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CHAPTER V.

Sanquhar Declaration-Argyle.

IN the midst of the turmoils and distresses of Scotland, and when the tide of oppression in that land had risen to a fearful height, when the Covenanters, expelled from their homes, were driven to hide in dens and in caves of the earth, to wander naked and starving in the sterile or remote parts of the country, skulking in woods, or among mosses, or on the hills, without any certain dwelling-place, exposed to every extremity of climate, in the depth of winter as well as in the heat of summer; when they made the heather their bed, and the rock their pillow, and their only covering the canopy of heaven; when, debarred from the charities of life, their presence was deemed pestilential, and their nearest relatives dared not exchange an expression of kindness with them but at the peril of their lives,"when things were come to this pass, the prime mover of all the mischief was suddenly removed from the world. He who "cuts off the spirit of princes, and is terrible to the kings of the earth," cut off Charles the Second in the midst of his days,

of his age.

9

in the 54th year This tyrant was torn from the throne of Britain, and that not without the dark suspicions of foul play. "Worthless as a

man," says Aikman, " Charles was detestable as a sovereign. His private character was unadorned by any active virtue, and his public conduct possessed not even the wretched relief of splendid crime. Beneath a plausible exterior, he was selfish, unfeeling, faithless, cruel, and revengeful. The good nature for which he was praised, evaporated among parasites and prostitutes, and his good-breeding was admirably adapted for the associates of his pleasures. When irritated, he could be rude, insulting, and vulgar. When facetious, he was not unfrequently blasphemous or obscene. He neither patronised learning nor encouraged the arts, nor is his name associated in the annals of Britain with any useful or ornamental institution. For his government of Scotland it would be difficult to find a parallel, except in the worst reigns of the worst of the Cesars. It was one continued act of revolting, flagitious tyranny; unprincipled and unsparing in its rapacity, insulting and more than usually barbarous in its bloodshed; whose delight was to torture and to punish after it had reviled and pillaged its victims."

This infamous tyrant himself swore to observe the covenants, and came voluntarily under the same obligations with that portion of his subjects, whom, on account of their honest and loyal adherence to these very obligations, he, for the space of nearly five-and-twenty years, persecuted with relentless vigour.

The death of Charles made room for his brother James, Duke of York, to step into the throne.

James was a man of even a worse character than Charles. He was an avowed and bigoted Papist, whose intention it was to saddle the nation once more with Popery, and all its attendant evils, and to follow the steps of his deceased brother, in prosecuting the same profligate invasion on the religion, the liberties, and the lives of his subjects. It was not to be expected that the men who had emitted the Apologetic Declaration would sit down tamely under the assumption of the government, by one so obnoxious as the Duke of York, and so keen a persecutor. The same reasons which existed for their disowning Charles, existed for disowning James. On the accession of the latter to the throne, Mr Renwick, at the request of the united societies, drew up a Declaration, embodying their rejection of a second tyrant. "Mr Renwick," says Mr Shields, "could not let go this opportunity of witnessing against the usurpation, by a Papist, of the government of the nation, and his design of overthrowing the covenanted work of reformation, and introducing Popery. Accordingly, he, and about 200 men, went to Sanquhar on the 28th of May 1685, and published the Declaration, afterwards called the Sanquhar Declaration."

It may not, perhaps, be uninteresting, to give here the tradition respecting the circumstances which immediately preceded this Declaration.

Shortly after the accession of James, a conventicle was kept by Mr Renwick in a remote part of the wilderness. After the day's work was concluded, a meeting was held on the spot, for the purpose of deliberating on what, in the present posture of affairs, was best to be done. After much

consultation, it was agreed that a declaration of their principles should be published on an early day. They were convinced that no redress of their grievances was to be obtained, they saw that they could not rectify matters for themselves, and that the only thing left for them to do, was to testify publicly and strongly against the evils complained of. The drawing up of the manifesto was committed to Mr Renwick. Having arranged all the preliminary matters, and appointed another meeting on a given day, in a secret place among the hills to the north of Sanquhar, the assembly dispersed, every one being enjoined to observe the strictest secrecy. It was not an easy matter, however, to secure the secrecy necessary in such cases; for it was not possible to hold any meeting, even in the remotest solitudes, without the intrusion of spies and informers, who appeared among them as wolves in sheep's clothing, and who, by goodly words and fair speeches, insinuated themselves into the good graces of the simple-minded people, who, practising no deceit themselves, were not so ready to suspect others. The appointed day of meeting at length arrived. Mr Renwick was accompanied with a few faithful friends, one of whom, named Laing, a steady adherent to the cause, lived in Blagannach, not far from the appointed place of meeting. Blagannach is situated in the midst of the mountains, about half way between Sanquhar and Muirkirk, and near Hyndbottom, the lonely scene of a great conventiele held on one occasion by Cameron. The locality affords a specimen of one of the most perfect solitudes in the south Highlands, and in former times, when the country was more thickly

wooded, must have been a very eligible retreat in days of peril.

When a goodly number of the people had congregated, and were silently waiting till the services should commence, a man on horseback was descried in the distance, advancing with all the speed that the ruggedness of the ground would permit. The deep murmuring of voices was heard throughout the congregation, like the low muttering of remote thunder. It was obvious to every one that the horseman was the bearer of important tidings. This was indicated by his hurried and impatient movements. Every heart throbbed with solicitude, and the anxiety of the moment was intense. At length the approach of the messenger put an end to suspense. "Ye are betrayed, my friends," vociferated he; "ye are betrayed, and the enemy is approaching." This was indeed the case. A traitor had found his way into the camp at the former meeting, and he had informed the soldiers. This informer is said to have been a man of the name of Sandilands from Crawfordjohn, and he had been seen in company with the commander of the dragoons on the preceding evening. This infamous character was in the pay of the enemy, and he exerted himself in every way to gain the good opinion of his employers, and to retain his lucrative situation.

This information spread consternation throughout the meeting, and it was resolved instantly to abandon the spot, and to retire to a still more secluded place among the mountains; and the moss of Blagannach was fixed on as the place of retreat. The tent, under the awning of which Mr Renwick

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