Page:Cassell's Illustrated History of England vol 3.djvu/529

] or their menaces, and they were compelled to pursue their voyage.

The consequence of this ill-advised measure was, that news of the armament was sent to Edinburgh with all speed, and whilst the invading force was beating round the northern capes and headlands, active preparations were made for defence. The whole of the militia, amounting to twenty thousand men, were called out, a third of these, accompanied by three thousand regulars, were marched into the western counties. At Dunstaffnage, Argyll sent his son Charles ashore to summon the Campbells to arms, but he returned with the report that many of the chiefs had fled or were in prison, and the rest afraid to move. At Campbell town, in Kintire, Argyll published a proclamation, setting forth that he came to suppress popery, prelacy, and Erastianism, and to take the crown from James, whom he accused of persecution of the covenanters, and the poisoning of his brother. He sent across the hills the fiery cross to summon all true men to his standard, and appointed Tarbet as the place of rendezvous. About eighteen hundred men mustered at the call, but any advantage to be derived from this handful of men, was far more than counterbalanced by the pertinacious interference of Cochrane and Hume. They insisted on arranging everything, even the appointment of the officers over Argyll's own clan. They insisted also that the attack should be directed against the Lowlands, though Argyll wisely saw that they had no chance whatever in the open country with their present force. He contended that having first cleared the western Highlands of the national soldiery, they should soon have five or six thousand Highlanders at their command, and might then descend on the Lowlands with effect. Rumbold advocated this prudential course, but all reasoning was lost on Hume and Cochrane, who insolently accused Argyll of wanting only to secure his own territories, and sailed away with part of the troops to the Lowlands. They found the coast, however, well guarded by the English ships, and escaped up the Clyde to Greenock. There they again quarrelled between themselves, and finding the people not at all disposed to join them, they returned to Argyll. But they had learned no wisdom: the earl again proposed to endeavour to secure Inverary—they as firmly opposed it. They therefore fixed on the castle of Ealau Ghierig as their present headquarters, landed their arms and stores, and made an officer named Elphinstone commander of the fort. Argyll and Rumbold now drove back the troops of Athol and prepared to march on Inverary; but from this they were diverted by a call from Hume and Cochrane at the ships, who were about to be attacked by the English fleet. Argyll hastened to them, and proposed to give fight to the English, but was again prevented by these infatuated men. The earl, therefore, in utter despair, passed into Dumbartonshire, and was the very next day followed by the news of the capture of all his ships, and the flight of Elphinstone from Ealau Ghierig, without striking a blow. As a last desperate attempt, Argyll proposed to make a rush on Glasgow and secure a strong footing there; but the very men who had so strongly urged the attempt on the Lowlands, now deserted him in numbers, and on the march nothing but disasters from the insubordination of the little army ensued. They were attacked on all sides by the militia, and when the earl and Ayloffe advised a bold attack on the enemy, Hulme and his partisans protested against it. The end of all was, that becoming involved amongst morasses, the army was seized with panic, and rapidly melted away. The wrong-headed Hume escaped and reached the continent; Cochrane was taken, and soon after Rumbold, major Fullerton, and Argyll himself.

The conduct of Argyll after his capture was distinguished by a calm dignity which showed how superior he was to this factious, pugnacious men who had baffled all his plans. With his arms pinioned behind him, he was led bareheaded through the streets of Edinburgh, from Holyrood to the castle. The royalists thus revelled in revenging on the son the act of his father thirty-five years before, when he caused Montrose to be conducted over the very same ground. The headsman marched before him with his axe, and on reaching his cell in the castle he was put into irons, and informed that his execution would quickly follow. This was the 20th of June; his execution did not take place till the 30th. During the ten days the orders of James were that he should be tried all ways to compel him to confess the full particulars of the invasion, its originators, supporters, and participators. It was understood that James meant that his favourite application of the boots and thumbscrews should be used, but this was not attempted. He was menaced, but his firm refusal to reveal anything that would criminate others, probably convinced his enemies that it was useless, and could only cover them with odium. His former sentence of death was deemed sufficient to supersede any fresh trial, and being brought out to the scaffold, and saying that he died in peace with all men, one of the episcopalian clergymen stepped to the edge of the scaffold and exclaimed to the people, "My lord dies a protestant." "Yes," said the earl, also going forward, "a protestant, and cordial hater of popery, prelacy, and all superstition." His head was fixed on the top of the Tolbooth, where that of Montrose had formerly stood.

Rumbold, who was severely wounded, was hurried to execution, lest he should by death escape from his punishment. He displayed the same undaunted courage as in the field, protested solemnly against having ever intended to assassinate the king and duke. He declared himself an advocate for a limited monarchy, but did not believe that "Providence had sent a few men, ready booted and spurred, into the world to ride millions ready bridled and saddled to be ridden by them." If he had as many lives, he said, as he had hair's on his head, he would give them for the cause he had engaged in. Argyll, in his last hours, bore the highest testimony to the worth, sound sense, and courage of Rumbold. As for Ayloffe, he was sent up to London, and examined in the presence of James, who bade him confess freely all that he knew, saying, "You had better be frank with me, Mr. Ayloffe: you know that it is in my power to pardon you." Ayloffe was the nephew, by marriage, of Clarendon, and therefore cousin to the present lords Clarendon and Rochester, and some thought he might be pardoned; but Ayloffe knew the king's disposition too well, and bluntly replied, "Yes, it is in your power, but not in your nature." Cochrane condescended to make disclosures, and obtained his pardon.

This invasion being crushed, the vengeance of the