JAMES, FIRST MARQUIS OF MONTROSE.
James, First Marquis of Montrose. Edited by John Sime. (F. E. Robinson and Co. 12s. 6d. net.)—Mr. Sime has abridged Bishop Wishart's narrative as it appears in the two trans- lations, the "Hague," which is contemporary, and the " Rud- diman," which was published in 1756. He has also pre- fixed an account of the extant portraits of Montrose and a bibliography. To these he has added an essay on the great Marquis's character and career, including in this a brief bio- graphical sketch of Bishop Wishart. Finally, there is an in- teresting note on the binding, done in olive leather with fieur- de-lis and the Royal arms, surmounted by a princely coronet. The effect of this binding, copied from a volume which was executed for King Charles when Prince of Wales, is excellent. Mr. Sime's essay is, we cannot but think, of a somewhat partisan character. He concedes that there were honest and high-minded men on both sides; but he speaks of the pitiless character of the pursuit after the defeat of Philiphaugh. Surely this was but a reprisal for similar severities on the other side. After Montrose's victory at Auldearn, for instance, no quarter could have been given if "nearly 2,000 Covenanters were slain," out of a total force of 3,900. The Highlanders of those days were abso- lute savages, in this respect at least. They neither showed nor expected mercy. The horrible story of the Macdonalds of Eig is characteristic of their general temper. As for Mr. Sime's conten- tion that Montrose's judgment of King Charles, ideal or other- wise, is "more likely to be in accordance with reality than any conclusion arrived at two hundred and fifty years after the King's death," it is simply ludicrous. We know much about King Charles that Montrose could not have known, and we are not touched by the glamour of the Royal presence. Men of rank and character approached such a poor creature as James on their knees, and Charles, false as he was, had great personal dignity and charm. Even now a fascinating Emperor can apparently charm experienced statesmen as a stoat charms a rabbit.
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