tell you my mind of all this business. For aught I can learn from any hand, both this plot of reserving some of us, and this plot of causing the King declare his intention to go home to Scotland, is only to terrify us for to pass from Traquair, and is suspected,—I will say no more, nor accuse any man, -to come from some of our own number with Traquair's advice," &c. *

The pointed directions given in this secret correspondence, to have an eye upon Montrose, and to "think what to do with some" in Scotland, were not thrown away upon the clique in Edinburgh; and Mr Archibald Johnston had the satisfaction of receiving that letter from Sir Thomas Hope, to which we have elsewhere referred,† and shall now quote from the unpublished original.

"WORTHY BROTHER,

"We had many strange business in hand here, this last week. They began at Mr John Graham, minister of Auchterarder, who was called to give an account of some speeches spoken in that presbytery, and gave Mr Robert Murray for his authority. Mr Robert gave the Earl of Montrose for his, and Montrose declared that he had the same partly from Mr John Stewart of Ladywell, and partly from my Lord Lindsay. Mr John Stewart being sent for and examined, made a terrible calumnious relation of some speeches which he alleged

* See Chapter XIV. where the letter from the Napier charter-chest is printed, and proves the nature of Montrose's and Lord Napier's advice to the King at this desperate crisis. The rest of Johnston's letter quoted above is chiefly composed of most violent directions to the Committee not to "harbour so base a thought as to be thus threatened and dung from the Parliament's pursuit of incendiaries.”

+ See p. 333, where the postscript is quoted.

spoken by the Earl of Argyle at his expedition in Athol, of no less moment than the deposing of the King. He confessed he gave a copy of his relation to the Earl of Montrose, and another to Walter Stewart, (my man,) to be given to the Earl of Traquair. Walter was happily rancountered, upon Friday, betwixt Cokburn'spath and Haddington, by one was sent expressly to meet him, and conveyed to Balmerino's lodgings, at nine o'clock at night, where I was the first man that came in after him, about some other business with my Lord. After he denied he had any more papers than were in his cloth-bag, there was a leather bag found in the pannel of his saddle, wherein was a letter from the King to Montrose, a letter to himself (Stewart) written from Colonel Cochrane at Newcastle, to London, and a signature of the Chamberlanrie of the Bishop of Dunkeld to Mr John Stewart, with a blank for a pension, but not signed by the King's hand. After many shifts, being convinced by some notes under his own hand, which were found in his pocket, (and which with astonishment he swore he thought had not been in the world,) he was brought to promise plain dealing, and deponed, as ye will find in the papers sent to Humby. But I believe he has not dealt truly in all the points. Specially I doubt the interpretation of A. B. C., by which he says are meant the Banders,* and of the viper in the King's bosom, by which he means Canterbury, which I believe not. I will not touch any more of the particulars, because you will find them in the copies of the papers. Mr John Stewart has since confessed his knavery in the general, but has not

* i. e. Montrose and those who signed the conservative bond. VOL. I.

A a

yet cleared the particulars.* The point for the which Montrose alleges Lindsay's authority is not yet cleared. It was concerning the Dictator, whom he alleges should have been [i. e. to have been] Argyle, as he then said positive in his declaration my Lord Lindsay named him. But since he heard Lindsay, he says he believes he did name him, at the least he conceives he meant him, and he refers to his oath [whether he did mean him. I think it shall resolve in nothing, or a very little something. I believe this business shall prove deeper than yet is found, for the Lord it seems will have all these ways brought to light. I have no other thing, that I remember for the present, which I know you have not heard, and the most part of this, if not all, you will have from others. But a good tale twice told is tolerable. I remain, as ever, your real friend to be commanded, Edin', 7 June 1641. A. B."+

* For a good reason, he had to consider what particulars were most likely to save him from the merciless fangs of an Argyle committee.

+ These two sentences, which at first sight appear to contradict each other, are very characteristic of a covenanting factionist. They mean that the allegation against Argyle would turn out to be no high treason at all, or only a very little high treason, but as for the suspicion against Montrose, that would be verified in the discovery of a deep plot brought to light by the Lord.

It is remarkable that this letter, fixing so precisely the fact of intercepting the King's messenger to Montrose, should not have been hitherto observed, not even by Lord Hailes when examining the manuscripts of the Advocates' Library in reference to the history of the period. Wodrow, who has preserved it amongst his voluminous manuscript collections, was not aware that the writer was Sir Thomas Hope. He calls it, (in his index to the volume of his MSS. where it occurs) a letter to Wariston from his brother, probably because it commences, worthy brother." But Hope and Johnston were brother lawyers and brother factionists. That Sir Thomas Hope of Kerse was the writer of this letter is sufficiently proved before, p. 334.

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CHAPTER XII

THE REASONS OF MONTROSE'S CONSERVATIVE BOND, AND THE GROUNDS OF HIS ALARM FOR THE MONARCHY, ILLUSTRATED FROM ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPTS.

We must now shift the scene to Scotland, and develope the details of a lawless persecution of Montrose, and other conservative Covenanters there, of which history only affords a partial and inaccurate view. Fortunately it happens, that most of the original papers, relating to the events mentioned in the letter with which our last chapter concludes, have also been preserved among the manuscripts of the Advocates' Library. They have not hitherto been printed, and historians, who slightly notice the extraordinary scenes to which they relate, appear never to have consulted the documents themselves. These shall now be laid before the reader, with the exception only of the antiquated orthography.

66

May 27, 1641.—Mr Robert Murray, minister at Methven, being come to Edinburgh upon Wednesday last, at night, upon other occasions, was called off the streets upon Thursday, the 27th day of May, instant, to compear before the Committee of Estates, and having appeared before them, was told by their Lordships, that Mr John Graham, minister of Auchterarder, being examined by their Lordships upon the author of his speeches which he spake before the Presbytery of Auchterarder, gave up the said Mr Robert as his au

thor. Whereupon Mr Robert posed (questioned) the said Mr John, being present, why he should give him up as author, seeing he was informed by Mr James Forsyth, minister at Monzie, that Mr John had other authors. But the said Mr John refused to condescend upon any other author but the said Mr Robert. Whereupon Mr Robert did desire the Committee to urge Mr John to condescend upon other authors, for he was loath to depone in the business. Whereupon the Earl of Montrose did urge Mr Robert to declare without more business, because he knew that he might soon put it off his hand. Whereupon Mr Robert answered, then it is your Lordship must take it off my hand, therefore, my Lord, tell your part, and I shall tell mine.' But my Lord refused, and desired Mr Robert to declare; and the said Mr Robert being urged of the Lords of the Committee to declare, he desired to see Mr John Graham's declaration, whereof he had made him author. But the Lords of the Committee desired Mr Robert to declare what he spake to Mr John Graham anent the particulars which Mr John was challenged to have spoken in the said Presbytery. Whereupon the said Mr Robert depones,—

"That Mr John Graham came, upon a Sabbath day at night, in February or March last, (as the deponer remembers,) in his own house, with a commission from Montrose, desiring the deponer to meet with his Lordship in Scoon, on Monday at night. The deponer answered, that he would be glad to speak with his Lordship, but he was loath to go to Scoon on the Monday. Therefore Mr John and the deponer went to Perth on Monday, and from thence the said Mr John went himself to the said Earl to meet him coming from Duncrub, to tell his Lordship that the deponer would meet