mind to speak with at all hours to him, and was in another year's war. This was a desperate resolution: but there was nothing else to be done. I will not pursue the relation of the march to 58 Worcester, nor the total defeat given the king's army on the third of September, the same day in which Dunbar fight had been fought the year before. These things are so well known, as is also the king's escape, that I can add nothing to the common relations that have been over and over made of them. At the same time that Cromwell followed the king into England, he left Monk in Scotland, with an army sufficient to reduce the rest of the kingdom. The town of Dundee made a rash Scotland and ill considered resistance: it was after a few dued by days' siege taken by storm: much blood was shed, and the town was severely plundered: no other place made any resistance. I remember well of three regiments coming to Aberdeen. There was an order and discipline, and a face of gravity and piety among them, that amazed all people. Most of them were independents and anabaptists: they were all gifted men, and preached as they were was sub. Monk. A body stood out in lands. moved. But they never disturbed the public assemblies in the churches but once. They came and reproached the preachers for laying things to their charge that were false. I was then present: the debate grew very fierce at last they drew their swords but there was no hurt done: yet Cromwell displaced the governor for not punishing this. When the low countries in Scotland were thus the High- reduced, some of the more zealous of the nobility went to the Highlands in the year 1653. The earl of Glencairn, a grave and sober man, got the tribe of the Macdonalds to declare for the king. To these the lord Lorn came with about a thousand men: but the jealousy of the father made the son be suspected. The marquis of Argile had retired into his country when the king marched into England; and did not submit to Monk till the year fifty-two. Then he received a garrison: but lord Lorn surprised a ship that was sent about with provisions to it, which helped to support their little ill-formed army. Many gentlemen came to them: and almost all the good horses of the kingdom were stolen, and carried up to them. They made a body of about 3000 of these they had about 500 horse. They endured great hardships; for those parts were not fit to entertain men that had been accustomed to live softly. The earl of Glencairn had almost spoiled all: for he took much upon him: and upon some suspicion he ordered lord Lorn to be clapt up, who had notice of it, and prevented it by an escape: otherwise they had fallen to cut one another's throats, instead of marching to the enemy. The earl of Belcarras, a virtuous and knowing man, but somewhat morose in his humour, went also among them. They differed in their counsels: lord Glen-59 cairn was for falling into the low countries: and he began to fancy he should be another Montrose. Belcarras, on the other hand, was for keeping in their fastnesses: they made a shew of a body for the king, which they were to keep up in some reputation as long as they could, till they could see what assistance the king might be able to procure them from beyond sea, of men, money, and arms: whereas if they went out of those fast grounds, they could not hope to stand before such a veteran and well disciplined army as Monk had; and if they met with the least check, their tumultuary body would soon melt away. Murray's Among others, one sir Robert Murray, that had Sir Robert married lord Belcarras's sister, came among them: character. he had served in France, where he had got into such a degree of favour with cardinal Richlieu, that few strangers were ever so much considered by him as he was. He was raised to be a colonel there, and came over for recruits when the king was with the Scotch army at Newcastle. There he grew into high favour with the king; and laid a design for his escape, of which I have given an account in duke Hamilton's memoirs: he was the most universally beloved and esteemed by men of all sides and sorts, of any man I have ever known in my whole life. He was a pious man, and in the midst of armies and courts he spent many hours a day in devotion, [which was in a most elevating strain.] He had gone through the easy parts of mathematics, and knew the history of nature beyond any man I ever yet knew. He had a genius much like Peiriski, as he is described by Gassendi. He was after wards the first former of the royal society, and its first president; and while he lived, he was the life and soul of that body. He had an equality of temper in him that nothing could alter; and was in practice the only stoic I ever knew. He had a great tincture of one of their principles; for he was much for absolute decrees. He had a most diffused love to all mankind, and he delighted in every occasion of doing good, which he managed with great discretion and zeal. He had a superiority of genius and comprehension to most men: and had the plainest, but with all the softest, way of reproving, chiefly young people, for their faults, that I ever met with. [And upon this account, as well as upon all the care and affection he expressed unto me, I have ever reckoned, that, next to my father, I owed more to him, than to any other man. Therefore I have enlarged upon his character; and yet I am sure I have rather said too little than too much.] Sir Robert Murray was in such credit in that little army, that lord Glencairn took a strange course to break it, and to ruin him. A letter was pretended to be found at Antwerp, as writ by him to William Murray of the bed-chamber, that had been whipping-boy to king Charles the first, and upon that had grown up to a degree of favour and confidence that was very particular: [and, as many thought, was as ill used, as it was little deserved.] He had a lewd creature there, whom he turned off: 60 and she, to be revenged on him, framed this plot against him. This ill forged letter gave an account of a bargain sir Robert had made with Monk for killing the king, which was to be executed by Mr. Murray so he prayed him in his letter to make haste, and dispatch it. This was brought to the earl of Glencairn: so sir Robert was severely questioned upon it, and put in arrest and it was spread about through a rude army that he intended to kill the king, hoping, it seems, that some of these wild people, believing it, would have fallen upon him without using any forms. Upon this occasion sir Robert practised in a very eminent manner his true Christian philosophy, without shewing so much as a cloud in his whole behaviour. The earl of Belcarras left the Highlands, and went to the king; and shewed him the necessity of sending a military man to command that body, to whom they would submit more willingly than to any of the nobility. Middletoun was sent over, who was a gallant man, and a good officer: he had first served on the parliament's side: but he turned over to the king, and was taken at Worcester fight, but made his escape out of the Tower. He, upon his coming over, did for some time lay the heats that were among the Highlanders; and made as much of that face of an army for another year as was possible. sent to the Drumond was sent by him to Paris with an in- Messages vitation to the king to come among them: for they king. had assurances sent them, that the whole nation was in a disposition to rise with them: and England was beginning to grow weary of their new government, the army and the parliament being on ill terms. The English were also engaged in a war with the states: and the Dutch upon that account might be inclined to assist the king to give a diversion to their enemies forces. Drumond told me, that upon his coming to Paris he was called to the little council that was then about the king: and |