MARIA BEATRIX OF MODENA, QUEEN OF JAMES 11. From a Picture by Sir P. Lely. augury had not yet done; and he proceeded to announce that news had reached him that very morning that Argyle, with a rebel band from Holland, had landed in the Western Islands, and had proclaimed him a usurper and tyrant. But both Houses, however, pledged themselves to assist his majesty to the utmost; and, according to Evelyn, "there was another shout of Vive le Roi, and so his majesty retired." 1 As soon as the Commons returned to their own House they took into consideration the king's speech, voted him thanks for it, granted the revenue of £1,200,000 for his life, and every thing else that was demanded, as if they were more forward to give than the king was to ask. Lord Preston, who had been for some years ambassador in France, was set up by the court as a sort of manager in the Commons; and his lordship told them that the reputation of the nation was beginning to rise abroad, under a prince whose name spread terror everywhere; and that, if his parliament would but repose entire confidence in him, England would again hold the balance, and his majesty would be indeed the arbiter of Europe. The courtiers said everywhere that James was a prince that had never broken his word, and that the word of a king was the best security a people could have for their religion and Evelyn notes-"there was no speech made by the lord keeper (North), after his majesty, as usual. It was whispered he would not be long in that situation; and many believe the bold chief justice, Jeff reys, who was made Baron of Wem, and who went thorough-stitch that tribunal, stands fair for that office. I gave him joy the morning before of his new honor, he having always been very civil to me." in The laws. But, when certain petitions concerning the 1 Evelyn. 66 members to his presence, and told them harshly regular troops, was marched into the western that they must present no such address. A vehe- country. At the same time all such as were susment debate ensued in the House; but, in the end pected of favoring him were seized, and the king's a compromise was hit upon, and the resolution was proclamations and the declarations of parliament put in these words:-" The House relies on his were published to the people, who stood in awe majesty's word and repeated declaration, to support of James's well-known severity. Argyle, however, and defend the religion of the church of England, effected a landing, sent the fiery cross from hill to as it is now by law established, which is dearer hill, from clan to clan, and got about 2500 Highto us than our lives." The speaker, who present- landers to join him. He published two declaraed this resolution, together with the money-bill | tions, one in his own name, complaining of his own "without any appropriating or tacking whatever," wrongs, the other setting forth that the miseries of dwelt with particular emphasis on the last words the nation arose out of the breach of the Covenant; of the resolution- dearer than our lives." The that the king had forfeited the crown by the crimes king did not bestow one syllable upon the subject in of popery, prelacy, tyranny, and fratricide; and that his answer to the speaker; but to others he com- he was come to suppress alike prelacy and popery. plained that the Commons would have him in his His standard bore the inscription, " Against Popery, own person to be the persecutor of the Catholics. Prelacy, and Erastianism." He lost some time in On the 14th of July certain intelligence was re- expecting to be joined by more of the Highlanders, ceived of the landing of the Duke of Monmouth and to hear of Monmouth's landing upon the westwith an armed force. Both Houses forthwith at- ern coast of England, as had been agreed upon; tainted the duke as a traitor, and the Commons voted and when he pushed forward for Glasgow he was an extraordinary supply of £400,000. James then, betrayed by his guides and wagon-men, deserted by on the 2d of July, adjourned parliament to the fol- the greater part of his followers, and confronted by lowing November. By this time, though Mon- Lord Dunbarton with a force in every way far mouth had set up his standard as King of England, superior to his own. Hume and Cochrane, who Argyle had been routed and put to death. were among those whom he afterward accused of ignorance, cowardice, and faction, left him almost alone, and crossed the Clyde in safety with two or three hundred men. Attended only by Fullarton, Argyle, in disguise, endeavored to elude pursuit: but was tracked by some militia-men, overpowered, made prisoner, and carried back to his old cell in Edinburgh Castle on the 20th of June, having his hands tied behind him, his head bare, and the headsman marching before him. His life was held to be forfeited without any trial by his former sentence; and James sent down his death-warrant, allowing him three days, to be employed in "all ways" that might make him confess the full particulars of his defeated plan. It is generally understood that James meant by this that Argyle should be put to torture; but it does not appear that the noble prisoner was either booted or thumbscrewed, and it is certain that he betrayed none of his friends. He was beheaded on the 30th of June, and died with admirable courage. Many were sorely disappointed that he was not hanged like Montrose; but they had some satisfaction in seeing his head stuck up on the Tolbooth. The two Englishmen, Ayloffe and Rumbald, who had accompanied Argyle from Holland, were both taken, after a desperate resistance, in which they were dreadfully wounded. On the 26th of June the doctors reported to the privy council that Rumbald "was in hazard of death by his wounds; so the council ordained the criminal court to sit on him the next morning, that he might not prevent his public execution by his death."1 This Richard Rumbald, maltster, and formerly master of the Rye House, was an English yeoman of the true breed. His indictment bore that he had designed to kill the late king at the Rye, or Hoddesdon, on his return from Newmarket to London. He positively cess. The leading facts of this double invasion are soon told. The Scottish refugees in Holland fancied that neither England nor Scotland would tolerate the government of the papistical and idolatrous James; and they were encouraged by many suffering Presbyterians and Covenanters to strike a blow for liberty and the kirk. Argyle opened a correspondence with Monmouth, and it was arranged between them that two expeditions should be made simultaneously-one to Scotland, under Argyle, the other to England, under the duke. Money and nearly every thing else was wanting, and Monmouth was dilatory and diffident of sucBut at last two handfuls of men were got together, and some arms were purchased and some ships freighted. Argyle sailed on the 2d of May, with Sir John Cochrane, with Ayloffe, and Rumbald, the maltster, two Englishmen, who had been made famous by the parts attributed to them in the Rye-House plot, and with about a hundred followers. Monmouth promised to sail for England in six days; but he wasted his time-loth to tear himself from a beautiful mistress, the Lady Henrietta Wentworth, who had been living with him at Brussels. In the mean time Argyle shaped his course for the Western Highlands. The first land he touched at was Kirkwall, in the Orkneys, where the people whom he put on shore for intelligence were seized, and whence advice was given to the government of his arrival. While he was beating round the northern capes and headlands the government had leisure to make their preparations; and, as it was known that he would land on the western coast, where both his family strength and that of the Covenanters lay, two ships of war were stationed there to watch his motions. The whole militia of the kingdom, consisting of 20,000 men, was put under arms; and a third part of it, with 3000 1 Lauder of Fountainhall 2 66 .. and most solemnly denied, as a dying man, the person; but the colonel was as firm as the maltster, whole of this charge; and so " the king's advocate and the king got nothing from him except a cutting passed from that part, lest it should have disparaged repartee. You know, sir," said James, "that, or impaired any thing of the credit of the said if you desire it, it is in my power to pardon you." English plot." But when they charged him with It is in your power, but not in your nature," rehaving joined Argyle, a forfeit traitor, and invaded plied Ayloffe. The colonel was nephew by marScotland, and commanded as a colonel in the rebel riage to the late Chancellor Clarendon, and it was army, he readily confessed all this, signed his con- thought that the nearness of his relationship to the fession, and justified his deeds by the sacred duty im- king's children (by Anne Hyde) might have moved posed upon all freemen to resist tyrants, saying, in his majesty to pardon him, which would have been rough but significant words, that he did not believe the most effectual confutation of the bold repartee; that God had made the greater part of mankind but he signed his death-warrant instead. Sir John with saddles on their backs and bridles in their Cochrane, who had also been taken, was condemnmouths, and some few booted and spurred to ride ed to be hanged at the cross of Edinburgh; but he the rest. An attempt was made to prove that he seemed "timorous and penitent;" he made some was one of the masked executioners of Charles I.; disclosures, was sent up to London, and, after he but he declared he was not, though he was one of had been for some time closeted with the king, it Oliver Cromwell's regiment, and was on horseback was given out that the matters he had discovered at Whitehall that day, as one of the guard about were of such importance as to have merited the the scaffold. He further declared that, as a lieu- royal pardon. "It was said," adds Burnet, he tenant in Cromwell's army, he had fought at Dun- had discovered their negotiations with the Elector bar, Worcester, and Dundee (words unpleasant to of Brandenburg and the Prince of Orange; but Scottish ears3), and that he had foreseen Argyle this was a pretense only to conceal the bargain, for would ruin the late attempt by lingering in the the prince told me he had never once seen him." Isles and Highlands, instead of marching at once According to the same authority, the bargain was into the inland country. Being asked if he owned an offer of £5000 to James's priests, who wanted the present king's authority, he craved leave to be a stock of money, and so interposed. Some other excused from answering, seeing he needed neither executions took place in Scotland on account of offend them nor grate his own conscience, as they Argyle's wretched incursion; and the Earl of Balhad enough already to take his life. He was sen- carras was sent into Galloway, and the other westtenced to be executed that same afternoon. He ern shires, with a commission of fire and sword was drawn on a hurdle; for, laying aside the against the "resetters" of the rebels. All matters ignominy, he was not able to walk, by reason of the were conducted in the most savage and brutal spirit; wounds he got when he resisted Raploch and his the old feuds of the rival clans were encouraged, men." The undaunted yeoman suffered ten times and hereditary enemies, scarcely more civilized the pain of Argyle with as much heroism. He than the red Indians, were let loose upon one was certainly," says the cool and circumspect law- another. Charles Campbell, Argyle's second son, yer that narrates all the atrocities of his execu- was taken, lying sick of a fever in Argyleshire; and tion," a man of much natural courage: his rooted, the Marquis of Athol, the hereditary enemy of the ingrained opinion was for a republic against mon- Campbell's, by virtue of his justiciary power, rearchy, to pull which down he thought a duty and solved to hang him, though still in a raging fever, no sin. And on the scaffold he began to pray for at his father's gate at Inverary; but the privy that party which he had been owning, and to keep council, at the intercession of sundry ladies, inthe three metropolitan cities of the three kingdoms cluding his wife, Lady Sophia Lindsay, who had right; and if every hair of his head were a life, he contrived his father's escape from Edinburgh Caswould venture them all in that cause: but the tle, stopped this execution, and ordered the prisoner drums were then commanded to beat. Otherwise to be brought to Edinburgh. His brother, Mr. John he carried himself discreetly enough, and heard Campbell, and one of his cousins, finding that they the ministers, but took none of them to the scaffold | could no longer conceal themselves, went disguised with him." Colonel Ayloffe was sent up to Lon- in women's riding-habits to my Lord Dunbarton, don in the hope that some fuller discovery of the and, falling at his feet, discovered themselves. plot, and who had underhand been concerned in it, This general, who had some humanity, signed an might be drawn from him. James, who had an un- order constituting them prisoners in Stirling, with royal fondness for such practices, examined him in the liberty of the whole castle, and trusted them with the carrying of the order without any guard : at which the secret committee were sorely offended. Some of the common prisoners and other Highlanders were by the privy council delivered to Mr. George Scott, of Pitlochy, and other planters in New Jersey, Jamaica, &c.; "but, considering that some of them were more perverse in mincing the king's authority than others, they ordained these, to the number of forty, to have a piece of 1 Lauder of Fountainhall. 2 Burnet. 3 Lauder, however, is particular in mentioning that "the assize (jury) consisted mostly of Englishmen-like a medietas lingue given to strangers by law."-Decisions, &c. "Being hoisted up by a pulley and hanged a while, he was let down scarce fully dead, and his heart pulled out and carried on the point of a bayonet by the hangman, crying, This is the heart of a bloody traitor and murderer;' and then thrown into a fire: after which, they struck off his head, and carried it so also; then cutted him in four quarters, which were affixed at Glasgow, Dumfries, New Galloway, and Jedburgh, and his head put on a poll at the West Port of Edinburgh; but, by order of the king, they were afterward carried to London."-Lauder. 5 Lauder of Fountainhall. 1 Burnet their lug (ear) cut off by the hangman, and the | fell upon his knees and returned thanks for the danwomen disowning the king to be burnt in the shoulder, that if any of them returned they might be known by that mark, and hanged." 66 gers they had escaped. Having collected his little band on the sands, he marched into the town and set up his standard in the market-place. Upon beInstead of six days, it was a month before the ing asked what was the object of his expedition, he lingering Monmouth set sail from the Texel, with replied that it was to secure the Protestant religion about eighty officers and a hundred and fifty follow- and to extirpate popery. Allured by this assurance, ers of various kinds, Scotch and English. Lord and by his agreeable person and manners, people Stair, who had fled from the tyranny of James began to flock to him in great numbers, demanding when Duke or York and commissioner in Scotland, arms and officers. No time was lost in spreading did not join the expedition; but Fletcher of Sal- abroad The Declaration of James, duke of Montoun, a fugitive for the same cause, Sir Patrick mouth, and the noblemen, gentlemen, and commons Hume, and Lord Grey, who had escaped from the now in arms for the defense of the Protestant relivery gates of the Tower when arrested for the gion and vindication of the laws, rights, and priviRye-House plot, embarked with Monmouth. It is leges of England from the invasion made upon them, said that Fletcher, who had far more head and and for delivering the nation from the usurpation and heart than any of his adherents, dissuaded the tyranny of James, duke of York." This declaration duke from the enterprise, as being desperate and is attributed to the bitter pen of Ferguson. It set premature, and that the infamous Lord Grey urged forth that, for many years past, the power of the him to it. There is a suspicion, amounting almost crown had been applied wholly to the destruction to a certainty, that James's son-in-law, the Prince of the people's liberties; that this notorious perverof Orange, encouraged underhand the expeditions sion was mainly owing to the Duke of York, a man of Argyle and Monmouth. Insignificant as were of immoderate ambition, who was panting after abthe preparations, some rumors of them had reached solute dominion, and desiring to introduce popish England; but when James's ambassador remon- idolatry in order to obtain it; that the constitution strated, the prince pretended to give no credit to itself had given way and sunk under the weight of the reports. James then insisted with the Dutch his oppressive administration; that parliaments had that they should seize all the British rebels who been corrupted; that a bribed parliament had surhad at any time taken refuge among them; but rendered the command of the militia, while the peoFagel in public, and the prince in private, opposed ple had been made to part with the power of electthis application, which few independent states would ing the sheriffs, and that by these two causes the have listened to. He then applied for the British people had become naked of all defense; that the regiments which had been left in the service of the laws intended for the preservation of Protestantism Dutch; but here William contrived to throw diffi-and the suppression of popery had, through the corculties and delays in the way; and, soon after, heruption of judges, been turned against Protestants; offered to go himself into England, with his own that corrupt sheriff's had procured corrupt or slavish guards, to assist his dear father-in-law. James, juries; that by these and other means, such as plawho probably suspected from the beginning that cing and displacing judges, proroguing and dissolving William was aiming at the power and consequence parliaments at their will and pleasure, the said Duke which would have attended his becoming an um- of York and the rest of the conspirators had been pire in this quarrel, sent him this ambiguous answer enabled to prosecute their arbitrary and tyrannical "that it was more for the king's interest he should purposes without fear of punishment. Then, deremain where he was.' 112 scending to particulars, it charged James, duke of York, with the burning of London (it was well they did not charge him with the plague); with the shutting up of the Exchequer, whereby the people were defrauded of £1,200,000 and upward; with the breach of the triple league, whereby Europe had been involved in a bloody and expensive war, and the Protestant interest on the continent almost ruined; with the popish plot, and the murder of Sir Edmondbury Godfrey; with the many forged plots turned against the patriots; with the violent seizing of charters of corporations; with the barbarous murder of Arthur, earl of Essex, in the Tower, and of several other persons, to conceal that murder; with the most unjust condemnation of William Lord Russell, and Colonel Algernon Sidney; with the illegal delivery of the popish lords out of the Tower; with the unparalleled execution and murder of Sir Thomas Armstrong, without a trial; with the eluding and breaking through the act for calling and holding a parliament once in three years; and, finally, with poisoning the late king, Charles II., to prevent the Six days before Argyle's capture, Monmouth and his small band landed at Lyme, in Dorsetshire. It was a beautiful day in June, aud no enemy was in sight. They landed about nine o'clock in the evening, and Monmouth, as soon as he set foot on shore, 1 Lauder of Fountainhall. He adds, "which severity was all performed this day, August 5th, 1685." 2 Dispatches of D'Avaux and Orleans, as quoted by Dalrymple. It is certain, however, that some of the British troops came over from Holland, though in disaffected humor, and too late to take any part in the campaign. On the 3d of July the king, in writing to the Prince of Orange, mentions the arrival of some Scotch troops, which, it appears, had just been landed at Gravesend. They were to march on the 4th to Hounslow, and so forward, according to the movements of the rebels. But the battle of Sedgemoor was fought on the 5th. Under the date of the 31st of July, Lauder of Fountainhall has the follow ing significant entry: "The king having called over the three Scots regiments in Holland to England, to assist him against Monmouth, and they being now on a dry march, many of the common soldiers deserted, and ran away with their officers' clothes, money, and arms, after they had been at the expense of taking them on; therefore the privy council, by an act, discharged any, and especially the commanders of the standing forces in Scotland, to receive or take in any of these runaways and deserters without passes from their commanders, and to keep them prisoners till they be redelivered to these captains seeking recruits."Decisions. discovery and punishment of the murder of the Earl that he had a legitimate right to the three crowns, of Essex, and to make way for the said Duke of of which he made no doubt to be able to give the York to the throne. In these charges falsehood world full satisfaction, notwithstanding the means was mingled with self-evident truths, yet the docu- used by the late king his father, upon popish moment was not the less suited to the passions and in- | tives, and at the instigation of the Duke of York, to tellect of an ill-informed people. It went on to de- weaken and obscure it; yet such was the generosiclare that the whole series of James's life had been ty of his own nature, and the love he bore the naone continued conspiracy against the people and tion, whose welfare and settlement he infinitely pretheir religion; that through his means Englishmen ferred to what merely concerned himself, that he had become the scorn and reproach of surrounding would for the present wave all disputes as to that nations; that since his intruding into the throne he matter, and leave his rights and pretensions and the had made an impudent and barefaced avowal of the settling of the government to the wisdom and justice Romish religion in defiance of the laws and statutes of a properly elected and free parliament. This of the realm, had arbitrarily seized the customs, had revival of a most idle and exploded pretension was attempted the utter subversion of all law and liberty calculated to make Monmouth many implacable enby packing together, through illegal charters, false emies in Holland as well as in England; but hunreturns, and other corrupt means, a company of dreds of the unthinking men that surrounded him at men which he styled a parliament. (By this last this moment were encouraged and flattered by the clause the existing parliament was incensed against belief that Lucy Walters had been the late king's the invader.) The declaration then called upon all wife, and that the legitimate blood of royalty ran in patriots and Protestants to have recourse to arms as the veins of Monmouth. The adventurer had flatthe sole means of redress; affirmed that Monmouth tered himself with hopes of being instantly joined and his friends had not rushed on that cruel experi- by the lords Macclesfield, Brandon, Delamere, and ment from any corrupt or private motive, but, as other noblemen and gentlemen of Whig principles; was known to Almighty God, the searcher of hearts, but none appeared. Trenchard, of Taunton, who out of necessity, for self-preservation and to pre- was afterward secretary of state to King William, serve their country from utter ruin; that for these fled into Holland, instead of going, as he had promcauses they proclaimed the Duke of York a traitor, ised, to Monmouth; and even Wildman, that wild a tyrant, a popish usurper, a murderer, and an ene- plotter who had escaped with difficulty from the my to all things that are good, and had come to an Rye-House plot, failed in his appointment. With engagement never to capitulate or treat with the money the adventurer was wholly unprovided, and duke, nor separate themselves or lay down their his supply of arms was very insufficient. But the arms till they had restored liberty and the Protes- yeomanry and peasantry were enthusiastic, and a tant religion, and secured these rights and privileges: man of more military genius and superior daring 1. That no Protestant of what persuasion soever might have done wonders with the first heat of this should be molested for the exercise of religion. 2. enthusiasm. One of James's favorites, the Freuch That parliament should be annually chosen and held, Earl of Feversham, had thrown a detachment of and should not be prorogued, dissolved, or discon- regular troops into Bridport, a town about six miles tinued within the year till petitions were answered from Lyme. Monmouth detached about three hunand grievances redressed. 3. That sheriffs should dred men to storm that town, which they did with annually be elected by the county freeholders-that admirable spirit. But the infamous Lord Grey, who the Militia Act should be repealed, and some way was intrusted with the command, deserted his men found for settling the militia, which should be com- at the first brush; and, galloping back to Lyme, carmanded by the sheriffs; and that no other standing ried the news of a defeat, when his party had acforce should ever be allowed without consent of par- tually obtained a victory. Monmouth, astonished, liament. 4. That the Corporation Act should be exclaimed to Captain Matthews, "What shall I do repealed, and the corporations restored to their an- with Lord Grey?" Matthews replied like a soldier, cient charters and freedoms. All the late quo war- You are the only general in Europe who would ranto judgments, and all surrenders of charters made ask such a question." Monmouth, however, dared by a corrupt and perjured faction, were declared to not venture to offend the man of greatest rank and be null and void in law, and the old charters still property he had with him; and, even after this dis- good and valid; all honest burgesses and freemen graceful exhibition, he intrusted Grey with the comwere invited to reassume the rights and privileges mand of his cavalry. But after thus trusting the which belonged to them, and were assured that they worst man with him, he lost his best man by a cirwould now be delivered from those court parasites cumstance over which he had no control. This was and instruments of tyranny that had been set up to Fletcher of Saltoun, who was equally able with the oppress them; destruction was denounced against sword and the pen, who was at once a soldier and all that continued to adhere to the tyrant and usurp-scholar, an orator and a statesman, with notions far er, but mercy promised to any of his former tools above the low level of the age in which he lived. who should atone for their past misconduct by join- In the general want of the matériel for a campaign, ing in the present great work of redeeming their country. After all this it was declared, in the name of the Duke of Monmouth, and as by and for himself, that, though it had been, and still was, believed 66 Fletcher wanted a war-horse, and laid claim to one which was mounted by Dare of Taunton, who had escaped from the persecutions of the court in 1682, 1 Ferguson's account.-Burnet. |