and to be rid of the Lord Chancellor, that they might have the Government in their own hands. The chief of these was the Marquis of Atholl, who returned to Edinburgh after the landing of the Prince of Orange was publicly known; to encourage the tumultuous meetings of the mob was thought the easiest way to obtain their ends, therefore their complaints were loud of the grievances mentioned in the Prince of Orange's declaration. The news of your Majesty's retreat from Salisbury, your return to London, and that many general officers and soldiers had abandoned you, was no small encouragement for your enemies to act this part at Edinburgh, and make their court to the rising sun. Viscount Tarbat [and] Sir John Dalrymple, Lord Justice-Clerk, were thought to have the greatest share in this early appearance for the Prince of Orange's interest, nor could they act a part more cunningly for their own; for, if your Majesty's affairs succeeded, the Marquis of Atholl, who was satisfied with the name of head of the party, would have borne all the load of what was done, and if the Prince of Orange had success, (as was not then much doubted,) they were sure of so many friends about him, that they should reap all the honour of making the Council and chief town of the nation declare for him. To bring this about more easily, it was proposed in Council to have all the troops disbanded, which they knew were entirely at the Chancellor's devotion, and, although insufficient, yet were better than any [that] could be brought against them. The reasons given for this advice were the unnecessary charge, all appearances of war being now ended, and the Prince of Orange's declaration, wherein he had shown dislike at keeping up any forces in time of peace. The Earl of Perth, who was desirous to satisfy them, and not considering their design, too easily consented to the army's being all disbanded except four troops of horse, kept for bringing in the public money. So soon as the small army was dismissed, the Marquis of Atholl, and those of his party in the Council, came to the Chancellor, and told him they thought themselves no longer in safety to meet in Council, where he was, and several others of his persuasion, incapacitated by law -that if his Lordship and they would retire, it should be seen how ; vigorously they would act in your service, and have the rabble and discontented assemblies dismissed. Before he gave them any positive answer, he consulted with his Roman Catholic friends, who all advised to give way to necessity, and, since they had no power to maintain the Government, it would look better to quit it voluntarily than to be compelled, as certainly they must, considering so great a part of the Council would be sustained in what they proposed by the most considerable part of the city and assemblies of the discontented gentry. Several likewise of his friends gave him the same advice, that he might not be at the discretion of an enraged mob. These advices determined him, so he returned to those Lords, took his leave, and retired to the country. The night after he left Edinburgh, the rabble met in great numbers in the streets; George Stirling, an apothecary, and Mr Menzies, a merchant, to inflame them, made drums beat through all quarters of the town; the inhabitants came running out of their houses to know the cause of so sudden an alarm, were met by those posted by Mr Stirling and Menzies, who told them they had good reasons to believe the Papists designed that night to burn the town,-that therefore all good Protestants should arm and meet for their own defence. After they had assembled all they could, and seeing no appearance of any danger, they began to tire ;-one of them proposed that it was a pity so many honest men should meet without doing something worthy of themselves, and that it would please and satisfy all good Protestants if they should go and pull down the Popish Chapel in the Abbey. The proposal took, and, as ever in such tumultuous meetings, all cried " Agreed,”—men and boys mingled together in confusion. Captain John Wallace was then in your Majesty's palace, with 120 men, raised by the Council to defend it. When he saw them approaching, he sent a sergeant to desire them to retire,—that otherwise he should be obliged to do his duty, and fire upon them. This they did not regard, so he gave them a volley of firelocks, which killed about a dozen, and wounded others. Upon the first fire they ran, and the noise was industriously spread by the Lords and Gentlemen sitting at the same time at their meetings, that Captain Wallace had made a butchery of the inhabitants; and, to inflame the more, it was asserted that few of any consideration in the town but had children killed; this brought all to meet, and they were joined by the discontented Lords and Gentlemen, who resolved to go all together to attack Captain Wallace. One of them proposed, since what they were going to do might afterwards be challenged and they brought to trouble, that some of their number should be sent to the Marquis of Atholl, to desire him to give them a warrant for what they intended, and likewise that he with some other Councillors might order the Magistrates' con currence. At their desire, his Lordship, Viscount of Tarbat, and the Earl of Breadalbane, signed them a warrant, and ordered the heralds and pursuivants to attend them, to summon Captain Wallace in the King's name to deliver up the palace. The town company, commanded by Captain Graham, marched first; next the discontented gentlemen, (the chief of them were Sir James Montgomery, William Lockhart, Riccarton Drummond, Lord Mersington, William Drummond, Clerk to the Artillery, Livingstone ;) next the Provost and all the Magistrates in their robes, accompanied by a mob of several thousands. When they came near the Abbey, the Magistrates sent the heralds and trumpets with the Marquis' warrant and order to Captain Wallace to quit the place, which he positively refused, as the order was not from a full quorum of the Council. Upon his refusal, they began to fire at each other, and the Gentlemen and Magistrates got behind cover, and left Captain Graham, with the trained bands and rabble, to dispute the matter. Captain Graham left them, and got into the Court by a back way, which when Captain Wallace knew, and saw himself like to be attacked before and behind, he retired and forsook his post; when his men missed him, they threw down their arms, and begged quarter. The gentlemen and rabble, when they saw all danger over, rushed in upon them, killed some, and put the rest in prison, where many of them died of their wounds and hunger. The rabble, having nothing to resist them, entered the house, pulled down all they could find in the private Chapel, demolished all things within the Abbey Church, which had been finished some days before they entered, and plundered the house the Jesuits had lived in. When their work was over, they opened the Chancellor's cellars and mine, and made themselves as drunk with wine as before they had been with zeal. Two or three days they rambled about the town, and plundered the Roman Catholics, who were but very few ; some of their Ladies they treated with the utmost barbarity, nor did the Council anything to hinder these disorders; those who hated such barbarities wanted power, and those who had, rather augmented than diminished them. When the rabble became settled, the Marquis of Atholl, as next Officer of State, assembled the Council, and proposed an Address to be sent up to the Prince of Orange, with high acknowledgments of gratitude for his generous undertaking to free them from Popery and slavery, and offers of their further service; but there were so many who opposed the motion, that it was dropt. Those that appeared most against this motion, and all the extravagancies committed, were the two Archbishops, Sir George Mackenzie, Lord Hume, Master of Balmerino, and Sir George Lockhart, Lord President, and Lord Lochor; but though they got that high-flown address stopt, yet [they] were outvoted, when it was put to the question to send an address or not; so, a very short one, and in general terms, was sent up by the Lord Glammis, who was coldly received, a franker one and fuller having been promised and expected. The next thing that gave them some work was apprehending the Earl of Perth, who, finding he could not live at home in safety, embarked at Burntisland with design to go to France, but, [though] in disguise, one Mr Cook knew him, as he was going on ship-board, and gave an account of it to a company of seamen accidentally together. He needed few words to persuade such a company, whereof some had been buccaneers, to follow the Chancellor, being persuaded he had great sums of money aboard, and that apprehending him would be very acceptable to most of the Council. One Wilson undertook to command the party, that they might do it without hazard. They came to the magistrates of Kirkaldy, and desired their warrant, which was signed by Captain Crawford and James Lundy, both then in good employments which they owed to the Chancellor. The sea being quite calm, Wilson, in a long boat, got soon up to the ship, and, the Chancellor having none C with him, the ship's crew surrendered without resistance. They brought him back to Kirkaldy, where he was most scandalously used by the mob, and thrown into the common jail, which the magistrates rather encouraged than hindered. Next day they sent one of their number to acquaint the Council with what was done, to have their approbation, and to know what should be done with their prisoner; they had their approbation, and (as the magistrates pretended) an antedated warrant from the Marquis of Atholl, but since his Lordship denied any such order, I leave it undetermined. What to do with the Chancellor made no small contest All those of the Council against the address were for setting him at liberty; but the Marquis and his party prevailed to have him confined in Stirling Castle, and the Earl of Mar sent to see it done; he was kept close prisoner near four years. in Council. - The Marquis of Atholl and most of the Council, after these things were over, began to prepare for going to London, to make their court, it being then known your Majesty had left England, and the Prince of Orange come to London. That their journey might be the more convenient, it was voted in Council the Lords of the Treasury should be ordered to pay their expenses, but the Earl of Tweeddale, one of the treasurers, refused to sign their warrants, so they were obliged to go upon their own charges. Viscount Tarbat, Sir George Mackenzie, Lord Advocate, Lord President, went first; so soon as they were gone who had kept things in some decency, all was directed by the Marquis of Atholl and his friends, employments about the treasury and other offices disposed amongst their own friends, and, when all was settled as they thought fit, the Marquis followed the other Lords of the Council, and left the Earl of Strathmore, with some of their party, to govern in his absence. Never was seen so great a confluence upon the road to London as then, of all persuasions; the Presbyterians and discontented Lords and Gentlemen-to reap the fruit of their labours, from the hope of having made good the promises of the Prince of Orange and those of their friends [who] came over with him; the Episcopals-to endeavour to save themselves from the ruin they saw threatened them, by their im |