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The history of England
by David Hume
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Excerpt:
• The Weft conquered by Fairfax Defeat of
Montrofe Ecclefiaftical affairs King goes
to the Scots at Newark End of the war
King delivered up by the Scots.
WHILE the king's affairs declined in Eng- CHAP, land, fome events happened in Scotland, LVUIwhich feemed to promife him a more profperous ' Te^. iffue of the quarrel.
Before the commencement of thefe civil difor- Montders, the earl of Montrofe, a young nobleman of a diftinguifhed family, returning from his travels, had been introduced to the king, and had made an offer of his fervices; but by the infinuations of the marquefs, afterwards duke of Hamilton, who poflefled much of Charles's confidence, he had not been received with that diftinction to which he thought himfelf juftly entitled '. Difgufted with this treatment, he had forwarded all the violence of the covenanters; and, agreeably to the natural ardour of his genius, he had employed himfelf, during the firft bcottifn infurrection, with great zeal, as well as fuccefs, in levying and conducting their armies. Being commiflioned by the Tables to wait upon the king, while the royal army lay at Berwic, he was fo gained by the civilities and carefies of that monarch, that he thenceforth devoted-himfelf entirely, though fecretly, to his fervice, and entered into a clofe correfpondence
t Nalfon, Intr. p. 63.
him' ^n tne fecond infurrection, a great military command was entrufted to him by the covenanters; 1645. and he was the firft that pafled 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 fufpedted; a copy of this letter was fent to Leven, the Scottifh general. Being accufed of treachery, and a correfpondence with the enemy; Montrofe openly avowed the letter, and afked the generals, if they dared to call their fovereign an enemy: And by this bold and magnanimous behaviour, he efcaped 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 afibciation. for his mafter's fervice. Though thrown into prifon for this enterprife u, and detained fome time, he was not difcouraged; but ftill continued, by his countenance and protection, to infufe fpirit into the diftreflecl 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, profefTing 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
« It is not improper to take notice of n rhiftake committed by Clarendon, much to the disadvantage of this gallant nobleman; ih.it he offered the king, when his majeliy was in Scotland, to aflafiinate Argyle. All the time the king was in Scotland, Montiofe was confined, tp prifon. Kufh. vol. vi. ;>. 980.
to
to the royal family; but on account of the great Chap. confidence and favour with which he had ever been ^_ ^ honoured by his matter. Being accufed by lord 164.5. Rae, not without fome appearance of probability, of a confpiracy againft the king; Charles was fo far from harbouring fufpicion againft him, that, the very firft time Hamilton came to court, he received him into his bed-chamber, and pafied alone the night with him w. But fuch was the duke's unhappy fate or conduct, that he efcaped 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 blemifli. •
