Scripture Verse

Introduction

Anecdote

The fol­low­ing is Galderwood’s ac­count of the return of Durie to Ed­in­burgh [Scot­land] af­ter a tem­po­ra­ry ban­ish­ment…:—

John Dur­ie com­eth to Leith at night the 3d of Sep­tem­ber. Up­on Tues­day the 4th of Sep­tem­ber, as he is com­ing to Ed­in­burgh, there met him at the Gallowgreen 200, but ere he came to the Netherbow their num­ber in­creased to 400; but they were no soon­er en­tered but they encreased to 600 or 700, and with­in short space the whole street was re­plen­ished ev­en to Saint Geiles Kirk: the num­ber was es­teemed to 2000. At the Ne­ther­bow they took up the 124 Psalme, Now Is­ra­el may say, &c., and sung in such a plea­sant tune in four parts, known to the most part of the peo­ple, that com­ing up the street all bare­head­ed till they en­tered in the Kirk, with such a great sound and ma­jes­tic, that it moved both them­selves and all the huge mul­ti­tude of the be­hold­ers, look­ing out at the shots and ov­er stairs, with ad­mi­ra­tion and as­ton­ish­ment: the Duke him­self be­held, and reave his beard for an­ger: he was more afirayed of this sight than anie thing that ever he had seene be­fore in Scot­land. When they came to the kirk, Mr James Lowsone made a short ex­hor­ta­tion in the Reader’s place, to move the mul­ti­tude to thankfulnes. There­af­ter a psalm be­ing sung, they de­part­ed with great joy.

Melvill des­cribes the oc­cur­rence thus—

Going upe the streit with bear heads and loud voic­es, sang to the praise of God and testifeing of grait joy and con­so­la­tion, * * * till heavin and erthe resoundit. This noyes when the Duc, be­ing in the town, hard, and ludgit in the Hie-gat, luiked out and saw, he rave his berde for an­ger, and hast­ed him af the town.

Neil Liv­ing­ston, The Scot­tish Me­tric Psal­ter of 1635 (Glas­gow, Scot­land, 1864), p. 17