96 SCOTLAND ILLUSTRATED. 



the city, and the battlements of the Castle, which rose above it, seemed to 

 guard sternly and frowningly the place of death.* 



The " Porteous mob," and the summary execution of its unhappy author, are 

 already before the public in colours so new and graphic, that we shall be readily 

 excused for its omission in these pages : but with the scene before us, and the 

 associations to which it gives rise, a few words respecting the Covenanters may 

 neither be foreign to our subject, nor unacceptable to some of our readers. — It 

 has been too much the fashion to accuse the Covenanters of rebellion, treason, 

 and every thing that is hateful in a subject. The charge, however, is not only 

 false, but, considering the avowed principles of the men, impossible that it could 

 have been true. It was not till after six years of unparalleled suffering on 

 one hand, and patient endurance on the other, that any hostile opposition to 

 the government manifested itself — and then, only because, when they obeyed 

 God by preaching as they found opportunity, not only they, but all who heard 

 them, were liable to military execution. Bands of soldiers were constantly 

 employed in scouring the country — even in the most sequestered spots ; and 

 when such as dared to worship God were discovered, they were killed on the 

 instant, or carried away to a mock trial — often put to the torture to force from 

 them some accusation of themselves or their neighbours, and finally executed 

 in the most ignominious form. There was no way of escape but by an entire 

 compromise of religious principle, which, to their pious minds, was more dreadful 

 than any degree of mortal suffering. Once impressed with a deep sense of 

 religion, and familiar with the truths revealed in the Bible, they sought eagerly 

 for spiritual instruction — following their faithful pastors to the glens and moun- 

 tains, and even to the dens and caves of the earth — there to hear the word of 

 God, and enjoy christian fellowship. At home it was nearly as great a crime 

 not to attend the ministry of the curates as it was to frequent the conventicles. 

 Soldiers were sometimes set to watch the dismissing of a congregation, to 

 see who were there and who missing. To such as did not belong to the 

 parish, certain ensnaring questions were put, which often leading to a disclosure 

 of their principles, placed them at the discretion of the soldiers, to be shot 

 without trial, imprisoned, fined, or executed. The country people finding them- 

 selves daily exposed to such murderous treatment while engaged in the ordinances 

 of religion, particularly in the fields, at first took the precaution of setting a 



• In his delineation of this striking locality, the West- Bow, Mr. Allom has rcjiresenlcil, witJi peculiar 

 success, one of those painful anil too often repeated scenes of Covenanters manacled and driven hy the tools 

 of government to the common place of execution, while the feelings of (ity and indignation, variously 

 expressed, escape the spectators on every side. 



