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“For me, I am to die shortly by the hand of the bloody enemy; but you that outlive this persecution, as I assume you both will do” (which they both did, and saw the sad accomplishment) “you will see cleanness of teeth, and mony a black, pale face that shall put mony thousands to their graves in Scotland, with unheard-of natures of fluxes and fevers, and otherwise; and there shall be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people."
Mr. Peden did foresee and foretell the same things, but in his own peculiar way of expressing himself, saying, “As long as the lads are upon the hills and in glens and caves, you will have bonnocks o'er night; but if once they were beneath the beild of the brae, you will have clean teeth, and mony a black and pale face in Scotland.” The sad accomplishment of these sayings will lamentably appear in the following instances.
(1) In the year 1694, in the month of August, that crop got such a stroke in one night by east mist or fog standing like mountains (and where it remained longest and thickest, the badder were the effects, which all our old men, that had seen frost, blasting, and mildewing, had never seen the like) that it got little more good of the ground.
(2) In November of that winter, many were smitten with wasting sore fluxes and strange fevers (which carried many off the stage) of such a nature and manner that all our old physicians had never seen
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the like, and could make no help; for all things that used to be proper remedies proved destructive. And this was not to be imputed to bad unwholsom victual; for severals, who had plenty of old victual, did send to Glasgow for Irish meal, and yet were smitten with fluxes and fevers in a more violent and infectious nature and manner than the poorest in the land, whose names and places where they dwelt I could instance.
(3) These unheard-of manifold judgments continued seven years, not always alike, but the seasons, summer and winter, so cold and barren, and the wonted heat of the sun so much withholden, that it was discernible upon the cattle, flying fowls, and insects decaying, that seldom a fly or gleg was to be seen. Our harvests not in the ordinary months ; many shearing in November and December, yea, some in January and February; the names of the places I can instruct. Many contracting their deaths, and losing the use of their feet and hands shearing and working amongst it in frost and snow; and after all some of it standing still, and rotting upon the ground, and much of it for little use either to man or beast, and which had no taste or colour of meal.
(4) Meal became so scarce that it was at two shillings a peck, and many could not get it. It was not then with many, “Where will we get silver?” but “where will we get meal for silver?” I have seen, when meal was all sold in markets, women clapping their hands, and tearing the clothes off
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their heads, crying, “How shall we go home and see our children die in hunger? They have got no meat these two days, and we have nothing to give them.”
( 5) Through the long continuance of these manifold judgments, deaths and burials were so many and common that the living were wearied in the burying of the dead. I have seen corpses drawn in sleds, many got neither coffin nor winding-sheet. I was one of four who carried the corpse of a young woman a mile of way ; and, when we came to the grave, an honest poor man came and said, “You must go and help me to bury my son, he is lien dead this two days ; otherwise I will be obliged to bury him in my own yard.” We went, and there were eight of us had two miles to carry the corpse of that young man, many neighbours looking on us, but none to help us. I was credibly informed that, in the north, two sisters on a Monday's morning were found carrying the corpse of their brother on a barrow with bearing-rops, resting themselves many times, and none offering to help them.
(6) I have seen some walking about the sunsetting, and to-morrow about six a-clock in the summer morning found dead in their houses, without making any stir at their death, their head lying upon their hand, with as great smell as if they had been four days dead, the mice or rats having eaten a great part of their hands and arms.
(7) Many had cleanness of teeth in our cities, and want of bread in our borders; and to some the staff
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of bread was so utterly broken (which makes complete famine) that they did eat, and were neither satisfied nor nourished. And some of them said to me that they could mind nothing but meat, and were nothing bettered by it ; and that they were utterly unconcerned about their souls, whether they went to heaven or hell.
(8) The nearer and sorer these plagues seized, the sadder were their effects, that took away all natural and relative affections, so that husbands had no sympathy with their wives, nor wives with their husbands, parents with their children, nor children with their parents. These and other things have made me to doubt if ever any of Adam's race were in a more deplorable condition, their bodies and spirits more low, than many were in these years.
(9) The crowning plague of all these great and manifold plagues was — many were cast down but few humbled; great murmuring, but little mourning; many groning under the effects of wrath, but few had sight or sense of the causes of wrath in turning to the Lord. And, assoon as these judgments were removed, many were lift up, but few thankful; even these who were as low as any, that outlived these scarce times, did as lightly esteem bread as if they had never known the worth of it by the want of it. The great part turned more and more gospel-proof, and judgment-proof; and the success of the gospel took a stand at that time in many places of the land, but more especially since the Rebellion 1715.
King William his kindness is not to be forgotten,
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who not only relieved us from tyranny but had such a sympathy with Scotland, when in distress of famine, that he offered all who would transport victual to Scotland, that they might do it custom-free, and have 20 pence of each boll.
I cannot pass this occasion of giving remarks upon some observable providences that followed these strange judgments upon persons who dwelt in low-lying fertile places, who laid themselves out to raise markets when at such a height, and had little sympathy with the poor, or these who lived in cold muirish places, who thought these who lived in these fertile places had a little heaven. But soon thereafter their little heavens were turned into little hells, by unexpected providences. Some wrote sixteen remarks upon that terrible fire which fell out on the 2 or 3 of February 1700, in the Parliament Closs in Edinburgh; one was, that most of these people who dwelt there were rich, and lived sumptuously, and had little sympathy with the distrest case of the land ; that their fine houses, which were eleven years in building, were in a few hours turned to a burnt ruinous heap. But more especially, there was a farmer in the parish of West-Calder, in which parish 300 of 900 examinable persons wasted away, who at that time was reckoned worth 6000 merks of money and goods that had very little to spare to the poor; the victual lay spoiling in his house, and yard, waiting for a greater price; and two honest servant–lasses, whose names were Nisbets, being cast out of service (for every
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one could not have it; many said they got too much wages that got meat fort their work) these two lasses would not steal, and they were ashamed to beg; they crept into an empty house, and sat there wanting meat until their sight was almost gone ; and then they went about a mile of way to that farmer's yard, and cut four stocks of kail to save their lives. He found them, and drave them before him to the Laird of Bawds, who was a Justice of Peace, that he might get them punished. The laird enquired what moved them to go by so many yards, and go to his. They said these in their way were in straits themselves, and he might best spare them. The laird said, “Poor conscionable things, go your way. I have nothing to say to you.” One of them got service, and the other died in want; it was her burial I mentioned before, who was carried by us four. But, lo, in a very few years he and his were begging from door to door, whom I have served at my door, and to whom I said, “Who should have pity and sympathy with you, who kept your victual spoiling, waiting for a greater price, and would spare nothing of your fulness to the poor, and was so cruel to the two starving lasses that you took prisoners for four stocks of kail to save their lives?” Ye may read your sin upon your judgmen if ye be not blind in the eyes of your soul, as ye are of one in your body, an may be a warning to all that come after you.” Many yet alive in that country-side can witness the truth of all these strange things.