Religion & morality > Cloud of witnesses, for the royal prerogatives of Jesus Christ, or, The last speeches and testimonies of those who suffered for the truth in Scotland, in the years 1681-1688, with an appendix, containing the Queensferry paper, Torwood excommunications, &c

EPITAPHS.
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Epitaph upon the gravestone in the church-yard of Balmaghie, upon
corpse of David Halliday, portioner, of Mayfield, shot by the Laird
Lagg, February, 1685, and of David Halliday in Glenap, shot by
Laird of Lagg and the Earl of Annandale, in the same year, 1685.
Beneath this stone two David Hallidays
Do ly, whose souls now sing their Master’s praise.
To know, if curious passengers desire,
For what, by whom, and how they did expire!
They did oppose this nation’s perjury,
Nor could they join with lordly prelacy.
Indulgence favours from Christ's enemies
Quench not their zeal: this monument then cries,
These are the causes, not to be forgot,
Why they by Lagg so wickedly were shot.
One name, one cause, one grave, one heaven do tye
Their soul to that one God eternally.
Upon the gravestone in the church.yard of Anwoth, lying on the corpse of
John Bell of Whiteside, who was most barbarously shot to death ai the
command of Douglas of Morton, and Grierson of Lagg, in the parish of
Tongland in Galloway, anno 1685.
This monument shall tell posterity,
That blessed Bell of Whiteside here doth ly ;
Who at command of bloody Lagg was shot;
A murder strange, which should not be forgot.
Douglas of Morton did him quarters give ;
Yet cruel Lagg would not let him survive.
This martyr sought some time to recommend
His soul to God, before his days did end;
The tyrant said, ‘ What devil! ye've prayed enough
These long seven years, on mountain and in cleugh.'
So instantly caus’d him with other four,
Be shot to death upon Kirkconnel muir.
So thus did end the lives of these brave saints,
For their adhering to the covenants.
Upon the gravestone lying an the corpse of Robert Stewart, son to Major
Robert Stewart of Ardoch, and John Grierson, who were murdered by
Graham of Claverhouse, at the water of Dee, in Galloway, anno 1684.
Behold ! behold ! a stone here’s forc’d to cry,
Come see two martyrs under me that ly,
At water of Dee, who slain were by the hand
Of cruel Claverhouse and’s bloody band.
No sooner had he done this horrid thing,
But’s forc’d to say, Stewart's soul in heaven doth sing.
Yet strange, his rage pursu’d ev’n such when dead,
And in the tombs of their ancestors laid ;
Causing their corpse be rais’d out of the same,
Discharging in church-yard to bury them.
All this they did, because they would not abjure,
Our covenants and reformation pure ;
Because like faithful martyrs for to die
They rather chus’d than treacherously comply
With cursed Prelacy, the nation’s bane,
And with indulgency, our church’s stain.
Perjur’d intelligencers were so rife,
Show’d their curs’d loyalty, to take their life.
Ir^sir