Page:History of John Brown of Priesthill.pdf/17

 when he came himself to be tried, he was not left a cast away."

Among the last of the needy adventurers of Charles II.'s reign, who could swim through the blood of their more conscientious countrymen to favour and emolument, was Graham of Claverhouse. "He was descended from the house of Montrose, and was educated in France, the best school for dissolute manners and cruelty. He fought against the French in the Low Countries, under the Prince of Orange; but being refused the eommandcommand [sic] of one of the Scottish regiments then in the Dutch service, he left it in disgust and came over to England. His dissolute manners and vivacity soon got him notice at court, and the command of a party of Highlanders." His first appearance on the stage of Scotland's tragedy was in 1678, taking free quarters for himself and men in the house of Gilbert M‘Miehen, in New Glenluce; and when they went off, besides what they consumed, they took with them three horses, worth ten pounds each. In every succeeding appearance he may be marked as rising in cruelty and exaction.

"What Bishop Burnet says of Dalziel, may be affirmed of Claverhouse with equal, or perhaps with greater truth: that he acted the Muscovite too grossly, threatening to spit men and roast them alive. He pleaded, in excuse, that terror was true mercy, if it put an end to, or prevented war."

Charles being now dead, James Duke of York required such instruments to eompelcompel [sic] submission to his system of erueltycruelty [sic]. Having now thrown off the mask, the suspicion of the Reformers, that Prelacy was to be handmaid