Series 5 > Religious Controversy in Scotland 1625-1639

34
RELIGIOUS CONTROVERSY IN SCOTLAND
In the Chappell Royall was the organs sett upp, and a companie of them,
most of them of young boyes, in there surplusses to play that spring.Then by the
diligence of Mr James Hannay was the organs sett up in the Abbay Kirke, and
beinge good agent for such like worke he was rewarded with the deanrie of
Edinburgh.58 St Giles Kirke, haveing a mid wall to devide betwixt the kirkes—
called the New and the Old—is not spacious and gorgeous enough to be a
cathedral! church. Therefore most the mid wall be taken downe and all made
one church. And so, what albeit they heare not the preachinge a third man of
them, they shall heir the organs and queristers to stur up their devotione. The
kirke was made [11] all in one. But, blessed be God, the organs came not, nor
never shall, as I hope.
Divers strange and uncouth wonders fell out in Scotdand. I may call them
judgments, albeit there was to[o] few tooke notice of them in these tymes.
First, in the moneth of November, the first Tusday thereof in the yeir 1627,
the sea in all the coasts where it floweth went beyond the ordinarie course of it
verie farre and threw downe divers bullwarks and houses that stood neir the
coasts. In particular, in our southerne coasts a southwest winde blowing direcdy
from the He of Man threw the sea uppon the Blackshaw within the parish of
Carlaverock and old Colpolle and divers other parts within the parish of Ruthwall
in such a fearefull manner as none livinge had ever seen the like, for it was at least
halfe a mile beyond the ordinare course. Divers houses in the Blackshaw was
demohshed, cattell drowned within houses, but the lives of the people was pre¬
served. All the sheippe, yee, the wilde haires that was one that side, was driven
over to Ruthwall coast and perished in Ruthwall.The poore people who five by
makeing salt of sand were inclosed one all hands, that but a few—and that with
great hazard—wan to the land. Seaventeene men were drowned.Thirteene were
found tomorrow and brought altogether to the churchyaird of Ruthwall to be
buried.The other foure were not found till long after.The house of old Colpoole
was invironed with the sea one all sydes.Within the house the people clambe up
to the balkes59 of the house for saffety of there fives, kists60 swam and one young
childe in a cradle was wonderfuly preserved for the cradle was caried up by the
watter, and while it was swimeing away, none of the house being able to releive
the poore inocent, be God’s will as it is going out at the dore the cradle turned
and went directfie athort61 the dore and there abode till the flood asswaged.This
day the flood was perceaved thrice to have ebbed a lytle, and thrice to have
He became dean of Edinburgh in 1635. EES, i, 56-7.