nation of Scotland, that we are
apt to take an interest, warm, yea partial, in the deeds and sentiments of our
forefathers. He whom his adversaries describe as a perjured Prelatist, is
desirous that his predecessors should be held moderate in their power, and just
in their execution of its privileges, when truly, the unimpassioned peruser of
the annals of those times shall deem them sanguinary, violent, and tyrannical.
Again, the representatives of the suffering Nonconformists desire that their
ancestors, the Cameronians, shall be represented not simply as honest
enthusiasts, oppressed for conscience' sake, but persons of fine breeding, and
valiant heroes. Truly, the historian cannot gratify these predilections. He must
needs describe the cavaliers as proud and high-spirited, cruel, remorseless, and
vindictive; the suffering party as honourably tenacious of their opinions under
persecution; their own tempers being, however, sullen, fierce, and rude; their
opinions absurd and extravagant; and their whole course of conduct that of
persons whom hellebore would better have suited than prosecutions unto death for
high- Natheless, while such and so preposterous were the opinions on either
side, there were, it cannot be doubted, men of virtue and worth on both, to
entitle either party to claim merit from its martyrs. It has been demanded of
me, Jedediah Cleishbotham, by what right I am entitled to constitute myself an
impartial judge of their discrepancies of opinions, seeing (as it is stated)
that I must necessarily have descended from one or other of the contending
parties, and be, of course, wedded for better or for worse, according to the
reasonable practice of Scotland, to its dogmata, or opinions, and bound, as it
were, by the tie matrimonial, or, to speak without metaphor, ex jure sanguinis,
to maintain them in preference to all others.
    But, nothing denying the rationality of the rule, which calls on all now
living to rule their political and religious opinions by those of their
great-grandfathers, and inevitable as seems the one or the other horn of the
dilemma betwixt which my adversaries conceive they have pinned me to the wall, I
yet spy some means of refuge, and claim a privilege to write and speak of both
parties with impartiality. For, O ye powers of logic! when the Prelatists and
Presbyterians of old times went together by the ears in this unlucky country, my
ancestor (venerated be his memory!) was one of the people called Quakers, and
suffered severe handling from either side, even to the extenuation of his purse
and the incarceration of his person.