THE PENTLAND RISING

Evening Star, Issue 19454, 12 January 1927, Page 4

THE PENTLAND RISING

PEPYS'S RECORD OF ANXIOUS DAYS In these days of wireless and telephone, rumors do not live long (says a ‘ Weekly Scotsman’ writer), but 260 years ago at the time of the Peutland rising it often took almost a week for them to be refuted. News travelled very, slowly, and it is interesting to compare the notes made by Pepys in his ‘ Diary ’ with what actually did take place. On November 24. 1660, ho was at Sir Thomas Allen’s, where he says “Hero was much good company and very merry; but the discourse of Scotland, it seems, is confirmed, and that they are 4,000 of them in arms and do declare for King and Covenant, which is very ill news." I pray God deliver us from the ill consequences we may justly fear from it.” Although the rebellion had started on November 13, it had thus fakeu eleven days for Londoners to realise that the'rising really had taken place! By the 24th Sir Janies Turner, leader of the persecutors of the Covenanters, had been a prisoner for nine days, and Colonel Wallace had taken command of the insurgent forces! On November 25 Pepys remarks: “ All the talk of Scotland, where the highest report 1 perceive runs hut upon three or four hundred in armes.” This was a bit of a drop from 4,000, but this time ho had estimated too lightly the strength of the Covenanters. On that day the rebels wore between Douglas and Lanark, and Turner tells that “their horse did consist of four hundredth and fortie, and the foot of five hundredth and upwards. . . .’The horsemen were armed for the most part with sourd and pistoll, some onlio with sonrd. The foot with musket, pike, scythe, forke, and sourd; and some with sourds great and long.” These were much more formidable opponents than Pepys imagined. , DUKE OF YORK’S PRE-VISION. There was evidently no word received in London until the 29th, when Pepys records: “ That which I hear from Scotland is the Duke of York’s saying yesterday that he is coU®dent the lieu-tenant-general there hath driven them into a pound somewhere towards tho mountains.” Was the Duke tho possessor of second sight? As we know, the 28th was the day of the Covenanters’ dreadful defeat at Rullion Green. _ The story is too well known to tell in detail; how the hopeful Covenanters had reached Colinton only to find that Edinburgh was hostile to them. Although they were not driven to tho hills, they marched there on the morning of the 28th. They arrived at sunset, and while they were awaiting the result of peace negotiations which were being carried on at Colinton they were horrified to discover the enemy was at hand. Bravely they fought, but fate was against them, and, as Robert Louis Stevenson says, “When they fell there was none to sing their coronach or wail the death wail over them.” MOCKERY OF ST. ANDREW’S CROSS. On the 30th of November Pepys was still ignorant of tho result, for ho writes; “To White Hall, and pretty to see (it being Saint Andrew’s Day) now some few did wear Saint Andrew’s Crosse. But most did make a mockery of it, and the Houses of Parliament, contrary to practice, did ait also, people having no mind to observe tho Scotch saints’ days till they hear better news from Scotland." It was not until December 3 that he was able to record: “More cheerful than 1 have beeu a good while to near that for certain the Scots rebels are all routed, they having been so hold as to come within three miles of Edinburgh, and there given two or three repulses to the King’s forces, but at last were mastered. Throe or four hundred killed or taken, among which their leader, Wallis, and seven ministers, they having all taken the Covenant a few days before and sworn to live and die in it (as they did), and so all is likely to be there quiet again.” As a matter of fact, only fifty Covenanters and two ministers were killed at Bullion Green, and there were only about the same number taken prisoners and executed. Not until December 6 did he read the account of the defeat in the ‘ Gazette.’ Eight days for such an important event to get into print—• what anxiety we are saved to-day when we can read authentic reports of any incident either at homo or abroad on the day on which it occurred.