THE CANONGA TE AND ABBE Y SANCTUAR Y. 281
sail near the mouth of the Firth told to the watchful eye of his vassal that Andrew Gray
was safe beyond pursuit.
Years passed over, and the sack of the obboxious Provost’s house, as well as the
escape of the ringleader, had faded from the minds of all save some of his own immediate
relatives. It was the terrible
year 164’;the last visitation of the pestilence to Edinburgh-when, as tradition tells
us, grass grew thickly about the Cross, once as crowded a centre of thoroughfare as
Europe had to boast of. Maitland relates that, such was the terror that prevailed at this
period, debtors incarcerated in the Tolbooth were set at large ; all who were not freemen
were compelled, under heavy penalties, to leave the town; until at length, “by the
unparalleled ravages committe’d by the plague, it was spoiled of. its inhabitants to such a
degree that there were scarce sixty men left capahle of assisting in defence of the town,
in case of an attack.”’ The common council ordered the town walls to be repaired, and
a party of the train bands to guard them, an immediate attack being dreaded from the
victorious army of Montrose. They strove to provide against the more insidious assaults
of their dreadful enemy within, by agreeing with Joannes Paulitius, M.D., to visit the
infected, on a salary of eighty pounds Scots per month.’ In the midst of a11 these
preparations, a large armed vessel of curious form and rigging was seen to sail up the
Firth, and cast anchor in Leith Roads. The vessel was pronounced by experienced seamen
to be an Algerine rover, and all was consternation and dismay, both in the seaport
and the neighbouring capital. A detachment of the crew landed, and proceeded immediately
towards Edinburgh, which they approached by the Water Gate, and passing up
the High Street of the Canongate, demanded admission at the Nether Bow Port. The
Magistrates entered into parley with their leader, and offered to ransom the city on
exorbitant terms, warning them, at the same time, of the dreadful scourge to
which they would expose themselves if they entered the plague-stricken city-but all
in vain.
Sir John Smith, the Provost at the time, withdrew to consult with the most influential
citizens in this dilemma, who volunteered large contributions towards the ransom of the
town. He returned to the Nether Bow, accompanied by a body of them, among whom
was his own brother-in-law, Sir William Gray, one of the wealthiest citizens of the
period. A large ransom
was agreed to be received, on condition that the son of the Provost should be delivered
up to the leader of the pirates. It seems, however, that the Provost’e only child was a
daughter, who then lay stricken of the plague, of which her cousin, Egidia Gray, had
recently died. This information seemed to work an immediate change on the leader of
the Moors. After some conference with his men, he intimated his possession of an elixir
of wondrous potency, and demanded that the Provost’s daughter should be entrusted to
his skill; engaging, if he did not cure her, immediately to embark with his men, and
free the city without ransom. After ‘considerable parley, the Provost proposed that the
leader should enter the city, and take up his abode in his house ; but this he peremptorily
refiised, rejecting at the same time all offers of still higher ransom, which the distracted
father was now prepared to make.
%
Gloom and terror now pervaded the streets of the capital.
Negotiations were resumed, and seemingly with more effect.
Maitland, p, 85. ’ Ibid, p. 85.
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