HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Seaforth News, 1939-03-23, Page 6PAGE SIX
THE SEAFORTH NEWS
THURSDAY, MARCH 23, 1939
Legend
Such as do build their faith upon
The holy text of pike and grin,
Decide all controversies by
Infallible artillery,
And prove their doctrine orthodox,
By apostolic plows and knocks.
Battler.
It was daring the period of that
great and bloody Civil War which ag-
itated Britain during the seventeenth
century, that our tale has its com-
mencement: Scotland had as yet re-
mained free from the ravages of int-
estine war, although its inhabitants
were mach divided in political opin-
ions; and many pf then tired of the
control of the Estates of Parliament,
and disapproving of the bold measure
which they had adopted, by sending
into England a large army to the as-
sistance of the Parliament, were de-
termined on their part to embrace
the earliest opportunity of declaring
for tite Iiia„ and staking such a div-
ersion as shonld at least compel the
recall of General Leslie's army out of
England. if it dict not recover a great
part of Scotland to the King's allegi-
ance. "Phis -plan Ives chiefly adopted
by the northern nobility, who had re-
sieted ,vith great obstinacy the adop-
tion of the Solemn League and Cove-
nant, and by many of the chiefs of
the Highland clans, who conceived
their interest and authority to be
connected with royalty, who had, be-
sides, a decided aversion to the Pres-
byterian form of religion, and who,
finally were in that half -savage state
of society, in which war is always
more welcome titan peace.
Great camntotiont were generally
expected to arise from these concur-
rent causes; and the trade of incur-
sion and depredation, which the Scot-
tish Highlanders at all times exercis-
ed upon the Lowlands began to as-
sume a' more steady, avowed, and
systematic forst, as part of „a general
military system.
Those at the head of affairs were
not insensible to the peril of the mo-
ment, and anxiously made prepara-
tions to meet and to repel it. They
considered, however, with satisfac-
tion, that no leader or name of conse-
quence had as yet appeared to as-
semble an army of royalists, or even
to direct the efforts of those desult-
ory bands, whom love of plunder,
perhaps, as much as political prin-
ciple, had hurried into measures of
hostility. It was generally hoped that
the quartering a sufficient number of
troops in the Lowlands adjacent to
the the Highland line, would have
the effect of restraining the mountain
chieftains; while the power of various
barons in the north, who had espous-
ed the covenant, as, for example, the
Earl Mareschal, the great families •czf
Forbes, Leslie, and Irvine, the
Grants, and other Presbyterian clans,
might counterbalance and bridle not
only the strength of the Ogilvies and
other cavaliers of Angus and Kincar-
dine, but even the potent family of
the 'Gordons, 'whose extensive author-
ity was only equaled by their extreme
dislike of the 'Presbyterian model,
In the West Highlands the ruling
party numbered many enemies; but
the power 'of these disaffected clans
was supposed to be broken, and the
spirit of their .chieftains intimidated,
by the predominating influence of the
Margins of Argyle, upon whom the
confidence of the Convention of Est-
ates was reposed with the utmost se-
curity; and whose power in the
Highlands, already exorbitant, lead
been still further increaser] by conces-.
^cions 'extorted from the King at the
last pacification. It was indeed well
,known that Argyle was `a man rather
of political enterprise than personal
courage, and better calculated to man-
age an intrigue of state, than to con-
trol the tribes of hostile mountain-
eers; yet the numbers of his clan, and
the spirit of the ,gallant gentlemen by
whom it was led, might, it was sup-
posed, atone for the personal deficien-
cies of their chief, and as the Camp-
bells had already severely humbled
several of the neighboring tribes, it
was supposed these would not readily
again provoke an encounter with a
body so powerful.
Thus having at their command the
whole west and south of Scotland, in-
disputably the richest part of the
kingdom,—Pifestire being in a pecu-
liar manner their can, and possess-
ing many and powerful friends even
north of the Forth and Tay,—bhe
Scottish Convention of Estates saw
no danger sufficient to induce then
to alter the line of policy they 'had
adopted, or to recall from the assist;
ance of their brethren of the English
Parliament tlittt auxiliary army of
twenty thousand men, by means of
which accession of strength, the
Kith's party had been reduced to the
defensive, when in full career of tri-
umph and success.
The causes which moved the. Con-
vention of Estates at this time to take
such an immediate and active interest
in the civil war of England are de-
tailed by our historians, but may be
here shortly recapitulated. They had
indeed no new injury or aggression
to complain of at the hand of the
King., and the peace which had been
made between Charles and Itis sub-
jects of Scotland had been .carefully
observed; but the Scottish ruler`s
'were well aware that this peace had
been extorted from the King, as well
by the influence of the parliamentary
party in England, as by the terror of
their awn arms. It is true, King
Charles had since then visited the
capital of his ancient kingdom, had
assented to the new organization of
the church, and had distributed hon-
ors and rewards among the leaders
of the party which had shown them-
selves most hostile to his interests;
but it was suspected that distinctions
so unwillingly conferred would be re-
sumed as soon as opportunity offered.
The low state of the English Parlia-
ment was seen in Scotland with deep
apprehension; and it was concluded,
that should Charles triumph by force
of arms against his insurgent sub-
jects of England, he would not be
long in exacting froth the Scots the
vengeance which he might suppose
due to those who had set the example
of taking up arms against him. Such
was the policy of the measure which
dictated the sending the auxiliary
army into England; and it'was avow-
ed in a manifesto explanatory of their
reasons for giving this timely and
important aid to the English Parlia-
ment. The English Parliament, they
said, had been already friendly to
them, and might be, again; whereas
the King, although he had so lately
established religion among then ac-
cording to their desires, had given
them no ground to confide in his roy-
al declaration, seeing they had found
his promises and actions inconsistent
with each other. "'Our conscience,"
they concluded, "and God, who is
greater than our conscience, beareth
us record, that we aim altogether at
the glory of God, peace of both na-
tione, and honor of the King, in sup-
pressing and punishing, in a legal
way, those who are the tenublers of
Israel, the firebrands of hell, the Ko-
ran, the Balsams, the Doegs, the
Rabshakelts, the Hamans, the Tobi -
ahs, the Sanballats of our time;
which done, we are satisfied Neither
have we 'be:gun to use a military ex-
pedition to. England as a means for
compassing those 'our pious ends, un-
til all other means which we could
think upon have failed us: and this
alone is left to us, ultimunt et uni-
cum remedium, the last and only
remedy."
Leaving it to casuists to determine
whether one :contracting party is just-
ified in breaking a solemn treaty,
upon the suspicion that, in certain fu-
ture contingencies, it might be in-
fringed by the other, we shall'proceed
to mention two other circumstances
that had at least equal influence with
the Scottish rulers and nation, with
any doubts •which they entertained
of the King's good faith.
The "first of these was the nature
and oondition of ;their army; headed"
by a poor and discontented nobility,
under whom 'itwas officered 'chiefly
by. Scottish soldiers of ,fortune, who
had served in the German were, until'
they ,had lost ,almost all 'distinction of
political principle, and even, of ,coun-
try,' in
coun-try,'in the adoption of the mercenary
faith, that a soldier's principal duty
was fidelity to the state or sovereign
from winch he received his pay, •with
out respect either to She justice of
the quarrel, or to their own connec-
tion with either of the 'contending
parties. 'T men en of this ii -
s stn tip, Grot
ius applies the severe character—INul-
lunt vitce genus est improbius, quem
eorum, qui sine. causoe respectu mer -
cede conducti, m'ili'tant. To these mer-
cenary , oldiers, as well as to the
needy gentry with whom they were
mixed in command, and who easily
imbibed the same opinions the stir
cess of the late short invasion of Eng-
land in 11(411I was a sufficient reason
for renewing so profitable an experi-
ment. The good pay and ,free quart-
ers of England had made a fieeling
impression uipon the recollectiot
these military adventurers, and the
prospect of again levying eight hund-
red and fifty pounds a day, came in
place of all arguments, whether of
state or morality. •
Another cause inflamed the minds
of the nation at large, no less than
the tempting prospect of the wealth
of England animated the soldiery. So
much had been written and said on
either side concerning !tate 'form of
church governnient, that it had •be-
come.a matter of infinitely snore con-
sequence in the eyes of the multitude
than the doctrine of that gospel
which both churches had embraced,
It was in vain remarked to these zeal-
ots, that had the Author of our holy
religion 'considered any peculiar form
of church government as essential to
salvation, it would have been revealed
with the same precision as under the
Old Testament dispensation. Both
parties continued as violent as if they
could have pleaded the distinct com-
mands of Heaven to 'justify their in-
tolerance. Laud, in the days of his
domination, had fired the train, 'by at-
tempting to impose upon the Scottish
people church ceremonies foreign to
their habits and opinions. The success
with which this had 'been resisted,
and the Presbyterian model substi-
tuted in its place, had endeared the
latter to the nation, as the cause in.
which they had triumphed. The Sol-
emn League and Covenant, adopted
with such zeal by the greater part of
the kingdom, and by them forced, at
the sword's point, upon the others,
bore in its bosons, as its principal ab-
ject, the establishing the doctrine and
discipline of the Presbyterian church,
and the putting down all error and
heresy; and having attained for their
own country, an establishment of this
golden candlestick, the Scots became
liberally and fraternally . anxious to
erect the same in England. This they
conceived might be easily attained by
lending to the Parliament the effect-
ual assistance of the Scottish forces,
The Presbyterians, a numerous and
powerful party in the English Parlia-
ment, had hitherto taken the lead in
apposition to the King; while the In-
dependents and other 'sectaries who
afterward, under Cromwell, . resumed
the power of the sword, and •averset
the 'Presbyterian model both in Scot-
land and England, were as yet con-
tented to lurk under the shelter of
the wealthier and more powerful
party. The prospect of bringing to a
uniformity the kingdoms of England
and Scotland in discipline and wor-
ship, seemedtherefore as fair as it
was desirable.
The celebrated Sir Henry Vane,
one of the commissioners who nego-
tiated the alliance betwixt England
and Scotland, saw the inhluence which
this bait had upon the spirits of
those with whom •he dealt; and al-
though himself a violent Independent,
he contrived at once to gratify and to
'elude the eager desires of the Presby-
terians, by qualifying the obligation
to reform the Chinch of England, as
a change to be executed "according to
the word of God, and the best re-
formed churches." Deceived by their
own eagerness. themselves entertain-
ing no doubts on the Jus Divisum of
their own ecclesiastical establish-
ments, and not holding it 'possible
ssch doubts could be adapted by
others, the Convention of Estates and
the Kirk of Scotland 'conceived that
such expressions necessarily inferred
the establishment of Presbytery nor
were they undeceived, until, when
their help was no longer needful, the
secretaries gave 'them to understated,
that the phrase might as well be ap-
plied to Independency, or any other
made of worship, which those who
were at the head of affairs at the
time might consider es agreeable "to
the word of God, and 'the practice of
the reformed churches.",Neither were
the out -witted Scottish less astonish-
ed to find, that the designs of the
English sectaries struck against the
monarchial constitution of Britain,
it 'having 'been their intention, to -re-
duce the eyes of the Xing, but by
no means ao abnegate the office,
They fared, however, in this respect,
like rash physicians, who commence
by over-physickin'g a patient, until he
is reduced to; a state of weakness,
from which cordials areafterward
unable to recover him:
Bet these events were still in the
womb Of futurity. At yet the Scottish
Parliament held their engagement
with England consistent with justice,
prudence, and piety, 'and their milit-
ary undertaking seemed to succeed to
their• very wish. The 'junction of the
Scottish army with those of Fairfax
and Fjanchester, enabled the Parlia-
mentary forces to 'besiege York, and
to .fight the desperate action of Long -
Marston Moor, in which Prince Rup-
ert and
up-ert-and the Marquis 'of .Newcastle
were defeated. The Scottish' auxili-
aries, indeed, had less of the glory 'af
tie victory than . their countrymen
could desire, David Leslie, with their
cavalary, fowght bravely, and to
them, as, well as to 'Cr•oinwell's 'bri-
gade of Lndependents, the honor of
the day 'belonged; but the old Earl of
Leven, the covenanting general, was
driven out of the field by the impetu-
ous charge of Prince Rupert, and was
thirty miles distant, in full flight tow-
ard Scotland, when he was overtaken
by the' news that his party had gain-
ed a complete victory.
The absence of these auxiliary
troops, upon this crusade for the est-
a'blishrnent •of Presbyterianism in
England, had considerably diminished
the power of the Convention of Est-
ates in Scotland, and had given rise to•
those agitations among the anti- cov-
enanters, which we have noticed at
the beginning of this chapter.
CHAPTER 2'
His mother could for Him as cradle
set
Her husband's rusty iron corselet;
'Whose jingling sound could hash her
babe to rest,
That never plain'd of his uneasy nest;
Then did he dream of dreary wars at
'hand,
And woke, and fought, and won, ere
he' could stand.
Hall's
Satires.
It was toward the close of a sunt-
mer's everting, dtiriu'g the anxious
period which we have commemorated,
that a young gentleman of quality,.
well mounted and armed, and accom-
panied by two servants, one of whoa
led a sutppter-horse„rode slowly up
one of those steep passes '-by which
the Highlands are accessible front the
Lowlands of Perthshire. (The beauti-
ful pass of Leny, near Callander, in
Menteith, would, in some respects,
answer the 'description.) Their course
had lain for some time along the
banks of a lake, whose deep waters
reflected the crimson beams of the
western sun. The broken path which
they pursttcd, with some difficulty,
was in others overhung by fragments
of huge rock. Elsewhere, the hill,
which formed the northern side of
this 'beautiful sheet of 'water, arose in
steep, 'but less precipitous acclivity,
and was arrayed in heath of the dark-
est purple. In the present times, a
scene so romantic would have been
judged 'to possess the highest
•charms for the traveler; but those
who 'journey in days of doubt and
dread pay little atteittion to pictur-
esque scenery.
The master kept, as often as the
wood permitted, abreast of one or
both of his domestics, and seemed
earnestly to converse with theta, pro-
bably 'because of the distinctions of
rank are readily set aside among
those who are made to be sharers of
common danger. The disposition of
the leading men who inhabited this
wild country, and the probability of
their taking part in the political 'con-
vulsions that were soon expected,
were the subjects of their conver-
sation.
They had not advanced above half-
way up the lake, and the young gen-
tleman was ,pointing to his attendants
the spot where their intended road
turned northward, and, leaving the
verge of' the loch, ascended a ravine
to the right 'hand, when they discov-
ered a single horseman coming clown
the shore as if to meet them. The
gleam of the sunbeams upon his head
piece and corselet showed that he
'was in armor, and the purpose of the
other travelers required that he
should not pass unquestioned. "We
must know who he is,” said the
young ;gentleman,. ''and whither he is
going," And 'putting spurs to his
horse, he rode forward as ,fast as :.the
rugged state of the road, would per-
mit, followed by his two attendants,
until he reached the point where the
pass along the side of the lakeas
intersected by that which descended
front the ravine, securing thus against
the possibility of the s'traatger eluding
them by turning into the latter road
before they carne up with hint.
The single horseman had mended
Itis pace when he first observed the
three riders advance rapidly toward
him; but when he saw 'them ,halt and
form a front, which completely nec-
upied the path, he checked his horse,
and advanced with great deliberation;
SO that, each party lead an opportu•n-
ity,to take a full survey of the other."
The solitary' s'tranger:. "was amounted
upon an able horse, fit 'far 'military.
service, and ,f'or• the great weight
which he, had to carry, and his rider
occupied his •demi-pique, for •" war -
saddle, with an air' that showed.it' was
Itis familiar seat: He had a height
blemished, head -p'i'ece, with a plume of
feathers, 'together with a cuirass,
thick enough to esist a musket 'ball,',
and a aback -piece 'of lighter material's.
These d'efens'ive arms he wore over a
buff jerkin, along with a pair of
loves the to p s of
�gaustlets, orsteel 'gloves; P
which ,reached up to his elbow, and'
which, like the rest of 'his armor,
were of 'bright steel. At the front of
his military saddle ihiutag a case .of pis-
tols, far beyond the ordinary size,
nearly two 'feet in length, and carry-
ing bullets of twenty to the ,pound. A
bat 'belt, with a broad silver Buckle,'
sustained on one side,a long:straigh't
doubie-ediged , hmoadswo'rd, with 'a
strong :guard, and a blade 'calculated
either to strike or push. On the right
side doing a 'dagger of about eighteen
incites in length; a shoulder -belt -sus-
taiiied at his back a' metsketoon or
bkinderbuss, and was crossed by a
'bandelier containing !tis changes of
ammunition. Thigh -pieces of steel,
then termed taslets, met the tops of
Itis huge jack -boots, and; completed
the equipage of .a. well -armed' trooper
ai the period,,
The appearance ,of the horseman
himself corresponded 'wail with his
military 'egaipage, to which he had
the air of having been long inured,
He was above the middle size, and of
strength sufficient to bear .with ease
the weight of his weapons, offensive
and defensive. His age might be forty
and upward, and Itis countenance was
that of a resolute weather-beaten vet-
eran, who had seen many fields, ,and
brought away in token more than one
scar. At the distance of about thirty
yards he halted and stood fast, raised
himself on his stirrups, as if to rec-
onnoitre 'and ascertain the purpose' of
the opposite party, and brought his
musketoon under his right atom, ready
for Ilse if occasion should require it,
In everything 'but numbers he hail the
advantage of those who seemed in-
clined to interrupt bis passage.
The leader of the party was, in-
deed, well mounted and clad in a huff
coat, richly embroidered, the half -
military dress of the period; but his
domestics had only 'coarse jackets of
thick felt, which could scarce be ex-
pected to turn the edge of a sword, if
wielded by 'a strong ntan; and none
of them had any weapons, save
swords and pistols, withcritt which
gentlemen, or their attendants, during
those disturbed times, seldom stirred
abroad.
When they had stood at gaze• fo
about a minute, the younger gentle-
man gave the challenge- which was
then common in •the mouth of all
strangers who met in such circum-
stances—"For whom are you?"
"Tell me first," answered the . sold-
ier, "for whom are you?—the strong-
est party should speak first,"
"We are for -God and King Char-
les," answered the first speaker.—
'9Now, tell your faction, you '.know
•ours.,,.
"1 am for God and my standard,"
answered the single horseman.
'"And for which standard?" replied
the chief of the other party—"Caval-
ier or Roundhead, King or Conven-
tion?"
"By me troth, sir,"answered the
soldier, "I would be loath to reply to
you an untruth, as a thing"unbecom-
itig,a cavalier of fortune and a sold-
ier. But to answer your query with
'lieseemittg veracity, it is necessary I
should have resolved to whilk of the
present divisions of the kingdom I
shall ultimately adhere, 'being a mat-
ter whereon my mind is not as yet
'preceeseiy ascertained."
"I should have thought," answered
the gentleman, "that when loyalty
anal religion are at stake, no (gentle-
man or than of honor could ,be long in
choosing his party."
"Truly, sir," replied the trooper, "'if
ye speak this in the way of vitupera-
tion, as meaning to impugn my honor'
or genteelity, I 'would blithely put the
sante to issue, venturing that quarrel
with my single person against you
three. But if you speak it in the way
of logical ratiocination, whilk 1 have'
studied in my youth at the Mareschal
College of Aberdeen, 1 'ant ready to
prove to ye logice, that my resolu-
tion to defer, for a certain season the
taking upon me either of these quare
rels, not only becometb me as a gen-
tleman, and a man of honor, 'but also
as a person of sense and 'prudence,
one imbued with 'humane letters in
his early youth, and who, front
thenceforward, has followed the wars
under the banner of . the roll 101)1e
Gestavus,.,th•e 'Lion of"the North, and
'under many other heroic leaders.
PROFESSIONAL CARDS
Medical
SEAFORTH CLINIC,
Dr. E. A, McMaster, M.B., Gradu-
ate of University of Toronto.
J. D. Coiquhoun, M.D.; C.M., Grad-
uate of 'Dalhousie University, "Halifax.
The Clinic is fully equipped with
complete arid modern x-ray'' and other
up -'to -date diagnostic and thereuptic
equipment.
Dr. Margaret K. Campbell, M.D.,
L.A.B.P., in Diseases Specialistt a s in
Infants and Children,
wt ill be athe
Clinic last Thursday in every months
from 3 to '6 p.m,
Dr. F. J. R. Forster, Specialist in
Diseases of the Ear, Eye, ,Nose and
Throat, will be at the Clinic the first
Tuesday in every month from 4 to
6 p.m.
' Free well -baby clinic will be held
on the second . and last Thursday in
every month from 1 to 2 pen.
W. C. SPROAT, M.D., F.A.C.S.
Surgery
Phone 90-W. Office John St., Seaforth
DR. H. HUGH ROSS, Physician
and Surgeon. Late of London Hos-
pital, London, England. Special et.
tension to diseases of the eye, ear,
nose and throat Office and residence
behind Dominion Bank. Office Phone
No. 5; Residence Phone 104.
DR. F. J. B'URR'OWS, Office Main
St., Seaforth, over Dominion Bank,
Hours 2-5 and 7 to 8 p.m. and by ap-
pointment. Residence, Goderich St,
two doors west of United Church,
Phone 416.
DR. F. J. R. FORSTER Eye
Ear, Nose and Throat. Graduate in
Medicine, University of Toronto 1697.
Late Assistant New York Ophthal-
mic and Aural Institute, Moorefield's
Eye, and Golden Square throat hospi-
tals, London, At Commercial Hotel,
Seaforth, third Wednesday in each
month from 1.30 p.m, to 3 p.m.
Auctioneer.
uEORGE ELLIOTT, Licensed
tuctioneer for the Cpunty of Huron,
arrangements can be made for Sale
Date at The Seaforth News, Charges
moderate and satisfaction guaranteed
F. W. AHRENS, Licensed Auction
eer for Perth and Huron Counties.
Saks Solicited. Terms on Application,
Farm Stock, chattels and real estate
property. R. R. No, 4, Mitchell.
Phone 634 r 6. Apply at this office.
WATSON & REID
REAL ESTATE
AND INSURANCE AGENCY
(Successors to James Watson)
idAIN ST., SEAFORTH, ONT.
All kinds of Insurance risks effect-
ed at lowest rates in First -Class
Companies.
THE McKiI,LOP
Mutual Fire Insurance Co
HEAD OFFICE—SEAFORTH, Ont.
OFFICERS
President, Thomas Moylan, Sea-
forth; Vice President, William Knox,
Londesboro; Secretary Treasurer, M
A. Reid, Seaforth.
AGENTS
F. McKercher, R.R.d, Dublin; John
E. Pepper, R.R.1, Brucefieid; E. R. G.
Yarmouth, Brodhagen; James Watt,
Blyth; C. F. Hewitt, Kincardine,
Wm. Yeo; Holmesvilde.
DbRECTORS
Alex. Broadfoot, Seaforth No, 3;
James Sholdice, Walton; Wm. Knox,
Londesboro George • Leonhardt,
Bornholm No, 1; Frank McGregor,
Clinte,n No. 5; James Connolly, 'God_
erich; Alex McEwing, Blyth No. 1;
Thomas Moylan, Seaforth No. 5;
Wnm. R. Archibald, Seaforth No. 4.
Parties desirous to effect insurance
or transact other business, will be
prantptly attended to by applications
to any of the above named officers
addressed to their respective post-
offices.
should be proud if 1 can determine
you in favor of the cause I have my-
self espoused. I ride this evening to a
friend's house, notthree miles distant,
whither, if you choose n accompany
md, you shall ;have good .quarters for
the night, and 'f'ree permission to take
your own road in the morning, if you
then feel' no inclination to join with
lis.,,
After exchanging ,a word or two Whose word aim I to • take for
h mtics, ,n , this?" answered the cautious soldier.:
tlemawitnhis repliedodes, "I •shoulfined beyounger glad,geisir"a man must know his ,guarantee, or
to hawe some conversation with you he may fallinto an ambuscade."
upon so interesting a question, and (To be continued.)