Earls of Middleton, Lords of Clermont and of Fettercairn

John Middleton, First Earl of Middle ton. 39
great concern. This party, not satisfied merely with
rejecting Episcopacy, protested against all ecclesiastical
government whatsoever, to which length the Scotch
Presbyterians were not prepared to go ; and deeply
mortified them by speaking slightingly of the Cove-
nant, which they did not hesitate to term openly in
Parliament, " An almanac out of date."
The after imprisonment and the indignities offered
to the king the people of Scotland considered like-
wise subversive of the Covenant, which they believed
required them to protect his person, although it
might in some instances compel them to curtail his
authority. At this time three parties prevailed in
the country — first, the Royalist party, which wished
for the restoration of the king's authority without any
restriction whatsoever, at the head of which was
Montrose ; secondly, the rigid Presbyterian, which re-
jected the king unless he agreed to sign the Covenant,
headed by Argyle j 1 and a third moderate party, to
which Middleton belonged, which hoped to reconcile
the interests of the king with those of the Covenant. 2
The Duke of Hamilton, 3 chief of the last mentioned,
now took advantage of the general feeling of the
country to obtain permission from the Committee of
1 Archibald Campbell, Marquis of Argyle, born 1598, beheaded for
high treason 1661.
2 Hume.
3 James, first Duke of Hamilton, born 1606, beheaded in 1649.