Non-Fiction > Books > London, 1879 - Edinburgh

Greyfriars. 2 1
which Dr. Johnson passed a critical eye — is in many ways sacred to the memory of the men
whom Mackenzie persecuted. It was here, on the flat tombstones, that the Covenant was signed
by an enthusiastic people. In the long arm of the churchyard that extends to Lauriston, the
prisoners from Bothwell Bridge — fed on bread and water and guarded, life for life, by vigilant
marksmen — lay five months looking for the scaffold or the plantations. And while the good
work was going forward in the Grass Market, idlers in Greyfriars might have heard the throb of
the military drums that drowned the voices of the martyrs. Nor is this all : for down in the
corner farthest from Sir George, there stands a monument dedicated, in uncouth Covenanting
verse, to all who lost their lives in that contention. There is no moorsman shot in a snow
shower beside Irongray or Co'monell ; there is not one of the two hundred who were drowned
off the Orkneys ; nor so much as a poor, over-driven, Covenanting slave in the American planta-
tions ; but can lay claim to a share in that memorial and, if such things interest just men among
the shades, can boast he has a monument on earth as well as Julius Caesar or the Pharaohs.
Where they may all lie, I know not. Far-scattered bones, indeed ! But if the reader cares to
learn how some of them — or some part of some of them — found their way at length to such
honourable sepulture, let him listen to the words of one who was their comrade in life and their
apologist when they were dead. Some of the insane controversial matter I omit, as well as some
digressions, but leave the rest in Patrick Walker's language and orthography : —
' The never to be forgotten Mr. James Renwick told me, that he was Witness to their Public Murder
at the Gallmcke, between Leith and Edinburgh, when he saw the Hangman hash and hag off all their
Five Heads, with Patrick Foreman's Right Hand : Their Bodies were all buried at the Gallows Foot ;
their Heads, with Patrick's Hand, were brought and put upon five Pikes on the Pleasaunce-Port. . . .
Mr. Renwick told me also that it was the first public Action that his Hand was at, to conveen Friends* and
lift their murthered Bodies, and carried them to the West Churchyard of Edinburgh} — not Greyfriars,
this time, — ' and buried them there. Then they came about the City .... and took down these Five
Heads and that Hand; and Day being come, they went quickly up the Pleasaunce ; and when they came
to Lauristoun Yards, upon the South-side of the City, they durst not venture, being so light, to go and bury
their Heads with their Bodies, which they designed; it being present Death, if any of them had been found.
Alexander Tweedie, a Friend, being with them, who at that Time was Gardner in these Yards, concluded to
bury them in his Yard, being in a Box (wrapped in Linen), where they lay 45 Years except 3 Days, being
executed upon the 10th of October 1681, and found the 7th Day of October 1726. That Piece of Ground
lay for some Years unlaboured ; and trenching it, the Gardner found them, which affrighted him ; the Box
was consumed. Mr. Schaw, the Owner of these Yards, caused lift them, and lay them upon a Table in his
Summer-house : Mr. ScAaw's mother was so kind, as to cut out a Linen-cloth, and cover them. They lay
Twelve Days there, where all had Access to see them. Alexander Tweedie, the foresaid Gardner, said, when
dying, There was a Treasure hid in his Yard, but neither Gold nor Silver. Daniel Tweedie, his Son, came
along with me to that Yard, and told me that his Father planted a white Rose-bush above them, and
farther down the Yard a red Rose-bush, which were more fruitful than any other Bush in the Yard. . . .
Many came' — to see the heads — 'out of Curiosity; yet I rejoiced to see so many concerned grave Men and
Women favouring the Dust of our Martyrs. There were Six of us concluded to bury them upon the
Nineteenth Day of October 1726, and every One of us to acquaint Friends of the Day and Hour, being
Wednesday, the Day of the Week on which most of them were executed, and at 4 of the Clock at Night, being
the Hour that most of them went to their resting Graves. We caused make a compleat Coffin for them in
Black, with four Yards of fine Linen, the way that our Martyrs Corps were managed. . . . Accordingly
we kept the foresaid Day and Hour, and doubled the Linen, and laid the Half of it below them, their
nether Jaws being parted from their Heads ; but being young Men, their Teeth remained. All were
Witness to the Holes in each of their Heads, which the Hangman broke with his Hammer ; and according
to the Bigness of their Sculls, we laid the Jaws to them, and drew the other Half of the Linen above them,
and stufft the Coffin with Shavings. Some prest hard to go thorow the chief Parts of the City as was done
at the Revolution ; but this we refused, considering that it looked airy and frothy, to make such Show of
them, and inconsistent with the solid serious Observing of such an affecting, surprizing unheard-of
Dispensation : But took the ordinary Way of other Burials from that Place, to wit, we went east the Back
of the Wall, and in at Bristo-Port, and down the Way to the Head of the Cowgate, and turned up to the
Church-yard, where they were interred closs to the Martyrs Tomb, with the greatest Multitude of People
Old and Young, Men and Women, Ministers and others, that ever I saw together.'
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