marched
about through the country in December 1678 to May 1679. In April 1679
two soldiers were murdered while in bed; next day John Graham of
Claverhouse, who had served under the Prince of Orange with credit, and
now comes upon the scene, reported that Welsh was organising an armed
rebellion, and that the peasants were seizing the weapons of the militia.
Balfour of Kinloch (Burley) and Robert Hamilton, a laird in Fife, were
the leaders of that extreme sect which was feared as much by the indulged
preachers as by the curates, and, on May 2, 1679, Balfour, with Hackstoun
of Rathillet (who merely looked on), and other pious desperadoes, passed
half an hour in clumsily hacking Sharp to death, in the presence of his
daughter, at Magus Moor near St Andrews.

The slayers, says one of them, thanked the Lord "for leading them by His
Holy Spirit in every step they stepped in that matter," and it is obvious
that mere argument was unavailing with gentlemen who cherished such
opinions. In the portraits of Sharp we see a face of refined goodness
which makes the physiognomist distrust his art. From very early times
Cromwell had styled Sharp "Sharp of that ilk." He was subtle, he had no
fanaticism, he warned his brethren in 1660 of the impossibility of
restoring their old authority and discipline. But when he accepted an
archbishopric he sold his honour; his servility to Charles and Lauderdale
was disgusting; fear made him cruel; his conduct at Mitchell's last trial
is, at best, ambiguous; and the hatred in which he was held is proved by
the falsehoods which his enemies told about his private life and his
sorceries.

The murderers crossed the country, joined the armed fanatics of the west,
under Robert Hamilton, and on Restoration Day (May 29) burned Acts of the
Government at Rutherglen. Claverhouse rode out of Glasgow with a small
force, to inquire into this proceeding; met the armed insurgents in a
strong position defended by marshes and small lochs; sent to Lord Ross at
Glasgow for reinforcements which did not arrive; and has himself told how
he was defeated, pursued, and driven back into Glasgow. "This may be
accounted the beginning of the rebellion in my opinion."

Hamilton shot with his own hand one of the prisoners, and reckoned the
sparing of the others "one of our first steppings aside." Men so
conscientious as Hamilton were rare in his party, which was ruined
presently by its own distracted counsels.

The forces