“Then first a woman’s voice was heard
      In jeer and laughter loud,”—­p. 38.

“It is remarkable that, of the many thousand beholders, the Lady Jean Gordon, Countess of Haddington, did (alone) publicly insult and laugh at him; which being perceived by a gentleman in the street, he cried up to her, that it became her better to sit upon the cart for her adulteries.”—­Wigton Papers.  This infamous woman was the third daughter of Huntly, and the niece of Argyle.  It will hardly be credited that she was the sister of that gallant Lord Gordon, who fell fighting by the side of Montrose, only five years before, at the battle of Aldford!

  “For seven long years thou hast not dared
      To look him in the face,”—­p. 39.

“The Lord Lorn and his new lady were also sitting on a balcony, joyful spectators; and the cart being stopped when it came before the lodging where the Chancellor, Argyle, and Warristoun sat—­that they might have time to insult—­he, suspecting the business, turned his face towards them, whereupon they presently crept in at the windows; which being perceived by an Englishman, he cried up, it was no wonder they started aside at his look, for they durst not look him in the face these seven years bygone.”—­Wigton Papers.

  “With savage glee came Warristoun,
      To read the murderous doom,”—­p. 40.

Archibald Johnston of Warristoun.  This man, who was the inveterate enemy of Montrose, and who carried the most selfish spirit into every intrigue of his party, received the punishment of his treasons about eleven years afterwards.  It may be instructive to learn how he met his doom.  The following extract is from the MSS. of Sir George Mackenzie:—­“The Chancellor and others waited to examine him; he fell upon his face, roaring, and with tears entreated they would pity a poor creature who had forgot all that was in the Bible.  This moved all the spectators with a deep melancholy; and the Chancellor, reflecting upon the man’s great parts, former esteem, and the great share he had in all the late revolutions, could not deny some tears to the frailty of silly mankind.  At his examination, he pretended he had lost so much blood by the unskilfulness of his chirurgeons, that he lost his memory with his blood; and I really believe that his courage had been drawn out with it.  Within a few days he was brought before the parliament, where he discovered nothing but much weakness, running up and down upon his knees, begging mercy; but the parliament ordained his former sentence to be put to execution, and accordingly he was executed at the Cross of Edinburgh.”

  “And God who made shall gather them: 
      I go from you to Him!”—­p. 41.

“He said he was much beholden to the parliament for the honour they had put on him; ‘for,’ says he, ’I think it a greater honour to have my head standing on the port of this town, for this quarrel, than to have my picture in the king’s bedchamber.  I am beholden to you that, lest my loyalty should be forgotten, ye have appointed five of your most eminent towns to bear witness of it to posterity.’”—­Wigton Papers.