A r c h s is h o p
S h a r p .
they transfixed him with their fwords, and he expired, crying / J
a prieft | fie ! fie ! all is gone I He merited his death, but the ma j
ner was indefenfible; as is candidly admitted by his enemy, thl
hiilorian and poet, Sir David Lindfay:
A s for this cardinal, I grant.
H e was a man we might well want;
God will forgive it foon.
But o f a truth the' footh to fay,
Altho* the loon be well away,'
T h e fa d was foully done.
The confpirators were inftantly befieged in the caille by tl*
regent, Earl of Arran-, and, notwithftanding they had acquiredn]
greater ftrength than a hundred and fifty men, refilled all his efforj
for five months : at length they furrendered, on the regent engagin]
to procure for them an abfolution from the pope, and a pardon froj
the Scottijh parlement.
I Ihallflep (rather out of courfe) to the church of St. NicklM
remarkable for the monument of a prelate, whofe life and deati
bears, in fome refpedts, a great fimilitude to that of the cruel Baum
Archbiihop Sharp was originally bred a rigid preibyterian : had™
full confidence of the party, and was entrufted with their interelM
at the time of the reltoration. Tempted by the fplendor of the prJ
ferments of our church, he apoftatized from his own, received i l
reward the archbilhoprick of St. Andrew’s, and,, as is c o m m o n l y tli®
cafe with converts, became a violent perlecutor of his deferted bre*
thren. His career was Hopped in 1675. Nine enthufiails, fomeol
them men of fortune, mitigated by no private revenge, bound tbeJ
fclves by vow to facrifice him to the fufferings of their fedt. On tnj
I d of May, they met him in his coach on Magus-moor, four miles J t])g city, accompanied by his daughter. As foon as he faw
fifelf purfued, he gave up all hopes of life, was taken out of his
Vriage, and, amidft the cries and entreaties of the lady, moil cruelly.
Ld butcherly murdered. He died with the intrepidity of a hero*
■d the piety of a chriilian praying for the aflfaffins with his lateft
weath!
■The monument is very magnificent: in the lower part is repre-
|nted the manner of his death.-, in the middle the prelate is placed
jeeling, the mitre and crofier falling from him an angel is fubfti-
fting, inftead of the firft, a crown of glory, with the allufive words,
Sra Mitra-, and above, is the bas relief of a falling church, fupported
{by the figure of the ¿rchbiihop. This piece of flattery is attended
Kith as flattering an epitaph : the difputable parts of his life are
111 related -, .his undoubted charity and deeds of alms omitted.
¡lathe church of St. Salvator is a moil beautiful tomb of biihop
pntdy, who died, an honor to his family, in 1466. The Gothic
iork is. uncommonly elegant. Within the tomb were difcovered
|Ix magnificent maces, which had been concealed here in trou-
Tefome times. One was given to each of the other three Scotch
jiiverfities, and three are preferved here. In the top is repre-
fented our Saviour; around are angels, with the inilruments of the
lailion.
■ With thefe are ihewn fome filver arrows, with large filver plates
|fiixed to them, on which are infcribed the arms and names of
jhe noble youth, vidlors in the annual competitions in the gene-
J)us art of archery, which were dropt but a few years ago; and
|df is now the reigning game. That fport, and football, were for-
C c 2 merly
C h u r c h of St .'
S a l v a t o r .