1650. Conduct, and Charles II, being left without Hopes of recovering it, ought to efteem himself happy that his Scotch Subjects had offered him the Crown of his antient Kingdom, on the Terms it had been held by his Ancestors for fo many Ages; and that in becoming a good Scots-Man, he would recover the Figure which his Ancestors the Kings of Scotland had formerly made That no Reason obliged them to fufter Perfons about the King, who would give him pernicious Counfel in order to fow Divifion between the King and his Subjects, Perfons excommunicate, and Confpirators against the State in their attempt to replace the late King upon the Throne of his two Kingdoms by open Force and Violence.

Reajons and Inte refts of the King.

But the King reasoned upon other Principles. The Offer of the Crown of Scotland was no otherwise regarded by him, than as it might affift his Recovery of the Throne of England; that was the principal Object of his Attention. He little cared to be King of Scotland, if the Forces of that Kingdom were not to be at his Difpofal for obtaining his other Crown. Nevertheless his Power was to be limited in fuch a manner, that it fhould not be poffible for him to draw any Advantage from Scotland to attain his Ends. All thofe Perfons who were efteemed by him as his best Friends, and who had ufed their utmoft Endeavours to free his Father, and restore him to the Enjoyment of his Rights, were to be removed from his Perfon and Council; and yet they were the Perfons whofe Affiftance he relied on for the Recovery of England. In accepting the Crown of Scotland, he was even to forget that he had any juft Claim to the other: He was to govern Scotland in the way that his Ancestors had done before they mounted the Throne of England; that is to fay, he was to look upon his English Friends with lafting Diftruft, and confequently renounce all Hope of a Re-establishment in England. He was to fwear to the National Covenant, which had been made against the King his Father, with De

fign to prevent his ever introducing the Church-Go- 1650) vernment and Worship of England into Scotland, which he believed the only lawful ones. He was to fwear to the Covenant of the two Kingdoms, the fole Aim whereof was the Maintenance of Presbyterianism already established in England, which was an infallible Way to make him lofe his Friends. He was, laftly, not only to give his Approbation and Protection to Presbyterianifm in the two Kingdoms, but he was to promife a fincere and conftant Profeffion of the fame himself. But this was directly contrary to both his Sentiments and Confcience, as he fcarce believed the Presbyterians to be any Part of the true Chriftian Church.

It is apparent from this, that the Interefts of the The King King and thofe of the Nation of Scotland were as op- his Refent diffembles pofite as they ever had been during the Life of Charles I, and that the fame Difficulties ftill fubfisted, nor were to be furmounted otherwife than by the Arms or Acquiefcence of one of the Parties. The King was in no Condition to use Force, and yet the Terms to be impofed upon him appeared fo hard, that it would not have coft him one Moment's Deliberation to reject them, had any other Choice allowed him the Liberty. But the melancholy Pofture of his Affairs, which yielded him neither Subfiftence nor Safety in any other Place, obliged him, though very unwilling, to diffemble his Refentment, and to treat with the Scotch Deputies upon Propofitions which, to his Apprehenfion, were the most unjust. There were two Articles which he could not digeft. The first was, the Obligation laid upon him to fwear to the Covenant. He urged, that the Cove Forms Dif nant had been made for the Subjects, and not for ficulties the Prince, fince it obliged the Taker to fwear to upon the be faithful to the King, but it was abfurd for him and Relito fwear Allegiance to himself. This Objection gion as would have admitted of no Reply if this had been they rela the only Article in the Covenant. But there were own Pers others in which it was faid that the King was no fon. VOL. XIII,

E

lefs

Covenant

ed to his

1650, lefs concerned than his Subjects. The second related to Religion. He was willing to give his Confent to the Establishment of Presbytery in Scotland by Act of Parliament: But it could not with any Juftice be required of him to renounce the Religion for which the King his Father had dyed a Martyr; but that he would content himself with only three Chaplains to celebrate Divine Service in his Prefence The Com. after the Manner of the Church of England. But all millioners he could alledge fignified Nothing; the Commiffioners had no Power to receed from any one Article.

will not

receed. 1 In the fame Manner had the Parliament of England

King.

ufed to treat his Father. They left no Power but that of accepting or refufing what was propofed to Are amu him. The King was fatisfied that Nothing was to be fed by the gained by difputing upon the Articles, but he was defirous to prolong the Negotiation as much as pof fible, in hopes of good News from Scotland, where he knew the Marquefs of Montrofs would fhortly make his Appearance. This was his laft Refuge; and had the Marquefs been attended with his former Succefs, there is no Room to doubt but the Treaty would have come to a fhort Conclufion, by the King's having it in his Power to reject abfolutely the Conditions propofed to him: But the Progrefs of the Marquefs was not fuch as the King hoped for.

The Pro

After that Lord had left the King at the Hague, grefs of the he went to the North of Germany to endeavour to Marques raife Forces and Money, the Kirg having only giof Monven him a bare Commiffion without any other AfGermany, fiftance. The King of Denmark, as near Relation to Clarend. the King, furnished him with a Sum of Money, and V. P. 3+9 the English fettled in Sweden aflifted him all they

trofs in

Jaker, P.

595.

could. With this Relief he faw himself in a Condition to buy Arms and Ammunition, and to inlift five Hundred Soldiers which he fent in the Month of March into one of the Iles of Orkney. He followed himself in the Month of April, and from thence repaired with his Troops to Cathiefs in the North of Satland. It was precifely at the Time that the Scotch

Commif

Commiffioners were with the King at Breda. As the King had received Information that Montrofs was already gone for Scotland, he waited the Iffue of this Expedition before he would come to any Conclufion with the Deputies, whom he nevertheless entertained with Hopes of granting their Demands.

1650.

land.

P.

208.

After the Marquefs was arrived at Cathness, he He arrives feized a Caftle convenient for the Security of his in ScotArms and Ammunition; then he wrote to his Friends Bate, to join him. At the fame Time he published a Manifefto in which he fet forth, "That he was "come with a Commiffion from the King to pro"tect his good Subjects; but with no Defign to "obftruct the Negotiation at Breda; on the contrary he hoped to haften the Conclufion of it by "Means of his Army. If the Treaty fucceeded, "he fhould without any Difficulty lay down his Arms on the firft Command from his Majefty. "

The Scotch Parliament then fitting at Edinburgh The Con was furprized to hear of the Arrival of Montros in duct of the that Conjuncture with a Commiffion from the King, King offenfive to the It was not difficult to comprehend that, whatever Parlia was pretended, this was not the Way to forward the ment of Treaty, but rather to obstruct it, and force the Par- Scotland; liament to defift from Conditions which they judged. fo neceffary for the Safety of the Kingdom. It may well be imagined that this Step gave no favourable Opinion of the King's Sincerity.

Men a

Mean while, as Montrofs was not to be neglected which raiwhen it was remembred what his Succefs had for- fes 6000 merly been in the Service of the late King, the Par- gainft liament gave immediate Orders for the railing with Montrofs. all poffible Expedition an Army of fix Thoufand Men, under the Command of David Lefley. Until Straughan this Army could be got ready, Colonel Straughan lens before with 300 was detached with three Hundred Horfe to march Horse. Northward in Order to awe the Country, and prevent the King's Friends from joining with Montrofs. This Precaution had a furprizing Etect. The King's Friends, either fearful of falling into the Hands of VOL. XIII. E 2

this

Vol. XIII. 1650. this Cavalry, or dreading the Approach of the fix Thousand Men which were to follow, made no Efforts, and Montrofs received no Affiftance but from fome ill-armed and worse difciplined High-landers. So that his small Army, if it deferves that Name, compofed of Soldiers of different Nations, Strangers to one another's Language, and brought into a barren Country, were in no Condition to make any great Progrefs. Befides, as Montrofs had no Horfe to fcour the Country and bring him Intelligence, he was unacquainted with what was acting in other Places, and particularly the March of Straughan, in vain expecting the King's Adherents to come and join him. To this was owing his being furprized by Straughan's handful of Men, which, after a long Montrofs March, fell upon him unexpected. At Sight of the furprized, Enemy the High-landers deferted and fled; the Fodefeated, and taken reigners gave more Refiftance, but in the End were Prifoner, routed. The Marquefs being forced to fly, threw 19th of away his Ribband and George, and took the Habit of April.

a Peasant to prevent a Difcovery. He wandred fome Days in this Habit, and at laft put himself into the Hands of a Gentleman named Afton, who had formerly ferved under him, and promifed his Conceal ment. But whether the Hope of the Reward publifhed for the taking him, or the fear of his molt ri gorous Punishment if he concealed him, wrought upon him, it is certain that he delivered him into the Hands of Lefley, who immediately fent him to Edinburgh. The Parliament then fitting refolved to try him; and as, fince his Degradation, he went by no other Name than that of James Graham, and was universally hated, no Regard was paid to his Birth Condemn- He was condemned to be hanged on a Gallows thirty Foot high, with this Addition to his Sentence, that after he was dead, his Head should be fevered from his Body, and set on Edinburgh Tolbooth: His Arm

ed to be

hanged,

and

* Bate in his Elenchus Motuum affures us, that Afton receive two Thousand Pounds, in reward of his Treachery.