Chapter XXI: The Commendator
The remaining years of his life were comparatively peaceful. He rose high in Royal favour, and several Acts of Parliament were passed consolidating his possessions and securing them to himself and his descendants. In 1587 he was made Lord Paisley, and his eldest son was created Earl of Abercorn in 1606. Lord Claud took an active part in the government of the neighbouring burgh, and exercised the old right of the Abbot in appointing one of the bailies. As he grew older, however, he seems to have retired from public life, and in 1598 he granted a commission to his eldest son to act for him. In the summer of 1597, Anne of Denmark, the Queen of James VI., came to visit the old lord, [28] and the King himself was there on the 24th July, 1617. Lord Claud was then too old a man to take part in gaiety, but his son, the Earl, did the honours of the Abbey. The nobility and gentlemen of the county were present, and the monarch was most hospitably entertained.
It was no new thing for the King of Scotland to visit the Abbey of Paisley, but this King was the last who did so. His reception recalls that of his ancestor, James IV., in the days of Abbot Shaw, but the circumstances were changed. The altars where that monarch paid his devotions and offered his gifts had been swept away. The Abbey had become the Kirk of Paisley; the Monastery was called “The Place.” Protestant ministers took the place of priests, and psalm-singing that of the old ritual. Still there was entertainment, such as it was. The King was received in the “great hall” of Abercorn, and a “pretty boy” [29] delivered a bombastic address, in which he compared himself to “the King's parrot,” and the King, with perhaps less truth, to “Royal Phoebus.” It is certainly a wonderful production, and perhaps charmed the ears of the King as much as the strains of Lord Sempill's harper charmed those of his ancestors.
[28] Town Council Records, 8th July, 1597—“The quhilk day the bailies and counsall, understanding perfytly that the Queen's Majesty is to be shortlie in the Place of Paisley, and in respect thereof for decoration of the Kirk and Portis of the said burgh, in sic sort as may be gudlie done for the present, they haf concluded that there be ane pyntour sent for to Glasgow, for drawing of some drauchts in the Kirk, as shall be thocht insist necessar for the present.”
[29] The pretty boy was a son of Sir James Sempill of Beltrees. As the address presented to the King is curious, we give it in full:—
A GRAVER ORATOR (Sir) would better become so great an action as to welcome our great and most gratious Soveraine ; and a bashfull silence were a boyes best eloquence. But seeing wee read that in the salutations of that Romane Caesar, a, sillie Pye amongst the rest cryed Ave Caesar to : Pardon mee (Sir) your M. owne old Parret, to put furth a few words, as witnesses of the fervent affections, of your most faithful' subjects in these parts ; who all by my tongue, as birds of one Cage, crye with me, Ave Caesar, VVelcome most gratious King.
“Welcome then is the word, and welcome the work wee all aime at. A verball welcome were base, trivial and for everie body ; and b, Real or Royal welcome answering either our harts de-sires, or your H. deservings, Ad hoec quis sufficiens? Actions can never aequall affections. Saying then is nothing ; shall I swear your M. welcome ? I dare ; but it becommeth not a boy to touch the Bible ; and yet, because an oath taken by nothing, is but nothing, J sweare by the Black Book of PAISLEY your M. is most dearlie VVelcome.
Thus have J said (Sir) and thus have I sworne.
Performance tak from Noble ABERCORNE.
Welcome then (Sin) every where, but welcomer here, than any where. This seemeth a Paradox, but if I prove it, your M. I hope will approve it. Three pillars of my proof I find in our old Poet, Phoebus, his Clytia; and his Leucothoe ; whose fabulous Allegorie if I can applie to our selves by true historie, all is well.
“Phoebus (Sir) you knowe is knowne to all, because seene of all : that Sunne, that Eye, by which the world seeth, shining alike both on good and bad. And are not you (Sir) our royall Phoebus are not you, as ane eye of world, seeing vpon you are the Eyes of the world, some for good, others for evill according to their minds. And as that Sunne in his course, compasseth and passeth by the whole world ; so hath your M. since you beganne to shine in your royall Sphaere, inhanced a good part of the world; but passed by, and buried all the Princes, as well of the Heathen as Christiane world. O shine still then our royall Phoebus.
“Now that your M. is the peculiar Phoebus of our westerne world, if any did doubt, then, Ex ore duorum aut trium, your three Kingdomes ar three witnesses. Still shine then our royal! Phoebus.
Now (Sir) Clytia and Leucothoe were Phoebus' Mistresses ; Clytia the daughter of the Ocean, Phoebus' first Love. Hence did the Poets faille, that the Sunne rising in the East, holdeth his course westward, for visiting his love, and according to their long or short embracements, aryes our long or short dayes and nights. And are not wee then (Sir) of Scotland, your M. owne old kindlie Clytia? are not you (Sir) our Phoebus, comming from the East, with glorious displayed beames, to embrace vs in the mouth of the Ocean,? and is not this verie place now (Sir) your vestermost period ? Ergo (Sir) your kindliest Clytia.
“Your Clytia (Sir) is of many goodlie members. Your M. hath past alreddie her head, neck, and armes, your greater Townes & Cities ; but till now came you never to her hart. Why ? because in this verie parish is that auncient seat of WILLIAM WALLAS, that worthie Warrier, to whome (vnder GOD) wee owe that you ar ours, and Britanne yours. In this very parish is that Noble house of Dairnley-Lennox, whence sprung your M. most famous progenitors. In the Citie you came from, the bed that bred you : In the next you go to, That noble Race of Hamilton, wherein your H. most royall Stemme distilled some droppes of their dearest Blood : and in this very house, is, your M. owne noble Abercorne, a cheefe sprigge of the same roote, removed only a litle by tyme, but nothing by Nature. And therefore are you in the verie hart of your Clytia, and so welcomer to her hart, than to any other part. And so I hope your M. Parret hath proved his Paradox.
“Now (Sir) Leucothoe, that fairest Ladye, Phoebus second love, shee is even your M. owne glorious England most worthy of all love. When that Phoebus, first wowed that Leucothoe, hee was fain to transforme him selfe in the shape of her Mother, and so to chift her hand-maids for a more privat accesse. But when your M. went first to your English Leucothoe, you went lik your selfe, busked with your owne beames, and backed with the best of your Clytia : So were both you and wee welcome, and embraced of your Leucothoe. And retourning now to your Clytia, you bring with you againe, the verie lyfe (as it were) of your Leucothoe, these Nobles and Gentrie which accompanie you ; and should not both bee ; nay ; are not both most dearlie welcome to your Clytia.
“That Phoebus in his love to his Leucothoe forgot his Clytia ; he came no more at her ; her nightes grewe long, her winters tedious, whereupon Clytia both revealed and reviled their loves ; and so Leucothoe was buried quick by her owne furious father, and Clytia cast out for ever of Phoebus' favour. But your M. in your most inward embracements of your Leucothoe, then were you most mindfull of your old Clytia, Jndeed our nights have beene long, a fourtein yeeres winter, if wee weigh but your persone ; but yet the beames of your Royall hart (the onlio lyfe of Love) were ever swarming vs. The onely remedie were, that these two Ladyes, as their loves are both fixed on one, so themselves become both one ; and what will not true love unite ? As they have alreadie taken on one Name for their deare Phoebus sake, let them put on also one Nature for the same sake. So shall our Phoebus shine alike on both ; be still present with both : our nights shal be turned in day, and our winter in ane endlesse Sommer ; and one beame shall launce alike on both sides of our bound-rod, and our Phoebus no more need to streach out his armes on both sides of it, devyding as it were his Royal! body for embracing at once two divided Ladyes. Hee that conspireth not to this Union, let never Phoebus shine more on him.
“Lastly (Sir) that poore Clytia, thogh shee lost her Phoebus favour, yet left shee never of to love him, but still whether his Chariot went, thether followed her eyes, till in end by her endlesse observance shee was turned in that floure called Heliotropion or Solsequium. And how much more (Sir) shuld wee who grow daylie in your grace and favour; be all turned in a ????
with a faithfull Obsequium, Our eyes shull ever be fixed on your Royall Chariot : and our harts on your Sacred Person.
“O Royal Phoebus keepe this course for ever,
And from thy deare Britannia never sever,
But if the Fates will rather frame it so
That Phoebus now must come, and then must goe,
Long may thy selfe ; Thy race mot ever ring,
Thus, without end; wee end. GOD SAVE OUR, KING.
“Amen.”