Ringan Gilhaize, or, The Covenanters

by John Galt

  CHAPTER IV

  Sir David Hamilton conducted my grandfather back through the garden andthe sallyport to the castle, where he made him acquainted with hisGrace's seneschal, by whom he was hospitably entertained when the knighthad left them together, receiving from him a cup of hippocras and aplentiful repast, the like of which, for the savouriness of the viands,was seldom seen out of the howfs of the monks.

  The seneschal was called by name Leonard Meldrum, and was a most douceand composed character, well stricken in years, and though engrainedwith the errors of papistry, as was natural for one bred and cherishedin the house of the speaking horn of the Beast, for such the high priestof St Andrews was well likened to, he was nevertheless a man of a humaneheart and great tenderness of conscience.

  The while my grandfather was sitting with him at the board, he lamentedthat the Church, so he denominated the papal abomination, was so fargone with the spirit of punishment and of cruelty as rather to shockmen's minds into schism and rebellion than to allure them back intoworship and reverence, and to a repentance of their heresies--a strainof discourse which my grandfather so little expected to hear within thegates and precincts of the guilty castle of St Andrews that it made himfor a time distrust the sincerity of the old man, and he was veryguarded in what he himself answered thereto. Leonard Meldrum was,however, honest in his way, and rehearsed many things which had beendone within his own knowledge against the reformers that, as he said,human nature could not abide, nor the just and merciful Heavens wellpardon.

  Thus, from less to more, my grandfather and he fell into frankcommunion, and he gave him such an account of the bloody Cardinal Beatonas was most awful to hear, saying that his then present master, with allhis faults and prodigalities, was a saint of purity compared to thatrampagious cardinal, the which to hear, my grandfather thinking of whathe had seen in the lodging of Madam Kilspinnie, was seized with such ahorror thereat that he could partake no more of the repast before him,and he was likewise moved into a great awe and wonder of spirit that theLord should thus, in the very chief sanctuary of papistry in allScotland, be alienating the affections of the servants from theirmaster, preparing the way, as it were, for an utter desertion anddesolation to ensue.

  They afterwards talked of the latter end of that great martyr, Mr GeorgeWishart, and the seneschal informed him of several things concerning thesame that were most edifying, though sorrowful to hear.

  "He was," said he, "placed under my care, and methinks I shall ever seehim before me, so meek, so holy, and so goodly was his aspect. He was oftall stature, black haired, long bearded, of a graceful carriage,elegant, courteous, and ready to teach. In his apparel he was mostcomely, and in his diet of an abstemious temperance. On the morning ofhis execution, when I gave him notice that he was not to be allowed tohave the sacrament, he smiled with a holiness of resignation that almostmelted me to weep. I then invited him to partake of my breakfast, whichhe accepted with cheerfulness, saying,--

  "'I will do it very willingly, and so much the rather, because Iperceive you to be a good Christian, and a man fearing God.'

  "I then ordered in the breakfast, and he said,--

  "'I beseech you, for the love you bear to our Saviour, to be silent alittle while, till I have made a short exhortation, and blessed thisbread we are to eat.'

  "He then spoke about the space of half an hour of our Saviour's deathand passion, exhorting me, and those who were present with me, to mutuallove and holiness of life; and giving thanks, brake the bread,distributing a part to those about him; then taking a cup, he bade usremember that Christ's blood was shed to wash away our sins, and,tasting it himself, he handed it to me, and I likewise partook of it:then he concluded with another prayer, at the end of which he said, 'Iwill neither drink nor eat any more in this world,' and he forthwithentered into an inner chamber where his bed was, leaving us filled withadmiration and sorrow, and our eyes flowing with tears."

  To this the seneschal added, "I fear, I fear, we are soon to haveanother scene of the same sort, for to-morrow the Bishops of Murray, andBrechin, and Caithness, with other dignitaries, are summoned to thecathedral to sit in judgment on the aged priest of Lunan, that wasbrought hither from Dysart yestereen, and from the head the newfangledheresies are making, there's little doubt that the poor auld man will bemade an example. Woes me! far better would it be an they would make anexample of the like of the Earls of Argyle and Glencairn, by whom thereprobates are so encouraged."

  "And is this Mill," inquired my grandfather with diffidence, for hisheart was so stung with what he heard, that he could scarcely feign thenecessary hypocrisy which the peril he stood in required--"Is this Millin the castle?"

  "Sorry am I to say it," replied the seneschal, "and under my keeping;but I darena show him the pity that I would fain do to his grey hairsand aged limbs. Some of the monks of the priory are with him just now,trying to get him to recant his errors, with the promise of a beinprovision for the remainder of his days in the abbey of Dunfermline, thewhilk I hope our blessed Lady will put it into his heart to accept."

  "I trust," said my grandfather in the core of his bosom, "that the Lordwill fortify him to resist the temptation."

  This, however, the seneschal heard not, for it was ejaculated inwardly,and he subjoined,--

  "When the monks go away, I will take you in to see him, for truly he isa sight far more moving to compassion than displeasure, whatsoever hissins and heresies may be."

  In this manner, for the space of more than an hour, did my grandfatherhold converse and communion with Leonard Meldrum, in whom, he was oftenheard to say, there was more of the leaven of a sanctified nature thanin the disposition of many zealous and professing Christians.

  When the two shavlings that had been afflicting Master Mill with theoffer of the wages of Satan were departed from the castle, the seneschalrose, and bidding my grandfather to come after him, they went out of theroom, and traversing a narrow dark passage with many windings, came tothe foot of a turnpike stair which led up into the sea-tower, so calledbecause it stood farthermost of all the castle in the sea, and in thechamber thereof they found Master Mill alone, sitting at the window,with his ancient and shrivelled lean hand resting on the sole andsupporting his chin, as he looked through the iron stainchers abroad onthe ocean that was sleeping in a blessed tranquillity around, allglowing and golden with the shimmer of the setting sun.

  "How fares it with you?" said the seneschal with a kindly accent;whereupon the old man, who had not heard them enter, being tranced inhis own holy meditations, turned round, and my grandfather said he felthimself, when he beheld his countenance, so smitten with awe andadmiration, that he could not for some time advance a step.

  "Come in, Master Meldrum, and sit ye down by me!" said the godly man."Draw near unto me, for I am a thought hard of hearing. The Lord has oflate, by steeking the doors and windows of my earthly tabernacle, beenadmonishing me that the gloaming is come, and the hour of rest cannot befar off."

  His voice, said my grandfather, was as the sound of a mournful melody,but his countenance was brightened with a solemn joyfulness. He was of apale and spiritual complexion; his eyes beamed, as it were, with aliving light, and often glanced thoughts of heavenly imaginings, even ashe sat in silence. He was then fourscore and two years old; but hisappearance was more aged, for his life had been full of suffering andpoverty; and his venerable hands and skinny arms were heart-meltingevidences of his ineffectual power to struggle much longer in thewarfare of this world. In sooth, he was a chosen wheat-ear, ripened andready for the garnels of salvation.

  "I have brought, Master Mill," said the seneschal, "a discreet youth tosee you, not out of a vain curiosity, for he sorrows with an exceedinggrief that such an aged person should be brought into a state of sogreat jeopardy; but I hope, Master Mill, it will go well with you yet,and that ye'll repent and accept the boon that I hae heard was to beproffered."

  To these words the aged saint made no reply for the space of about aminute; at the end of
which he raised his hands, and casting his eyesheavenward, exclaimed,--

  "I thank Thee, O Lord, for the days of sore trial, and want, and hunger,and thirst, and destitution which Thou hast been pleased to bestow uponme, for by them have I, even now as I stand on the threshold of life,been enabled, through Thy merciful heartenings, to set at nought thetemptations wherewith I have been tempted."

  And, turning to the seneschal, he added mildly, "But I am bound to you,Master Meldrum, in great obligations, for I know that in the hope youhave now expressed there is the spirit of much charitableness, albeityou discern not the deadly malady that the sin of compliance would bringto my poor soul. No, sir, it would na be worth my while now, for world'sgain, to read a recantation. And, blessed be God, it's no in my power toyield, so deeply are the truths of His laws engraven upon the tablet ofmy heart."

  They then fell into more general discourse, and while they werespeaking, a halberdier came into the room with a paper, whereby theprisoner was summoned to appear in the cathedral next day by teno'clock, to answer divers matters of heresy and schism laid to hischarge; and the man having delivered the summons, said to the seneschalthat he was ordered by Sir Andrew Oliphant to bid him refrain fromvisiting the prisoner, and to retire to his own lodging.

  The seneschal to this command said nothing, but rose, and my grandfatherlikewise rose. Fain would he have knelt down to beg the blessing of themartyr, but the worthy Master Meldrum signified to him with a look tocome at once away; and when they were returned back into his chamberwhere the repast had been served, he told him that there was a danger offalling under the evil thoughts of Oliphant, were he to be seenevidencing anything like respect towards prisoners accused of the sin ofheresy.