LVIII. 1645. CHA P. and had made an offer of his fervices; but by the infinuations of the marquis, afterwards duke of Hamilton,' who poffeffed much of Charles's confidence, he had not been received with that diftinction, to which he thought himself juftly entitled '. Difgufted with this treatment, he had forwarded all the violence of the covenanters; and agreeably to the natural ardor of his genius, he had employed himself, during the firft Scottish insurrection, with great zeal as well as fuccefs, in levying and conducting their armies. Being commiffioned by the Tables to wait upon the king, while the royal army lay at Berwic, he was fo gained by the civilities and careffes of that monarch, that he thenceforth devoted himself entirely, though fecretly, to his fervice, and entered into a clofe correspondence with him. In the fecond infurrection, a great military command was intrufted to him by the covenanters; and he was the firft that paffed the Tweed, at the head of their troops, in the invafion of England. He found means, however, foon after to convey a letter to the king: And by the infidelity of fome about that prince, Hamilton, as was fufpected, a copy of this letter was fent to Leven, the Scottish general. Being accused of treachery and a correfpondence with the enemy; Montrofe openly avowed the letter; and asked the generals, if they dared to call their fovereign an enemy: And by this * Nelfon, Intr. p. 63. 2 LVIII. 1649. bold and magnanimous behaviour, he efcaped CHA P. the danger of an immediate profecution. As he was now fully known to be of the royal party, he no longer concealed his principles; and he endeavoured to draw thofe, who had entertained like fentiments, into a bond of affociation for his master's fervice. Though thrown into prifon for this enterprise and detained fome time, he was not difcouraged; but ftill continued, by his countenance and protection, to infuse fpirit into the diftreffed royalifts. Among other perfons of diftinction, who united themfelves to him, was lord Napier of Merchifton, fon of the famous inventor of the logarithms, the perfon to whom the title of a GREAT MAN is more juftly due, than to any other, whom his country ever produced. THERE was in Scotland another party, who, profeffing equal attachment to the king's fervice, pretended only to differ with Montrofe about the means of attaining the fame end; and of that party, duke Hamilton was the leader. This nobleman had caufe to be extremely devoted to the king, not only by reafon of the connexion of blood, which united him to the royal family; but on account of the great confidence and favor, It is not improper to take notice of a miftake committed by Clarendon, much to the difadvantage of this gallant nobleman; that he offered the king, when his majefty was in Scotland, to affaffinate Argyle. All the time the king was in Scotland, Montrofe was confined to prifon. Rufh. vol. vi. p. 980. LVIII. 1645. CHAP. with which he had ever been honored by his master. Being accufed by lord Rae, not without fome appearance or probability, of a confpiracy against the king; Charles was fo far from harbouring fufpicion against him, that, the very firft time Hamilton came to court, he received him into his bedchamber, and paffed alone the night with him'. But fuch was the duke's unhappy fate or conduct, that he escaped not the imputation of treachery to his friend and fovereign; and though he at laft facrificed his life in the king's fervice, his integrity and fincerity have not been thought by hiftorians entirely free from blemish. Perhaps, (and this is the more probable opinion) the fubtilties and refinements of his conduct and his temporizing maxims, though accompanied with good intentions, have been the chief cause of a fufpicion, which has never yet been either fully proved or refuted. As much as the bold and vivid fpirit of Montrofe prompted him to enterprifing measures, as much was the cautious temper of Hamilton inclined to fuch as were moderate and dilatory. While the former foretold, that the Scottish covenanters were fecretly forming an union with the English parliament, and inculcated the neceffity of preventing them by fome vigorous undertaking; the latter ftill infifted, that every fuch attempt would precipitate them into measures, to which, otherwife, they were not, perhaps, inclined. After the Scottish convention was Nelfon, vol. ii. p. 683. LVIII. 1645. fummoned without the king's authority, the CHA P. former exclaimed, that their intentions were now visible, and that, if some unexpected blow were not struck, to diffipate them, they would arm the whole nation against the king; the latter maintained the poffibility of outvoting the difaffected party, and fecuring, by peaceful means the allegiance of the kingdom. Unhappily for the royal caufe, Hamilton's representations met with more credit from the king and queen, than those of Montrofe; and the covenanters were allowed, without interruption, to proceed in all their hoftile measures. Montrofe then haftened to Oxford; where his invectives against Hamilton's treachery, concurring with the general prepoffeffion, and fupported by the unfortunate event of his counfels, were entertained with univerfal approbation. Influenced by the clamor of his party, more than his own fufpicions, Charles, as foon as Hamilton appeared, fent him prifoner to Pendennis caftle in Cornwall. His brother, Laneric, who was alfo put under confinement, found means to make his escape, and to fly into Scotland. THE king's ears were now open to Montrose's counfels, who propofed none but the boldest and moft daring, agreeably to the desperate ftate of the royal caufe in Scotland. Though the whole nation was fubjected by the covenanters, Clarendon, vol. iii. p. 380, 381. Rufh. vol, vi p. 980. Wifhart, cap. 2. LVIII. 1645. CHAP though great armies were kept on foot by them, and every place guarded by a vigilant adminiftration; he undertook, by his own credit, and that of the few friends, who remained to the king, to raise fuch commotions, as would foon oblige the malecontents to recal thofe forces, which had fo fenfibly thrown the balance in favor of the parliament. Not difcouraged with the defeat at Marston-moor, which rendered it impoffible for him to draw any fuccour from England; he was content to ftipulate with the earl of Antrim, a nobleman of Ireland, for fome fupply of men from that country. And he himfelf, changing his disguises and paffing through many dangers, arrived in Scotland; where he lay concealed in the borders of the Highlands, and fecretly prepared the minds of his partifans for attempting fome great enterprise". No fooner were the Irish landed, though not exceeding eleven hundred foot, very ill armed, than Montrofe declared himself, and entered upon that scene of action, which has rendered his name fo celebrated. About eight hundred of the men of Athole flocked to his ftandard. Five hundred men more, who had been levied by the covenanters, were perfuaded to embrace the royal caufe: And with this combined force he haftened to attack lord Elcho, who lay at 6 S Wifhart, cap. 3. Clarendon, vol. v. p. 618. Rush. vol. vi. p. 982, Wifhart, cap. 4. |