tions for a redrefs of grievances, which were poured in upon them from all quarters. So numerous were they, that the house was forced to divide and fubdivide itself into great variety of committees, for the purpose of examining them. The chief of these committees may be comprehended under four heads: 1. Such as refpected religion. 2. Such as refpected the management of public affairs. 3. Thofe relating to criminal proceedings and Courts of juftice. 4. Thofe relating to popery, plots, defigns, &c. The refult of their deliberations was an immediate impeachment of the Earl of Strafford. He was governor of Ireland, and had been earneftly requested by the King to come to parliament, as a perfon in whom he could put implicit confidence. Upon his arrival, however, Mr Pym, one of the most distinguished of the reformers, accused him of being an enemy to the liberties of his country, and the greatest promoter of tyranny which the nation ever produced. Upon thefe vague charges, aggravated by the high rank which he held in his majelty's favour, the Earl of Strafford was attainted, and fentenced to execution. Archbishop Laud too, upon the 18th of November, was impeached of high treafon, and committed to cuftody. THESE violent proceedings of the parliament filled the king with the moft uneafy apprehenfions. In the lofs of his favourites he faw his authority defpifed, and the ftability of his government fhaken. Hence he was drawn into a meafure, which operated as a caufe of his future fufferings. A plan was formed by fome of the courtiers, to bring the army that had been raifed against the Scots to London, to overawe the parliament, to rescue Strafford, and to take poffeffion of the city. When this defign, with which his majefty was faid to concur, became known, to the Commons, they were alarmed, and entered into a bond of defence for the fecurity of their liberties, and of the protestant religion. The confequences of the dif covery," were infinitely prejudicial to the King's affairs, the court loft its reputation, the reverence due to the king and queen was leffened, and the Houfe of Commons began to be esteemed the only barrier of the people's liberties."* Thus the rupture betwixt the King and parliament commenced, and became greater and greater, till the unfortunate monarch gratified by his death the vengeance of an offended people; and till the troubles, arifing from democratic fury and ariftocratic ambition, opened the eyes of the nation to perceive, that their best fecurity and happiness were to be found in the establishment of a limited monarchy. DURING thefe tranfactions, Argyle was employed at home, in maintaining tranquillity, and regulating public affairs. By his prudence in council, and his extenfive influence with his countrymen, he had a principal fhare in bringing about the pacification at Rippon. While this treaty was depending, the Scottish parliament frequently met, and was frequently prorogued. But the treaty being now nearly concluded, the parliament met at Edinburgh on the 15th of July 1641. It was agreed that no bufinefs of importance fhould be entered upon till the middle of Auguft, when the King was expected to vifit Scotland. HITHERTO the Scots had preferved a degree of union rarely to be met with in times of civil commotion. The influence of the covenant, which bound them to abstain from divifive measures, operat *Neal's Hift. of the Puritans. ed ed with full effect. But a circumftance at this time occurred, by which that union was almost diffolved. While the parliament was preparing accufations against the incendiaries, a difcovery was made refpecting Montrofe, which threatened to be attended with important confequences. Jealous of the influence of Argyle in the fenate, and of Leflie in the army, during the treaty at Rippon, he had been carrying on a fecret correfpondence with the court to the prejudice of the covenanters. While the parliament was inquiring into this affair, he was detected in a malicious attempt to wound the reputation of Argyle, and to fet him at perpetual variance with his fovereign; upon which he was immediately arrested, and committed to cuftody. It appeared that Montrose had propagated a report, that the Earl of Argyle had faid, in prefence of the Earl of Athol, and eight others whom he had detained in cuftody for making war upon their country: "That the parliament had confulted both divines and lawyers about the legality of depofing the King, and had come to a refolution, that in fome cafes the thing was legal and expedient." Mr Stewart, one of the eight taken up with Athol, was named by Montrofe as his informer. Argyle denied the truth of this charge in the strongest terms, and, at the instance of his friends, commenced a profecution against Stewart, before the High Court of Jufticiary. Stewart retracted his accufation, and vindicated the innocence of Argyle. The trial, however, went on; Stewart was found guilty of the charge brought against him, condemned, and executed according to his fentence. Argyle hath been accufed of cruelty in not fupplicating the royal clemency in favour of Stewart. It appears, however, that he intended to do VOL. LXV. fo, but was prevented by his friends. They thought that a public example was neceffary to top, for the time to come, the progrefs of fuch dangerous and malicious attempts. His Majefty, on account of his difagreement with his English par liament, having refolved upon a vifit to Scotland, to strengthen his influence in that country, began his journey upon the 10th of Auguft. At Gladimuir, he was welcomed by Argyle, Lord Almond, and feveral other perfons of diftinction. He arrived at Holyroodhouse upon the 14th, accompanied by a small retinue of the nobility. On the 17th, he came to parliament, preceded by the Marquis of Hamilton carrying the crown, Argyle the fceptre, and Sutherland the sword. His addrefs to the parliament was cordial and condefcending. He lamented the unhappy disturbances which had lately arifen. He profeffed his readiness to accomplish whatever he had promised for the public fatisfaction, and claimed the fupport of his fubjects to his authority tranfmitted entire through one hundred and eight generations of kings. Argyle in reply, compared the kingdom to a fhip toffed in a tempeltuous fea, and his majefty to a skilful pilot steering her through rocks and fhelves, and cafting out the moft cumbrous baggage for her fafety. He begged that he would not leave her, till he had brought her in fafety to her defired haven. The commons having obtained a redrefs of their principal grievances, and the establishment of their civil and religious liberties, bound themfelves to be faithful to the King, to guard his perfon against all plots and confpiracies whatever, and to maintain to the utmost of their power peace and union in all his Majefty's dominions. DURING the fitting of this parlia ment, ment, feveral new minifters were chofen. Loudon was made chancellor, the Earl of Morton was named to the office of treasurer, but being keenly oppofed by Argyle, who felt himfelf hurt at being paffed over, he at laft failed of fuccefs Lord Almond was alfo nominated, oppofed, and fet afide. At laft, it was judged proper to put the treasury in commitlion, and five noblemen were chofen for that purpofe, among whom was Argyle. THE Marquis of Hamilton and the Earl of Argyle were, at this time, the two moft poweriul noblemen in the kingdom. But Montrofe, in prifon, had been endeavouring to ruin the reputation of Hamilton, by accufing him of treachery to his prince, and attachment to the covenanters. He was accufed even before the parliament, of being a juggler with the king, and a traitor to him and to his country. The extenfive influence of Argyle had likewife procured him many fecret enemies, who were watching for an opportunity. of effecting his ruin or difgrace. A plot againft thefe two noblemen was difcovered, when it was almoit at the point of execution The plot was this; they were to be invited that evening to attend his Majefty, and to be arrested on their way, by the Earl of Crawford, Colonel Cochrane, and Stewart; if they refilled, they were to be ftabbed immediately; if not, they were to be carried to a fhip in the Roads, and confined in clofe cuftody. Upon the detection of this confpiracy, Argyle and Familton withdrew to Kinmeal, a feat cf the Marquis, a few miles diftant from town. Their flight excited an univerfal uproar and confufion. Surmifes were circulated, that the King was concerned in the bufinefs; but a committee, appointed by the parliament to examine it, freed his Majefty from every fufpicion of guilt. The accounts given us of this affair by hiftorians, are confiderably different; but from the confeffion and declaration of Crawford and Cochrane, the intended arrest of Hamilton and Argyle can admit of no difpute. Before this incident, Argyle had almoft accommodated the business respecting the incendiaries; and by his means, in conjunction with Hamilton, Montrose, Napier, and fome others, were delivered from cuftody, on finding fecurity for their good behaviour. UPON the 1ft of November, the king received an exprefs, informing him of an universal rebellion in Ireland, accompanied with a dreadful matacre of the proteftants. This fudden emergency, obliged him to prepare as quickly as poffible for returning to London. Before his departure, a number of commiffioners, among whom was Argyle, were appointed to preferve the articles of the late treaty inviolate, till the next meeting of parliament. On the 15th, an act was paffed in parliament, approving of the conduct of Archibald Earl of Argyle, in the fervice of his country. The fame day, a patent was given for creating him, and his heirs male, Marquis of Argyle, Earl of Kintyre, and Lord of Lorn. THUS we have feen Argyle, trained in his early life to the hardfhips of war, entrusted by his fovereign with the most dignified employments, and honoured by his country with the management of her councils, fteadily guiding his way in the midit of dangers, till, by the favour of his fovereign, he had aifed his family to fuperior honour, and obtained the most gratifying of all favours, the public approbation of his country. But the ftorm had already begun to ga ther, which involved in ruin this prefent favourite of fortune. The King having diffolved the parliament on the 17th, fet out for London next morning, carrying along with him the gratitude and affection of a great majority of his Scottish fubjects.. WHEN he arrived at London, the joy he must have felt in effecting a reconciliation with his Scotith fubjects, was damped by the difmal profpect prefented to his view. He was reproached by the bithops for making conceflions to the Scots, entirely inconfiftent with that plan of adminiftration which he and his father had, for many years, been labouring to maintain. A remonstrance was prefented to him by the parliament, in which every error and misfortune of his reign were minutely flated, and in which fupplies were threatened to be denied, if no attention were paid to their requests. Charles was much irritated at these proceedings of the parliament, and his anfwer to their petition, tended rather to foment than extinguish their grow ing refentment; while the reproof of the bithops funk deep into his heart, and could never be forgotten. Mutual jealoufies arofe on both fides, and prepared the way for the approaching rupture. The diftreffed fituation of Ireland claimed immediate attention, but each party withed to improve this circumitance to its own advantage. The King wished to engage the parliament in the war, that, by the diminution of their refources, he might be able to provide more effectually for his own fecurity. Ac cordingly, he propofed that they thould levy 10,000 men for fup. preffing the ditturbances in Ireland. The parliament, however, aware of the danger to which their intereft would be expofed, in the abfence of fo many of their forces, refolved to employ the Scots in that expedition, and to accept of an offer of 10,000 troops. The mutual jealoufies fubfifting betwixt the two parties, prevented either of thefe refolutions from being carried into effect. And when Charles afterwards fignified to his council in Scotland, his intention of leading an army in per fon against the rebels in Ireland, he was diffuaded from his purpose both by the council and the English par liament, from an apprehenfion, as fome fuppofed, of what they might expect, if once he got the army under his power. Thus the relief of Ireland was put off, and that unhappy country was left a prey to all the miferies of infurrection and revolt.* WHILE internal differences continued to increase, Charles, in the neglect of his orders, and refolute oppofition to his authority, faw what he had to expect from the prefent parliament. Difgufted at their conduct, on the 10th of January 1642, he withdrew from London, to which he never returned, till he was conducted as a criminal to be tried for his life. The Queen retired to Holland, with the view of procuring aliitance for averting the dangers to which the royal - caufe in England was imminently expofed. THE difpofal of the militia, at this time, widened fill more thé unhappy breach betwixt the king and parliament. Both parties were equally determined to have the management of them in their own power, and neither of them would ubmit to yield to the other. Hence, matters were brought to an open rupture. On the 23d of April, the King made an unfuccefsful attempt upon Hull. The parlia ment, dilcovering that ferret meafures had already been employed Laing's Hill. vol. 1. p. 216. Burnet's Houfe of Hamriton, p. 193. by the royal party for obtaining poffeffion of the principal fortref. fes, refolved to confult their own fafety, and to put the kingdom into a pofture of defence.* On the 17th of May, a declaration was if fued by the parliament, prohibiting the military from taking arms, at the command of the King, on pain of being judged enemies to the laws and liberties of the kingdom. Counter proclamations were iffued by the King, enjoining the fheriffs of counties and commanders of garrifons to obey his orders. + Affairs continued in this fituation, till the 15th of Auguft, when "the royal ftandard was erected at Nottingham, with circumitances of ominous interpretation." This was the beginning of a war, melancho. ly in its progrefs, and fatal in its confequences. THE Scots did not remain indif. ferent fpectators of what was going on in England. Their commiflioners, who had been fent up to London, to negociate refpecting the relief of Ireland, offered to mediate betwixt the King and parliament. But his Majelty was offended at their interference, and complained of them in a letter to Argyle. It was afterwards propofed by the Scottish council to fend Argyle, along with the chancellor, to endeavour to reconcile the two parties; "but the parliament, being jealous of Argyle's attachment to the King, declared that they believed his prefence in Scotland to be then indifpenfibly necellary." The Lord Chancellor, therefore, undertook the commiffion alone. But his Majefly disliking the officious forward. nefs of the Scots, ordered him to return to Scotland, to call a coun cil, and to give a faithful account to his countrymen of the differences betwixt him and his Englith fubjects. At the fame time, he fent feveral noblemen, known by the name of Banders, to use their influence with the Scots, in promoting his interefts. When the time approached at which the council was appointed to meet, the covenanters, afraid that fome violence was intended against the Chancellor and Argyle, raised a general alarm, and affembled to it "by hundreds at a time," as it is expreffed by a cotemporary writer, to protect their leaders, and to overrule the meafures of the Banders. And in this inftance they completely carried their point; for they prevented the council from coming to any refolution favourable to his Majefty's interefts. A UPON this difappointment, the King employed the Marquis of Hamilton to try what he could do among the Scots Hamilton applied in particular to Argyle and Loudon, at that time the molt powerful of the covenanters. By their means, a refolution was ob tained, that the Queen fhould be invited to return from Holland, and to mediate betwixt the king and parliament. They promifed her their concurrence, with an affurance of fecurity for her perfon; and engaged, if the parliament rejected their propofals, to join the King in reducing them to obedience. The King, however, apprehenfive of danger to her Majesty, never allowed the propofition to be carried into effectThe Queen was fo well pleased with the fervices of Hamilton, upon this occafion, that he was raised to the dignity of a Duke. |