Page:Last publick sermon, being a faithful and free one, preached by Mr. Hugh Mackaile ... upon the Sabbath immediately preceeding that 8th of September 1662, the day affixed for the removing of the ministers of Edinburgh from their kirks.pdf/57

( 57 ) publiſhed. Upon the 21ſt of December, I find the Coun- cil fuperfede thc Execution of the Sentence upon threc of them, and one formerly reprieved, till further Orders. As far as I can gueſs, theſe four got off, after ſome Impriſon- ment and partial Compliances; probably the Reaſon of this was the King's Letter for fiſting Execution. When the reſt are diſpatched, the Council order the Magiſtrates to take down the Gallows at the Croſs To-morrow; and diſpenſe with the cutting off the Heads and Hands of finch as arc to be executed. Now all were satiate with Blood, except the Prelates, and they were forced to yield. Before theſe Executions began which I have put altoge-, ther, upon the 4th of December, I find the Council order Mr. Hew MacKaile and John Neilſon of Corſack to be tor- tured with the Boots, a Practice not uſed before in Scot- land in the Memory of any now living, and I doubt if it was often practiſed ſince the Reformation. Now it was brought in, and violently urged by the Prelates, and after-, ward frequently uſed. This, with other inhumane and bar- barous Tortures made uſe of in this period, was juſtly complained of at the Revolution, and abrogated. What moved the Council to pitch upon theſe two I do not know. Mr. MacKaile was a Youth of great Senſe and Learning, and Corſack a Gentleman of excellent Parts, and probably from them they expected vaſt Diſcoveries. A Conſpiracy was pretended, and they were to be exa- mined by this Torture in Preſence of the Council, and Interrogatories formed to be put to them, which I have not ſeen. But there was indeed no Plot to be found, and their Riſing was merely for Self-defence and unconcerted. Corſack was fearfully tormented, ſo that his Shrieks would have melted any body but thoſe preſent, who ſtill called for the other Touch. Nothing was recorded; for all they ſaid was what they had candidly ſignified before, That the Oppreſſion of the Country had forced them to riſe in Arms, and, being up, they were obliged, in Self-defence, to