Series 1 > Diplomatic correspondence of Jean de Montereul and the brothers de Bellièvre, French ambassadors in England and Scotland, 1645-48 > Volume 1

1647] BELLlftVRE TO BRIENNE 375
hands of the English, or of making him a prisoner if he pass into Scotland,
this army into which he has cast himself will not tolerate his being given
up to the English, nor on its withdrawal from here, having conveyed
him to Scotland, that he he treated there more rigorously than he has
been during the past. The Scots imagine, apparently, by so harsh a
treatment to oblige the king to grant to them their religion and the
Covenant which they have not been able to obtain till now by all the
other means they have employed. It may be that they pretend also
thereby to oblige the English to share with them the resolutions they
wish to take concerning the disposal of the king’s person. There is little
probability that they will succeed in the one or the other design. The
English have too great interest to keep them aloof from the matter.
They are driving them away with disdain, so that it may be affirmed
they will not easily allow them to take part in it; and the king is but
too resolved not to abandon his bishops. The Scots may perhaps judge
therein, as I do, that if one or other of these plans do not succeed with
them it is likely that they will oblige the king to leave his kingdoms,
imagining to themselves that not only would they thus avoid quarrelling
with the English or of being so badly treated by them in view of all
Christendom, but also as things change their aspect they will find new
expedients for remedying their affairs. I have just left the king, whom
I went to visit on the subject of the news from Scotland and the return
of a gentleman that we had sent to the Gordons. After having conversed
with him at some length on the views which I have just expressed, and
having found him as if resolved to get away from here, I gave him the
news we have of the Gordons, who are ready to maintain him for six
months in the Highlands, not only, according to what they say, against
England and Scotland, but against all the world, were it necessary, that
they have informed this gentleman of the road the king would have to
take in going to them, either by land or by sea, and have arranged in either
case on the places where they will come with their army to receive the king.
He has certainly some other intention, but I do not know what it is ;
I always fear it may be that of going to France. I pointed out to him
that there was much to be hoped for from the proposals of the Gordons ;
that the letters of the Marquis of Ormond of the 28 Nov. and 2 Dec.
inform us of the favourable condition of affairs in Ireland ; the reasons
that exist for supposing that there will shortly be formed wide divisions,
not only between England and Scotland, but also in England, if they be
not stifled by his leaving his kingdoms, or his arrest in trying to do so ;
in short, that he knew what I had always told him of this going away,
on which is based the fear I have that it may be very difficult for him to
return again. I repeated to him even the most powerful considerations,
after all he knows what it has cost him to have left London sooner than
it was necessary, and that for him to leave his kingdoms is of much more
importance. He told me nothing in reply to change the opinion I have
that he thinks of going to France. I left him to come to write, so as
not to allow this courier to leave without informing you of the bad state of