Lays of the Scottish Cavaliers and Other PoemsAytoun, William Edmondstoune
History
Lays of the Scottish Cavaliers and Other Poems
Aytoun, William Edmondstoune
Scotland -- History -- Poetry
"_For seven long years thou hast not dared
To look him in the face_,"--p. 39.
"The Lord Lorn and his new lady were also sitting on a balcony, joyful
spectators; and the cart being stopped when it came before the lodging
where the Chancellor, Argyle, and Warristoun sat--that they might have
time to insult--he, suspecting the business, turned his face towards
them, whereupon they presently crept in at the windows; which being
perceived by an Englishman, he cried up, it was no wonder they started
aside at his look, for they durst not look him in the face these seven
years bygone."--_Wigton Papers_.
"_With savage glee came Warristoun,
To read the murderous doom_,"--p. 40.
Archibald Johnston of Warristoun. This man, who was the inveterate enemy
of Montrose, and who carried the most selfish spirit into every intrigue
of his party, received the punishment of his treasons about eleven years
afterwards. It may be instructive to learn how he met his doom. The
following extract is from the MSS. of Sir George Mackenzie:--"The
Chancellor and others waited to examine him; he fell upon his face,
roaring, and with tears entreated they would pity a poor creature who
had forgot all that was in the Bible. This moved all the spectators with
a deep melancholy; and the Chancellor, reflecting upon the man's great
parts, former esteem, and the great share he had in all the late
revolutions, could not deny some tears to the frailty of silly mankind.
At his examination, he pretended he had lost so much blood by the
unskilfulness of his chirurgeons, that he lost his memory with his
blood; and I really believe that his courage had been drawn out with it.
Within a few days he was brought before the parliament, where he
discovered nothing but much weakness, running up and down upon his
knees, begging mercy; but the parliament ordained his former sentence to
be put to execution, and accordingly he was executed at the Cross of
Edinburgh."
"_And God who made shall gather them:
I go from you to Him_!"--p. 41.
"He said he was much beholden to the parliament for the honour they had
put on him; 'for,' says he, 'I think it a greater honour to have my head
standing on the port of this town, for this quarrel, than to have my
picture in the king's bedchamber. I am beholden to you that, lest my
loyalty should be forgotten, ye have appointed five of your most eminent
towns to bear witness of it to posterity.'"--_Wigton Papers_.
"_He is coming! he is coming!
Like a bridegroom from his room_,"--p. 42.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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