Ivanhoe: A Romance
practice within two days, and ceased not till that he obtained his
formost purpose, that is, that he had got all his pieces subscryvit
alsweill as ane half-roasted hand could do it. The Earl thinking
himself sure enough so long as he had the half-roasted Abbot in his own
keeping, and yet being ashamed of his presence by reason of his former
cruelty, left the place of Denure in the hands of certain of his
servants, and the half-roasted Abbot to be kept there as prisoner. The
Laird of Bargany, out of whose company the said Abbot had been enticed,
understanding, (not the extremity,) but the retaining of the man, sent
to the court, and raised letters of deliverance of the person of the
man according to the order, which being disobeyed, the said Earl for
his contempt was denounced rebel, and put to the horne. But yet hope
was there none, neither to the afflicted to be delivered, neither yet
to the purchaser [i.e. procurer] of the letters to obtain any comfort
thereby; for in that time God was despised, and the lawful authority
was contemned in Scotland, in hope of the sudden return and regiment of
that cruel murderer of her awin husband, of whose lords the said Earl
was called one; and yet, oftener than once, he was solemnly sworn to
the King and to his Regent.”
The Journalist then recites the complaint of the injured Allan Stewart,
Commendator of Crossraguel, to the Regent and Privy Council, averring
his having been carried, partly by flattery, partly by force, to the
black vault of Denure, a strong fortalice, built on a rock overhanging
the Irish channel, where to execute leases and conveyances of the whole
churches and parsonages belonging to the Abbey of Crossraguel, which he
utterly refused as an unreasonable demand, and the more so that he had
already conveyed them to John Stewart of Cardonah, by whose interest he
had been made Commendator. The complainant proceeds to state, that he
was, after many menaces, stript, bound, and his limbs exposed to fire
in the manner already described, till, compelled by excess of agony, he
subscribed the charter and leases presented to him, of the contents of
which he was totally ignorant. A few days afterwards, being again
required to execute a ratification of these deeds before a notary and
witnesses, and refusing to do so, he was once more subjected to the
same torture, until his agony was so excessive that he exclaimed, “Fye
on you, why do you not strike your whingers into me, or blow me up with
a barrel of powder, rather than torture me thus unmercifully?” upon
which the Earl commanded Alexander Richard, one of his attendants, to
stop the patient’s mouth with a napkin, which was done accordingly.
Thus he was once more compelled to submit to their tyranny. The
petition concluded with stating, that the Earl, under pretence of the
deeds thus iniquitously obtained, had taken possession of the whole
place and living of Crossraguel, and enjoyed the profits thereof for
three years.
The doom of the Regent and Council shows singularly the total
interruption of justice at this calamitous period, even in the most
clamant cases of oppression. The Council declined interference with the
course of the ordinary justice of the county, (which was completely
under the said Earl of Cassilis’ control,) and only enacted, that he
should forbear molestation of the unfortunate Comendator, under the
surety of two thousand pounds Scots. The Earl was appointed also to
keep the peace towards the celebrated George Buchanan, who had a
pension out of the same Abbacy, to a similar extent, and under the like
penalty.
The consequences are thus described by the Journalist already quoted.—
“The said Laird of Bargany perceiving that the ordiner justice could
neither help the oppressed, nor yet the afflicted, applied his mind to
the next remedy, and in the end, by his servants, took the house of
Denure, where the poor Abbot was kept prisoner. The bruit flew fra
Carrick to Galloway, and so suddenly assembled herd and hyre-man that
pertained to the band of the Kennedies; and so within a few hours was
the house of Denure environed again. The master of Cassilis was the
frackast [i.e. the readiest or boldest] and would not stay, but in his
heat would lay fire to the dungeon, with no small boasting that all
enemies within the house should die.
“He was required and admonished by those that were within to be more
moderate, and not to hazard himself so foolishly. But no admonition
would help, till that the wind of an hacquebute blasted his shoulder,
and then ceased he from further pursuit in fury. The Laird of Bargany
had before purchest [obtained] of the authorities, letters, charging
all faithfull subjects to the King’s Majesty, to assist him against
that cruel tyrant and mansworn traitor, the Earl of Cassilis; which
letters, with his private writings, he published, and shortly found sic
concurrence of Kyle and Cunynghame with his other friends, that the
Carrick company drew back fra the house: and so the other approached,
furnished the house with more men, delivered the said Mr Allan, and
carried him to Ayr, where, publicly at the market cross of the said
town, he declared how cruelly he was entreated, and how the murdered
King suffered not sic torment as he did, excepting only he escaped the
death: and, therefore, publickly did revoke all things that were done
in that extremity, and especially revoked the subscription of the three
writings, to wit, of a fyve yeir tack and nineteen year tack, and of a
charter of feu. And so the house remained, and remains (till this day,
the 7th of February, 1571,) in the custody of the said Laird of Bargany
and of his servants. And so cruelty was disappointed of proffeit
present, and shall be eternallie punished, unless he earnestly repent.
And this far for the cruelty committed, to give occasion unto others,
and to such as hate the monstrous dealing of degenerate nobility, to
look more diligently upon their behaviuours, and to paint them forth
unto the world, that they themselves may be ashamed of their own
beastliness, and that the world may be advertised and admonished to
abhor, detest, and avoid the company of all sic tyrants, who are not
worthy of the society of men, but ought to be sent suddenly to the
devil, with whom they must burn without end, for their contempt of God,
and cruelty committed against his creatures. Let Cassilis and his
brother be the first to be the example unto others. Amen. Amen.” 62
This extract has been somewhat amended or modernized in orthography, to
render it more intelligible to the general reader. I have to add, that
the Kennedies of Bargany, who interfered in behalf of the oppressed
Abbot, were themselves a younger branch of the Cassilis family, but
held different politics, and were powerful enough in this, and other
instances, to bid them defiance.
The ultimate issue of this affair does not appear; but as the house of
Cassilis are still in possession of the greater part of the feus and
leases which belonged to Crossraguel Abbey, it is probable the talons
of the King of Carrick were strong enough, in those disorderly times,
to retain the prey which they had so mercilessly fixed upon.
I may also add, that it appears by some papers in my possession, that
the officers or Country Keepers on the border, were accustomed to
torment their prisoners by binding them to the iron bars of their
chimneys, to extort confession.
NOTE TO CHAPTER XXIX
Note F.—Heraldry
The author has been here upbraided with false heraldry, as having
charged metal upon metal. It should be remembered, however, that
heraldry had only its first rude origin during the crusades, and that
all the minutiae of its fantastic science were the work of time, and
introduced at a much later period. Those who think otherwise must
suppose that the Goddess of “Armoirers”, like the Goddess of Arms,
sprung into the world completely equipped in all the gaudy trappings of
the department she presides over.
Additional Note
In corroboration of said note, it may be observed, that the arms, which
were assumed by Godfrey of Boulogne himself, after the conquest of
Jerusalem, was a cross counter patent cantoned with four little crosses
or, upon a field azure, displaying thus metal upon metal. The heralds
have tried to explain this undeniable fact in different modes—but Ferne
gallantly contends, that a prince of Godfrey’s qualities should not be
bound by the ordinary rules. The Scottish Nisbet, and the same Ferne,
insist that the chiefs of the Crusade must have assigned to Godfrey
this extraordinary and unwonted coat-of-arms, in order to induce those
who should behold them to make enquiries; and hence give them the name
of “arma inquirenda”. But with reverence to these grave authorities, it
seems unlikely that the assembled princes of Europe should have
adjudged to Godfrey a coat armorial so much contrary to the general
rule, if such rule had then existed; at any rate, it proves that metal
upon metal, now accounted a solecism in heraldry, was admitted in other
cases similar to that in the text. See Ferne’s “Blazon of Gentrie” p.
238. Edition 1586. Nisbet’s “Heraldry”, vol. i. p. 113. Second Edition.
NOTE TO CHAPTER XXXI
Note G.—Ulrica’s Death song.
It will readily occur to the antiquary, that these verses are intended
to imitate the antique poetry of the Scalds—the minstrels of the old
Scandinavians—the race, as the Laureate so happily terms them,
“Stern to inflict, and stubborn to endure,
Who smiled in death.”
The poetry of the Anglo-Saxons, after their civilisation and
conversion, was of a different and softer character; but in the
circumstances of Ulrica, she may be not unnaturally supposed to return
to the wild strains which animated her forefathers during the time of
Paganism and untamed ferocity.
NOTE TO CHAPTER XXXII
Note H.—Richard Cœur-de-Lion.
The interchange of a cuff with the jolly priest is not entirely out of
character with Richard I., if romances read him aright. In the very
curious romance on the subject of his adventures in the Holy Land, and
his return from thence, it is recorded how he exchanged a pugilistic
favour of this nature, while a prisoner in Germany. His opponent was
the son of his principal warder, and was so imprudent as to give the
challenge to this barter of buffets. The King stood forth like a true
man, and received a blow which staggered him. In requital, having
previously waxed his hand, a practice unknown, I believe, to the
gentlemen of the modern fancy, he returned the box on the ear with such
interest as to kill his antagonist on the spot.—See, in Ellis’s
Specimens of English Romance, that of Cœur-de-Lion.
NOTE TO CHAPTER XXXIII
Note I.—Hedge-Priests.
It is curious to observe, that in every state of society, some sort of
ghostly consolation is provided for the members of the community,
though assembled for purposes diametrically opposite to religion. A
gang of beggars have their Patrico, and the banditti of the Apennines
have among them persons acting as monks and priests, by whom they are
confessed, and who perform mass before them. Unquestionably, such
reverend persons, in such a society, must accommodate their manners and
their morals to the community in which they live; and if they can
occasionally obtain a degree of reverence for their supposed spiritual
gifts, are, on most occasions, loaded with unmerciful ridicule, as
possessing a character inconsistent with all around them.
Hence the fighting parson in the old play of Sir John Oldcastle, and
the famous friar of Robin Hood’s band. Nor were such characters ideal.
There exists a monition of the Bishop of Durham against irregular
churchmen of this class, who associated themselves with Border robbers,