*

ments. All the western shires, and the towns of Ayr, Irvine, and others, immediately came and made their submission, readily offering their duty and service; and, indeed, it must be allowed that Montrose, much contrary to his expectation, found no where so much loyalty and firm attachment to his majesty's interest, as in these western parts; a great many knights and gentlemen of considerable families, and even some of the first rank in that part of the kingdom, taking the first opportunity to join him. But it is proper at present to spare the commendation and praise they deserve, rather than, by naming them, to point them out as objects of the cruelty and resentment of their implacable enemies, for the good-will and affection they bore to their lawful sovereign.

* "After the battle of Kilsyth, Montrose sent Macdonald with a party to the west, to fright them that had not come to express their submission, and to him all did homage; and no where found he so hearty a welcome as at Loudon Castle, where the chancellor's lady embraced him in her arms; and having treated him very sumptuously, sent afterwards her servant John Haldan, with him, to present her service to the Marquis of Montrose."-Guthrie's Memoirs.

CHAP. XV.

The intrigues of Roxburgh, Hume, and Traquair.-The Highlanders desert and return home.-Montrose appointed captain general and lieutenant-governor of the kingdom.-Receives the king's orders to march southward, and to join Traquair and Roxburgh, who deceive him.

MONTROSE now turned his views towards the

the way

for that

purpose,

south borders. To pave he invited the Earls of Hume, Roxburgh, and Traquair to join him, and co-operate in promoting the royal cause. This he wished the more earnestly, as they were men of very great power in that country. He had, besides, great reason to expect their compliance, as they had professed ali along to be zealous friends to the king, and lay under very great obligations to him; for his majesty had raised them from private gentlemen to the first rank of nobility; and had, besides, given them the lieutenancies of the most opulent counties, whereby they amassed considerable riches, even to the envy of their neighbours, and the raising no small prejudice against the king on that account. They had sent a message to Montrose, by some of their principal friends, to assure him, that they were

ready to run all risks under his command and direction, for the service of his majesty, to whom they professed the highest obligations; and would immediately raise what forces they could, and join his army, if he would only march into that country with ever so small a party; since by that means their friends and dependents, and the other people of these shires, would be encouraged by his authority and presence to join him the more cheerfully; and, on the other hand, such as refused might either be compelled to rise, or would at least be easily kept in order. On this account, they earnestly intreated him to comply with their desire, and he should find nothing but the utmost fidelity and readiness in them for the service. These were

fair promises, and apparently sincere; but they were observed with the same faith and exactness usual with most of the king's favourites, who had tasted most liberally of his bounty. However, the Earl of Lanark, brother to the Duke of Hamilton, fell not under this imputation; he acted openly and above board. Montrose earnestly solicited him, by some of his own friends, to return to his fidelity and duty; yet, notwithstanding he had reason to expect not only a pardon for what was past, but likewise his brother's enlargement, he answered in plain terms, that he was resolved to have no correspondence with that side of the question, and would not therefore encourage them with vain hopes. And happy had it been for his majesty, if

all those in whom that good king reposed the most exuberant trust, had, from the beginning of these troubles, spoke out their minds with the same candour and ingenuity.

About the same time, Montrose dispatched the Marquis of Douglas and the Lord Ogilvy into Annandale and Nithsdale, in order, with the assistance of the Earls of Annandale and Hartfield, to raise what horses they could in these counties, and to march directly with such troops as they levied into the estates of Traquair, Roxburgh, and Hume, and thereby oblige them, without farther excuse, to take part in the war. For Montrose, who had now a thorough knowledge of the inclinations and practices of most of the courtiers, and, besides, had often had the experience of the inconstancy and double-dealing of these noblemen, particularly of Traquair, suspected, and not without good ground, that the pretended causes of their delay were entirely affected. Douglas, Hartfield, and Annandale, executed their commission very well, and had soon levied a body of men, which was pretty considerable as to their number; but they consisted mostly of ploughmen and shepherds, and were quite unacquainted with military discipline, though at first they expressed great forwardness, yet they soon lost their courage, and could hardly be kept together; wherefore Douglas entreated Montrose to hasten and meet them at the Tweed with his veteran troops, expecting, that, by his presence and

authority, and the example and company of his experienced soldiers, they might be brought, either willingly or by force, to stand to their duty. In the mean time, in obedience to their orders, they came the length of Strathgala, on purpose to afford an opportunity, and their assistance, if requisite, to Roxburgh and Traquair to raise their men. But this these noblemen had never intended; their views were of a different nature; they had resolved to betray the king's cause, and, as they envied the glory Montrose had acquired by supporting it, to ensnare him into his enemies' hands by fraud, seeing they had no hopes of effecting it by force. And as they were in concert with the covenanters, and knew all their motions, they had certain information, that David Lesly and the whole horse under his command, were on their march to England, and would soon be at hand. This, they thought, would afford a good opportunity for perpetrating their treacherous purposes. For this end they sent frequent messengers, not only to Douglas and his party, but even to Montrose himself, to represent to them, in the strongest terms, that they were ready to expose their own persons to the greatest dangers; but that they could not prevail on their friends and dependents to take arms, and that Montrose's own presence was absolutely necessary to animate and encourage them; and to obtain the greater credit to what they said, they imprecated the heaviest curses upon themselves if