Lay Morals, and Other PapersStevenson, Robert Louis
Philosophy
Lay Morals, and Other Papers
Stevenson, Robert Louis
Essays; Short stories
_Back of stone_:
A Cloud of Witnesses lyes here,
Who for Christ’s Interest did appear,
For to restore true Liberty,
O’erturnèd then by tyranny.
And by proud Prelats who did Rage
Against the Lord’s Own heritage.
They sacrificed were for the laws
Of Christ their king, his noble cause.
These heroes fought with great renown;
By falling got the Martyr’s crown. {103}
CHAPTER V—A RECORD OF BLOOD
‘They cut his hands ere he was dead,
And after that struck of his head.
His blood under the altar cries
For vengeance on Christ’s enemies.’
_Epitaph on Tomb at Longcross of Clermont_. {104}
Master Andrew Murray, an outed minister, residing in the Potterrow, on
the morning after the defeat, heard the sounds of cheering and the march
of many feet beneath his window. He gazed out. With colours flying, and
with music sounding, Dalzell, victorious, entered Edinburgh. But his
banners were dyed in blood, and a band of prisoners were marched within
his ranks. The old man knew it all. That martial and triumphant strain
was the death-knell of his friends and of their cause, the rust-hued
spots upon the flags were the tokens of their courage and their death,
and the prisoners were the miserable remnant spared from death in battle
to die upon the scaffold. Poor old man! he had outlived all joy. Had he
lived longer he would have seen increasing torment and increasing woe; he
would have seen the clouds, then but gathering in mist, cast a more than
midnight darkness over his native hills, and have fallen a victim to
those bloody persecutions which, later, sent their red memorials to the
sea by many a burn. By a merciful Providence all this was spared to
him—he fell beneath the first blow; and ere four days had passed since
Rullion Green, the aged minister of God was gathered to is fathers.
{105a}
When Sharpe first heard of the rebellion, he applied to Sir Alexander
Ramsay, the Provost, for soldiers to guard his house. Disliking their
occupation, the soldiers gave him an ugly time of it. All the night
through they kept up a continuous series of ‘alarms and incursions,’
‘cries of “Stand!” “Give fire!”’ etc., which forced the prelate to flee
to the Castle in the morning, hoping there to find the rest which was
denied him at home. {105b} Now, however, when all danger to himself was
past, Sharpe came out in his true colours, and scant was the justice
likely to be shown to the foes of Scottish Episcopacy when the Primate
was by. The prisoners were lodged in Haddo’s Hole, a part of St. Giles’
Cathedral, where, by the kindness of Bishop Wishart, to his credit be it
spoken, they were amply supplied with food. {105c}
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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