The Men of the Moss-Hags

  CHAPTER LIII.

  UNDER SENTENCE OF DEATH.

  So waiting the arrival and the day of my doom, I continued to abide inthe Tolbooth. Anton Lennox, also waiting, as he said, his bridegroom dayof marriage and coronation, was with me. In the night alone we had somepeace and quiet. For they had turned in upon us, to our horror, thatwind-filled fool, John Gib--whom for his follies, Anton Lennox hadlundered with a stick upon the Flowe of the Deer-Slunk.

  With him was Davie Jamie the scholar, now grown well nigh as mad ashimself. Sometimes the jailors played with them, and said, "John, thisis your Sunday's meal of meat!"

  Whereupon, so filled with moon-madness were they, that they would refusegood victual, because it had been given them upon a day with a heathenname. Or, again, the more ill-set of the prisoners made their game ofthem--for they were not all of them that suffered for their faith, whowere with us in the Canongate Tolbooth. But many city apprentices alsothat had been in brawls or had broken their indentures. And, truth totell, we were somewhat glad of the regardless birkies. For when we weredull of heart they made sport with us, and we were numerous enough tokeep them from interfering with our worship.

  So these wild loons would say:

  "Prophesy to us, John Gib, for we know that thou hast the devil ever atthine elbow. Let us see thy face shining, as it did at the Spout ofAuchentalloch, when ye danced naked and burned the Bible."

  And whether it was with our expectant looking for it, or whether the manreally had some devilry about him, certain it is that in the gloom ofthe corner, where in his quiet spells he abode, there seemed to beofttimes a horrible face near to his own, and a little bluish lightthrown upon his hair and eyes. This was seen by most in the dungeon,though, for my own part, I confess I could see nothing.

  Then he would be taken with accesses of howling, like to a moonstruckdog or a rutting hart on the mountains of heather. And sometimes, whenthe fear of Anton Lennox was upon him, he would try to stop his roaring,thrusting his own napkin into his mouth. But for all that the devilwithin him would drive out the napkin and some most fearsome yellsbehind it, as a pellet is driven from a boy's tow gun.

  This he did mostly during worship--which was held thrice a day in theTolbooth, and helped to pass the time. At such seasons he became fairlypossessed, and was neither to hold nor bind. So that for common they hadto bring Anton Lennox to him with a quarter-staff, with which hethreatened him. And at sight of old Anton, Gib, though a big strong man,would run behind the door and crouch there on his hunkers, howlinggrievously like a dog.

  He was ordered into leg-irons, but his ravings pleased the Duke of Yorkso much (because that he wanted to tar us all with the same stick) thathe had them taken off. Also he bade give him and David Jamie as muchpaper and ink as ever they wanted, and to send him copies of all thatthey wrote, for his entertainment. But in time of worship after this,Anton Lennox ordered four of the strongest and biggest men to sit uponJohn Gib, streeked out on the floor, as men sit together upon a bench inthe kirk at sermon-hearing. And we were glad when we fell on this plan,for it discouraged the devil more than anything, so that he acknowledgedthe power of the gospel and quit his roaring.

  Yet I think all this rough play kept up our hearts, and stayed us fromthinking all the time upon that day of our bitter, final testifying,which was coming so soon. To make an end now of Muckle John Gib, I heardthat he was sent by ship to the colonies, and that in America he gainedmuch honour among the heathen for his converse with the devil. Nor didthe godly men that are there, ever discover Anton Lennox's weightymethod of exorcism--than which I ween there is none better, for even thedevil needs breath as well as another.

  But for all this, there was never an hour that chimed, but I would wakeand remember that at the sound of a trumpet the port might any moment beopened and I be summoned forth to meet my doom. And Anton Lennox dealtwith me there in the Cannongate Tolbooth for my soul's peace, and thatvery faithfully. For there were not wanting among the prisoners thosethat made no scruple to call me a sword-and-buckler Covenanter, becauseI would not follow them in all their protests and remonstrances. ButAnton Lennox warred with them with the weapons of speech for the both ofus, and told them how that I had already witnessed a good confession andthat before many witnesses. He said also that there would not be wantingOne, when I had overpassed my next stage, to make confession of WilliamGordon before the angels of heaven. Which saying made them to cavil nomore.