purfuance of the King's Defire, paffed an Act, wherein they ordained, That any that should hereafter preach in any Houfe, or Field-Conventicle, or fhould be Hearers at fuch Conventicles, fhould be punished by Death and Confifcation of Goods. And another Act, to make it Treason to Give or Take the National Covenant, as interpreted in the Year 1638, or League and Covenant, as it is commonly called, or to write in its Defence: And a third Act for raifing 260,000 Pounds yearly for the King's Life.

The Earl of Argill, upon his Secretary's being feized, quitted Orkney, purfued his Course to the West of Scotland, and landed at Dunfaff nage, an old ruinous Caftle in Lorn, formerly belonging to himfelf: Having put a Garrifon into this Caftle, he marched up farther into the Country, and published his Declaration; the Title of which

was,

The Declaration of the Proteftant People, that is to fay, the Noblemen, Barons, Gentlemen, and Commoners of all forts, in Arms, within the Kingdom of Scotland, with the Concurrence of True and Faithful Paftors, and of feveral Gentlemen of the English Nation joyned with them.

In this Declaration they pretended many Advantages had accrued to the Proteftant Religion by the War againt King Charles I. afcribing the Succefs of the War to the Favour and Bleffing of Heaven, gained by the Goodness and Justice of their Caufe: And extolled the Fidelity of the Covenanters of Scotland, reproaching the Parliament for detroying the Laws made in thofe Times, and turning out the Fanatical Ministers; arraigned the Government for putting Men to Death, &r. declared againit the King's Supremacy, and his Succeffion, terming him only James Duke of York.

The English Parliament they declared against as packed; next, gave their Reafons for taking up Arms, viz. To reftore and fettle the Proteftant Religion, and entirely to exclude Popery; folemnly declaring, That they would never capitulate with the King; but profecute the War till they had perfected what they came for.

The other Declaration was in the Name of the Earl of Argyll himfelf; wherein he declared he appeared not in Arms for any private Reason, but upon thofe only contained in the general Declaration, and defired no more than his own Eftate, with which he promised to pay his own and his Father's Debts, &c.

The Parliament in the mean time continued firm to the King, and enacted, That the Oath of Allegiance fhould be taken again at that Juncture, by all the Scotch Subjects; and that they fhould affert the Prerogatives of the Crown, whenever the Council fhould require it of them, on Pain of Imprifonment, Banifhment, &c.

Argyll being come to Loch-head, alias Campleton, eight Miles from the Mill head of Kintire, he fent out Summons, fubicribed by himfelf, and dated at Campleton, May 21. requiring all Heritors, Tenants, and others, and all fenfible Men within the Divifion of Cowall, of the Age of Sixteen to Sixty, to come to the Tarbut by the 26th of May, or fooner, with all their useful Arms, and Provifions for a Fortnight. And to back this fummons, put his Son Charles into Cowall, who fent Letters to feveral Gentlemen to repair to him without Delay, under the Penalty of Fire and Sword. But neither the one nor the other had any Effect, for the Gentlemen and Heritors came not near him. The Number of his Army was U 4 varioufly

1685. variously reported, but all Accounts came within 5000; whereas the King's Party were, in feven Days time, no less than 22,000 Men, part of which, under the Command of the Marquifs of Athol, the Earl of Broad-Albin, and Sir Ewan Cameran, marched into Argylfire after the Enemy, and had like to have furprized Charles Campbell, the Earl's Son, who lay there with a Party of 120 Foot, and 12 Horfe, having upon Notice of the Marquifs's Approach, but just time to recover his Boats, to which he fled, lofing three of his Men, one killed, and two taken Prifoners.

From Campleton the Earl of Argyll marched to Turbet, thence embark'd to the Town of Rofs in the Ifland of Boot, where taking Provifions for himself and his Men for one Night, he failed round the Ifland, and returned to Rofs again, and fired feven Guns at his Landing, having with him 2500 Men. Upon the Arrival of the King's Ships, he quitted the Ifland of Boot, and paffed to Corvall, and would have brought his Ships into Loch-Finne, towards Inverary; but being detained by contrary Winds, the King's Ships came firft up to the Entrance of Loch-Rawan, and obliged him to bring his Ships under the Shelter of the Caftle of Ellengreg, and to fortify that, and a Rock, that lay near it in a little Ifland, to fecure his Ships in Loch-Rawan. After which himfelf marched towards the Head of Loch Finne, leaving 150 Men for the Guard of the Ships, and firft putting his Cannon, Arms, and Ammunition, into the Cafle.

On the 11th of June a Party of the King's Forces under the Marquis of Athol, confifting of 300 Foot, defeated a Party of Argyle's of 400 Foot, and So Horfe, killing and wounding a great Number, and alfo taking fome Prifoners, and ma

ny Horfes and Arms. This made them retire to Ellengreg, where they continued till the 15th, and then paffing Loch-Long, marched towards Lenox, in the Shire of Dunbarten. The fame Day the King's Ships came up to the Caftle, where Argyll's Arms and Ammunition fill lay, with a Refolution to batter it, and deftroy the Ships. But upon firing a Gun, two Men put off in a Beat with a White Flag, telling them there would be no Oppofition made, the Enemies being all fled; which proving true, they took Poffeffion of the Caille, and found in it 5,000 Arms, and 500 Barrels of Powder, with Ball, and all other Ammuni tion in Proportion.

On the 16th, Argyll marched to the Head of Gais-Loch, towards the Fords of the River Levin.

On the 17th the Earl of Dunbarton, Commander in Chief of the King's Forces, having an Accourt of their paffing the River Levin bove Dunbarton, marched from Gia gow after them, and overtook them in the Parish of Killerne, in the Way to Sterling. The King's He and Dragoons kept up with them till the Foot arriv'd; but it being late in the Evening, and the Ene my very ftrongly pofted, it was t thought fit to attack them then The Army therefore, continued is Battallia all Night, intending to al upon them as foon as Day appear But Argyll found Means in t Night very filently to march off, and took his Way towards the Rive Clyde, which he and his Here fwam over and procured Boats £ the Foot, and got into Refres The King's Forces miffing them a the Morning, march'd back to G gow, and after two Hours Rest, the Earl of Dunbarton, with the Hent and Dragoons, marched after them, ordering the Foot to follow wa all the Hafte they could make.

At Renfrew, Sir John Cockrain, one of Argyll's chief Friends, undertook to provide Guides to carry them fafe into Galloway; but they miftaking their Way, led them into a Bog, where having loft their Horfes and Baggage, the Foot were difperfed into fmall Parties; which the King's Forces having Notice of, divided to pursue them. Argyll himfelf returning towards Clyde, was fet upon by two of Gremock's Servants, at whom he fired, and refused to yield; but receiving a Wound in his Head he left his Horfe, and run into the Water. This Noife brought out a Countryman, who run into the Water, where Argyll being almost up to the Neck, prefented a Piftol at him, but that miffing Fire, the Countryman gave him a Blow over the Head, with which he fell, and in falling cried out, Unfortunate Argyll! and before he could recover himself, the Soldiers took him up, and carried him to their Commanders.

A Party of 40 Horfe, commanded by the Lord Rofs, with as many Dragoons, fell in with a Party commanded by Sir John Cockrain, who had taken the Way to the Sea. Upon the Approach of the King's Forces, they posted themfelves within a fmall Inclofure, which cover ed them Breaft high: This hindered not the Lord Rofs from charging them; but the Ground being too frong for the Horfe, and the Captain of the Dragoons being killed in the Approach, the Lord Ros flight ly wounded, Sir Adam Blair hot through the Neck, and Sir William Wallace hot in the Side, gave them an Opportunity to make up into a Wood, before the Dragoons could diímount, and come up on Foot; but were, however, fo furrounded by the King's Party, that they could not escape; yet Sir John and his Son made a Shift to break through, but

were afterwards taken and fent to 1685. Edinburgh.

A Party of five of the Earl of Arran's Militia of Clyddefdale, took Rumbald the Maltfter, and his Man, who fought with great Courage, and killed one of the Militia; but being wounded, was forced to fubmit; and Colonel Ayloff with 200 more were foon after brought Prifoners to Glasgow.

On the 22d of June the Earl of Argyll was brought to Edinburgh, and committed to the Castle; Colonel Ayloff, who fhould have been brought with him, prevented it by ripping up his own Belly with a Penknife. Rumbald was tried and condemned for High Treafon, and was hanged on the 26th of June; and on Tuesday following, Argyll was beheaded on a Scaffold at the Crofe in Edinburgh, his Head was fixed on the Talbooth, and his Body buried in St. Magdalen's Chapel in the Cowgate. This Execution was in pursuance of his former Condemnation. He made no Speech on the Scaffold, only delivered a Paper to the Dean of Edinburgh, to be given to the Lord Chancellor, And thus ended this Tragedy.

The English Parliament, according to their Vote, paffed an Act, for fettling the Revenue on the King during his Life, which received the Royal Affent on the 30th of May; at which Time the King made a Speech to thank them for it, and the Difpatch they made in it; and defired a farther Supply for the Stores, Navy, Ordnance, Debt of the late King, &c. recommending the Navy in particular, and affuring them of his Zeal for the Glory of the Nation. Which Speech the Commons took immediately into Confideratior, and refolved to give the King a Supply for the Occafions mentioned in his Speech.

On the first of June, her Royal

1685. Highness the Princefs of Denmark was delivered of a Daughter, who was the next Day chriftened Mary by the Bishop of London.

I have told you that the Duke of Monmouth was making Preparati ons in Holland to invade England, and fecond Argyll. Accordingly having made the beft Provifion he could with his fmall Force, being but three Ships, and not above 150 Men, he fet Sail from the Texel, and fteering to the Weft of England, on the 11th of June landed at Lyme Regis in Dorfefbire, the Mayor of which Town fent an Exprefs to the King to inform him thereof; which the King having communicated to the Parliament, they immediately expreffed their Deteftation of the fame, in an Addrefs from cach Houfe, wherein they offered their utmost Affiftance, and promised to stand by his Majefly with their Lives and Fortunes against the Duke of Monmouth, and all his Adherents, &c.

A Proclamation was iffued immediately, declaring, That the King having received Advice, That the Duke of Monmouth, the Lord Grey, and feveral others were landed at Lyme, in a hottile Manner, and had poffeffed themfelves of the Town, and fent their Accomplices into the adjacent Country, to excite the People to join with them; the faid Duke of Monmouth, and all his Adherents, were therefore declared Traytors and Rebels, &c.

The Parliament, to make good their Promife, ordered a Bill of Attainder against James Duke of Monmouth, which being brought into the Houfe of Commons, on the 14th, was read three times and paffed the fame Day, and received the Royal Affent on the 16th; together with two Acts more, granting a Supply to the King, by an Impofition on Tobacco, Sugars, Wines, and Vi

negars.

The fame Day a Proclamation was published for the apprehending all Perfons that should publish or disperse the Duke of Monmouth's Declaration, and another Proclamation promifing a Reward of 5000 /. to him that fhould bring the Body of James Duke of Monmouth dead or alive.

The Duke of Monmouth's Declaration was intitled, The Declaration of James Duke of Monmouth, and the Noblemen, Gentlemen, and others, now in Arms, for the Defence and Vindication of the Protestant Religion, and of the Laws, Rights, and Privileges of England, from the Invafion made upon them, and for delivering the Kingdom from the Ujurpation and Tyranny of James Duke of York. And in it he charged the King with Poifoning his late Majefty.

On the 14th of June, Monmouth having already increafed his Number, marched out of Lyme with 60 Horse, and 120 Foot, went with them two Miles, and then left them to the Command of the Lord Grg. Thefe entered Bridport (where were affembled fome of the Gentlemen of the Country, and Soldiers of the Militia) in a very hoftile Manner, firing the Guns and Piftols very thick; fome of them attacked an Inn, where they feized ten Horíes, and killed two Gentlemen, "Mr. Wadham Strangeways, and Mr. Ed ward Coaker, and wounded a third, one Mr. Harvey. This alarmed the reft of the Gentlemen and Soldiers, who foon got to their Arms and charged them, killed about feven, and took twenty three Pritonen, and put the reft to flight, who len behind them about forty Muskets, but carried off one of their Officers that was killed. Upon this the King fent down with all speed several Of ficers, and fome Troops to affiit the Militia, till the Body of the Aray

could