, Lo: Burlie; James, Lo: Amont; Alexand?, Lo: Balcarras; S? Robert Gordon, Vice Chamberlaine; S? Patrick Hepburne of Vaughtone; S? Villiam Douglas of Cauers; S? Ja: Dundas of the same; Thomas Myrtone of Camwo; S? Dauid Grhame of Fintrey; S? John Erskyne of Dune; S? Robert Grhame of Morphie; S? Robert Innes of the same; Prouest of Edinbrughe for the tyme. “Acte anent the nominatione and electione of thesse officers of estait retained in ther places, votted and past accordinng to this ensewing roll, they all beinng includit within the roll of counsellers also, viz:— “1. Jo: Lord London, Chancelour; “2. Commissioners for the office of Thesaurer, 3 of them to be a coram, votted, viz.:—Chancelour, Argyle, Glencairne, Lindesay, Th?? depute. “3. Earle of Roxbrughe, Lo: Priuey Seall; “4. Earle Lanricke, Secretarey; “5. Mr Alex: Gibsone of Durie, Clerke Register; “6. S? Tho: Hope of Craighall, Aduocat; “7. S? Jo: Hamilton of Orbeston, Justice Clerke; “8. S? Ja: Carmichell of the same, Th?? depute; “9. S? Ja: Galloway, Master of Requysts. “Supernumerarey counsellours, so called in his Maiesties rolls, wotted and approuen by the housse, wer:—Thomas Houard, Earle of Arundaill; Philipe Herbert, Earle of Pembrock and Montgomerey; Villiam Cicill, Earle of Sarisburrey; Henrey Riche, Earle of Holland; Lord Villoughbie; Eduard, Lord Houard; S? Henrey Vaine, Secretarey for England; S? Johne Cooke, knight. “Acte ament the nominatione and electione of the ordinar and extraordinar Lordes of the Session, conforme to this roll, votted and approuen by the housse:—S? George Erskyne of Innerteill; S? Alex: Gibsone of Durie, elder; S? Androw Fletcher of Innerpepher; S? James Lermonth of Balcomey; S? George Halibrunton of Fodrens; S? James Mackgill of Cranston-Ridell; S? Johne Hope of Cragehall; S? Johne Hamilton of Orbestone; S? John Scott of Scottstaruett; Sir James Carmichell of the same; S? Alex: Falconer of Halcartone. Thesse foure follouing, by the estaits wer putt from ther places in Sessione, for crymes lybelled aganist them:—S? Rob: Spotswood, President; S? Jo: Hay, Clerke Register; S? Vill: Elphingstone, Justice Generall; S? Patrick Nisbett of Eastbancke. And in the place of thir forsaid foure, the estaitts put in John Lesley of Neutone; S? Thomas Hope of Kers; Mr Adam Hepburne of Humbie; Mr Archbald Ihonstone, Clerke of the Generall Assembley. Extraordinarey Lordes of the Sessione, wotted and approuen by the housse this day, wer:—E. Argyle, L. Angus, L. Lindesay, L. Balmerinoche.” The fire in the cavern of Etna concealed, Still mantles unseen in its secret recess, At length in a volume terrific revealed, No torrent can quench it, no bounds can repress. Byron. Sir Walter Scott, in his “Tales of a Grandfather,” (Prose Works, vol. xxiv.,) says:—“This insurrection was called the Whigamores’ Raid, from the word whig-whig—that is, get on, get on, which is used by the western peasants in driving their horses—a name destined to become the distinction of a powerful party in British history.” In Daniel Defoe’s “Memoirs of the Church of Scotland,” (printed 1717,) p. 173, speaking of the Covenanters, he says:—“This is the first time that the name of a Whigg was used in the world—I mean as applied to a man or to a party of men; and these were the original primitive Whiggs—the name for many years being given to no other people. The word is said to be taken from a mixed drink the poor men drank in their wanderings, composed of water and sour milk.” And Bishop Burnet, who lived nearer to the time in which the nickname was invented, gives the following explanation of it in the “History of his own Times,” (p. 26, imperial ed. 1837):—“The southwest counties of Scotland have seldom corn enough to serve them round the year, and the northern parts producing more than they need, those in the west came in the summer to buy at Leith the stores that came from the north; and from a word Whiggam, used in driving their horses, all that drove were called Whiggamors; and, shorter, the Whiggs. Now, in that year, after the news came down of Duke Hamilton’s defeat, the Ministers animated their people to rise and march to Edinburgh; and they came up marching on the head of their parishes with an unheard-of fury, praying and preaching all the way as they came. The Marquis of Argyle and his party came and headed them, they being about 6,000. This was called the Whiggamors’ inroad; and, ever after that, all that opposed the court came, in contempt, to be called Whiggs; and from Scotland the word was brought into England, where it is now one of our unhappy terms of distinction.” The following description of the Whigs, in some of their risings after the restoration of Charles II., is taken from a MS. copy of a doggrel poem, (by Cleland, it is thought,) which the editor presented some years ago to the Library of the Antiquarian Society of Edinburgh— “It was in Januar or December, When I did see the outlaw Whigs Lye scattered up and down the riggs Some had hoggers, some straw boots, Some uncovered leggs and coots; Some had halbards, some had durks, Some had crooked swords, like Turks; Some had slings, and some had flails, Knit with eel and oxen tails; Some had speares, some had pikes, Some had spades which delvit dykes; Some had guns with roustie ratches, Some had firie peats for matches; Some had bows, but wanted arrows, Some had pistols without marrows; Some the coulter of a plough, Some syths had, men and horse to hough; And some with a Lochaber axe Resolved to give Dalziell his paiks; Some had cross-bows, some were slingers, Some had only knives and whingers; But most of all, (believe who lists,) Had nought to fight with but their fists: They had no colours to display; They wanted order and array; Their officers and motion-teachers Were verie few beside their preachers: Without horse, or artilzierie pieces, They thought to imitate the Sweeses, When from Novarr they sallyed out, Tremoville and brave Trivulce to rout. For martial musique everie day They used oft to sing and pray, Which chears them more, when danger comes, Than others’ trumpets and their drums. With such provision as they had, They were so stout, or else so madd, As to petition once again; And, if the issue proved vain, They were resolved, with one accord, To fight the battells of the Lord.” |