THE GRAHAMS OF MONTROSE.—(CONTINUED.)
BUT Montrose was not disposed to remain idle because thus foiled for the time by Argyll. He now collected a family party of con- spirators—his brother-in-law, Lord Napier, Sir George Stirling of Keir, who had married Napier's eldest daughter, and Sir Archibald Stewart of Blackhall and Ardgowan, who had married a sister of Keir. They met either at Montrose's lodgings in the Canongate, or at Napier's house, Merchistoun, near Edinburgh, and it was resolved to communicate with the Duke of Lennox through Colonel Walter Stewart, who was about to visit the King, and to endeavour through Lennox to persuade Charles to coma in person into Scotland. Just before Stewart departed on his mission Montrose went on a visit to Lord Stormont at Scone Abbey, in February, 1641, and there put himself in communication with three ministers of that neighbourhood who were at variance with the general body of the Covenanters. One of these, repeating Montrose's exposition of politics before his Presbytery, was called upon to appear before the Committee at Edinburgh and give an account of his speech. His explanations led to Montrose himself being summoned before the Committee, May 27, 1641. In the course of the examination Montrose's statement that Argyll had discoursed of deposing the King was repeated by him, and led to a vehement denial on the part of Argyll, who called on Montrose for his authority. Montrose then named Mr. John Stewart of Ladywell as the source of this part of his statement, and Lord Lindsay as his authority for Argyll's projected dictatorship. Stewart adhered to his statement, but Lindsay denied naming Argyll, and this part of the statement was pronounced by the Committee on the 7th of June to have been a misapprehension on the part of Montrose. Stewart, however, recanted his statement (as the minister who attended him alleges, through underhand means employed with him), confessed in a letter to Argyll that he himself had forged these statements, and had by advice of Montrose and the other family party sent a copy of them to the King through Colonel Walter Stewart. Walter Stewart was inter- cepted accordingly on his return and his letters seized, among them a letter from Charles to Montrose, in answer to one from him urging him to come to Scotland. Montrose's let- ter to the King is preserved in part, and is a very able per- formance. It sets forth the distempers in Scotland, which may thence infect England also, arising from jealousy of religious inno- vations, and not from any feelings against monarchy in the Scottish people. It urges Charles's presence and his frank personal dis- avowal of all intentions against their liberties as the only remedy, counsels him against suffering them "to meddle or dispute of his power" on the one hand, and against himself aiming at " abso- luteness " on the other, and advises him to "practise temperate government and settle the offices of State on men of integrity and sufficiency," neither "factious or popular," nor "such as are much hated." The King in his answer, dated May 22, 1611, professes "a perfect intention to satisfy his people in their religion and just liberties." Both letters are studiedly guarded, and must he con- sidered rather as State documents than as private correspondence. All that was private was evidently left to Walter Stewart's viva voce exposition, nor can any satisfactory deduction be drawn from these letters as to the real intentions of Charles or Montrose. We know from other sources what were the ideas and projects of the King, and though Montrose may have been sincere in his professed antagonism to despotic government and Laud's Church system, his subsequent career shows that neither of these feel- ings was strong enough in him to outweigh the gratification of personal ambition and personal animosities. Whatever may be the exact balance of right and wrong between him and his rival Argyll, whose conduct requires further elucidation before we can pronounce decidedly on this personal question, there can be no doubt that the cause with which Argyll identified himself was the really constitutional one, and that Montrose, how- ever he may have imposed upon himself, really lent his mind and his sword to the cause of irresponsible government. Some part of the real mission of Stewart leaking out by his asser- tion on examination that the King had sent assurance by him that the vacant places of State in Scotland should be disposed of to Montrose and the parties to the bond of Cumbermauld, the King on the 12th June thought it advisable to write to Argyll, mentioning this statement of Stewart's, and declaring that he only came to Scotland to settle affairs, not to cause divisions, and that he had made no particular promises for the disposal of places. No one who has read the Glamorgan correspondence of Charles will have much doubt as to the real interpretation to be placed on this disavowal. On the day before its date Montrose had been sent prisoner to the castle of Edinburgh. The unfortunate laird
and discreetly," and the King issuing a declaration that he would were inflicted on the unfortunate city, and slaughter and every not employ them in offices of trust or give them access to his sort of atrocity continued uncontrolled for several days. On person, the proceedings against them were allowed to drop quietly the fifth day Montrose evacuated the city on the approach in the March following. Montrose withdrew to one of his country of Argyll, and marched to the north of Banffshire, where houses, and there remained till May, 1642, when along with he hoped to be joined by Huntley. But on approaching Keir and Ogilvy he repaired to York, and though Charles, in the Spey, the most rapid river in Scotland, his progress was formal compliance with the letter of his declaration, ordered them barred by a force under Lords Ross, Caithness, and Sutherland, not to approach within one post of that city, he communicated who held the opposite bank, and as Argyll was still in pursuit, with them there through confidential agents. In February, 1643, and his Highlanders had again deserted, he marched along to the Montrose on the landing of the Queen at Bridlington, met her head of the river, and abandoning his artillery in a morass there, and accompanied her to York, proposing sudden and decisive reached the mountains of Badenoch. Hence he repaired again to measures to anticipate and prevent the impending "League" of Atholl, and despatched Colkitto to endeavour to recruit in the the Parliaments of England and Scotland ; but Hamilton's plans Highlands, while he himself marched into Forfarshire, and thence prevailed, and he was sent to Scotland with full powers to act, into the country of the Gordons. But Huntley would not move, while Montrose, disappointed, retired to his country seat once being jealous of Montrose:8 ascendency, and perhaps still doubt- more. Unless we would expose Montrose to a worse charge of ful of his goad faith. The indefatigable Argyll was again on double dealing, we must admit that he now wavered again as his track, and after an attempt to make a stand at Falvey to his course. He certainly held an interview with Alexander Castle, many of his followers being won off by Argyll, Montrose Henderson, the celebrated Scotch preacher, and learnt from again retreated to Atholl, where he was joined by Colkitto and him the intentions of the Covenanters to enter England with his recruits. Argyll was at length wearied out, and complaining an army to aid the English Parliament, and received from him an of being ill-seconded by the civil authorities resigned his corn- informal offer of the payment of his debts and the post of second mend, and was succeeded by General Baillie. Montrose, avoid- in command if he would join them. He was counted on ing Baillie, now turned on his personal enemy Argyll (who had as a probable adherent for some little time, and fell under the set a price on his head), penetrated by the mountain passes into suspicions of the Scottish Royalists, and in consequence an his country, and for seven weeks devastated the district, enterprise proposed by him in that summer fell through. He Argyll himself being compelled to fly in a fishing-boat. All who was probably playing the game of Wentworth over again, Hamil- were capable of bearing arms were put to the sword, and the ton standing in the way of his Royalism as Buckingham had done country converted into a wilderness. Montrose then returned with Strafford, for in December, 1643, we find Hamilton and towards Lochaber, and marched on Inverness, where the Berl Montrose both at Oxford, the latter the accuser of the former, of Se-aforth commanded for the Covenanters, but hearing that Hamilton was committed to prison, and thenceforth we hear no Argyll, roused to vengeance, was in his rear, with three thousand more of any wavering on the part of Montrose. Charles now put of his retainers, he retraced his steps, and taking the Camisbelle himself in the hands of Montrose, who counselled that the Earl of by surprise at Inverlochy, completely defeated them there on Feb. Antrim should send over a body of 2,000 or 3,000 Irish from ruary 2, 1645.
Ulster to the western coasts of Scotland, and that he himself should pass the Borders with a small body of horse, furnished by the Marquis of Newcastle, raise what Highlanders he could, and join the Irish forces. He was thereupon appointed by Charles on February 1, 1644, a few days only after the entrance of the Cove- nanting army into England, his Lieutenant-General in Scotland. He now threw aside all his old associates, forgot his anxiety for the Kirk and his dread of absolute monarchy, and became what he has come down to us in popular tradition, the great SCOT- TISH CAVALIER. He gathered a few troops in Westmoreland, and erected the Royal standard at Dumfries in April, 1644, but being unsupported by any descent of Irish troops, was compelled to retreat into England, and was excommunicated by the General Assembly, April 26. On the 6th of May he was raised by Charles to the dignity of Marquis (not recognized by the Parliaments), routed the Parliamentary garrison of Morpeth, threw provisions into Newcastle, arrived just too late for Marston of f etelywell fared worse, for he was executed for leasing-making Moor, and handing over his men to Rupert, re-entered Scotland on the 28th of July'. There is much obscure matter about a corn- disguised as a groom, with only two attendants,--and com- plicity of the Earl of 'I'raquhair with Montrose and his associates menced the brilliant period of his eventful career. which came out in Walter Stewart's evidence, but which kes not Montrose first repaired to the house of his kinsman, Patrick Gra- yet been satisfactorily elucidated, though its general bearings can ham of Inchbrokie, on the borders of the Highlands, and afterwards be well conceived. Lord Napier and the rest of the " family removed to a solitary hut on the same estate, while he sent out party " had been also imprisoned, and were all examined several messengers to give information of his arrival to Lord Napier and times both before the Committee and the Parliament which now the Gordons. But the latter had risen prematurely in arms, bad
assembled. been defeated, and Huntley was now a fugitive in the wilds of Montrose was still a prisoner in Edinburgh Castle when Charles Caithness. But at length Montrose gained certain intelligence of arrived in Scotland. We have already mentioned in our accounts the landing and of the whereabouts of his expected Irish auxili- of Hamilton and Argyll the circumstances attending the strange aries, under the command of a kinsman of Antrim's, Alexander affair called " The Incident "—the sudden flight of those two Macdonell, or as he was usually called, " Young Colkitto." He at noblemen to avoid the design for seizing them and disposing of once set out to join them, and the Royal standard was unfurled on them, either by restraint or otherwise—the charge against them a rising ground near Blair Atholl. The fiery cross " soon pro- made and withdrawn by Charles — the fears entertained by duced a considerable accession of Highlanders. Napier and Keir the Scottish Parliament from the King coming down to the of Blackhall were detained at Edinburgh, but their retainers Parliament House attended with an armed force, and indeed the swelled Moutrose's little army, and he was joined by Lord Kilpont, striking similarity between the whole affair and the attempted eldest son of the Earl of Menteith, Sir John Drummond, and seizure of the five members in England in the following January. other men of position. Altogether he mustered about 3,000 men, It is clear that Montrose was during this time in communication and with these he marched upon Perth, where Lord Etch° corn- with the King by letter, if not by personal interview, and that he mended for the Covenanters with 6,000 men, disregarding Argyll, set the plot in motion, though the alleged suggestion as to the asses- who was marching against him from the west, with the title of sination of the two noblemen may have been a version of some words Lieutenant of the Kingdom. On the 1st of September, 1644, dropped by the Earl of Crawford, and may not have proceeded from Montrose completely defeated Elcho at Tippermuir, and entered Montrose himself, as Clarendon in one copy of his historical work Perth, which he gave up to plunder. Part of his Highlanders asserts it to have done. All, however, was hushed up eventually, scattering homewards with their booty, and Argyll approaching, honours were bestowed on Argyll and the other Covenanting chiefs, Montrose marched on Aberdeen, defeated Lord Burley, who and Montrose and his friends set at liberty on the 16th of November, had nearly 3,000 men, on the 12th of September, and entered on condition "that from henceforth they carry themselves soberly Aberdeen pell-mell with the fugitives. The worst evils of war and discreetly," and the King issuing a declaration that he would were inflicted on the unfortunate city, and slaughter and every not employ them in offices of trust or give them access to his sort of atrocity continued uncontrolled for several days. On person, the proceedings against them were allowed to drop quietly the fifth day Montrose evacuated the city on the approach in the March following. Montrose withdrew to one of his country of Argyll, and marched to the north of Banffshire, where houses, and there remained till May, 1642, when along with he hoped to be joined by Huntley. But on approaching Keir and Ogilvy he repaired to York, and though Charles, in the Spey, the most rapid river in Scotland, his progress was formal compliance with the letter of his declaration, ordered them barred by a force under Lords Ross, Caithness, and Sutherland, not to approach within one post of that city, he communicated who held the opposite bank, and as Argyll was still in pursuit, with them there through confidential agents. In February, 1643, and his Highlanders had again deserted, he marched along to the Montrose on the landing of the Queen at Bridlington, met her head of the river, and abandoning his artillery in a morass there, and accompanied her to York, proposing sudden and decisive reached the mountains of Badenoch. Hence he repaired again to measures to anticipate and prevent the impending "League" of Atholl, and despatched Colkitto to endeavour to recruit in the the Parliaments of England and Scotland ; but Hamilton's plans Highlands, while he himself marched into Forfarshire, and thence prevailed, and he was sent to Scotland with full powers to act, into the country of the Gordons. But Huntley would not move, while Montrose, disappointed, retired to his country seat once being jealous of Montrose:8 ascendency, and perhaps still doubt- more. Unless we would expose Montrose to a worse charge of ful of his goad faith. The indefatigable Argyll was again on double dealing, we must admit that he now wavered again as his track, and after an attempt to make a stand at Falvey to his course. He certainly held an interview with Alexander Castle, many of his followers being won off by Argyll, Montrose Henderson, the celebrated Scotch preacher, and learnt from again retreated to Atholl, where he was joined by Colkitto and him the intentions of the Covenanters to enter England with his recruits. Argyll was at length wearied out, and complaining an army to aid the English Parliament, and received from him an of being ill-seconded by the civil authorities resigned his corn-
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