doleful office, for, not many days after, seeing the bloody scaffold, upon which Sir Robert suffered, not yet removed out of the place, he immediately fell into a swoon, and being carried home by his servants and neighbours, died at his own threshold.

To Sir Robert Spotiswood they joined another companion in death, Andrew Guthry, son to the worthy Bishop of Murray, and on that account the more hateful to the covenanters. He was a young man of great bravery and courage; and shewed no less constancy and resolution in despising and suffering death. Blair assaulted him likewise with his insolent threats and scurrilities. To these he answered, that he reckoned it the greatest honour he could receive to suffer death in behalf of so good a king, and in defence of so just a cause; which all present should see he would embrace without fear, and posterity perhaps would report not without praise; for his sins, he humbly begged mercy and forgiveness at the hands of the most gracious God; but with respect to that crime for which he stood condemned, he was under no apprehensions. He encountered death with the greatest fortitude and resolution; having justly deserved a longer life, had Almighty God so thought fit.

And now to put the last scene to this cruel tragedy, after two days breathing they presented, upon the same bloody theatre, William Murray,

brother to the Earl of Tullibardine. Every body' was surprised that the earl, who was in great favour and esteem with the covenanters, had not interceded with them for the life and safety of his only brother. * Some imputed this to his indolence and inactivity; others to his avarice, as aiming at his brother's patrimony; and others to his stupid and superstitious zeal to the cause. However, all men, even the covenanters themselves, condemned his silence upon this occasion as highly indecent and dishonourable. The young gentleman, though hardly nineteen years of age, purchased to himself everlasting renown with posterity by such an honourable and becoming exit. He spoke a few things to the spectators, among which he repeated what follows with a higher tone of voice than the rest, as it was reported to me by those who heard him. "I hope, my countrymen, you will reckon that the house of Tullibardine, and the whole family of Murray, have this day acquired a new and no small addition of honour that a young man, descended of that ancient race, has, though innocent, and in the flower of his age, with the greatest readiness and cheerfulness, delivered up his life for his king, the father of his

Bishop Guthrie relates that the earl was not only silent in his brother's behalf, but by his forwardness contributed his utmost to bring about his and the condemnation of the other prisoners.-Memoirs, p. 206.

country, and the most munificent patron and benefactor of that family from which he is sprung. Let not my honoured mother, my dearest sisters, my kindred, or my friends, lament the shortness of my life, seeing that it is abundantly recompensed by the honour of my death. Pray for my soul, and God be with you."

CHAP. XX.

Montrose solicited by his army to execute his prisoners, in revenge of the death of his friends; but refuses.-Huntly again disappoints him.-Montrose lays siege to Inverness ; but is obliged to raise it, and retires before Middleton.He endeavours to obtain a conference with Huntly, which he shuns.-Huntly takes in the city of Aberdeen.

THE melancholy fate of his friends gave Montrose very great concern; however, it could not shake his constancy and firm resolution of mind, though at no time before it ever received a more severe trial. At the critical moment, while his heart was bleeding for his friends, great numbers in his army, exasperated with the accounts of their disgraceful death, endeavoured what they could to spirit him up to an immediate revenge; they importuned him with the strongest and most earnest solicitations; and while they indulged a just and well founded grief for their friends, they imagined their demand was no more than equitable to insist that he should retaliate the same treat

ment upon the enemy. While their own friends

and relations, men of eminent worth and bravery, and who merited highly for their services to the king, the country, and of the governor himself,

were, notwithstanding the quarter and assurances of safety pledged them, contrary to the custom of war, to the laws of the country, yea to the laws of nature and nations, butchered unrevenged, they were enraged to see such of the rebels as were taken by themselves in battle, kept, not as prisoners, but entertained in a friendly and hospitable manner, and wantonly rejoicing and insulting over the cause of their grief; they insisted, therefore, to have them immediately brought out to execution, as the only effectual method to deter the enemy from practising such cruelty, and to satisfy the impatience of their own people, and confirm them in their duty and obedience. He received their complaints with great condescension, and commended the regard and affection they expressed for their friends he agreed with them that the death of such worthy and innocent subjects ought not to pass unrevenged; but then it ought to be revenged by them in a manner becoming good and brave men; not by cruelty and inhumanity, the characteristics of their wicked enemies, in which their example. was by no means to be followed, but by fair and open war, in which they were to endeavour to vanquish them. He desired them seriously to consider, how great would be the injustice to make those prisoners, who were guiltless of the murders committed by their party, suffer the punishment of others crimes ; especially when assurances of safety had been given them, which ought to be most sacredly observed,