第 17 节
作者:瞎说呗      更新:2024-01-24 16:00      字数:9322
  by James Kirkton; an  outed minister of the period。
  THE PENTLAND RISING  CHAPTER IV … RULLION GREEN
  'From Covenanters with uplifted hands; From Remonstrators with associate bands; Good Lord; deliver us!' ROYALIST RHYME; KIRKTON; p。 127。
  LATE on the fourth night of November; exactly twenty…four  days before Rullion Green; Richard and George Chaplain;  merchants in Haddington; beheld four men; clad like West… country Whigamores; standing round some object on the ground。   It was at the two…mile cross; and within that distance from  their homes。  At last; to their horror; they discovered that  the recumbent figure was a livid corpse; swathed in a blood… stained winding…sheet。 (1)  Many thought that this apparition  was a portent of the deaths connected with the Pentland  Rising。
  On the morning of Wednesday; the 28th of November 1666; they  left Colinton and marched to Rullion Green。  There they  arrived about sunset。  The position was a strong one。  On the  summit of a bare; heathery spur of the Pentlands are two  hillocks; and between them lies a narrow band of flat marshy  ground。  On the highest of the two mounds … that nearest the  Pentlands; and on the left hand of the main body … was the  greater part of the cavalry; under Major Learmont; on the  other Barscob and the Galloway gentlemen; and in the centre  Colonel Wallace and the weak; half…armed infantry。  Their  position was further strengthened by the depth of the valley  below; and the deep chasm…like course of the Rullion Burn。
  The sun; going down behind the Pentlands; cast golden lights  and blue shadows on their snow…clad summits; slanted  obliquely into the rich plain before them; bathing with rosy  splendour the leafless; snow…sprinkled trees; and fading  gradually into shadow in the distance。  To the south; too;  they beheld a deep…shaded amphitheatre of heather and  bracken; the course of the Esk; near Penicuik; winding about  at the foot of its gorge; the broad; brown expanse of Maw  Moss; and; fading into blue indistinctness in the south; the  wild heath…clad Peeblesshire hills。  In sooth; that scene was  fair; and many a yearning glance was cast over that peaceful  evening scene from the spot where the rebels awaited their  defeat; and when the fight was over; many a noble fellow  lifted his head from the blood…stained heather to strive with  darkening eyeballs to behold that landscape; over which; as  over his life and his cause; the shadows of night and of  gloom were falling and thickening。
  It was while waiting on this spot that the fear…inspiring cry  was raised: 'The enemy!  Here come the enemy!'
  Unwilling to believe their own doom … for our insurgents  still hoped for success in some negotiations for peace which  had been carried on at Colinton … they called out; 'They are  some of our own。'
  'They are too blacke ' (I。E。 numerous); 'fie! fie! for ground  to draw up on;' cried Wallace; fully realising the want of  space for his men; and proving that it was not till after  this time that his forces were finally arranged。 (2)
  First of all the battle was commenced by fifty Royalist horse  sent obliquely across the hill to attack the left wing of the  rebels。  An equal number of Learmont's men met them; and;  after a struggle; drove them back。  The course of the Rullion  Burn prevented almost all pursuit; and Wallace; on perceiving  it; dispatched a body of foot to occupy both the burn and  some ruined sheep…walls on the farther side。
  Dalzell changed his position; and drew up his army at the  foot of the hill; on the top of which were his foes。  He then  dispatched a mingled body of infantry and cavalry to attack  Wallace's outpost; but they also were driven back。  A third  charge produced a still more disastrous effect; for Dalzell  had to check the pursuit of his men by a reinforcement。
  These repeated checks bred a panic in the Lieutenant… General's ranks; for several of his men flung down their  arms。  Urged by such fatal symptoms; and by the approaching  night; he deployed his men; and closed in overwhelming  numbers on the centre and right flank of the insurgent army。   In the increasing twilight the burning matches of the  firelocks; shimmering on barrel; halbert; and cuirass; lent  to the approaching army a picturesque effect; like a huge;  many…armed giant breathing flame into the darkness。
  Placed on an overhanging hill; Welch and Semple cried aloud;  'The God of Jacob! The God of Jacob!' and prayed with  uplifted hands for victory。 (3)
  But still the Royalist troops closed in。
  Captain John Paton was observed by Dalzell; who determined to  capture him with his own hands。  Accordingly he charged  forward; presenting his pistols。  Paton fired; but the balls  hopped off Dalzell's buff coat and fell into his boot。  With  the superstition peculiar to his age; the Nonconformist  concluded that his adversary was rendered bullet…proof by  enchantment; and; pulling some small silver coins from his  pocket; charged his pistol therewith。  Dalzell; seeing this;  and supposing; it is likely; that Paton was putting in larger  balls; hid behind his servant; who was killed。 (4)
  Meantime the outposts were forced; and the army of Wallace  was enveloped in the embrace of a hideous boa…constrictor …  tightening; closing; crushing every semblance of life from  the victim enclosed in his toils。  The flanking parties of  horse were forced in upon the centre; and though; as even  Turner grants; they fought with desperation; a general flight  was the result。
  But when they fell there was none to sing their coronach or  wail the death…wail over them。  Those who sacrificed  themselves for the peace; the liberty; and the religion of  their fellow…countrymen; lay bleaching in the field of death  for long; and when at last they were buried by charity; the  peasants dug up their bodies; desecrated their graves; and  cast them once more upon the open heath for the sorry value  of their winding…sheets!
  INSCRIPTION ON STONE AT RULLION GREEN:
  HERE AND NEAR TO THIS PLACE LYES THE REVEREND MR JOHN CROOKSHANK AND MR ANDREW MCCORMICK MINISTERS OF THE GOSPEL AND ABOUT FIFTY OTHER TRUE COVENANTED PRESBYTERIANS WHO WERE KILLED IN THIS PLACE IN THEIR OWN INOCENT SELF DEFENCE AND DEFFENCE OF THE COVENANTED WORK OF REFORMATION BY THOMAS DALZEEL OF BINS UPON THE 28 OF NOVEMBER 1666。  REV。 12。 11。 ERECTED SEPT。 28 1738。
  BACK OF STONE:
  A Cloud of Witnesses lyes here; Who for Christ's Interest did appear; For to restore true Liberty; O'erturned then by tyranny。 And by proud Prelats who did Rage Against the Lord's Own heritage。 They sacrificed were for the laws Of Christ their king; his noble cause。 These heroes fought with great renown; By falling got the Martyr's crown。 (5)
  (1) Kirkton; p。 244。 (2) Kirkton。 (3) Turner。 (4) Kirkton。 (5) Kirkton。
  THE PENTLAND RISING  CHAPTER V … A RECORD OF BLOOD
  'They cut his hands ere he was dead; And after that struck of his head。 His blood under the altar cries For vengeance on Christ's enemies。' EPITAPH ON TOMB AT LONGCROSS OF CLERMONT。 (1)
  MASTER ANDREW MURRAY; an outed minister; residing in the  Potterrow; on the morning after the defeat; heard the sounds  of cheering and the march of many feet beneath his window。   He gazed out。  With colours flying; and with music sounding;  Dalzell; victorious; entered Edinburgh。  But his banners were  dyed in blood; and a band of prisoners were marched within  his ranks。  The old man knew it all。  That martial and  triumphant strain 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 is fathers。 (2)
  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。 (3)  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。 (4)
  Some people urged; in the Council; that the promise of  quarter which had been given on the