placable enemies getting the Government, both in Church and State, into their hands; but their number was insignificant to the Presbyterians, after they were joined by their countrymen from Holland, which soon appeared when they formed their regular meetings at the Ship Tavern in St James' Street,—there they consulted what was to be done to have the Government secured to themselves, and to have all others debarred. One of the first steps was to have all made incapable of ever being employed, who had served in the two last reigns; to see how that would take, they named only five at first, the Duke of Queensberry, Viscount of Tarbat, Sir George Mackenzie, Viscount of Dundee, and myself. When this was proposed to the Prince of Orange, he absolutely refused the motion, being resolved to put no party nor particulars to despair, until he knew how they behaved in the intended convention; his putting a stop at this time made it no further urged by the most violent of their meetings. The preparative did not likewise pass with many of themselves, but more particularly it was opposed by the Duke of Hamilton and all his friends, who expected the chief employments in the nation. Before this, the Duke of Hamilton had been little concerned in all that passed, being at London during all the noise of the invasion, so had little to do at home; and, if he meddled in English affairs, it was kept so close that he was under no suspicion. The first thing that he appeared in, was in an affair that I was concerned in myself, when the Council of Scotland sent me to attend your Majesty, and to give you an account of our unhappy circumstances, after the forces were ordered to England. The night I came to London, I heard the sad news of your Majesty's leaving it, which made me desire that all of your Council then at London might meet at the Duke of Hamilton's house, to consider what was proper for us to write to the Council of Scotland. The Councillors there were Lord Livingstone, Captain of your Guards, Viscount of Dundee, Lieutenant-General Douglas, and Earl of Airlie. After I had delivered the Council's letter to the Duke, wherein they had commissioned him, with me, to attend your Majesty, he desired to see the principal letter I had to deliver to your Majesty from the Council, otherwise he would meddle in none of our affairs. To satisfy him, I gave him a double of

it, but refused the principal, though urged by his Grace with his usual vehemency, which all present approved, as he could not deliver it to your Majesty. He concealed not his design, which was to show the Lords, met at Whitehall, that there was still a Papist Chancellor and Councillors sitting in that kingdom, and consulting what was to be done -for then it was not known, the confusion, tumults and disorders amongst them.

Three days after this, when it was known your Majesty was returning from Feversham, and that things were likely to take another turn, he sent for the Viscount of Dundee, excused his passion with us, and desired all might be forgot, and unite heartily in your service; nor did any about you, during your stay, appear more concerned for your person and prosperity. But your Majesty had no sooner taken water at Whitehall, but he went to Sion House, where the Prince of Orange then was, and was received in the kindest manner, not out of affection, but that he thought him the fittest instrument to make use of for managing the different interests of the Scots nation. That he might appear to be so, his Grace began by assuring the discontented Lords and Gentlemen, and the chiefs of the Presbyterians, that none had been more dissatisfied with all had been done in the two former reigns; that he was ever their friend; that, if he had acted any thing disagreeable to them, it was only done to save them from greater evils. With the Episcopal party, he begged they might suspend their judgments of his actions, however they might appear, until the meeting of the convention then designed to be called, and that it should then be seen his zeal for the welfare of their King and country. With these different pretexts he cajoled all parties, which was no hard task to one that could abandon all just sentiments for his private interest; and, to carry on his design the better, he appeared not to favour the one party more than the other, nor was he seen in any of their clubs, until the great meeting was held, at Whitehall, of all the Scots nation then in London, whereof he was unanimously chosen president.

The great disorders had happened at Edinburgh, the disbanding of the forces, and there being no face of authority or government remain

ing, gave him a fair pretence to tell that meeting, that something must immediately be done to prevent evils inevitable, if the government was not lodged in some single person until a convention of the estates of the whole nation should be called, that he thought that power could not be more justly placed than with the Prince of Orange, who had been so instrumental in freeing them from the danger and fears of Popery and arbitrary government. This was thought necessary by the majority present, and those of your cause were obliged to comply, though unwillingly from the great disorders at home, the mob being absolutely masters; and that which made this proposition more easily pass was, that the power given to the Prince of Orange was only to subsist until the convention to be called in March, 1689; nor could your friends have avoided this compliance without being imprisoned, all the roads being stopped, and passes denied to all but those of their own party, which would have rendered your friends incapable of appearing for your Majesty in the convention, which was thought the only remedy left to their misfortunes.

In this meeting the Earl of Arran read over a short paper, wherein he told them he was as much concerned as any in the nation for their unhappy situation, and that he would venture as much to remedy it as any of them; but he did not think that what was proposed would do them good, and that he saw no means left to restore peace and happiness to Britain, but to send to your Majesty, and desire your return upon such conditions as might be honourable to your Majesty, and secure the religion and property of the nation. There were many in that meeting would have joined him in his proposal, but his Lordship brought it in, without letting any of your friends know of it; besides, he was then not a little suspected by them, from his having gone in to the Prince of Orange after your Majesty's first retreat, and from the great power his father had with the Prince of Orange, and all the Presbyterians and persons disaffected to your Majesty. The wisest of your friends judged likewise that, although his speech was bold and just, yet [it] was then unseasonable, considering that if any considerable party had joined with him, it must have occasioned forces to be sent to Scotland, and prevented all appearance for your service in the convention, which was thought

the only proper place for such an overture. Nothing more was done in this meeting; an offer only was made of an association, which none signed that intended to appear for your Majesty in the convention.

When this meeting was over, the Prince of Orange accepted the Government of the nation, until the limited time, and the convention was by his order indicted to meet in March, [1689.] Both parties resolved to return to Scotland, but passes were denied, and without them there was no getting through; the cause of this was to detain the Scots until the Prince was declared King, that, being obliged to take their leave of him, it would then be best known who would kiss his hands as King, and congratulate his accession to the throne, which would be a kind of acknowledging his right. Duke Hamilton did this, and most of the Scots who came over with the Prince; yet others, who intended to appear for him in the convention, refused it, looking upon it as giving up the rights and independence of their nation.-This convention, called by the Prince of Orange, embarrassed many of your friends; to go to it was thought a breach of the oath they had taken in the test, by which they were tied to sit in no public meeting unless called by legal authority. Others were of opinion, that, your Majesty not being in a condition to call any assembly, they that intended to go with no other intention but to serve you, and, by so doing, expose themselves to a victorious insulting enemy, might justly and honestly go to this convention. But your Majesty ended this debate by sending over Mr Hay to some few of us you trusted, with your authority for our going, which we resolved, and applied to all our friends to labour to have such members chosen as might be proper for our designs.

your af

Before we left London, we gave you an account by Mr Hay of our resolutions, but much fuller by Mr Lindsay. By Mr Hay you had ordered the Viscount of Dundee and me to give you accounts of fairs, and what might be expected from a Scots convention, with orders to send to you such draughts of letters to it, and to particular men, as we thought suitable to their interests, influence, or inclinations. All your Majesty's orders were communicated to the Duke of Queensberry, newly arrived at London; and, though not a little caressed by the court,

he entered with us entirely into your interest, notwithstanding his being not long before offended by being turned out from being treasurer, and most of us he joined with had the common misfortune of all courts, to be of very opposite parties, but common interest made us forget and unite. The Marquis of Atholl likewise joined us ; neither his early appearance for a Revolution, nor his alliance with the Prince of Orange by his Lady, procured him a favourable reception, which made him look back to his old friends, make excuses for what was past, and give promises of his assistance in the convention. The Earl of Annandale, amongst others, had been disobliged by the Prince of Orange, offended by his not fulfilling his early engagement with his party; this made him declare openly for your interest in the ensuing convention. But so many different views, humours, and scruples made a general resolution so long of being taken, that the Prince's party gained no small advantage by it, and gave them time to prepare their friends at home; whereas our irresolution lost us many of our friends, some believing the cause must be very desperate they heard nothing of, [while] others, out of a scrupulous unseasonable nicety, refused to join in electing or meddling with a convention called by the Prince. Notwithstanding all these difficulties, after these Lords had again joined us, we thought ourselves by far the strongest party, if forces had not been sent down, the forfeited persons allowed to elect members, and themselves allowed to sit in Parliament, a thing never practised before in any nation while their forfeitures were unrepealed.

So soon as all our affairs were concerted, and Mr Lindsay had got his letters and instructions to your Majesty, the Viscount of Dundee and myself left London and came to Edinburgh, which we found in great tranquillity, and generally well affected to you, which was owing to the College of Justice, who, after the departure of the Marquis' of Atholl, armed themselves and servants, by which they dissipated the rabble, kept themselves secure, and the town in awe; but the Duke of Hamilton, knowing most of them averse to his designs in the convention, got an order from the Prince to dismiss them, before the meeting of the The Duke of Gordon was in terms for the surrender of the Castle, when the Viscount of Dundee and myself waited upon him. In

estates.