me that a few years ago, a labourer of his, ploughing in that field, turned up a large stone, which produced a hollow, into which the man fell. This led to some investigation, when a subterranean passage was discovered, extending to about one hundred feet towards the sea, and capacious enough to admit a person on all-fours. It terminated in a circular chamber, which might have contained four persons crowded close together; and here some sheep bones, a few cinders, and a quern (or stone for grinding corn) were found, obviously showing that it had been a place for retreat and concealment in some remote age. The So much for matters of fact. traditions of the Islanders remain to be noticed; and these, vague as they undoubtedly are, are as unquestionably founded in truth. A battle, say they, was fought on the "field of the battle," between the Scandinavians (Lochlannaich) and the Gaels; and during the engagement, the women stood on the shoulder of a neighbouring hill, watching the progress of the engagement; which being disastrous, they wrung their hands, crying" Fà mo dhubhai, fà mo dhubhai," " my cause of mourning, my cause of mourning," or, as we should say, "alas! alas!" From which circumstance the place is called "the shoulder of the cause of mourning (or of lamentation)" to this day. "Narrations like this," as Dr. Johnson justly observes on another occasion, "however uncertain, deserve the notice of a traveller, because they are the only records of a nation which has no historians." That the event was memorable, and, to the last degree, important to the natives themselves, everything conspires to prove; the nomenclature of the neighbourhood, six large cairns, of which I believe but two remain, and the numerous stone coffins (composed, each, of four flat stones) which were discovered in the "field of cairns," twenty or thirty years ago. Lastly, a nursery rhyme may be cited, which no one can explain, though every child in the Island repeats it. It is a mere string of names, the four first being the names of four very small neighbouring islands; and my intelligent informer declared it to be his opinion that it was a traditional list of the most remarkable places connected with the calamitous events which had once befallen the Island. The words are these: ("is or "S" means and.) "Giullamain 's Longai, Is Crolain 's Pabai, Achadh a' chuinn 's Achadh nau carn, The poor people do not seem to be aware that a cairn was a place of interment; on the contrary, one Hugh Ross, famous for his skill in reciting Ossian's poems, assured me very gravely that the Cairn in Fiasag was a prison, in which nine Norwegians had been incarcerated. It can scarcely be doubted, however, that some of the most honourable of the slain were interred there, after the memorable battle above alluded to; and surely, in the absence of authentic records, it is something to be able thus to obtain a glimpse even of annals so remote,remote, geographically as well as historically speaking; nor is it difficult, when the very stones as it were thus speak to one, to fill up the meagre outlines of the tale of lang syne which they supply, with deeds of blood, and the shapes of heroes such as Ossian delighted to celebrate. J. W. B. Brunswick Square, Jan, 14, 1840. The Proclamation of the Regent Murray, on the Murder of Darnley, in 1568, compared with a Tract from the Pen of Buchanan, &c. &c. MR. URBAN, Dec. 5. The somewhat Anglicised copy of the Proclamation of the Regent Murray, in the name of the infant James VI. relative to the murder of that royal minor's father, is rightly described in your Review, Dec. p. 633, as transmuted into an easier style for more convenient and current reading" at the evening meetings of the Society of Antiquaries. In that form it has been printed in the 28th vol. of the Society's Archaeologia, p. 429, Appendix. Owing to an accidental circumstance, I did not see the article until it had been printed off and published, or I should have requested to exchange it for the verbatim copy, by an amanuensis, which I preserved in my portfolio, in case it might ever be wanted for insertion in the Society's Transactions. As far as the historical bearing of this document is concerned, the mistake is not very important; but as a specimen of the broad Scottish idiom, mixed with Gallicisms, in which it is penned, and as bearing strong presumptive internal evidence that the author was no other than the great classical scholar, George Buchanan, the tutor of James VI. and adherent of the Regent, the transmutation is unfortunate; and I am happy to avail myself of your historical depository, for the purpose of perpetuating a literal transcript of so curious an instrument. The original is closely printed in a clear black letter; and, as I have searched various collections in vain for another copy, I have every reason to believe that preserved at Loseley House, where I had access to it, is unique. I subjoin it, without further apology. Repulsive as the dialect may appear, it will repay the antiquary for an attentive perusal. It will form I conceive, a valuable supplemental article to the collections of Anderson,* whose notice it has entirely escaped; a proof of the extreme rarity which I have claimed for it. Ane Proclamatioun set furth by my Lord Regent, in the name of our Souerane Lord, declaring the purpose of thame quha assistit with our Souerane Lordis Mother, &c. For James be the grace of God king of Scottis, to all and sindrie our faithfull and trew liegis to quhais knowlege this our letteris sall cum, greeting. samekle as the occasioun of the present trublis, occurrit within our Realme, is nocht onknawin to you, and quhat wark God has wrocht in tyme bygane, sen the horrible and vnworthie murthour tresonablie perpetrat in the persoun of the King our maist deir father of worthie memorie: The warld may se it, and the posteriteis following will keip it in lesting memorie. That execrable fact, as it is detestable in Goddis sycht, sa aucht all men that outher feiris God or hes respect to the civile societie amangis men, to abhorre, with the personis that still wald manteine the authouris and devysaris of that beistley crueltie, and be the contrair, avance and promote the rychteous querell of us, thair native Prince and lauchfull King, descendit of the rycht lyne of the maist noble and * Collections relating to the History of Mary Queen of Scotland, by James Anderson, Esq. valeant Princes of this Regioun, as a speciall co'fort and favoure sent be the mercy and Providence of Almychtie God, to this afflictit natioun, And howbeit the cruel murtheraris of our maist deir father, thair favouraris and assistaris, efter his murthure, had conspyrit the same coupe for us to taist of: To transferr the Crowne fra the rychteous lyne to sic as lang has bene ambitious thairof: yit that same God, that preservit our innocent personn fra thair mercyles handis, has respected the equitie of our cause, and maintenit the same to his glorie and our saifgaird, when in mannis sycht baith we and thay that prafessit our obedience and avowit our querell wer maist lyke to have bene overthrawin. Bot because the malicious hartis of our conspyrit Ennemeis nocht only proceedis in that wicketnes and rebellioun aganis us and our authoritie, bot alswa seducis the trew and semple peple our liegis to follow thame, sclanderouslie speikand of us as that our tytill wer in doubt, We have thocht gude to notifie and mak knawin the certaintie of the haill mater, for the satisfactioun of thame quhais judgement yit remains in suspens, that being resolvit of the nakit and sempill treuth, thay may gif place to the rycht, and abstene fra errour. And put a difference betuix our trew subjectis seikand Goddis glorie and our dew obedience, and the rebellious factioun tresonablie seikand to bereve us of our lauchfull crowne and proper inheritance, under ane craftie pretens of the Quene our motheris tytill, unto quhome (God wate) thay beir no better gude will nor unto us; saulffing in sa far as hir presence may move a contraversie, quhairin be proces of tyme having baith us and hir cuttit of, they may win the game, and possess the garland lang hopit for. Bot quhat end sall God put to sic usurparis? All ancient histories, baith godly and prophaine, declairis in similitude. Was euer innocent murthoure left unrevengeit? Or was it euer in the power of man, sa far to blind the eyis of him that is Almychtie, bot quhen the inequetie of men was cum to fulnes his potent hand quicklie confoundit baith the force and polecie of his wickit creaturis. That cullorat clenseing of James sumtyme Erle Bothwell, cheif murtherar of our deir father upon the xii day of Aprill in the yeir of God 1567 yeiris, culd nocht assure that godles and wicket man, nor mak his cankerit conscience rest without terroure, the haill warld persaving his pretens no other thing but as a mask to blind the eyis of God and man. The murtherar seiking his awin purgation, the accustomat order of the law pervertit. In that sufficient warning was nocht gevin to our derrest gudschir, and otheris the kin and freindis of our said deir father, to follow and pérsew the murtheraris, and the verray tyme of the committing of that crueltie nocht expressit; nouther yit could that on honest and pretendit mariage suddanly and unprovisitly thairefter accomplissit, nather blind God, or satisfie the peple, that continually cravit vengeance of God for that saikles blude and concelit murthure, nor yit the resisting or rather mocking of God and the warld culd colure schame and dishonour, quhair it was sa far proceedit, that honour, conscience, and greitnes were all tynt, for the inordinat affectioun borne to that Tyrane. Laith we are to condiscend mair speciallie, bot allace quhat proffitis silence, quhair there is no repentance? Not wordis and reportis of men, bot writ remains, contening the discours of that lamentable Tragedie and unnatural crueltie. The treuth quhair of no proces of tyme will consume nor aye weir away. And when that unlauchfull divorce was maid and mair unlauchfull mariage compleit, quhat estait our innocent persoun stude into the Eternall God best knawis and all godly men may judge. Our father laitly murtherit, and the Quene our mother cuplit with him thait was the cheif authour of that mischevous deid. Scho thrall and subject to him, circuit with a cumpanie of ungodly and wickit persounis, notorious pyratis, murtheraris and otheris reddy to execute all thair unlefull commandementis, divers of our nobilitie abhorring with the wickit tyme, other departing furth of our Realme, or prively reposing themselfis to se the end of that confusion, at last constranit be just necessity, it behuivit thame, rather lait nor never to provide for our suertie, quhome God had grantit to thame as native Prince, that we suld nocht fall into the mercyles handis of thame quhilkis slew our father; to separate that Tyrane and godles man, fra the Quene our Mother, and to put our persoun in suertie. For quhilk purpose, ane greit number of our trew and faithfull subjects, being convenit on the feild, aganis the said Erle: after he had refusit singular combat of a Lord and Barroun of Parliament and gentleman undefamit (Howbeit befair he had offerit himself thairto be his cartell and Proclamation) he eschapit and our said mother, come to the Noblemen and otheris our faithfull subjectis convenit for that effect: quha refusing to leif the ungodlie and unhonest companie of the martherar of our father, and menassing sic as had been cairfull of our preserva tion, be comoun consent scho was put in suertie, quhil further deliberation mycht be had in the mater. Schortly thairefter God manifestit the murther mair cleirly. And nocht only the report of diuers actually present thairat, and mony other thingis, gaif presumptioun, hot writ declarit the treuth, resolving mony of the doubt they stude into. Alwayis the Quene our mother, seing the troublis occurring in her governement, how contrariouslie thingis succetit and how evill hir subjectis lykit of her regiment, dimittit the Crowne of this kingdome with all honours, privilegis, and commoditeis thairof in our favouris, According to the quhilk, be a greit number of the thre estatis of our Realme, purposly convenit to execute hir commissioun, we war lauchfully inaugurat with the crown royal of this our kingdom, and our dearest cousin, James Earl of Murray, Lord Abirnethy, nominat, electit, sworne and admittet in Regent to us our realme and liegis, unto our age of xvii yearis, quha according to his commissioun did all that was in him to manteine the gode and Godly peax, standing betwix us and all Christiane princes our nychtbouris, freindis and confederatis: To interteine justice and quyetnes in the stait of our common weill, for the commoditie and saifgard of trew men and vertuous personages, and punischement of broken men, trublaris of the cuntrie and otheris transgressouris of the Lawis. Quhilk our Coronatioun, Inauguration, and Possessioun in the Crowne of this our Realme, is be actis of ane lauchfull, free, and plaine Parliament fund and declarit to be dewlie, rychtlie, and ordourlie done and execute, and als lauchfull and valeabill in the self in all respectis, and we als rychteouslie Investit in this our kingdome, as our said mother, our gudschir, grandschir, or ony otheris our maist nobill Progenitouris, native Princes of this our Realme, war and hes bene of befoir, or as gif scho the tyme of the said Coronatioun had bene departed furth of this mortall lyfe, or had coperit personallie in the presence of the haill thre estatis of this our Realme, assemblit in Parliament, and maid the said dimissioun, notwithstanding ony manner of tytill, actioun, or interest, or any other thing, that presently or can heirafter be objectit in the contrair. And als that the nominatioun, constitution, and ordinatioun of our said derrest cousing, in Regent to us our Realme and leigis during the tyme of our minoritie, and the acceptatioun of the said office be him was, is, and in all tyme cuming salbe, repute, haldin, and estemit lauchful, sufficient and perfite, and all thingis quhilkis he had done or suld do be vertue of his said office, to be als dewly, lauchfully, sufficiently, and rychteously done, and to have as greit availl, force, strength, and effect in all respectis and conditiounis, as ony thingis done be quhatsumever Regentis, Governouris, or protectouris of this our Realme, in the minoriteis and les ages of any otheris native Princes of the samin. Ratifiand, approvand, and confirmand the said nominatioun and acceptatioun in all its poyntis. And als in the same lauchfull, free, and plaine Parliament, it was fundin, declarit, and concludit, that the cause and occasioun of the couentiounis and messagis of the Erles, Lordis, Nobill men, Barrounes, and otheris faithfull and true subjectis, and cōsequently thair taking of armes and cuing to the feildis with open and displayit banneries, and the cause and occasioun of the taking of the persoun of the Quene our Mother upon the xv day of Junii last by past, and halding and detening of hir within the hous and fortelice of Lochlevin continually sen syne and in tyme cuming, and generally all other thingis iventet, spoken, writtin, or done be thame or ony of thame to that effect, sen the tent day of februar the zeir of God 1566 yeiris, upon the quhilk day unquhile the King our maist deir father was tresounablie, schamefullie, and horriblie murtherit, unto the day and dait of the said act, tuicheing hir and detening of hir persoun, that the cause and all thingis depending thairon, or that ony wayis may pertene thairto, was (to our greif) in hir awin default. The causis quhairof, as they are patent to God, so (allace) thay are over manifest to the haill world. Quhat the Parliament hes concludit, presentlie nedis nocht to be expressit at greitar length, it is contenit in writ and prent. And mony otheris nor the Inhabitantis of this cuntrie, hes knawlege of the same. Bot quhat suretie is abill to gainstand Tresoun ? Or quhat bandis and subscriptiounis can perswade thame to be trew, that are alls facill with thair handis to subscrive, as with thair toungis to speik the thing thay think nocht? The schame is thair awin, and the spot and ignominie will lest unto thair posteriteis. Gif ony in the degre of nobilitie, or ony other our meanest subjects, had beene oppressed, disdanit, or handlit otherwayis nor the ancient Lawis of the cuntrie prescrivit, than men mycht have had occasioun to werie of our governement, and to have socht alteratioun; bot quhat is he, that in his conscience is abill to complene or accuse that estait, of unjust dealing or uncourtessie, zit seditious men of unquyet spirite, inuifull to se the pure peple of this our Realme enioy that quyetnes and gude dayis quhairin thay had ane interes. Bot movit partly of ambitioun, partly in hope of gayne, and saikles revenge of thame that never offendit thame, and cheifly to stay the ordinair course of justice, tresonablie aganis the tennour of the saidis Actis of Parliament, practizit and conspyrit aganis the libertie of the Quene our Mother. And in conclusion be fraudulent and craftie meanis, brocht the same to pas in sic sort, as scho was nocht only cōvoyit to Hamiltoun bot thair throw the perverst counsell of sic as had been participant of our said fatheris murther, sa far inducit hir, that scho intendit be force to bereve us of our Crowne, quhairwith we are rychtfully possest. And for the mair spedie execution of the purpose, covenit a greit force nocht only of sic as lang hes thurstit for our place, bot of otheris dissemblit freindis and unnaturell subjectis. To quhat thair tresonabill Insurrectioun and rebellioun hes succedit, ze all our gude subjectis understandis. God has avancit our just and rychteous querell, and grantit us victorie of our conspyrit Ennemies, quhuis blude nather we nor nane professing our obedience or avowing our querell ever socht. Bot being sharplie assaultit and persewit for preservatioun of our innocent persoun, and that rowme and authoritie quhairin God has placet us, it behuivit our said Regent, the Nobill men and faithfull subjectis assisting, to resist thair crueltie and invasioun. Quhat womanlie mercy was in the persoun of hir, that (allace) thocht the schedding of Scottis blude a plesand spectacle? Quhat favoure and clemencie can men look for at hir handis, that steris this seditioun, aganis us hir only lauchfull sone? or quhat securitie can Nobill men or godly men think thame selfis into, scho bering the regement, be quhais occasioun, our maist deir father, being a portioun of hir awin flesche, was sausit? God hes his counsells to put in executioun, and alreddy hes begunnin to execute his jugementis. Sic as feiris God, and would the lauchfull and rychteous blude Royall continewit in the successioun of our Crowne, will wil. linglie obey us and forth set our authorititie. The same God that has overcu the rebellious factioun anis will it repres thair insolence, gif they tend to farther outreueth and conspiricies. And we dout nocht but 3e will assist us, in thair contrair, to thair opprobrye and confusioun. Our will is theirfoir, and we straitlie cōmand and charge 30w all and sindrie our liegis and subjectis foirsaidis, as ye will answer to God and upon 3our alligeance and bundin dewtie to us, that none of 30w take upon hand, to ryse, assist, for tifie, mantene, or obey our said Mother, or any conspyratouris, movaris of seditioun and insurrectioun, under cullour of quhatsumever other pretendit authoritie, nor orders, under the pain of tresoun. And that Lyoun King of Arms, his nether Herauldis, Masaris, Pursevātis, and Messangeris quhatsumever, mak publicatioun heirof at the mercat croces of the heid Burrowis of our Realme, and otheris places neidfull, that nane pretend ignorance of the same. Given under our signet and subscrivit to our said deirest cousing and Regent at Glasgow, the 14th day of Maye, and of our Reyne the 1st 3eir. 1568. Imprentet at Endenburgh be Robert Lekprevik, printar to the Kingis Maiestie, A. D. 1568. The above state manifesto was probably written under the direction of the Regent by Buchanan. That accomplished scholar was sent for out of France to become the preceptor of the youthful son of Mary, as his advancing years might require. He had too much stubborn virtue, drawn from Scripture, and the sages of antiquity, to approve the moral conduct of that misguided princess, and he zealously adhered to the party opposed to her. The Regent it is said employed him to write the tract intituled, "Ane Detectioun of the Doingis of Marie Quene of Scotis, "* which is penned in the broad Scotish dialect, used by Buchanan whenever he dismissed for a time the elegant and comprehensive medium of Latinity, in which he was such an adept. The proclamation inserted above, although verbose, in conformity with the style of state documents, is by no means destitute of strength of diction, and in solemn appeal to the hearts of the Scotish people against the detestable crimes which it de nounces. The mode of expression and dialect is precisely that of the tract attributed to Buchanan; and indeed it seems to be expressly referred to, in the passage of the proclamation which says the murder of Darnley was not only clearly brought home to Bothwell by the report of divers actually present, and by many circumstances, but also that" writ declarit the trueth, resolving many of the doubt they stood into;" which seems to be a direct citation of the tract bearing "Detection" See Anderson, vol. ii. for its title. This last named production is of course of a very different character to a state proclamation; it is distinguished by that satirical and pointed vein with which some of Buchanan's writings abounded, and occasionally by that coarseness for which he was censured by his enemies.† I shall lay a short extract of this composition before your readers, and I think they will be disposed to concur in the conclusion, that if he penned the one he was also the author of the other. An agent in Queen Mary's amours, one Dame Reres, is described in the "Detection" as follows: * "Bot scho layet all the blame upon my Lady Reres, ane woman of maist vyle unchastitie, quha had sumtime bene ane of Bothwellis harlottis, and then was ane of the chief of the queenis previe chalmer. Be this woman, quha now in hir age had from the gayne of huredome betakin herself to the craft of bawderie, was the Quene, as herself said, betrayit, for Bothwell was throw the gardine brocht into the Quenis chalmer * But how mekle aganes her will Dame Reres betrayit hir, tyme, the mother of trueth, has disclosit, for within a few dayis after, the Quene did send Dame Reres * * * to bring him (Bothwell) captive unto hir heichnes. The Quene, with Margaret Carwod, ane woman previe of all hir secretis, did let hir downe by ane string over ane auld wall into the nixt gardene; bot in sic weirly affairis all thingis cannot ever be sa wel forseine, bot that sum incommodious chance may overthortly (overthwartly) happein. Behold, the string suddanely brak, and downe with a great noyis fell Dame Reres, a woman verray hevie, baith be unweildie age and massie substance. Bot scho, ane auld beatin souldiour, nathing dismayit with the darknes of the night, the hight of the wall, ne the suddenes of the fall, up scho gettis, and winnis unto Bothwillis chalmer, scho gat the dure oppin, and out of his bed, evin out of his wyfis armis, bringis the man to the Quene. half asleep, half nakit, scho forceabilly This maner an circumstances of the deid, not onlie the maist part of thame that than †The crime of Buchanan with these appears to have been the satires which he composed against the corruptions of the monastic orders; according to them "productions ingenieuses, mais pleines d'emportement contre les ordres religieux et I'Eglise Romaine."-Nouveau Dict. Historique, &c. G |
