Encyclopaedia Britannica > Volume 21, ROT-Siam

514
SCOTLAND
[history.
1647-1654. fast acquiring supremacy. Their division afforded an
opportunity for renewing the war, and Hamilton invaded
England in the following year, but was routed at Preston
(17th August 1648) by Cromwell. A party led by Argyll
had opposed the compromise with Charles effected by
Hamilton. They were chiefly strong in the south-west,
and in the autumn of this year a band of them raised by
Lord Eglinton marched to Edinburgh and were met by
Argyll, who put himself at their head. Their numbers
had risen to 6000, a sufficient force to give them supreme
influence over the Government. It was from this—the
“ Whiggamore ” raid—that the name of Whigs took its
rise. The meeting of estates now resolved to renew the
Solemn League and Covenant, and by an Act called the
Act of Classes removed from the courts and all places of
public trust those who had accepted the “late unlawful
engagement.” The English Parliament at this point took
an exactly opposite course and showed signs of conciliation
Avith the king; but the frustration of its action by the
energetic policy of Cromwell was quickly followed by the
trial and execution of the king. Hamilton, who had been
taken after Preston, soon after shared the same fate.
Charles The death of Charles altered in a moment the relations
II.’s ac- between England and Scotland. In the former Cromwell
oFcovlT ^ecame powerful, while in the latter the moderate
nant. Presbyterians attached to the principle of monarchy and
the hereditary line at once proclaimed Charles II. Charles
II. had been brought up with different views of royalty
from those of the Covenanters, and Scotland was not pre¬
pared to accept a king except on its own terms. A com¬
mission from the estates and from the assembly was at once
sent (March 1649) to The Hague, where the young king
was. Charles promised to maintain the government of
Scotland in church and state as settled by law, and particu¬
larly the Covenant, Confession of Faith, and Presbyterian
system, but declared that he could not impose the Solemn
League and Covenant on England and Ireland without the
consent of their parliaments. The commissioners returned
dissatisfied with this answer and with the presence at court
of Montrose, by whom it had probably been framed. But
in October Ormonde’s Irish expedition failed, and Crom-
Avell, already master of England, had reduced Ireland by
force of arms; both parties felt inclined to renew the
treaty. At length it was agreed that Charles should be
accepted as king on condition of his subscribing the
Covenant, establishing Presbyterian church government
and worship, sanctioning the Acts of Parliament passed in
his absence, and putting in force the law against Catholics.
In return he stipulated for the free exercise of his royal
authority, the security of his person, and the aid of a
Scottish army. The treaty was closed in these terms on
9th May 1650, and early in June Charles set sail for
Scotland. On the voyage he was forced to consent to
further conditions which the Scottish parliament ordered
the commissioners to impose, in particular to exclude from
his court all persons within the first and second classes of
the Acts of 1646 and 1649, and to keep the duke of
Hamilton, brother of the late duke, and certain other
persons out of Scotland. On Sunday, 23d June, at the
mouth of the Spey he subscribed the Covenant and landed.
Whilst Charles was negotiating Avith the commissioners,
the expedition of Montrose, which he had encouraged but
afterwards disowned, had come to an end by the capture
of its gallant leader in Caithness. He was executed in
Edinburgh a month before Charles reached Scotland.
Crom- Alarmed at the prospect of another Scottish invasion,
Avell’s in- CromAvell with wonderful rapidity transferred his forces
Scotland"from Irelan4 and within a month after Charles landed
’ crossed the TAveed and advanced to Edinburgh. Baffled
in all attempts against the town by the tactics of David
Leslie, the nephew of Leven, he Avas forced from want of
supplies to retire. His retreat was nearly cut off, but he
gained an unexpected victory at Dunbar (3d September
1650) over that able general, who had been induced by
the over-confidence of the ministers in his camp to descend
from the Doon Hill and attack the English on level ground.
So complete was the defeat that the south of Scotland fell
into Cromwell’s hands. Meantime Charles had attempted
to escape from the restraints of the Presbyterian camp by
“ the Start,” as it was called, from Perth to Clova, where
he hoped to raise the loyal Highlanders; but, not getting
the support expected, he returned. In the beginning of
next year, after renewing his subscription to the Covenant
and submitting to the imposition of a day of fasting and
humiliation on account of the sins of his family, he was
crowned at Scone on 1st January 1651. Argyll, still the
leader of the Covenanters, placed the croAvn on his head,
a circumstance which he recalled when he lost his own.
The invasion of England was now determined on,1 and,
Cromwell having been unable to intercept the royal army,
it advanced as far as Worcester. Here, after effecting a
junction with Fleetwood, CromAvell with a much smaller
force routed the king’s army on the anniversary of Dun¬
bar. Charles had a hairbreadth escape from capture, and
after many adventures crossed from Brighton to France.
The last great battle of the Civil War placed England in
the hands of the army and its general.
Scotland offered more resistance; but Monk, whom Monk’s
CromAvell had left in command, stormed Dundee and terri- adminis-
fied the other tOAvns into submission. Although a nominaltration-
union was proclaimed and Scotland was allowed members
in the English parliament, it Avas really governed as a
conquered country. In 1653 the general assembly was
summarily dissolved by Colonel Cotterel. Next year
Monk was sent by the Protector to quell a Royalist rising,
which, first under the earl of Glencairn and aftenvards
under Middleton, a soldier of fortune, began to show head
in the Highlands. Monk, as usual, carried out effectually
the Avork he was sent for and, partly by an indemnity Avhich
many leading Royalists accepted and partly by the defeat
of Middleton at Lochgarry (25th July 1654), reduced
the Highlands. He also dispersed the general assembly,
which made another attempt to sit. Strong forts were
built at Leith, Ayr, Inverness, and Glasgow, and Monk
with an army of 10,000 men garrisoned the country. AProtect-
council of state, containing only two Scottish members, Avas orate of
appointed, but matters of importance were referred toScotlailc1,
CromAvell and his English council. The administration of
justice was committed to four English and three Scottish
judges in place of the Court of Session, with the view of
introducing English law. The use of Latin in legal writs
was abolished. A sequestration court to deal with the
forfeited estates sat at Leith. A separate commission
was issued for the administration of criminal justice, and
theft and highway robbery were stringently inquired into
1 With the view of procuring forces for the expedition, a reconcilia¬
tion was effected between the Royalists and the more moderate Cove¬
nanters by a resolution to the effect that all persons not excommunicated
should be allowed to serve in the army. This new party, now called
“ Resolutioners,” was practically the same as that formerly known as
the “ Engagers.” A minority, on the other hand, became known as the
“Protestors” or “Remonstrants” (compare vol. xix. p. 683). This
division of the Covenanters into a moderate and an extreme section
continued throughout the whole of the 17th century. The Engagers
and Resolutioners were the ancestors of the Established Presbyterian
Church; the Protestors or Remonstrants of the Seceders or Dissenting
churches, each of which maintained with unabated confidence, however
small its numbers, that it was the true church of Scotland, the only
church really faithful to the Covenant and Christ as the head of the
church. Both parties for long regarded Episcopalians and Romanists
alike as “malignants,” standing without the pale of the church, with
whom no compromise could be made.