Patrick Hamilton (poet)
Encyclopedia
Patrick Hamilton was a minister of The Church of Scotland
during a turbulent period in Scotland’s history. He seems to have chosen the wrong side in the dispute between King Charles I
and the Scottish Covenanters
. He was also a poet
, writing in a straightforward English (as opposed to Scots
) style, expressing his religious and political beliefs, and longing for a period of peace.
In 1596 he was Minister at Lochwinnoch
then in 1607 he moved to Paisley
. In 1626 he was presented to the Parish of Cambuslang
by James, Marquis of Hamilton, a significant player in Scottish politics. Patrick may not have been related to the family, but his connection to the Marquis of Hamilton was to cost him his career and he was to die in obscure poverty.
Hamilton sets out his religious position in a poem called "A Schort Description of the Trew Properties of a Faithful Sheiphard of Christes Flock". It is unapologetically a Protestant Calvinist position.
He has little time for rituals, prelate
s or hypocrisy. On the other hand, he seems to have a more moderate, or at least conservative, outlook than many clergy at the time.
His own approach to his ministry is clear
Nonetheless, Patrick was a member of the momentous General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
which met in Glasgow
in 1638 and proclaimed the National Covenant, abolished bishop
s and established Presbyterianism
as the form of government for the Church of Scotland
. This set them on a collision course with King Charles I
which would lead to the Civil Wars
and the execution of the King.
Hamilton not only supported, and signed, the National Covenant but wrote a long poem in support of it, Some Few Verses in Commendatione of the Covenant and subscribers thereto. However, his patron was James, Marquis of Hamilton, who was one of the leaders of the King’s forces sent to Scotland to face the gathering Covenanter
armies. The Marquis arrived off Leith
in May 1639 and Patrick may have joined him there. There is a letter from the Marquis to the King’s Commissioner, the Earl of Rothes
, headed "From aboord the Rainbow, in Leith Road, 23 Maij 1639" to which there is attached a footnote, which is a poem "Verses on the Rainbow by Patrick Hamilton, Minister of Cambuslang". In fact there is only one verse of seven rhyming couplets, sadly contrasting the natural rainbow - a promise of peace - with the Rainbow carrying the promise of war. Not long afterwards, the Covenanter army was told to disperse at Duns
. It did not, but proceeded into England, eventually leading to a (short-lived) Treaty
with the King. Patrick wrote a short poem called "Upon the Scottish army at Dunce Law June 18th 1639". He seems to have seen this as some sort of victory against the "Cold Covenanters and base cowards all" and looks forward to the restoration of order.
He later wrote two verses "To the English Nobles" beginning "You worthie English nobles of renown", thanking them for defeating the Covenanters.
He did not like the news of the Covenanter success in the North. He wrote a one verse poem called "Upon the deceitful Covenanted in and about Aberdeen", declaring "Boyne, Banf and Breichen, Satan’s viperous brood" and lambasting
But he still seems to think 1639 was a turning point for peace and wrote in "Upon the blessed lot of '39 Year" that "our fiercest foes, Our Lord made faithful friends" and looked forward to a time when all would be
In 1641 he wrote "Scotland’s Thanksgiving to the Lord for her armies safe, joyful and ponderous returning from England", perhaps realising how things were really playing out.
Other poems known to have been written by Patrick Hamilton are "A Poem on the Creation, Fall and Redemption of Mankind", where he signs himself "A Curate on the Clyde", and (apparently) a translation of Zachary Boyd
's "Christian Hecatomb".
In 1645 his name was found on a list of persons offered "protection" from the King’s armies (presumably because of his connection with the Marquis). Because of this he was deposed by the General Assembly. He petitioned to be reinstated and the Assembly was just about to do so when, according to a letter from Robert Baillie
who was present, Patrick "let fall out of his pocket a poem too invective against the Church's proceedings. This, by a mere accident, came into the hands of Mr Murdo Law, who gave it to Mr James Guthrie, and he did read it to the Assembly, to Mr Patrick’s confusion". He was not reinstated, and died in extreme poverty in May 1658. His wife Katherine and children (one of whom, his son Patrick, was at the University) were given help by the Kirk Session of Cambuslang in January 1659 and June 1662 (just at the time of the Restoration
, two years too late for Patrick). There was a collection among churches in Lothian
in October 1660 for her "on account of her necessitous and indigent condition, especially considering she is a minister’s relict, and a minister’s daughter, and has the approbation of a good Christian". The following year she got £60 from Parliament, and there the record ends.
Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland, known informally by its Scots language name, the Kirk, is a Presbyterian church, decisively shaped by the Scottish Reformation....
during a turbulent period in Scotland’s history. He seems to have chosen the wrong side in the dispute between King Charles I
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
and the Scottish Covenanters
Covenanter
The Covenanters were a Scottish Presbyterian movement that played an important part in the history of Scotland, and to a lesser extent in that of England and Ireland, during the 17th century...
. He was also a poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
, writing in a straightforward English (as opposed to Scots
Scots language
Scots is the Germanic language variety spoken in Lowland Scotland and parts of Ulster . It is sometimes called Lowland Scots to distinguish it from Scottish Gaelic, the Celtic language variety spoken in most of the western Highlands and in the Hebrides.Since there are no universally accepted...
) style, expressing his religious and political beliefs, and longing for a period of peace.
In 1596 he was Minister at Lochwinnoch
Lochwinnoch
Lochwinnoch is a village in the council area and historic county of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. Lying on the banks of Castle Semple Loch and the River Calder, Lochwinnoch is chiefly a residential dormitory village serving nearby urban centres such as Glasgow and Paisley...
then in 1607 he moved to Paisley
Paisley
Paisley is the largest town in the historic county of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland and serves as the administrative centre for the Renfrewshire council area...
. In 1626 he was presented to the Parish of Cambuslang
Cambuslang
Cambuslang is a suburban town on the south-eastern outskirts of Glasgow, Scotland. It is within the local authority area of South Lanarkshire. Historically, it was a large rural Parish incorporating nearby hamlets of Newton, Flemington, and Halfway. It is known as "the largest village in...
by James, Marquis of Hamilton, a significant player in Scottish politics. Patrick may not have been related to the family, but his connection to the Marquis of Hamilton was to cost him his career and he was to die in obscure poverty.
Hamilton sets out his religious position in a poem called "A Schort Description of the Trew Properties of a Faithful Sheiphard of Christes Flock". It is unapologetically a Protestant Calvinist position.
- I doe believe in God alone
- Noe Saviour but that I know
- No way to Heaven is but one,
- Noe ruell of Faith but God’s pure law.
He has little time for rituals, prelate
Prelate
A prelate is a high-ranking member of the clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin prælatus, the past participle of præferre, which means "carry before", "be set above or over" or "prefer"; hence, a prelate is one set over others.-Related...
s or hypocrisy. On the other hand, he seems to have a more moderate, or at least conservative, outlook than many clergy at the time.
- "I hate all needless novelties", and
- "I follow none of frantick fits"
His own approach to his ministry is clear
- Noe frowne or fauning of my staite
- Can dashe me downe or mount me hie
- To speik the truth I am not blaite,
- And calles things as their natures be;
- I tymouslie forwarne my flock,
- When wolffs and foxes are at hand
- I bark, and with my sheiphards crook
- In their defence whill death I stand.”
Nonetheless, Patrick was a member of the momentous General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland is the sovereign and highest court of the Church of Scotland, and is thus the Church's governing body[1] An Introduction to Practice and Procedure in the Church of Scotland, A Gordon McGillivray, 2nd Edition .-Church courts:As a Presbyterian church,...
which met in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
in 1638 and proclaimed the National Covenant, abolished bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
s and established Presbyterianism
Presbyterian polity
Presbyterian polity is a method of church governance typified by the rule of assemblies of presbyters, or elders. Each local church is governed by a body of elected elders usually called the session or consistory, though other terms, such as church board, may apply...
as the form of government for the Church of Scotland
Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland, known informally by its Scots language name, the Kirk, is a Presbyterian church, decisively shaped by the Scottish Reformation....
. This set them on a collision course with King Charles I
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
which would lead to the Civil Wars
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
and the execution of the King.
Hamilton not only supported, and signed, the National Covenant but wrote a long poem in support of it, Some Few Verses in Commendatione of the Covenant and subscribers thereto. However, his patron was James, Marquis of Hamilton, who was one of the leaders of the King’s forces sent to Scotland to face the gathering Covenanter
Covenanter
The Covenanters were a Scottish Presbyterian movement that played an important part in the history of Scotland, and to a lesser extent in that of England and Ireland, during the 17th century...
armies. The Marquis arrived off Leith
Leith
-South Leith v. North Leith:Up until the late 16th century Leith , comprised two separate towns on either side of the river....
in May 1639 and Patrick may have joined him there. There is a letter from the Marquis to the King’s Commissioner, the Earl of Rothes
John Leslie, 6th Earl of Rothes
John Leslie, 6th Earl of Rothes was a Scottish nobleman, one of the main leaders of the Covenanters.-Life:Born in Leslie, Fife, he was the only son of James Leslie, Master of Rothes and Katherine Drummond, his second wife...
, headed "From aboord the Rainbow, in Leith Road, 23 Maij 1639" to which there is attached a footnote, which is a poem "Verses on the Rainbow by Patrick Hamilton, Minister of Cambuslang". In fact there is only one verse of seven rhyming couplets, sadly contrasting the natural rainbow - a promise of peace - with the Rainbow carrying the promise of war. Not long afterwards, the Covenanter army was told to disperse at Duns
Duns
Duns is the county town of the historic county of Berwickshire, within the Scottish Borders.-Early history:Duns law, the original site of the town of Duns, has the remains of an Iron Age hillfort at its summit...
. It did not, but proceeded into England, eventually leading to a (short-lived) Treaty
Treaty of Berwick (1639)
The Treaty of Berwick was signed on 18 June 1639 between England and Scotland. Archibald Johnston was involved in the negotiations before King Charles was forced to sign the treaty. The agreement, overall, officially ended the First Bishops' War even though both sides saw it only as a temporary...
with the King. Patrick wrote a short poem called "Upon the Scottish army at Dunce Law June 18th 1639". He seems to have seen this as some sort of victory against the "Cold Covenanters and base cowards all" and looks forward to the restoration of order.
- You flieing Scots who would have wished our fall
- Hing down your heads, and look with blushing face
- On Dunce blist hill, from whence proceeds our peace
- Praise be God’s name, bliss’d be our gracious King
- Who made our foes to sigh, our friends to sing
He later wrote two verses "To the English Nobles" beginning "You worthie English nobles of renown", thanking them for defeating the Covenanters.
- Last June in which to Dunce we bad adieu
- And without straik of sword, we did our foes subdue
He did not like the news of the Covenanter success in the North. He wrote a one verse poem called "Upon the deceitful Covenanted in and about Aberdeen", declaring "Boyne, Banf and Breichen, Satan’s viperous brood" and lambasting
- Thow boastful Aberdeen, Our Nation’s bane
- Thy factious Doctors and their hellish train
But he still seems to think 1639 was a turning point for peace and wrote in "Upon the blessed lot of '39 Year" that "our fiercest foes, Our Lord made faithful friends" and looked forward to a time when all would be
- United in one Ysle and one Religion
- Using one language,(sic) joined under one Crown
In 1641 he wrote "Scotland’s Thanksgiving to the Lord for her armies safe, joyful and ponderous returning from England", perhaps realising how things were really playing out.
Other poems known to have been written by Patrick Hamilton are "A Poem on the Creation, Fall and Redemption of Mankind", where he signs himself "A Curate on the Clyde", and (apparently) a translation of Zachary Boyd
Zachary Boyd
Zachary Boyd was a Scottish religious writer.Boyd was born into the family of Boyd of Pinkhill, Ayrshire. He first studied at the University of Glasgow and then went to Saumur in France. There he followed courses of his kinsman Robert Boyd and in 1611 became Regent Professor. He returned to...
's "Christian Hecatomb".
In 1645 his name was found on a list of persons offered "protection" from the King’s armies (presumably because of his connection with the Marquis). Because of this he was deposed by the General Assembly. He petitioned to be reinstated and the Assembly was just about to do so when, according to a letter from Robert Baillie
Robert Baillie
Robert Baillie was a Scottish divine and historical writer.-Life:Baillie was born at Glasgow, the son of Baillie of Jerviston...
who was present, Patrick "let fall out of his pocket a poem too invective against the Church's proceedings. This, by a mere accident, came into the hands of Mr Murdo Law, who gave it to Mr James Guthrie, and he did read it to the Assembly, to Mr Patrick’s confusion". He was not reinstated, and died in extreme poverty in May 1658. His wife Katherine and children (one of whom, his son Patrick, was at the University) were given help by the Kirk Session of Cambuslang in January 1659 and June 1662 (just at the time of the Restoration
English Restoration
The Restoration of the English monarchy began in 1660 when the English, Scottish and Irish monarchies were all restored under Charles II after the Interregnum that followed the Wars of the Three Kingdoms...
, two years too late for Patrick). There was a collection among churches in Lothian
Lothian
Lothian forms a traditional region of Scotland, lying between the southern shore of the Firth of Forth and the Lammermuir Hills....
in October 1660 for her "on account of her necessitous and indigent condition, especially considering she is a minister’s relict, and a minister’s daughter, and has the approbation of a good Christian". The following year she got £60 from Parliament, and there the record ends.