The History of England, from the Accession of James the Second - Volume 1 by Thomas Babington Macaulay (diy ebook reader .txt) π
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to be in readiness.
All the clans hostile to the name of Campbell were set in motion.
John Murray, Marquess of Athol, was appointed Lord Lieutenant of
Argyleshire, and, at the head of a great body of his followers,
occupied the castle of Inverary. Some suspected persons were
arrested. Others were compelled to give hostages. Ships of war
were sent to cruise near the isle of Bute; and part of the army
of Ireland was moved to the coast of Ulster.343
While these preparations were making in Scotland, James called
into his closet Arnold Van Citters, who had long resided in
England as Ambassador from the United Provinces, and Everard Van
Dykvelt, who, after the death of Charles, had been sent by the
State General on a special mission of condolence and
congratulation. The King said that he had received from
unquestionable sources intelligence of designs which were forming
against the throne by his banished subjects in Holland. Some of
the exiles were cutthroats, whom nothing but the special
providence of God had prevented from committing a foul murder;
and among them was the owner of the spot which had been fixed for
the butchery. "Of all men living," said the King, "Argyle has the
greatest means of annoying me; and of all places Holland is that
whence a blow may be best aimed against me." The Dutch envoys
assured his Majesty that what he had said should instantly be
communicated to the government which they represented, and
expressed their full confidence that every exertion would be made
to satisfy him.344
They were justified in expressing this confidence. Both the
Prince of Orange and the States General, were, at this time, most
desirous that the hospitality of their country should not be
abused for purposes of which the English government could justly
complain. James had lately held language which encouraged the
hope that he would not patiently submit to the ascendancy of
France. It seemed probable that he would consent to form a close
alliance with the United Provinces and the House of Austria.
There was, therefore, at the Hague, an extreme anxiety to avoid
all that could give him offence. The personal interest of William
was also on this occasion identical with the interest of his
father in law.
But the case was one which required rapid and vigorous action;
and the nature of the Batavian institutions made such action
almost impossible. The Union of Utrecht, rudely formed, amidst
the agonies of a revolution, for the purpose of meeting immediate
exigencies, had never been deliberately revised and perfected in
a time of tranquillity. Every one of the seven commonwealths
which that Union had bound together retained almost all the
rights of sovereignty, and asserted those rights punctiliously
against the central government. As the federal authorities had
not the means of exacting prompt obedience from the provincial
authorities, so the provincial authorities had not the means of
exacting prompt obedience from the municipal authorities. Holland
alone contained eighteen cities, each of which was, for many
purposes, an independent state, jealous of all interference from
without. If the rulers of such a city received from the Hague an
order which was unpleasing to them, they either neglected it
altogether, or executed it languidly and tardily. In some town
councils, indeed, the influence of the Prince of Orange was all
powerful. But unfortunately the place where the British exiles
had congregated, and where their ships had been fitted out, was
the rich and populous Amsterdam; and the magistrates of Amsterdam
were the heads of the faction hostile to the federal government
and to the House of Nassau. The naval administration of the
United Provinces was conducted by five distinct boards of
Admiralty. One of those boards sate at Amsterdam, was partly
nominated by the authorities of that city, and seems to have been
entirely animated by their spirit.
All the endeavours of the federal government to effect what James
desired were frustrated by the evasions of the functionaries of
Amsterdam, and by the blunders of Colonel Bevil Skelton, who had
just arrived at the Hague as envoy from England. Skelton had been
born in Holland during the English troubles, and was therefore
supposed to be peculiarly qualified for his post;345 but he was,
in truth, unfit for that and for every other diplomatic
situation. Excellent judges of character pronounced him to be the
most shallow, fickle, passionate, presumptuous, and garrulous of
men.346 He took no serious notice of the proceedings of the
refugees till three vessels which had been equipped for the
expedition to Scotland were safe out of the Zuyder Zee, till the
arms, ammunition, and provisions were on board, and till the
passengers had embarked. Then, instead of applying, as he should
have done, to the States General, who sate close to his own door,
he sent a messenger to the magistrates of Amsterdam, with a
request that the suspected ships might be detained. The
magistrates of Amsterdam answered that the entrance of the Zuyder
Zee was out of their jurisdiction, and referred him to the
federal government. It was notorious that this was a mere excuse,
and that, if there had been any real wish at the Stadthouse of
Amsterdam to prevent Argyle from sailing, no difficulties would
have been made. Skelton now addressed himself to the States
General. They showed every disposition to comply with his demand,
and, as the case was urgent, departed from the course which they
ordinarily observed in the transaction of business. On the same
day on which he made his application to them, an order, drawn in
exact conformity with his request, was despatched to the
Admiralty of Amsterdam. But this order, in consequence of some
misinformation, did not correctly describe the situation of the
ships. They were said to be in the Texel. They were in the Vlie.
The Admiralty of Amsterdam made this error a plea for doing
nothing; and, before the error could be rectified, the three
ships had sailed.347
The last hours which Argyle passed on the coast of Holland were
hours of great anxiety. Near him lay a Dutch man of war whose
broadside would in a moment have put an end to his expedition.
Round his little fleet a boat was rowing, in which were some
persons with telescopes whom he suspected to be spies. But no
effectual step was taken for the purpose of detaining him; and on
the afternoon of the second of May he stood out to sea before a
favourable breeze.
The voyage was prosperous. On the sixth the Orkneys were in
sight. Argyle very unwisely anchored off Kirkwall, and allowed
two of his followers to go on shore there. The Bishop ordered
them to be arrested. The refugees proceeded to hold a long and
animated debate on this misadventure: for, from the beginning to
the end of their expedition, however languid and irresolute their
conduct might be, they never in debate wanted spirit or
perseverance. Some were for an attack on Kirkwall. Some were for
proceeding without delay to Argyleshire. At last the Earl seized
some gentlemen who lived near the coast of the island, and
proposed to the Bishop an exchange of prisoners. The Bishop
returned no answer; and the fleet, after losing three days,
sailed away.
This delay was full of danger. It was speedily known at Edinburgh
that the rebel squadron had touched at the Orkneys. Troops were
instantly put in motion. When the Earl reached his own province,
he found that preparations had been made to repel him. At
Dunstaffnage he sent his second son Charles on Shore to call the
Campbells to arms. But Charles returned with gloomy tidings. The
herdsmen and fishermen were indeed ready to rally round Mac
Callum More; but, of the heads of the clan, some were in
confinement, and others had fled. Those gentlemen who remained at
their homes were either well affected to the government or afraid
of moving, and refused even to see the son of their chief. From
Dunstaffnage the small armament proceeded to Campbelltown, near
the southern extremity of the peninsula of Kintyre. Here the Earl
published a manifesto, drawn up in Holland, under the direction
of the Committee, by James Stewart, a Scotch advocate, whose pen
was, a few months later, employed in a very different way. In
this paper were set forth, with a strength of language sometimes
approaching to scurrility, many real and some imaginary
grievances. It was hinted that the late King had died by poison.
A chief object of the expedition was declared to be the entire
suppression, not only of Popery, but of Prelacy, which was termed
the most bitter root and offspring of Popery; and all good
Scotchmen were exhorted to do valiantly for the cause of their
country and of their God.
Zealous as Argyle was for what he considered as pure religion, he
did not scruple to practice one rite half Popish and half Pagan.
The mysterious cross of yew, first set on fire, and then quenched
in the blood of a goat, was sent forth to summon all the
Campbells, from sixteen to sixty. The isthmus of Tarbet was
appointed for the place of gathering. The muster, though small
indeed when compared with what it would have been if the spirit
and strength of the clan had been unbroken, was still formidable.
The whole force assembled amounted to about eighteen hundred men.
Argyle divided his mountaineers into three regiments, and
proceeded to appoint officers.
The bickerings which had begun in Holland had never been
intermitted during the whole course of the expedition; but at
Tarbet they became more violent than ever. The Committee wished
to interfere even with the patriarchal dominion of the Earl over
the Campbells, and would not allow him to settle the military
rank of his kinsmen by his own authority. While these
disputatious meddlers tried to wrest from him his power over the
Highlands, they carried on their own correspondence with the
Lowlands, and received and sent letters which were never
communicated to the nominal General. Hume and his confederates
had reserved to themselves the superintendence of the Stores, and
conducted this important part of the administration of war with a
laxity hardly to be distinguished from dishonesty, suffered the
arms to be spoiled, wasted the provisions, and lived riotously at
a time when they ought to have set to all beneath them an example
of abstemiousness.
The great question was whether the Highlands or the Lowlands
should be the seat of war. The Earl's first object was to
establish his authority over his own domains, to drive out the
invading clans which had been poured from Perthshire into
Argyleshire, and to take possession of the ancient seat of his
family at Inverary. He might then hope to have four or five
thousand claymores at his command.
All the clans hostile to the name of Campbell were set in motion.
John Murray, Marquess of Athol, was appointed Lord Lieutenant of
Argyleshire, and, at the head of a great body of his followers,
occupied the castle of Inverary. Some suspected persons were
arrested. Others were compelled to give hostages. Ships of war
were sent to cruise near the isle of Bute; and part of the army
of Ireland was moved to the coast of Ulster.343
While these preparations were making in Scotland, James called
into his closet Arnold Van Citters, who had long resided in
England as Ambassador from the United Provinces, and Everard Van
Dykvelt, who, after the death of Charles, had been sent by the
State General on a special mission of condolence and
congratulation. The King said that he had received from
unquestionable sources intelligence of designs which were forming
against the throne by his banished subjects in Holland. Some of
the exiles were cutthroats, whom nothing but the special
providence of God had prevented from committing a foul murder;
and among them was the owner of the spot which had been fixed for
the butchery. "Of all men living," said the King, "Argyle has the
greatest means of annoying me; and of all places Holland is that
whence a blow may be best aimed against me." The Dutch envoys
assured his Majesty that what he had said should instantly be
communicated to the government which they represented, and
expressed their full confidence that every exertion would be made
to satisfy him.344
They were justified in expressing this confidence. Both the
Prince of Orange and the States General, were, at this time, most
desirous that the hospitality of their country should not be
abused for purposes of which the English government could justly
complain. James had lately held language which encouraged the
hope that he would not patiently submit to the ascendancy of
France. It seemed probable that he would consent to form a close
alliance with the United Provinces and the House of Austria.
There was, therefore, at the Hague, an extreme anxiety to avoid
all that could give him offence. The personal interest of William
was also on this occasion identical with the interest of his
father in law.
But the case was one which required rapid and vigorous action;
and the nature of the Batavian institutions made such action
almost impossible. The Union of Utrecht, rudely formed, amidst
the agonies of a revolution, for the purpose of meeting immediate
exigencies, had never been deliberately revised and perfected in
a time of tranquillity. Every one of the seven commonwealths
which that Union had bound together retained almost all the
rights of sovereignty, and asserted those rights punctiliously
against the central government. As the federal authorities had
not the means of exacting prompt obedience from the provincial
authorities, so the provincial authorities had not the means of
exacting prompt obedience from the municipal authorities. Holland
alone contained eighteen cities, each of which was, for many
purposes, an independent state, jealous of all interference from
without. If the rulers of such a city received from the Hague an
order which was unpleasing to them, they either neglected it
altogether, or executed it languidly and tardily. In some town
councils, indeed, the influence of the Prince of Orange was all
powerful. But unfortunately the place where the British exiles
had congregated, and where their ships had been fitted out, was
the rich and populous Amsterdam; and the magistrates of Amsterdam
were the heads of the faction hostile to the federal government
and to the House of Nassau. The naval administration of the
United Provinces was conducted by five distinct boards of
Admiralty. One of those boards sate at Amsterdam, was partly
nominated by the authorities of that city, and seems to have been
entirely animated by their spirit.
All the endeavours of the federal government to effect what James
desired were frustrated by the evasions of the functionaries of
Amsterdam, and by the blunders of Colonel Bevil Skelton, who had
just arrived at the Hague as envoy from England. Skelton had been
born in Holland during the English troubles, and was therefore
supposed to be peculiarly qualified for his post;345 but he was,
in truth, unfit for that and for every other diplomatic
situation. Excellent judges of character pronounced him to be the
most shallow, fickle, passionate, presumptuous, and garrulous of
men.346 He took no serious notice of the proceedings of the
refugees till three vessels which had been equipped for the
expedition to Scotland were safe out of the Zuyder Zee, till the
arms, ammunition, and provisions were on board, and till the
passengers had embarked. Then, instead of applying, as he should
have done, to the States General, who sate close to his own door,
he sent a messenger to the magistrates of Amsterdam, with a
request that the suspected ships might be detained. The
magistrates of Amsterdam answered that the entrance of the Zuyder
Zee was out of their jurisdiction, and referred him to the
federal government. It was notorious that this was a mere excuse,
and that, if there had been any real wish at the Stadthouse of
Amsterdam to prevent Argyle from sailing, no difficulties would
have been made. Skelton now addressed himself to the States
General. They showed every disposition to comply with his demand,
and, as the case was urgent, departed from the course which they
ordinarily observed in the transaction of business. On the same
day on which he made his application to them, an order, drawn in
exact conformity with his request, was despatched to the
Admiralty of Amsterdam. But this order, in consequence of some
misinformation, did not correctly describe the situation of the
ships. They were said to be in the Texel. They were in the Vlie.
The Admiralty of Amsterdam made this error a plea for doing
nothing; and, before the error could be rectified, the three
ships had sailed.347
The last hours which Argyle passed on the coast of Holland were
hours of great anxiety. Near him lay a Dutch man of war whose
broadside would in a moment have put an end to his expedition.
Round his little fleet a boat was rowing, in which were some
persons with telescopes whom he suspected to be spies. But no
effectual step was taken for the purpose of detaining him; and on
the afternoon of the second of May he stood out to sea before a
favourable breeze.
The voyage was prosperous. On the sixth the Orkneys were in
sight. Argyle very unwisely anchored off Kirkwall, and allowed
two of his followers to go on shore there. The Bishop ordered
them to be arrested. The refugees proceeded to hold a long and
animated debate on this misadventure: for, from the beginning to
the end of their expedition, however languid and irresolute their
conduct might be, they never in debate wanted spirit or
perseverance. Some were for an attack on Kirkwall. Some were for
proceeding without delay to Argyleshire. At last the Earl seized
some gentlemen who lived near the coast of the island, and
proposed to the Bishop an exchange of prisoners. The Bishop
returned no answer; and the fleet, after losing three days,
sailed away.
This delay was full of danger. It was speedily known at Edinburgh
that the rebel squadron had touched at the Orkneys. Troops were
instantly put in motion. When the Earl reached his own province,
he found that preparations had been made to repel him. At
Dunstaffnage he sent his second son Charles on Shore to call the
Campbells to arms. But Charles returned with gloomy tidings. The
herdsmen and fishermen were indeed ready to rally round Mac
Callum More; but, of the heads of the clan, some were in
confinement, and others had fled. Those gentlemen who remained at
their homes were either well affected to the government or afraid
of moving, and refused even to see the son of their chief. From
Dunstaffnage the small armament proceeded to Campbelltown, near
the southern extremity of the peninsula of Kintyre. Here the Earl
published a manifesto, drawn up in Holland, under the direction
of the Committee, by James Stewart, a Scotch advocate, whose pen
was, a few months later, employed in a very different way. In
this paper were set forth, with a strength of language sometimes
approaching to scurrility, many real and some imaginary
grievances. It was hinted that the late King had died by poison.
A chief object of the expedition was declared to be the entire
suppression, not only of Popery, but of Prelacy, which was termed
the most bitter root and offspring of Popery; and all good
Scotchmen were exhorted to do valiantly for the cause of their
country and of their God.
Zealous as Argyle was for what he considered as pure religion, he
did not scruple to practice one rite half Popish and half Pagan.
The mysterious cross of yew, first set on fire, and then quenched
in the blood of a goat, was sent forth to summon all the
Campbells, from sixteen to sixty. The isthmus of Tarbet was
appointed for the place of gathering. The muster, though small
indeed when compared with what it would have been if the spirit
and strength of the clan had been unbroken, was still formidable.
The whole force assembled amounted to about eighteen hundred men.
Argyle divided his mountaineers into three regiments, and
proceeded to appoint officers.
The bickerings which had begun in Holland had never been
intermitted during the whole course of the expedition; but at
Tarbet they became more violent than ever. The Committee wished
to interfere even with the patriarchal dominion of the Earl over
the Campbells, and would not allow him to settle the military
rank of his kinsmen by his own authority. While these
disputatious meddlers tried to wrest from him his power over the
Highlands, they carried on their own correspondence with the
Lowlands, and received and sent letters which were never
communicated to the nominal General. Hume and his confederates
had reserved to themselves the superintendence of the Stores, and
conducted this important part of the administration of war with a
laxity hardly to be distinguished from dishonesty, suffered the
arms to be spoiled, wasted the provisions, and lived riotously at
a time when they ought to have set to all beneath them an example
of abstemiousness.
The great question was whether the Highlands or the Lowlands
should be the seat of war. The Earl's first object was to
establish his authority over his own domains, to drive out the
invading clans which had been poured from Perthshire into
Argyleshire, and to take possession of the ancient seat of his
family at Inverary. He might then hope to have four or five
thousand claymores at his command.
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