to the Scottish and English nobility there, and then they began their progress to Scotland in the greatest state. Many of the Scottish nobility met them on the border, and their train increased at every step in their progress towards the capital, where their arrival was proclaimed by the sound o. trumpets, and they were received by the magistrates in their robes. All but Leighton, who was distinguished from the rest by his learning and simplicity of manners, exhibited their new dignities ostentatiously, and conti

begun in London. Sharp, as primate, brought with him a magnificent carriage, and drove about with footmen in purple liveries.

directly oppose it, hesitated in accepting it in the same manner as the rest. This was lord Tweedale, who, opposed in his heart to the change, suggested the propriety of consulting with the provincial synods. Determined to crush at once the slightest spirit of opposition in the council, Middleton immediately obtained a royal order for imprisoning Tweedale, on the pretext that he had spoken in council in favour of Guthrie, and had in his place in parliament not voted for his death. He was not allowed the plea of privilege, and it was only on acknow-nued the round of feasting which they had ledging his fault, that he obtained so much favour as to be allowed to be confined in his own seat. He being thus removed from the council, there was no longer the least ap- The new bishops made their entry into pearance of hesitation in carrying out the Edinburgh on the 7th of May, 1662. Next king's intentions, and a proclamation was day the parliament recommenced its sitting, drawn up and published, announcing the and the re-establishment of the prelacy in all restoration of bishops, prohibiting synodal its old privileges and immunities was one of meetings, and forbidding any one to preach the first businesses on which it was engaged. or talk against the change on pain of im- An act for the restoration of bishops was prisonment. It was followed by a procla- passed without any delay, so large and liberal mation addressed to the boroughs, com- in its character, that it not only gave them manding them in indirect terms to elect all prerogatives and privileges, spiritual or none for their magistrates but those who temporal, which had been held by their order were in favour of episcopal government, before, but approved and ratified by anticipa which was obeyed everywhere without the tion whatever should be agreed between slightest resistance. The only difficulty them and the king thereafter. The bishops that now presented itself was how to were in waiting while this act passed, and ordain the bishops, for there was only one immediately after the vote a deputation comremaining of the old bishops, Sydserf, to be posed from each estate was sent out to them restored, and one bishop was not sufficient to invite them to resume their places in the to consecrate others. In this dilemma, a house, on which they immediately went in commission was addressed to the bishops of and took their places among the earls to the London and Worcester, authorising them to right of the king's commissioner. Other perform the ceremony, for which purpose acts of the most arbitrary kind, followed imJames Sharp, Andrew Fairfoul, and James mediately. By one, the national covenants Hamilton, were summoned to London, where were declared unlawful, and as such null and they were met by Robert Leighton. The void, the acts of assembly which approved of Scottish ministers at first refused to undergo them were denounced as seditious, and puthe process of reordination by the English nishments of a serious character were declared bishops, as a degradation to which their against all writing, preaching, or praying consciences would not allow them to submit; which questioned directly or indirectly the but as the English episcopal clergy in- king's supremacy in ecclesiastical matters, or sisted that presbyterian ordination was per- the episcopal form of church government. fectly invalid, the persons who had already By another, every person assuming or holding given up the principle, were persuaded an office of trust was required to declare that without much difficulty to yield the form. he believed it unlawful for subjects, under The ceremony was performed in Westminster- any pretence of reformation to enter into abbey with great magnificence, Sharp being covenants or take up arms against their soveconsecrated archbishop of St. Andrews, and reign, and he was to condemn and disown therefore primate of Scotland, Leighton all that had been done by remonstrance or bishop of Dunblane, Fairfoul bishop of petition during the late troubles. This act Glasgow, and Hamilton bishop of Galloway. is said to have been especially aimed against The new bishops remained some time in the earls of Crawford and Lauderdale, but London, giving magnificent entertainments the latter spoke of it with derision, for his

conscience was of that easy kind which would allow him to take any oath that might be required of him. Another act restored the right of patronage, and all ministers who had entered upon any cure, since 1659, without being presented to it by a lawful patronage, were deprived of their benefices, unless they procured within four months legal titles and were instituted in a regular manner by their bishop. This was, in fact, a far more sweeping measure than the establishment of episcopal government by king James; the presbyterian church was treated with much greater contempt, and the pretensions and powers of the bishops were much higher.

infants, while others were dead, and others again had been living abroad during the whole time of the troubles, in which they had taken no part whatever.

Lauderdale's opposition to the act of fines was seized upon for the occasion of an attempt to ruin him. Clarendon, who was jealous of his influence with the king, was as anxious as Middleton to procure his disgrace, and they agreed to act in unison. While the act of fines was in progress in Scotland, the laird of Tarbet, one of Middleton's creatures, was dispatched to London, ostensibly to carry up the bill of indemnity, but with secret instructions to obtain the These acts were followed by another exer- consent of the English council to a clause cise of Middleton's influence for a pernicious by which a certain number of persons, to purpose. Lauderdale had been anxious all be named by parliament, should be declared. along to obtain an act of oblivion, and the incapable of holding any place of public great objection with which he had to contend trust. This clause was intended to ruin was, that the church was not yet settled. Lauderdale, who opposed it strenuously, This objection was now removed, and he pointing out its injustice and its oppressive again pressed for the act of oblivion. Mid-character. Crawford, who also saw its dedleton, seeing that it was useless to oppose sign, joined in the opposition, and pointed this measure any longer, attempted partially to defeat it by proposing that, in consideration of the number of royalists who had heen ruined in the defence of the crown, and that so many persons had preserved their estates entire by complying with the government of the usurpation, the latter should be subject to fines for the relief of the others. The oppressive character of such an act must have been evident to everybody, and the extensive manner in which it might be abused for the mere purpose of enriching Middleton and his friends. Lauderdale opposed it as much as he could, and contended against putting any ungenerous limitation on the act of oblivion; but Middleton's proposal was carried, with the alteration of limiting the fines to one year's rent, and restricting its application to such offences only as had occurred since the previous act of indemnity. But these limitations were little attended to, and this act became the pretext for the most iniquitous proceedings. Its administration was placed in the hands of a secret committee of Middleton's friends, who were not required to give any account of their proceedings, and long lists of persons were drawn up, who were condemned to plunder in the shape of arbitrary fines levied upon them only because they were known to be able to pay, and from which there was no appeal whatever. So carelessly were these lists made up, that we are assured that some of the persons named in them were mere

out very artfully that it was a new attempt to deprive the king of the right of appointing his own servants. But the duke of York and the duke of Ormond joined with Clarendon, influenced by the same spirit of hostility to Lauderdale, in supporting the proposal brought by Tarbet, and the king was induced to give his warrant for making incapable of any places of public trust twelve persons to be named by parliament. So far Middleton was successful in his plans against the secretary, but he embarked too rashly in his projects of revenge and plunder, and his own imprudence in the end defeated them. Such was the case in the present instance. While engaged in the plot against Lauderdale, he was busily pursuing his revenge against Lorn, whom he hated because he had been allowed to inherit his father's estates, in the confiscation of which the commissioner hoped to have shared largely. Lorn, though in favour with the king, had been exposed to some new act of injustice, through the means of Middleton, and in a private letter to his friend lord Duffus, he complained of this treatment, and expressed a hope that he should be able to purchase the friendship of a great man at court, meaning Clarendon, and that in the end the king would be made to see the tricks of those who were now deceiving him." This letter was intercepted at the post-office, and sent immediately to Middleton, who laid it before the parliament, at the same time

bringing a charge against Lorn of leasing-subject and obtaining his approval and aumaking, because he said the expressions thority, he ratified it by the touch of the just quoted were designed to create distrust sceptre. The utmost care had been taken between the king and his ministers. In- to stop all the ways of communication with structions were accordingly sent to Tarbet England, so that no information could be to press the king to cause Lorn to be sent sent except such as was approved by the down to Scotland to be put upon his trial. commissioner, but Lorn contrived to elude Although, the king spoke with contempt of his vigilance, and to convey full information the accusation, he yielded to the demand of to Lauderdale before any official intelligence Middleton, and it required all Lauderdale's reached court. The secretary immediately personal interest, and his giving himself as carried this information to the king, and bail, to prevent Lorn being sent down as a artfully communicated it to him in terms prisoner. Charles, however, sent express which he knew were best calculated to act orders that no sentence should be carried upon his temper. He said that in former into execution, until he had been consulted times commissioners had been in the habit with, and this order alone saved the life of of consulting the king before they sanctioned the accused. Lorn, knowing perfectly well the commonest acts of parliament, but here what kind of tribunal he stood before, at- was one who put away the king's own sertempted no defence, but enumerated the vants, without taking the trouble to ask him various persecutions to which he had been whether it were agreeable to him or not. subjected, and urged that it was natural Clarendon, who had received no informaenough, in writing privately to a friend, to tion in the matter, imagined that it was a express himself warmly. He declared, how- mere tale of Lauderdale's, and condemned ever, that he had designed no harm to any such a proceeding unhesitatingly as an inone, and he threw himself upon the justice vasion of the royal prerogative of such a of the parliament and upon the king's mercy. dangerous description that the king might The parliament basely yielded to Middle- be deprived against his will of his most ton's influence and condemned him to death, but the king granted him his pardon. Lorn knew that he owed his escape mainly to Lauderdale, and he found almost immediately an opportunity of showing his gratitude. In carrying out the proposal which had been carried to court by Tarbet, the king, without informing Lauderdale, sent to Middleton an order for five resident councillors at the court in England, leaving to him the nomination. Middleton, now sure of his triumph over the secretary, proceeded to carry out his plans with too great precipitation. To avoid openly attacking the ministers, at whose expulsion from office he aimed, he caused to be brought into liament an act for incapacitating twelve persons whose names were to be decided by ballot, and although according to the words of the act this ballot was to be conducted with the greatest fairness, he procured, while the act was in preparation, lists to be made so as to ensure the insertion of the names of the earls of Crawford and Lauderdale among the twelve who were to be excluded from office. The act was passed through with the utmost haste, and so anxious was Middleton to get this proceeding completed before Lauderdale knew anything of what was going on, that immediately it was voted, without consulting the king on the

par

faithful and loyal servants. The consequence was, that when at length the deputation from Scotland arrived with the act, they were received very coldly, and the king throwing it aside, told them that he should not in this case follow the advice of his parliament of Scotland, but that their secret should not be allowed to transpire.

While Middleton was thus committing errors which were calculated to undermine his influence at court, his rash and violent proceedings against the presbyterians were involving him in difficulties and embarrassments at home. The day after the close of the parliamentary session in September, summonses were issued for the holding of the diocesan meetings of the church throughout the kingdom about the middle of October. About the same time Middleton, no longer held in the capital by the duties of parliament, entered upon a progress to the west, accompanied by a sufficient number of the privy council to form a quorum. Wherever they stopped, the commissioner and his companions distinguished themselves by such revolting scenes of debauchery as gave scandal to the whole neighbourhood, and were little calculated to gain over converts to episcopacy from a people who were distinguished for their sobriety. He found everywhere the

presbyterian ministers manifesting the most accusation against the king's commissioner decided hostility to the new church govern- in Scotland, and he was summoned to ment, and they were strengthened in their London to make his defence. The charges resolution to refuse the oaths by the exam- were, that he had practised deception both ple of resistance which had been set them upon the king and upon the parliament; in England on the act of uniformity. When that he had presumed to pass acts of high Middleton reached Glasgow, the archbishop importance without consulting the king, one of that see, Fairfoul, complained bitterly of of which took from the king the power of the insubordination of his clergy, few of pardoning the sins of those forfeited in the whom would acknowledge him as their spiri- last parliament, and even declared the royal tual superior, and represented that nothing pardon null and void if he should sign any; seemed likely to remedy the evil but an that he allowed the guilty to escape for money, increased application of force. A meeting while he fined the loyal and the innocent; of the council was held, at which all the that he had mismanaged the public money, members present were drunk except two, and and empowered himself to name a receiver an order was there passed that all the minis- of the fines which belonged to the king; ters of the kirk who had entered upon their and above all, that he had attempted to incures since the year 1649 and had not regu- troduce what Lauderdale termed a species lar presentations, or who should not have of ostracism, the idea of which, he alleged, received collations from bishops, should be was borrowed from the democracy of the deprived of their stipends due for the past Athenians, and which was not to be peryear, driven with their families from their mitted under any monarchy, whereby the first dwellings, and not permitted to reside ministers of the state were to be condemned within the bounds of their respective pres- by ballot, and, without accusation or trial, byteries. In consequence of this arbitrary were to be exposed to the hidden malice of act, which the commissioner persisted in their enemies, without any opportunity of enforcing in spite of the expostulations of justification or defence, and without even all prudent men, upwards of three hun- allowing the king himself to know their dred ministers preferred undergoing its crimes or have the occasion for exercising penalties to compliance, and were driven his prerogative. The whole of Lauderdale's from their homes. Their exemplary con- accusation was drawn up in the ablest duct under persecution raised such a power- manner, and well calculated to produce an ful feeling through the country, and the effect upon the king's prejudices and pasresult appeared so alarming, that the coun- sions. Middleton was most anxious to cil, on their return to Edinburgh, became meet the charge of invading the king's convinced of the error they had committed, prerogative, to which he almost entirely and summoned the two archbishops to con- confined his reply; but his best chance of sult with them on the best means of re- success lay in the advocacy of Clarendon, trieving it A proclamation was agreed who, with the bishop of London (Shelden), upon, by which liberty was given to all the and others, spoke earnestly in his favour, ministers who had been deprived of their dwelling upon the great services he had livings by the recent act, to obtain presenta- performed, especially in that important work tions from the patrons and collation from of establishing episcopacy in Scotland, which the bishops, before the 1st of February they said ought to outweigh a single fault, following; and this was combined with and that only one which had arisen from threats of severer punishment for non-com- his too great earnestness in the king's serpliance. New acts of persecution were at the same time adopted against the more distinguished of the non-compliers, in order to strike terror into the rest. It was at this moment that Middleton was relieved from the embarrassments he had been creating for himself in Scotland, by being recalled to London, where Lauderdale had skilfully improved the advantage he had gained over him in the affair of the clause of exceptions in the act of oblivion. Lauderdale had now drawn up a regular

vice. But Lauderdale had so successfully worked upon the king's mind, that even Clarendon's voice had not its former effect, and a new imprudence of Middleton's completed his own ruin. The disposa of the money collected under the bill of fines was one of the subjects on which Lauderdale had excited the king's jealousy, and a royal letter was now, on the 23rd of January, dispatched to the council in Scotland, forbidding the exacting of the first moiety of the fines until the king's further pleasure

land, and the office of governor of Edinburgh-castle, which had been held by Middleton, was given to Lauderdale. It was said that Lauderdale owed much of his success on this occasion to the influence of the king's mistress, the duchess of Cleveland.

were known, and discharging the collector | Rothes was appointed commissioner to Scotappointed by Middleton. The latter, foreseeing with alarm that the effect of this proceeding would be the destruction of much of his influence in Scotland by showing his friends that he was no longer able to reward them, wrote a letter to the chancellor, Glencairn, ordering him not to act upon the king's order. The council, accordingly, recalled the proclamation which they had prepared in obedience to Charles's letter. Information of these proceedings were immediately conveyed to Lauderdale, and by him represented to the king in the manner most disadvantageous to the commissioner, who was sent for immediately, and pleaded in his defence that he had had the king's verbal consent to what he did. This the king denied, it was said that he had forgotten the circumstance, but his anger was so effectually excited, that he dismissed Middleton from all his offices. The earl of

Middleton remained some time in London, where he had fallen into obscurity. He was subsequently sent out as governor of Tangiers, which was looked upon as no better than a kind of honorary banishment. There he continued his debauched way of living, and in a fit of drunkenness he fell down a staircase, and broke his right arm in such a manner that the bone protruded from the flesh. Owing perhaps partly to the unskilfulness of his physicians, a mortification took place, which ended in the death of this unprincipled nobleman, whose administration had brought so many misfortunes upon his unhappy country.

CHAPTER II.

LAUDERDALE AT THE HEAD of AFFAIRS; ARBITRARY PROCEEDINGS OF THE GOVERNMENT; COURT OF HIGH COMMISSION RESTORED; INCREASED PERSECUTIONS; RISING IN THE WEST, AND BATTLE OF PENTLAND; PROPOSALS FOR A UNION.

THE spring of the year 1663 found the kirk in the western districts of Scotland almost without ministers, nearly all the benefices having been vacated by the refusal of their incumbents to comply with the terms required by the Glasgow act. To make up this deficiency, a number of young men, who had hitherto been rejected from the ministry on account of their imperfect learning or for their immorality of life, were brought from the north, and, as the bishops were not very exacting in either of the two qualifications alluded to, they were quickly collated to the vacant livings. Contemporary writers of all parties agree in representing the conduct of these men as generally a disgrace to their profession, and they were so much disliked by the people, who called them contemptuously "bishops' curates," that on their arrival to take possession of their cures, they were not unfrequently received with showers of stones, and their church-doors were barricaded against

them. Two consequences soon followed from this state of things. In the first place, the churches were deserted by their congregations, who either travelled to a distance to hear the preaching of some one of the old ministers who had not fallen under the terms of the Glasgow act, or passed their sabbath in their own houses, reflecting bitterly on the evil times which had fallen upon them. On the other hand, the ejected ministers, who alone enjoyed the popular confidence, being deprived of their pulpits, admitted people to their family devotions, which soon became so crowded, that they were obliged to perform them outside their doors, and adjourn thence into the fields. Thus originated the practice of field-preaching, which increased so rapidly, that the bishops became seriously alarmed.

Such was the state of things when Rothes, as the commissioner for the king, proceeded to Scotland to open the parliament. He was accompanied by Lauderdale, who, under