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for all the rubs and discouragements I perceive your excellence hath had of late, I trust you will not be disheartened to go on, and crown that work you did so gloriously begin, and had achieved so happily, if you had not been deserted in the nick. In the end God will surely set up again his own anointed, and, as I have been, confident from the beginning, make your excellence a prime instrument of it. One thing I must humbly recommend to your excellence, that, as you have done always hithertill, so you will continue, by fair and gentle carriage, to gain the people's affection to their prince, rather than to imitate the barbarous inhumanity of your adversaries, although they give your excellence too great provocations to follow their example.

Now, for my last request, in hope that the poor service I could do hath been acceptable to your excellence, let me be bold to recommend the care of my orphans to you, that when God shall be pleased to settle his majesty in peace, your excellence will be a remembrancer to him in their behalf; as also in behalf of my brother's house, that hath been, and is mightily oppressed for the same respect. Thus being forced to part with your excellence, as I lived, so I die, your Excellency's most humble and faithful servant,

St Andrew's Castle,

Jan. 19, 1646.

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Ro. SPOTISWood.

For the Lord Marquis of Montrose his Excellence.

No. IX.

Three Letters from the King, when he was with the Scots Army at Newcastle, to the Marquis of Montrose, containing his Orders to the Marquis for disbanding his Forces, and going to France.

MONTROSE,

I AM in such a condition as is much fitter for relation than writing, wherefore I refer you to this trusty bearer

Robin Ker, for the reasons and manner of my coming to this army; as also what my treatment hath been since I came, and my resolutions upon my whole business: This shall, therefore, only give you positive commands, and tell you real truths, leaving the why of all to this bearer. You must disband your forces, and go into France, where you shall receive my further directions. This at first may justly startle you, but I assure you, that if, for the present, I should offer to do more for you, I could not do so much, and that you shall always find me your most assured, constant, real, and faithful friend,

Newcastle, May 19, 1646.

MONTROSE,

CHARLES R.

I ASSURE you, that I no less esteem your willingness to lay down arms at my command, for a gallant and real expression of your zeal and affection to my service, than any of your former actions; but I hope that you cannot have so mean an opinion of me, that, for any particular or worldly respects, I could suffer you to be ruined. No, I avow that it is one of the greatest and truest marks of my present miseries, that I cannot recompense you according to your deserts; but, on the contrary, must yet suffer a cloud of the misfortune of the times to hang over you; wherefore I must interpret those expressions in your letter concerning yourself, to have only relation to your own generosity; for you cannot but know that they are contrary to my unalterable resolutions, which, I assure you, I neither conceal nor mince, for there is no man who ever heard me speak of you that is ignorant that the reason which makes me at this time send you out of the country, is, that you may return home with the greater glory, and, in the mean time, to have as honourable an employment as I can put upon you. This trusty bearer, Robin Ker, will tell you the care I have had of all your friends and mine, to whom albeit I cannot promise such conditions as I would, yet they will be such as, all things considered, are most fit for them to accept; wherefore, I renew my former directions of laying down arms unto you, desir

ing you to let Huntly, Crawfurd, Airly, Seaforth, and Ogilvy know, that want of time hath made me now omit to reiterate my former commands unto them, intending that this shall serve for all; assuring them, and all the rest of my friends, that, whensoever God shall enable me, they shall reap the fruits of their loyalty and affection to my service. So I rest your most assured, constant, real, faithful friend,

Newcastle, June 15, 1646.

MONTROSE,

CHARLES R.

THE most sensible part of my many misfortunes is, to see my friends in distress, and not to be able to help them; and, of this kind, you are the chief; wherefore, according to that real freedom and friendship which is between us, as I cannot absolutely command you to accept of unhandsome conditions, so I must tell you, that I believe your refusal will put you in a far worse estate than your compliance will. This is the reason that I have told this bearer, Robin Ker, and the commissioners here, that I have commanded you to accept of Middleton's conditions, which really I judge to be your best course, according to this present time, for, if this opportunity be let slip, you must not expect any more treaties; in which case, you must either conquer all Scotland, or be inevitably ruined. That you may make the clearer judgment what to do, I have sent you here inclosed the chancellor's answers to your demands; whereupon, if you find it fit to accept, you may justly say I have commanded you; and, if you take another course, you cannot expect that I can publicly avow you in it, until I shall be able, which God knows how soon that will be, to stand upon my own feet; but, on the contrary, seem to be not well satisfied with your refusal, which I find clearly will bring all this army upon you, and then I shall be in a very sad condition, such as I shall rather leave to your judgment, than seek to express; however, you shall always find me to be your most assured, real, constant, faithful friend, CHARLES R.

Newcastle, July 16, 1646.

P. S. Whatsoever you may otherwise hear, this is truly my sense, which I have ventured freely unto you without a cypher, because I perceive this to be coup de partie.

No. X.

A Letter from the King to the Marquis of Montrose, congratulating him on his safe Arrival in the Low Countries, after disbanding his Army, and recommending him to the Queen.

MONTROSE,

HAVING no cypher with you, I think not fit to write but what I care not though all the world read it. First, then, I congratulate your coming to the Low Countries, hoping, before this, that ye are safely arrived at Paris; next, I refer you to this trusty bearer for the knowledge of my present condition, which is such, as all the directions I am able to give you is, to desire you to dispose of yourself as my wife shall advise you, knowing that she truly esteems your worth, for she is mine, and I am your most assured, real, faithful, constant friend, CHARLES R.

Newcastle, Jan. 21, 1646-7.

A Letter from the Queen to the Marquis, thanking him for his past services.

MON COUSIN,

AUSSI-TOT que j'ai appris votre arriveé en Hollande, je vous ai voulu faire cette lettre, pour vous donner toujours des assurances de la continuation de l'estime que j'ai des services que vous avez rendu au roy mon seigneur. Je ne fais point de doute de la continuation, lorsque vous le pourrez; vos actions m'en ont donné trop evidentes preuves pour en douter; comme aussi j'espere que vous croyez, qu'il n'y a rien qui puisse être en mon pouvoir pour vous en faire paroitre mes resenti

mens que je ne fasse. J'ai chargè Ashburnham de vous parler plus particulierment de quelque chose pour le service du roy; me remittans a lui, a qui vous pouvez prendre entiere confiance; je finirai avec cette assurance encore, que je suis tres entierement, Mon Cousin, votre affectioneé cousine, et constante amie,

Paris, ce 15 Mars 1647.

COUSIN,

HENRIETA MARIA R.

So soon as I heard of your arrival in Holland, I resolved to write this letter, assuring you, that I still very much value the service you have done the king my husband. I am persuaded you will continue your faithful service to the utmost of your power. Your actions have afforded such plain proofs of your fidelity and zeal, that I cannot doubt of them; and I hope you will believe that I will do all that is in my power to shew you my grateful sense of your good services. I have ordered Ashburnham to speak more particularly with you, of something that concerns the king's service. Referring you to him, in whom you may entirely confide, I conclude with this further assurance, that I am entirely, Cousin, your affectionate cousin, and constant friend, HENRIETA MARIA R.

Paris, March 15, 1647.

This letter plainly refers to what is related in p. 277, and following pages of this history, when Ashburnham was sent to Montrose on his way to Paris, to dissuade him from going forward; for the Lord Jermyn and the Presbyterians were afraid that the queen, by embracing Montrose's advice, would break their measures.

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