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Home Domestic Affairs, 1660-88, in England and Scotland Scotland; Part 2 |
Scotland; Part 2It is true that Lauderdale, who governed Scotland for many years (From 1667-79), did, at times, attempt reconciliation. But the Covenanters in the south-west were irreconcilable. They believed in the Divine origin of Presbyterianism and would never recognize the rule of bishops. Finally, an army was sent in 1676 into the south-west to suppress the conventicles and to disarm the country, and committed various atrocities. In 1679 Archbishop Sharp, who had been a Covenanter and then deserted to the Episcopalians, was murdered efforts in the direction of toleration were made. The Highlands were pacified and good order maintained throughout Scotland ("A man may ride over all Scotland ", said a contemporary, " with a switch in his hand and a hundred pounds in his pocket, which he could not have done these five hundred years"). Above all, Scotland secured Free Trade with England, and her prosperity was, as a consequence, greatly developed.Then came the Restoration. One result of it was that Scotland lost her Free Trade with England, though she recovered her independence. Another was that the supreme authority of the king was restored. And along with the king's supremacy in political affairs, the supremacy of the bishops was re-established in religious matters. From 1638-51 the Presbyterians had been the persecuting body; now it was their turn to suffer. The Marquis of Argyll (He was known in the Lowlands, in consequence of a slight squint, as "the gleyd-eyed Marquis"), the leader of the Presbyterians, whose loyalty to the Stuarts had been somewhat doubtful, and who had made terms with Cromwell's Government, was beheaded, as were three others. All existing holders of livings had to be re-instituted by bishops; but nearly one-third of the ministers refused to recognize the bishops and were "outed" from their benefices. By a Law, known popularly as the "Bishop's Drag-net", those persons who refused to go to church were fined; and laws which increased in severity as time went on were passed against persons attending conventicles, i.e. religious meetings outside church. These laws resulted in a good deal of persecution (Even "the Boot" was used for the extraction of evidence against Covenanters, "the Boot" being a frame into which wedges were driven to crush the leg), especially in the south-west, which was full of Covenanters. It is true that Lauderdale, who governed Scotland for many years (From 1667-79), did, at times, attempt reconciliation. But the Covenanters in the south-west were irreconcilable. They believed in the Divine origin of Presbyterianism and would never recognize the rule of bishops. Finally, an army was sent in 1676 into the south-west to suppress the conventicles and to disarm the country, and committed various atrocities. In 1679 Archbishop Sharp, who had been a Covenanter and then deserted to the Episcopalians, was murdered in the East, and then the Western Whigs rose and routed the king's forces at Drumdog. The Duke of Monmouth was sent to deal with them, and at Bothwell Brig the Covenanters were overcome. Fresh persecution followed, and the extreme Covenanters were very harshly treated. Of the rest of Scottish history till the Revolution we have little space to say anything. James II—or James VII of Scotland—ascended the throne in 1685. He had been, for a short period in Charles's reign, High Commissioner in Scotland and was not unpopular with the leading men in that country. The Earl of Argyll, it is true, did attempt a rebellion on behalf of Monmouth, but it came to nothing and Argyll was beheaded. James II, however, quickly alienated all classes by his policy, for a Roman Catholic service was established in Holyrood and Roman Catholics put into various offices. Scotland was consequently full of discontent when, in 1688, the Revolution came in England. |
Chronology |
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