Domestic annals of Scotland : $b from the revolution to the rebellion of 1745Chambers, Robert
History
Domestic annals of Scotland : $b from the revolution to the rebellion of 1745
Chambers, Robert
Scotland -- History -- 1689-1745
There is then the usual ostentatious funeral—a large company assembled—a
table of deals erected in the hall for their entertainment at dinner
_before_ the obsequies—the surviving brother, Sir Patrick, ostensibly
master of the house, and his wife keeping state in it, but the widow and
her boy cherishing their own purpose in some bye-place. When the
company, duly refreshed, had departed with the corpse to Coldingham
kirkyard, excepting a small armed guard left in the dining-room, Lady
Renton, as she chose to call herself, came forth from her concealment,
with sundry supporters, and desired her sister-in-law, Lady Patrick
Home, to quit the chamber of dais, and give place to her. Lady Patrick
refusing to go, the other lady threatened, with most opprobrious
language, to turn her out by violence; and for this purpose caused Mr
John Frank, advocate, and a few other friends, to be called back from
the funeral. Lady Patrick was, however, a full match for the widow. She
reviled her and her friends, ‘calling them villains, rascals, footmen,
and vowing she would let them know [that] nobody had a right to the
house but her Pate; and [if we are to believe the opposite party] she
dreadfully over and over again cursed and swore with clapping of hands,
that she would not stir off her bottom (having settled herself upon the
resting-chyre) [Sidenote: 1698.] until the pretended lady and her brats
were turned out of doors; railing and reproaching the [Lady Renton],
calling her a disgrace to the family, and otherwise abusing her by most
injurious and opprobrious language, and vowed and swore, if once her
Pate were come from the burial, she would sit and see the [pretended
lady] and her children, and all that belonged to her, turned down
stairs, and packed to the yetts.’ She then called in the guard from the
dining-room, and incited them to turn her sister-in-law out of the
house; which they declining to do, she broke out upon them as cowardly
rascals that did not know their duty. She and her women, she said, had
more courage than they. They at least protected her, however, from being
turned out of the house by Lady Renton, which otherwise might have been
her fate.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account