SPALDING'S =MORI-A.1AS 01' THE TRUBLES

SCOTLAND,* Tan present publication of the Spalding Club contains thb memoirs of the' old antiquary from whom the society takes name; on the state of affairs or " trebles " in Scotian& ancl,F,ng,;, land, from 1624 to 1645. Of the author himselc.pitwithstand- ing his antiquarian celebrity, little is known ; thex,,e, Js ne,Aloyht- but that he was a lawyer, resident in AberdeopN .R2141 thought to have been the Commissary's clerk. Ver:wae, a stanake Royalist in politics, and he looked on the Covenanters and their doings with no very favourable eye ; though,- like many.. of his party at the time in Aberdeen, he submitted to them with as '-good a grace as he could. Isis " Memorialls ", are written in the form of a diary ; but much of the matter is the result of hearsay, rather than personal observation, and derives its inte- rest from the character of the writer, and the light it throws upon. the manners and state of society in Scotland, rather than from any peculiar historical information imparted. In fact, the historical matter of the first volume, which extends from the year 1624 to 1640, deals little with public events of any importance, beyond the working of the Covenanters in the neighbourhood of Aberdeen, and the manner in which the poor old town was spoiled alternately by the rival forces, who quartered soldiers and levied contributions on the city ad libitum ; one party making the reception of the other a ground of extortion, though " auld Aber- deen would very gladly have shut out both factions. One thing, however, may clearly be gathered from the narrative— that the heart and strength of the country was for the Solemn League and OoVenant ; while the Royalists, from hesitation and uncertainty, did not apply such strength as they had to the best advantage. This activity and directness of purpose on the part of the Covenanters, and of inert hesitation on the side of established authoriq., probably takes place in all revolutions. It is in fact a natural symptom; for it is not till the interests and prejudices of men are unusually shocked that revolutions are thought of, when the revolters are provoked into angry activity, • Memorialls of the Trubles in Scotland and in England, S.D. 1624—A.D. 1645. By John Spalding. In two volumes, VoL I. Printed for the Spalding Club, Aberdeen.

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throe years, 462814630P lillitiw el",V,1'Il ' if 1 ' • -- • "In this yeir.- of God lehini Gilairt4f.'*driridglitche and his complices follouit Jehnearant rife. otinitok.the.4bd,of '.Allirnothie Banat WhOrrie their Ps . .P11% ape .hOi - . bt, Till* As/ laid:Jon-ICI:rant of Carroun iiittp. 7.11,„.es cri. 9/aYtrran,,il _ . 1.-GRISIV(Dalririelaytke on young- Bahia- ~-7;;Rui VO alIZ ”...uertis v Iris !lint orfr.boDa vas quhilk blood lay arip t, 1:11,. . - ._..:1.:-.:14..us.:J .4,14 .01 4 . , . : ■ • ,:-Yeliardbefitir, jelitirlibNO rating lkiiiiiultdiache had killit Johne Grant of, P!.rrort: witboiftJpviiitickurn 7 - ne hie,vnole, milli James Grant, via_riqurvenvoiikficou and.1*-41tOrit And wroeht mekili displesout to the sand m.madaliache,as te salj,,beivfolio 9, because he could get no justice be the 'awes oglines him rforhis risofau. of the Erll of Morray. .* * * ",Yelard.af JanieriGrantl& MS Vtlier leaf how he brat: out : Indeid no redres: `could be gottitiatiffittibilidfdlechfre'ft the innocent slauelater of his brighersone;'- for, e moyainhe!purchisitairivespite,; and thaireafter ane re- missioun. gs wes SiOdi.tf ;ftP3kekk Gaunt seeit*Ihis tUrn.itilliwlesiiindivpone the thlid dAY of December, he with his comphees cam to the loon and lands. of Petchass, young•BaUitidallechieduellingplace, who with about tlnettie per- senes wee Within,r-Oriik tM-Sige,TtinieS Grant' wcill anencli knew, and to tisyne him 'out he- -Bettie his corn yeitil in fyre, and hall lauche bigging, barns, byres, stables,•quhaiiin niony hors, nolt, soheip, wes brunt,-and sic bestiall as wes. not brynt.thay slew and destroyit; hot young Balnadallothe keipif the hous and durst not cum outto mak ony'defens. In like maner the said JamesGrant, with his cOmpliCes, vponc the sevint day of the said moneth of Deriiiiiber, past to the toun and landis of Tulehin, pertaining to old Bahiadallodhe.: and brunt wp and -distroyit the haill bigging thairof, cornes,_ cattell,_ gudis. And :gen., and all quhilk, they 'could get; and to . the Mills gois he. : . : . • • " Ballindalloche, old and young complains to the Erll of Mormy liveten- nand vpone thir inivreis and oppression's,. and with all the oountrie people (still` *Oder baserd of their lives and hairschip of thair goodie who wee vnfreindis to the said James Gront) cryit out uugganis the livetennand for not pvmssnig of thir i70118' offencm,..1serching, sei gi- and taking of the said James Grunt Auld • •complieeS. . The:/Erll wait raichtellie movit heirot;.and in ;end resolues to ane devil d lig another ; and to. hat effect-egrets vith Lanchlen •iturti ' 6 'alias lane en Og, brother: tothe vicqulaill , laird Whitaihe; Williinield'intosche alias It+Lattchlen, sone to.initinbillLituch, len- 'Angoussone,: andGeorge 'Dallas. Thir thrie war the pnncipall men that beak out against the Erlt himself,. and being Teed:Waled, as ye hone hard, he w., ne,agreis with thonic to - teek the , said James' Grant ather. qnik or deid, rpailik.ypone,ponditionis thay frank* wndertook„ and convents about fourtie sttaVog men ' of the thrie , weill armit efter the Hieland fAshioum. ' dis theme in thrie seueral tanipaneis, and glacier thiie Ca:paella, Viz. the Lauchlen 0g,•'•Williara• le Lor • tiChlair, and'George Dallas.' ' . _, "Ile Erll himself refereethis 'bussitieS to thir thrie 'capitenis, and vpOne the tent day of the said moneth of Deeembeehe rydA feeliforray-Sonth.: Bot thir oapitanes vsit so gryt diligena, that, _vponetb.e auchteint day of the said moneth of December, they fynd the said Yames Gront in the toun and landis of Auclinihyillwithin ineladuis and teir'intli With hfin and his bastard sone, at the heid of Strathavan. Thal`perSeitit the tons most furiouslie - the said James aud* men, Ntynis TA an d takis theiflight : • Thay follow .'soluirplie, ahoy four of -his men, ;WOUndit . himself .with,arrowis in ellevin smdrie pairift(df his body; _mind: could do no weirhe wee takin and his ether

sazarien,;biat hit-be/404 son Van away." - '' ' '

-One'-of the •narrati-Veii'iiii'Spalcling's Ileinorials refeig to the tra- gibid-story of the burning of the tower of Frendraught; supposed to-have been wilfully set on fire at the instigation of Frendraught and his wife, in' order to get rid of certain enemies whom they had • induced to sup 'and stop all night. Some subor..inates were hanged after long delay; but no direct punishment was inflicted on=tIiose who were assumed to be the real authors of the atrocity,

excePt'What priiitite hands Undertook. i - '

• Thairefterhrak'g nut oppinlie'a'number of the name of Goidoun, with their freindis and:•fUlloueds. * *. * -* Thir gentlemen taking the fyre of Frendracht havillie, to hairt, and seeing no . redress tbairof be law brakes out, ilk man suorne to another to fere and die with:I-tiled; and vowit to revenge thaMe'selfis vpinie the laird of Prendracht be way of deid. . . . "'And first they began and spolzeit a number of cattell and. scheip fro. the ground of Freiiiiraeht,' and avowitlie had theme to Bryak fair. and sold ane kow for 'anadollour,- and -one scheip for ane groat (quhilk wee veray cheap) to hold. sneer _amongst othair handis: . Thity spblzeit fro Mr.'Alext Inns,' minister at B.othimay, his ryding !hot*, .. Thay took sum moneyis .fra Mr. Robert Jamesom, minister or ;Mairtyne, kirk, violentlie and maisterfullie, with sindrie ether outrages in the ' Countrie:. Sum of thir gentlemen hermit to be drinking in TiftliSCull,' guild'. 'they' took ane callit Thomsoun direct Out, he Frendrichtii fttirtirn; OS one Spy to heir Glair discourse. Thay speir at him quhairfoir• he cam their.- He dashis and declaird he wee hyrit to go out and avait vpone„them,•and to lerneulat thay war saying or doing, and to report the same. hok agaue to Frendrachtis freindia who had send him out. Artione this confesSioun, but larder .justic,e, they garis hang the poor man most cruellie vpone the gallouss near to Strathbogie. * *. * " Frendraoht wee forsir to suffer 'thir outrages patientlie, and bydis in Edinbrugh supplicating the =naafi daylie far redrent, who ditectis out ane herauld. rnIlit: JOhne , Mac° ro e, Witl; ane o truMpetour , callit Alex, Fergusoun, to suminond Cur .reisdoeris at the marcat eroesis of Abirdein, Banf, Elgyne, and Forress, to compeir befoir the *reit counsall the 16th of December, and also vponethe 13th of Januar thairefter, 1635, respectiue, to minter to thir compintis ; and sicliketo charge the Marquess, tuelf barronis, tuelf gentil- men, and tuelf ministeris; persona*, or at thair duelling places, to compeir befoir the lordis the samen dayis, for giveing thame infonnatioun of thir disorderis wnder.gryte panes. The herauld in his cot armee with sound of

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.841044,1M .10 •• 1)1 103 of: oyd tnath • o • o,Ypon; omegue toay . eteo to t the PVica 0 oo.: y, go. 1ii the la 9 with hir dochteria wee en duelling. fhay enterirthe laouss rnaisterfullie, took the keyis of the yettis and durris, sere Bella the lady with hir dochtens to hir °wile yit to ane kilbarne quhair they remanit, but this wes done with consent us wes thocht. Thus haueing manic this strong hours, the took it wp Mollie, and causit kill al togidder thriescoir martis and ane hundrethe wedderis: Sum they saltit, sun,' they rvistit, and sum they eitit freshe. They boiatit and compellit Frendraohtis fennentis to bring in meill, malt, cokis, customs and pultrie, and to produoe Chair last acquittances, and to pay them bygones; sync gave their acquit- tances vpone sic as thay Ott, saying their acquittances wes ales good as the lairdis. The poor tenuentts for fair of thair .lyves obeyit their hail willis, wanting thair moister to defend thame, who all this Vine wet; in Edinbrugh, and durst not cum home for feir of his lyf." A sad state of affairs, but owing its peculiarity.to the rank of the persons engaged in the violence, and the absolute powerless- ness of the constituted authority. The same kind of thing often occurs still in Ireland, upon a smaller scale and with lower actors. Alen and their doings were not the only things that attracted the attention of Spalding. lie records natural phcenomena and por. tents ; of which a monster that visited Aberdeen in 1635 is. one. ' " In the moneth of Junij their wes sein in the river of Done ane monster like heist, haueing the heid like to one gryt maitif dog or swyne, and handia, annoy and papis like to one man and the paipis seunit to be whyte. It

had hair on the lurid, and hynder wee sein sum tyme above the water,

quhilk seimit elubbish,sehort lead, and ached futtit, with ane Thii monster wee sein swymmg body lyke above the water about ten houris in the morning, and contynewit all day, visiblie swyming abone and beneth the brig without ony fen% The tonnes people of both Abirdeinis cant out in gryt myllitudis to de this monster. Stun threw stanes, sum schot gvnis and pistollis, and the salmound fisheris rowit eobles and netis to catche bat all in vane. It neuer shrinkit nor feint, hot wold dovk wnder the water snort- ing and buffering, teribill to the heiraris and beholderis. It remanit tuo dayis and wes sein no moir -' bat it appeiris this monster cam for no good to noble Abirdein, for soir wes the samen oppressit be gryt trubles that fell in the land, and g-ryt skaith they sustenit be sehipwraok, as in thir nods do planelie.appeir." This is not the first timethatSpalding's work hasbeen publish- ed. An edition from a very imperfect manuscript was printed in

1792. That edition, though worthless, was reprinted in 1829 ; in the same year the'lltunintyne Club published an editioa in two

volumes; but after the first volume had been printed a "more ancient and genuine manuscript" was discovered, in the collection of the Earl of Fife; and this manuscript has been used throughout. for the present edition. It has been edited with great care by Mr. John Stuart ; who has added in an appendix a variety of matter illus- trative both of Spalding and the tunes,—as the legal proceedings connected with the Frendraught case. The volumes are printed at the expense of Lord Saltoun, as a present to the Club.

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