thirsty assassins who lead them. Therefore, if they do not disperse upon your return, let me urge you instantly to come to our army and surrender yourself, for they cannot withstand our assault for an hour. If you do this inquire for me. Monmouth cannot protect you, strange to say; Dalzell will not; I both can and will; and I have promised Evandale to do so, if you will give me the opportunity."

Morton replied coldly: "I should owe Lord Evandale many thanks, did not this plan imply an opinion that I might be prevailed upon to desert those with whom I am engaged. For you, Colonel Grahame, if you will honor me with a different kind of satisfaction, it is probable that within an hour's time you will find me at the west end of Bothwell's bridge with my sword in my hand." "I shall be happy to meet you there," said Claverhouse; "but I regret that you refuse to accept my former proposition." They then saluted and parted. "That is a fine lad, Lumley," said Claverhouse, addressing a brother officer; "but he is a lost man-his blood be upon his own head!" He then prepared for instant battle.

XXX. ON rejoining his own ranks, after leaving the outposts of the royalist army, Morton was painfully conscious of the difference of discipline, and he dreaded the consequences. The same discords which agitated the councils of the insurgents raged among their meanest followers, and their patrols were more interested in religious disputes about the Erastian heresy than in observing the motions of their enemies, whose drums and trumpets they distinctly heard.

A guard of the insurgent army was posted at the long and narrow bridge of Bothwell, over which the enemy must necessarily advance to the attack; but like the others, the defenders were disheartened and even meditated withdrawing themselves to the main body. This would have been utter ruin; for on the defence or loss of this passage the

fortune of the day depended. All beyond the bridge was a level open field, excepting a few small thickets; and consequently was ground on which the undisciplined forces of the insurgents, deficient in cavalry, and totally unprovided with artillery, were unlikely to withstand the shock of regular troops.

Morton, therefore, viewed the pass carefully and trusted he might defend it against a superior force, by occupying with some of his troops three houses on the left side of the stream, with the thickets that lined its side, and by blockading the passage itself. He ordered the parapets of the bridge on the further side to be town down, lest they should prove some protection to the enemy when they should attempt a passage. He warned the guards of the bridge to be vigilant, and promised to bring up strong re-enforcements. Videttes were sent beyond the stream to announce the approach of the enemy. Men under arms and in danger are usually alert in appreciating the merits of their officers. Morton's intelligence and activity gained the confidence of these men, and they cheerfully began to fortify their position in the manner designated by him.

He now galloped hastily toward the main body of the insurgents, but was surprised and shocked at the scene of clamor and confusion it exhibited at a moment when order and concord were extremely essential. Instead of being drawn up in line of battle, and listening to the commands. of their officers, they were crowded together in a confused mass, engaged in violent disputes. Morton endeavored to make his way through the crowd and learn the cause of this untimely disorder.

It was customary among the Puritans of that day to occasionally appoint a day of humiliation, which they deemed an effectual mode of solving all difficulties. Usually a weekday was devoted for this purpose, but on this occasion the Sabbath itself was adopted, owing to the vicinity of the enemy. A temporary pulpit was erected in the middle of the encampment, where the worthy divine, Peter Poundtext,

was to hold forth. As he advanced toward the rostrum with slow and stately steps, he was prevented by the unexpected apparition of Habakkuk Mucklewrath, the insane preacher, who had previously startled Morton at a council of the insurgents after their victory at Loudon Hill. He was either acting at the instigation of the Cameronians, or his wild imagination led him to seize the vacant pulpit and exhort the expectant congregation.

He sprang into the pulpit, cast his eyes wildly about him, opened his Bible, and selected a warlike text from Deuteronomy, relating to the acts of the sons of Belial. Though his harangue was wild and extravagant, it was coherent in its allusion to the subjects of discord, which had been postponed until a more fitting opportunity. Not a single topic did he omit which implied offence; and after charging the moderate party with heresy and with crouching to tyranny, and seeking to be at peace with God's enemies, he termed Morton a man of Belial, who had gone astray after false gods. Mucklewrath denounced him and his supporters with fury and vengeance and exhorted his hearers to withdraw from him.

He exclaimed: "Take this Henry Morton, this wretched Achan, who has brought the accursed thing among you and made himself brethren in the camp of the enemy, and stone him with stones, and burn him with fire, that the wrath of God may depart from the children of the Covenant. He hath sold the garment of righteousness to the woman of Babylon, and hath bartered the truth, which is more precious than gold."

At this furious charge, brought against one of their most active commanders, the audience broke out into open tumult, some demanding a new election of officers from among those who had not tampered with the heresies of the times. The violent Cameronians clamored that they must do this if they expected a blessing on their cause and arms, and asserted that a lukewarm Presbyterian would be little better than a Prelatist.

The parties accused repelled the charge of defection with scorn and indignation, and charged their accusers with breach of faith in introducing such divisions in the face of an armed foe. Poundtext and a few others made efforts to stem the increasing fury of the factions, and urged that there should be no strife between them, but without avail. Even Burley commanded silence and obedience to discipline, but his efforts were futile. The spirit of insubordination prevailed and a religious frenzy possessed the audience. The wiser and more timid portion of the assembly were already withdrawing from the field and giving up their cause as lost. Others clamored for a change of officers.

It was at this critical moment that Morton arrived and joined the camp which was evidently at the point of dissolution. His arrival was greeted with exclamations of applause on the one side and of imprecations on the other.

Addressing Burley, he demanded the cause of this disastrous disorder at such a moment. Burley exhausted with his vain exertions to preserve order, replied: "It means that God has delivered us into the hands of our enemies."

"Not so," exclaimed Morton, in a loud voice; "it is not God who deserts us-it is we who desert Him, and dishonor ourselves by betraying the cause of freedom and religion. Hear me!'' he leaped into the pulpit which had been vacated by Mucklewrath a moment before; "I bring from the enemy an offer of terms if you lay down your arms. I can assure you a mode of honorable defence if you will listen to reason. Time is pressing. Let us resolve either for peace or war; let it not be said that six thousand Scotch soldiers had neither courage to stand their ground and fight it out, nor prudence to treat for peace, nor the cowards wisdom to retreat in good time and with safety. What signifies quarrelling on points of church discipline when the whole edifice is threatened with total destruction? Blindness and hardness of heart have ruined many a city. less clamors! Yonder is the enemy.

Silence your senseOn maintaining the

bridge against him depends our lives and the restoration

of our laws and liberty. Let all who love their country follow me."

The multitude looked in the direction toward which he pointed. The sight of the glittering files of the English infantry, supported by squadrons of cavalry, of the cannon which the artillerymen were busily engaged in planting against the bridge, and of the plaided clans who were searching for a ford, silenced instantly their clamorous uproar, and filled them with consternation. They displayed the weakness of a patient when exhausted by a fit of frenzy.

Only about one hundred young men followed Morton as he directed his steps toward the bridge. Burley said to Macbriar: "Providence directs our steps through the worldly wisdom of this youth. He that loves the light let him follow Burley." "Tarry," said Macbriar, “I fear treachery to the host from this young man. Thou shalt not go with him for thou art our main defence.'

"Hinder me not," exclaimed Burley. "All will be lost if the enemy should win the bridge. Shall the children of the sanctuary yield? Arm yourselves under your leaders, for we require both men and ammunition. Accursed be he who shirks his duty this day!"

Having thus hastily spoken, he marched toward the bridge, followed by two hundred gallant men. There was a deep and disheartened pause when Morton and Burley departed. The leaders availed themselves of it to dispose their lines in some sort of order, and exhorted their followers to throw themselves on their faces to avoid the cannonade which would soon be directed toward them. The insurgents ceased to remonstrate; but the awe which had silenced their discord had dismayed their courage. They took their places with docility in the ranks, without resolution or energy; for they experienced a depression of spirits in view of the menacing danger. Shortly they presented at least the appearance of an army, and their leaders awaited some favorable circumstances to restore their spirits and courage. Poundtext suggested the singing of a psalm,