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such as were either ignorant, insufficient, and endeavoured by all means, ecclesiastical scandalous, or erroneous. In the same and proper for us, to promote the good spirit they repressed the violence of the thereof, together with the quiet of the kingCameronians, while they received them dom and your majesty's contentment, God affectionately into their communion. The hath been pleased to bless our endeavours Cameronian ministers elected to the assem- in our receiving to the unity and order of bly presented a long paper, in which they this church some who had withdrawn and congratulated their brethren on their de- now have joined us; and in providing for livery from tyranny and prelacy, and called the promoting of religion and the knowfor an inquiry into the backslidings of so ledge of God in the most barbarous places many of their brethren during the period of of the highlands, which may be the sure trial, dwelling especially upon "the sinful way of reducing these people also to your compliances of ministers in laying aside the majesty's obedience; and especially in reguexercise of the sacred office at the command lating the ministers of the church, after so of the magistrate," and on their "submit- great revolutions and alterations; for we ting to and encouraging others to submit to have, according to the use and practice of the ministrations of curates, and not testi- the church ever since the first reformation fying against the horrid violations of the from popery, appointed visitations both for solemn covenants with God; the late tolera- the southern and northern parts of the tion as proceeding from an usurped absolute kingdom, consisting of the gravest and most power; and the admitting to sealing ordi- experienced ministers and elders, to whom nances many who had sworn the wicked we have given instructions that none of oaths, persecuted the godly, and habitually them be removed from their places but such complied with prelacy." As this paper was as are either insufficient, or scandalous, or calculated to open all the sores which the erroneous, or supinely negligent; and that king wished to be healed, it was quietly those of them be admitted to the minispassed over in a committee; and the proclama- terial communion with us, who, upon due tion of the causes for a general fast, in which trial, and a competent time for that trial, the Cameronians or society-men wished to shall be found to be orthodox in doctrine, make a particular declaration of all their of competent abilities, of a godly, peaceable, past grievances, was expressed in such gen- and loyal conversation, and who shall be eral terms, as to carry offence to none, unless judged faithful to God and to the governit were the violent partisans of king James. ment, and who shall likewise own, submit Among other subjects of consideration, the unto, and concur with it. We have also assembly turned their attention particularly taken care that all persons who have received to the erection of schools and distribution of wrong in any inferior judicatory of this bibles and new testaments in the highlands, church shall be duly redressed." in which they received great assistance from their friends in England. Three thousand bibles, one thousand new testaments, and three thousand catechisms, were printed in the Gaelic language in London, and sent to the assembly to be distributed under their directions. At the close of their meeting, which ended apparently in mutual satisfaction, the assembly drew up a report of their proceedings to be sent to the king, in which they stated:-"We engaged to your majesty that, in all things that should come before us, we should carry ourselves with that calmness and moderation which becometh the ministers of the gospel of grace; so now, in the close of the assembly, we presume to acquaint your majesty that, through the good hand of God upon us, we have in a great measure performed accordingly. Having applied ourselves mostly and especially to what concerned this whole church,

From all we know, we have every reason to believe, that the great majority of the episcopal curates were men very unworthy to act as ministers of the gospel, who had been chosen for the willingness with which they sacrificed all conscientious feelings to their personal interests in complying with the arbitrary measures of the government; and they were now willing to conform and take any oath that was required from them in order to preserve their livings. The consequence was, as the commissioners appointed to conduct the visitation were ordered to act with forbearance, a great number of unfaithful ministers was admitted into the presbyterian church who were eventually the cause of much domestic trouble. The number ejected was very small; some were displaced to make way for the return of the few ministers who now survived of those who had been turned out of their parishes for their

presbyterianism, and some, also few in assembly met on the 15th of January, 1692, number, were obliged to relinquish their and the earl read a letter from the king in benefices because, believing in the speedy which the ministers composing it were rerestoration of king James, they refused to proached for not having fulfilled their protake the oath of allegiance to king William. mises of moderation, and were told that they These were among the first to cry out against were only a party in the church, as a arge the proceedings of the commissioners ap-number of ministers, not less than thempointed by the assembly; and the episcopal selves, were not allowed to be represented. party in general, quite forgetting the manner The king informed them that it was his in which their benefices had been originally pleasure that all such of the episcopalian usurped by them and the persecutions to ministers as were willing to sign the conwhich the presbyterians had been exposed, fession of faith and bind themselves tr filled the land with complaints of their hard- submit to the presbyterian assemblies and ships and of the injustice with which theywere judicatories, should be admitted freely to treated. The press soon teemed with scurri- sit and act in them, and further, that all lous pamphlets against the presbyterians, and commissions appointed by the assemblies the jacobites immediately allied themselves should in future consist of presbyterian with the episcopalians, and joined with hypo- ministers and episcopalian ministers who critical zeal for the threatened liberties of had conformed, in equal numbers. Wilthe country and against the attempt at liam had not calculated prudently in imaestablishing arbitrary power. This agitation gining that the honest presbyterians, howacted in an unfortunate manner on the mind ever they might be inclined to moderation of the king. On his return from Ireland, or indulgence, would willingly consent to all the Scottish nobles who from their acts admit as fellow-rulers of their church the or opinions might in any way be suspected men who had so recently been its perseof complicity in Montgomery's conspiracy, cutors; and their reluctance was increased proceeded to London to obtain his pardon. by the behaviour of the episcopalian minisThese took part with the episcopalians, gave ters themselves, who no sooner thought false and exaggerated accounts of the tyranny that they had obtained the king's favour, of the presbyterians, and pretended that it than they began to act rudely and offenwas the fear of them alone which had driven sively, pushing forward their demands in a them to oppose William's government, pro- form and manner which showed plainly mising that, if he would give them protec- how little moderation or indulgence they tion against their fanatical violence, they were likely to show if they once attained would support his crown and the govern- to power. The king was disappointed and ment as then established. William, in his offended at the little inclination which wish to conciliate the different parties, gave the assembly showed to comply with his faith to these deceitful professions. He re- wishes, and after it had sat nearly a month, moved from their offices the earl of Mel- the commissioner received orders for its ville and his friends, and appointed sir John dissolution, which were executed in an abDalrymple secretary of state, and the earl rupt and irregular manner. He rose up in of Tweeddale chancellor. He also ad- his place in the assembly, and suddenly dressed a letter to the commissioners of addressed the moderator in the following the general assembly, requiring them to words:-"Moderator, what I said last had act still more indulgently towards the episcopalian curates who were willing to conform; but the commissioners considered themselves bound to act only according to the instructions given them by the general assembly.

At length, vexed with the discord which the dispute between the presbyterians had raised, after a year of continued irritation, the king determined to call another general assembly, hoping that it would so far compromise matters with the episcopalians as to allay the general discontent, and he chose for his commissioner the earl of Lothian. The

so little success, that I intend to give you no more trouble of that nature-only this: you have now sat about a month, which was a competent time both to have done what was the principal design in calling this assembly, of uniting with your brethren, and to have done what else related to the church; but his majesty perceiving no great inclination among you to comply with his demands, hath commanded me to dissolve this present general assembly. So I, in their majesties' name and authority, do dissolve this present general assembly." This announcement was received without any clamour, but the mode

rator asked if that assembly were to be dis- | office-bearers in the house of God have a solved without naming a day for the meeting spiritual intrinsic power from Jesus Christ, of another, as had in former times been the only head of the church, to meet in the practice. The earl replied that his ma- assemblies about the affairs thereof, the jesty would appoint another in due season, necessity of the same being first represented of which they would receive timely notice; to the magistrate. And further, I humbly and, upon an attempt of the moderator to crave that the dissolution of this assembly, expostulate, he told him that he could without inditing a new one to a certain day, now no longer be heard except as a private may not be to the prejudice of our yearly individual. Accordingly, in this private general assemblies granted us by the laws of capacity, the moderator proceeded to say: the kingdom." All the members of the "May it please your grace, this assembly, assembly rose up as he concluded, and deand all the members of this national church, clared that they adhered to what he had are under the greatest obligations possible said, and then he turned to them and proto his majesty; and if his majesty's com- posed that they should pray, which was the mands to us had been in any or all our con- manner in which an assembly always closed cerns in the world, we would have laid our its labours. This proposal, however, was hands upon our mouths and been silent. met by a general demand that he should But they being for a dissolution of this as- first nominate a day for the next meeting, sembly without inditing another to a certain and the moderator accordingly named the day, therefore, having been their moderator, third Wednesday in August, 1693. They I, in their name, they adhering to me, do then performed their devotions, and sepahumbly crave leave to declare that the rated.

CHAPTER X.

MEASURES FOR QUIETING THE HIGHLANDS; MASSACRE OF GLENCOE; MEETING OF PARLIAMENT; THE KING AND THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY; ANOTHER PARLIAMENT; INQUIRY INTO THE AFFAIR OF GLENCOE; WILLIAM PATERSON AND THE DARIEN COMPANY.

THE highlanders, though they had ventured on no new undertaking against the government, had not laid down their arms; but the attempt to pacify them ended in a disaster which threw no little odium on William's government. The management of the negotiations with them was entrusted to lord Breadalbane, a crafty, selfish, and unscrupulous nobleman, who repeatedly suggested a plan for this purpose to the secretary of state, sir John Dalrymple, who, as the heir to lord Stair, was generally known by the Scottish title of master of Stair, and is usually spoken of as secretary Stair.

Stair was an able and sagacious statesman, and was one of the Scottish politicians of the day most faithful to the cause of the revolution, and most hostile to the family of the Stuarts. Breadalbane's scheme was to give the highlanders a general pardon and twelve thousand pounds, with pensions to their chiefs on condition that

they should hold four thousand clansmen ready to resist any invasion from France. This proposal was sent in the summer of 1691 to secretary Stair, who was then with the king in Flanders, and was immediately embraced and acted upon, but the duplicity of most of those engaged in the negotiation was soon apparent, and created innumerable obstacles to its progress. The highland chiefs, eager to get the money, but unwilling to give up their jacobite predilections, sent a communication secretly to king James to obtain his permission to receive the money from king William, and promise all that was required from them, while they were in reality holding themselves ready to rise in support of James on the first opportunity that should offer itself. Breadalbane, who was himself also in secret communication with the exiled monarch, and was literally serving two masters, obtained information of this intrigue, and betrayed

much for, and the frigates will attack them; but I have so much confidence of your conduct and capacity, to let them see the ground they stand on, that these suppositious are vain." In the month of August, a proclamation appeared, announcing that all rebels or insurgents would receive a full pardon who took the oaths to king William's government before the 1st day of January, 1692; but, as there was no immediate danger, this for a while produced little effect. In September, 1691, secretary Stair, still writing from the camp in Flanders, informed Breadalbane of the accusations which had been made against him of intriguing in favour of king James, and proceeded to

it to the English government. The highianders disliked Breadalbane, and believing that he intended to embezzle the greater part of the money which was to be given to them, they revenged themselves by giving information to king William of his secret correspondence with James. This was highly resented by Breadalbane, who from interested motives was annoyed at the backwardness of the chiefs, as, beside the profit he intended to make out of the transaction, it was one part of his plan that the four thousand highlanders should be regimented by the government as a kind of local militia under their own chieftains, to be sent back to their mountains with a gratuity after the days of training were over, say:-"Nobody believes your lordship and to be placed under the command of some principal man of the highlands who was to have a general's pay, and this office it was well understood that he designed for himself. Stair, who was well acquainted with Breadalbane's character, worked upon his temper to irritate him more and more against the highlanders and secure his support to the existing government. Stair himself shared in his hatred of the highlanders, and it was now resolved that if they could not be brought over by fair means, the old system should be adopted of exterminating the rebels with fire and sword. This plan, in fact, was more acceptable than the other to many of the great highland chiefs of king William's party, who had many old and bitter personal feuds with the others which they were eager to revenge; this was the case especially with Breadalbane himself, and with the marquis of Argyle, who was eager to revenge himself upon the chiefs of clans who had contributed towards bringing his father to the block, and who was at this very moment involved in territorial disputes with some of them. In a letter from the camp in Flanders, written on the 25th of June, 1691, secretary Stair told Breadalbane-"Do not trouble yourself with any discouragements you may see designed against you. By the king's letter to the council, you will see he hath stopped all hostilities against the highlanders till he may hear from you, and that your time be elapsed without coming to some issue, which I do not apprehend; for there will come nothing to them." "But," he added, "if they will be mad, before Lammas they will repent it; for the army will be allowed to go into the highlands, which some thirst so

capable of doing a thing so base, or that you could believe there could be any secrets in your treaties, where there were so many ill eyes upon your proceedings; but the truth will always hold fast. The king is not soon shaken." In the same letter he told Breadalbane-" I have heard there are endeavours using to make the highlanders either own these base terms as promised by your lordship, or else to declare their peacefulness did not proceed on your account, or for your negotiation, but because of the endeavours of others. I am not ready to believe these projects will have great effect. Let not anything discourage you, but believe all these devices will tend to magnify your service when you finish your undertaking." "There want no endeavours," Stair wrote a few days later, "to render you suspicious to the king; but he asked what proof there was for the information, and bid me tell you to go on in your business; the best evidence of sincerity was the bringing that matter quickly to a conclusion. We now would fain fancy the time is too long, and that it will be abused in the interim by those who intend not to take the allegiance, but to come down to debauch the Low Countries, and insult the government." It had now been resolved to proceed to extreme measures, and, as the time of the limitation for taking the oath approached, most of the chiefs of the clans, informed of the vengeance which hung over them, hastened to take advantage of the proclamation. The Macdonalds of Glencoe were the most backward, and as this clan lay especially under the hatred of the earl of Breadalbane, he was looking forward with great satisfaction to the consequences of their tardiness. It appears that this little

cian had been especially notorious for its "letters of fire and sword" against the depredations, and we are told that, on an refractory highlanders, and Breadalbane, occasion then recent, one of the clan having Tarbet, and Argyle agreed to co-operate informed against his accomplices in a crime, with the king's troops in carrying them into the chief caused the informer to be tied to a execution, for which purpose the privy tree and stabbed to death with dirks, him- council allotted money and other necesself giving the first blow, for which secretary saries, and appointed a committee for directStair had procured him a pardon from king ing their application. Orders were at the William. It was remembered, moreover, same time sent to colonel Livingstone, who that during the late reigns, the Macdonalds then commanded the forces in Scotland, to of Glencoe had been remarkable above the proceed with severity against all who should other highlanders for the cruelties they not have taken the oath at the appointed exercised on the covenanters and Came- time, but even these orders contained a ronians. On the 2nd of December, Stair mitigating clause: "In order that the rebels wrote to the earl of Breadalbane, in allusion may not think themselves desperate, we to the resolution which had been taken to allow you to give terms and quarters; but have recourse to measures of severity in in this manner only, that chieftains and place of the lenient policy previously adopted heritors, or leaders, be prisoners of war, "I am convinced it is neither your fault, their lives only safe, and all other things in nor can any prejudice arise to their ma- mercy: the community, taking the oath of jesties' service by the change of measures, allegiance, &c., to have quarter and inbut only ruin to the highlanders." "I do demnity for their lives and fortunes, and to not fail," he goes on to say, "to take notice be protected from the soldiers." It was of the frankness of your offer; I think the intended that this exterminating warfare clan Macdonald must be rooted out. But should extend over all the tribes of Lochaber, for this, Leven and Argyle's regiment, with but, as already stated, all but the Macdonalds two more, would have been gone to Flanders; of Glencoe made timely submission, and now all stops. God knows whether the averted the danger. The exception was not twelve thousand pounds sterling had been an unwelcome one, for Macdonald was one better employed to settle the highlands or of those who had in the preceding summer to ravage them; but since we will make quarrelled with Breadalbane on the subject them desperate, I think we should root of the negotiations, and had since been one them out before they can get that help they of the most active in thwarting him, on depend upon. Their doing, after they got which account the earl had done all he king James's allowance (i.e., after they had could to irritate secretary Stair against obtained his permission to take the oaths on them. "Since the government," said the promise of breaking them as soon as they latter in a despatch to colonel Hamilton, could serve his interests by doing so), is "cannot oblige them (the highlanders), it is worse than their obstinacy; for these who obliged to ruin some of them to weaken the lay down arms at his command, will take rest, and the Macdonalds will fall into this them up by his warrant." The day after net." this letter was written, on the 3rd of December, Stair wrote still more strongly to the earl, adding fuel to his desire of revenge upon the highlanders:-"I am not changed," he said, "as to the expediency of doing hings by the easiest means, and at leisure; but the madness of these people, and their ungratefulness to you, makes me plainly see there is no reckoning on them, but delenda est Carthago. Menzies, Glengarry, and all of them, have written letters, and taken pains to make it believed that all you did was for the interest of king James. Therefore, look on, and you shall be satisfied of your revenge." Orders had now been dispatched to the privy council to issue what in Scottish law were called

The laird of Glencoe had put off his submission till the last moment, and it was not till the end of the month of December that he presented himself at Fort William, to request the governor of that fortress, colonel Hill, to administer to him the oath of allegiance, that he might profit by the pardon and indemnity. Colonel Hill replied that he was not qualified to administer the oath, but gave him a letter to the sheriff of Argyle, imploring him to receive the chief of the Macdonalds as a lost sheep that had returned to its flock. Unfortunately for Macdonald, the winter was particularly inclement, and, with bad roads, stormy weather, and other hindrances, it was two or three days past the last day allowed for taking the

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