day Not that I am able to Name either Person or Place or positive design to your Lordship but sure I am there is a Snake in the Grass and perhaps it will be found some of those from whom was expected most Service and Fidellity will be found to act a counterpart However it be I can assure you that Barillon late Embassador in England from this Crown though he has been forced to quit the Brittish Isle ignominiously enough yet he hath found out a way to leave two if not three Frenchmen of his Train behind to no good end to be sure and I do not question but you will hear more of them without they be secured in time And though it does plainly appear both by the countenance and minutes of this Court that things do not go so trim and glibly with them in England as in former times when they had no more to do than to consult those infallible Oracles the Dutches of Portsmouth and Goodman Peters yet I do not question but it will appear that their Oracles are not quite silenced there I beg your Lordship to pardon this freedom and to entertain a favourable opinion of the sincere intentions of My Lord Your Honours to Serue and Obey Paris June 25. 1689. N. S. LETTER VII A Summary of the Articles concluded on the French King's part for restoring of the Late King James to his lost Dominions My Lord I Can't forbear taking notice to your Lordship tho' I have done it once and again already of the great difficulties I labour under to procure any true and certain intelligence of matters transacted on our side in reference to the Affairs of England And I can as little forbear endeavouring to communicate whatever such intelligence comes into my Hands to your Honour though it be accompanied with such imminent danger as you cannot but be a little sensible off and which I heartily wish none of my Friends may ever have the black apprehensions of how much more your Lordship whom I ever have and shall Love and Honour Wherefore be pleased to receive hereby the heads of those Articles agreed and concluded on the French King's part for the furthering the late King James in the recovery of his abdicated Throne and they are these following First He doth Solemnly promise and engage to assist and promote the late King his dear Brother in his Pretensions with Men Money and all possible force both by Sea and Land and firmly resolves never to lay down his Arms or be at Peace with his Enemies till such time as his said Brother shall be remounted on the English Throne and be peaceable possessor of the same Secondly That till such time as the foresaid Article should be put in full Execution and thoroughly accomplished he hath obliged himself to support him the late King and all his other dependants in his Kingdom of France or elsewhere with all suitable grandeur and dignity Thirdly That he should with utmost expedition and application assist him with a competent number of Forces by Land and a sufficient Navy by Sea towards the reducing under his Obedience the hostile part of the Kingdom of Ireland and not desist till the same were entirely recovered unto him And after that it were so reduced and subjected by their conjoint Arms the late King should be in possession of it till such time as he shall be in full possession of the English Throne but no longer But how to unravel the later Clause of this Article at present is beyond my skill and so I will leave it Fourthly He hath also over and above the preceding Engagements promised to give him all the assistances necessary from time to time both by Sea and Land for the recovery of England and Scotland unto him when he shall arrive in one or either of the said Kingdoms in Person and in the mean time hath engaged to be aiding and assisting to his party in either of the two Nations as time and occasion should serve My Lord I do question but you would be highly satisfyed to have a view of the Stipulations on the late King's part to his Gallick Majesty and I hope your Lordship has Entertained such an Opinion of me as to think my satisfaction can be no less in being able to gratify your Honours Curiosity upon this head which I shall not fail to endeavour to do and heartily wish an accomplishment of in my next who am My Lord With all due Observance Your Honours most Obedient and Devoted Ser. St. Germ. July 31. 1689. N. S. LETTER VIII Articles stipulated on King James's his part for the giving up Ireland c. to the French upon his recovery of England and Scotland My Lord THat your Lordship has safely received my last I have had some intimations of by my friend from I earnestly wish for the like success to this and your speedy receipt of it seeing it hath so luckily fallen out with me that the purport of it contains what I cannot but flatter my self will redound much to your Honours satisfaction I mean the Articles stipulated on the late King's part to the French King of which I gave an hint in my last though I could not then as much as hope with any tollerable confidence of being so soon able to procure them First then The late King hath agreed in consideration of the French King's assistances as mentioned in my last and as soon as he shall be restored and fully resetled in his Dominions and not before that he may not give any umbrage to the English to quit all manner of claim to the Title or Arms of France and take effectual care to put the same out of the Royal English Escutcheon Secondly That he shall entirely quit and resign up the soveraignty of the narrow Seas to the French and that to that purpose he shall give orders to his Ships of War c. to strike to the French Flags Thirdly That he shall be obliged to assist him the French King with thirty Capital Ships of War and Twenty Thousand Land-men in any War when he shall have occasion for them and this at his own proper cost and charges Fourthly That he shall make or enter into no allyance against France nor to any other without the French King's Privity and Consent but unfeignedly observe a perpetual League both Offensive and Defensive with the Crown of France Fifthly That he shall permit unto the French King at all times and occasions the free use of all his Ports for the retreat of his Ships and be obliged to furnish him then and there with proper Conveniences and able Workmen to repair his endamaged Ships or to build new ones when soever he shall require it Sixthly That he shall admit into his standing forces whose number and strength shall from time to time be limitted and regulated by him in concert with the French King a constant Body of Twenty Thousand French and Ten Thousand Catholick Switzers or more or
the very Practice of Richard the III toward Henry Stafford Duke of Buckingham and therefore in order to put his projected Design in execution he invites him together with his Son Fleance to a supper which he had prepared for them They suspecting no Treachery in the matter made no scruple to come and feasted merrily and when all was over prepared to return to their own Lodgings but they were on their way thither without the Pallace-Gates to prevent the suspition of the King 's having any Hand in it assaulted by several Russians whom he had hired for that purpose who slew the Father outright But the Son thro' the favour of the dark Night happily escaped and being sensible of the danger he was in if he stay'd in Scotland from the Jealousie and Malice of Mackbeth who he was now fully satisfied had contrived the Murder of his Father tho' the other endeavour'd all he could to suppress it and make appear it was only a matter of chance he fled into Wales He had not been there long but that he grew into great Favour and Esteem with Trahern Prince of that part of the Country call'd Northwales but into far greater Intimacy and even to an unlawful Familiarity with his Daughter so as that she was got with Child by him which at length coming to the Ears of her Father he was so enraged with the Dishonour done to his Family by this Fugitive and so sensibly touch'd with his Violation of the Rules of Hospitality that nothing less would satisfie him than his Blood and so he slew him The Daughter he also severely used who was at last brought to Bed of a Son whom they named Walter who tho' but meanly Educated by his Grandfather's Commandment did notwithstanding prove to be a Person of high Resolution and expert in Business This Walter having on a time happen'd to fall out with one of his Companions occasion'd chiefly by the other 's reproaching of him with his illegitimacy and calling him Bastard he became so enraged thereat that he flew upon him and slew him outright But bethinking himself immediately of what he had done with the great danger he was in if he stay'd any longer in the Country he resolv'd to flee and make the best of his way for Scotland his Father 's native Country where he had not long arrived but he happen'd into the Company of some English Gentlemen come thither to attend Queen Margaret Wife to Milcolm King of Scotland and Sister to Edgar Atheline Kinsman and right Heir to Edward the Confessor and behaved himself so orderly and with such a winning Conversation that he became highly esteem'd of them This by degrees made way for him to attain the King's favour who entertain'd so good an Opinion of him that when in some time after Tumults and some popular Disorders had happen'd in the parts about Galloway and the adjacent Islands he thought fit to entrust him with the Care of that Affair and Walter was so successful in his Enterprize that he quickly suppress'd the Disorders slew the Captain and Ringleaders of those Commotions and reduced that part of the Country into a very good Decorum and Order I do not find the King ever restor'd him to the Inheritance of his Grandfather Bancho and the Thaneship of Lochquaber but however it was he was so far satisfied with his Conduct and so fully sensible of the Service he had done him that he bestowed a new Dignity upon him which was that of Steward of Scotland This was an English term and the English frequenting that Kingdom so much at that time by reason of their Concourse to and Attendance upon Queen Margaret together with some other concurring Accidents might be the occasion of the Introduction of it It was no doubt a considerable power he was entrusted with by virtue of this new Office but I do not think it much different as to the nature of it but only in respect to its extent from that of Thane which Term and Office annext to it because so often mention'd already and may perhaps more hereafter I shall endeavour a little to explicate and I hope the Reader will think it no impertinent Digression Thane therefore is derived by some from the old Saxon word Thegn which cometh of Thenian i. e. Ministrare alicui and made to signifie sometime a Nobleman sometime a Freeman another while a Magistrate and sometime an Officer or Minister thus Mr. Lambert in his Exposition of Saxon Words interprets it Vavasour's Explication of it is much to the same purpose but Skene de verborum Significatione saith that it is the name of a Dignity and appears to be equal with the Son of an Earl and that Thanus was a Freeholder holding his Lands of the King hence Thanagium Regis signified a certain part of the King 's or property whereof the Rule and Government appertainâ—d to him who therefore is called Thane he is opinion it is originally a Dutch word deduced from Teiner a Servant and Teinâ—â— to serve and therefore may signifie a Servant as an Vnderthane does an inferiour Thane or Subject he further adds that when a Person was accused of Theft but not in the Fang that is as we say with the manner of it there being no sufficient proof brought against him he was oblig'd to purge himself by the Oath of seven and twenty Men and of three Thanes and so much shall suffice concerning the name and office of Thane To return therefore to our designed story you are first to note by way of Recapitulation the bloody Foundation that has been laid here Bancho the Grandfather conspiring with Mackbeth to imbrue his Hands in the innocent Blood of Duncane his lawful and rightful Prince and that not long done when the same fate attended himself and that by the contrivance of his own bloody Associate as a just reward of his Treason Fleance the Son upon this forced to flee his native Country there ungratefully defiling that Prince his Daughter who cherished him in his Bosom but now as a Monster of Ingratitude he rid his Country and the Earth of him at the same time by a violent and tragical Death and lastly Walter the Grandson but base born was forced to the same shift as his Father before him tho' with a better Fate the one being under a necessity to forsake his native soil to avoid being barbarously as well as injuriously murder'd by a jealous-headed Tyrant but the other to shun the Justice of his Country that cried out for Vengeance against him for shedding of Blood Walter being vested in the high Office aforesaid left his Title and Dignity for a sirname to his Family ever after and from hence forward we find but little mention either of him or his Posterity till the contest between the Bruce's and Baliol's about the Crown of Scotland which was above Two Hundred Years after We shall therefore only endeavour to give you the Genealogy down to the said time
was as implacable towards him as the rest of them cunningly discusses that rash and evil Counsel arguing with him what a base and flagitious offence all the world would look upon it to be if he should without due Process of Law suddenly hale to execution so many Illustrious Persons to whom he was reconciled as having given his Royal Word for pardoning of what was past and that not long since and now secur'd with the Publick Faith for the fierce and enraged minds of Enemies would not be broken with the ruine of a few and coming once to despair of Pardon they would turn their wrath into fury and the consequence of that would be that they would grow more stobborn and obstinate and less value the King's Authority and their own lives and if your Highness will take my Counsel continued the Earl Iâ—ll put you in a way whereby to salve the King's Honour and Dignity and that revenge may at the same time be prosecuted For I having gathered my Friends and Tenants together will openly and in the day time lay hold of them and then you may try them where you will and punish them as you please and this will be not only more Honourable but also more safe for the King than if they should be killed at unawares in the Night as it were by Thiefs The King believing the Earl spoke what he thought for he knew well enough that he was able to perform what he promised he gave him many thanks for his advise and dismissed him laden with large Promises of Reward The Earl having warned the Peers to take care of their safety and to withdraw from the imminent danger that hung over their Heads does himself also retire to a place of safety The King from hence forwards finding his secret Counsels laid open and not daring to trust any body betook himself to the Castle of Edenburg and from thence being conveyed by Sea to the Countries beyond the Forth which still were obedient to him did in a short time levy a good Army And now the Nobility who before designed nothing but that the King should amend in his male administration finding all accommodation with him desperate and his evil disposition incurable bend all their Counsels to remove him A bad Steward its most certain he had been and now they are resolved to call him to a severe account for the same The great difficulty that stood in their way and which they were deliberating to remove was whom they should appoint to be their Captain who when the King were brought to a compliance might be constituted Vicegerent of the Kingdom It was adjudged highly necessary it should be a person that was pleasing to the Commonallity of an Illustrious Name That the Faction might not be opprest and weakned out of an envy to his Greatness and at last after they had thought of one and another they pitched unanimously upon the King 's own Son the Prince of Scotland who being taken from his Keepers and Governours of his tender years was urged to a speedy compliance for if otherwise they were resolved to transfer the Kingdom into the hands of the King of England who would take care to root out him and his Family for the better security of it Now the King had past over the Forth and pitched his Tents at a place called Blackness and the Sons Army ready prepared to give Battle were not a far off But by the mediation of the Earl of Athol the King's Uncle things were at present brought to an accommodation and Athol himself was delivered as an Hostage to Adam Hepborn Earl of Bothwell in whose custody he remained till the K. death which now was not far off But the agreement as being between such as had an incurable jealousie of one another did not last long In the mean time Couriers and Mediators past continually from one to another at last the Lords gave determinate answer That seeing the King acted nothing sincerely with an intention to perform they adjudged it better to be engaged in a certain War than a delusive and treacherous Peace That the only hopes of agreement was if the King would Abdicate the Throne and have his Son advanced in his room if not it would be to no purpose for them to try and frustrate one another with Conferences The King not to be wanting to himself in this desperate Fortune orders his Embassadors in England and France to communicate this answer to those Kings whom he earnestly sollicites to make use of their Authority or if need were their Forces too in his behalf for the repressing of the insolence of a few Rebels and reduce them to Reason and their Duty and to esteem his Fortune common with their to own and such as might by the Contagion thereof easily creep to other Nations He sent also to Eugenius IIII. Pope of Rome to intreat him out of his Paternal care and love to the Scotish Name and Nation to send a Legate into Scotland to enforce the Rebells according to the Authority of his Holiness's Power and Jurisdiction to lay down their Arms and obey their King The Pope having one Adrian Castlean for his Legate in England a Man of great Learning and Prudence he Writes to him to use his endeavour to compose the Scotch Affairs and bring them to a settlement But this came a day after the fare for the Lords who knew well enough that these proceedings of the King abroad were in agitation and withall that his mind was implacable towards them resolved before he should have an opportunity to augment the number of his Forces to try it out by Arms and though they had the Kings Son with them as well to manifest their Authority to the Common People as to shew that they were not angry with or had no quarrel against their Country but a pernicious King who would have ruined them yet least the minds of the people should be alienated by the cunning or forreign Ambassadors and other accidents that attend procrastination they were busied night and day how to commit all to the hazard of a Battle But the Kings timerousness was an obstacle to their eagerness and hast who because he had ordered considerable Levies to be made for the augmentation of the Troops he had on foot already in the northern parts of the Kingdom did in the mean time keep himself close within the Castle of Edenburg But that he might precipitate his fate he was brought by his Followers whether designedly or ignorantly is uncertain to forsake this wholsome Counsel which he looked upon to be safest for him for they perswaded him that by reason of the frequent tides there which might cause delay and danger to them that were about to meet together it were more adviseable he should go to Sterling Castle the best situated place of any for gathering of Forces together out of all parts of the Kingdom That he would be as safe there as in Edenburg Castle
Henry VIIth's Daughter and lastly a Peace between both Kings during their Lives This Kings Reign is remarkable upon many accounts which being not the scope of this Treatise we designedly omit But one passage I meet with in Lesley's History of this Kingdom which for the rarity of it I cannot omit and hope the Reader will not think it an Impertinent Digression About this time says the aforesaid Author The King to tell you a business that to this day is remembred with great Laughter among the Roman people created a certain Italian with whose Wit and Pleasant Conversation he was much taken Abbot of Tungland This man thinking to magnifie his own parts did on a certain time perswade the King that he was so well skilled in the Secrets of Nature and more especially in the noble Science of Chimistry that he could transmute any other Metal into Gold if the King would please to bear the Charges thereof But after much Time and Treasure spent and long Expectation of this Glorious Effect all proved Abortive and came to nothing so that the vain Braccadocio fell into great contempt both by the King and People which grieved him very sore so that he sets all his Wits on work how he might do somewhat that might regain his fame in the world and at the same recover the King's Favour At last he gave out a Report that he would by flying be in France before the Kings Ambassadors who were sent thither and were then actually under sail to pursue their Voyage and that this might not be all talk without any Performance he boldly appointed a Day and Place which was Sterling from whence to begin his flight the noise whereof brought you may be sure a great concourse of People together among whom was the King himself When the Time was come the man gets up to the Top of Sterling Castle and having fastned the Wings which he had made of the Feathers of several Fowls to his sides he lifts himself into the Air thinking to pursue his course But alas he came quickly down headlong to the ground his Wings availing him nothing whereupon the people who knew not whether they should rather Rebuke his Presumption or Pity his Misfortune flocked about him and asked him how he did he made Answer that he had broken his Thigh-bone and despaired of ever flying any more at which they all laughed their fill But this Icarus to salve the matter laid the fault of his flying wholly upon his Wings because they were not made of Eagles Feathers and the like but only of Poultry which were not fit to cut the Air with flight and which by a certain innate Virtue operating according to the Nature of those Fowl drew the Feathers downwards to the Dunghill where those Birds fed But to re-assume the Thread of our Story things continued in a tollerable state of Tranquillity till the death of Henry VII the King's Father-in-law but Henry VIII a young ambitious and active Prince had not long mounted the English Throne when he makes Preparations to recover his Right in the Kingdom of France The French King to fortifie himself as much as possible against the impending Storm requir'd Aid of the King of Scotland who by his Embassadors would have accommodated Matters and perswaded both Kings to a Peace But King Henry persisting in his Resolution the Scot won by French Promises of Money and Ammunition joyns with them in League against England and because the English Commissioners appointed to accommodate the Differences between both Nations about some Irregularities and Depredations committed upon the Borders would not come up to their Terms James takes this occasion to send Lyon King at Arms to King Henry by this time besieging Terwin with Letters of Complaints commanding him for want of satisfying the Contents of the said Letters to denounce War against England When Henry had read the Letters and advised with his Council thereupon he told the Herauld he would make him answer If he would promise faithfully to declare the same to his Master Lyon replied Whatever his Master commanded him to say to others that he was obliged to do and would but for the Commands of others to his Master therein he desired to be excused but added your Highness Letters that declare your Pleasure I am willing to carry tho' your Answer requires doing and not saying I mean that you should immediately return home The King sharply retorted I 'll return at my own Pleasure to your Damage and not at thy Master's Summons and so delivers him a Letter to carry to his Master importing he had receiv'd his Full of frivolous Complaints which had been sufficiently answer'd before sharply sets forth the baseness of the Scotch Nation but says at the same time it was always their Ancestors custom to invade his Dominions in his absence which they never offered nor durst do while he was within the Land but however that he had taken caution for his security and would not desist from his present enterprize which the Scotch King had nothing to do with as being no Competent Judge for so the words are of so high Authority to require him in that behalf c. But before the Herault arrived and the Letters could be delivered King James had precipitated his own fall at Floddenfield For having dispatched Commissions for the raising of Forces he determines to put himself at the head of them before they were fully Compleated but first goes to a place called Limuch and there heard even Song as they called it where after he had entred the Chappel came an old man to him whose hair was somewhat of a yellow red hanging down over his Shouldiers his Forehead high with Baldness bare Headed clad in a Blewish Garment with a white Girdle and had a very Reverend Countenance and said King I am sent to admonish thee that thou go not forward to the place which thou hast determined which warning if thou dost despise it shall succeed ill with thee and all such as shall attend thee Further I am Commanded to give thee Intelligence before-hand that thou eschew the familiarity and Custom or Counsell of Women if thou do otherwise it shall tend to thy Dishonour and Hurt And when he had so said he mingled himself with other Company and when Prayers were over and that the K. sought for him he could by no means be found for he was never seen after the delivery of this Message which seemed the more strange because that many who stood near him and observing all he said and intent to hear more from him could not perceive his departure of which Number David Linsey a Person of known Virtue and approved Reputation was one who told me the same saith Buchanan of a most certain truth or else I would have past it over for a Fable handed down to us by Common Fame But no premonitions from Heaven nor Advises upon Earth could divert the Career of this willfull Prince
but on he goes towards Edenburg and there takes a review of his Army and hastily marches towards the English Borders takes in several lesser places and Ravages the nighest parts of Northumberland In the mean time the King quite contrary to the premonition aforesaid being ensnared with the Beauty of a Noble Captive she was Hern's Wife of Ford neglected Military Discipline and his Army lying idle and in a Barren Country where Provisions were very scarce a great part of them in dâ—scontent disband and forsake the Service so that there were none but the Nobles with their Kindred and a few Tenants that staid behind For the greater part were of opinion they should not tarry any longer in a Country that was so Poor and withal Plundered but rather to Besiege Berwick which they had left behind them since the taking thereof alone would be much more Honourable and advantagious than all the adjacent Garrisons and that the taking thereof would not be difficult seeing the Town and Castle were unprovided to make any considerable resistance The King who supposed there was nothing too hard for his Arms especially now the English were imployed in the French Wars and being buoy'd up by the flattery of his Courtiers judged he could do that easily in his return but while he lay loitering at Ford came an English Herauld into his Camp requiring him to appoint a day and place where both Armies might give Battle whereupon the King calls a Councell of War wherein the greatest part were of opinion that it was most advisable they should return home least they might with so small a Force hazard the State of the whole Country especially seeing they had already obtained sufficient Renown Glory and Riches and fully satisfied the League of Friendship made with the French neither could there be any appearance of reason that they who were now so much diminished in their number and so weakned with the Fatigues they had undergone should now be exposed to so great a multitude of English daily increasing with Re-inforcements for it was Rumored then that the Lord Thomas Howard was arrived in the English Camp with Six Thousand old Soldiers from before Turwin And for the further inforcing hereof it was moreover added That if the King did depart the English Army must necessarily seperate and could not be drawn together that Year again as being to march from the remotest Parts of the Kingdom But and if the King must needs fight that then it were more advisable he should do it in his own Kingdom keeping the appointment both of the Time and Place always in his own Power But when the French Ambassador and such Mercenary Courtiers as took French Pensions opposed these Arguments the King who was eager for Battle and to hasten his own Ruin was easily perswaded to wait for the Enemy in that Place In the mean time when the English did not advance and engage at the day appointed by the Herault the Scotch Nobility laid hold of the opportunity afresh to go to the King before whom they laid the matter home again Alledging That the reason why they declined Battle was an Artifice of the Enemy only to gain time 'till all their Forces were come together while the Scotch dwindled away more and more and therefore it was high time they should have recourse to the like Pollicy and since the Enemy failed of their word it was no ways disgracefull to the Scots either to return into their own Country without giving them Battle or to Fight within their own Limits of which Councel the first was infallibly the best but if that were not approved off there was abundant reason for to execute the latter for seeing that the River Till was not foardable for some Miles space and could not be past by the Army but by one Bridge there a few might be able to resist a great multitude besides if part of the English Army were past the Bridge the same might easily be broken by Engines conveniently placed for that purpose so as to obstruct the passage of the rest to relieve them who of necessity must be cut to peices But so was the King taken with his own Conceit that you had as good have talked to a dead Man as to him upon this head And therefore he slightingly said That if the English Army were an Hundred Thousand strong he would Fight them With which rash Answer the Nobility were very much displeased Whereupon Archibald Dowglass Earl of Angus a Man that far excelled the rest of the Nobles both in Years and Authority endeavoured in a gentle Oration to alter the King's Resolutions enlarges upon and shews the reasonableness and advantage of the former Counsells given him by the Nobility for he made it appear that the King had been punctual in the League with France and gratified their Request in that he had now turned the English Arms before bent against the French against himself and against his own Country and had so ordered his own Affairs that those great Armies should neither injure France nor endamage Scotland seeing they were not long able to keep the field in those cold Countries and a Barren Soyl Unfurnished of necessaries for the support of Life through the Calamy of the late Wars and which at best produced but little Corn but Winter was drawing near which in those Northern parts was felt betimes And continued the Earl as for the French Ambassadors urging of us to come to a Battle I cannot think that should be looked upon as either new or strange by us that a Foreigner who hath no respect to the publick good of this Kingdom but to the private interest of his own Nation should be so lavish of other Mens blood And besides his Request is unreasonable and impudent for he would have the Scots do that which the French King a Person of the highest Prudence thinks not fit to do for his own Kingdom and Honour neither should the miscarriage of this Army be looked upon by him as a small loss because they were not so numerous for all those are here who excell either in Virtue Authority and Counsell and if these be once lost the surviving Commonalty will become an easy prey to the Conquerors What is it not at present safer and withal more profitable to protract the War For if Lewis thinks that the English can either be exhausted by Expences or wearied with delay what can be better as to the present State of things than for us to enforce the Enemy to divide their Forces that we may keep one part of their Army to watch and look after our motion making a continual shew of our readiness to make Incursions and by putting of them under a constant apprehension thereof ease the burden of the French by our Labour and Vigilancy and I think those men who I fear are more Valiant in Words than in Actions have sufficiently Consulted for their Glory and Renown under which names they would
and by But before her arrival in Scotland John Forbes a young Gentleman of a great Family was accused of a Design he had many years before to Assassinate the King It was believed to be a malitious prosecution of the Huntley's but Condemned he was and lost his head and a few Days after came on another Tryal which on the account of the Family of the accused Parties the Novelty of it and the heinousness of the punishment was very Lamentable and Tragical and plainly shews the Kings mind was cruel and implacable Joan Dowglass Sister to the Earl of Angus of whom we have said so much and Wife to John Lyons Lord of Glames also her Son and latter Husband Gilespy Campell John Lyons Kinsman to her former Husband and an old Priest were accused for endeavouring to poyson the King All these tho' they lived continually in the Country far from the Court and their Friends and Servants could not be brought to witness any thing against them yet were put on the rack to extort a Confession from them and so were Condemned and shut up in Edenburg Castle Joan Dowglass was burnt alive with great Commiseration of all the Spectators The Nobleness both of her self and Husband did much affect the beholders Besides she was in the vigour of her youth much celebrated for her rare Beauty and in her very punishment she shewed a manlike Fortitude But that which people were more concerned for was that they thought the enmity against her Brother who was banished did her more prejudice then her own objected Crime Her Husband endeavoured to escape out of the Castle of Edenburg but the Rope being too short to let him down to the foot of the Rock brake almost all the bones of his body with the fall and so ended his Days Their Son a young Man and of greater Innocent simplicity then to have the suspicion of such a wickedness justly charged upon him was for all that shut up a Prisoner in the Castle And the accuser of all these William Lyons by name afterwards perceiving that so eminent a Family was like to be utterly ruined by his false Information Repented when it was too late and confessed his offence to the King Yet so bloody was he an instance I think hardly to be parallelled in all the records of time that it did not prevent the Execution of the Condemned or hinder their Estates from being Confiscate and the aforesaid young Gentleman was not discharged from his Imprisonment and Restored to his Inheritance till after the King's Death which is now upon the Wing But as we have given you the Tragical part of his past life in all the Circumstances of them we shall depeint unto you all the concurrent causes of his Tragical and Untimely Death and to that End we are necessitated to recount some few things to you that in order of time precede and you must note That King Henry VIII having upon the account of his Divorce from Queen Katherine Proclaimed himself head of the Church and utterly disclaimed the Pope's Authority in England he thereby contracted great enmity not only from Rome but also from Spain and the Empire Wherefore to strengthen himself against any Combination that he expected to be made against him he was desirous to entertain a strict amity with his Nephew James V. of Scotland and to that End directs Ambassadors to him inviting him to a Conference at York whither Henry offered to come and meet him Alledging That by such an interview matters might be better concerted for the mutual Interest of both Kingdoms K. James after a serious Deliberation returns Answer he would attend his Unkle at the Time and Place appointed who thereupon made very great preparations to Entertain him with utmost solemnity But the Scotch Clergy apprehensive least their King through his Unkles Perswasions and Example might be wrought upon to shake off the Pope's Authority in Scotland as he had done in his own Dominions Resolve to do the utmost of their endeavours to prevent the intended interview and so mustering up all their Forces by themselves and the Kings minions and flatterers acquaint him with the evil Câ—nseâ—uence of his going to England shew how King James I. had been kept Prisoner in England how ill the French their old Confederates and the Emperor would take it at his hands That King Henry was excommunicate that a dangerous Heresy had overspread not only the greatest part of that Kingdom but had infected even the King himself That many of his own Nobility were favourers of the said Heresy which notwithstanding if he took care timously to suppress it would be of mighty advantage to him and he might very much increase his revenue by their Estates a list of whose names they presented to him which he put in his Pocket thinking it a very profitable proposal and therefore with all expedition to be put in Execution The Lord Grang his Treasurer and who secretly favoured the Reformation was then much in his favour and to him the King shews the foresaid List telling him what great advantage he would make of it whereat the Treasurer smiled and withall desired leave to speak his mind freely upon which the King drew his Sword and merily said to him I le kill thee if thou speak against my profit Then the Treasurer began to set before him at large the various troubles of his Reign while in minority and what an hand the Clergy had in all the disorders that he had not been long a free Prince And that though his Majesty had done very much in thâ— time in setling the Highlands and the Borders yet desired him to consider of what a dangerous consequence it might be if his Nobility should get intelligence that some greedy fetches had been insinuated to him under pretence of Heresie to dispoile them of their Lives and Inheritances And thereby endanger his own Estate at the instance of those whose Estates were in danger and who would hazard him and his to save their own I mean continued the Treasurer the Prelates who are afraid least your Majesty according to the Example of the King 's of England and Denmark and other Princes of the Empire should make the like Reformation among them and therefore they are clearly against your having any familiarity with the King of England or to have your Affairs so settled as to give you leisure to look into and reform the abuses of the Church Then he went on and shewed him how the Revenues of the Crown were wasted and the vast Estates of the Clergy their addictedness to the Pope their sly carriage in insinuating themselves into all secrets of State the wisdom of the Venetians in that particular in excluding the whole Levitical Order from their Senate-house the gross abuses of the Church of Rome the scandalous lives of the Scotch Clergy and last of all urged how dishonourable and dangerous it would be to his Majesty not to keep his word with
so taken up continually with the one or the other of them that he has of late neglected his ordinary Recreations and Divertisements I am confident there is a grand design formed against England and I have had no obscure intimation of it though I cannot possibly penetrate into any one distinct particular I heartily wish there may be as much precaution used on your side to ward off the blow But while matters are thus secretly agitated in the Cabinet the noise of Monsieur Tourville's disgrace is with great industry bandied about both in City and Country and nothing omitted to let the Confederates also come to the knowledge of it which perhaps may carry as great a Mystery in the Womb of it as the rest Some attribute it to one thing some to another many stick not to say it arises from his holding some sort of Correspondence with the Enemy others that some latent Maligner of his advancement has done him some ill Office at Court I heartily wish for the Confederates sake France had occasion to shift her Admirals often But believe me my Lord these are meer illusions and amusements and the French King knows his interest better than to lay aside at such a juncture as this the most understanding Sea-Officer he has in his Kingdom and you will find he will command a more formidable Fleet next Summer than ever yet he has done It s whispered also as if the Swede had been won to the French Interest and that besides the divertion he will give to the Confederates in Pomerania he will send a squadron of ships to join those of this Crown early in the Year which the Confederates ought to be as sedulous to prevent as they are to watch the motions of the Grand Duke of Tuscany to whom its commonly reported there have been proposals made of a match to be made between the Dauphin and the Princess of Tuscany in hopes by means of that Allyance to oblige him as being the most potent Prince of Italy to declare for the Crown of France or at least to perswade the Duke of Savoy to an accommodation But yet my Lord if my intelligence fail not they have much more reason to fear such a match struck up with the Infanta of Portugal as giving a fair prospect to far greater future advantages then any solid present ones that might reasonably be expected from that other Allyance with the grand Duke more especially since the Dauphine will have in her right not only a particular pretention to the Crown of the King her Father but also a very plausible one to the Kingdom of Spain and so an advantage may be made of both at the same time I wish the Spaniards were as jealous of this match as they are of their Wifes then there may be some hopes of frustrating the same Your Lordship knows how far the knowledge of these things may be useful to the present Constitution and so I refer them entirely to your consideration and management who am My Lord Your most Humble and entirely devoted Serv. Versailles Nov. 7. 1690. N. S. POSTSCRIPT This Letter I have been forced to keep by me for some days for want c. but it gives me the opportunity to acquaint you that there is advice that the Infanta of Portugal is dead which quite puts an end to the Negotiation above mentioned and may ease the Confederates of their cares to obviate it but the malignity of this Court will not suffer some of them and particularly the House of Austria to go untraduced when 't is already given out aloud that the life of that Princess was cut short to secure the Crown to the Successors devoted to the House of Austria I am My Lord Your Humble Servant LETTER XVIII Reports in France of a design formed in Spain to give up the Netherlands to some Forreign Prince c. My Lord THis Court is not a little Allarmed or at least seem to be so at the late advises from Spain of some proposals made there in the Council of State that seeing the defence of the Spanish Netherlands costs much more than the Revenue thereof amounts to that they should be surrendred over to some Prince or other who would undertake their defence doing only homage to the King of Spain It s not unknown to your Lordship how about Eight Years ago they had some thoughts of surrendring them to the Duke of Bavaria and nothing more certain than that this Court broke then the neck of that design But though the Dukes apprehensions at that time of engaging himself by such a procedure in a War with France was the reason the business went no further yet that can be no obstacle now he is actually engaged in the Confederacy against France But how disgustful soever this proposal is to the Ministers here that other motion in the same Council to leave those provinces to their own management with permission to change themselves into a Republick and provide for their own safety as they should think most expedient is much more dreaded by them as foreseeing such a form of Government might according to the example of the Switz Cantons though of different principles in Religion so league themselves with the States General as for ever after to prove a Wall of Brass against all the attempts of this Crown But while these and other matters are slowly deliberated it s well if some part of these Provinces be not filched away by the Arms of France In the mean time I can assure your Lordship there are vast Preparations made and some very grand Enterprize at hand on that side and some considerable Pass may be seiz'd without the Confederates are as forward and vigilant to defend as the French Arms are to Attack which I am sure is not believed at this juncture I am as heartily sorry I cannot be more particular in my information as I am always forward to transmit all that I think any ways worthy to be known and desirous to approve my self My Lord Your Lordships most Humble and most Obedient Serv. Versailles Feb. 7. 1691. N. S. LETTER XIX Of the City of Mons besieged by the Arms of France and the reason why King James was not there My Lord YOur Lordship cannot now but see the Effects of part of what I have writ to you in my last the close consultations and vast Preparations that were made were not for nothing I am not well informed I confess of what Preparations the Confederates have made to obviate the enterprize in hand but I can assure your Lordship they have a very poor opinion of them here and they as little question the speedy reducing of Mons under the Obedience of the Crown of France as they do the safe return of their King laden with Trophies for the taking of it But many People are not a little surprized to see that while the King and all the Princes of the Blood expose themselves to the Hazards and Toils
of War That the late King whom some have so much cried up for a Lover of Military Glory has no Share therein But his Admirers have found out as they think a very plausible Pretence for his Absence Because it is not known in what Quality he would have appeared in the Field But the Truth is my Lord they have no great Opinion of his Valour and Conduct and he has succeeded so very ill in his own Concerns and Undertakings that they are very much afraid his Presence should infuse some malignant Influence into the French King's Designs And whatever Veneration those now in England of his Interest and from thence denominated according to his Name may have for him there is hardly a Day passes here wherein some Satyrical Piece or other does not appear against him far enough from sparing Personal Reflections But this will make the Confederates in general but small Amends for the Loss of Mons However I could not but once take notice of it to your Lordship desiring you to believe how ready I am to the utmost of my Intelligence My Lord To Serve and Obey you whilst Paris April 18. 1691. N. S. LETTER XX. Of the Raising of the Siege of Coni and of the Death of that Grand Minister of State to the French King the Marquis of Louvois and also of Monsieur Barillon's once the French King's Ambassador in England My Lord THE general Affairs of the War are so publick that your Lordship cannot but come to the Knowledge of such Transactions as fall out from Time to Time as soon as any other in the Kingdom and they are such at this Juncture as sufficiently perplex this Court especially so far as they regard Italy and Savoy in particular from whence they have just received the bad News of the raising the Seige of Coni which is yet but whispered amongst them But your Lordship may so far rely upon my Intelligence in this particular as confidently to report it in England of which News I question not your giving hereby the first Intelligence But though this ill Success is so much the more mortifying to this Court in that they fully reckoned upon the Taking of the Place seeing all others that had hitherto been besieged by their Arms on that side have made little or on Resistance and that they own themselves they have lost before it Eighteen Hundred of the best of their Men Yet another Accident has my Lord this very Day happened here which at present seems more surprizing and a greater Subject of Discourse than the other and that is the Death of our Grand Minister of State the Marquess de Louvois Your Lordship knows what Relation I have stood to him in and what Word I sent you once by Major H if there was a Possibility of his seeing you of my then Circumstances upon the same Foot Things being still much the same I shall not further trouble you with a vain Repetition of what I am now well assured the said Major has reported to your Honour but observe That the Marquess having dined with the Princess d'Espenoy and Madam de Soubize he found himself presently after ill in the King's Chamber from whence he retired into his own to be Let Blood but not finding any Ease by Bleeding in one Arm and being extreamly oppressed in his Spirits nothing would content him but he must needs be Let Blood in the other and thereupon died at the same time These my Lord are the naked Circumstances of this Great Man's Departure and you may relie upon it though I do not question but many may be apt to ascribe his Death to some extraordinary and violent Cause since I have even already heard a Whisper of it in a Corner But whatever Reflections the World may make upon the Causes of his Death I foresee there will be no less Animadversions upon the Train of Consequences that may attend it Perhaps many of the Confederates may be apt to believe that the Death of Monsieur de Louvois may produce such an Alteration of Affairs here as may not a little contribute to the Advantage of theirs since much of the happy Success that has hitherto attended the King's Designs will be ascribed to the Address Cunning and Policy of this Minister and that the French Lilies will wither in another's hands I do very well know that such Suggestions carry a great Appearance of Truth in them But if I may freely deliver my Opinion to your Lordship from my own Observation and Experience I cannot but declare my self contrary to the aforesaid Sentiments which if any Ways relyed on will be found to prove but broken Reeds For believe me my Lord the French King has had a greater Share in the publick Transactions of his Kingdom than any of his Ministers for all the Time I have known France And no one understands his own Affairs and Interests as well as himself to say nothing of the Assistance of so many politick Persons and Men of great Abilities he has constantly about his Person and who serve him with more than ordinary Zeal and Affection which will sufficiently compensate for the Loss of one single Minister Your Honour cannot but be sensible why I observe this at the present Juncture such an Aery Advantage as this is like to prove can bring no solid benefit to my Country but a real Detriment will infallibly succeed a Dependance upon it But the Death of Monsieur Barillon which happened a few Hours before the other and who knew England better than any other French-man may I trust conduce more to the Tranquility of the Kingdom within which none more passionately desires to hear of than My Lord Your ever Obliged and Most Faithful Serv. Versailles July 16. 1691. N. S. LETTER XXI Of Monsieur Pompone's being made Minister of State And of some Particulars relating to a Peace said to be offered by France to the Confederates My Lord WHat I observed to your Lordship in my last how vain the Hopes of the Confederates were like to prove of any good Advantage to their Affairs by the Death of Monsieur de Louvois appears here daily more and more by divers Instances that might be given But I shall only confine my self to inform your Honour that the Advancement of Monsieur Pompone to be Prime Minister of State is a clear Demonstration of the Truth I have advanced as 't is of the King 's great Skill and Judgment also Though indeed it must be owned that this new Favourite enters upon his Ministry in a ticklish Juncture of Time yet for my own part I am fully satisfied Things are not so bad with France as the World would believe them to be and the following Proposals of Peace intended to be or as some say already offered to the Confederates would insinuate of which I communicate to your Lordship a Copy as I have received them from a Friend with some difficulty First That the Most Christian King will acknowledge
that our History may appear to be all of a piece and void of Breaks as much as may be Walter therefore had a Son named Alane who as they say follow'd Godfrey of Bullogn into the Holy Land in the Year 1099. Alexander was his Son who begat Walter Stuart he had Issue Alexander whose Son was John the Father of Walter Stuart that marry'd the Daughter of King Robert Bruce and begat on her Robert Stuart call'd in the Scotch Chronology Robert the second King of Scotland but he was the first Stuart that was advanced to the Throne of that Kingdom But before we can fairly come to give you an exact Account hereof it will be necessary to premise a short Scheme of the Contests between the said Baliol and Bruce because somewhat interwoven with the Affair of this Family Upon the disastrous death of Alexander the Third who broke his Neck as he was gallopping his Horse at Kingcorn over the West-clift of the place near the Sea-side and left no Issue but had only a Grand-child by his Daughter in Norway very young and who died soon after Scotland fell under an Interregnum for the space of six Years and nine Months as Buchanan computes it for so long it was between the Death of Alexander and the declaring of John Baliol King of Scotland and in the mean time you may be sure there wanted not Pretensions to the Crown and the case briefly was thus William King of Scotland had a Brother named David Earl of Huntington and great Uncle to this Alexander the III. which David had three Daughters Margaret marry'd to Allan Lord of Gallaway Isabel to Robert Bruce Lord Annadale and Cleveland and Adda to Henry Hastings Earl of Huntington now Allane begat on his Wife Margaret a Daughter named Dornadilla marry'd in process of time to John Baliol after King of Scotland and two other Daughters Bruce by his Wife Isabel had Robert Bruce Earl of Carrick as having married the Inheritrix thereof but as for Huntington he laid no manner of Claim Now the question was whether Baliol in right of the eldest Daughter or Robert Bruce being descended of the second but a Male should have the Crown he being in the same Degree and of the more worthy Sex The Controversie was tossed up and down by the Governors and Nobles of the Kingdom for a long time but at last upon serious deliberation it was agreed to refer the whole matter to the decision of Edward the I. King of England which he was not a little glad of For resolving to fish in these troubled Waters he stirs up eight Competitors more that he might further puzzle the Cause and at length with twenty four Councellors half Scots half English and a great many Lawyers so handled the Business that after a great many cunning delays he secretly tampers with Bruce who was then conceiv'd to have the better Right of the Business that if he would acknowledge to hold the Crown of him he would adjudge it in favour of him But he generously answering That he valued a Crown at a less rate than for the wearing of the same to put his Country under a Foreign Yoke Edward turns about and makes the same motion to Baliol who did not stick to accept of it Baliol having thus gotten a Crown as unhappily kept it for he was no sooner invested with it and done Homage to King Edward according to Agreement but the Aberthenys having slain Mackduff Earl of Fife he not only pardon'd them the Fact but gave them a piece of Land that was in Controversie between them Whereupon Mucduff's Brother being enraged makes a Complaint of him to King Edward who sent for him used him so that he made him rise from his Seat at Parliament and go to the Bar and answer for himself He hereupon was so enraged at this manner of Usage that when King Edward sent to him for Assistance against the French he absolutely refused it and proceeded so far as to renounce his Homage to him This incensed King Edward to the quick and so with an armed Power he hastens to Berwick where he routed the Scots took and kill'd to the number of Seven Thousand of them among them most of the Nobility of Fife and Lowthian and some time after gave them also a great Overthrow at Dunbar which occasion'd the immediate surrender of the Castle of the said place into his Hands After this he marches to Montross where Baliol was brought to resign up both himself and his Crown to King Edward all the Scotch Nobility at the same time doing him Homage The Consequence whereof was that Baliol was sent Prisoner to London and from thence after a Years detention into France But while Edward was possess'd of all Scotland one William Wallace arose who tho' but a private Man bestirred himself in the publick Calamity of his Country and gave the English several notable Foyls This brought King Edward into Scotland again with an Army and falling upon Wallace routs him who was overcome with Emulation and Envy from his Countrymen as well as power from the Enemy upon which he laid by his Command and never acted after but by slight Incursions but the English Army after this being beaten at Roslin Edward comes in again and takes Sterling and makes them all render him Homage Robert Bruce Son to the foresaid Bruce that contested with Baliol for the Crown was in King Edward's Court and him the King had often promised to put in possession of the Crown But Bruce finding at last that all his promises were illusory and nothing but smoak he enters into a Confederacy with John Cummin sirnamed the Red how he might get the Kingdom but being basely betray'd by him to King Edward he had much ado to make his escape and when he was got into Scotland the first thing he did was to stab Cummin at Drumâ—reis and then got himself Crown'd King at Scone Never did any Man come with greater disadvantage to the possession of a Crown or underwent greater Hardships for the sake of it He was beaten over and over by King Edward's Troops forced to flee to the Highlands with one Companion or two and to lurk in the Mountains in great misery as if he had been rather a Beast of prey than a rational Creature And while he was in this miserable State it is storied of him by Fourdon That being in a Morning lying down on his Bed in a little Cottage whither he was glad to retire and make the same his Pallace he espies a Spider striving to climb up into her Web which she had spun to the roof of the House but failing of her purpose the first time she attempts it the second and third time and so on to the sixth and last wherein she accomplishes it and gets in the King who as well as his Companion had all the while view'd the Action said Now let 's get up and hasten to the Lowlands to try our Fortunes
every part of it Some time elapsed before this dreadful news of the Prince's death came to the Ears of the King none adventuring to be the sad Messenger unto him of that which almost all knew off but when he was advertised of it and had also some secret intimations given him his Brother had had a deep if not the sole hand in it for none durst accuse so great a Man openly he grew very sad and melancholy thereupon and the rather in that he had not power to take Vengeance upon him for the perpetrating of so barbarous a deed and for doing him so unretrievable an injury However to make some semblance of Kingly Authority he sends for the Duke his Brother to come to him at leastwise to expostulate with him about the fact The Duke who knew the purport of the message as well as himself frames a fair and specious story to excuse himself as tho he were as innocent of the fact as the Child Unborn And for a farther proof of it urges his care to seek out the Perpetrators of that horrid deed and that he had now at length made so far a progress in the matter that he did not doubt but if the King would be pleased to come to Edenburgh he should be able to bring in all the Offenders The King who was then at a place called Bute where for the most part he ever resided tho he was very unfit to travel upon many accounts and especially by reason of a tedious fit of sickness he had laboured under yet so great and eager a desire he had to see his Son's death punished that he made a hard shift to get in a Chariot into Edenburgh When he was come thither the Governour convenes the Council and orders the parties accused to be brought before them the King himself being also present The Accusers as the Duke who was rather the guilty person had before contrived it stoutly charge them with the fact The King after he had imprecated Vengeance from Heaven and the most dreadful Curses upon them and their Posterity who had perpetrated so horrid an act being over-prest with sorrow and infirfirmity of Body returns to Bute from whence he came The Duke that he might colour the matter as much as might be brings the supposed Criminals to their Tryals and by corrupt Judges such as the Duke had provided for that purpose were Condemned as guilty of his Murder whom in all their life time they had never seen Tho this matter waâ— managed on the part of the Governor with all the Fineness and Address imaginable yet the King was not so satisfied in his Mind but that he retain'd still a great suspition of the Duke's having an Hand in his Sonâ—s Death But forasmuch as he well knew that the Duke had all the Kingdom of Scotland under his Obeisance partly by Policy and partly by virtue of his Office of Governour he durst not shew his resentment nor attempt to call him to an account for it but was rather afraid on the other hand lest having ambitious Desires to possess himself of the Crown he would also make it his Business to procure the death of his second Son James and by that means take off the only Rub in his way The King I say being thus sollicitous in Mind about securing that to his Posterity which his unnatural Brother was intent to deprive them of consults with Walter Wardlaw Arch-bishop of St. Andrews about his Son's Security After serious deliberation they at last conclude it was no ways safe for Prince James to remain in Scotland and therefore he resolved to send him over into France to Charles the VI. an old Allie and real Friend to the Scotish Nation knowing he could no where be more safely and liberally educated than there But considering the uncertain vicissitude of Humane things and that no Precautions for his future Security might be wanting the King delivers his Son a Letter written to the King of England in his Behalf if it should be his hard Fortune to fall into the Hands of the English The King in pursuance to the said Resolution orders all things to be got in a readiness for his Passage and appointed Henry Sinclear Earl of Orkney to take care for the safe Conveyance of him They took Shipping at the Bass and so shear'd their Course for the French Shoar but when they were got as far as Flamborough-Head they were as some say taken by the English who had heard of their sailing and laid in wait to intercept them But others write that the Prince finding himself extreamly Sea-sick and not able to endure it desired he might be put on Shoar there and so was taken into Custody and carry'd up to the English Court but however it happened taken he was in the ninth Year of his Age Anno 1406. Henry IV. was then King of England to whose Presence when the Prince was come he deliver'd him his Father's Letter which because of the rarity of it as being written in the Scotish Dialect of those times we have thought fit to insert and is as followeth Robert King of Scots to Henry King of England Greeting THY great Magnificence Humility and Justice are right patent to us by thy Governance of thy last Army in Scotland howbeit sike things had been uncertein to us afore for tho' thou seemed as Enemie with most awful Incursions in our Realme Èœit we found mair Humanities and Plaisures than Damage by thy cumming to our Subdities speciallie to yame that receivit thy noble Fader the Duke of Longcastle the time of his Exile in Scotland we may not câ—is your fare while we are on life but I yl layf and loif thee us maist noble and woarthy Prince to joys thy Realme for yocht Realmes and Nations contend among themself for Conâ—uests of Glory and Launds Èœit na accasioun is amang us to invade other Realmes or Lieges with Injuries but erar to contend amang our self â—uhay shall perseue other with maist humanitee and kindness As to us we will meis all occasion of battell quare any occurres at thy pleasure Farther bycause we have no lesse sollicitude in preserving our Children fra certein deidley Enemies than had some time thy noble Fader we are constreined 〈◊〉 seek Support at uncowth Princes Handâ— Howbeit the invasioun of Enemies is sa great that small defense oâ—urres against yame â—ithaut they be preserved by Amitie of nobill Men. For the World is sa full of perversit malice that na crueltie nor offence may be devisit in erd bot the samme may be wroucht be motion of gold or silver Heirfore because we knaw thy Hyness full of Monie nobill Vertueâ— with sike Puissance and Riches that na Prince in our daies may be compared thairto we desire thy Humanity and Support at this time We traist it is not unknowen to thy Majesty how our eldest Son David is slain miserablie in Prisoun by our Brother the Duke of Albanie quhome we
for Spectacle did not inordinately break forth into any bitter Words but only said with a calm Temper If the faults were true which have been laid to their Charge the King had done nothing but what is Right and Just unto them As this King's Reign was usher'd in with the foresaid Troubles it continued to be in a ferment upon other Accounts and particularly for the great Pension raised for his Ransom and for raising of other Moneys which tho' the Revenues were exhausted was interpreted Covetousness in him But in the thirteenth and last Year of his Reign a sharp Rencounter happening between Henry Percy and William Dowglas Earl of Angus at a place call'd Piperden in the Kingdom of Scotland James thinking himself injured hereby by the English as the Scotch Historians write but Hall and Graston charge him home with Ungratitude herein raises a great Army and lays Siege to the Castle of Roxborough but when as the Scotch write he had almost brought his Work to Perfection and that the besieged began to capitulate about surrendring of the place the Queen in all haste came to the Camp and acquainted him there was a horrid Conspiracy framed against his Life and conjured him to use all the Precautions imaginable to secure himself The King was surprized with the Message he forthwith raised the Siege and returned home to provide for his better safety tho' all avail'd little But that you may have a clearer Idea of the whole Matter we must a little look back and tell you again that Robert II. had three Sons by his Concubine whom he afterward married and so settled the Crown upon them to the Exclusion of his two legitimate Sons by his Queen Euphemia Ross who were Walter Earl of Athol and David Earl of Strathern Now these two tho' they found themselves injured by such a Preference of an illegitimate Race before them Yet being inferiour both in Years and Wealth they dissembled their Resentment for the present The Death also of the Earl of Strathern weakned their Hands who left one only Daughter behind him who was given in Marriage to Patrick Graham a noble Youth and a most potent and illustrious Family as any in that Age on whom he begat Melisse Graham whose Parents did not long survive And the Child not many Years after being then a Stripling was sent into England among those who were Hostages till the Money for the Kings Ransom were discharg'd and paid But Atholl tho' he were every ways inferior to the opposite Faction yet ever made it his Business to take off his Kindred and did not lay aside his Hopes of recovering the Crown and because he was not capable of doing any thing by open force he craftily sowed Discord among them and so plied the Matter that as has been already in some measure set forth a very numerous Family were reduced to a few for the most part by his Council For many were of Opinion that it it was by his Contrivance that David Duke of Rothsay King Robert's Son was cut off neither had James escap'd his Snares unless he had spent the greatest part of his Life in England far from his reach He would have encouraged the Earl of Fife to seise upon the Kingdom taxing his Brother with Slothfulness and fit to be taken off and when the King having now no Children to succeed him for James was then a Prisoner in England and obnoxious to the Pleasure of his Brother had suddenly died of Grief there was only the Governor now and his Children that impeded his Hopes But when Robert the Governor was dead and his Son John kill'd at the Battle of Vernole in France he re-assumed his former Thoughts with greater Vigour and strain'd all his Wits to compass the same first by getting of King James released and then contriving Duke Mordo's and his Children's Death and since it was almost inconsistent that all these should subsist and be safe together he foresaw that which soever fell of them he was one degree nearer to the Crown Therefore when James was at last return'd to his Country he set all his Engines on work to hasten Mordo's death finds out fit tools to bear Testimony against him and set himself as Judge upon him and his Children and when they also were cut off there was only King James and a young Son of six Years old that stood in the way and when he by a conjuration of the Nobility were once removed the Earl did not doubt but himself who was the only surviving Person of the Royal Stem should be advanced to the Throne Atholl therefore I say being night and day agitated with such Considerations did however keep all his Designs close and secret and thro' a counterfeit Zeal for the King's Welfare made it his Business to cut off his Relations and Friends and more especially to advance his own Estate by the Misfortune and Crimes of other Men and so to lessen his Adversaries In the mean time King James to further his own Misfortune deprived Melisse Graham who we have said was one of the Hostages in England of the Earldom of Strathern alledging it was bestowed on his Grandfather of the maternal side and his Masculine Line and for want of such Issue to revert to the Crown The Misfortune of the young Man induced many to commiserate his Case but made Robert his Guardian almost stark mad and so being more impatient of the Injury offer'd to his Kinsman stuck not to accuse the King openly of unjustice and being cited to appear to make his defence but did not a Sentence of Banishment pass'd against him This did but enrage him more and more and his whole Business seem'd to be to engage others who had been injur'd in their own Persons or Friends to entertain the same Sentiments of the King in respect to his Avarice and Cruelty as he had done but it had been well if he had rested here You have heard before how the King was advertised of a Conspiracy against him at Roxborough and how the King to obviate the same retired home and took up his Lodgings in the Convent of the Dominicans at Perth and what Designs Walter Earl of Atholl had been hatching from time to time Now this Walter the King's Uncle tho' he were Principall Author and Contriver of the Conspiracy yet he did his utmost endeavour to put off all manner of Suspition of it from himself therefore he privily sends for and discourses with Robert Graham afore-mentioned who as being an active bold rash Man and an hater of the King upon account of his own Imprisonment and â—anishment and the Injury done to his Nephew by divesting of him of the Earldom of Strathern he thought to be a Person most fit for his purpose and with him he engaged his own Grandson Robert Stuart a stout hardy Youth who readily engaged in the Work He instructs them what they were to do assured them of his favour when the Fact was perpetrated
long e're they seized upon the Kings Evil Councellors that were about him and sent them all away save only John Ramsey a very young man that clung to the King and who intreated for him that he might be spared The rest were lead to Judgment and with the loud cries of the Army calling for Justice upon those miscreants were hanged out of the way and such forwardness was shewed to have them dispatched speedily that when they wanted Ropes upon such a sudden occasion every one was ready to offer his Horses Halter or the Reins of his Bridle for that purpose These Wretches were charged with many private injuries and among the more publick ones was their advising the King to Coin base Copper Money which the Common people by way of reproach called Black-Money and that this was the principal cause of the scarcity that was in the Land the want of Trade and many other Calamities too long to be incerted To the Kings charge was laid the unjust death of the Earl of Mar his Brother his advancing of Cockram a Mason to the said Earldom his practising of Magick and resolvedness to destroy his Relations This done they returned to Edenburg and appointed the King himself to be kept in the Castle of the said City by the E. of Atholl and in the mean time they send to the English Army for a Cessation of Arms for three Months The Duke of Albany was honourably received into his Country again and had the Castle of Dunbar with the Earldoms of March and Mar conferred upon him and was withal Proclaimed the Kings Lieutenant General While things were in this state the English take the Castle of Berwick the Town having been surrendred to them before The Duke of Albany making a faint of relieving the same but did nothing At length the Duke accompanied with the Chancellor Archbishop of St. Andrews and others went to Sterling to pay the Queen and Prince a visit they had not been there long when the Queen entering into a secret Conference with the Duke unknown to the rest about the King's Confinement and urging how noble and generous as well as advantagious an act it would be in him to imploy his power for his releasement he consents to the undertaking and so returning to Edenburg besieged the Castle and took it remov'd the Earl of Athol and so sets the King and all his Servants at liberty for which extraordinary favour the King shewed him great tokens of his affections but they were not long-lived for the remembrance of old offences are of greater force in a degenerous and impotent mind than fresh kindnesses And to foment his jealousies he had always those at his Elbow who never ceased to upbraid the Duke to him of affecting too much popularity and to construe the same as an infallible sign of his intentions to snatch at the Crown when ever a fit opportunity presented The Duke who was not ignorant of those jealousies entertained of him and at last finding there was a design formed against him of no less than taking away his Life and that as appeared by poyson withdraws privily into Dunbar Castle And the King as conscious of his evil doings fearing the displeasure of his Nobles hereupon withdraws also into the Castle of Edenburg where the Earls of Angus Buchan and others forsook him and assisted the Duke But the King being haunted still by his Evil Spirits I mean those vile fellows whom he had again placed about his Person he summoned the Duke and his adherents to appear and answer for such treasonable Crimes as he had to lay to their Charge and withall prepared an Army to Besiege Dunbar which the Duke having notice off he flies into England And afterwards being accompanied with the Earl of Dowglass and others was engaged to invade the Marches of his own Country but meeting with ill success and being checked by the King of England for his ill Conduct he grew sullen thereupon and withdrew secretly into France where not long after according to the usual fate of his Family running at Tilts with Lewis Duke of Orleans he was wounded with the splinter of a Spear and thereof Dyed So that here is two of them gone the fate of the third is now approaching with winged hast For the King having once got a Peace with the English and the Castle of Dunbar into his hands which seemed for some time to put a check upon his exorbitance he returns to his old haunts gives himself over not only to be guided by Favourites and mean Persons as before who were his Leeches to drain his Subjects to satiate his covetous desires but to unlawful pleasure with loose Women Among the men Favourites John Ramsey saved as you have heard before by the Kings importunity from an Halter was chief This Man having been advanced to the dignity of Lord Stuard K of the ing's Houshold and endowed with many large demesns became so elated in mind that not being content with that large fortune nothing would serve but he must have an order that none besides himself and his Companions should go armed in those places where the King resided designing by this devise to fortifie himself and his Faction against the Nobility of the Kingdom whom he found to go frequently armed themselves and accompanied with such as were well provided for their defence But this Edict procured him more hatred than it wrought fear in his Enemies In the mean time the King minded nothing as much as to gratifie his mind with the blood of those who were thought to be the Authors of Rebellion And seeing he could not bring about his purposes he endeavours to surprise them by cunning for feigning to be reconciled to one of them after another he entertained them with that gentleness and in so soothing a manner as came below the Dignity of a Prince to do Others of them who excelled in Riches and Power he accumulated with Rewards and Honours making David Lindsey Earl Crawford Duke of Montross and George Earl of Angus he would have frequently in his Company carrying it so by communicating his secret Counsels unto him as if he were throuhgly reconciled But his Rewards and Blandishments had but little effect upon any of them in respect to any opinion his Sincerity for they who knew his disposition doubted not but all that semblance of Goodness and Favour tended to no other end than either to surprise them one after another or to set them at variance one against another which when he had got the chief of Nobility to Edenburg did more clearly appear for having sent for Dowglass to him into the Castle he shewed him what a brave opportunity he now had to be revenged on them for if he did but secure the Heads of the Factions and punish them the rest would be quiet That if he lett his opportunity that presented it self slip he could never afterward hope for such another Dowglass who well knew that the Kings mind
the present Possessor to part with his Inheritance and she desired his Father-in-Law and Friends to perswade him to it But this matter not meeting with the desired success the Queen took the repulse as a great Affront to her and which was worse David took it very hainously also These things being known abroad the Commonalty began to bewail the sad state of Affairs and expected that things would grow worse if Men eminent for their Families Estates and Credit should be outed of their ancient Patrimony to gratifie the Lust of a beggerly Varlet Yea many of the Elder sort called to mind and told others of the time when Cockburn wickedly slew the Kings Brother and of a Stone-cutter was made Earl of Marr which raised up such a flame of a Civil War that could not be extinguished but by the Death of the King and almost the Destruction of the Kingdom These things were spoken openly but Men did privately mutter much worse yet the King would never be perswaded to believe it unless he saw it with his own Eyes so that one time hearing that David was gone into the Queen's Bed-Chamber he came to a little Door of which he always carried the Key about him and found it Bolted on the inside which it never used to be whereupon he knocked but no body answered and so he was forced to go his ways but conceived great Wrath and Indignation in his Heart that he could not sleep that Night From that time forward he consulted with some of his Servants for he durst trust but a very few many of them having been corrupted by the Queen and put upon him rather as Spies over his Actions than Attendants upon his Person how to rid David out of the way His design they approved of but to find out a probable way to effect it was the difficulty When that Consultation had been managed for some days others of his Servants who were not privy to the Design suspecting the matter and there being evident signs of it went and acquainted the Queen therewith and withall told her that they would bring her to the place where they were and they were as good as their words For to that end they observed and watcht the opportunity when others were shut out and the King had only his Confidents about him and ordered it so that the Queen as if passing through his Chamber to her own surprized him with her Partizans whereupon she inveighed bitterly against him and highly threatned his Domesticks telling them all their Plots were in vain for she knew all their Minds and Actions and would remedy them well enough in due time Things being brought to this desperate pass the King thought fit to acquaint his Father the Earl of Lennox with his sad Condition and after some Conference they both concluded that the only remedy for the present Malady was to reconcile that part of the Nobility which were present and to recal those that were absent But great expedition was required in the thing because the day was near at hand wherein the Queen had resolved to Condemn the Nobles that were absent having appointed a Convention of the States for that purpose against the Wills of the English and French Ambassadors who interceeded in the case for they well knew that the accused had not committed such heinous Offences and besides foresaw the danger that would ensue thereupon About the same time did Queen Elizabeth send her a very obliging and long Letter full of good Advice in reference to the present State of her Kingdom and endeavouring to reduce her from a wrathful to a reconcileable Temper The Queen coming to understand that the Nobility knew that such Letters were come and that they guessed at the Contents of them she counterfeited a civiller respect to them than ordinary and began to read the Letters in the presence of many of them But when she was got about the middle David stood up and bid her Read no more she had read enough she should stop which strange carriage of his seemed to them rather Arrogant than New for they knew how imperiously he had carried it towards her heretofore yea and sometimes how he would reprove her more sharply than ever her own Husband durst do At that time the Cause of the Banished Lords was hotly agitated in the Parliament House some to gratifie the Queen's Humour would have the punishment due to Traytors past upon them others stiffly contended that they had done nothing worthy to be so severely used But David in the mean time went about to all of them one by one to feel their Pulses what every Man's Vote would be concerning the Exiles if he was chosen President by the rest of the Convention And he told them plainly the Queen was resolved to have them Condemned that it was in vain for any of them to struggle against it and besides who ever did should be sure to incuâ— the Queen's Displeasure thereby His aim herein was partly to confound the weaker Minds betwixt hope and fear and partly to exclude the most resolute out of the number of the Judges Select or Lords of the Articles or at least that the major part might be of such a Gizzard as to please the Queen and this audacious procedure and wickedness in so mean a Fellow was feared by some and hated by all Whereupon the King by his Father's Advice sent to James Douglas and Patrick Lindsey his Kinsmen the one by the Father and the other by the Mothers side who advise with Patrick Ruven an able man both for Advice and Execution but he was brought so low with long Sickness that for some months he could not get out of his Bed However they were willing to trust him amongst some few more in a matter of so great a Concernment both by reason of his great Prudence as also because his Children were Cousin-Germans to the King But here the King was told by them what a great Error he had committed before in suffering his Kinsmen and Friends to be driven from Court in favour of such a base Rascal as Rizzio yea that he himself did in effect thrust them out of the Court with his own Hands and so had advanced such a contemptible Mushroom so as that now he himself was abashed and despised of him They had also much other discourse concerning the State of the publick and the King was quickly brought to acknowledge his Fault and to promise to act nothing for the future without the Consent of the Nobility But those wise and experienc'd Counsellors thought it not safe to trust the verbal promises of an uxorious young man as believing that he might be prevailed upon in time by his Wife to deny this Capitulation to their certain Ruin and therefore they thought it adviseable to draw up the Heads of their Agreement in Writing to which he willingly and forwardly subscribed The substance whereof was That Religion should be established as it was provided for
contrived that the Earl of March should give him an invitation to be at the place two or three days before the time under pretence that the preparations he had made of Wild Meats and other things for his Reception would be spoiled if he came not somewhat sooner than the appointed day a silly excuse but on he goes contrary to the advice of some about him who were sensible of the inconveniencies that might attend it especially since the Lords whom he had summoned could not be there so soon and when he arrived at St. Andrews he took up his Lodgings at an old Inn whose greatest security was the Yard Dykes of little consideration Melvil who saw the vanity of such doings goes to the Provost to see what force he could make for the Kings security in case he were exposed to any danger who answered very few and those not to be relied upon but returning to the King and believing that the Proclamation had been made that no Man should come to the Convention unsent for he found the Abbot of Dumfermling and the Earl of Marshal there the Abbot who was of the contrary Faction yet did by his Wit and Dissembling Practices so manage the King that the Proclamation was not only stopped but Missive Letters sent to the rest of the Nobility to come but under the Restriction that each Nobleman should come attended with no more than two Persons Some of his Adherents who foresaw this would unravel the whole design reminded him of the danger and advised him to retire into the Castle which they could not persuade him to do till after Supper Next day all the Lords as well written as unwritten for came to St. Andrews the latter strongly armed and the others not The Abbot who was with the King in the Castle pretending all manner of Zeal for his Service advised him to let none of the Lords come within the Castle accompanied with any more than twelve Persons which tho' he were now in a place of security if well managed had like to have brought him again into a State of Captivity for the next morning the Castle was full of Men and the contrary Party being well Armed had already possest themselves of the Stair-Head and Galleries resolving a second time to be Masters of the King and all his Followers but the Earl of March his Gentlemen with the Provosts Men and some others got thither with such diligence that the design was rendered Abortive for that time so that next day the King for fear of a further surprise gave them fair Words promising all alike there of his Favour and Protection which for the time seemed to give Contentment to all the parties In the mean while the Earl of Arran got the Favour to be confined in his own House at Kinneall from whence he sends to Congratulate his Majesty's safe deliverance begging leave to come to Court to kiss the King's Hand which for the time was deninied but he still persisting in his Sollicitation by the help of some Friends and promising to make no manner of stay but to withdraw again to his Habitation the King whose Affections were still towards him and Born it seems to be ruled by others tho' he could not chuse but know he was obnoxious to the whole Kingdom and had been a principal Cause of the King 's former confinement grants him leave the Earl had no sooner access no more thought of his Promise but staid not only at Court but in a short time altered all the ways of procedure with a design to draw the management of all publick Affairs to himself as before this was a great mortification to many about the King and Colonel Steward resented it highly saying That if his Majesty suffered that Villain to remain at Court he would yet again undo all but at last they were reconciled and became great Friends and from henceforward the Earl managed the King Council and all other Affairs of the Kingdom as despotically as if he had been Grand Signior or Mayor of the Palace in France the King was easily induced by him to spend most of his time a Hunting and to be content with whatever Relation he gave him of the Publick Affairs and when he had gained this point he bent his whole force for to ruin the Ruthwen Road Lords notwithstanding the Publick Faith given them for their Indemnity Queen Elizabeth about this time sent to King James a sharp Letter concerning his mismanagement of his Affairs and promised to send Sir Francis Walsingham into Scotland by whom she said she intended to deal with him as an Affectionate Sister and one from whom he might see he should receive Honour and Contentment with more safety to himself and Kingdom than by following the pernicious Councils of those crafty dissembling Advisers about him but there was nothing could stop the career of this mighty Favourite Arran who obtains the Government of Sterling-Castle to the rest and banished several Noblemen as the Earls of Mar Angus c. and by his insolent behaviour drove the Noble Earl of Gawry and almost all other honest Men from Court at length Walsingham arrived who after he had been with the King and pursued his Instructions prepared to return home Arran would fain have entred into a familiar Conference with him but Sir Francis disdained to speak with him the other enraged with the conceived affront and finding no other way of Revenge but what must bring great dishonour upon the King a poor tool to suffer it gave Orders that the Captains of Berwick and several worthy Gentlemen who came to convoy Secretary Walsingham should not be suffered to enter into the King's Presence-Chamber and not content herein when the King had ordered a rich Diamond to the value of 700 Crowns to be given to the Secretary instead thereof the Earl puts a scornful Present upon him of a Ring with a Chrystal stone sett therein only a Presumption undoubtedly that Harry 8. would have punisheed with the loss of his Head had the Earl been his Subject but this way of procedure was so far from exciting the King to vindicate his own Honour which was abominably blemish'd hereby that when he was determined to go to Edenburg to call a Convention of the Estates more Honours must be put upon the Earl for to that of the Government of Sterling-Castle already in his Hands was added that of Edenburg Castle the two most important Fortresses in the Kingdom and least a Military Power was not yet sufficient both for his Greatness and Security he gets himself Declared Lord Chancellor and so Head of the Civil Power in the Kingdom and now he Triumphs making the whole Subjects tremble under him and by daily seeking out and inventing new crimes against others to get their Lands and Possessions several of the Nobility he banished but more especially shot directly at the Earl of Gawrey's Life and Estate but the Earl could not be content to Domineer as he
to the abrogating of which by the enormous power of the Sword because he could by no means be induced he was brought thither to undergo a Martyrdom for his People Then he prayed and being minded by the Bishop to satisfie the Spectators as to his Religion he said that he had deposited the Testimony of his Faith with that holy Man meaning the Bishop That his Life and Profession had been well known and that now he died in the Christian Faith according to the Profession of the Church of England as the same was left him by his Father of Blessed Memory And then turning about to the Officers and professing the hopes he had of his Salvation he began to prepare for the Circumstances of Death The Bishop put on his Night-cap and uncloathed him to his Sky-coloured Sattin Wastcoat he delivered his George to the Bishop's hands and charged him to remember to give the same to the Prince and having prayed again he stooped down to the Block and had his Head severed from his Body at one Blow about Two of the Clock in the Afternoon the day aforesaid in the year 1648. dying the same death as to kind as his Grandmother Mary Queen of Scots had done sixty two years and eight days before at Fothringham Castle in Northamptonshire and I think was no whit inferior to her in the misfortunes of his Life And to note a few his three Favourites to wit Buckingham Laud and Strafford undergoing a violent death and the two latter falling by the Axe as forerunners of his own destiny And as to his own Personal errors when Bristol was cowardly surrendred by Fines had he then marched to London as he might have done very well all had been his own but loytering to no purpose at Gloucester he was soon after well banged by the Earl of Essex When he had worsted Essex in Cornwall he neglected the like opportunity of getting to London Guilty he was of the same oversight in not commanding the Duke of Newcastle to march Southwards toward the Metropolis of England before the Scots entred the English Borders and in not doing the like himself after he had taken Leicester for there was nothing then that could have hindred him to become Master of the City The same ill success he had as to his Treaties about being restored And in short he was generally unfortunate in the World in the esteem not only of his Enemies but in some sort of his Friends too for as the later were n'er pleased with his breach of Faith so the former would say he could never be fast enough bound and the Blood that some years before dropt upon his Statue at Greenwich and the falling off of the Silver Head of his Cane at his Trial were interpreted as dismal presages of his disastrous fate His Head and Trunk after the Execution were immediately put into a Coffin and conveyed to the Lodgings in Whitehall and there Embowelled and from thence conveyed to St. James House and Coffined in Lead About some fortnight after the Duke of Lennox Marquess of Hartford Earl of Southampton and Bishop of London got leave to bury the Body which they conducted to the Chappel at Windsor and Interred it there in the Vault of Henry the Eight with this Inscription only upon his Coffin Charles King of England And herein he was more unhappy than his Grandmother Mary for whereas her Corpse were some years after her death taken up by her Son King James and Reposited with all the Funeral Pomp that could be in the Chappel of King Henry the Seventh her Great Grand Father This King's Remains notwithstanding the Commons had Voted in 1669 the Sum of 50000 l. for the Charge of taking it up a Solemn Funeral had of it and a Monument for it yet lay neglected as if it had been blasted by fate King Charles the Second his Son they said forbidding of it A Physician that made inspection into the dissection of the Body related that nature had designed him above the most of mortal men for a long life but Providence ordered it otherwise for he was cut off in the Forty ninth year of his Age being his Climacterical and twenty fourth of his Reign leaving six Children behind him three Sons Charles Prince of Wales James Duke of York and Henry Duke of Gloucester whereof the two Elder were Exiles and three Daughters Mary Princess of Orange Elizabeth a Virgin who not long survived him and Henrietta Maria born at Exeter Charles his Eldest Son who was then at the Hague when he heard of his Father's disastrous fate assumed the Title of King of England c. tho an Exile and without any Kingdom to command He was born at St. James's May 30. 1630. it was said a Star appeared over the place where he had been born in broad day which in those times was interpreted to prognosticate his happiness but the Ecclipse of the Sun which happened presently after was no less a presage of his future Calamities There was little remarkable in him or concerning him till the year 1639 when the unhappy disaster of breaking his Arm befell him and that not long after he was afflicted with a violent Feaver accompanied with a little of the Jaundice but having at length recovered his perfect health and the fatal differences begun long before but now daily increasing between the King his Father and the People he accompanied him into the North of England where he was a Spectator of that dismall Cloud which tho small at its first gathering yet was pregnant with that dreadful storm which in a short time spread it self over him his Father and three Nations For going to take possession of Hull as they thought they were by Sir John Hotham denied Entrance and forced to wait several hours at the Gate all in vain From this time forward the War increasing between the King and Parliament he was first spectator of that successless Battle to his Father's Arms at Edgehill staid some time after at Oxford From thence returning to the Field and the King's forces in the West under the command of the Lord Hopton of which the Prince was nominally General being routed by General Fairfax he was necessitated to retire to the Isle of Scilly and from thence betook himself into France To whom his Father now depriv'd of Command himself sent a Commission of Generalissimo of those few Royalists that survived the late unhappy overthrows and this brought him to the Isle of Guernsey where he possest himself of some Vessels that lay there and having joyned them to those he had brought with him out of France he sailed from thence into the Downs where he seized several rich Merchant-Ships and expected some Land-forces from Holland raised by the Prince of Orange for his Service But alas he was as unfortunate now in his Warlike attempts as his Father had been before and was still in his Treaties of Peace for Poyer and Langhorn who made a
to run away with the prey from both of them The People of England were no more satisfied before with their imaginary happiness in the King's Restoration but they were now upon the ill management of Affairs the much Treasure that had been spent to so little purpose and more especially upon our Conjunction with the French to the manifest hazard of the Protestant Religion as well as the Civil Rights of Europe as much uneasie and suspitious of the Court-proceedings And it did not a little incense them that the French made such a Progress in Flanders and got all by Land while we got nothing but Blows at Sea and therefore the House of Commons on the 31. of October 1673. Voted that considering the present State of the Natition they would not take into further Consideration any Aids or Charges upon the Subject except it did appear that the obstinacy of the Dutch did render it necessary nor before the Kingdom should be effectually secured from Popery and Popish Counsels and other Grievances redressed which procedure thunder-struck the King and his Frenchified Council so as that a Peace with the Dutch was quickly huddled up and so he then set up for a Mediator of Peace between the rest and the Treaty spun out to a very great length at Nimeguen and was at last concluded after some years Conferences without King Charles consent by Beverning the Dutch Agent which spared him a labour of entring into an actual War with Franee as the Parliament would have had him and to which he was as unwilling as he had been before forward in his engaging against the Dutch a Protestant State The remainder of his succeeding Reign was as uneasie to himself and to the Nation upon the account first of the Popish Plot the many endeavours to stiffle it the Bill of Exclusion and the Division of the Nation into Whig and Torry hereupon then that called the Presbyterian Plot both Plots they said against his life which if true he was the more unhappy for which last the Noble Lord Russel suffered and the Great Earl of Essex had his Throat Barbarously cut in the Tower of London the King's Prison and King Charles had the unhappiness to be there that day where he had not been hardly in twenty years before And last of all the forfeiture and seizure of Charters which tho carried on with great fury in his Reign that thereby he might have a Parliament of his own choosing as Cromwell had and so do what he pleased yet he did not live to compleat his designs Tho' the Censures upon the manner of his Death are various yet most are agreed says the Author of the Introduction to King Charles II. Character there was some fraud in it some ascribing it to the intreagues of France who as they Undid his Father by a Wife Ruined the Son by a Mistress and therefore alleadge that the French King being weary of feeding him with Pensions and dreading his natural Parts if upon any disgust he should come to unite with his Parliaments against France he thought it his Interest to take him off and make way for a Successor who as he made open profession of his own Religion would be more pliable to his dictates Then as touching the method of effecting it they say that the Dutchess of P. who bewitched him with her Amours and had not only drained the substance of his Body but likewise the substance of his Purse either of which being once accomplished the Love of a St â—t to her Paramour vanishes so that having a mind to change Gallants or seeing no more hopes of former advantages she gave him such Provocatives as made him act beyond his natural Strength and threw him into those Apoplectick Fits which carryed him off There are others who ascribe his Death to the Romish Faction who being angry at his having so often deceived them and impatient till they came to a tryal of skill for establishing their Religion while Lewis XIV was in the height of his Power and Glory did therefore administer the fatal Dose which sent King Charles II. a Packing and brought his Brother to the Throne under whose auspicious Conduct they made no question of restoring the Church of Rome to the full possession of all she had formerly enjoy'd in these three Kingdoms It 's certain there were some accidents fell out some time before the King's Death that raised some Jealousy in the breast of the Romanists who thought by that he would upon the presenting of the first opportunity face about as they found by experience he had more then once done and fall in with the Interest of a Party he now for some years by their instigation had been endeavouring to destroy and root out of the World And what rendred their suspitions of him the more incurable was that a Pamphlet having been spread abroad a little before Christmas 1684. setting forth that the Earl of Essex had not cut his own Throat but had been Murdered by Russians set on by the Papists c. the King upon the hearing of it should say Well I am resolved to examine Essex's Cause once more And that he might meet with no obstruction in the way he ordered the Duke his Brother to prepare to go for Scotland which the other whether smelling the design or that the train to blow the King up was already layd by him absolutely refused to do this occasioned high words between them insomuch that the late M. of H. who was well known to be a great favourite coming on the Sunday before the King Dyed to wait upon him after Evening Service he found him in his Closet alone under great concern of Mind puffing after a more then ordinary rate and looking pensive with his Face towards the ground which the M. observing made him stand still till the King looking up asked hastily How now my Lord How do you do to which the M. answering the better to see his Majesty well and soforth the King returned again to his former posture but at length broke forth into these Words My Lord will you be ingenious with we and answer me one question to which the Marquess replying he would if he could Then said the King I charge you upon your Alleagiance to tell me how I stand affected with the People of England The M. after some pause answered Sir you have been always ranked among the mercifull and Clement Princes and have given evident Testimonies of your being so upon various occasions but I must tell your Majesty that of late your Government has been somewhat uneasy to your People Well said the King one thing I am resolved on I 'll once more throw my self upon the People of England and to that end will go this week into the City and I 'le call a Parliament at the Guild-Hall the M. was somewhat surprized at these words and said Sir If that be your Resolution I pray God to bless it but let me beg of
the Worlds take of him are likely never to wear out Things are now brought to that pass that I cannot rely upon the Enemies word nor they upon mine and I should be still in fear that they would violate their agreements with me supposing I would never keep faith with them any longer than I esteemed it for my conveniency I know it will be a fruitless thing for me to make protestations that what happened last year in reference to the violation of the Capitulation of the Cities in the Palatinate came to pass without my approbation or privity that excuse will be imputed to Folly or Treachery unless I could publickly put to death the Authors of that infidelity which the evil Counsellors about my Father will not permit for fear both the crime and the punishment should fall upon themselves These are generous Sentiments my Lord which if well cultivated may perhaps prove useful to himself and to the confederated Enemies of France at this time and I can think them no other than the remains of such as were infused into him by the good old Duke his Governour who stuck not once to tell his Father upon the account of his Cruelty to his Protestant Subjects That it became not a King to be a Bigot I shall confine my self now and always to a bare transmission of what I shall judge worthy your knowledge leaving the application wholly to your Lordship without I have other commands from you which I do not know how to receive in my ticklish circumstances at present but such when known to me as I shall always obey to the utmost of my power as far as I find them safe and consistent with your Honour and so I remain My Lord Your Lordships most Humble and Entirely devoted Serv. Versailles May 30. 1689. N. S. LETTER III. Of the Declaration of War made by France against the Crown of Spain after she had endeavoured in vain to keep the Spaniards neutral My Lord YOur Lordship may perhaps call to mind what I formerly transmitted to you out of our Minutes concerning the efforts made by this Crown to induce the Spaniards to a Neutrality in the War formed by France against the Republick of Holland and her then Confederates And I am now to acquaint you there have been the like and greater efforts made to keep that same Crown from falling into the present Conjunction of the Allies against her though both the attempts have failed of the desired success It s true the Spaniards thought fit to temporize the latter end of the last Year and the beginning of this till they found the Revolution in England accomplished and the Government reduced to a settled form and then they made no bones openly to testify their Aversion to France and her interest as well as good-will to the Confederates at the same time by such Acts as gave evident signs both of the one and the other And your Lordship cannot think how greatly mortified this Court is at the News they have lately received of my Lord Stafford King James his Embassadors being dismist by the King of Spain and that they would no longer own his Character It has occasion'd much discourse here and People daily vend their Sentiments upon it as they are variously affected towards the parties concerned and among other things I cannot forbear mentioning one passage which though perhaps already known to your Lordship yet give me leave to please my self since I have nothing more momentous to transmit with a short relation of it It seems upon the late King James his Accession to the Throne the Spanish Embassador Don Ronquillo took upon himself to advise him not to suffer himself to be guided by Friars and Monks the King for answer told him That the Kings of Spain were wont to do it The Embassador replied again I know it Sir but that is our misfortune Therefore your Majesty ought to take warning by our Example and not to dash your self against that Rock and surely if he had taken up with this Counsel he might have been still in great security upon his Throne and his Embassador in the highest esteem in Spain But to return the foremention'd prevarications in the Court of Spain as they are pleased to denominate them here has at length produc'd a Declaration of War against Spain which has been dispatch'd by a Trumpeter to the Governor of the Spanish Netherlands and the substance whereof is here subjoined That the unfeigned desire his most Christian Majesty had to observe the Truce concluded on in the Year 1684. had caused him to take no notice of the demeanor of the Spanish Ministers in the Courts of all the European Princes where they had made it their whole business to animate the several Princes to take up Arms against France That His Majesty is not ignorant of the share they have had in the Negotiation of the League made at Ausburg That he is also well acquainted with what share the Governour of the Spanish Neatherlands has lately had in the Prince of Orange his Enterprize against the Kingdom of England But that yet not being inclinable to believe that what was transacted by him was done by his Catholick Majesty's Command his most Christian Majesty was in good hopes to have perswaded his Catholick Majesty to have concurred with him for the effectual Restoration of the lawful King of England and the preservation of the Catholick Religion against the Protestant League that was formed or at leastwise to have observed an exact Neutrality To which purpose he had made several proposals that seemed to have been well received so long as the success of the Prince of Orange continued doubtful but that when it came to be once known at Madrid that the King of England had left his Dominions that then nothing was meditated upon but a War against France That his Christian Majesty was moreover further informed that the Spanish Embassador in England paid dayly visits to the Prince of Orange and was very importunate with him to declare War against the Kingdom of France That the Governour of the Spanish Low Countries was raising Men with utmost diligence and had promised the States General to joyn their Forces in the beginning of the Campaign and laboured with the Prince of Orange to send numbers of Men into Flanders Of all which procedures he had informed his Catholick Majesty and offered him a sincere continuation of the Truce provided he would give no succour to his Majesty's Enemies But now finding after all that his Catholick Majesty was resolved to favour the Usurper of England whose Agents had received considerable Summs both at Cadiz and Madrid His Majesty therefore to prevent the Evil intentions of his Catholick Majesty has resolved to declare War against him both by Sea and Land c. Your Lordship cannot but discern by the whole purport of this Declaration where the shoe must Pinch and nothing is more manifest then that the successful enterprizes of
the King of England stick most to the heart of this Court which may at last turn to a mortal Convulsion which none can be more desirous to see than My Lord Your Lordships most Humble and most Obedient Servanâ— Paris June 10. 1689. N. S. LETTER IV. Of Cardinal d' Este his solliciting the Pope for Money for the late King James and his proposing a Croisade for the restoration of him to his Throne again My Lord I Have in my last endeavoured to give your Lordship the Sence and Resolution of this Court concerning the present posture of Affairs and mighty Efforts are made for the support of the late King's Interest who is as you well know now in Ireland both here and at Rome too by the Agency of this Court and least the Differences that have been so long depending between both Courts should any ways obstruct the Cause they have at length laid the foundation of an accommodation and the great motive to press it on is taken from the miserable condition of the late King's Affairs and that his Holiness could not but know that the main of the Catholicks hopes resting in the most Christian King for the redressing of them those very hopes would also vanish if his Holiness still obstinately persisted to refuse an accommodation with him The Cardinal d' Este the late Queen's Unkle is the person pitched upon to manage this Negotiation whose further instructions are to sollicite the Pope for some present supply of Money for his Nephew and not only so but to propose to the Old Father the publishing a Crolsade for the restoration of him to his Kingdoms But finding this did not relish well with the Old Dad his Eminency confin'd himself to a request that his Holiness would exhort the Emperor King of Spain and other Catholick Princes to it and mediate an accommodation between them for the more effectual carrying on the same But this is but Thunder afar off and will never endammage the Brittish Isles I heartily wish you may be as secure from intestine commotions and machinations there is nothing more talked of here and I have some reason to fear some measures have been conserted here for the fermenting of that inquietude which has possest too many amonst you upon this change of Government your Lordship will pardon me since I write with the same freedom and sincerity as formerly and remain My Lord Your Constant and most faithful Servant Paris June 17. 1689. N. S. LETTER V. Of the Queen of Spains Death the formal Story made in France of her being Poisoned and a Marriage feared between his Catholick Majesty and the Infanta of Portugal My Lord NOW things are come to an open Rupture and hostility between the two Crowns of Spain and France some account of which I have already transmitted to your Lordship you cannot conceive how violently they vend their Spite and Malice against the Spanish Court and more especially take occasion to renew publickly the discourse which was at first scarce whispered of the Queen of Spains being poisoned in which they pretend to interest themselves very much as she was a Daughter of France and say that she being secretly admonished in the midst of all the troubles that befell her to take care of her self found out a way to dispatch a Frenchman that was then in Spain to her Father the Duke of Orleans and to desire him to send her some treacle by the most cunning Courtier that was in the Kingdom that thereupon the Duke who had a most tender Love and Affection for the Queen his Daughter being deeply concerned at the News which portended his approaching Misfortune had discovered what had happened to the King who at the same time took care to send away what the Queen desir'd But that by the time that the Courier was arrived at the City of Burgos he met there with another who told him that he was carrying the News of the Queen's Death To which particulars are superadded these circumstances of her Sickness that being suddenly taken with a Vomitting she should say as formerly the deceased Madam her Mother of whose Death I have to the best of my remembrance formerly given your Lordship some account after she had drank the Glass of Succory Water to which she atttributed her Death That she was poisoned That her Vomitting was attended with most violent Convulsions which being reported to the Count de Rebenac â—enquires the French Embassador then at the Spanish Court he went to give the Queen a Visit but that When he came there entrance into her Chamber was denied him under a pretence that it was not the custom in Spain for Men to visit Women neither in Health nor Sickness That thereupon he became very importunate for Entrance urging that he came not to see her as Queen of Spain but as she was a Daughter of France and the King his Masters Niece They further add that this contest continued and was spun out to a long time under pretence of knowing the King's Pleasure and that at length after long attendance the Door was open'd to him but yet at such a time when the Queen was so very ill that she could not speak one word That she dyed within a short while after one Convulsion succeeding another till she gave up the Ghost That besides all these concurring circumstances the designs formed last Year by the Council of Spain to have his Catholick Majesty divorced from her and their applications to the Pope for that purpose under the pretended Allegations that the French before they parted with her had used all Aritifices of the Devil to prevent her having of Children but not being able to lay convincing proofs before him of the matter they had put off that project these things they say gave no small umbrage to some Clandestine practices against her life to say nothing of the project at the same time to get the â—nfanta of Portugal married to him and thereby lay a Ground-plot for the uniting of Portugal once more to Spain c. But my Lord whatever surmizes they have had of such a design then its certain there is nothing they are more apprehensive of at this time than such a Conjunction which must inevitably add one Kingdom more to the number of the Confederates and against them and all Engins are on work to divert the success of it I hope the King of England and his Allies are sensible of this and will take care to countermine the Enemy in time which are the hearty wishes of My Lord Your Lordships to serve and Command whilst Paris July 2d 1689. N. S. LETTER VI Of some secret Designs hatching against the Establisht Government in England My Lord IT is not long since I gave your Lordship a hint of the apprehensions I had of some evil Designs formed against the Established Government and I am so far from lessening the same that I grow more and more jealous of their progress day by
less of them in proportion to the Troops of his own Subjects and this after his full re-settlement on the Throne And not only so but shall deliver up Dover Castle Plymouth and Portsmouth to be Garrisoned by French Soldiers as cautionary Towns for the security of performance Seventhly That in regard of the Situation of the Irish Ports and their conveniency for the French Fleets as also in consideration of the agreement of the Irish with the People of France in Religion He shall after his full restoration to the English and Scotch Kingdoms be obliged to give Ireland to the French King in full compensation of all the Moneys he has already expended or shall expend further in his Quarrel and for vindicating of his right to his Dominions But that however because of the Scituation of the Islands of Sicily and Sardinia in the Mediteranean for the English Navigation and Trade into the Levant the sly Monsieur hath obliged himself to conquer those Kingdoms for the late King at his own Expence and with his own Arms and to give them up entirely to him in lieu of his Kingdom of Ireland Eighthly That still towards the furthering a stricter Friendship and Allyance between the two Nations of England and France and for perpetuating a mutual amity and sincere Correspondence If in case by the Violent or Natural Death either of King William or Prince George of Denmark or both of them one or both of the Princesses Royal shall become Widdows and that their Persons can be seized That then they shall be convey'd with all expedition and secrecy into France and be put into the French King's Power and shall there be Married Nolens Volens to such Prince or Princes as he shall appoint or think fit for them Ninthly That the Eldest or Surviving Issue of such Marriage shall succeed to the Crowns of Ireland and Scotland and England only to remain to the pretended Prince of Wales with the American Plantations Thus My Lord I have now given you the Stipulations so much desired by you I 'le leave your Lordship to descant and make such use of them as your known Wisdom and Ability shall direct for the good of the King and Country and shall reserve some further things which I cannot conveniently Write now and which relate to this subject to another opportunity and in the mean time I am and ever shall remain My Lord Your Lordships most Humble and Faithful Servant Paris Aug. 19. 1689. N. S. LETTER IX Some Reflections upon King James's League with the French King with an account of some further terms agreed upon between them in relation to the English Protestants in Ireland My Lord THis Court is mighty uppish upon the success of the late King James or I may more truly say their own in Ireland which if totally reduced by their conjoint Arms is to be one day their own as appears by the seventh Article stipulated between the two Kings and of which I gave your Lordship an account in my last And 't is not doubted but the Count d' Avaux hath already taken Livery and seisin of it privately in his Majesty's Name And that it is really so I am not only assured of by the said Articles but the same is more then probable by the great care and exactness that is had at Brest and other Ports of the Ocean to keep an account of all the Cloaths Arms Ammunition and Provisions that are shipped off there for Ireland and which according to some of the accounts stated and transmitted hither somewhat whereof I have had the opportunity to have a slight view of are set down at such extravagant rates as if they designed in a short time not only to ballance the account with him for Ireland but to make him considerably their Debter over and above for the carrying on another Game But they may chance to reckon without their Host in this as well as all the rest I pray God keep King William and his Royal Consort and may she and her Royal Sister be never so unhappy as to fall into the French power as your Lordship sees has been again conserted by the Ninth and last Article If ever it should so happen which God of his Mercy avert and that any such Match or Matches shall come to pass and issue come thereof my Friend hath secretly whispered me That then the pretended Prince of Wales is not like to be long liv'd But I still trust all these towering hopes of our Enemies will evaporate into Smoak and that their designs shall have as little Effect upon the lives and fortunes of our true Princes as their contrivances against the Religion and property of their Subjects shall become abortive and fruitless and whom they have agreed upon to treat in the following manner First That all possessors of Lands in Ireland that are of the Protestant Religion and will not turn Papists shall be bound to sell their Estates at a set price to the French King who shall let them out to the old Irish proprietors at certain Quit-rents and services that shall in a reasonable time reimburse him of the purchase Money Secondly But still to shew their good Nature and Lenity it s agreed that all Protestants that will shall have leave freely to depart with their Effects whither soever they please And lastly That such as will stay shall have liberty of Conscience granted them for the space of Twenty Years till the Country shall be fuller stockt with French Catholicks and other Papists I am well satisfied your Lordship will not think these Machinations a matter of nothing but as a good Patriot which you have shewed your self to be in the most Arbitrary times will stir up your self and honest Countrymen to obviate them seasonably which I as heartily wish as I have little reason to doubt it who am My Lord Your faithful and most Obedient Servant Paris Octo. 27. 1689. N. S. LETTER X. Of King James's Army in Ireland and Duke Schomberg's with Cardinal Bouillon's Motion for a Contribution for the support of the former My Lord THE raising of the Siege of London-derry and the landing of the English Army without interruption in Ireland under Duke Schomherg with other successes and advantages are so far from discouraging this Court in their hopes of a speedy conquest of that Kingdom that they have already in the Cabinet vaunted it to be as good as their own and that perhaps they need not stay for another Campaign to re-establish the late King upon the Throne of England and put themselves in an entire possession of the other Kingdom according to the full extent and meaning of the Stipulated Articles which I have formerly transmitted to your Lordship But because Money here is very hard to come by in such a proportion as to answer those vast Expences they are at to carry on the War upon the Continent which must be got at any rate they have resolved to carry on the Irish
severe Account by an Armed Power from the King they chose one Mackdonald for their Captain who readily enough embraced the Command and shortly after routed some Troops sent against them under the Conduct of a Nobleman whom they took Prisoner and afterwards slew with which Success they were not a little elated and flushed Hereupon the King call'd a Council to consult what to do among whom Mackbeth so famed upon the Stage was one who exclaiming much against the Precariousness of the Government and the mistaken Lenity of the King towards notorious Offenders did notwithstanding promise that if they were pleased to leave that Affair to his and Bancho's Management he did not doubt but in a very short time to give a good account of the Rebels Hereupon he and Bancho were joyn'd in Commission to go against them and in some time set out with a Body of Men towards Lochquaber The fame of whose Approach struck the Enemy with such a panick Fear that they dispersed in great Numbers leaving their Captain Mackdonald almost destitute who notwithstanding with the small Remains he had left with him adventurously gave them Battle but being routed he fled for Refuge to an adjacent Castle and finding himself environn'd by his Enemies on all sides and no way left for his Escape he first slew his Wife and Children and then laid violent Hands upon himself to prevent as he dreaded a severer Punishment This Rebellion being thus happily supprest by the good Conduct and Managment of Mackbeth and Bancho another more dangerous Storm did upon the Neck of it threaten Scotland for Sweno King of Norway landed at Fife with a puissant Army designing no less than to make an entire Conquest of the Kingdom of Scotland Duncane to obviate as much as might be the Intentions of the Enemy raises Forces with utmost Diligence and next to himself entrusted the Command of them with the two aforesaid Chieftains Mackbeth and Bancho who had but a little while before done him signal Service against his Rebellious Subjects Near Calrose the two Armies engaged and fought for a considerable time with incredible obstinacy but at last the Danes prevailed and the Scots were totally routed and Duncane fled to the Castle of Bertha which Sweno laid close siege to forthwith Mackbeth in the mean time rallies and raises more Forces to whom the King by the Advice of Bancho sent word that he should not march to his Relief till he had further Orders The King in the interim entertains a feigned Treaty of Surrender with Sweno and to elude the Matter yet further sent his Army as a Donative some Provisions of Ale and Bread out of the Castle but had first mixt both with the Juice of Banewort a noxious Herb which did so intoxicate the Danish Soldiers who feasted greedily thereon that they generally fell all fast asleep upon which Mackbeth had Orders sent him to march up without delay and fall upon them which he did with that success that the whole Army was slain save the King and about ten Men more who with great difficulty fled to their Ships But the Rejoycings made for this Victory were scarce cold when another Danish Army sent by Canutus to the assistance of Sweno landed at Kingcorn which were also encountred by Mackbeth and Bancho and utterly routed Some time after this as Buchanan Boethius and other Scotch Writers relate tho' in a different manner As Mackbeth and Bancho without any other Company were agoing to a place called Fores where the King then resided it fortuned that they met three Women upon the Road of a very strange Aspect and Habit one of them saluted Mackbeth Thane of Angus another of Murrey and the third King of Scotland with which kind of Salutation they were both very much surpriz'd and Bancho said to the Women why so unkind to me as to bestow nothing upon me when you have assigned to my Companion not only high Preferments but even the Kingdom of Scotland Nay but reply'd the first of them we have greater Favours in store for thee he shall reign indeed but with an unhappy end and leave none of his Posterity to inherit the Crown but of thee shall those be born who shall govern the Scotch Nation by a long Succession of continued descent And this I take to be the Ground of Dr. Heylin's saying in his Scotia that it was strangely foretold this Bancho above three hundred Years before it began to be fulfill'd that he indeed should not be King but that out of his Loyns should come a Race of Kings that should for ever rule Scotland This Apparition for so it was afterwards interpreted made at first no great Impressions on the Spirits either of the one or the other so as that they made no other use of it than to jear one another ever and anon therewith Bancho frequently calling Mackbeth by way of ridicule King of Scotland and the other as often entertaining him with the Appellation of Father of many Kings till such time which happened not long after that the Thane of one of the foresaid places being condemned and executed for Treason Mackbeth was bountifully invested by the King in all his Lands Livings and Offices which being interpreted by him as a favourable Presage and as it were a Praeludium towards the Accomplishment of the foresaid Prediction concerning him it raised his Hopes mightily and he begins to set all his Wits on work and to imploy all his Engines among whom Bancho was chief who gave him all the Assistance he could in his bloody Designs for to attain to the Crown which not long after by a barbarous Parricide for a good King is Father of his Country he accomplish'd having slain the King at Inverness or as others write at Botgosvane in the sixth Year of his Reign and so was forthwith crowned at Scone Mackbeth to ingratiate himself with the People without which no Government tho' never so just can long subsist gets several good and wholsome Laws enacted for the publick Weal But this was an effect rather of Policy than any natural Disposition and good Genius in him as did afterwards appear and as Tyrants are always uneasie he was never without dreadful Apprehensions that he should be served the same sawce himself as he had done by his Predecessor and the Prediction foremention'd did not a little contribute thereunto especially that part of it that referr'd to the posterity of Bancho's attaining in time to the possession of the Diadem And as nothing is more terrible to a wicked Usurper than the Thoughts of a Successor especially without his own Line former Confederacies for the attainment of the Supream Power being now disregarded and quite effaced with the Cares to secure it for indeed there is but little Faithfulness to be expected from Associates in Villany be their mutual Engagements never so solemn he makes it his whole business to cut off Bancho who had been so instrumental to advance him
not doubting but himself should be advanced to the Throne Having thus agreed and resolved upon their hellish Design they advance secretly with their Accomplices whom they had drawn into the Conspiracy towards the Friers aforesaid where the King then resided and encourag'd the King's Porter whom before they had brought over to their Party to give them un-interrupted admittance which he does and they advanced into the Gallery adjacent to the King's Bed-Chamber where he shews them the Door might be easily forced open he himself having taken away the Bolt Others think it was Robert Stuart aforesaid Atholl's Grandson that let them into the Court however it was while they in the mean time tarried in the Gallery seeming to deliberate about the breaking the Door open an Accident made their Passage the more easie for Walter â—tratâ—on coming out of the Chamber as having brought in some Wine for the King a little before and seeing of armed Men in the Gallery he endeavours to whip in again crying out Treason Treason But before he could get within the Door to make it fast they rushed upon him and slew him outright While this was done not without great bustle and noise a noble Maiden named Katherine Dowglas marry'd afterward to Alexander Lovell of Bolunny got to the Door and not finding the Bolt that had before been taken away as you have heard she thrusts her Arm into the place where the Bar should have been but her Arm was soon crusht and broke and the Ruffians forced their way into the Chamber Such of the Servants as were there and made Resistance they dispatch forthwith and then advanced towards the King and fell upon him The Queen did all she could to defend him and receiv'd two Wounds and thereby was forced to give over the Conflict and so at last the King having received to the number of eight and twenty Wounds and some of them to the Heart was slain by them Thus fell James the I. King of Scotland by violent and bloody Hands and seem'd to entail a violent Death upon all of his Name that succeeded him but because the Execution of some of the Conspirators was the most terrible that can be met with in History we shall shall give you a short Account of it and the rather because of the Persons concern'd therein The Nobles of the Kingdom hearing this unexpected News assembled from all parts of the Nation to Edinburg and made such diligent Search after the Conspirators that they were soon apprehended Tried and Condemn'd Walter Stuart Earl of Atholl was charged as being principal Actor in this Tragedy his crime exaggerated to the height and was executed in this tremendous manner On the first day being stripped of all his cloaths save only his shirt only he was bound fast in a Cart to an Instrument of wood made like to a swipe with Ropes and Pullies to the same by which means they sometimes raised him up on high into the Air that the people might see him and by slackning of the Rope all of a sudden let him down with a swang dis-jointing all his body thereby then they brought him to an open place where all might be Spectators and Crowned him with a red hot Crown of Iron with this Elogium that he might be Stiled the Ring of all Traytors The reason of this part of the punishment was said to be this for that a Witch had told him that he should be Crowned with great Pomp and Magnificence in the presence of the people and that the prediction was in this manner either fullfilled or eluded On the second day he was drawn on a hurdle through the high Street of Edenburg at an Horses tail he was on the third day extended upon a board at the Market-Cross his Belly ripped up and his Bowels taken out thrown into the fire and burnt before his face then was his heart plucked out and burnt likewise and last of all his head was chopp'd off and fixed upon a long Pole and set upon the highest place of the City his body divided into four Quarters and sent to the four principal Cities of the Kingdom The Execution of Robert Stuart was not altogether so severe as that of his Grandfather some respect being had to his youth But as for Robert Graham who as did appear was the Person that slew the King with his own hands he was put into a Cart and that hand that did the deed fastned to a pair of Gallows that was set up in the said Cart then were three persons appointed to thrust him through all parts of his body with hot Irons beginning first with those places where it was thought no hasty Death would ensue as with his Legs Arms Thighs and Shoulders and thus was he carried through all the Streets of the City and tormented in a most horrible manner and at last his Belly ript open Bowelled and Quartered as Atholl was before and thus was the cruel Death of King James revenged in the most cruel manner that was ever heard off beyond all the Bounds of Humanity You have seen the dreadful effects of the Interrâ—gnum now the Kingdom falls under a worse Administration even under one of the woes of God Almighty himself for this King was succeeded by his Son James the second of that Name a Minor of about six years old And as the King was not yet able to Govern himself another must be chosen to Govern both him and the Kingdom and this fell to Sir Alexander Levinston and Sir William Creichton the Chancellor the former had the denomination of the Governour and the other had the Kings keeping Never was poor Prince more harrased till he came to Maturity which they say in Princes is at fourteen through the Jealousy and Ambition of these two men fomented also by others who were willing to fish in troubled waters The Chancellour kept the King in Edenburg Castle the Queen Jane sides with the Governor and resided at Sterling Archembald Earl of Dowglass a powerful Subâ—ect kept within his own Territories and would obey none of them all by which discords many evils ensued The Queen being intent upon advancing the Governor's side and thereby gratify her own Ambition repairs one day with a small retinue to the City of Edenburg and with a Womanish Dissimulation won the Chancellor to give her Admittance into the Castle to see the King and to abide with him whose Company she so extreamly longed for But when she had been there three Days she feigns a Pilgrimage one morning to the White Kiâ—k but first wheedles with the King to make his escape which she easily brought him to packed him up dexterously in a Trunk as if he had been a bundle of Cloaths and sent him away by one of her trusty Servants laid upon a Sumpter Horse into Lieth from whence he was conveyed by water to Sterling and Joyfully received by the Governor who highly extolled the Queens Conduct in deceiving so wise a
Man as the Chancellor and without delay raises Forces and Besieges him in Edenburg Castle He perceiving the danger had no other way left but to send to the Earl of Dowglass for his Assistance Dowglass disdains them both and would not be concerned The Chancellor seeing this agrees with the Governor and he was still to keep the Castle and his Chancellorship Not long after died Dowglass and was succeeded by his Son William who kept a greater port and retinue than his Father But things could not hold long in this State for the Chancellor disdaining that the Governor should take the whole Administration upon him leaves him and the King at Sterling where he then was and repairs to Edenburg and there imploys all his Wits how he might recover the King from the Governor and after he had well thought of it he rides one morning with four and twenty Men in his Company to the Park of Sterling where he knew the King was a Hunting and that the Governor was absent at Perth He found the King with a very small retinue and saluted him very dutifully and finding him in some surprize at the Company he exhorted him in a few words as the time would permit to be of good cheer and fear nothing that they were come to deliver him from his Captivity that he might be no longer under the Government of another but take the Administration into his own hands and much to the same purpose All which the King received with a pleasant aspect either because the motion pleased him as desirous to Rule or to dissemble the fear he had of the Chancellor and so went with him to Edenburg The Governor upon his return was horribly surprized at the News but being now unable to remedy the matter by the means of friends he and the Chancellor came to an Accommodation again and the result was that the Governor should still continue in his Office and the King remain in the keeping of the Chancellor as at first So that the freedom before tendred to him and with which he seem'd to be well pleas'd was now but a meer illusion being as much a Captive as ever And if the King was no better for this Agreement It proved fatal to the Earl of Dowglass Both Governor and Chancellor dreading his power now conbine together to ruine him and to that End a Parliament must be called where several Complaints were made against Dowglass and his followers But they two perswade the Parliament to send for the Earl in a friendly manner and not as a delinquent to take his place in that Assembly And by the Governors contrivance Honourable Letters were directed to him in the Name of them all full of soothing expressions intimating his own Person was so far from being in any danger by such his attendance in Parliament that if any of his Friends or Family had chanced to be guilty of any disorders all should be frankly remitted This bait took the young Gentleman and so with his Brother David and an handsom retinue sets forward for Edenburg the Chancellor the better to cloak the Treachery rode out many miles from Edenburg to meet him Caressed and Entertained him splendidly on the way at the Castle of Creichton and to blind him the more there in the most friendly and tender manner in the World began to advise the Earl in what concerned his Duty towards his Prince and the Honour and Glory of his Family and this showed him on to Edenburg tho' things could not be carried on so coverlly between the Governor and Chancellor in the management of this intrigue but that some of the Earls Friends began to smell a Rat and advised him not to go to Edenburg But finding him quite averse to Counsel and void of all suspicion they urged him to send his Brother David back to the End he might not hazard the whole Family under the fortune of one stroke as his Father had before admonished him upon his Death-Bed But all in vain and so to Edenburg Castle they came where the Governor meets him and Carressed him highly and because he should now think his Entertainment every ways suitable to the semblance made of it all along he was set to Dine at the King's Table but latet Angus in herba the Earl before he hâ—d well half Din'd was strangely surprized with the sight of a Bulls Head set before him which in those Days was a certain sign of Death whereat being about to rise from the Table he and his Brother David were immediately seized by Armed men set there for that purpose carried into the Court yard and there forthwith beheaded It was said the King in whose presence this was done and who now was entring into years of Maturity and Discretion lamented his Death bitterly for which the Chancellor severely rebuked him but however it was in this case it 's most certain he afterwards most barbarously murdered one of this Earls Successors with his own hands as you 'l see by and by This Earl of Dowglass was Succeeded in his Estate and Honours by his Unkle James Dowglass Baron of Abercorn who is Succeeded by his Son William who to prevent the division of the Inheritance Married the only Sister of the last William Beheaded who was Stiled the fair Maid of Gallaway This Earl flourishing in Estate and Honours and finding the King take the Administration of the Government upon himself came to Sterling and in a short time grew into high Favour with him insomuch that through his perswasion the Chancellor and Governor were not only discharged from their Offices but put out of the Council and their Friends banished the Court and themselves Summoned to appear before the King and upon default proclaimed Rebels so that now the Tables are quite turn'd Dowglass Rules all and the King suffers minority under him in his Just Age as he really did under the others during his nonage himself and his Kindred and Friends possessing all places of profit and Preferment in the Kingdom But the Earl having I know not what crochet in his brain must needs go into Italy and a Noble retinue he had with him but leaves his Estate during his absence to be managed by his Brother the Earl of Ormond His back was no sooner turned but his Enemies set all their Engines on work to put him out of the Kings Favour and good Esteem and prevailed so far upon him as to put out an unreasonable Summons requiring the Earl to appear within forty Days or else he should be put to the Horn and so his Lands were seized on to the Kings hands The Earl being advertised hereof returns with all speed and was again received into Favour But happening to go into England without leave this incensed the King highly against him yet upon submission was again reconciled But there was nothing could reconcile him and the Chancellor Creichton envy brought them to make attempts upon each other's life and at last the Earl
Sycophant or other that his kindred laid in wait for his life and that he was in great danger which agreeing with the sayings of the Witches which he had Consulted and who had told him that the Lyon should be devoured by his Whelps it made very deep impressions upon his suspicions mind and so from a Prince at first very hopefull and of great expeâ—â—ation degenerated to a Monstrous Tyrant So that now these suspicions having once possession of his mind from henceforth he looked upon his neer Relations and almost all the best of the Nobility as his Enemies The Nobility on the other hand finding none preferred by the K. but Men of base degree were not a little disatisfied and began to alienate their Affections from him wherefore they met together upon this occasion to concert measures how they might purge the Court of those abject Fellows and reduce it to its former State of Grandeur The principal of this Assembly were the Kings two Brothers Alexander and John the latter whereof having discoursed of the Irregularities and the present State of that Kingdom somewhat frankly and liberally and with less Caution than the rest he was suddenly taken by night in his own House by the Court Faction and conveyed to a place called Crâ—gmiller and there Imprisoned by the King's order and not long after by the same Courtly Crew was adjudged to Die and Executed accordingly in the Cannon Gate by cutting his Veins and letting him bleed to Death And as they had thus barbarously murdered his Person they proceeded also to murder the Earls fame for they gave out that his Crime was that he had had Secret Consultation with Witches about destroying the King and to put as good a Colour as they could upon this unnatural Act tho' it were by heaping up iniquity upon iniquity they brought several other Witches and Sorcerers to their Tryal for the said Fact and burnt them at Edenburg for the same So that here is one of the three Brothers dispatch'd you 'll here of the rest by and by Alexander the other Brother and Duke of Albany tho he had neither acted nor said any thing that might Justly disgust either the King or Courtiers that were about him yet as he was next of Kin so it seems he was next in danger for these Blood-suckers mistrusting with themselves that they could ne'er be safe as long as he was alive got him suddenly seized and sent Prisoner to Edenburg Castle He was kept close there by such as did believe his power might be Fatal to them and finding there was no way by his Friends for to pacify the Kings displeasure he had nothing to do now but to consider how he might make his escape he had none to communicate his design to or to further him in it but one only Servant of his own that was left to be with him in his Chamber him he sent to get a Ship ready to attend him at the next Part at the time appointed which he does effectually In the mean time his persecutors to Plague him the more with their delusions sent several Messengers from the Court who feigned in the presence of his Keepers for he was not allowed to talk with any privately that the King's Anger began to be pacified and that he might shortly hope for his Liberty but when the day appointed for his escape was come he puts as good a meen as possible he could upon the matter and begins to feign a belief in what the Messengers said in Favour of him and Questioned not but to have a speedy and honourable deliverance And to further the Design treats his Keepers with a splendid Supper and Drinks with them till it was late at night but when they were gone and fast asleep he falls to work and makes a Rope of the Sheets of his Bed long enough as he thought to reach the ground and first for to make a Tryal therof le ts down his Man by it by whole fall he finds it was shorter then it should have been Having therefore lengthened the Rope as much as the present Circumstance would admit he follows his Man who in his descent had broke his Leg takes him up upon his back and carries him about a mile to the Sea-side and having got a Favourable Wind set sail for Dumbarton and from thence having first well secured the Castle he sailed into France The Duke was honourably received in France and Married the Earl of Bologn's Daughter but upon the Death of his Wife who lived not long with him finding Affections cool towards him he goes over into England and was entertained by Edward IIII. then King of England who assisted him with an Army to invade Scotland under the Command of his Brother Richard Duke of Gloucester King James makes all the Force he could to oppose them but being Governed by his former Councells the Nobility took it in high disdain and therefore they met together in the Church of Lowder where the King and his Army then were to deliberate what they should do in such a conjuncture Where Archibald Dowglass Earl of Angus takes upon him to set forth the occasion of their meeting which he did in a very pathetick Speech and shew'd at large all the enormities of the King's Reign down to the present time the danger they then stood in from a Foreign Army and therefore exhorts them first to shake of the Domestick Yoke of servitude they were under before they Engaged with the Enemy c. this Oration wrought so effectually upon their minds that they were immediately ready to run in headlong into the Pallace without any Consideration of what they were to do But the principal Men amongst them appeasing the tumult advised that a sufficient number should only enter in without any shew of Commotion and take out the Criminals lead them to Judgment and Punish them according to Law In the mean time while these things were in Agitation comes a Rumour into the Court that the Nobles held a Consultation together before day in the Church the subject whereof was uncertain but that it must be strange that such Men should Assemble together without the King and his Councellors Knowledge The King hereupon being hastily awaken out of his sleep enquires of those about him what he had best to do in the mean time he sends Cockram before to observe what was done and to give him an Account of all with speed he with a few followers goes towards the Church and meets the cheif of the Nobility advancing towards the Court whom they no sooner espied but Dowglass laid hands on him and catching hold of a large Gold Chain he had about his neck squeezed him first a little and then sends him to Prison himself with the rest going directly to the King's Bed-Chamber Where when they came they filled all with Astonishment so as that there seemed to be a little pause upon the matter for the present but it was not
long Wound his left Arm almost cut off in two several places could scarce hang to his Shoulder and had been besides shot through several parts of his Body with Arrows and this seems to have the greatest appearance of truth in it tho' what Buchanan and others his Countrymen alledge is not improbable viz. That after the King found the Battle encline to the English without any hopes of retrieving it he passed the Tweed and near Kelso was slain by Humes's followers it remaining uncertain whether it was done by his Command or that these Ruffians thinking to gratify the humour of their Patron were in hopes when the King was once cut off they might transact what villany they pleased impunedly but if he survived they were in great apprehensions of being called to a severe account for their tardiness during the Battle To which they also add other conjectures that the very night after the Battle the Monastery of Kelso was seised by one Carr a confident of Hume and the Abbot chasheered which its likely he durst not have attempted if he had known the King had been alive But these things are so uncertain says Buchanan that when Hume was afterward called to an Account and Tryed for the Fact by the Earl of Murrey the King 's base Son it came to nothing they were not able to prove it upon him but withal adds that Lawrence Faliser a Person of integrity but then a Lad and spectator of of the Action did often affirm to him that he had seen the King on Horse Back pass the Tweed and hence many took occasion to report which lasted many years that the King was alive and would appear in due time after he had pay'd his vow of going to Jerusalem to view the Holy Sepulcre But this savours two much like the legendary Story of Arthur of old and of Charles Duke of Burgundy not many Years before of whom they related such another Tale But to return and take for granted that he died as before noted upon the place of Battle his Body being enclosed in a Sheet of Lead was brought into England and by the Kings Command laid in some bye Vault or Corner without any Funeral rites he saying That it was a due punishment for one who had perjuriously broken his League So that Death it self had not put a Period to his misfortune Tho' otherwise he was a Prince of great perfections both of Body and Mind and endued with most of those Royal Virtues that are necessary for the equal poize of a Scepâ—er which caused that sharp but true saying to drop from the Pen of a learned Author upon him that he perished Non suo sed Stuartorum Fato The loss of James IIII. in this manner seemed to carry with it the most dreadfull presages of Confusion and Misery that ever threatned any Country for he left his Queen Margaret and two Sons behind him the Eldest whereof James V. that succeeded him in the Kingdom being not fully two years old most of the Nobility who bore any thing of Wisdom and Authority before them being slain in the foresaid Battle and the major part of such as survived by reason of their Youth or Incapacity of their mind very unfit to meddle with matters of State especially in so teachy a time as that was And those who were left alive of the better sort who had any thing of Prudence through Ambition and Covetousness abhorring all Counsels tending to Peace and Concord However something must be done for the Publick weal and as the fittest expedient for a settlement a Parliament was convened at Sterling who Proclaimed James V. King and according to the Deseased King's Will The Queen was constituted Regent of the Kingdom so long as she remained a Widdow But she soon after Marrying Archembald Dowglass Earl of Angus a young Gentleman who for Lineage Comliness and other Accomplishments might be ranked amongst the prime Nobility of Scotland lost her Office and Authority and this occasioned a great feud among the Nobility The Dowglassian Party endeavoured to have the Queen continued in the Office Alledging That this was the way to have Peace with England which was not only advantagious but highly necessary for them at that time as matters stood with them But the Humes whereof Alexander Hume Warden of all the Marches and a very Potent Man was head making up the adverse faction under pretence of publick Good and that it was against the old Laws of the Kingdom to have a Woman however otherwise dignifyed to be Regent stiffly opposed the Queen and her Adherents so that at last after they had passionately struggled about the choise either out of wicked Ambition or secret Envy They past by all that were there present and incline to choose John Duke of Albany Son of Alexander of whom we have spoken before Brother of James III. and who lived then in good Repute in France from whence soon after he arrived in Scotland The Duke was ignorant of the old Customs of the Country as having been bred abroad all his Days which John Hepburn a Crafty Knave and one who had contested with Andrew Foreman about the Archbishoprick of St. Andrew's a little before well observing makes it his business to insinuate himself into the Regents Favour under pretence of informing him of the Laws and Manners of the Land but in Truth and Reality that he might advance himself upon the wrack and ruine of others And to this End he tells the Regent there were at that time three Factions in the Kingdom the one headed by Archibald Dowglass Earl of Angus the Queens Husband who was wonderfully Popular and upon the account of his Alliance with England and his own Personal and Hereditary Merits bore a Spirit too big for a private Man Alexander Hume was the next whose Power and Interest was so great that there was a necessity of repressing of him in time Foreman his former Competitor was the third who said he 't was true was not to be feared upon the account of Kindred and Nobleness of descent yet by reason of his great Wealth he would make a great Accession of Strength to what Party soever he inclined But to this last Part the Governor gave little heed as knowing it to be an invidious accusation of Hepburn proceeding from the noted feuds between Foreman and himself But the suspicion of Hume sunk deeper into the Regents mind which the other quickly perceiving he falls in for his own security with the interest of the Queen and her Husband and lamenting the danger the young King might be in if he should fall into the Regents Hands who was next Heir and bent to translate the Kingdom to himself he perswades the Queen to retire with the King to her Brother into England But these Consultations were not so secretly carried on but that the Governor had notice thereof who being an Active Man hastens with all his Forces to Sterling and quickly took the
Castle with the King and Queen in it and so takes the poor King from the Mothers Bosom appointing him to be kept and managed as he pleased Upon which Hume and his Brother William flee into England and the Queen with her Husband soon followed them the Regent was concerned at their departure sets all his Engines at work to procure their return which Dowglass the Queens Husband and the Humes soon after did but Alexander Hume contrary to many large promises being Summoned to appear before the Assembly of Estates refused to come and thinking himself aggrieved encouraged Tories to commit great Outrages in the Neighbourhood for which being like to be called to an Account by an Armed Power he was perswaded to surrender himself so was Committed to the Custody of James Hamilton Earl of Arran his Sisters Husband at Edenburg with a charge that himself should be esteemed a Traytor if he suffered him to escape But Hume perswades Hamilton to make his escape with him and to make a Party so as to enter upon the Government himself he being the next Heir after the former Kings Children in regard he was born of a Sister of James III. and therefore it was more Just he should enjoy the next place to the King then John who its true was the Son of a Brother but born in Exile and in all other things a perfect Foreigner and one that could not as much as speak the Scottish Language With them joyns John Stuart Earl of Lennox with many of his followers but the Earl was soon after reconciled to the Governor and it was not long before Hamilton and Hume returned also to Court and had an amnesty for all that was past Hume and his Brother in a little while after upon some new suspicion the Governor had of them but mostly as 't was thought upon the Calumny of John Hepborn aforsaid their implacable Enemy were Seized Condemned and Executed the people looking on and judging they had hard measure The Regent having brought things into a tolerable state of Settlement Constitutes seaven Deputies whereof the Earl of Angus was one and goes over into France where he staid five years which were full of rapine scuffles and inquietude but I do not find but that the young King continued all this while in the same hands But the Regent finding that in his absence the Dowglasses had mightily prevailed he in order to prevent further seditions sends the Earl of Angus head of that Family into France and another of the name to Rome who died by the way and next Year after his return raised an Army to invade England in Favour of the French But the Nobility opposed his Design and so he was forced to Disband and quickly upon that goes into France again The English Army in the mean time enter Scotland carry all before them and take Jedburg and endeavour by their Navy to intercept the Regent in his return but herein they failed and he with the followers he brought with him from France Compleats another Army actually invades England and Besieged the Castle of Work But finding a vigorous resistance and withal Winter approaching breaks up his Siege The Spring following he calls an Assembly of the Nobles tells them the causes why he must needs go again into France but promised them a speedy return yet he never did For the young King upon Advice from his Mother and most of the Nobility enters upon the Government himself and so vacates the Regents power And now the mystery of iniquity begins to work for tho' the King had assumed the Royal Power yet he and his Kingdom shall be Subject to the Will of others as much and more than before You have heard how Archibald Dowglass had been sent by the Regent into France who hearing of this alteration at home sent one Simon Penning an active Person and one in whom he confided very much to the King of England to perswade him to let him to return home through his Dominions which was granted for it seems King Henry was well enough pleased at the diminution of the Authority of so active a Person as the Duke of Albany and at the change made in Scotland so that the Earl was entertained by him in a very Courteous manner and dismist Honourably But his return did variously affect the minds of the Scots for seeing all the Publick business now transacted by the Conduct of the Queen and the Earl of Arran a great many of the Nobility the head whereof were John Steward Earl of Lennox and Campell Earl of Argyle taking it in very ill part that they were not admitted to any part of the publick Administration received the Earl of Angus with high expressions of Joy as hoping by his aid either to gain over the Power of the adverse faction to themselves or at least to abate their pride On the other hand the Queen who was alienated from her Husband was much concerned at his arrival and sought by all means to undermine him Hamilton also out of the relicts of his own Hatred was none of his Friend besides he feared least Dowglass who he knew would not be content with a second place should mount the saddle and make him truckle under so that he strain'd to maintain his own Dignity and opposed him with all his might They kept themselves therefore within Edenburg Castle and tho' they had seen very well that many of the Nobility affected alterations yet considing in the strength of the place and the Authority of the Kingly Name a sorry defence they thought themselves secure from all force In the mean time the opposite party held a great meeting of the Nobles where they chose three of their own Faction to be Guardians both of King and Kingdom and who should they be but the Earl of Angus John Steward Earl of Lennox and Colen Campell Earl of Argyle And using great Celerity in their business first they passed the Forth and caused James Beaton a shrewd Man to joyn with them who perceiving the strength of the party durst not stand out From thence they went to Sterling and Conferred all publick Offices and imployments upon such as were of their own gang only and afterwards directed their march for Edenburg which they entred without any resistance For it was not Fortifyed at all and immediately fell to work with the Castle about which they cast a small Trench and Besieged it The Defendants who had made no Provision for a Siege surrender'd up both it themselves King and all All were sent away but the King who now had more especially three new Masters before named and who take the whole weight of the Government upon their Shoulders They agreed among themselves that they would manage it by turns each of them attending four Months a piece upon the King who was their prey But this Conjunction was neither hearty nor of long duration Dowglass his turn was first served who brought the King into the Archbishop
aid at hand had set themselves in array at the Bridge of the River Aven which is about a mile from Linlithgow and placed a small Guard upon the Bridge to secure the Pass and drew up the rest of their Forces at the brow of the Hiâ—â— which they knew the Enemy must pass Lennox seeing that this passage over the Bridge was stopped Commanded his Men to pass over a small River a little above by the Nunnery called Manuell and so to beat the Hamiltonians from the Hills before Dowglass's Forces had joyned them The Lennoxians advanced towards the Enemy thorough thick and thin but were much incommoded by the others throwing of Stones down the Hills upon them and when they came to handy strokes the word was given that the Dowglasses were at hand and indeed they from their march ran in hastily into the Fight and soon carried the Day so that Lennox's Men were grievously wounded and put to flight The Victory was used by the Hamiltonians with much cruelty and among the Number of the slain was the Earl of Lennox himself highly lamented by all Persons and more especially by the King himself who now saw no visible hopes of ever retrieving his Liberty and could not choose but see how fatal his presence was to all that attempted it Now the Dowglasses are Lords paramount and carry all before them those that had taken up Arms against their King as they phrased it for fear of a Tryal were forced to compound with them for money or to put themselves into the Clanships of the Hamiltons or themselves and such as refused they utterly ruined yea and the Queen her self thought fit to retire to a place of Secrecy least she should fall into the hands of her Husband whom she hated But fury abating with time and the Dowglasses being severally intent upon other matters and concerns and secure as they thought as to the Kings Departure from them gave him at last an opportunity to gain his Liberty which all the former attempts of his Friends could not effect for him They believed now that his mind was fully Reconciled to them by those Blandishments and Immoderate Pleasures they had indulged him in and besides thought that if he were minded to remove there was no faction strong enough to oppose them neither was there any strong Garrison whither to retire but only to Sterling Castle which was allotted to the Queen for her Habitation And then it was deserted for a time by the Queens Officers when she hid her self for fear of the Dowglasses and when the tumult was a little appeased 't was somewhat Fortified but rather for a shew then any real defence The King having obtained some small relaxation saw that this must be his only refuge and and therefore he deals privately with his Mother to exchange that Castle and the Lands adjoining for other Lands as convenient for her and providing all other requisites as private as he could the Dowglasses not being so intent as formerly in their watch over him he retired by night with a small retinue from Falkland to Sterling whither he soon sent for some of the Nobles to come to him and others hearing the News came of their own accord so that now he seemed sufficiently secured against all force Then he issued out a Proclamation that the Dowglasses should abstain from all the Administration of publick affairs and that none of their Dependants should come within 12 miles of the Court upon pain of Death This Proclamation was quickly seconded with an Assembly of the Nobles at Edenburg where they had such Terms offered them as they would not accept whereupon their Offices were taken from them and themselves Summoned to attend the Parliament at Edenburg But they knowing the danger Endeavoured to seise upon Edenburg and dissolve the Parliament but failed in the attempt So that thâ— Earl of Angus retired to his Castle of Tanâ—allon and the Parliament proceeded in their business and the Earl with his Brothers Relations and intimate Friends were out Lawed They on the other hand being enraged at these proceedings and seeing all hopes of Pardon cut off betook themsâ—lves to open force and Committed all sorts of Outrages upon the Lands of their Enemies and with their Horse advanced many times to the very Gates of Edenburg so that the City was almost besieged by them The King thinking to unroost them all at once raises Forces and lays siege to Tantallon Castle but all that ever he could do could not take it At length the Dowglasses finding the Hamiltons and the rest of their Friends fail them found it necessary to retire for their better safety into England from whence came Ambassadors shortly after about settling a firm Peace between both Kingdoms and with the same labour to procure the Restitution of the Dowglasses King James was mighty desirous to have Tantallon Castle in his Power and at the same time his mind as averse to the Restoration of the Dowglasses and for that reason the matter was convassed too and fro for some Days and no temper of Accommodation could be found out But at length they came to this That Tantallon Castle should be surrendered to K. James a Truce between both Nations for five Years and the other demands in referrence to the Dowglasses he promised to grant under his Signet When the Castle was surrendered according to Composition the King failed of his Royal Word and not one of the Dowglasses were permitted to return which was foul prevarication in him and a stain that will not easily be blotted off his Memory seeing this was a principal matter in the Agreement and the Equivalent for the Castle The Truce about half expired was infringed by a War between both Nations which the French Ambassador endeavoured to compose and about the same time James transacts with the French King and afterward with the Emperor about a Match which was like to endanger his life For the Hamiltons almost confident of the Succession yet looking upon it a long way about to stay either for Fortuitous or Natural dangers to befall him and fearfull in case he married he might have Lawfull Issue of his own studied to hasten his Death by Treachery a fair opportunity was offered them to effect it by his Night-walkings to his Misses having but one or two in Company but however it were they ne'er could put their purpose in Execution The Emperor's offers were rejected and at last he went over himself into France to seek him a Wife and brings over along with him Magdelen Daughter to Francis the French King but she died soon after and had no issue The Death of Magdalen did but whet his desires to get him another Wife and to that End he dispatched Cardinal David Beaton and others into France to treat of a Match between himself and Mary of the House of Guise Widdow to the Duke of Longeville by whom he had two Sons and a Daughter of whom you 'll hear by
Heart to dishonour the King's Mother or how could you answer afterward for what you were doing seeing it tended to hazard the King her Sons Right to England intending to bring his Mothers Honesty in question it had been rather the Duty of you her Subjects to cover her Imperfections if she had any remitting to God and Time to punish and put order thereto who is the only Judge over Princes Lidingtown shewing his Innocence and Desire to have the accusation supprest the Duke asked if the Regent could keep secret and being thereof assured by Lidingtown he took occasion next day to enter into a Conference with the Regent and after some preliminary Discourse spoke to him to this effect That he would be very faithful to the Queen his Mistress as long as she lived but that she was too careless what might come after her about the Peace and Welfare of her Country tho' it was the Interest of the Kingdom of England to take greater notice thereof by determining the Succession to prevent Troubles that otherwise might ensue that tho' they had divers times essay'd to do something therein at every Parliament yet their Queen had evidenced great discontent thereat shewing thereby that she cared not what Blood was shed after her for the Right and Title of the English Crown which consisted only in the Person of the Queen and King of Scotland her Son which had been put out of doubt ere now if matters had not fallen out so unhappily at home and yet he and other Noblemen of England as Fathers of their Country were minded to be careful thereof watching their opportunity but that they wondred what could move him to come there and accuse their Queen for albeit she had done or suffered harm to be done to the King her Husband yet there was respect to be had to the Prince her Son upon whom he and many in England had fixed their Eyes as Mr. Mâ—lvill who had been late Ambassador there could testifie he therefore wished that the Queen should not be accused nor dishonoured for that to her Sons sake and for respect to the right both had to succeed to the Crown of of England and further the Duke said I am sent to bear your Accusation but neither will I nor the Queen my Mistress give out any Sentence upon the Accusation and that you may understand the verity of this point more clearly you shall do well the next time that I require you before the Council to give in your Accusation in Writing to demand again my Mistress's Seal and Hand Writing before you shew your Folly that in case you accuse she shall immediately Convict and give out her Sentence according to the proof of the matter otherwise that you will not open the Pack which if her Majesty shall refuse to grant unto you which doubtless she will do then assure your self that my Information is true and take occasion hereupon to stay from further Accusation This Discourse catched the Regent and he promised to comply therewith in every part and so at the next meeting with the Council demanded the foresaid security from the Queen before he would give in his Accusation hereupon they sent Post to Court to know what to do and the Queen's answer was That being a true Princess her Word and Promise would be abundantly sufficient Cecill and Wood the Regents Secretary were amazed at this manner of procedure and therefore it was advised to desire the Lords on both sides to come from York to Court where the Queen was able to give more ready answers and resolves In the mean time the Duke Regent and Lidingtown put their Heads together and agreed That the Regent should by no means consent to accuse the Queen and that the Duke should obtain to him the Queen's Favour with a Confirmation of the Regency and so would go on as sworn Brethren the one to Rule Scotland and the other England c. When the Regent was arrived at Hampton-Court where the Queen then resided he was daily prest to give in his Accusation especially by those about him who thought it strange that he should be so slow until at length they were advertised by one of the Lords of the Queen's â—action of all that had past between the Regent and Duke of Norfolk for the Duke had secretly given the Queen of Scots notice of what he had done she to one of her Confidents who advertised the Earl of Morton of the whole Morton took it very ill that the Regent should engage in any such thing without his knowledge but before either he or his Friends would take upon them to know any thing of the matter they consult together and resolve to get Mr. John Wood to acquaint Cecil with the whole desiring him to press forwards the Accusation wherein of himself he was abundantly eager They left nothing and one for their part to effectuate the same putting the Regent in hopes one while that the Queen would give her Hand and Seal that she would Convict the Queen of Scots if he accused her others of the firmest of them persuaded him that she would ne'er give it under Hand and Seal designing thereby to distract him to see what he would do in case he obtain'd his Desire Mr. Wood said it was fit to carry in all the Writs to the Council and he would keep the Accusation in his Bosom and would not deliver it till the thing demanded of the Queen was first granted The rest of the Regents Lords and Councellors had concluded among themselves that as soon as the Duke of Norfolk as chief of the Council should require the Accusation they would all with one Voice persuade the Regent to give it in Lidingtown and Sir James Melvill prest the Regent to remember his Engagements to the Duke who replied he would do well enough and that it would not come to that length and being accordingly brought before the Council the Duke demanded the Accusation the Regent required assurance from the Queen for the Prosecution in case he gave it in 〈◊〉 to this it was answered as before that the Queen was a true Princess and that her Word was sufficient and all the Council cryed Would he distrust the Queen who had given such proof of her Friendship to Scotland The Regents Council chimed in with them and said the same thing whereupon Cecill â—ed If they had the Accusation there yes says Mr. Wood and with that pluckt it out of his Bosom but I will not deliver it says he till her Majesty's Hand and Seal be delivered to the Regent for what he demands he had no sooner said the Words but the Bishop of Orkney snatch'd the Paper out of his hand saying Let me have it I 'll present it Wood ran after him as if he would have taken him but up gets the Bishop to the Council Board and gives in the Accusation which made the Lord Chamberlain of England cry out Well done Bishop thou art
the frankest Fellow among them all none of them will make thy leap good meaning his former leaping out of the Lord Grang's Ship to save himself but Lidingtown seeing the Regents unconstancy rounds him in the Ear that he had disgraced himself and put his Life in danger by the loss of so good a Friend as the Duke of Norfolk and that he had lost his Reputation for ever The Regent soon repents his Folly and desires to have the Accusation again alledging he had some more to add thereto but was answered That they would keep what they had and were ready to receive any addition he should please to give in The Duke of Norfolk had much ado to keep his Countenance Wood tip'd the wink upon Cecil who smiled upon him again the Regents company were Laughing only Lidingtown had a sorrowful Heart and the Regent himself left the Council with Tears in his Eyes and retired to his Lodgings at Kingstown and continued there for a long time in great displeasure and fear without Money to spend or hopes to get any from the Queen In the mean time the Agreement between the Duke and Regent was told the Queen for Morton caused one John Willock to declare what had past between them to the Earl of Huntingdon who caused the Lord Leicester to acquaint the Queen therewith The Duke finding how all things stood thought to out-brave it and stuck not to tell the Queen her self While he lived he would ne'er Offend her but Serve and Honour her and after her the Queen of Scots as in his Opinion truest Heir and the only means for saving of Civil Wars and much Bloodshed that might fall out which Words were as a Dagger to the Queen's Heart though for the time she dissembled her Displeasure but to further this great Man's Fall though Sir Nicholas Throgmorton seemed to mean honestly he got the Duke and Regent reconciled again and then the Duke declared to him that he was resolved to marry the Queen of Scots his Mistress and that he would never permit her to come into Scotland nor yet that she should ever Rebel against the Queen of England during her time and also that he had a Daughter who would be a fitter Match for King James than any other for many Reasons and so procured the Sum of Two Thousand Pounds from the Queen for the Regent for which himself became security and was forced afterward to pay the same When the Regent had got the Money he was easily induced by some about him to acquaint the Queen with all that had past between the Duke and himself and withall engaged to transmit back unto her all the Letters which the Duke should write to him when he came into Scotland which was done accordingly The Duke was then the greatest Subject in Europe he Ruled the Queen and all those that were familiar with her and was Courted by all Factions both Protestants and Papists both paying him a very great Deference and at that time commanded all the North of England and it was in his Power to have set the Queen of Scots at liberty if he had pleased but when the Queen had had his Letters from Scotland she sent for the Duke to come to Court whereupon he first posted in haste to Secretary Cecil on whose Advice and Friendship he much relied who told him there was no danger he might come and go at his Pleasure no man would or durst offend him and so the Duke only with his own Train came to Court Cecil in the mean time informed the Queen that the necessity of the time obliged her not to omit this occasion but to take the matter stoutly upon her self and forthwith command her Guards to lay hands upon the Duke or else no other durst do it which if she did not at this time she would endanger the safety of her Crown The Queen embraced the Advice and so orders the Duke to be secured when he thought all England was at his Devotion who after a long Imprisonment was Executed ending his Life as Sir James Melvill says devoutly in the Reformed Religion From Carlisle this forlorne Queen was removed to Bolton under the custody of Sir Francis Knowles and from thence to Tutbury under the Care of the Earl of Shrewsbury and in whose custody she remained for the space of Fifteen years but the many Attempts made for her Liberty and other more dangerous suspicions increasing against her caused her to be committed to the keeping of Sir Anias Pawlet and Sir Drue Druery where she sollicited with more greater importunity than ever the Bishop of Rome and the Spaniard by Sir Francis Inglefield to hasten what they had in hand with all speed against the Queen of England whatever became of her and at length holding correspondence with Babington and the rest of the Conspirators against Queen Elisabeth's Life which you may read in Cambden's Elizabeth at large this drew on the fatal Day whereon she was to be called to an account for what she had done and to this end it was agreed to have her Tryed upon the late Statute made against such as should attempt any violence against the Queen's Person c. and 24 Lords and others of inferior Degree were Commissionated by the Queen's Patent for her Tryal who met Octob. 11. 1586. in Fothringham Castle in the County of Northampton where the Queen of Scots was then in custody and next day sent Sir Walter Mildmay and others to her with the Queen's Letter about her Crimes and Tryal which when she had read she complained of her ill usage excused her carriage and seemed to question the Commissioners Authority but they justify their Authority and advise her to appear to her Tryal but she excepted against the new Law and required to have her Protestation admitted which was denied at length she is brought on the 14 th Day to appear to whom Bromley the Chancellor made a Speech how Queen Elizabeth their Sovereign being informed of her Conspiracies against her Life she was now called upon to Answer for the same and to clear her self if she could and make her Innocency appear to the World here she would have urged her Protestation again of being no Subject of England but a Crowned Head but that being again rejected she submitted her self to a Trial and after a long Hearing and several proofs made of her being privy to the Design against the Queen's Life and of her intention to convey her Title and Claim to the Kingdom of England to the Spaniard c. The Court Adjourned till the 25 th of October to the Star-Chamber at Westminster at what time Wacee and Curle her Secretaries did viva voce voluntarily and without hope of Reward avow all and every the Letters and Copâ—es of Letters produced at the Trial to be True and Real upon which Sentence was pronounced against her and Ratified by the Seals and Subscriptions of the Commissioners in these words By their unanimous
severed her Head from her Body leaving only a little Gristle uncut without the least stir or motion of the Body and lifting up her Head said God Save our Queen her Lips moved for about a Quarter of an Hour after and her Head-Cloaths falling off her Head appeared as Grey as if shee had been Seventy years old whereas she was but Forty six Having thus brought this unhappy Queen to her fatal Catastrophe we now return to her Son James VI. who notwithstanding afterward his vain â—oast of his inherent Birth-right when he came to be King of England during her long Captivity in England being above 18 years possest her Throne in Scotland he was Born on the 19 th of June in the year 1566 and about Fourteen Months after Crowned King in his Mother's stead she being forced by the Nobles to resign to him The Kingdom during some part of his Minority was Governed by the Earl of Murray as Regent but he being murthered basely by one Hamilton at Lithgow Matthew Stuart Earl of Lenox the King's Grandfather was advanced into his room during whose Regency two Factions continued as before the one for the young King and the other for the Deposed Queen but by the means of Sir James Melvill and others the Queen was brought upon the point of Agreement with the Regent but the Earl of Morton returning to Court he and Randolph the English Ambassador suspecting the probability of such an apparent agreement which had been kept secret from them they fell a plotting which way to obstruct the same and resolved as the most probale means to have a Parliament convened and therein got all the Queens Lords forefaulted whereby the Regent should utterly ruin the ancient Families of the Hamiltons and this would afford a bait to every one of the King's Lords seeing they should be made sharers of the spoil and every one of them get wealth enough Mr. Randolph for their incouragement gave them assurance from England so as they needed not fear any resistance from their Adversaries and Morton to clench the Nail First represented in Council that the Queen's Lords had an intention to re-establish Popery upon which Allegation he knew he would make them odious to the generality of the People and upon their being Forefaulted that each of them should have a share of the said Lord's Estates which brought the Council readily to consent to a Parliament to be held at Sterling to the same purpose The Queen's Lords to be even with them held another Parliament at Edenburgh at the same time and with the same Design of Forefaulting as the King's Lords in the mean time the Laird of Grainge was highly concerned at those violent proceedings wherefore he sent for the Laird of Fer in haste and Buccleugh to come to him one Evening to Edenburg with a good Guard along with them and tell them according to the projection had already devised that that same Night after they had Supped and fed heir Horses they should ride with them to Sterling so as to be there early in the Morning before any of the Lords who held the Parliament were out of their Beds hoping by the Intelligence he had received assuredly to surprize them before they could be advertised thereof the Project they all readily agreed to but they would not allow Grange to go along with them for fear any disaster should befall him who was the Life of them all and so on they march under the Leading of the Earl of Huntley and some others and were got to Sterling by Four next Morning whereinto they entred by a little passage being conducted by a Townsman one George Bell which entry of theirs was immediately after their Night watches had retired to their Rest they divided their Men into several Partys and appointed such as they thought meetest at every Lord's Lodgings leaving one body under Capt. Hackerston at the Market-Cross to see good Order kept and to prevent any spoil to be committed only they ordered the Stables to be searched and all the Horses in the Town to be carried away which was punctually executed but because Captain Hackerstown did not come in due time with his Company to attend at the Market-Cross according to appointment a Company of unruly Servants broke open the Shops and run up and down to take what spoil they could get in the mean while after they had taken out all the Lords from their Lodgings and were leading of them prisoners down the steep Causey of Sterling on foot intending to take them Horses at the Nether-Gate and to ride to Edenburg with their Captives those within the Castle hearing the noise of the Townsmen crying out because of the plundering of their Houses and considering what a disgrace it would be to them if they did not shew themselves Men upon such an occasion they Sallied out boldly and perceiving the disorder of the Enemy rescued all the Prisoners saving the Regent whom one shot in the Back at the Command as was alleged of the Lord Pachey he died of the Wound some days after The next Regent was the Earl of Mar the Discord still continued His Government held not long for being one day invited to Dinner by the Earl of Morton he returned home and sickned died soon after not without vehement suspicion of having been poisoned at his Banquet Morton came in after him Regent the Division between the Lords not yet made up some Overtures of an Accommodation were made but the Queen's Lords finding the Regent not sincere in all Respects refused the Agreement and were at last Besieged in Edinburgh Castle by an English Army which they surrendred upon Articles that were basely broke and most of them executed The King now growing up began to hate the Regent he being aware of it â—ed those about him to infuse in him a good Opinion of him but in vain and so a Council was appointed at Edenburg wherein it was agreed to Depose him Morton thereupon retires to the House of Lochleven within the Lough for his greater security but while he was there his Head was continually a plodding how he might again become Master of the Court then at Sterling which he accomplished in the dead of one night in this manner When he came to the Gates of the Castle they were opened to him by the two Abbots and a Faction they had drawn in there with them though the Master of Mar and Earl of Argyle made what resistance they could yet Morton prevailed but handled the matter so discreetly and moderately as possible he could that the alteration might not appear to be over sharp or violent but the Lord Aubonie about that same time coming into Scotland from France which Lord was afterward Created Duke of Lennox and was Brothers Son to the late Earl of Lennox He and James Steward of Oghiltrie did in a short time gain the ascendency over the King's Affections who was like a Tennis-Ball tossed from one Favourite to another
all his days they framed an Accusation against Morton and got him committed to Edinburgh Castle from whence in a short time he was brought to his Tryal and Condemned for having an hand in the Lord Darnley the King's Father's Murder that he was privy to the same he did not deny at his Execution and withall confessed that he had a design to send the young King into England for his Safety and so there 's another Governor gone who was the fourth and last and every one whereof died a violent Death and now the King assumes the Government himself and if he was unhappy during the time of the Regency I think it will appear it was no better with him ever after for he himself was as much governed now by his Favourites and Sycophants as the Kingdom had been by a Regent and the first into whose Hands he fell was Aubonie now Created Duke of Lennox and a Papist and the aforesaid James Steward who assumed to himself the Style and Title and then the Earldom of Arran These two led him by the Nose at their Pleasure and carried all things with an high Hand lording it over the rest of the Nobility and aiming at their Estates which made them begin to look about them and concluding after serious Consultation that from two such Counsellors no wholsome Advice could proceed for the Peace of the Country and Establishment of Religion but rather if they were suffered to go on still both the one and the other would be endangered they resolve to remove them The King was at that time designing to go from Athol to Dumfermling to take his usual Divertisement of Hunting where the Lords designed to encounter him with a supplication full of Complaints against the Duke and Earl with pressing Instances for the removing of them and least their supplication should miscarry they backt it with strong Forces which could not be resisted The King had but a very few attendance at Dumfermling for Lennox staid at Dalkeith and Arran at Kinweel and several of the Council were gone to hold the Assizes in divers Shires of the Country Sir James Melvill was at Edenburgh whither a Gentleman one morning came to his Bed-side and told him that he had formerly done him several kindnesses which till then he was never able to recompence but that now he would make him an Instrument of saving the King his Master out of the Hands of those who were upon an enterprise to take and secure him Melvill replied he could hardly believe such a thing but that he feared the Duke of Lennox might be in danger who was gone to Glasgow because of the Hatred that was bore to him by the Nobility The Gentleman subjoyned they will lay hands first on the King's Person and then the Duke and Earl of Arran dare no more be seen their insolency being looked upon as the Cause of almost all the Disorders of the Nation and when he had so said he desired the King might be acquainted with the matter but to have his Name concealed from him for he said that design would be put in execution in ten days time and as Sir James started up to put on his Cloaths he slipt out at the door with a short farewell Sir James upon this Information rides with all the expedition imaginable to Dalkeith where the Duke of Lennox then was and laid the whole matter open before him and advised him withal to lose no time but to Ride to the King to give him notice that he might make timely provision for his own security but the Duke chose rather to dispatch a Gentleman with all possible diligence to the King upon that Occasion and wished Sir James to write to the Earl of Gaury about the same for it seems the Gentleman that gave him the first Information of the Plot had not named Gaury with the rest of the Lords to him either out of forgetfulness or else because he had been but lately won over to the Party by the Land of Drumwhafel who had assured him that Lennox had resolved to kill him whereever he met him and used this as a convincing argument to Embark the Earl in the same Cause but however matters fell out the Lords receded from their first Resolution of presenting their supplication as aforesaid and would not tarry 〈◊〉 the King came to Dumferling but they surprised him at Huntingtown-House which was the Earl of Gaury's its uncertain whether it were not done with a design to imbark the Earl more deeply in their Bond or that fearing least the design was discovered they made the greater haste to execute the same by seising the King there which was afterward called the Road of Ruthven The King is once more a Prisoner and the Lords conduct him to Sterling-Castle where he is kept for a time In the mean while the French King and Queen Elizabeth by their Ambassadors make Instances for his Liberty and Condole his Misfortune but so hen-hearted was he that he ordered their Ambassadors to declare to their respective Princes that he was well satisfied with the Lords that were about him that they were his own Subjects c. and when the Lords called a Council to resolve what course to take he agreed with them to form an Act declaring That what they had done was good service to himself the Kirk and Commonwealth though Mr. Carey who I think was afterward Created Earl of Monmouth whispered him in the Ear and desired him to tell the plain Truth which he engaged to conceal from all others whatsoever and only acquaint the Queen his Mistress therewith he told him his Heart was full fraught with Grief and Displeasure at his Misfortune The Lords having thus effected their purpose as having now rid the Court of the Duke of Lennox who fled into France and the Earl of Arran whom they committed to the Custody of the Earl of Gaury most of them withdrew from the Court to their respective homes whereupon the King retaining a displeasure still in his Heart towards them takes occasion to appoint a Convention to be held at St. Andrews whereunto by Missive Letters he invited some of the Nobility but none of the Lords that had lately left him designing thereby to get loose out of their Hands and to retain about him such Lords as he had written for and notwithstanding some about him endeavoured to divert him from the said Resolution alledging the fresh Jealousie that would be Created in the absent Lords by such a procedure and with all the Power they had to be revenged of the conceived affront he rejected the advice wherefore for the better management of his design it was thought expedient that he should go a few days to St. Andrews before the Convention was to meet that being once there a Proclamation might be issued out to forbid any Nobleman whatsoever to come to the said Convention without express Orders from the King so to do and to this end it was
pleased over the King 's Natural Subjects but he must mock and deride with the ignorant multitude the Danish Ambassadors also and use them with all the despight imaginable for it seems they knowing his former meanness in Swedeland made no great Court to him which raised his Fury this was quickly perceived by some about the King whom the Earls Practices and Insolence had disobliged and who failed not to let the King know it and for all the Earls Ascendency made him somewhat to decline in Favour which another accident gave a helping hand to for Sir Francis Russell upon some disorders that fell out upon the Borders happening to be slain of the English side Mr. Woton the English Ambassador who stood in competition with the Earl for the King's Favour took occasion to lay the blame upon him alledging that the Laird of Fernihast who was Warden of the Scots Borders had Married the Earl of Arran's Brothers Daughter and that the said Earl had caused the slaughter to be committed that the Borders might break loose Wotton was seconded by others in this complaint so effectually that the Earl was committed prisoner to the Castle of St. Andrews where having remained for a few days he got by the intercession of the Master of Gray whom he won with fair promises to be his Friend It 's strange he should find any who had disobliged every Body leave to retire to his own House and here the King played a Noble prank but whether he used it as Lex talionis for the sham-Ring Arran had put upon Walsingham as aforesaid and which he durst not otherwise punish I am not certain but it looks like his little tricks which notwithstanding he dignified with the name of Kingcraft for when the Earl was upon his journey homeward he sends to him with all possible diligence for to lend him a great Gold Chain which he knew he had got from Sir James Belfour which weighed 57 Crowns to be given to the Danish Ambassadors which if the Earl had refused to do he would it's likely have lost the King and in delivering of it he lost his Chain Arran being thus retired makes several attempts to recover his former station and the King it was observed retained a Favour for him and would have been content to have Himself and Kingdom still Governed by him he was once again admitted to Court but others had stepped in and the King had not power to remove them so that the Earl after long retirement and discontent was surprized at last by James Douglass at Parkhead and slain by him in revenge of the death of the Earl of Morton his Unkle and but little care taken to punish the same many thinking it indeed strange that he should be permitted so long to live who had carried it so arrogantly and insolently towards all Men in the time of his Ascendency at Court but several other Accidents intervened before the Earls Exit The next Man that had the chief Credit and Management of Affairs was Mr. Wotton the English Ambassador but tho' the King begun now to be Governed by a Favourite and a Forreiner under this Character yet it did not end here as you shall hear by and by when the Scene is transplanted into England Wotton knew as well as any Man alive how to humour him in his pleasures and such familiar access had he at all times to his Person that he attempted to have brought in the banished Lords whose Interest he had espoused not without the direction to be sure of the English Court secretly into his presence in the Parish of Sterling at such a time as they should have so many Friends at Court that he must have remained once more at their Devotion but all things did not so concur as to put this Enterprize in practice so it was laid aside and Mr. Wotton essayed a Second but more desperate attempt which was to Kidnap Jemmy out of the foresaid Park into England see Sir James Melvill but Sir Robert Melvill coming to a timeous Knowledge hereof took measures to prevent it which made the English Ambassador withdraw home without bidding of them once a good night the Lords for all this enter the Borders being assisted by the Lords Hamilton Maxwel Hume and several others and advance to the number of Three thousand Men towards Sterling entring the Town without any opposition where they were no sooner arrived but there appear'd two Factions with the King in the Castle the one favouring the Lords whose part the King took as if he had really desired the Lords should have come thither in this manner to tear his Minions from his Heart and so once more the King is in their Power which they exercised with great moderation only a few were committed for the present to the custody of some Noblemen and so a Parliament was called as the best expedient to heal all their breaches Things continued in some sort of Concord for a little while and the Convicting and Beheading of the Queen his Mother in England seemed to possess all their Minds with amazement at the Fact for the present tho' I do not find he did at all resent it but this was no sooner over but there appears a new Faction at Court headed by the Earl of Huntley whose aim was at the removing of the Master of Gray and Maitland the Chancellor with their Adherents but finding it was not so easily to be effected Huntley Bothwell and others contrived to seize the King's Person and to keep him in their custody but this proving Abortive the noise of the Spanish Invasion which was dreaded in Scotland as well as in England seemed to lay all Animosâ—tâ—es aside for the present but this blowing over the King's Thoughts seemed to be taken all up about Marrying the Sister of the King of Denmark was the Lady proposed and Queen Elizabeth consulted with thereupon who disswaded him therefrom and said she had Interest with the King and Princess of Navarr and that she would imploy the same for effectuating of a Marriage between him and the said Princess but the King was bent upon the former and because he found the Chancellor and some others oppose it he could not or would not be seen openly to controul them but dealt secretly with some of the Deacons of the Craftsmen of Edenburg to form a Mutiny against the Chancellor and some of the Council threat'ning to kill them in case the Marriage with the Daughter of Denmark were hindred or any longer delayed whereupon the Earl of Marshal was sent thither with Power to Treat about the said Marriage but withal in so stinted and limited a degree contrived by the Craft of the Chancellor and his Faction that he was necessitated to send the Lord Dinguall back from thence to desire either liberty to return hence or to have sufficient Power to conclude the Treaty when he came he hapned to find the King at Aberdeen without the Chancellor c so
Salisbury Worcester Suffolk Sir George Carew and Sir Julius Caesar to Interrogate with Cobham upon the said Head Cobham protested he never did nor could accuse Sir Walter but said That Villain Wade after a long Sollicitation so to do but not prevailing got him by a trick to write his Name upon a piece of Paper which he dreaming of no harm did so that if any Charge came under his Hand it must have been forged by Wade by Writing something above his Name without his Consent or Privity The Lords returning to the King made Salisbury their Spokesman who elusively said Sir My Lord Cobham hath made good all that ever he said and so the matter rested Sir Walter being no ways relieved hereby but the King further possest with his guilt but surely the baseness of those Lords and the King's credulity were unpardonable Crimes Soon after this Hodge-podge of a Plot the King and Queen were Crowned in great Pomp at Westminster And the same year a Conference was managed at Hampton-Court between the Prelatical and Puritan Party the latter conceiving great hopes that because of the King's Education in the Scots Discipline he would be of their side but they mistook quite their mark for he was by that time become Heart and Soul Episcopal and to give evident Demonstration of his entire Conversion issues out a Proclamation of which no Prince was ever so prodigal and which at last as naturally happens were as little regarded for Uniformity in Religion according to Law Established then at length comes a Parliament between whom and the King notwithstanding some mutual Caresses for a time arose several Jars and Jealousies but the discovery of the Gun-Powder Treason attributed to the King's Wisdom and Foresight seemed for a time to heal all the Breaches which hellish Contrivance against the King and Kingdom will fall pertinently enough to be noted in this place The Popish Party finding their Petition for a Toleration of Religion rejected grew enraged thereat and now nothing would serve but the Destruction of King Prince and the Representative Body of the whole Nation in Parliament and to that end they hid 36 Barrels of Gun-Powder under the Parliament House the principal Contriver whereof was Robert Catesby a Gentleman of a plentiful Estate who made choice of Thomas Piercy Winter Grant Ambrose Rookwood I am told the Ancestor of the late Ambrose Rookwood executed for Conspiring the Death of our Renowned Sovereign King William Wright Tresham Sir Everard Digby and others who are all bound to Secresie by those Sacraments which are the greatest Ties upon the Soul and St. Garnet the Jesuit was their Confessor Piercy was to hire the Cellars under the Parliament House to lay Wood and Coals in for his Winters Store and Guido Faux a desperate Ruffian who was to give Fire to the Train was appointed to be his Man to bring in Wood and Coals The Gun-Powder bought in Flanders was brought in the Night from Lambeth and covertly laid under the Wood and every thing made ready against the 7th of February whereon the Parliament was to meet but the Parliament being providentially Prorogued to the 5th of November following this dispersed the Conspirators for the present and made them almost at their Wits end but reassuming again their former Courage they resolve to carry on their Villany and to bear up with Patience till the day came They were sure the King and Prince must perish with the blow as for the Duke of York Piercy undertook to dispatch him but the Lady Elizabeth they resolved to save that under her Minority and Innocency they might the better establish their Bloody Principles of Piety and Policy and to that end they appointed a great Hunting Match to be at Dunsemore-Heath in Warwickshire to be nearer the Lord Harrington's House where the Lady Elizabeth then was on the 5th of November aforesaid Thus Solacing themselves in this Bloody Expectation and thinking all Cock-sure one tender-hearted Murderer among the rest writ a Letter to the Lord Monteagle wishing him to have a care of himself and to forbear his Attendance at that Parliament for God and Man had concurred to punish the Wickedness of the time and they should receive a terrible blow and yet not see who hurt them The Lord Monteagle thinking there might be something in the Letter oâ— dangerous Consequence though he understood it not carried the same to the Earl of Salisbury who also could not tell what to make of it but upon the King 's coming to Whitehall from Royston where he had been Hunting of a Hare he shewed him the Letter who being naturally of a fearful Temper and suspicious Mind ordered the Earl of Suffolk and Lord Monteagle to make a search about the Parliament House who entring into the Cellar and observing the Stores as aforesaid enquired of the Wardrobe Keeper Mr. Winyard who was also House-keeper whose they were Winyard replied he had let the Cellar to one Thomas Percy and close in a Corner there stood Faux who being asked who he was said Percy 's Servant The Lords for the present left all things as they found them but departed full of Suspicion the Lord Monteagle assuring himself the forementioned Letter must come from Percy for there were some little intimacy between them and gave the King and Council a Relation of their Proceedings who resolved that night to make a further search and committed it to the management of Sir Thomas Knevet a Gentleman of approved Fidelity and who with a suitable Assistance coming to the Cellar about midnight met Faux at the Door on whom he presently seized and proceeding in his search pulled out the Core of all that Horrid Contrivance whereupon Faux confessed all being only sorry it came not to perfection and saying God would have concealed it and the Devil only discovered it In his Pockets they found a Watch which were not common then and a Tinder-Box Engines to minute out his time to strike the fatal blow The Conspirators finding all detected hastened for all that to the Hunting Match aforesaid furnishing themselves with Horses by breaking open several Stables and taking their choice but the Sherriffs of Warwickshire and Worcestershire pursued them so hard that at last they were forced to earth themselves at Littleton's House at Halbech where Percy and Catesby were slain with a few more and the rest taken Prisoners and afterwards Hanged This happy Deliverance was Celebrated with great Joy and Foreign Princes though Popish would Congratulate the Discovery and the Parliament made an Act for the perpetual Solemnizing of the day of Deliverance with publick Thanksgivings So things continued for a time and the King of Denmark the Queen's Brother coming over to visit the King and his Sister the Summer following added a greater gust to the Recreations and Pastimes of the Court now wallowing in all sensual Pleasures as if the Devil was quite laid and ne'er more Storms to be feared from any Quarter but the
Country he might apply what he pleas'd to the King at the Court and besides had the Medicine been the best in the World the Act was Daring and no ways Justifiable in him because he wanted the Consent of the King's Physitians thereto and one of Buckingham's great Provocations was thought to be that the King now being weary of his too much Greatness and Power was about to set up Bristol his deadly Enemy against him to pull him down The Application of this Medicine was one of the 13 Articles charged afterward upon the Duke by the Parliament who rarely accuse upon false Rumour or bare Suggestion and surely he will have work to do that takes upon him to excuse the King his Successor in this Matter for Dissolving the Parliament to preserve one that was accus'd by them for Poisoning his Father especially if it be consider'd that the Commons had then Voted him Four Subsidies and Four Fifteenths which they had not time to pass into an Act. What did farther increase Mens suspicions was one Doctor Lamb a Fellow of a most Infamous conversation his frequenting to and being much imploy'd by the Countess and her Son which did at length so incense the People against him that finding him in the Streets of London An. 1628. they set upon him with Stones and Staves and knocked out his Brains as also one Butler an Irishman that pretended to be a Chymist and was very intimate with the foresaid Company I mean the Duke and his Mother and indeed the Story of his Death as was then reported is a very convincing Evidence of some secret Machination betwixt the Duke and him which made the Duke be desirous to be rid of him For Mischief says Mr. Wilson being an ingrosser is unsecured unsatisfied when their Wares are to be vented in many Shops This Man was by the Dukes means recommended upon some plausible pretence to some Jesuites beyond the Seas where he was entertain'd with a great deal of specious Ceremony and Respect in one of their Colleges and at Night being attended by them into his Chamber with much Civility which was hung with Tapestry and had Tapers burning in stretched-out-Armes upon the Wall when they gave him the Good-night they told him they would send one should direct him to his Lodging and they were no sooner out of the Room of Death but the Floor that hung upon great Hinges on one side was let fall by Artificial Engines and the poor Vermine Butler dropt into a Precipice where he was never more heard of To conclude King James was Learned and had fine Notions in Conception but could bring but few of them into Action tho' they tended to his Honour and Safety for this was one of his Apothegms which he made no timely use of Let that Prince that would beware of Conspiracies be rather jealous of such whom his extraordinary Favours have advanc'd then of those whom his Displeasure hath discontented these want Means to execute their Pleasures but they have means at pleasure to execute their desires But a late Learned Author has exprest as much contempt of his Learning as Ben Johnson did of his Poetry saying It was a Scandal to his Crown meaning his Writings against Bellarmine and Perrone about their King-killing and King-deposing Doctrines and it seems Henry 4. of France had not a much better opinion of the same who when he heard some Men Celebrating of him with these Attributes answer'd truly enough That he was a fine King indeed and Wrote little Books King James was Succeeded by His Son Charles in all His Dominions but much more so in all His Misfortunes for this was one of the unhappiest Princes that ever Swayed a Scepter There is little remarkable concerning this Pâ—â—â—ce in his Infancy only he was noted as Lilly says to be very wilful and obstinate by the old Scottish Lady his Nurse and even by his own Mother Queen Ann who being told on a time he was very Sick and like to die said He would not then die but live to be the Ruine of himself and the Three Kingdoms through his too much Wilfulness And it seems the Symptoms of his Fore-Fathers Destiny appear'd in his very Face for his Picture having been presented to the then Duke of Tuscany the first sight and inspection thereof made him sâ—art and say He saw something in it that Presag'd a strange and violent Exit Moreover if what the said Author says be true That Laud at His Coronation at Westminster alter'd the Old Coronation Oath and framed another New one for him in the room of it it was a foul stumble at first dash It rarely happens and I think but very few Instances can be given that one and the same Person proves a Favourite to Two Princes together but it seems nothing could resist the Charmes of the Glorious Buckingham who now Governs the Son more Despotically than ' er he had done the Father and put him upon those very Expeditions that with other concurring Mismanagements made Shipwrack of His Honour at home procured him scorn and contempt abroad and hastned those Calamities which at length resolved in his own sad Catastrophe and Ruine But surely it argu'd a very mean and poor spirit in him to take him into his Bosom and to be govern'd by one that had twice in his Father's time so highly affronted and disdain'd him the first at Royston before many People by bidding of him in plain terms Kiss his A And the second time at Greenwich in the sight of about 400 Persons when lifting up his hand over his head with a Ballon Brasser and saying in most undutiful terms to him By G. it shall not be so you shall not have it The Prince answer'd What my Lord I think you intend to strike me It 's true to have forgotten and never to revenge such Injuries when he had been King had been worthy the Noble Mind of a Prince but it also became him never to have suffer'd him to come near his Court to be upbraided with the sight of so much scorn that had been so publickly offer'd him and some Criticks at Court at that time did not stick to read his future Destiny At King James's Death the Nation was rent into Four Factions viz. the Prerogative Popish Puritan and Country Party which in a short time was reduc'd into two the two former uniting their force against the other two and one should have thought it had been the business of the New King to have composed those first rather then make War abroad But King James his Body was scarce cold when Buckingham put King Charles upon a War with Spain Both of them when in that Kingdom had receiv'd so many Civilities from his Catholick Majesty that they now resolve to Invade his Country with a Powerful Fleet and a Land Army under the Command of my Lord Wimbleton but in their passage they met with a Furious Storm which so scatter'd the Fleet that of
Eighty no less than Fifty Ships were missing for seven days But this was but the beginning of the Misfortunes of this Miserable Expedition for the Confusion of Orders was such as the Officers and Soldiers scarce knew who to Command or whom to Obey so that when they came to Cadiz a Conquest which would have paid the Charge of the Voyage and to the Honour of the English offer'd it self for the Spanish Shipping in the Bay lay unprovided of defence so as the surprising of them was both easie and feasible but this was neglected and when the Opportunity was lost Sir John Burroughs Landed the Army and took a Fort but was forced to quit it because of the Disorder and Intemperance of the Soldiers who upon that return'd on Board again and sailed away for England re insecta which occasion'd no small clamour from the People and especially in that none was punished for Mismanagement But how dishonourable soever this Expedition was the King and his Minister lost much more Reputation by lending a Fleet to the French King to beat that of the Rochellers under Monsieur Sobiez the Great Duke of Roan's Brother whereby a foundation was laid to ruin the Protestant Interest in France and which all the power that e're they could afterward make when the Tables were turned could not relieve though the Duke himself who was much sitter for the Delicacies of a Court than the toyls and stratagems of War was at the head of it and perished by the hands of Felton at Portsmouth just as he was ready to Embark the second time in person for that purpose It 's true the design was pursued by the Earl of Lindsey who several times attempted to force the Barricadoes of the River before Rochel but all in vain or if he had it would have been to no purpose for the Victuals wherewith they should have been relieved were all tainted and all the Tackle and other Materials of the Fleet defective so that they could not stay long there The many and unheard-of Violations of the Priviledges of the Subject by Loans Benevolences Ship-money Coat and Conduct-money c. with the continual Jars between this King and all his Parliaments during his Reign so as that there has been scarce three days of mutual harmony between them throughout which cannot be said of any other King since the Conquest how bad soever his Imprisoning Fining and banishing of the Members and his riding the Nation for above fifteen years together by more than a French Government because they are noted else where I think no where so well as in the History of the four last Reigns Written by that Learned Gentleman and my worthy good Friend when alive Mr. Roger Coke I shall not recite the same in this place as not falling exactly under the notion of this Treatise Tho I am to imform you these were the things together with the imposing the Service-Book upon the Scots where the Quarrel was begun by an Old Woman casting her Stool at the Priest when he was reading of it as they said that were the foundation of those dreadful Wars waged so many years within the Bowels of the three Kingdoms which do not fall under our present consideration neither and of the King 's subsequent destiny the Particulars whereof with some other concurring and intervening accidents we shall give you at large After the War had been manag'd between the King and Parliament with various fortune for some years and several Treaties set on foot to compose those unhappy and fatal Differences at last came the fatal day wherein the Quarrel came to be decided between them at Naseby in Northamptonshire which was on Saturnday June 14. 1645. Sir Thomas Fairfax was the Parliaments General and the King commanded his own Army in Person who in the beginning of the Fight prevailed for Prince Rupert Routed the Parliaments Left Wing commanded by Ireton but Pursuing to far left the Kings Left Wing open to be charged by Cromwel who falling furiously on and the rest Rallying obtained a most absolute Victory But among the vast number of Prisoners and Horses taken with Arms and Ammunition that which was even a greater loss to the King then the Battle was that one of his Coaches with his Cabinets of Letters and Papers fell into the Parliaments hands whereby his most Secret Counsels with the Queen which were so contrary to those he declared to the Kingdom were discovered For in one of his Letters he declared to her his intention to make Peace with the Irish and to have 40000 of them over into England to prosecute the War there In others he complained he could not prevail with his Mungrel Parliament at Oxford so he was pleased to call those Gentlemen who had stuck to him all along to Vote that the Parliament at Westminster were not a Lawful Parliament That he would not make Peace with the Rebels the Parliament without her approbation nor go one jot from the Paper She sent him That in the Treaty at Vxbridge he did not positively own the Parliament it being otherwise to be constru'd tho' they were so simple as not to find it out and it was Recorded in the Notes of the King's Council that he did not acknowledge them a Parliament Which Papers the Members took care to Print and Publish to the World and shewed by a publick Declaration what the Nobility and Gentry who followed the King might trust too and I dare say this stuck so close in the Minds of many that nothing contributed more to his Ruine then this double dealing of his Now the King's Garrisons surrender by heaps Oxford was the last which being blocked up by the Parliaments Forces the King thought himself in no security in it For the Parliament refused to admit him to come to London unless he signed their propositions wherefore the French Ambassador in the Scots Quarters advising him to throw himself into the Scots Power it was Hobson's Choice one even as good as the other and so being accompany'd by one Hudson a Minister and Mr. John Ashburnham he threw himself into the Scots hands who having got him into their Power resolve to make a double Bargain of him viz. to have him to order Montross to disband his Army and retire into Scotland and then to Sell him to the Parliament for as much Money as they could get for him The first is no sooner ask'd but granted but the bargain for the Sale of him and surely never was any King in this World so unhappy as to be sold by his own Subjects before himself being a mighty business to the Scots it lasted from the 5 th of May 1646 to January following when being concluded the Parliament who now had a full right to him after they had bought him confine him to â—oldenby-house an House of his own in Northamptonshire under a select Guard of their own choosing So that as Mr. Cook observes he that before had sifted the worthy
lines to this unfortunate King who now had no more to do then patiently to submit to what time produced but how pleasing soever these Votes were to the Army the Scots and diverse parts of the English Nation were not content with them and so they rise in Arms in Essex Kent Suffolk Norfolk Wales and the North and declare for the King and People Part of the Fleet also Revolted to Prince Charles but all these Revolts were quelled by a Victorious Army in a short time But while the Army was busied abroad the Members having gotten possession of the Fleet and the City of London being well affected to them they joyn with the Scotish Commissioners and rescine the Votes of the Non-addresses to the King and appointed a conference with him at Newport in the Isle of Wight to continue for forty days and to that purpose take him out of Prison and allow him the Liberty of the Island and the King upon the matter with reluctancy enough grants the Scots and the Members their own Demands But no endeavours of his Subjects nor the joynt desires of the Scots and Members could protect this unhappy Prince from his approaching Ruine for the Army now every where Victorious over the Scots and Royalists draw together and make a Remonstrance against all Peace with the King that Justice might be done upon Him the Crown-land and Church-land might be sold to Pay their Army and that the present Parliament be Dissolved and another Called But the Members were intent upon the King's Answer to their Propositions and laid aside the Armies Remonstrance which they take as a slighting of them and then seized the King in the Isle of Wight and make Him a Prisoner in Hurst-Castle an unhealthy place and March to London putting Garrisons in Noblemen's Houses and Whitehall and Post themselves about the Pallace-yard But the Members for all this Met upon the First of Decemb. 1648. and Voted the King's Concessions to be a sufficient ground for a Peace and then Adjourn'd for a Week yet when they were to Meet again they found all the Avenues to the House beset with Soldiers who Excluded all that were not of their Faction from entring the House which were not one fourth part and made the residue Prisoners This Juncto called afterward the Rump Parliament having in this manner Purged the House Assume to themselves the Supream Power of Ordering the English Affairs Confirm the Votes of Non-Addresses and raze the Votes of having a Conference with the King and the Declaration that the King's Concessions were a sufficient ground for a Peace out of the Journals of the House and Vote First That all Power resides in the People Secondly That the Power belongs to the Peoples Representatives in the House of Commons Thirdly That the Votes of the Commons have the Force of a Law without the King Fourthly That to take up Arms against the Representatives of the People or the Parliament was High-Treason Fifthly That the King Himself took up Arms against the Parliament and therefore was guilty of all the Blood shed in the Civil War and ought by His own Blood to expiate the fame But the Ordinance for the King's Trial being sent up to the Lords for their Concurrence they Rejected it January the 2 d and Adjourned for 10 days but first sent back that they would give Answer Whereupon the Commons search the Lords Journal-Book and find these Votes 1. To send an Answer 2. That their Lordships do not concur to the Declaration 3. That their Lordships Reject the Ordinance for Tryal of the King But the Commons for all that go on and Vote the Lords Dangerous Order the King to be brought to London under a Guard Read and Ingrossed the Ordinance for his Tryal on the 6 th of January and the Manner was referred to the Commissioners who were to Try Him and to that end to Meet in the Painted Chamber on Munday January the 9 th who Resolved that Proclamation should be made in Westminster-Hall that the Commissioners were to Sit again to Morrow and that all those who had any thing to say against the King should be heard In this manner Mr. Denby who was Sergeant at Arms to the Commissioners Rode into the Hall with his Mace and some other Officers all bare attended with Six Trumpets on Horseback who Sounded in the midst of the Hall the Drums of the Guard in the mean time Beating without in the Pallace-yard at the Old Exchange and in Cheapside The Mayor Aldermen and Common Council of London Petition'd the House of Commons for Justice against the King to Settle the Votes that the Supream Power was in them and the City resolved to stand by them to the utmost and because nothing should obstruct the intended Work Hillary Term was Adjourned for Fourteen days and Proclamation made thereof in the Cities of London and Westminster and other Market-Towns but that this poor Prince might have some glimmering of hope the Scots Parliament begun January 2 d. understanding what was done at London in reference to the King's Tryal Dissent from the said proceedings and Direct some Papers To William Lenthall Esquire Speaker of the House of Commons which the House took as an Affront and Denyal of their Authority and so thought not sit to Read them but yet Voted to send Commissioners into Scotland to preserve a Good Correspondence between both Nations Several Ministers from their Pulpits Declaimed also against the Proceedings against the King's Person some of the Nobility offer'd themselves Pledges in his behalf and January 19 the Scottish Commissioners deliver'd some Papers and a Declaration from the Parliament of Scotland wherein they express a dislike of the present Proceedings and declare That the Kingdom of Scotland had an undoubted Interest in the King's Person who was not deliver'd to the English Commissioners at Newcastle for the Ruine of his Person but for the more speedy Settlement of the Peace of his Kingdoms That they extreamly Dissented and Declared against the Tryal of Him in regard of the Great Miseries that were like to ensue thereupon and desired leave to make their Personal Addresses to Him The like Papers were also Presented to the General but all signify'd nothing for the Commissioners for the Tryal proceeded to make all things in a readiness and to that purpose Order'd that the Sword and Mace tho' they had the King's Arms thereon should be brought into the Court at His Tryal and the King to be brought from St. James's where he was then a Prisoner to Sir Robert Cotton's House at Westminster They erected a Tribunal called The High Court of Justice over which was appointed One hundred and fifty Judges at the upper end of Westminster-Hall the Courts of Chancery and Kings-Bench being ordered into one and these Judges were impower'd to Convent Hear Judge and Execute Charles Stuart King of England All things being now fitted up the King on Saturday the 20 th was brought from St. James
through the Park in a Chair to Whitehall and from thence carried by Water under a Guard to Sir Robert Cotton's House at the back end of Westminster-Hall the Judges in the mean time met in the Painted Chamber attending upon their President Serjeant Bradshaw in his Scarlet Robe who had the Sword born before him by Col. Humphrey the Mace by Serjeant Denby and twenty Men with Partizans for his Guard When they came into the Court the President sat him down in a Crimson Velvet Chair of State fixed in the midst of the Court with a Desk before him and a Cushion of Crimson Velvet thereon and the Seats on each side of him were Benches covered with Scarlet-cloth And after silence made the Great Gate of the Hall was set open for any to enter in after which Col. Thompson was commanded to bring forth the Prisoner who was conducted with twenty Partizans and other Guards and was by the Serjeant with his Mace received to the Bar where was a Red Velvet Chair set for him He looked sternly upon the Court and up to the Galleries then sat him down but presently got up again and looked downward on the Guard and multitude of Spectators not shewing the least regard to the Court all the while then was the Act of Parliament read over for the Trial of Charles Stuart King of England by the Clerk who sat on the right side of the Table covered with a Turky Carpet placed at the feet of the President upon which lay the Sword and Mace and the several Names of the Judges in the Roll were called over and Eighty answered to their Names When that was over then the King's Charge was brought wherein he was accused in the Name of the People of England of Treason Tyranny Murders Rapines c. and more especially for levying War against the Parliament And the President stood up and said Sir You have heard your Charge containing such matters as appears in it and in the close it is pray'd that you answer to your Charge which this Court expects The King replied By what Authority did they bring him to a Trial who was their King against the Publick Faith so lately given him when he commenced a Treaty with both Houses of Parliament Urged them to shew what Lawful Authority they had to call him to an account which if they did he would readily answer otherwise advised them to avert the Judgments that might hang over their heads for such their proceedings against him The President rejoyned that he was called to an account by the People of England by whose Election he was admitted King The King here insists upon his inherent birth-right and that the Kingdom was Hereditary for above a thousand years and that he stood more apparently for the Liberty of the People of England by rejecting an unlawful and arbitrary Authority than the Judges or any other whatsoever did by asserting of it That no Lords appear'd there who to constitute a Parliament should have been present and some King also but that neither the one nor the other nor both the Houses of Parliament nor any other Judicature on Earth had any Authority to call the King of England to account much less some certain Judges chosen by his accusers masked with the Authority of the Lower House and the same proculcated However he wills them again to produce their Authority and he would not be wanting to his Defence for as much as it was the same offence with him to acknowledge a Tyrannical Power as to resist a lawful one But the President made answer That he was not to question the Jurisdiction of the Court that they were satisfied with their Authority as it was upon God's Authority and the Kingdom 's in doing of Justice and that this was their present work To which the King said That it was not his own nor their apprehensions neither that ought to decide it and so the President ordered the Prisoner to be taken into Custody and then the Court adjourned till the Monday following being the 22. of January to the Painted Chamber and from thence to the same place again and the King was carried back in the same manner as before to St. James's The Court accordingly met on Monday in the Painted Chamber and there considering the King's Resolution to deny the Jurisdiction of the Court or of that which did constitute it of which debate they had no proper cognizance nor could they being a derivative power which made them Judges from which there was no Appeal they therefore order that if the King offer to dispute the same again the President should tell him That the Commons of England Assembled in Parliament had constituted that Court whose power might not be permitted to be disputed by him and that if he refused to answer it should be accounted a Contumacy to the Court that if he answered with a Salvo his pretended Prerogative above the Court he should be required to give a Positive answer yea or no that he should not have a Copy of his Charge till he owned the Court and declared his intentions to answer This being concluded on the King is again brought to the Bar in the same manner where the Solicitor Cook moved that the Prisoner might make a positive answer or that the Charge might be taken pro Confesso and so the Court proceed to Justice and the President did briefly repeat the passages of the last day and commanded the King to answer to the Articles of Charge unless he had rather hear the Capital Sentence given against him But the King still persisted to Interrogate concerning their Authority that he had weighty Reasons why he should not acknowledg this new form of Judicature that they had no Law for it and that they could not have an extraordinary Authority Delegated from the People seeing they had not consulted so much as every tenth Man in that matter But the President put him in mind of his doom and told him the Court was abundantly satisfied of their Authority nor were they to hear any Reasons that should detract from their Power And when the King urged to give in his Reasons in Writing it would by no means be admitted and so the President commanded the Prisoner to be taken away The third Days Trial which was Tuesday was in effect the same as the last mentioned in respect to the Court's demands and the King's answer so that the Court adjourned till next Morning at Ten of the Clock but the Examination of Witnesses and other intervening business prevented their then sitting so that it was Saturday Morning January 27. before they assembled and 68. of the Judges answered to their Names As the King was brought into the Court the Soldiers cried for Justice and Execution and the King desired to be heard a few words and so goes on to shew how a sudden Judgment could not be soon recalled c. But the President magnified the Patience the Court had had
towards him advised him now at length to submit otherwise he should hear the Sentence of Death resolved on by the Court against him but he still refused to plead and desired he might have liberty to say some things for the good of the People before both Houses but the President said this would but delay and retard Justice But the King answered that he had not sought occasions of delay else he would have made a more Elaborate contestation of the Cause but that there could be no hurt in a delay of a day or two rather than precipitate Judgment which might lay the Nation under perpetual Miseries and so desired to withdraw and the Court to consider The King was carried to Cotton-house and the Judges withdrew to the Court of Wards and in half an hour returned and when the King insisted still that he might be first heard before his Parliament and not prevailing the President went on and shewed how contumacious he had been how hateful his Crimes were and asserted the Parliamentary Authority producing Examples both Domestick and Foreign especially out of Scotland wherein the People had punished their Kings and then affirmed that the Power of the People of England was not less over their King That the Guilt of this King was greater than of all others as being one who according to Caligula's wish had attempted to cut off the neck of the Kingdom by waging War against the Parliament for all which he was in his Charge called Tyrant Traytor Murderer and a Publick Enemy to the Commonwealth and that it had been well if that any of those terms might have been spared At which words the King said How Sir but the other went on and argued that Rex est qui bene regit Tyrannus qui populum opprimit and so lodged Arbitrary Government on him which he sought to put upon the People That his Treasons were his breach of trust to the Kingdom as his Superior and was therefore called to an account Minimus majorem in judicium vocat That his Murders were many as being guilty of the Blood shed in the War between him and his people which could not be cleansed but by the Blood of him who shed that Blood he wished him to have God before his Eyes and called God to witness that the Court came meerly out of the Conscience of their Duty to that place and imployment which they were resolved to effect and called for God's assistance in his Execution Here the King made a motion to speak but was told his time was now past and his Sentence was coming on which the President commanded to be read under this form Whereas the Commons of England in Parliament have appointed them an High Court of Justice for the Trial of Charles Stuart King of England before whom he had been three times Convented and at the first time a Charge of High Treason and other Crimes and Misdemeanors was read in the behalf of the Kingdom of England c. as in the Charge which was read throughout to which Charge he the said Charles Stuart was required to give his Answer but he refused so to do and so exprest several passages at his Trial in refusing to answer for all which Treasons and Crimes this Court doth adjudge that the said Charles Stuart as a Tyrant Traytor Murderer and Publick Enemy shall be put to death by severing his Head from his Body And then the President said the Sentence now read and published is the Act Sentence Judgment and Resolution of the whole Court to which the Members of the Court stood up and assented by holding up their Hands Then the King was taken away and the Court broke up As the King was lead along some of the Mobb carried it very rudely and unchristianly towards him and that Night which was Saturday January 27. he was Lodged in Whitehall next day the Bishop of London Preached before him in his Chamber and the same day the President and all the Members of the High Court of Justice fasted in the Chappel at Whitehall On Monday Morning he was conveyed to St. James's and in the mean time Sir Hardress Waller Colonel Harrison Colonel Dean Commissary General Ireton and Col. Oaks were to consider of the time and place for Execution and the President and Judges met on Monday Morning Jan. 29. in the Painted Chamber who together with the Committee resolved that the open Street before Whitehall was the fittest place that the King should be there Executed on tho next day between Ten and Two a Clock upon a Scaffold covered with Black The King who was now apprehensive of the approach of his fatal end exprest his desires by a Member of the Army That in regard Sentence of Death was past upon him and that the time of Execution might be near that he might see his Children and so receive the Sacrament and to prepare himself for Death and that the Bishop of London might pray with him in private in his Chamber all which was granted him When the fatal day appear'd which was Tuesday Jan. 30. about Ten of the Clock in the Forenoon he was called upon to come forth from St. James Palace now his Prison and was Conducted on Foot over the Park to Whitehall Guarded with a Regiment of Foot part whereof marched before the rest behind with Colours flying and Drums beating his private Guard of Partizans being next him Dr. Juxton Bishop of London on the one side and Col. Tomlison on the other they went up by the Stairs to the Park Gallery and so into his Cabinet-Chamber where he continued at his Devotion and refused to Dine only about Twelve-a-Clock he Eat a Bit of Bread and drank a Glass of Claret From thence he was conveyed into the Banquetting-House and the Great Window Enlarged out of which he ascended the Scaffold the Rails whereof were hung round and the Floor covered with Black with the Block and Axe set in the middle and the Executioners wearing Vizzards standing by He looked round about upon the People who were kept a considerable distance off by the thick Guards and Troops of Horse that beset the Scaffold and turning to the Officers and more particularly to Col. Tomlison begun with what necessity there lay upon him to say somewhat lest his silence might be made an argument of his guilt and with a Protestation of his innocency in reference to any design he had to retrench the just Priviledges of Parliament yet acknowledged his punishment to be just from God and instanced only in his giving way to the death of the Earl of Strafford appealed to the Bishop of London who stood by for his forwardness to forgive his Enemies yet professed a great concernedness for the Weal of the Kingdom shewed how the then Managers of the State were in the wrong to think to govern by the Sword advised them to restore his Son to the Inheritance of his Ancestors and the People to their Rights and due Liberties
rising in Wales were soon beaten so were the Surry Essex and Kentish Forces without any reinforcements from him as was designed and when he Landed some forces for the relief of Deal-Castle they were vanquished almost as soon as Landed This with the taking of Colchester by Sir Thomas Fairfax sent him back again to his Sister the Princess of Orange to the Hague Here it was that he was first Entertained with the horrible news of his Father's Tragical death and then saluted by the name of King but a forlorn Man and without any Subjects to govern for now the Rump Parliament ruled the Roast in England and had assumed to themselves the Supream power of the Nation by the name and title of the Commonwealth of England but this procedure of theirs did not relish well with the Scotch Covenanters and especially now they found that those Persons in the English Parliament that had been most forward in establishing the Solemn League and Covenant between both Nations were not only laid aside but clapt up into nasty PRISONS Wherefore being willing to lay hold on any Twig the Scots resolve not to put up the supposed injury tamely but to try their Fortune with the Rump by Arms and to that end agree to invite the King over to take Possession of his ancient Kingdom of Scotland but yet tye him so by vertue of the Treaty with him to take their Solemn League and Covenant as a Testimony of his sorrow for his Father's Sins and to banish all those out of his Court who would not take the Covenant or bare Arms for his Father But they could not have found a Plant as Mr. Coke observes more unlikely to produce the Fruit of Repentance or to establish Presbytery than himself however over Shooes over Boots prepare he does to waft himself over for Scotland To be a King in fact he desired above all other things and in June 165O landed at the Spey in the North having scaped a scouring for some of the Rump Ships lay in wait for him as he passed the Sea and narrowly mist him In some time after he was solemnly Crowned at Scone but alass it was no long-liv'd Dignity and he had but little Joy of his Crown for Cromwel had entred Scotland with the English Army and having beaten the Scots in several smaller Rencounters did at last upon the 8 of September utterly overthrow the much more numerous Kirk Army at Dunbar commanded by old General Lesley killing 3000 of them in the Battle and pursuit and taking 9000 Prisoners with all their Baggage and Ammunition with above 200 Colours To augment these Miseries the King who was very squeamish in Religion and could not submit to the rigid discipline of the Kirk runs from Scone towards the High-lands after whom ran Montgomery promising if he would return the Kirk would remit part of the Discipline and so he came to St. John's Town But here was no lasting Tranquillity for him for tho' in this time he raised a very numerous Army yet the Kirkmen being beaten at Dunbar as aforesaid by the English began to rail bitterly against those who had called the King in too hastily before he had given true signs of Repentance and they assumed the Kingly Authority so far as to make such Generals of the Kirk Army as they thought sit But Cromwel in the mean time prevails in his Conquests and tho' Scotland were a cold Climate yet he made it too hot for the King and his Army to hold long there and therefore he slips with them to England by the way of Carlile but was followed close at the heels by Lambert and Harrison and soon after by Cromwel himself with the main Army But he arrived at Worcester City with little opposition and there Cromwel came up with him where they joyned Battle but as all his attempts before in his Fathers Cause had proved succesless he met with no better Fortune now he fought in his own Cause nor indeed hardly ever did in all his Life-time by Arms for here his Army was utterly Routed by Cromwel that very day twelve Month he had beaten the Scots at Dunbar 3550 whereof were killed with Duke Hamilton and General Forbes and 5000 taken Prisoners of which number were the Earls of Rothes Kanworth and Kelly the Lords Sinclaer and Monâ—gomery General of the Ordinance and soon after David Lesley who fought not or but little in the Battle was Routed by Colonel Lilburn and together with Lauderdale the Lords Kenmoure and Middleton taken Prisoners The poor King seeing all now irrecoverably lost about six in the Evening marched out at St Martin's Gate leaving all that was valuable but his Life behind him as a prey to the Enemy and being come to a place called Barbon-Bridge he consults with the few followers he had with him what to do among whom it was resolved he should endeavour to get back into Scotland and one Walker who belonged to the Lord Talbots Troop was made choise of to be his Guide Northward But Walker being at a loss when he came to Kinver-Heath and not knowing which way to go the King consulted with the Lords yet about him whither he might repair with most safety to take a few hours rest in regard he found himself quite worn out and spent whereupon the Earl of Derby advised him to go to Bosoobel where in his Flight from Wiggan to Worcester he met with a trusty Person and where there was great conveniency of Concealment This being agreed to Mr. Gifford who knew the way best was appointed to conduct him thither but he proposing to carry him first to White-Ladies a house about half a mile from Boscobel where he might repose himself a while and then take farther Resolutions this was consented to and thither they immediately repaired and were readily entertained by George Pendrel the youngest of the five Brethren By this time the King found himself extream hungry and very much tired with his long and hasty march and here it was that he rubbed his hands and face with the foot of the Chimney had the locks of his hair disorderly cut off and was stripped of his blew Ribbon buff Câ—at and other Princely Ornaments which to prevent a discovery were buryed under Ground and his Case now was not imparallell to his Great Ancestor Robert Bruce King of Scotland who for fear of Edward I. King of England was forced to sculk in the High-Lands and there to live for a time more like a Brute Beast then a Man much less a Prince as we have noted towards the beginning of this History The Kings fine Shirt was also exchanged for a course Canvass one borrowed of one Martin and a suit of Cloaths answerable to it of Richard Pendrells put on by him and then he assumes the name and imployment of a Woodman and so with Richard with a Bill in his hand he went into the Wood while the other Brothers went out to scout It was not above
an entire disappointment of his hopes that way and they to be so beaten as they were never before nor after by the English Fleet. Oliver Cromwel sometime after assuming the Supream Power by the Title of Protector he and Mazarine grew so gracious one with another that France began now to be too hot to hold King Charles so as he was necessitated to retire thence to the Elector of Cologn and afterwards into the Spanish Netherlands where he ordered the English Scots and Irish in those parts which amounted to between four and five thousand Men to joyn the Spaniards to attempt the relief of Dunkirk then besieged by the French and English But herein he was as fatal in his Arms as he had been all along before for the Spanish Army were utterly routed and this defeat broke his whole design so that he never after made use of Arms to recover his Inheritance but retired to Bruges where he stay'd to see the event of things The death of Oliver Cromwell together with the many changes of Government that happened thereupon in England gave new life to his hope and made him go in person to the Pyrenaean Treaty to promote his Interest from whence he returned through France to Bruxells But coming to understand that Sir George Booth and the Cheshire Men were supprest by Lambert it did not a little damp his hopes and made him return again to Bruxells from about St. Maio's where he privately lay in readiness to take Shipping for England upon the first good event of Sir George and others undertakings for him But his Crown was not to be recovered by War how then came he to be restored A grand step towards it was the Rump Parliament's Jealousie of Monk and his Jealousie of them again But what contributed most to it was the unsetled state of the Nation under the many Vicissitudes of Government that had been introduced since the death of the King his Father which made the People very uneasie and long for a Settlement upon any terms and therefore the Convention when they met in order to it on April 25. 1660. did hand overhead without any Preliminaries of asserting the Rights and Liberties of the English so manifestly violated by his Father and Grandfather restore him without any contradiction which did not a little contribute to the succeeding uneasiness of his Reign as well as the Nations trouble But restored he was as aforesaid and on May 25. following Landed at Dover and was received every where with utmost Demonstrations of Joy About October following came over the Queen-Mother seemingly to Treat about a Marriage between Mounsieur of France and her fair Daughter Henrietta Maria But it 's like the Marriage between the King and the Infanta of Portugal was no less designed which was after Consummated and wherein he was as unhappy in respect to Procreation by her as he was fruitful in what ground soever else he sowed his seed which he was Prodigal enough of But there was yet somewhat else of far more dangerous consequence to poor England and more dishonourable to the King that brought the Queen-Mother over and that was the Sale of Dunkirk to the French whose Agent she was in that fine spot of work If the King's Arms whilst an Exile in conjunction with the Spaniards were so unsuccessful in the relief of Dunkirk then Besieged by the joint force of English and French he was much more unhappy in the Sale of it afterward for 400000 l. whereof one moiety was detained for the Portion of Henrietta Maria his Sister and not to the Spaniards who were kind to him in his adverse Fortunes and had most right to it but to the French who had done all they could by their Embassador Bourdeux to hinder his Restoration and on whose side the Ballance then lay which it had been his business to have kept even as his Predecessors the Kings of England were wont to do and particularly Henry 8. and Queen Elizabeth This action I think was us unparallel'd as any can be found in our English Annals It was indeed a Charge against Mary Queen of Scots that she would have transferred her Right of Succession to the English Crown to the then King of Spain Philip 2. but that if true was giving away what was not in her power to dispose of and much such another Donation as that of the Pope's to the Emperor Charles of the Kingdom of Mexico tho with a different fate to both Nations but here was neither Donation force nor any visible necessity but a voluntary act in King Charles to the inestimable damage of England as has been but too sensibly felt to this very day You must note that the gazing World stood a little while amazed at the strange Revolution in England by the King 's easie and pacifick Restoration and with what transports of Joy he was received by the Nation then in a most Warlike posture and as much dreaded by our Neighbours and particularly by the French who had formed designs for an Universal Monarchy But now they were put to a stand to see what such a mighty power and apparently lasting Settlement in England would produce yet finding at length that here all thoughts of Military glory and extention of Dominion seemed wholly to be laid aside and all the severity of the preceding times daily degenerate to the Luxuries of an Effeminate Reign they began to reassume their former design and to prosecute the foundation Cardinal Richlieu had laid for them But that they might make sure work on 't and see that they made a true judgment of the English affairs they resolved to try such an Experiment as would throughly decide the matter and what must that be but overtures for the buying of Dunkirk which succeeding as aforesaid according to their wishes raised their hopes higher than ever of attaining their ends And because they knew well enough that the English were a powerful People by Sea and that while they retained the Soveraignty of it it would be a hard rub in their way they joyn their strength with the Dutch to dispute the Dominion of it with us but the Dutch were as unfortunate in their Allyance in the first Dutch War as the English were in the second when they joyned with them against the Dutch for excepting the time that the English Fleet was divided in the first War and that base business of burning the Ships at Chatham so much to the King and Nations dishonour the Dutch came by the worst of it in all the rest of the Engagements and it was much the same luck the English had by their Conjunction in the second War the French both times standing aloof as looking on and no doubt laughing in their sleeves to see the two most Potent Nations in the World by Sea weaken and destroy one anothe whilst they in the mean time not only saved their own stake but learned how to fight and doubted not but in time
his Army in Torbay he presently Published his Declaration setting forth the Cause of his coming Upon which some of the Nobility and Gentry joyned him and others made Preparations in the remoter parts to declare for him King James upon the News of the Princes Landing ordered his Army to march Westward with a resolution to follow in Person But before he went he thought it requisite to provide for the safety of his darling Prince of Wales whom the Prince of Orange in his Manifesto spread about the Kingdom some days before declared upon just and visible grounds that both himself and all the Good People of England did vehemently suspect not to be born of the Queen's Body Wherefore several Persons were summoned who were present at the pretended birth to declare the truth upon Oath and to have the same registred in Chancery but the King not daring to trust to the validity of these Affadavits which the Nation had all the reason in the world to suspect he ordered the Yonker to be sent away with a strong Guard to Portsmouth that if things went ill he should be convey'd over into France In the mean time the Prince of Orange prospered in his Army and advanced as far as Exeter and was joyned among multitudes of others that flocked in to him daily out of the adjacent Countries by the Lord Cornbury with Three Regiments along with him which he carried off from the King's Army About this time the Prince received also intelligence that the Lord Delamere had declared for him in Cheshire King James being informed of all these things was horribly dismayed and uncertain whether he should go to the Army or no However at length he took up a resolution of going to Salisbury where he began to bleed violently at the Nose which together with the many ill adventures that befell him there as his being forsaken by his own Daughter the Princess Anne Prince George the Duke of Grafton the Lord Churchill and many others who went over to the Prince then at Sherborn all of them dangerous limbs to be lost by him he returned Novemb. 26. in the Evening to London where for an accumulation of the rest of his Misfortunes he received an Address from the Fleet for a Free Parliament So that thinking London nay all England now too hot to hold him he first sent his Queen and pretended Son into France and quickly after followed himself In order thereunto he put himself Aboard a small Smach Commanded by one Captain Saunders but was forced for shelter to put into Eastwall the Eastern part of the Isle of Sheppy in order to the taking in of Ballast where the Inhabitants of Feversham being abroad to pick up Jesuits and other suspected persons met this Vessel and having seized it found this wretched Prince attended only by Sir Edward Hales and Mr. Labady therein who not being at first known were all of them but coarsly handled by the Mobilâ—ty more particularly the King himself who was rifled of what Gold and Jewels he had about him and had his Clothes rent and torn in the searching of him When the Lords at London had notice of his being at Feversham they sent some Persons to attend him to move him to return but they had in the mean time made their application to the Prince of Orange for to assist them for the Security of the Protestant Religion and sent some of their number with Four Aldermen and Eight Commoners to attend him at Henley The King who was detained at Feversham till the aforesaid Orders came from London did December 15. remove to Rochester and from thence next day being Sunday returned to Whitehall attended once more like a King of England with a Troop of Granadiers and three Troops of the Life-guard But it was only Pageant greatness for a set of Boys only followed him through the City and made some Huzza's but the rest of the People silently looked on And here he found the Popish Religious houses laid as flat to the ground as his own heart was now sunk deep in his body Upon his Arrival at London and finding there no ease he desired the Prince that he might return to Rochester again which being granted readily he took his final farewell of the City and went to the foresaid place where he staid till the 23. of December when about One or Two in the Morning he privately withdrew taking only Mr. Shâ—â—don and Delabady along with him with whom he went to Dover and there Embarkt in a Vessel that lay ready for his Transportation to France So he went out like a snuff in England but still retained some glimmering light in Scotland and Ireland in the last of which he arrived in Person the March following But his light in Scotland did not long burn for the Convention there as well as in England rejected him as the Violator of all their Rights and Dundee falling by the Sword the July following 1689 together with the Surrender of Edenburg Castle and other misfortunes quite extinguished his hopes there But in Ireland he had a name to live as King till about a year after when his Army being totally routed at the Boyn by our brave King William he made as much haste to get over into France as if he had been to go to take possession of a Crown instead of running away from one Various Struggles he made still to recover a Regal Life but he prosecuted his ends by such Villanous Methods and Instruments and more especially by setting his Vile Assassins on Work to Murder the best of Kings and bravest of Men our Lawful and Rightful Sovereign King William III. as are not to be mention'd but with utmost Horror But through the goodness of Heaven they have met with as little success as the Practices have been foul and Clandestine and so we leave him to him that made him and withall wish him a far greater proportion of rest and happy Tranquillity in the future World then he hath found of unrest and disquietude here and a much speedier translation into that state then the hast himself hath made to precipitate his own Abdicated fate The Abdicated Throne was filled up by the Advancement of a Prince and Princess to it that England was n'er blest with the like before one in Religion and one in Interest and Affection with the Nation our King Hero-like Fighting our Battels abroad and pray think it not a small thing for England has not enjoy'd such a Blessing these Hundred and fifty years and it has scarce ever been well with us when our Kings did not go in and out before our People and our Queen as wisely and gently Swaying the Scepter at Home to the Gladning of all our Hearts and in all Her excellent Comportment choosing to Rule in the Love and Affections rather than the Fears of Her People Here we promis'd our selves a lasting Tranquility and many happy days to come under the benign influence of her Reign but Alass alass our hopes quickly vanished our Joys faded our Hearts failed us for fear and sable clouds of Despair overshaddowed our whole Isle by Her unexpected by Her early I say by Her early tho' natural Transition from a Corruptible to an Incorruptible Diadem Her gain it was but our loss She tho' young yet ripe for ineffable Joys above And we tho' long inur'd to Tryal unripe for to sustain the loss of Her here below And surely no Prince ever departed this Transitory Life that was so unfeignedly lamented by his Subjects as this incomparable Queen as was apparent by our universal mournful weeds without a demonstration of the blackning sadness of our hearts within The last she was and incomparably the best of the Stuarts that wore a Crown and the Second of that number that went to Her Grave in Peace as Robert II. who was the first of the Stuarts that ever was King was the only other of the Kingly Race that did so I know Mr. Coke says in his Character of King Charles II. That none of His Name hereafter was ever like to have a Stone to cover his Grave as King of England but that I will not say as not pretending to know what is laid up in the Womb of Futurity But if you please after all this Mournful Entertainment I 'll tell you a Story The Lyon on a time called to the Sheep and asked her If his Breath smelt she innocently said Ay which made him bite off her head for a Fool then he called to the Wolf and asked him who reply'd No and his head he bit off for a Flatterer last of all he put the same Question to the Fox but the Fox truly for his part desired to be excused for he had a Cold upon him and could not Smell FINIS Robert Stuart by the Name of Robert II. tho' the first of the Stuarts was crowned King of Scotland Mar. 25. Anno Dom. 1370 Robert III. Alias John Stuart began his Reign An. Dom. 1390. James Stuart I. began his Reign actually Anno 1423. having been a Prisoner in England almost eighteen Years James Stuart II began his Reign March 27. 1437. James Stuart III. began his Reign Anno 1460. James Stuart IV. began his Reign An. 1488. James Stuart V. began his Reign Feb. 14th 1513. James Stuart I. began his Reign over Great-Britain Mar. 24. 1602. †Charles Stuart I. began His Reign over Great Britain March 27 th 1625. Charles Stuart II. assumed the Title of King upon his Father's Death Jan. 30. 1648. Charles Stuart II. Restored to his Dominions An. 166â— James Stuart II. came to the Crown February 6. 1684 5. William of Nassaw III. and Mary Stuart II. began their Reigns Febr. 13. 1688 9.
seeing his Enemies were unprepared of all things necessary for a Siege That his Fleet also which he had prepared to be an help to him at all adventures might be at hand This advice did indeed seem to be sound and real and had been safe enough in all probability in the event had it not been that the Governour of the Castle being corrupted by the opposite Faction excluded him from admittance And now all things conspire to his ruin for the Lords were now at his heels that he could not possibly retire to the Castle of Edenburg again and the Forces raised by the Earls of Huntley Errol Athol and diverse other Noblemen who stuck to him and which they said amounted to the number of Forty Thousand Men being not yet come up he would not stay for them and so with those Forces he had with him hazards a Battle The Battle was at first very fierce and the first Wing of the Nobâ—es Army gave way but the Annandalians and their Neighbours who inhabite the Western parts of Scotland press hard upon the Kings Forces and with their huge Spears much longer than their Adversaries quickly broke the King's main Body who finding now it was in vain to stand it and being injured with the fall of his Horse retires to a Mill that was not far off from the place of Battle with a design as was thought to get aboard his Ships which were not far off where being taken with a few more he was slain It 's not fully agreed who killed him but pursued he was to the foresaid place by Patrick Grey Sterling Keiry and a Priest whose name was Borthick and who it was said being asked by the King for a Confessor roughly replied That though he was no good Priest yet he was a good Leech and with that stab'd him to the Heart And here you see how contemptible the Majesty of a Prince is that is sullied with degenerous actions and there was this further ignominy affixed to his Death That it was enacted in the next Sessions of Parliament that he Justly suffered and strictly forbidden that any who had bore Arms against him or thier descendants should be upbraided therewith Young he was being about 35 years when he died and of them had Reigned near Twenty Eight in the year of our Lord 1488. The Son who had headed this Army is now advanced to the Father's Throne and known by the name of James the IV. being then about Sixteen years of Age. Wood who Commanded the Ships before mentioned was with great difficulty brought to submit and did afterward this King great Service who it seems had some remorse for his contributing so much to his Fathers Death for in token thereof he wore continually an Iron Chain about his middle all the days of his life made frequent visits to Religious places c. all which methinks seems to have been put upon him by some crafty Priest tho Historians are silent in that particular but he had hardly been warm in his Throne when those Nobles that were of his Father's Party sent their Emissaries to all the parts of the Kingdom and exhort one another not to endure the present state of things That so many brave Men should not suffer such publick paricides who had murdred one King and kept the other in servitude so proudly to illude them and to charge them with being guilty of High-Treason who fought for the King's defence and safety but that they should arrogate to themselves who were violators of all Divine and Humane Laws the title of being defenders of the Honour and Dignity of the Commonwealth and preservers of their Country in whose hands the King himself was not free as being enforced first to take up Arms against his Father and King and having wickedly slain him to prosecute his Father's Friends and such ns engaged in his defence by an unjust and Cruel War that was intollerable When many things of this nature had been bandyed about amongst the Common People Alexander Forbes to excite in them a greater hatred towards the present Administration caused the dead King 's bloody Shirt to be hung up on a long Pole and exposed publickly at Aberdeen and other places where there was great concourse of People This being as it were a publick Edict to stir up all Men to revenge so foul a Deed. Nay many of them who had engaged with them actually in the slaughter finding that all things did not go as they would have it now joyned with these Malecontents And as things were transacted in these parts about Aberdeen much to the new King's prejudice Matthew Stewart Earl of Levins a popular and potent Man in his Country summons all such as he had influence over this side the Forth to come to him and having raised a good body of Men finding he could not make his way over Sterling Bridge which was guarded by the Royalists he hastens towards a Ford not far from the River-head at the foot of Mount Grampias with a design to joyn with his Friends in those parts Now when John Drummond had notice hereof by Alexander Mac Alpin his Tenant and who had joyned the Enemy and found plainly that all things were so careless and secure in the Enemies Camp that they dispearsed themselves up and down as every one pleased and had no Centry nor Scouts and destitute of all Military Order and Discipline he immediately with the Courtiers and a few Voluntiers he had with him sets upon them un-a-wares and in a manner all asleep which was in too many of them continued by Death the rest unarm'd run back headlong from whence they came and many were made Prisoners but some known Friends and Acquaintance were let go they were severe only upon such as wrote or spoke very contumeliously of the Government and so this storm blew over and not long after a Parliament was called wherein past a general Act of Indemnity so that now nothing was expected here but Halcyon Days but a Storm quickly arose which terribly shook not only this but the Kingdom of England also by one Perkin Warbeck's pretending himself to be Richard Duke of York and second Son to King Edward IV. and so to have an undoubted Right to the Crown of England He came over from France into Scotland and possest this King so far with a belief of his Right and the Justice of his Cause that he not only gave him the Lady Margaret the Earl of Huntley's Daughter for a Wife but also raised an Army to defend his Cause which took up some Years of his Reign little enough to his or the Kingdoms Commodity and Advantage At last a Truce for some Years was agreed on between him and the King of England and the Consequence of that was first orders for Perkin of whom you may read at large in my Lord Bacon's History of Henry VII to depart the Realm of Scotland then a Marriage between King James and the Lady Margaret