Affembly held in Glasgow, and diftinguifhed himself by his zeal for the Redeemer's glory, in which he continued, and was kept faithful therein till called to lay down his life for the fake of a good confcience. Mr. Henderson, the moderator in the affembly, expreffed a wifh that this noble peer had joined with them a little fooner adding, "That he hoped the Lord had referved him for the most important times, and that he would honour him both here and hereafter." To which his Lordship replied, "You wish that I had joined you fooner; this was not for want of affection for true religion, or for want of love to my country, but a hope that by staying at court I might have been able to bring about a redrefs of grievances; but when I faw that I could ftay there no longer, without proving unfaithful to my God and my country, I thought it the beft to do, as I have done. I remember that I told fome of you, That pride and avarice are two evils that have been attended with very bad confequences in the Church of God, and as they are grievous faults in any man, fo they are much more fo in minifters. I hope every man here will walk by the rules now fet before him. I hope that minifters will take care to perform their duty to their people, and that the people will have a proper regard to those who are set over them, to watch for their fouls; and not to think that because we have no bishops therefore they may live as they please."

Charles I. difagreeing with his English parliament, made a fe cond tour to Scotland in 1640. When the Scotch parliament was fitting, the king himself bore this teftimony concerning the Marquis, That he had dealt over honeftly with him, and therefore he now created him marquis of Argyle, earl of Kintyre, &c. as a reward for his faithful fervices.

During the fitting of the parliament, a plot was laid to deftroy this nobleman and the marquis of Hamilton. The earl of Craw ford, and Colonel Cockran, were to have been the actors in the bufinefs. Hamilton and Argyle were to be called for in the dead of the night to fpeak with the king, and in the way they were to be arrested as traitors and delivered to Crawford, who was to wait for them with a confiderable body of armed men. If any refift. ance was made, he was to ftab them directly; but if not, he was to take them on board a fhip of war then in Leith Road, where they were to be confined until they should take their trial for trea fon. But this broke out before it was quite ripe for execution, fo that the two noblemen escaped.

In 1649, the Marquis used all his intereft in order to bring home Charles II. and to restore him to the poffeffion of the crown, and the exercife of his royal authority. In this he fucceeded as long as the king followed his advice. But afterwards the king would put wicked men into places of truft and power, and then all went to ruin, to the no fmall grief of this worthy and religious man. The king pretended a great deal of kindness for him, as appears from a letter under his own hand, dated Sept. 24.

1650, in which he says, Having taken into confideration the faithful endeavours of the marquis of Argyle, for reftoring me to my juft rights, I am defirous to let the world fee how fenfible I am of his real respect to me, by fome particular favour done to him. And particularly, I do promife, that I fhall make him Duke of Argyle, a knight of the garter, and one of the gentlemen of my bed-chamber, and this to be performed when he shall think fit. I do further promife to hearken to his counfel, when ever it fhall please God to restore me to my juft rights in England. I fhall then fee him paid the 40000 fterling which is due to him. All which I do promife to make good upon the word of a king." How these fair promifes were fulfilled will afterwards appear. For this pious nobleman happening to reprove the king for fome of his abominable immoralities, the faithful admonition, however well it feemed to be taken at the time, yet it appeared after. wards that it was never forgot, but was repaid with the highest refentment.

On Jan. 1, 1651, the king was crowned at Scone, where, after an excellent fermon by Mr. Robert Douglas, from 2 Kings ii. 17, the king took the coronation oath: then fitting down in the chair of ftate, the crown was placed upon his head by the marquis of Argyle, while Mr. Douglas prayed. After which the king afcend. ed the ftage, attended by the proper officers, and was inftalled in the royal throne by that nobleman, faying, "Stand fast, from henceforth, in the place whereof you are the lawful heir, by a long fucceffion of your fore-fathers, which is now delivered to you by the authority of Almighty God." The folemnity was concluded by a pertinent exhortation both to the king and the people, wherein they were certified, that if they fhould confpire together against the kingdom of Jefus Chrift, they would most affuredly fall together.

After this, the king's army being totally routed by Cromwell at Worcester, and the Common-wealth of England becoming compleat masters of Scotland, all were obliged to fubmit. The Marquis being taken fick at Inverary, was obliged to fign a paper much against his will, in order to preferve himself and his tenants from deftruction; this was made a mighty handle of against him afterwards.

Soon after the king's return, the Marquis was folicited to repair to the court, and being himself very defirous to fee a prince upon whole head he had placed the crown, though many of his best friends used various arguments to perfuade him not to venture, till matters came to be more fully fettled, yet from the testimony of a good confcience, well knowing that he was able to vindicate himfelf from every afperfion if he was but once admitted into the king's prefence. He therefore fet out for London, where he ar rived in July, and went directly to Whitehall to falute his majesty. No fooner did the king hear that he was come, but (forgetting all his former promises) he ordered Sir William Fleming to appre 3 P 2

hend

hend him and take him to the Tower, where he continued till December; when he was fent down in a man of war, to take his trial before the parliament in Scotland, and was committed to the caftle of Edinburgh until his trial came on.

On Feb. 13. 1661, his lordship was brought down from the castle in a coach, with three of the magiftrates attended by the town-guard, and prefented before the bar of the houfe. The king's advocate, Sir John Fletcher, accufed him in the common form of high-treafon, and produced an indictment, defiring that it might be read. The marquis begged leave to speak before that was done; but the house refused his reasonable request, and or dered it to be read: and although the marquis intreated them to hear a petition he had to prefent, yet that was too great a favour to be granted. The indictment, which was more months in forming than he had days allowed at first to bring in his defence, confifted of fourteen articles, the principal of which were, his entering into league with England, and complying with Oliver Cromwell, which many of his judges had done as much as he.

After the indictment was read, he had liberty to speak, which he did for fome time to good purpose. Among other things, he said, with St. Paul, The things which were laid to his charge could not be proved. But this he confeffed, that in the way allowed, by folemn oath and covenant, he ferved his God, his king, and his country; and though he owned that he wanted not failings common to other perfons in public business in such an unfettled time, yet he bleffed God, that he was able to make the falfhood of every article of his charge appear; that he had done nothing with a wicked mind; but with many others had the mif. fortune to do fome things, the unforeseen events of which had proved bad.

The parliament fixed upon the 27th of Feb. for the marquis to bring in his defence; but at his requeft it was put off to the 5th of March, when he appeared before the lords, who ordered him immediately to produce his defence: Whereupon he delivered a very moving fpeech, and gave in a most affecting petition, yielding himself to the king's mercy, and befeeching the parliament to interceed for him. March 6, he was brought before the parliament. It was reported from the articles, that he had offered fubmiffion to his majefty: but this was voted not fatisfactory, and he was commanded to give in his defence to the lords. When he came before them, he told them, that his defence was not ready. He was appointed to give it in on April 9, otherwise they would take the whole bufinefs before them, without any regard to what he fhould fay afterwards. On the day appointed his defence was given in, wherein his conduct was fully vindicated from all the calumnies contained in the indictment.

April 16. He was again before the parliament, where he made a very affecting speech, in which, at a confiderable length, he removed feveral reproaches caft upon him, and touched upon fome

fome things not in his papers. But whatever he or his lawyers could fay, had little weight with the parliament. Some of the members were already refolved upon his death, and the house had many meffages to haften the bufinefs and bring it to a fpeedy end, but the failing of many of their defigned teftimonies of the guilt of this good man, embarraffed them greatly for fome time; for it appears that there were upwards of thirty indictments formed against him, which all came to nothing for want of proof; fo that they were obliged to lay hold upon his innocent and abfolutely neceffary compliance with the English, after every fhire and burgh in Scotland had been forced to fubmit to the conquerors.

In the beginning of May, witneffes were examined, and depofitions taken against him. On the 25th, he was brought before the bar of the house to receive fentence from his judges, who were in reality his accomplices, (as he told the king's advocate,) in whatever evil he had done. The house was very thin, all the members withdrawing, except thofe who were refolved to follow the courfe of the times. He put them in remembrance of what was enacted by Theodofius the Emperor, that the fentence of death fhould not be executed upon any in less than thirty days after it was paffed; and added, "I only defire ten, in order that I may make the king acquainted with it;" but this was refused. The fentence was then pronounced, That being found guilty of high treafon, he was adjudged to die as a traitor; his head to be fevered from his body at the cross of Edinburgh, the 27th of May, and fixed in the fame place where the marquis of Montrofs's head had formerly food. Upon this he offered to speak, but the trumpet founding, he stopped till that was over, and then faid, "I had the honour to fet the crown upon the king's head, and now he haftens me to a better crown than that of his own:" And directing himself to the commiffioner and the parliament, he said, "You have got the indemnity of an earthly king, among you, and have denied me a fhare in it; but you cannot hinder me of the indemnity of the King of kings; and fhortly you must all appear before his tribunal. I pray that you may not then meet with fuch meafure as you have given me, when you will be called to give an ac count of all your actings, and this among the reft."

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After fentence he was ordered to the common prison, where his excellent lady was waiting for him. Upon feeing her he said, They have given me till Monday, to be with you, my dear, therefore let us make the best of it." She embraced him, wept abundantly, and said, "The Lord will requite it. The Lord will requite it!" which drew tears from all in the room. being himfeif compofed, he faid, "Forbear, forbear; I pity them; they know not what they are doing. They may fhut me in where they please, but they cannot shut God out from me. For my own I part, am as content to be here as in the caftle; and as content in the castle as in the tower of London; and as content there as when at liberty; and I hope to be as content on the scaffold as

any

Sany of them all." He added, "I remember a Scripture cited to me by an honeft minister while in the caftle, which I intend to put in practice, When Ziklag was taken and burnt, the peo ple fpake of ftoning David. But he encouraged himself in the Lord."

He spent all his time till Monday with the greatest ferenity and chearfulness, and in the proper exercises of a dying chriftian. To fome minifters who were permitted to attend him, he said, "Shortly you will envy me who am gone before you." And added, "Remember what I now tell you; my fkill fails me, if you, who are minifters, will not either fuffer much, or fin much; for although you may go along with thofe men in part, if you do not in all things, you are but where you were, and fo muft ftill fuffer; and if you go not at all with them, you will but fuffer."

During his life, he was reckoned rather timorous, than bold to any excels. And when in prifon he faid, "I am naturally inclined to be fearful; but I defire those about me to obferve, that the Lord has heard my prayer, and mercifully delivered me from all my fears." At his own defire, his lady took her leave of him on the Sunday evening, he being to die the next day. Mr. Robert Douglas and Mr. George Hutchinson preached to him in the prifon on the Lord's day; and his highly effeemed friend Mr. David Dickfon flept with him the laft night of his life.

The marquis had a fweet time while in prison, and his happinefs increased as his end drew near. He flept calmly and quietly the last night of his life, and had much fpiritual converfation in the intervals, while he was fettling his neceffary business. On Monday morning, although he was much engaged in fettling his affairs, and in the midit of company, yet he was fo overpowered with a fenfible effufion of the joy of the Holy Spirit, that he broke out in a rapture, and faid, "I thought to have concealed the Lord's goodness, but I cannot do it: I am now ordering my affairs, and God is fealing my charter to a better inheritance, and just now faying to me, Son, be of good cheer, thy fins are forgiven thee."

Sometime before he went to the place of execution he received an excellent letter from a certain minifter, and he wrote a very affecting one to the king, and then dined precisely at twelve o'clock, along with his friends with great chearfulness, and then retired a little. Upon his opening the door, Mr. Hutchinson faid, "What cheer, my Lord." He anfwered, "Good cheer fir; the Lord hath again confirmed, and faid to me from heaven, "Thy fins be forgiven thee." Upon this tears of joy flowed in fuch abundance, that he retired to the window and wept there, and then came to the fire, and made as if he would ftir it a little, in order to hide his concern; but all would not do, tears ran down his face; and coming to Mr. Hutchinfon, he faid, "I think his kinduefs quite overcomes me. But God is good to me, he does not communicate too much of his love to me here, as he knows

that