train
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 his fathers.[23]

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.[24] 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.[25]

Some people urged, in the Council, that the promise of quarter which had
been given on the field of battle should protect the lives of the
miserable men. Sir John Gilmoure, the greatest lawyer, gave no
opinion--certainly a suggestive circumstance,--but Lord Lee declared
that this would not interfere with their legal trial; "so to bloody
executions they went."[26] To the number of thirty they were condemned
and executed; while two of them, Hugh M'Kail, a young minister, and
Neilson of Corsack, were tortured with the boots.

The goods of those who perished were confiscated, and their bodies were
dismembered and distributed to different parts of the country; "the
heads of Major M'Culloch and the two Gordons," it was resolved, says
Kirkton, "should be pitched on the gate of Kirkcudbright; the two
Hamiltons and Strong's head should be affi