The History of England, from the Accession of James II Volume III Part 31

'Ffy,' quod St. Peter, 'thou wilt never do weel, 'An thou, but new made, so sane gaffs to steal.'

'Umff,' quod the Hielandman, and swore by yon kirk, 'So long as I may geir get to steal, will I nevir work."'

Another Lowland Scot, the brave Colonel Cleland, about the same time, describes the Highlander in the same manner

"For a misobliging word She'll dirk her neighbour o'er the board.

If any ask her of her drift, Forsooth, her nainself lives by theft."

Much to the same effect are the very few words which Franck Philanthropus (1694) spares to the Highlanders: "They live like lauds and die like loons, hating to work and no credit to borrow: they make depredations and rob their neighbours." In the History of the Revolution in Scotland, printed at Edinburgh in 1690, is the following pa.s.sage: "The Highlanders of Scotland are a sort of wretches that have no other consideration of honour, friendship, obedience, or government, than as, by any alteration of affairs or revolution in the government, they can improve to themselves an opportunity of robbing or plundering their bordering neighbours."]

[Footnote 324: Since this pa.s.sage was written I was much pleased by finding that Lord Fountainhall used, in July 1676, exactly the same ill.u.s.tration which had occurred to me. He says that "Argyle's ambitious grasping at the mastery of the Highlands and Western Islands of Mull, Ila, &c. stirred up other clans to enter into a combination for hearing him dowse, like the confederat forces of Germanic, Spain, Holland, &c., against the growth of the French."]

[Footnote 325: In the introduction to the Memoirs of Sir Ewan Cameron is a very sensible remark: "It may appear paradoxical: but the editor cannot help hazarding the conjecture that the motives which prompted the Highlanders to support King James were substantially the same as those by which the promoters of the Revolution were actuated." The whole introduction, indeed, well deserves to be read.]

[Footnote 326: Skene's Highlanders of Scotland; Douglas's Baronage of Scotland.]

[Footnote 327: See the Memoirs of the Life of Sir Ewan Cameron, and the Historical and Genealogical Account of the Clan Maclean, by a Senachie.

Though this last work was published so late as 1838, the writer seems to have been inflamed by animosity as fierce as that with which the Macleans of the seventeenth century regarded the Campbells. In the short compa.s.s of one page the Marquess of Argyle is designated as "the diabolical Scotch Cromwell," "the vile vindictive persecutor," "the base traitor," and "the Argyle impostor." In another page he is "the insidious Campbell, fertile in villany," "the avaricious slave," "the coward of Argyle" and "the Scotch traitor." In the next page he is "the base and vindictive enemy of the House of Maclean" "the hypocritical Covenanter," "the incorrigible traitor," "the cowardly and malignant enemy." It is a happy thing that pa.s.sions so violent can now vent themselves only in scolding.]

[Footnote 328: Letter of Avaux to Louvois, April 6/16 1689, enclosing a paper ent.i.tled Memoire du Chevalier Macklean.]

[Footnote 329: See the singularly interesting Memoirs of Sir Ewan Cameron of Lochiel, printed at Edinburgh for the Abbotsford Club in 1842. The MS. must have been at least a century older. See also in the same volume the account of Sir Ewan's death, copied from the Balhadie papers. I ought to say that the author of the Memoirs of Sir Ewan, though evidently well informed about the affairs of the Highlands and the characters of the most distinguished chiefs, was grossly ignorant of English politics and history. I will quote what Van Litters wrote to the States General about Lochiel, Nov 26/Dec 6 1689: "Sir Evan Cameron, Lord Locheale, een man,--soo ik hoor van die hem lange gekent en dagelyk hebben mede omgegaan,--van so groot verstant, courage, en beleyt, als weyniges syns gelycke syn."]

[Footnote 330: Act. Parl., July 5. 1661.]

[Footnote 331: See Burt's Third and Fourth Letters. In the early editions is an engraving of the market cross of Inverness, and of that part of the street where the merchants congregated. I ought here to acknowledge my obligations to Mr. Robert Carruthers, who kindly furnished me with much curious information about Inverness and with some extracts from the munic.i.p.al records.]

[Footnote 332: I am indebted to Mr. Carruthers for a copy of the demands of the Macdonalds and of the answer of the Town Council.]

[Footnote 333: Colt's Deposition, Appendix to the Act. Parl of July 14.

1690.]

[Footnote 334: See the Life of Sir Ewan Cameron.]

[Footnote 335: Balcarras's Memoirs; History of the late Revolution in Scotland.]

[Footnote 336: There is among the Nairne Papers in the Bodleian Library a curious MS. ent.i.tled "Journal de ce qui s'est pa.s.se en Irlande depuis l'arrivee de sa Majeste." In this journal there are notes and corrections in English and French; the English in the handwriting of James, the French in the handwriting of Melfort. The letters intercepted by Hamilton are mentioned, and mentioned in a way which plainly shows that they were genuine; nor is there the least sign that James disapproved of them.]

[Footnote 337: "Nor did ever," says Balcarras, addressing James, "the Viscount of Dundee think of going to the Highlands without further orders from you, till a party was sent to apprehend him."]

[Footnote 338: See the narrative sent to James in Ireland and received by him July 7, 1689. It is among the Nairne Papers. See also the Memoirs of Dundee, 1714; Memoirs of Sir Ewan Cameron; Balcarras's Memoirs; Mackay's Memoirs. These narratives do not perfectly agree with each other or with the information which I obtained from Inverness.]

[Footnote 339: Memoirs of Dundee; Tarbet to Melville, 1st June 7688, in the Levers and Melville Papers.]

[Footnote 340: Narrative in the Nairne Papers; Depositions of Colt, Osburne, Malcolm, and Stewart of Ballachan in the Appendix to the Act.

Parl. of July 14. 1690; Memoirs of Sir Ewan Cameron. A few touches I have taken from an English translation of some pa.s.sages in a lost epic poem written in Latin, and called the Grameis. The writer was a zealous Jacobite named Phillipps. I have seldom made use of the Memoirs of Dundee, printed in 1714, and never without some misgiving. The writer was certainly not, as he pretends, one of Dundee's officers, but a stupid and ignorant Grub Street garreteer. He is utterly wrong both as to the place and as to the time of the battle of Killiecrankie. He says that it was fought on the banks of the Tummell, and on the 13th of June.

It was fought on the banks of the Garry, and on the 27th of July. After giving such a specimen of inaccuracy as this, it would be idle to point out minor blunders.]

[Footnote 341: From a letter of Archibald Karl of Argyle to Lauderdale, which bears date the 25th of June, 1664, it appears that a hundred thousand marks Scots, little more than five thousand pounds sterling, would, at that time, have very nearly satisfied all the claims of Mac Callum More on his neighbours.]

[Footnote 342: Mackay's Memoirs; Tarbet to Melville, June 1, 1689, in the Leven and Melville Papers; Dundee to Melfort, June 27, in the Nairne Papers,]

[Footnote 343: See Mackay's Memoirs, and his letter to Hamilton of the 14th of June, 1689.]

[Footnote 344: Memoirs of Sir Ewan Cameron.]

[Footnote 345: Memoirs of Sir Ewan Cameron.]

[Footnote 346: Memoirs of Sir Ewan Cameron.]

[Footnote 347: Dundee to Melfort, June 27. 1689.]

[Footnote 348: See Faithful Contendings Displayed, particularly the proceedings of April 29. and 30. and of May 13. and 14., 1689; the pet.i.tion to Parliament drawn up by the regiment, on July 18. 1689; the protestation of Sir Robert Hamilton of November 6. 1689; and the admonitory Epistle to the Regiment, dated March 27. 1690. The Society people, as they called themselves, seem to have been especially shocked by the way in which the King's birthday had been kept. "We hope," they wrote, "ye are against observing anniversary days as well as we, and that ye will mourn for what ye have done." As to the opinions and temper of Alexander Shields, see his Hind Let Loose.]

[Footnote 349: Siege of the Castle of Edinburgh, printed for the Bannatyne Club; Lond. Gaz, June 10/20. 1689.]

[Footnote 350: Act. Parl. Scot., June 5. June 17. 1689.]

[Footnote 351: The instructions will be found among the Somers Tracts.]

[Footnote 352: As to Sir Patrick's views, see his letter of the 7th of June, and Lockhart's letter of the 11th of July, in the Leven and Melville Papers.]

[Footnote 353: My chief materials for the history of this session have been the Acts, the Minutes, and the Leven and Melville Papers.]

[Footnote 354: "Athol," says Dundee contemptuously, "is gone to England, who did not know what to do."--Dundee to Melfort, June 27. 1689. See Athol's letters to Melville of the 21st of May and the 8th of June, in the Leven and Melville Papers.]

[Footnote 355: Memoirs of Sir Ewan Cameron.]

[Footnote 356: Mackay's Memoirs.]

[Footnote 357: Ibid.]

[Footnote 358: Van Odyck to the Greffier of the States General, Aug.

2/12 1689.]

[Footnote 359: Memoirs of Sir Ewan Cameron.]

[Footnote 360: Balcarras's Memoirs.]

[Footnote 361: Mackay's Short Relation, dated Aug. 17. 1689.]

[Footnote 362: Memoirs of Sir Ewan Cameron.]

[Footnote 363: Memoirs of Sir Ewan Cameron; Mackay's Memoirs.]

[Footnote 364: Douglas's Baronage of Scotland.]

[Footnote 365: Memoirs of Sir Ewan Cameron.]

[Footnote 366: Memoirs of Sir Swan Cameron.]