Page:Life and transactions of James Sharp.pdf/7

 The first rising was in Galloway, the occasion was this: In the spring, 1666, Sir James Turner marched with a band of soldiers, to curb the Presbyterians in the west, and laid them under the most grievonsgrievous [sic] oppressions; any curate with two or three of these armed apostles, fined whom they pleased; and, made as large exactions as they had a mind, for now the gentleman must pay, if his lady, servants, or tenants, did not attend the parish church: the tenant must be oppressed if the landlord withdrew, tho' he and his family attended ever so closely. The widow, the fatherless, the old and infirm, was not spared: the very poor must beg to pay the church's fines. The meat must be snatch'd from the mouths of innocent children, and thrown to the dogs; many houses were quareered upon, and, when their provisions was consumed, their furniture was either sold or burnt; so that multitudes of poor families, and even gentlemen were scattered, and reduced to the utmost extremities. Sir James continued his terrible ravages in the west and south, till NovhmberNovember [sic] 23, when four countrymen refreshing themselves in Darly in Galloway, were informed, that three or four soldiers had seized a poor old man, and brought him to his own house, where they were going to strip him naked, and set him on a red hot grid-iron, and using other unheard of cruelties.

Whereupon, they immediately repaired to the house, and begged the soldiers to let the poor old man alone; but they, instead of complaying with this humane desire, attacked the countrymen, who got the better, disarmed the soldiers, and relieved their fellow sufferer; and, left other soldiers in the parish, who were about twelve in number, should fall upon them, they were joined that fame night, by