1685. pose and reprefs his ufurpations and Tyran66 ny.

"And therefore being affifted and furnish'd veLC ry nobly by feveral good Proteftants, and invited "and accompanied by feveral of both Nations to lead them, I refolve, as God fhall enable me, to ufe their Affiftance of all kinds, towards the "Ends exprefs'd in the faid Declaration.

"And I do hereby earneftly invite and conjure "all honeft Proteftants, and particularly all my "Friends and Blood-Relations, to concur with us in the faid Declaration; and as I have written 66 feveral Letters, fo having no other way fully to "intimate my Mind otherwife, I do hereby require all my Vaffals any where, and all within my feveral Jurifdictions, with their fenfible Men "within their Command, to go to Arms, and to "join and concur with Us according to the faid "Declaration, as they fhall be answerable at their "Peril; and that they obey the particular Orders they fhall receive from me from time to time.

66

To back this Declaration, the Earl of Argile fent Letters to feveral of his Friends and Acquaintance, to defire their speedy Affiftance; and detach'd his Two Sons to make Excurfions about the Neighbourhood, and oblige fome by Menaces, and others by Promifes, to join with him; but all this without any great Succefs: For all the Men he could raife did not amount to above Three or Four Thoufand, with whom having march'd to the Town of Rofa, in the Ifle of Bont, and pitch'd there his Camp, he was foon after pursued, and almoft furrounded by the Earl of Dumbarton, General of the King's Army, and by feveral other Bodies commanded by Duke Gordon, the Marquifs of Athol, the Earl of Arran, and other Lords, who haftned from all Parts to quench the Fire of Rebellion before it broke out into a Blaze.

The Malecontents being much inferiour both in Number and Strength, the Earl of Argile abandon'd a Poft which he was not able to maintain, and march'd with his small Army into the Pro

2 vince that bears his Name; where having fortified 1685. a Cattle call'd Ellengreg, as well as the Hafte he was in would let him, he lodg'd there his Arms and Ammunition, having caus'd his Ships to anchor under the Cannon of a little Fort, built for that Purpose near the Caftle. Here began his Overthrow: For having left the Caftle, in order to make Inroads, one of his Parties was defeated by the Marquifs of Athol, with the Lofs of about 200 Men; and at the fame time Captain Hamilton, who with a Squadron of the King's Ships was in queft of thofe of the Earl, feiz'd firft upon these and afterwards made himself Mafter of the Castle. without any Oppofition. Thereupon the Earl of Dumbarton marching with all speed towards the Malecontents, who endeavour'd to cover themfelves by Rivers and Marshes, overtook them at the Paffage of Clyde, in the Parish of Killerne, making towards Lenox. The Earl arriving late in the 1 Evening, did not think fit to attack the Enemy 1 before the next Day; but they confidering the Superiority of the Royal Army, paft the River in great Hafte and Disorder by Night, and were no fooner got over, but being feiz'd with Fear and Confternation, they presently difpers'd themselves. The Earl of Argile, with much ado, kept a small Guard about his Perfon, which however foon abandon'd him, the Earl of Dumbarton having by that time paft the River, and fent out feveral Parties in Purfuit of the Fugitives. At Renfew Sir John Cochran undertook to furnish the Head of the Malecontents with Guides to conduct him fafe to Galloway; but being by them led into a boggy Place, on Pretence, or with Intention to bring him off from the King's Army, most of thofe who ftill follow'd him were oblig'd to leave their Horfes, and every one fhifted for himfelf. The Earl of Argile was returning all alone towards the River Clyde, when Two fturdy Fellows, who belong'd to Greynock, an Officer in the King's Army, having met him, without knowing who he was, bid him ftand and furrender. He anfwer'd them with a Shot, but miss'd them: They happen'd to be F 2 better

1

1685. better Marks-men, and wounded him with a Pistolfhot. Thereupon the Earl taking both his Piftols, left his Horfe, which could go no further for Wearinefs, and making towards the River, begun to Step into the Water. A Peafant who accompanied the first Aggreffors of the Earl, follow'd him close with a Piftol in his Hand: The Earl would have made a Shot at him, but his Pistol mis-served, and the Country Fellow gave him a Wound in the Head, which stunn'd him fo as he fell, and by reafon of the Pain he felt at the Blow, cry'd out, Ob! unfortunate Argile! By which, having difcover'd himself, they prefently took him, and deli ver'd him into the Hands of the King's Officers. Never was a Prifoner of that Character us'd with more Ignominy than this unhappy Earl; who like a common Malefactor, was firft conducted to Glaf com, and then to Edinburgh, bareheaded, and the Hangman walking before him with his Ax. A few Days after he was beheaded, and his Head fet up on the Cattle of Edinburgh. 'Tis faid that be fore he dy'd he complain'd of the Duke of Monmouth, both for neglecting to fend him timely Succours, and for his affuming the Title of King, contrary to the Promife he had made him, of concurring with him in fetting up a Commonwealth. Richard Rumbold, the Malfter, at whofe Houfe, as fome pretend, the Confpirators were to attempt the late King's Life, in his Return from New-Market, and who landed with Argile, was try'd, found guilty, and hang'd Four Days before the Earl was executed. But Sir John Cockram, who was likewife come over from Holland with Argile, and had made a Shew of gathering Forces for him, efcap'd with Impurity, which made People generally believe that he had betray'd his Leader, as did foon after the Lord G---. However it was, thus fell the unfortunate Earl of Argile, whofe Father after having a long time ftickled for a Republican Government against King Charles I. and vigorously oppos'd the Reftauration of King Charles II. lost his Head upon a Scaffold in the Year 1661.0

Argile's

the Duke

Argile's Infurrection was fcarce fupprefs'd, when 1685. a greater Storm rais'd in the Weft of England by the Duke of Monmouth, alarm'd the new King. MonThe Duke was natural Son to King Charles II. mouth's by Mrs. Scot, a Gentlewoman of a Welsh Family, Rebellion. to whom that Prince was faid to have promis'd Marriage: I know the thing was never prov'd, but yet it is molt certain that King Charles had ever exprefs'd a particular Kindnefs and Deference to her; that in the Year 1656. being fent Prifoner to the Tower by Cromwel, a Letter fign'd with the Ahort King's Hand was found in his ftrong Box, where- Account of by he order'd a confiderable Penfion to be paid to Mrs. Scot, with Promife to encreafe it if God of Monmouth, be fhould reftore him to his Throne; and that be- fore his fore he was arrefted by the ufurper, he fuffer'd his Rebellion. Servants to wait on her at Table kneeling, and to pay her all the Demonftrations of Refpect which are only due to a Queen of England. Add to this the extream Fondness which King Charles had to the very last for the Duke of Monmouth, and the great Titles, high Employments, and other Marks of Favour, whereby he diftinguifh'd him from all his natural Sons, and 'twill amount, at leaft, to a probable Conjecture that fome fecret Vow had paft betwixt the King and Mrs. Scot.

The Duke of York being himself fenfible of all this, had ever look'd upon the Duke of Monmouth as a fecret Enemy, who, if any favourable Opportunity fhould offer, might become his Competitor in the Crown; but though he bore him an irreconcileable Hatred, he could never effect his total Ruin in King Charles's Reign. The Jefuits left no Means untry'd to work him out of his Father's Favour: They us'd a Thousand Stratagems to render him Criminal; and fucceeded at laft in their Defigns. The Duke was artfully engag'd in the Shaftsburian Plot, and upon the Difcovery of it oblig'd to withdraw himself, till being follow'd by a Proclamation, he furrendred himself, and made a Confeffion of the whole Confpiracy; but without the leaft Defign upon King Charles's Life, which he faid was never thought of. Upon this

F 3

the

1685. the King gave him his Pardon: Which he no fooner was Mafter of, but he began to excufe moft of the Confpirators, and to palliate what he had faid to His Majefty in private; whereupon the King, inftigated by his Brother, requir'd it under His Hand: The Duke yielded to Neceffity, and fubfcrib'd a Writing of the fame Importance with the Confeffion he had made to the King; but afterwards defiring the Writing might be reftor'd to him, the King told him, He would no longer keep it, but withal commanded him to leave the Kingdom, having firft engag'd him to promife, that he would never take up Arms againit him or his Succeffor; to fecure whofe Title he declar'd to his Council that he never made any Promife of Marriage to Mrs. Scot.

Thus the Duke of York had procur'd the Banishment of an Enemy, whom he had not been able to deftroy; and the Duke of Monmouth was now retir'd into Holland, where the favourable Reception he met from the Prince of Orange, made him almost forget he was in Exile. This good Ufage ftirr'd up the Envy of the Duke of York, and by his Infinuations, the Jealoutie of King Charles, who thereupon defired the Prince of Orange to withdraw his Favour from the Duke of Monmouth. The Prince, knowing the Duke to be unjustly perfecuted, was fo far from minding the King's Requeft, that he continued his former Kindnefs and Refpect to the Duke, and order'd his Troops to falute him when he fhould happen to be prefent at the Reviews. On the other Hand, the King had order'd Mr. Chudley, his Minifter at the Hague, to command his Troops in the Dutch Service not to take any Notice of the Duke: Which the Prince refented fo highly, that he reprimanded Chudley for offering to deliver Orders to Officers under his Command, without communicating the fame to him. The English Envoy complain'd to his Mafter, who, thinking himself offended, forbad him to fee the Prince. Things were at this País, when the Duke of York having fucceeded his deceas'd Brother, and being ftill inveterately jealous of the Duke of Monmouth,