Elegy in memory of that valient champion, Sir Robert Grierson, late laird of Lag, or, The Prince of Darkness

AN

ELEGY

IN

MEMORY

OF THAT VALIANT CHAMPION,

SIR ROBERT GRIERSON,

LATE LAIRD OF LAG;

OR,

THE PRINCE OF DARKNESS,

His Lamentation for, and Commendation of, his trusty and well-beloved Friend, the
Laird of Lag.
Who died December 23d, 1733.

Wherein the Prince of Darkness sets forth the Commendation of many of his best Friends, who were chief Promoters of his interest, and Upholders of his Kingdom, in the time of the late Persecution.

Very useful and necessary to be read by all who desire to be well informed concerning the Chief Managers and Management of the late Persecuting Period.

FALKIRK:

printed by t. johnston

———

1813.

AN

ELEGY

IN MEMORY OF

SIR ROBERT GRIERSON,

OF LAG.

WHAT fatal news is this I hear?
On earth who shall my standard bear?
For Lag who was my champion brave,
Is dead and now laid in his grave.
The want of him in a great grief;
⟨He was⟩ my manager and chief
Who fought my kingdom to promove,
And to my laws he had great love.
Could such a furious fiend as I
Shed tears my cheeks would never dry;
But I could mourn both night and day,
'Cause Lag from earth is ta'en away.
It is no wonder I am sad
A better friend I never had.
Through all the large tract of his time,
He never did my ways decline:
He was my trusty constant liege,
Who at all times did me oblige;
But now what shall I think or say?
By death at last he's a'en away.
He was a man of meikle zeal,
Who in my service did not fail:
He was no coward to relent;
No man dare say he did repent
Or the good service done to me;
For as he liv'd so did he die
He bore my image on his brow,
My service he did still avow.
He had no other deity.
But this world the flesh and me;
Unto us he did homage pay,
And did us worship every day.
The thing that he delighted in.
Was that which pious folk call sin,
Adultery, whoredom and such vice,
Such pleasures were his paradise.
To curse, to swear and to blaspheme,
He gloried in, and thought no shame;
To excess he drank beer and wine,
Till he was drunken like a swine.
No Sabbath day regarded he,
But spent it in profanity;
'Mong other vices as some say,
He ravish d virgins on that day:
But that which rais d his fame so high,
Was the good service done to me,
In bearing of a deadly feud
'Gainst people who did pray and read,
And sought my kingdom to impair
These were the f lk he did not spare.
Any who read the scriptures through,
I'm sure they'll find but very few
Of my best friends, that's mention'd there,
That could with Grier of Lag compare.
Though Cain ⟨was⟩ a bloody man,
He to Lags ratchets never came,
In shedding of the blood of those
Who did my laws and ways oppose.
Like Saul, who David did pursue,
He rais'd on them the cry and hue,
And cruelty he did oppress
Such as religion d d profess.
Doeg the Edomite did slay
Fourscore and five priests in one day;
But if you'll rake the will for deed,
Brave Lag did Doeg far exceed.
He of the blood royal was come,
Of Ahab he was a true son;
For he did sell himself to me,
To work sin and inquity.
Herod for me had great zeal,
Though his main purpose far did fail,
He many slew by a decree,
Bu did not toil so much for me
As Lag, who in his person went
To every place where he was sent,
To persecute both man and wife,
Who he knew led a pious life.
Brave Clavers flourish'd in his day;
And many lives did take away,
He to Rome's cause most firmly stood,
And drunken was with the saint's blood,
Which in abundance he did shed.
Of those who from his presencr fled.
In moss and mountain, cleugh and glen,
Were slaughter'd by his Highlandmen.
He was a terror where he came,
To all the followers of the Lamb.
With great industry and fatigue,
He labour'd to root out that seed;
That where he came none might remain,
Who in the least did me defame
He rifled houses, and did plunder
In moor and dale many a hunder.
He all the shires in south and west
With blood and rapine sore opprest.
He to his utmost did contrive
How he might make my k ngdom thrive,
And how he might bring down all those
That did my government oppose
His mischief never prosper'd ill,
Except one time near Lowdon hill,
Where shamefully he did retreat
Before a few, who did him beat,
Till more assistance I did give,
And then brave Clavers did revive;
With fury then and hellish rage,
He did these wanderers engage,
And fought their utter overthrow,
In every place where he did go.
He was made Viscount of Dundee,
For venturing his all for me.
This honour he enjoy'd not long,
Soon after this he was ta'en home:
By hidden fits at last the fell
At Killicranky, near Dunkel.
No longer he could serve me here;
But Lag surviv'd for many a year,
And constantly stood to his post,
When many a champion brave was lost.
Brave Charles Stewart of renows,
The best that ever wore a crown,
For whoredom and adultery,
For incest and profanity
For drunkenness and for perjury.
He neither word nor oath regarded;
With gibbets he his friend rewarded;
When opposition he did meet.
He then did play the hypocrite,
And feign'd himself for reformation,
When he intended deformation.
At Spey and Scoon within a year,
The covenants he twice did swear;
And at Dunfermline did profess
His sorrow for his naughtiness;
But that wa all to get the crown.
That he the better might throw down
That covenanted Presbytery,
That was so opposite to me;
For afterwards he did rescind
These covenants no more to bind;
And solemnly he gave command
To burn them by the hangman's hand.
He caus'd the nations to abjure
What they call d reformation pure.
Brave Prelacy he did restore,
As it in Scotland was before.
And to this Dagon he caus'd bow
Scotsmen century to their vow.
He many a conscience did defile,
Which made me on his court to smile;
Malignants he advanced high.
'Cause they good subjects were to me.
He tolerated heresy,
All error and profanity:
A blasphemous supremacy
Over the church usurped he;
And granted an indulgency,
The eby to ruin Pre bytry.
My sceptre he did bravely sway,
And punish d those that did gainsay,
By tortures that were most severe,
By prisoning and loss of gear:
And cruel murders many a way,
Because they from my laws did stray:
But kindness he did ever bear
To all the Popish far and near:
No Pope in Rome did ever dwell,
That could this noble prince exce',
For in a word he did advance
My kingdom more than Rome or France;
Neither Spain nor Germany
Had so much true zeal for me.
He reigned long but at the last,
His brother York gave him a cast.
He poison'd him and made him die,
And sent him home to my country;
To Tophet, that's both wide and large,
Which he chas'd for his heritage
Great Middleton tha' man of might,
My service he did never slight:
To work he furiously did go
The covenants to overthrow;
He like Nehushan did them treat,
Like almanacks that's out of dare
He did rescind their force and power,
And solemnly did them abjure.
He nullified all acts and laws
That favoured the scripture cause:
And ruin'd many a family,
For nought but non-conformity;
If hirelings they would not hear,
Their purse he punish'd most severe:
He made the south of Scotland feel
His griping claws were made of steel,
They were so crooked hard, and sharp,
They pierc'd men's substance to the heart.
The king's commission while he did bear,
Men loft their conscience, life, or gear.
But Charles too soon him discarded,
Yet I his kindness well rewarded;
And this I hope he'll not deny,
Since now he lives as well as I.
Fletcher, my friend, he was the first,
As advocate who did insist
Against the Whigs in the king's name,
To bring them to an open shame;
Charles my son did him instal,
To bring these rebels under thral,
Who still for covenants were pleading,
To justify their old proceeding.
He laboured very earnestly
To please his sovereign and me,
By rooting out brave Presbytery,
And planting noble Prelacy;
By shutting up in prison strong
These men who did my interest wrong,
And thirsting for the blood of them
Who did my government contemn;
His malice was so set on fire
That nothing could quench his desire,
Until Argyle, mine enemy,
W s brought condingly for to die;
And Guthrie, who did me oppose,
⟨By⟩ hanging he his days did close;
And Warriston, the worst of all,
By my friend Fletcher he did fail:
Thus wonderfully he did please me,
When of these rebels he did ease me;
For which good service he doth sit
Among the princes of my pit
And my dear cousin, Provost Mill,
Burnt covenants, yet thought no ill,
A Lithgow cross, with more disgrace
Then ever was at any place.
He burnt Lex Rex, and other books,
Which sourly on my interest looks;
And many acts of kirk and state,
Which he knew well that I did hate,
'Cause they advanc'd a reformation,
That shook my kingdom thro' the nation.
He burn old brechems, roaker, and reels,
Also the picture of the De'il;
I mean myself, 'cause he did think
My effigies would make all stink,
That he burnt on that solemn day,
Upon the twenty-ninth of May.
But my dear cousin was mista'en,
The covenants remained in fame,
By some that did love them so well,
That with their blood they did them seal.
Himself he did to me surrender,
And for tiame liv'd in great splendor,
Beloved well of all my friends,
Till at the last he lost his means,
And fell in want and poverty.
Which made him to the Abbey fly.
He who the covenants did burn,
A cheating bankrupt did become;
He lost his senses turn'd demented,
And none but me his case lamented;
And at the end of all did die,
Bemoaned by no man but me.
I did him visit in distress
Where he is now you'll eas'ly guess,
Turner did Galloway invade
And took from many what they had,
He spared neither old nor young
But plunder'd all where he did come,
Most savagely he did them treat.
And without mercy some did beat.
He spoil d that country cruelly,
And acted like a man for me.
A very hellish life he led
⟨As⟩ in my cave he had been bred.
Camphairn can well testify,
The cursing and profanity,
The outrages committed there.
(The half of which might file the air)
By Turner and his company.
Which wonderfully pleased me
Dalziel, who fought at Pentland hill,
And many of my foes did kill;
And other prisoners did lead.
Who after quarters were hang'd dead;
A downright a hei he did turn,
And ruin'd all where he did come,
That wanted the mark of the beast,
He did not spare them in the least;
In serving me he made his beast.
He was so valiant in my cause,
And so observant of my laws,
That to commend him there's no need.
His work have prais'd him.—Since he's dead.
Nisbet of Daltown in his stead.
In open court gainst Whigs did plead:
And to the gallows did pursue
The Pentland men who did renew
The covenants at Lanark town.
Till they on gibbets were brought down;
And by his rigorou pursuing
He many o her Whigs did ruin.
His ⟨great⟩ exploits pleasd me so well,
That I his name cannot conceal
But think fit that his deeds be told,
That so his name may be enroll d
'Mongst other worthier on record
Who serv'd me as their sovereign Lord.
M K z after did succeed,
At advocate for me to plead.
He turned to apostacy,
And spent his time in blasphemy;
He pled that persons might go free
For murder and for sorcery;
But brought them in guilty of treason,
Who were religious out of season,
Br Keeping Presbytery in fame.
Which king and council did disclaim;
Who of their conscience were to tender,
Religion they would not surrender
To please his Majesty and court,
And turn as changes came about:
To scripture they so firmly stood,
On them I did spue out a flood
Of mischief and calamity,
M Kenzie acted well for me:
Scripture religion at that time,
He made it such a heinous crime,
Out for it nought could satisfy,
But guilty persons they must die.
He many a faint pursu'd to death,
He feared neither hell nor wrath.
His conscience was so cauteriz'd,
He refus'd nothing that I pleas'd;
For which he’s had my kindness still,
Since he his labours did fulfil.
Rothes like a sow in mire,
Who of his whoredom did not tire,
But wallow'd in adultery,
In curling and profanity,
And did allot the Sabbath-day,
To spend it in his game and play:
Perjur'd himself in Mitchell's case,
To bring that rebel to disgrace.
He did contrive that rare engine
That did make H kston dree great pain,
To rip his breast at my desire,
And burn his heart quick in the fire,
Mangled his hands and took them off,
That they might be the people's cuff,
And afterwards struck off his pow,
And set it on the Netherbow;
And cut his body all asunder,
And plac'd it for a world's wonder.
Mus he shook off humanity,
For the respect he had to me,
At last in horror he did die,
And went to Tophet dolefully.
Monmouth did me a noble turn,
When he to Bothwell bridge did come,
With armed force, with power and might,
He slew and put the Whigs to flight.
Although it was the Sabbath-day,
He would not grant them a delay,
But instantly did hash them down,
And took them captives to the town.
They prisoners were in the Grey friar,
Until a false oath they did swear;
Or in the dungeons were shut close,
Where they their lives were like to lose.
Some got the gallows, some the sea,
Some hang'd, some drown d--that pleased me:
Earlshal who serv'd me many a year,
And for my interest did appear;
He serv'd his 'prentiship below,
Then to the mountains he did go,
The Cameronians to defeat.
People whom I do greatly ha e
At Airds moss he surpris'd that crew,
Cameron their champion he slew,
And desperately cut off his head,
Also his hands, and made him bleed.
Them in great triumph he did go,
To Edinburgh with a great shew,
Much boasting that he had fupprest
The Cameronians in the west
He did produce the hands and head
Of Cameron whom he killed dead;
For which the council did him pay
A large regard without delay;
And I myself on him did smile
For that great action done it Kyle;
Because that he avenged me
Upon my stated enemy.
His kindness shall not be forgot,
As long as my furnace is hot.
York, who great Charles did succeed
He was my constant friend indeed,
He was bred with me all his days,
And never from my laws did stray;
For he black Popery did profess,
In Scotland he set up the mass.
A toleration he did give
That mystery Babylon might revive.
He took, to him absolute power.
For to advance the Romish whore.
He stopped all the penal laws.
Were made for weakening of my cause;
And gave a golden liberty
For all sorts of idolatry.
It criminal was in his day
To own the covenanted way;
For he intended in a short time,
To make Popery through Scotland shine,
That from the greatest to the least.
All men might serve the Romish beast.
He deeply sworn was ⟨to Rome⟩,
To seek all Presbyterians doom,
To abolish the memory
Of all that oppos'd Popery.
All P o estants he did despise,
And many slew without assize;
He ordered that they should be shot,
Where they were found in every spot,
By hellish soldiers my drudges
Whom he empower d in place of judges,
Suspected persons for to try.
And at their pleasure make them die,
Without allowing liberty
To fit them for eternity.
He fram'd all mischief by a law,
To make Scotland an aceldema;
Threatened to make a hunting field,
Of shires that would not fully y eld.
We all the venom of the pit
Against piety did spit,
He hated all maliciously,
Had any sovereign but me;
Had any sovereign but me;
Disdained common honesty,
Lov'd nothing but impiety.
He in my service posted fast,
Until his projects got a blast.
When Orange did come o'er the sea,
Like a base coward he did flee.
Then he did abdicate the crown,
And after liv'd a vagabond;
Till at St. Germains he did die,
And then he did come home to me.
I need not speak of Queensberry.
No man was loyaler than he:
He serv'd me well mith all his might,
Against the Whigs with great despight,
While York s commission he did bear,
U on that he was most severe.
By him the parliament was led.
Saint's blood like water then he shed,
He confidently did declare
They should not have time to prepare
For heaven because he said tha' hell
Wa too good a place for Whigs to dwell.
By that, he acted to his power,
Both soul and body to devour;
Which was the only thing I sought.
Although to pass it was not brought;
Yet thanks be unto Queensberry,
For hi good will in serving me.
I Milton Maxwell must commend,
Ten Whigs at once he did condemn,
And after that he did devote
Himself, my kingdom to promote.
M'Cartney he did apprehend,
Brought him to an untimous end.
He plagu'd the Presbyterians sore,
That dwelt on the water of Orr,
For Corsack's house he rifled bare,
And neither nurse nor child did spare,
But thrust them out from house and hold,
To hunger them expos'd and cold;
He did leave nothing in that house
That was to him of any use;
The horse, the nolt, the corn, the sheep,
He every thing away did sweep.
He rang'd through like a greedy thief
Took butter, cheese, mutton, and beef;
The puddings he did scarcely spare,
For every thing away he bare.
Of cloth and clothes silver and gold,
He took far more than can be told:
The blackest light that country saw,
Worse than Pate Bailey or John Faw.
All his zeal was mixt with self,
He very greedy was of pelf.
Yet all he took but short time lasted,
The Whig did say that it as bia ed,
For all his off pring that remain
Have none of his well gotten gain.
When I perceiv'd that it was gone,
I out of pity brought him home
Now Whig may sleep in a sound kin,
They ll never get mair kaith of him.
My friends that were of lower note,
In justice should no be forgot,
As Allison, who here did dree
A hell on earth for pleasing me.
Bonshaw, more fierce then I can tell.
Who bade some found the Whigs to hell;
And my beloved Kennaway
Who plagu'd the bill men every day.
'Bove twenty journeys in one year
This varlet willingly did go,
To hasten the fanatick woe
Strahan Murray and Annardale,
Who in my cause had great eal.
Drummond Stretton and bloody Reid,
Who shot my foes till they were dead,
Buchan Inglis, and Westerhail.
Balfour and others great and small,
Stenhouse, Maitland and Bollochmill,
Culzean and Windrum, men of skill.
Crichton, Lauder, and many moe,
Who sought the hill-men's overthrow.
Halton, who did himself perjure,
To bring Mi'chel to an ill hour.
Lowrie of Max welton also.
Unto these wild men was a foe.
And so was Craick of Stewarton,
Bailie, and these gave Smith his doom.
And all the bishops in the land,
Were ready still at my command,
My statutes for to execute,
O all whom I did persecute.
Dunbar on B uce and R b Dalziel,
And ⟨other⟩ worthies I could tell,
As ⟨Ezekiel Montgomery⟩.
The bloodiest monster that could be.
And that vile wretch call d sheriff Hume,
That a right worthy of his room;
And old tree-legged Duncan Grant,
Who of his wickedness did vaunt.
Eginton Irncapie and lord Ross,
Who did he Whig murder and toss,
From sixty to the revolution
Imbrew d their hands in persecution:
They murder'd and did stigmatize
Such as my service did not please:
They banish'd them to foreign nations,
And sold them to the new plantations.
With rigour great they took their gear,
'Cause they my livery would not wear.
None forwarder among them all.
Than noble Grierton of Lag-hall,
Whose worthy action make him fit
In the great chair now to sit,
'Bove Korah and his company,
For all hi friendship done to me.
This honour he doth well deserve,
For he unweariedly did serve
Me to his utmost every way.
To keep my kingdom from decay.
{{em}]I must remember bishop Sharp,
For the good service I did get
Of him, when he was here away;
He did the Scottish kirk betray,
And all privileges sold
For pleasure here and love of gold;
He fill'd he land with perjury,
And all sorts of iniquity;
And did the force f Scotland lead
To persecute the woman s seed.
⟨Judas⟩ who did his master sell
And afterwards went down to hell,
Had no more mi chief in his mind,
Than Sharp this noble friend of mine.
A paction past twixt him and me
That I from skaith should keep him free;
I gave him sorcery gainst lead
That shooting should not be his dead,
And yet this did not him secure,
He lost his life on Magu-muir;
There some stout-hearted men in Fyfe,
With swords of steel did take his life;
And very justly did him kill
'Cause he their brethren s blood did spill.
So to this place he did descend.
But after him Lag did contend
For my kingdom many a day:
But now, alas! he's ta en away.
What shall I say? for time would sail,
To tell you of brave Lauderdale.
A great apostate he did prove,
Because with Balaam he did love
The wages of iniquity
To keep him in prosperity;
That his beastly belly might
Have Epicurean delght;
To spend his time in carnal pleasure,
Which he esteem'd above all treasure
He was a member among those
Who ⟨strictest⟩ models did compose,
Upon the Presbyterian side.
But quickly he from them did slide.
These covenants which once he swore,
Most solemnly he did abjure.
All tenderness he did cast off.
On scripture he did roll and scoff.
To prelate Sharp he thought no shame
Above Rabshakeh to blaspheme.
By habit he did curse and swear,
He harlot company did bear.
He did counsel and assist
The king who after blood and thirst,
To bring all to a final end.
For covenants that did contend.
All public mischiefs in the land
Were done at Lauderdale's command.
In Mitchel's case he did perjure
Himself most wrongfully he swore;
For conscience he regarded not,
Himself he wholly did devote
To serve King Charles and myself,
And to advance his wordly pelf
Persisting in these courses still,
Did grieve and anger on Cargill;
So Charles York Monmouth and he,
Were all deliver'd o'er to me;
Rothes M'Kenzie and Dalziel
Unto my ⟨Jot⟩ each man they fell,
A company of as brave men,
At ever minister did send
By such a sentence unto me;
Whom I embrac'd most willingly,
'Cause formerly I did commend
In many things these worthy men.
Now these brave heroes I must leave,
And some few instances I ll give
Of these brave actions which Lag did,
That ought no longer to be hid.
In Galloway he was well known
His great exploits in it were shewn.
He was my general in that place,
He did the Presbyterians chace,
Through moss and muir and many a hag,
They were pursu d by my friend Lag.
Saint's monuments that's here and there,
If any will to them repair,
'Mongst others there you'll read his name,
And know he was a man of fame.
On many there he forc d the test,
By perjury them sore opprest.
And when he brought them to disgrace,
He mocked them unto their face.
From others he did take their gear,
He neither mercy had nor fear,
Yet this did not his wrath allay,
For other he did seek to slay
Cubine and Gordon near Hallhill,
He took their life their blood to spill,
And left them hanging on a tree,
For disobedience to me.
John Bell of Whiteside he did slay,
And would not give him time to pray;
And other four in that same hour
He shot upon Kirkconnel Muir.
Mayfield Clement, and Irlingtown,
Macrabet he brought also down;
And made them all a sacrifice,
Hit hellish fury to appease.
Two men in Twingham some did find,
And with hair tethers did them bind,
Like sheep for slaughter there they lay,
George Short and David Halliday;
Till Lag came up and gave command
To kill them quickly out of hand.
Against them he had such despite,
He would not let them live one night,
So in that posture they were shot
Most cruelly upon the spot.
Lachlane and Wilson in the sea
He drown'd 'cause they obey d not me,
Though they were of the weaker sex,
No favour they of him did get:
Unto a stake he did them tie
Because they did my laws deny;
And cruelly he took the life
Both of a young maid and a wife.
Thus Lag did conquer in the field.
Such as to me would no ways yield.
When persecuting did delay
He serv d me well another way.
He ever loyal was and true,
And his allegiance did renew;
And for my sake did hatred bear
To many a person far far and near.
The kirk by excommunication.
Did banish him out of their region;
Because he would not satisfy
Them for his vile adultery:
Of this sentence he was content,
He never play'd the penitent;
For he no ill in it could see,
Since they delivered him to me.
For he knew well that I could thole.
His vices all, without control,
That he should have both peace and ease,
In doing things that I do please
Although they frighted him with terror,
He was not brought to such an error
As to forsake his former way.
Or in the least from me to stray.
He clave a close unto my law
As any man I ever saw.
In atheism his days did spend
Until his time drew near an end.
Then for the fashion he did say,
That he was of the Popish way;
Because a priest made him believe,
That he to him would pardon give,
And would from purgatory bring
Him to a place where he would sing;
But that was but a forged lie,
For Lag lives hot and bien with me,
It was in spite he money gave
Unto the priest that greedy slave,
For he had neither pi h nor ⟨power⟩
To keep my friend from me an hour;
For when I heard that he was dead,
A legion of my den did lead
Him to my place of residence,
Where still he ll stay, and not go hence:
For purgatory I must tell.
It is the lowest place in hell:
Well plenish d with the Romish sort,
Where thousands of them do resort.
There many a prince and pope doth dwell,
Fast fetter'd in that lower cell.
And from that place they ne er win free,
Though greedy priests for gain do lie.
In making ignorant, conceive.
They ll bring them from the infernal cave,
Such as do bribe them well with gold
As heaven with pelf were bought and sold,
Sure that is but a vain deceit
Contriv'd by Antichrist of late;
To keep the worshippers of the Whore
Senseless in sin, blind and secure;
And to make priest look fat and fine,
Who nought but carnal things do mind.
For this is what I truly know,
They come not back from whence they go.
They who take their abode with me,
From that place they are never free.
This Lag will know and all the rest,
Who of my lodging are possest.
On earth no more they can serve me,
But still I have their company:
With this I must my grief allay,
So I no more of Lag will say.

FINIS.