hey had entered. That night the
whole party was reassembled in Mrs. Black's residence in Candlemaker
Row, where, over a supper "o' parritch an' soor mulk," Andrew Black
heard from Jock Bruce all about the Declaration of Rutherglen, and the
defeat of Claverhouse by the Covenanters at Drumclog.

"The thundercloods are gatherin'," said Black with a grave shake of the
head, as the party broke up and were about to separate for the night.
"Tak' my word for 't, we'll hear mair o' this afore lang."

We need scarcely add that on this occasion Andrew was a true prophet.

CHAPTER EIGHT.

BOTHWELL BRIDGE.

Matters had now come to such a pass that it was no longer possible to
defer the evil day of civil war.

Persecuted inhumanly and beyond endurance, with every natural avenue of
redress closed, and flushed with recent victory, the Covenanters
resolved not only to hold together for defensive purposes, but to take
the initiative, push their advantage, and fight for civil and religious
liberty. It was the old, old fight, which has convulsed the world
probably since the days of Eden--the uprising of the persecuted many
against the tyrannical few. In the confusions of a sin-stricken world,
the conditions have been occasionally and partially reversed; but, for
the most part, history's record tells of the abuse of power on the part
of the few who possess it, and the resulting consequence that:--

"Man's inhumanity to man
Makes countless thousands mourn--"

Until the down-trodden have turned at bay, and, like the French in 1793,
have taken fearful vengeance, or, as in the case of the Covenanters at
the time of which we write, have reaped only disaster and profounder
woe.

There were, however, two elements of weakness among the Covenanters in
1679 which rendered all their efforts vain, despite the righteousness of
their cause. One was that they were an undisciplined body, without
appointed and experienced officers; while their leader, Robert Hamilton,
was utterly unfitted by nature as well as training for a military
command. The other weakness was, that the unhappy differences of
opinion among them as to lines of duty, to which we have before
referred, became more and more embittered, instead of being subordinated
to the stern necessities of the hour.

The earnest men of God amongst them could no doubt have brought things
to a better state in this crisis if their counsels had prevailed, but
the men whose powers of endu