diers engaged in this honourable employment, were drowned. The habitations, as well of those who had fled to save themselves, as of those who suffered, were burnt and destroyed. Such members of the families of the delinquents as were above twelve years old, were imprisoned for the purpose of being afterwards transported. The brutality of the soldiers was such as might be expected from an army let loose from all restraint, and employed to execute the royal justice, as it was called, upon wretches. Graham, who has been mentioned before, and who, under the title of Lord Dundee, a title which was probably conferred upon him by James for these or similar services, was afterwards esteemed such a hero among the Jacobite party, particularly distinguished himself. Of six unarmed fugitives whom he seized, he caused four to be shot in his presence, nor did the remaining two experience any other mercy from him than a delay of their doom; and at another time, having intercepted the flight of one of these victims, he had him shown to his family, and then murdered in the. arms of his wife! The example of persons of such high rank, and who must be presumed to have had. an education in some degree correspondent to their station, could not fail of operating upon men of a lower order in society. The carnage became every day more general and more indiscriminate; and the murder of peasants in their houses, or while employed at their usual work in the fields, by the soldiers, was not only not reproved or punished, but deemed a meritorious service by their superiors.* The demise of King Charles, which happened about this time, caused no suspension or relaxation in these proceedings, which seemed to have been the crowning measure, as * Burnet. Woodrow. Laing. CHAP. II. 1685. CHAP. II. it were, or finishing stroke, of that system, for the steady perseverance in which, James so much admired the resolution of his brother. 1685. Observa tions. It has been judged necessary to detail these transactions, in a manner which may, to some readers, appear an impertinent digression from the narrative in which this history is at present engaged, in order to set in a clearer light, some points of the greatest importance. In the first place, from the summary review of the affairs of Scotland, and from the complacency with which James looks back to his own share of them, joined to the general approbation he expressed of the conduct of the government in that kingdom, we may form a pretty just notion, as well of his maxims of policy, as of his temper and disposition, in matters where his bigotry to the Roman Catholic On the dis- religion had no share. For it is to be observed, and position of James. carefully kept in mind, that the church, of which he not only recommends the support, but which he showed himself ready to maintain, by the most violent means, is the Episcopalian church of the Protestants; that the test which he enforced at the point of the bayonet was a Protestant test, so much so indeed, that he himself could not take it; and that the more marked character of the conventicles, the objects of his persecution, was not so much that of heretics excommunicated by the Pope, as of dissenters from the church of England, and irreconcileable enemies to the Protestant Liturgy and the Protestant Episcopacy. But he judged the church of England to be a most fit instrument for rendering the monarchy absolute. On the other hand, the Presbyterians were thought naturally hostile to the principles of passive obedience, and to one or other, or with more probability, to both, of these considerations, joined to the natural violence. of his temper, is to be referred the whole of his con 1685. duct, in this part of his life, which in this view, is ra- CHAP. II. tional enough; but on the supposition of his having conceived thus early, the intention of introducing Popery upon the ruins of the church of England, is wholly unaccountable, and no less absurd, than if a general were to put himself to great cost and pains to furnish with ammunition, and to strengthen with fortifications, a place of which he was actually meditating the attack. The next important observation that occurs, and to On the pri which even they who are most determined to believe mary object of his gothat this Prince had always Popery in view, and held vernment. every other consideration as subordinate to that primary object, must nevertheless subscribe, is, that the most confidential advisers, as well as the most furious supporters, of the measures we have related, were not Roman Catholics. Lauderdale and Queensberry were both Protestants. There is no reason, therefore, to impute any of James's violence afterwards to the suggestions of his Catholic advisers, since he who had been engaged in the series of measures above related, with Protestant counsellors and coadjutors, had surely nothing to learn from Papists, (whether priests, Jesuits, or others,) in the science of tyranny. Lastly, On the state from this account we are enabled to form some notion of the state of Scotland, at a time when the parliament of that kingdom was called to set an example for this, and we find it to have been a state of more absolute slavery that at that time subsisted in any part of Christendom. of Scotland. of the Scotch The affairs of Scotland being in the state which Proceedings we have described, it is no wonder that the King's Parliament. letter was received with acclamations of applause, and April 28. that the parliament opened, not only with approbation of the government, but even with an enthusiastic zeal, to signalize their loyalty, as well by a perfect acquiM CHAP. II. 1685. escence to the King's demands, as by the most ful some expressions of adulation. "What Prince in Eu rope, or in the whole world," said the Chancellor Perth, "was ever like the late King, except his present Majesty, who had undergone every trial of prospe· rity and adversity, and whose unwearied clemency "was not among the least conspicuous of his virtues? "To advance his honour and greatness, was the duty 66 of all his subjects, and ought to be the endeavour of "their lives without reserve." The Parliament voted an address, scarcely less adulatory than the Chancellor's speech. 66 “MAY IT PLEASE YOUR SACRED MAJESTY, "Your Majesty's gracious and kind remembrance "of the services done by this, your ancient kingdom, "to the late King your brother, of ever glorious me66 mory, shall rather raise in us ardent desires to ex"ceed whatever we have done formerly, than make us consider them as deserving the esteem your Ma"jesty is pleased to express of them in your Letter "to us, dated the twenty-eighth of March. The "death of that our excellent Monarch is lamented by CC us to all the degrees of grief that are consistent "with our great joy for the succession of your Sacred 66 Majesty, who has not only continued, but secured "the happiness, which his wisdom, his justice, and "clemency procured to us: and having the honour "to be the first Parliament which meets by your "Royal Authority, of which we are very sensible, your Majesty may be confident, that we will offer "such laws as may best secure your Majesty's sacred person, the royal family, and government, and be so "exemplary loyal, as to raise your honour and greatแ ness to the utmost of our power, which we shall 66 ever esteem both our duty and interest. Nor shall 66 1685. we leave any thing undone for extirpating all fana- CHAP. II. "ticism, but especially those fanatical murtherers and "assassins, and for detecting and punishing the late "conspirators, whose pernicious and execrable designs "did so much tend to subvert your Majesty's go"vernment, and ruin us and all your Majesty's faith"ful subjects. We can assure your Majesty, that "the subjects of this your Majesty's ancient kingdom แ are so desirous to exceed all their predecessors in "extraordinary marks of affection and obedience to your Majesty, that (God be praised,) the only way "to be popular with us, is to be eminently loyal. "Your Majesty's care of us, when you took us to be << your special charge, your wisdom in extinguishing "the seeds of rebellion and faction amongst us, your justice, which was so great, as to be for ever ex"emplary, but above all, your Majesty's free and "cheerful securing to us our religion, when you were "the late King's, your Royal Brother's Commissioner, "now again renewed, when you are our Sovereign, are what your subjects here can never forget, and "therefore your Majesty may expect that we will "think your commands sacred as your person, and ❝that your inclination will prevent our debates; nor "did ever any who represented our Monarchs as "their Commissioners, (except your royal self,) meet “with greater respect, or more exact observance "from a Parliament, than the Duke of Queensberry, (whom your Majesty has so wisely chosen to re66 present you in this, and of whose eminent loyalty, "and great abilities in all his former employments, "this nation hath seen so many proofs,) shall find from "May it please your Sacred Majesty, ' "PERTH, Cancell." |