Page:History of John Brown of Priesthill.pdf/12

 perjury. What can we think of that tree which produced such fruit?

It was under such circumstances that the Apologetic Declaration was published. In it may be seen a spirit, still in Scotland, that dared to be free from tyranny; a spirit that animated the first Reformers; that would one day speak terrible things in righteousness.

Although this effort of freedom was like the child threshing the mountain, and its consequence apparently the same, save that the Church on this account suffered much; the court-party making it a pretence for sending more soldiers on the country, particularly about Lanark, vainly thinking that it would never be well with them till the south and west of Scotland were made a hunting-field; and the better to execute this, any soldier in the ranks had liberty to shoot all they thought suspicious, and it was not long till there was scarce a moss or mountain in the west of Scotland but was flowerodflowered [sic] with martyrs.

The society that met at Priesthill was soon broken up. John Wilson, and John Smith of Lesmahago, were shot by Colonel Buchan and the Laird of Leo, in February 1685. John Brown of Blackwood, in the same parish, was shot in the beginning of March following, by Lieutenant Murray, after the promise of quarter. The pure snow then on the ground was stained with his blood. His corpse was buried, under cloud of night, near to the spot where he was treacherously slain.

After this, John Brown could not continue his business of carrier, though he had no hand in the Apologetic Declaration. His opinion (and his conduct was consistent with it) was,