now Marquis of Worcester, of the Lord Glamorgan whom we knew slightly at Ragland, in underhand "Irish Treaties' and such like; whose Century of Inventions is still slightly known to here and there a reader of Old Books. "This Lord Herbert," it seems, "became Duke of Beaufort after the Restoration." For obvious reasons, you are to "beware of his resort to your house at present." A kind of professed Protestant he, but come of rank Papists and Malignants; which may give rise to commentaries. One stupid Annotator on a certain Copy of this Letter says, "his Lordship had an intrigue with Mrs. Claypole;" which is evidently downright stupor and falsehood, like so much else. LETTER CLXXII. UPON the Surrender of Edinburgh Castle, due provision had been made for conveyance of the Public Writs and Registers to what quarter the Scotch Authorities might direct; and "Passes," under the Lord General's hand, duly granted for that end. Archibald Johnston, Lord Register, we conclude, had superintended the operation; had, after much labour, bundled the Public Writs properly together into masses, packages; and put them on shipboard, considering this the eligiblest mode of transport towards Stirling and the Scotch head-quarters at present. But now it has fallen out, in the middle of last month, that the said ship has been taken, as many ships and shallops on both sides now are; and the Public Writs are in jeopardy: whereupon ensues correspondence; and this fair Answer from my Lord General: 'To the Honourable Archibald Johnston, Lord Register of Scotland: These.' MY LORD, Edinburgh, 12th April 1651. Upon the perusal of the Passes formerly given for the safe passing of the Public Writs and Registers of the Kingdom of Scotland, I do think they* ought to *The Writs and Registers. be restored: and they shall be so, to such persons as you shall appoint to receive them; with passes for persons and vessels, to carry them to such place as shall be appointed: so that it be done within one month next following. I herewith send you a Pass for your Servant to go into Fife, and to return with the other Clerks; and rest, Your servant OLIVER CROMWELL.§ Warriston's answer, written on Monday, the 12th being Saturday, is given also in Thurloe. The Lord General's phrase, "perusal of the Passes," we now find is prospective, and means "reperusal," new sight of them by the Lord General; which, Archibald earnestly urges, is impossible; the original Passes being now far off in the hands of the Authorities, and the Writs in a state of imminent danger, lying in a ship at Leith, as Archibald obscurely intimates, which the English Governor has got his claws over, and keeps shut up in dock; with a considerable leak in her, too: very bad stowage for such goods.* Which obscure intimation of Archibald's becomes lucid to us, as to the Lord General it already was when we read this sentence of Bulstrode's, under date 22d March 1650-1: "Letters that the Books and Goods belonging "to the" Scotch "King and Register were taken by the Par"liament's ships; and another ship, laden with oats, meal, "and other provisions, going to Fife: twenty-two prisoners."** For captures and small sea-surprisals abound in the Frith at present; the Parliament-ships busy on one hand; and the "Captain of the Bass," the "Shippers of Wemyss," and the like active persons doing their duty on the other, — whereby infinite "biscuit," and such small ware, is from time to time realised. *** § Thurloe, i. 117. Records of the Laigh Parliament House. *** Balfour, iv. 204, 241, 251, &c. Without doubt the Public Writs were all redelivered, according to the justice of the case; and the term of "one "month" which Archibald pleads hard to get lengthened, was made into two, or the necessary time. Archibald's tone towards the Lord General is anxiously respectful, nay submissive and subject. In fact, Archibald belongs, if not by profession, yet by invincible tendency, to the Remonstrant Ker-and-Strahan Party; and looks dimly forward to a near time when there will be no refuge for him, and the like of him, but Cromwell. Strahan, in the month of January last, is already "excommunicated, and solemnly delivered to the Devil, in the Church of Perth."* This is what you have to look for, from a QuasiMalignant set of men! This Archibald, as is well known, sat afterwards in Cromwell's Parliaments; became "one of Cromwell's Lords;" and ultimately lost his life for these dangerous services. Archibald Johnston of Warriston; loose-flowing Bishop Burnet's uncle by the Mother's side: a Lord Register of whom all the world has heard. Redactor of the Covenanters' protests, in 1637, and onwards; redactor perhaps of the Covenant itself; canny lynx-eyed Lawyer, and austere Presbyterian Zealot; full of fire, of heavy energy and gloom: in fact, a very notable character; of whom our Scotch friends might do well to give us farther elucidations. Certain of his Letters edited by Lord Hailes, ** a man of fine intelligence, though at that time ignorant of this subject, have proved well worth their paper and ink. Many more, it appears, still lie in the Edinburgh Archives. A good selection and edition of them were desirable. But, alas, will any human soul ever again love poor Warriston, and take pious pains with him, in this world? Properly it turns all upon that; and the chance seems rather dubious! *Balfour, iv. 240. ** Memorials and Letters in the reign of Charles I. (Glasgow, 1766). SECOND VISIT TO GLASGOW. THAT Note to Warriston, and the Letter to Elizabeth Cromwell, as may have been observed, are written on the same day, Saturday 12th April 1651. Directly after which, on Wednesday the 16th, there is a grand Muster of the Army on Musselburgh Links; preparatory to new operations. Blackness Fort has surrendered; Inchgarvie Island is beset by gunboats: Colonel Monk, we perceive, who has charge of these services, is to be made Lieutenant-General of the Ordnance: and now there is to be an attack on Burntisland with gunboats, which also, one hopes, may succeed. As for the Army, it is to go westward this same afternoon; try whether cautious Lesley, straitened or assaulted from both west and east, will not come out of his Stirling fastness, so that some good may be done upon him. The Muster is held on Musselburgh Links; whereat the Lord General, making his appearance, is received "with shouts and acclamations," the sight of him infinitely comfortable to us. *The Lord General's health is somewhat reestablished, though he has had relapses, and still tends a little towards ague. "About three in the afternoon" all is on march towards Hamilton; quarters "mostly in the field there." Where the Lord General himself arrives, on Friday night, late; and on the morrow afternoon we see Glasgow again. Concerning which here are two notices from opposite points of the compass, curiously corroborative of one another; which we must not withhold. Face-to-face glimpses into the old dead actualities; worth rescuing with a Cromwell in the centre of them. - The first is from Baillie ;** shows us a glance of our old friend Carstairs withal. Read this fraction of a Letter: "Re"verend and dear Brother, For preventing of mistakes," lest you should think us looselaced, Remonstrant, sectarian individuals, "we have thought meet to advertise you that *Newspapers (in Cromwelliana, p. 102). ** (Glasgow, 22d April 1651) iii. 165. "Cromwell having come to Hamilton on Friday late, and to "Glasgow on Saturday with a body of his Army, sooner than "we could well with safety have retired ourselves,” - there was nothing for it but to stay and abide him here! "On Sun"day forenoon he came unexpectedly to the High Inner Kirk; "where quietly he heard Mr. Robert Ramsay," unknown to common readers, "preach a very honest sermon, pertinent to "his" Cromwell's "case. In the afternoon he came, as unex"pectedly, to the High Outer Kirk; where he heard Mr. John "Carstairs," our old friend, "lecture, and" a "Mr. James "Durham preach, graciously, and weel to the times as "could have been desired." So that you see we are not of the looselaced species, we! "And generally all who preached "that day in the Town gave a fair enough testimony against "the Sectaries." Whereupon, next day, Cromwell sent for us to confer with him in a friendly manner. "All of us did "meet to advise," for the case was grave: however, we have decided to go; nay are just going; — but, most unfortunately, do not write any record of our interview! Nothing, except some transient assertion elsewhere that "we had no disadvantage in the thing."* So that now, from the opposite point of the compass, the old London Newspaper must come in; curiously confirmatory: "SIR, We came hither" to Glasgow "on Saturday last, "April 19th. The Ministers and Townsmen generally stayed "at home, and did not quit their habitations as formerly. The "Ministers here have mostly deserted from the proceedings "beyond the Water," at Perth, and are in fact given to Remonstrant ways, though Mr. Baillie denies it: "yet they are equally dissatisfied with us. But though they preach "against us in the pulpit to our faces, yet we permit them "without disturbance, as willing to gain them by love. 66 - "My Lord General sent to them to give us a friendly "Christian meeting, To discourse of those things which they "rail against us for; that so, if possible, all misunderstandings "between us might be taken away. Which accordingly they * Baillie, iii. 168. |
