LVII. 1645. TOLERATION had hitherto been fo little the prin- CHAP. ciple of any Chriftian fect, that even the catholics, the remnant of the religion profeffed by their forefathers, could not obtain from the English the leaft indulgence. This very house of commons, in their famous remonftrance, took care to juftify themselves, as from the highest imputation, from any intention to relax the golden reins of difcipline, as they called them, or to grant any toleration': And the enemies 1 of the church were fo fair from the beginning, as not to lay claim to liberty of confcience, which they called a toleration for foul-murder. They openly challenged the fuperiority, and even menaced the established church with that perfecution, which they afterwards exercised against her with fuch feverity.. And if the question be confidered in the view of policy; though a fect, already formed and advanced, may, with good reafon, demand a toleration; what title had the puritans to this indulgence, who were just on the point of feparation from the church, and whom, it might be hoped, fome whole fome and legal feverities would ftill retain in obedience? WHATEVER ridicule, to a philofophical mind, may be thrown on pious ceremonies, it must be confeffed, that, during a very religious age, no inftitutions can be more advantageous to the rude multitude, and tend more to mollify that fierce and gloomy fpirit of devotion, to which they are fubject. Even the English church, though it had retained a fhare of popifh ceremonies, may juftly be thought too naked and unadorned, and fill to approach too near the abstract and spiritual religion of the puritans. Laud and his affociates, by reviving a few primitive inftitutions of this nature, corrected the error of the firft reformers, and presented to the affrightened and astonished mind, fome fenfible, exterior obfervances, which might occupy it during its religious exercifes, and abate the • Nalson, vol. ii. p. 705. See note [A] at the end of the volume. violence LVII. 1.645. CHA P. violence of its difappointed efforts. The thought, no longer bent on that divine and myfterious effence, fo fuperior to the narrow capacities of mankind, was able, by means of the new model of devotion, to relax itfelf in the contemplation of pictures, poftures, veftments, buildings; and all the fine arts, which minister to religion, thereby received additional encouragement. The primate, it is true, conducted this scheme, not with the enlarged fentiments and cool reflection of a legiflator, but with the intemperate zeal of a fectary; and by overlooking the circumftances of the times, ferved rather to enflame that religious fury which he meant to reprefs. But this blemish is more to be regarded as a general imputation on the whole age, than any particular failing of Laud's; and it is fufficient for his vindication to obferve, that his errors were the most excufable of all those which prevailed during that zealous period, CHAP. LVIII. Montrofe's victories — The new model of the army Montrofe Ecclefiaftical affairs Defeat of King goes to the Scots at Newark End of the war King delivered up by the Scots. WHILE the king's affairs declined in Eng- CHAP. LVIII. land, fome events happened in Scotland, which feemed to promife him a more profperous 1645. iffue of the quarrel. rofe's victories. BEFORE the commencement of these civil difor- Montders, the earl of Montrofe, a young nobleman of a diftinguished family, returning from his travels, had been introduced to the king, and had made an offer of his fervices; but by the infinuations of the marquefs, afterwards duke of Hamilton, who poffeffed much of Charles's confidence, he had not been received with that diftinction to which he thought himself juftly entitled. Difgufted with this treatment, he had forwarded all the violence of the covenanters; and, agreeably to the natural ardour of his genius, he had employed himself, during the first Scottish infurrection, with great zeal, as well as fuccefs, in levying and conducting their armies. Being commiffioned by the Tables to wait upon the king, while the royal army lay at Berwic, he was fo gained by the civilities and careffes of that monarch, that he thenceforth devoted-himfelf entirely, though fecretly, to his fervice, and entered into a clofe correfpondence Nalfon, Intr. p. 63. with 1645. CHAP. with him. In the fecond infurrection, a great military LVIII. command was entrusted to him by the covenanters ; and he was the first that paffed the Tweed, at the head of their troops, in the invafion of England. He found means, however, foon after to convey a letter to the king: And by the infidelity of fome about that prince; Hamilton, as was fufpected; a copy of this letter was fent to Leven, the Scottish general. Being accused of treachery, and a correspondence with the enemy; Montrofe openly avowed the letter, and afked the generals, if they dared to call their fovereign an enemy: And by this bold and magnanimous behaviour, he escaped the danger of an immediate profecution. As he was now fully known to be of the royal party, he no longer concealed his principles; and he endeavoured to draw thofe who had entertained like fentiments, into a bond of affociation for his master's fervice. Though thrown into prison for this enterprise ", and detained fome time, he was not difcouraged; but still continued, by his countenance and protection, to infufe fpirit into the diftreffed royalifts. Among other perfons of diftinction, who united themselves to him, was lord Napier of Merchifton, fon of the famous inventor of the logarithms, the perfon to whom the title of a GREAT MAN is more juftly due, than to any other whom his country ever produced. THERE was in Scotland another party, who, profeffing equal attachment to the king's fervice, pretended only to differ with Montrose about the means of attaining the fame end; and of that party, duke Hamilton was the leader. This nobleman had caufe to be extremely devoted to the king, not only by reafon of the connexion of blood, which united him It is not improper to take notice of a mistake committed by Clarendon, much to the difadvantage of this gallant nobleman; that hẹ offered the king, when his majefty was in Scotland, to affaffinate Argyle. All the time the king was in Scotland, Montrofe was confined to prifon. Ruth, vol. vi. p. 980. to LVIII. 1645. to the royal family; but on account of the great CHAP. confidence and favour with which he had ever been honoured by his master. Being accufed by lord Rae, not without fome appearance of probability, of a confpiracy against the king; Charles was fo far from harbouring fufpicion against him, that, the very first time Hamilton came to court, he received him into his bed-chamber, and paffed alone the night with him ". But fuch was the duke's unhappy fate or conduct, that he escaped not the imputation of treachery to his friend and fovereign; and though he at laft facrificed his life in the king's fervice, his integrity and fincerity have not been thought by hiftorians entirely free from blemish. Perhaps (and this is the more probable opinion) the fubtilties and refinements of his conduct and his temporifing maxims, though accompanied with good intentions, have been the chief caufe of a fufpicion, which has never yet been either fully proved or refuted. As much as the bold and vivid fpirit of Montrofe prompted him to enterprifing measures, as much was the cautious temper of Hamilton inclined to fuch as were moderate and dilatory. While the former foretold that the Scottish covenanters were fecretly forming an union with the English parliament, and inculcated the neceffity of preventing them by fome vigorous undertaking; the latter ftill infifted, that every fuch attempt would precipitate them into meafures, to which, otherwife, they were not, perhaps, inclined. After the Scottish convention was fummoned without the king's authority, the former exclaimed, that their intentions were now visible, and that, if fome unexpected blow were not struck, to diffipate them, they would arm the whole nation against the king; the latter maintained the poffibility of outvoting the dif affected party, and fecuring, by peaceful means, the allegiance of the kingdom. Unhappily for the Nalfon, vol. ii. p. 683. * Clarendon, vol. iii. p. 380, 381. Ruth, vol. vi. p. 980. Wifhart, cap. 2. · 9 royal |