Page:The Lady's Book Vol. I.pdf/38

32

GRAHAME OF CLAVERHOUSE.GENEROSITY, JOHN GRAHAME OF CLAVERHOUSE.

THIS remarkable person united the seemingly inconsistent qualities of courage and cruelty, a disinterested and devoted loyalty to his prince with a disregard of the rights of his fellow subjects. He was the unscrupulous agent of the Scottish privy council in executing the merciless severities of the government in Scotland during the reigns of Charles II. and James II.; but he redeemed his character by the zeal with which he asserted the cause of the latter monarch after the revolution, the military skill with which he supported it at the battle of Killiecrankie, and by his own death in the arms of victory. It is said by tradition that he was very desirous to see, and be introduced to, a certain lady Elphinstoun, who had reached the advanced age of one hundred years and upwards. The noble matron, being a staunch whig, was rather unwilling to receive Claver'se ( as he was called from his title ), but at length consented. After the usual compliments the officer observed to the lady, that, having lived so much beyond the usual term of humanity, she must in her time have seen many strange changes. "Hout, na, sir, "said lady Elphinstoun, "the "world is just to end with me as it began. When I was entering life, there was ane Knox deaving us a' with his clavers, and now I am ganging out, there is one Claver'se deaving us a' with his knocks. Clavers signifying, in common parlance, idle chat; the double pun does credit to the ingenuity of a lady of a hundred years old. * * *

"As the skirmish of Drumclog has been of late the subject of some inquiry, the reader may be curious to see Claverhouse's own account of the affair, in a letter to the Earl of Linlithgow, written immediately after the action. This gazette, as it may be called, occurs in the volume called Dundee's Letters, printed by Mr. Smythe of Methven, as a contribution to the Bannatyne Club. The original is in the library of the Duke of Buckingham. Claverhouse, it must be observed, spells like a chambermaid:

"My Lord, -Upon Saturday's night, when my Lord Rosse came into this place, I marched out, and because of the insolency that had been done tue nights before at Ruglen, I went thither and inquyred for the names. So soon as I got them, I sent our partye to sease on them, and found not only three of those rogues, but also ane intercomend minister called King. We had them at Strevan about six in the morning yesterday, and resolving to convey them to this, I thought that we might make a little tour to see if we could fall upon a conventicle; which we did, little to our advantage; for when we came in sight of them, we found them drawn up in batell, upon a most advantageous ground, to which there was no coming but through mosses and lakes. They were not preaching, and had got all there women and shildring. They consisted of four battaillons of foot, and all well armed with fusils and pitchforks, and three squadrons of horse. We sent both partys to skirmish, they of foot and we of dragoons; they run for it, and sent down a battaillon of foot against them; we sent threescore of dragoons, who made them run again shamefully; but in end, they perceiving that we had the better of them in skirmish, they resolved a general engadgement, and immediately advanced with there foot, the horse following; they came throght the lotche; the greatest body of all made up against my troupe; we keeped our fyre till they were within ten paces of us: they received our fyr, and advanced to shok; the first they gave us broght down the Coronet Mr. Crafford and Captain Bleith, besides that with a pitchfork they made such an opening in my rone horse, that his bowels hung out half an elle, and yet he caryed me af an myl; which so discouraged my men, that they sustained not the shok, but fell into disorder. There horse took the occasion of this and pursued us so hotly, that we had no tym to rayly. I saved the standarts, but lost on the place about aight or ten men, besides wounded; but the dragoons lost many mor. They ar not come esily af on the other side, for I sawe severall of them fall befor we cam to the shok.. I mad the best retraite the confusion of our people would suffer, and I am now laying with my Lord Rosse. The toun of Streven drew up as we was making our retrait, and thoght of a pass to cut us off; but we took courage, and fell to them, made them run, leaving a dousain on the place. What these rogues will dou yet I know not, but the contry was flocking to them from all hands. This may be counted the beginning of the rebellion, in my opinion. I am, my lord, your lordship's most humble servant,

J. GRAHAME. "My lord, I am so wearied, and so sleepy, that I have wryten this very confusedly.' "

GENEROSITY.

WE know not when we have met with a nobler instance of generosity than the following. It is refreshing

'Mid every day's report Of wrong and outrage with which earth is filled,

to meet with a trait of human character like this, to put us in good humor again with human nature!

The Dublin Evening Post contains the following extract of a letter from Paris: -Bann of marriage between a French gentleman of the name of M—— and Miss H. the daughter of the Rev. John H——, have been published at the Church of St. Philippe du Roule, under strange circumstances. A British Officer, now here, was paying his addresses to the young lady in question, with her father's approbation. He discovered, however, that she loved a Frenchman, Monsieur M——, whose disqualification in the estimation of the Rev. Baronet, was want of fortune; ascertaining also that the possession of 100,000 francs would remove all objections to the favored lover, Capt. D——, with a rare generosity, advanced the money, and thus proved, in a way which cannot be questioned, that the happiness of the object of his affections was dearer to him than his own.