But over the other affair there rests no shadow of doubt.  That Claverhouse, and he alone, is responsible for the death of John Brown stands on the very best authority, for it stands on his own.  It is not, indeed, certain that he shot the man with his own hand.  This is Wodrow’s story, and as usual he gives no authority for it.  “With some difficulty,” he writes,

“he was allowed to pray, which he did with the greatest liberty and melting, and withal in such suitable and scriptural expressions, and in a peculiar judicious style, he having great measures of the gift as well as the grace of prayer, that the soldiers were affected and astonished; yea, which is yet more singular, such convictions were left in their bosoms that, as my informations bear, not one of them would shoot him or obey Claverhouse’s commands, so that he was forced to turn executioner himself, and in a fret shot him with his own hand, before his own door, his wife with a young infant standing by, and she very near the time of her delivery of another child.  When tears and entreaties could not prevail, and Claverhouse had shot him dead, I am credibly informed the widow said to him, ’Well, sir, you must give an account of what you have done.’  Claverhouse answered, ’To men I can be answerable, and as for God, I’ll take him into my own hand.’  I am well informed that Claverhouse himself frequently acknowledged afterwards that John Brown’s prayer left such impressions upon his spirit that he could never get altogether worn off, when he gave himself liberty to think of it."[54]

Patrick Walker, the pedlar, writing a very few years after Wodrow (whom he notices only to abuse for his inaccuracy and backsliding), and professing to have got his version from the wife, tells a different tale.  “Claverhouse,” he says, “ordered six soldiers to shoot him.  The most part of the bullets came upon his head, which scattered his brains upon the ground.”  Of any refusal, or even disinclination, on the part of the soldiers to obey their orders there is not a word.  Then we have Claverhouse’s own report to Queensberry, written two days later from Galston, a village between Kilmarnock and Ayr.

“On Friday last, amongst the hills betwixt Douglas and the Ploughlands, we pursued two fellows a great way through the mosses, and in end seized them.  They had no arms about them, and denied they had any.  But being asked if they would take the abjuration, the eldest of the two, called John Brown, refused it; nor would he swear not to rise in arms against the King, but said he knew no king.  Upon which, and there being found bullets and match in his house, and treasonable papers, I caused shoot him dead; which he suffered very unconcernedly.  The other, a young fellow and his nephew, called John Brownen, offered to take the oath, but would not swear that he had not been at Newmills in arms, at rescuing of the prisoners.  So I did not know what to do with him.  I was convinced