lay morals-第18章
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!
In the absence of Rothes; Sharpe presided … much to the wrath of some members; and as he imagined his own safety endangered; his measures were most energetic。 Dalzell was ordered away to the West; the guards round the city were doubled; officers and soldiers were forced to take the oath of allegiance; and all lodgers were commanded to give in their names。 Sharpe; surrounded with all these guards and precautions; trembled … trembled as he trembled when the avengers of blood drew him from his chariot on Magus Muir; … for he knew how he had sold his trust; how he had betrayed his charge; and he felt that against him must their chiefest hatred be directed; against him their direst thunder…bolts be forged。 But even in his fear the apostate Presbyterian was unrelenting; unpityingly harsh; he published in his manifesto no promise of pardon; no inducement to submission。 He said; 'If you submit not you must die;' but never added; 'If you submit you may live!' (2)
Meantime the insurgents proceeded on their way。 At Carsphairn they were deserted by Captain Gray; who; doubtless in a fit of oblivion; neglected to leave behind him the coffer containing Sir James's money。 Who he was is a mystery; unsolved by any historian; his papers were evidently forgeries … that; and his final flight; appear to indicate that he was an agent of the Royalists; for either the King or the Duke of York was heard to say; 'That; if he might have his wish; he would have them all turn rebels and go to arms。' (3)
Upon the 18th day of the month they left Carsphairn and marched onwards。
Turner was always lodged by his captors at a good inn; frequently at the best of which their halting…place could boast。 Here many visits were paid to him by the ministers and officers of the insurgent force。 In his description of these interviews he displays a vein of satiric severity; admitting any kindness that was done to him with some qualifying souvenir of former harshness; and gloating over any injury; mistake; or folly; which it was his chance to suffer or to hear。 He appears; notwithstanding all this; to have been on pretty good terms with his cruel 'phanaticks;' as the following extract sufficiently proves:
'Most of the foot were lodged about the church or churchyard; and order given to ring bells next morning for a sermon to be preached by Mr。 Welch。 Maxwell of Morith; and Major M'Cullough invited me to heare 〃that phanatick sermon〃 (for soe they merrilie called it)。 They said that preaching might prove an effectual meane to turne me; which they heartilie wished。 I answered to them that I was under guards; and that if they intended to heare that sermon; it was probable I might likewise; for it was not like my guards wold goe to church and leave me alone at my lodgeings。 Bot to what they said of my conversion; I said it wold be hard to turne a Turner。 Bot because I founde them in a merrie humour; I said; if I did not come to heare Mr。 Welch preach; then they might fine me in fortie shillings Scots; which was double the suome of what I had exacted from the phanatics。' (4)
This took place at Ochiltree; on the 22nd day of the month。 The following is recounted by this personage with malicious glee; and certainly; if authentic; it is a sad proof of how chaff is mixed with wheat; and how ignorant; almost impious; persons were engaged in this movement; nevertheless we give it; for we wish to present with impartiality all the alleged facts to the reader:
'Towards the evening Mr。 Robinsone and Mr。 Crukshank gaue me a visite; I called for some ale purposelie to heare one of them blesse it。 It fell Mr。 Robinsone to seeke the blessing; who said one of the most bombastick graces that ever I heard in my life。 He summoned God Allmightie very imperiouslie to be their secondarie (for that was his language)。 〃And if;〃 said he; 〃thou wilt not be our Secondarie; we will not fight for thee at all; for it is not our cause bot thy cause; and if thou wilt not fight for our cause and thy oune cause; then we are not obliged to fight for it。 They say;〃 said he; 〃that Dukes; Earles; and Lords are coming with the King's General against us; bot they shall be nothing bot a threshing to us。〃 This grace did more fullie satisfie me of the folly and injustice of their cause; then the ale did quench my thirst。' (5)
Frequently the rebels made a halt near some roadside alehouse; or in some convenient park; where Colonel Wallace; who had now taken the command; would review the horse and foot; during which time Turner was sent either into the alehouse or round the shoulder of the hill; to prevent him from seeing the disorders which were likely to arise。 He was; at last; on the 25th day of the month; between Douglas and Lanark; permitted to behold their evolutions。 'I found their horse did consist of four hundreth and fortie; and the foot of five hundreth and upwards。 。 。 。 The horsemen were armed for most part with suord and pistoll; some onlie with suord。 The foot with musket; pike; sith (scythe); forke; and suord; and some with suords great and long。' He admired much the proficiency of their cavalry; and marvelled how they had attained to it in so short a time。 (6)
At Douglas; which they had just left on the morning of this great wapinshaw; they were charged … awful picture of depravity! … with the theft of a silver spoon and a nightgown。 Could it be expected that while the whole country swarmed with robbers of every description; such a rare opportunity for plunder should be lost by rogues … that among a thousand men; even though fighting for religion; there should not be one Achan in the camp? At Lanark a declaration was drawn up and signed by the chief rebels。 In it occurs the following:
'The just sense whereof ' … the sufferings of the country … 'made us choose; rather to betake ourselves to the fields for self…defence; than to stay at home; burdened daily with the calamities of others; and tortured with the fears of our own approaching misery。' (7)
The whole body; too; swore the Covenant; to which ceremony the epitaph at the head of this chapter seems to refer。
A report that Dalzell was approaching drove them from Lanark to Bathgate; where; on the evening of Monday the 26th; the wearied army stopped。 But at twelve o'clock the cry; which served them for a trumpet; of 'Horse! horse!' and 'Mount the prisoner!' resounded through the night…shrouded town; and called the peasants from their well…earned rest to toil onwards in their march。 The wind howled fiercely over the moorland; a close; thick; wetting rain descended。 Chilled to the bone; worn out with long fatigue; sinking to the knees in mire; onward they marched to destruction。 One by one the weary peasants fell off from their ranks to sleep; and die in the rain…soaked moor; or to seek some house by the wayside wherein to hide till daybreak。 One by one at first; then in gradually increasing numbers; at every shelter that was seen; whole troops left the waning squadrons; and rushed to hide themselves from the ferocity of the tempest。 To right and left nought could be descried but the broad expanse of the moor; and the figures of their fellow…rebels; seen dimly through the murky night; plodding onwards through the sinking moss。 Those who kept together … a miserable few … often halted to rest themselves; and to allow their lagging comrades to overtake them。 Then onward they went again; still hoping for assistance; reinforcement; and supplies; onward again; through the wind; and the rain; and the darkness … onward to their defeat at Pentland; and their scaffold at Edinburgh。 It was calculated that they lost one half of their army on that disastrous night…march。
Next night they reached the village of Colinton; four miles from Edinburgh; where they halted for the last time。 (8)
(1) A CLOUD OF WITNESSES; p。 376。 (2) Wodrow; pp。 19; 20。 (3) A HIND LET LOOSE; p。 123。 (4) Turner; p。 163。 (5) Turner; p。 198。 (6) IBID。 p。 167。 (7) Wodrow; p。 29。 (8) Turner; Wodrow; and CHURCH HISTORY by James Kirkton; an outed minister of the period。
THE PENTLAND RISING CHAPTER IV … RULLIO