levy forces with the utmoft activity, and to prepare for making a defcent upon Scotland both by fea and land. When thefe formidable prepara tions were made known to the cove nanters, they were animated with new boldness in defence of their caufe. They faw the ftorm ready to burst upon their heads, and refolved immediately to guard themfelves against it. Fond of peace, however, and unwilling to renounce the loyalty of fubjects, they employed every mean in their power, confiftently with their adherence to the covenant, (which contained nothing derogatory to the royal authority), to appeafe their fovereign, and prevent the miseries of a civil war. But when all their petitions failed of fuccefs, they published a declaration to the people of England, vindicating their conduct from the mifreprefenta tions of their enemies, and justifying the measures which they were now compelled to adopt. Befides making vigorous preparations at home, they refolved to apply for foreign affiftance. General Ledie was fent for from Germany, and brought with him feveral Scots gentlemen, who ferved under him. On the 7th of March, a committee of the nobles, barons, and burgeffes, with two of the fenators of the college of juftice, were chosen for giving out orders, and receiving intelligence. They ordered 2000 foot to be raised in the country fouth of the Tay, to be under the command

:

Carlisle he was, at the fame time, to fend a fleet to ply from the firth northward for stopping of trade, and making a great diyertion for guarding the coait. He was allo to fend an army of 5000 men, under Hamilton, to join with Huntley's forces in the north. Next, the Earl of Antrim was to land in Argylefhire, upon his pretenfions to Kintyre, and on account of the feuds betwixt him and the Campbells; and he promifed to bring along with him ten or twelve thousand men. Laft of all, the Earl of Strafford was to collect forces in Ireland, and come with another fleet into Dumbarton firth,"

of Colonel Munro, and 400 more, within the fhire of Argyle, to be under the command of the Ea‹l. After convening at Perth the noblemen and gentlemen of the northern diftricts, to concert measures for preferving the peace of the country, Argyle went to Lorn, and made the Macdonalds, and other clans fuppofed to be difaffected, give fecurity for their good behaviour *. About this time, he wrote a large vindication of his conduct, and fent it to court: the only anfwer the king gave it was, that he fhould be glad to receive his vindication from his own mouth †.

Every thing now wore a hoftile afpect; Antrim's boats were making ready on the Irish fhore: Sir Donald Gorrum, and others of the Macdonalds, went over to Ireland to join Antrim, in hopes of recovering Kintyre, which they claimed as their patrimony, and of avenging themselves on the Campbells, their inveterate enemies. Thus was Argyle drawn, by neceffity, to defend his country from unjaft oppreffion, and to oppofe those who acted with the approbation and authority of the fovereign.

The warlike attempts of the covenanters were attended with rapid fuccels. Before the middle of fummer they had obtained poffeffion of the principal ftrong places in the kingdom. Edinburgh caftle fubmitted to General Leflie on the 23d of March, and was foon followed by the rock of Dumbarton, which was committed in truft to the Earl of Argyle. This nobleman now judged it neceffary to increafe his forces to 700 men, of whom he placed the half in Kintyre, to watch the motions of Antrim, and the reft at the head of Lorn, to attend to Lochaber and the weftern ifles. He then went over in boats to Arran, with fome cannon, and took the caftle of Brodick, belonging to Hamilton, without refistance.

Stevenfon's Hiftory.
Biographia Britannica.

The

The boldness and fuccefs of the Scots augmented the anger of the king, and made him haften the punifhment he had already refolved to inflict upon them. He found the English, however, averfe to co-operate with him in chaftifing the covenanters. They confidered the fituation of their northern neighbours as in fome degree their own: they beheld, with a jealous eye, the arbitrary proceedings of the court, and were offended that a parliament had, for many years, been denied to their ardent wishes. They began to fufpect that the ambitious Laud advised the conqueft of the Scots, that he might prepare the way for reducing them alfo to fubmit to his impofitions. Many of them accordingly called in question the lawfulness of the war, and the guards declared that they were not obliged to follow his majefty without the kingdom.

Thefe indications of difcontent, however, did not prevent the king from profecuting his defigns. Inftigated and encouraged by the courtiers, and the friends of the hierarchy, he fent a fleet to Leith, under the Marquis of Hamilton, while he himfelf fet out from London, upon the 27th of March, and proceeded to the banks of the Tweed, two miles weft of Berwick. After having proceeded thus far, and made feveral unfuccefsful attempts upon the covenanters, who were drawn up under General Leflie, ready to receive him, the English became difheartened, and began to think it better not to carry matters too far. The fleet alfo, under the Marquis of Hamilton, became equally tired of the service in which they were engaged, refused to comply with an arbitrary proclamation, which Hamilton had caufed to be publifhed at the market-crofs of Edinburgh, and affumed new courage from the irrefolution of the royal forces.

In this ftate of affairs, Charles found it neceflary to liften to the

terms of fubmiffion proposed by the Scots. Commiffioners were appointed on both fides to treat of a pacifi cation, and on the 17th of June they came to the following agreement: "That all ecclefiaftical matters fhould be determined by the general affemblies of the kirk, and civil caufes by the parliament: that an act of indemnity fhould be paffed for all bygone proceedings; that the covenanters fhould deliver up to the king their fortified places, and difband their troops; and that the king should alfo withdraw his forces both by fea and land.”

Both fides were diffatisfied with this agreement. On the one hand, it was faid, that an opportunity had been loft of weakening or deftroying the power of the covenanters on the other, that the furrender of the caftle of Edinburgh, and the fortifications of Leith, were unjustifiable, and that fome of the articles of the treaty were obfcure. While jealoufies continued to increase on both fides, the king, upon the 16th of July, fent for the Earl of Argyle, along with 13 others of the covenanters, to wait upon him at Berwick; but the Scots, suspecting that, in this measure, the king had fome defign upon them, fent only Montrofe, Loudon, and Lothian. The king was greatly offended at this refufal, and set out for London on the 29th of July. Argyle was commanded either to come to court, and anfwer for his conduct, or go to ward in fome of his own houses in Argylefhire. With these commands, the Earl refufed to comply, and urged, in his excufe, the danger of his country, and of the king's intereft, which might fuffer material injury by his abfence.t

The general affembly, according to appointment, met at Edinburgh on the 12th day of Auguft, in which the Earl of Traquair prefided as his majefty's commiffioner. The princi

Stevenfon's History.

pal

pal acts that were paffed in this affembly were, the abolition of the hierarchy, and the establishment of the Prefbyterian form of government. The parliament met upon the 31ft of the fame month. It was opened by Traquair, who rode in ftate from the palace of Holyrood-houfe. The enfigns of honour were carried by Argyle, Crawford, and Sutherland, the three eldeft earls. The proceedings of this parliament were fo offenfive to Charles, that he caused it to be prorogued in the month of January 1640. Upon the prorogation of the parliament, the Scots fent commiffioners to London to complain of their grievances; but the king, on account of the representation of the affairs of Scotland, communicated by Traquair, and of the powerful inftigations of the bishops, caused them all to be apprehended, and the Earl of Loudon to be put into the Tower. These vio lent proceedings of the court irritated the covenanters to juft indignation, and caused them to make active preparations for a new war. The caftle of Edinburgh, which had been repaired and garrifoned fince the pacification, was invefted by Leflie: the Highlands were reftrained by Argyle with a train of artillery; and the friends of the court were fuppreffed in the north by Munro. Argyle traverfed the head of Athol, Badenoch, and Mar, and kept thofe places in awe. From thence he marched to Angus, and reduced it to subjection. He afterwards returned to Argylefhire, that he might more effectually obftruct a threatened invafion from Ireland.+

Warlike preparations went on, on both fides, with the greateft rapidity.

In these expeditions he is accused by Guthrie of pillaging and wafting the country. Mem. p. 77. Sir James Balfour, on the contrary, fays, that he preferved a ftrict military difcipline among the foldiers, and took nothing which he did not pay for, except fubfiflence to his army, from thofe who were violent in oppofing him. See Annals.

The Scots brought their plate to the mint; the wealthy contributed or procured loans of money; voluntary contributions were raised at the churchdoors; and every effort was made to procure fupplies for fupporting the army. Their forces were ordered to affemble from the diftant parts of the country at the general rendezvous; and, before the king's troops were entirely collected, they had croffed the Tweed, and advanced into the borders of England. Various reafons have been offered for juftifying their conduct in the invafion of England. The promise of effectual support, given them as an encouragement by the English, the profpect of obtaining a more fpeedy redrels of grievances, and of accomplishing more effectually the object of their undertaking, have all been ftated in their defence. But, if their conduct can be juftified, in acting in oppofition to the royal authority, the invasion of England may easily be vindicated, upon the fame principles. After a flow march through the county of Northumberland, they encamped at Newburn, about five miles above Newcastle. Here they were met by the English forces. An engagement took place upon the 28th of Auguft, in which the Scots gained a

complete victory. Upon which Newcattle, Tinmouth, Shiels, and Durham, immediately fubmitted to the victors. Their fuccefs imboldened, but did not elevate them beyond the bounds of moderation. They remembered that they were subjects, and that they were contending with their fovereign. They fent a petition to the king, that he would confider their grievances, and give them redrefs. "In the extremity to which the king was reduced, he had retired with his army from Northallerton to York, where he fummoned a council of peers to meet, and referred to their confideration the petitions of the Scots, and their expulfion from England. A treaty was propofed, as the only means to prevent their advance;

THIRDLY, Hiftory is the vehicle of moral inftruction.

ence.

To enforce the love and practice of virtue, moralifts have had recourfe to precept and example. The one is immediately addreffed to our judgment, the other prefented to our fenfes. The former explains the nature of the duty, and the propriety of yielding it obediThe latter fhews us a fimple fact, and, without feeming to court attention, finds immediate access to the heart. Precepts, notwithstanding their appeal to the judgment, ftill appear to be recommended by the authority of others; not to fay, that they imply fomething in our conduct previously defective or wrong. Many maxims too, which have feemed plaufible in theory, when put to the trial have been found impracticable. Hence, when a new principle is propofed, the mind may indeed be convinced of its reasonablenefs, but, from a prepofterous diffidence will refufe to adopt it. But where precept fails, example fucceeds. It requires no circuitous proçefs to perfuade us of its propriety. It is in fact, a living illustration of that principle which precept is labouring to recom

merely a negative, but a positive effect. From the manner in which they are introduced, they engage the attention, and fecure imitation. Virtue appears there in her true colours, and furrounded with her native honours. When exhibited in this form, bad as the world is, the is ftill venerable and lovely. Even the molt abandoned, when they perufe the records of hiftory, not only esteem the good man, and join the writer in the commendation he bestows on his merit, but involuntarily wifh to make his virtues and his praise their own.

HISTORICAL characters have the fame effect with the statues of their ancestors, which the Romans pla. ced in the veftibules of their houfes. The monuments of their departed heroes infpired the living with the love of patriotifm and valour. * The virtue of one generation was, by the magic of example, transfufed into feveral, and a fpirit of heroifm maintained through feveral ages of the republic.