The Abbot of Aberbrothock

Clutha Leader, Volume IV, Issue 190, 1 March 1878, Page 3

The Abbot of Aberbrothock

* _^_^Bi_BHl_^B--_^_^_^_^_^__-l_l--i^__BE-9_B^^_H--l 'of frepJHfcyysxy^y^E^^^n^ A great number of the lesser barons and the f leading burghers' of the; towns had joined the reformers. from pure motives } -butf -<shere were -not 1 wanting far-seeing persons-who looked forward to the chance of fishing in troubled waters. Enthusiasm arid; self-interest on the one side was met by self-interest and fanaticism on the other side, and' the result was 1 ■ that? the }hand-ofevery man| was turned; against ' his fellow. I'he'Afields were cultivated by armed men, arms were stored in' every.house, and nb'man ventured but without them.' Such was the state of Scotland at. the period of- o^ story. The bright,sun of an .August day in the .year. 1559 shone down, upon, 'astirring scene that was being enacted at the. harbour .of;, the little monkish town of Aberbro.hock. Long lines of armed men stood in. an attitude of attentioiij, as *if awaiting the arrival of some person of distinction. There might be seen the atquebusier with his clumsy weapon, the sturdy spearsmari and "the light archer, while yonder fluttered the., gaudy tartans bf tup; Highlander, with, the sun-glitter flashing* on..] s^eel-bpund target and claymore. A small knot of horsemen could be; seen.riding slowly along the shorehead. and ever and anon a hand would be pointed seaward, as if the expected guests were coming in that direction. Far in the distance, o'er the wild waste of waters, there was something to be seen that looked like; the wings of agull, but which the experienced eye could tell to be the white sails of a ship. Mary of-Guise,-the Queen Regent of Scotland, was bel sieged in Leith with her"French soldiers >by the Lords of the Congregation, and she was> now: making ..a, hurried visit to Aberbrothock to confer with the Abbot land the Popish lords of the northern counties as to the best means of defeating her, enemies; and these were the armed vassals of the Monastery and the clansmen of'her Highland adherents ordered out to do honour to her ar;rival. That tall man on the black, horse, jwho rode foremost in the group, and ;whose swarthy skin and shifty eye were ;Uot likely to inspire confidence, was jAndrew,Lindsay, laird of Auchmithie, ;the leader Of the. retainers of the Lord • Abbot of Aberbrothock. That squarebuilt,, middle-aged-man with the long brown hair and the pleasant smiling jface, who rode at his left hand, was Sir iJohn Carnegie,.of Northesk,.who had, leanings towards the Reformers, but who bad not yet broken off from the ancien t faith, Likewise a vassal of the iAbbey, though semi-independent, he had accompanied bis quota ot men, and was,prepared like.a Isal subject to,receive the Queen Regent. The rest of the group were meri of* their own rank come on the same errand. 4 Ken ye, Laird, what may be the cause, o*s this ,hasfcy .muster ? * «*aid Sir; 'John. ' Will things be gain' sair wrang at Leith, think ye, that the Queen is leavin' it sac. hurriedly ? * ' Richt or wrang, I doot she is only coming oot o' ■ the fryin' panintae the fire. We hae as mony heretics nnder the shadow o' ppr, am braw Abbey as they are fit tae hae at Leith, an* I am no sure but mony o\ thae Jads that stand sac steady waitin'' tae' do honour tae her landin'will be the first; tae turn again' her.' 1 Surely ye're mistaen/ said Sir John, with something of a smile. 'lam sure tbe Abbey has been a^gude-mither tae them ; but .1 > suppose the Queen '11 eather be gain' north wi' the Earl o' Huntly, or she'll be gain' straught back -again !' • I dinna ken,' said the Laird; 'an' indeed, tae tell the truth, I dinna muckle care. Let her gae whate'er way she will, there'll' be naething but doo! an' sorrow. But; the ship is comin' [weel in sicht nop, arid I maun send the ifisher lads pot-tae tow her in.' Then'giving his'horse the spur, he trotted :down to the cad of the pier, and shouted to two; =,men Iwho sat in a .boat-i— [ « Hy, Tarn Cdrgill, yell get a dizzen •o* men,^an' three or four boats, and yell iaw|!f oot lari* tow thfat ship ih,7an' yell ■better tak' tent an' dae yer wark weel, Ifor that ship ihands the: Queen, and jmonv lords and ladies.' \ « We'U ri tal_* an' jbring her in a' richt,',crie(i T Tam. | Jln a^ short'time:4he^Laird saw the ; boats pnt?oflff^^andrtheirha" wheele~d"hiß ; horse aiid trotted back again to Vtiie [servants, he ordered him ' taie ride up jtae the Abbey, an*4tell tHe<Alftfd)Ahbb9 |«ri-\th<|: j^jsfno^i^bljß^^^paß j^ that -the.

j i|]biip was -g*«t9t»laiii'rAsichtj-laii^uthat she -lieiuA A: The man^rode off to Weliverbis message, leaving the Laird Oyregume his conversation with Sir fpjiri Carnegie. fff-Tbp sMpi''%H;wee] past ; :the Bell; lock -noo/ said Sir" John. '*■ I maistt Kiiikt hear the dowie clank o' the »cli; , as the,;, /-water jtspl.ashksOower it. a braw fellow's life has been ayedfby that bell. Heaven saint the pal p' the gude Abbot Ambrose that •rdered it tae be made.' aY What will be, will be/ said the jairri^ -•? « but, faith, she -is aakin' gude -speed.' -Div you see yon ipa'ts bobbin' up an' doon in the water wer be,tke,Ea ; st Neuk o'Eife ?., Ton's lie Dundee heretics feshin'- io theTay, h- I'm tbinkin' g-in the Qdeen kent rha they war,jshe is angry enouch tae bout ship an- nn f them iddori.' : A* It is better as it is,* said Sir John ; * but see, the boats-hae-got her in tow, an' they'll sune be in noo. I am glad o't, for tbe men are lookin'.gey weary t like,' an'-^ba ! ha ! —here comes the I-ord Abbot an- , a' : his .honourable co nv-. >any.V '„ .. ,"_.. a, r ; . Down, the long tbihlyibuiit street, ■now known as the Highistreet,; came a' procession of monks, interspersed by many a , gallant ,_n ; gorgeous apparel. At tneir bead rode the ' Lord Aibbot and jthe Earl of Huntly, followed by the Lords Ogilvie of Airlie, and Lyon of Strathmore, while the rear was brought *up ;by, the, servants, with /led hqrses for i the i expected guests. The people had poured in from the country-' in great numbers, for the in- r fluence pf.the Abbey was paramount in Angus" and tfie Mearns, and many and contradictory- were -the opinions expressed, but the great strength of the Popish party prevented the Reformers from creating any disturbance; Apdythey.were in great numbers, r for, there were the Ogiivies,' of Airlie, the Gordons, of Aberdeenshire,' the Drum-' i monds, of Perth, and many other stubborn Highlandmen, met to do honour | to the Queen Regent, and show their i devotion to. Mother Church. | But although the Reformers were greatly outnumbered, still their enthusiasm was intense and their audacity great, for as the monks passed with the ; cross elevated, their bootings and groans were distinctly hea^d. One of their number was making himself very conspicuous by his disapprobation, when he was seized by a vigorous arm and tumbled headlong into the kennel. Rising in wrath to inflict a summary vengeance npon his assaulter, '•• he perceived a tall young ;man with blue eyes and long brown curling ; hair. His velvet bonnet, set with the crest of a bull's head and a sprig of hawthorn, proclaimed him one of the Clan Ogilvie ; while his. dress of richly-embroidered velvet, together with, his silver-mounted broadsword and dagger, showed him entitled to the rank of gentleman. Immediately behind him Stood another man, older in appearance and meaner in dress, who ■was evidently his servant. As the Reformer raised himself from the dirt and threatened hostilities, he caught his master, by tbe.arm and said tt-, * Sant Andrew keep us, Maister Malcolm j surely ye're ho g-aen tae ifle yer hands wi*. that heretic! Let, me till him, and I'll tie a knot on him in twa minutes.' * No, no, Tam,' said IVlalcolm, laughing ; ' you needna meddle him, he has got plenty. He'll be quiet noo till he gets himsel' washed.' ' It's just like .jfche -bluidy Papists,' cried tbe Reformer — * twa upon ane. Bit a time, 'ill come whan we'll see day. about wi' ye.' Then seeing the attention of some of .the ; Highlanders attracted to him, he disappeared in the crowd. The procession moved on, and Malcolm, accompanied by Tarn, elbowed his w;ay : ; good-humouredly until he', reached the front. As they were now near the pier, they could* see the ship rapidly approaching,. and hear- the men-at-arms loudly cheering, and by the Itime they had taken their allotted stations the ship had" been made fast, and amidst musketry, and shouts, and cheers, -and* waving flags- and handker-'. chiefs, Mary of Guise, Queen Regent of Scotland,' landed at Aberbrothock ' ori her last visit to the last Abbot of that s ancient monastery. -The Earl of Huntly hastily dismounted, and, with his jewelled bonnet in. his hand,. : grace.fully knelt and kissed ' her hand, ' arid ' then .assisted her and; her ladies>,in-waiting : to , mount . ttieir. palfreys, amid the renewed cheers of the assembled"multitude. „ - A- -.': .-.'.'• -A .„•:-, ; yy i f-.-X ■-■:-. .-' '. U-- . The ..Quepn, Regent at this time would . be about forty years of age/a woman •possessed- of some "intelleciy and st great ; [deal of duplicity. Like all her race, she was a devotee, a~dupe, and a tool in the hands of the Romish priesthood. yOf her ( l.adies, -two.^ere r jFr ; ench and three Scottish.' The French ladies and •one of the Scottish were aged, but the I two younger were -in the bloom and jglory of youth. ThatsioneTywithj ther raven.- |hair ? .the •beautifully regular features, and the jpale white skin, was the Lady Elizabeth I Hamil ton/'-daUgh'tbr- Aof A the' IDuke of 'Chatelherault, but too strict a Catholic ito change sides^ith^jier father and (brother. That l'ady'ndirig by her side jisAJthe sister ofc the jfhis well known in 1 ' the riorthAof Septland (^ns the ; bpnnie ; Jeannie^ Gordon.[Her golden^haiilfen^ /mi he%yy^ ringlets, , •*-_ijeyt^e^cpioar on

lier cheeks-pame - arid? -went" with t he pleasure and: excitement; of thescener j^eloiv the 1 middle Height, l s 1 o- j youtl_ful! was her, r fca t t ( ures> so pleasant ] her inno-* cent sunny smile, so winsome was the glance of her beautiful eyes, that all Jiearts: swarmed/xto her-~the. men^with j ardent love, and the .women without ! *=- n .Vy-..,.., -„:- .. ' ; „.,-'. .. A[A „.. *? .. -s | i Strong indeed must have been the J feeling i excited j '"for even ; nowy after- ; i tb^ee. hundred, years are /past-, the lassies.'yont the Taysing o' : v Bonnie Jeannie i Gordon," and wish they were like herA Up, the vu T Auldy ( Sbpre Head," r and, up the long crooked High-street, went' the goodly prpcessipn~t ing, r and 'the 0 bagpipes 'screaming, and the' people shouting-^-a; hideous o£ uproar andj confusion. „ ■y.sXX.y

Near the; rpresept; Kirk f Wynd some of the horses took fright, and, among others, those "of the ' Queen's' ladies reared/ on r their ihind .legs; arid dashed,?fprward up. .the ; brae, : where stand, pow-a-days t^e^Acadenay and the Gas Work. '." ' ,

Malcolm Ogilvie, fascinated ' by the radiant beauty of Lady Gordon^ had marched along unmoved by his surroundings, when he saw her , palfrey spring forward in, startled haste.

TO pull a raan-at-arrns from his horse, mount : in 'hot baste-^heedless of of the exclamations of its rightful owner —and gallop off at headlong pace, was the work of a moment. ,

" Past the Abbey, old and'-hoafy, past •the-: Hays.: W:t?ll,- past J3t. Vigeans. ;went, the terror-stricken animals, the ladies pallid with 'fright, and 'the* rescuers close at their heels. Now one. after another is caught and. stopped, but still the Lady Gordon is 'in danger, and still Malcolm Ogilvie dashes on. to her rescue. Yonder the Brothock meanders along, singing : ori its pebbly bed,' but the banks are highland the. runaway horse is heading in that direction. In vain does Malcolm use whip and spu r. ', although ,he is gaining fast), he will not be in time; then, desperate with the danger that they cannot escape, he drew his dagger and drove it into the. animal he rode. The horse sprang forward with a shrill scream of pain ; and be had just time to seize the bridle of the lady's palfrey and. throw it on its haunches, when his own fell dead under him. To spring to his feet and assist her to dismount was quickly done, and no sooner did Lady Jeannie find! that she was in, safety, than she fainted in his arras. Laying her gently down on the grass, he r^n down the precipitous bank, and filling his bonnet with water, he returned and sprinkled her lovely countenance, and chafed her hands, until she recovered, consciousness. After a little time she : was able to rise, when he assisted her to mount her, palfrey, who had now recovered from it's terror * and with his hand on the bridle, he led the way to St. Vigeans, which he saw in the distance, and where he hoped to procure assistance.