the Minifters had feveral Meetings to concert the Measures they were to follow; to which the Marquis of Annandale, then Secretary of State, and Mr. Cockburn of Ormiston, then Lord Juftice Clerk, who were zealous for the Succeffion, were not at first call'd; which being taken Notice of,they were call'd at laft; and together with Sir James Stuart, her Majesty's Advocate, declared themfelves for the Succeffion, for the fame Reafons upon which her Majefty had fo earnestly recommended it the Year before, but the reft of the Minifters were against it, and gave this for their Reafon, that they could not promife to get their Friends, meaning the D. of Q's Party, to come into it, for they would not make fo fport a Turn, having joined in the Refolve laft Year to prefer the Treaty to the Succeffion. But the other Gentlemen infifting on it, it was agreed that the Arguments fhould be drawn up on both Sides, and given to the Commiffioner to be fent to Court; but whether he did fo, and what the Return was, his Grace is beft able to inform you.

Soon after this, a Cabinet Council was call'd of fix of the D. of 25 Friends,and only the M. of A-and the Lord Chief JusticeClerk besides,becaufe they were then Officers of State, and the only Members of that Cabinet, who were for giving the Preference to the Succeffion. At this Meeting it was agreed to fend twoDraughts of a Letter,and Inftructions conformable to the two several Opinions, that her Majefty might fign which he thought beft. And when her Majesty's Letter return'd, it included both; but gave the Preference to the Succeffion. Notwithstanding which,it was afterwards thrown out by the Courtiers, as follows,

Soon after the Parliament was open'd, the Marquis of Annandale, then one of our Secretaries, gave in a Propofal for the Succeffion; and at the fame Time the Earl of Mar, the other Secretary, gave in a Refolve for poftponing it, the Tendency of which was to confider the Alt paffed in England, probibiting Scots Cattle, &c. but they delay'd their open Proceedings against the Succeffion, till all their Force was affembled, till they had certain Advice that the D. of 2 was set out from London, and that all his Friends were come to Edinburgh. Then about the 17th of July they came to this Resolve, That they would not name a Succeffor, till they had a previous Treaty with England, with relation to Commerce and other Concerns;' which was follow'd by another Refolve, That before they proceeded to name the Succeffor, they would make fuch Limitations and Conditions of Government for the Rectification of their Conftitution, as might fecure the Liberty,Religion, and Independency of the Kingdom.' This was defeating the Succeffion with a Witness, yet none of the Courtiers spoke against this Refolve, except the Marquis of Annandale, and Mr. Cockburn, the Juftice Clerk, wherein they were feconded by the Earl of Marthmont, who faid he look'd upon the firft Refolve as an Exclufion; yet being put to the Vote, it was carried by about 37, of which 30 were the D. of 2's Friends; but all this was fo managed by Concert, that to cover the D. of 2- it was done before he arrived at Edinburgh.

Thus you may see how the Succeffion was from Time to Time baffled by the D. of 2 and his Party, and that at all Times they concur'd in fuch other 2Things as were ill refented by yourNation; but upon what Views, I must leave to

your

your own judgment, after having given you this general Caution, that many h honeft Men, who were not intrufted with the Secrets of the Miniftry, but acted as they thought beft for theGood of their Country, did join in the Refolves for fecuring our Freedom and Trade, before they came into the Succeffion, because they thought if the Succeffion was fettled before thofe Terms were granted, we should ftill continue under the Influence of fuch a Miniftry as would be Tools to any Body that had a Mind to opprefs us, in order to arrive at an abfolute Power.

I now come to the Union, the Management of which was committed to the D. of 2 and hisFriends; but fince it did neceffarily engage us in the Proteftant Succeffion, which I have fufficiently proved the D. of 2-and his Friends did always oppose, fince they had also made themselves unacceptable to the Nation upon many Accounts, and fince they had no Reason to expect the Squadrone, whom they had fo much abused, would join with them; and that it is evident they could never have carried the Union without them, I leave it to your own Judgment, whether it was reasonable to think that a Matter of this Confequence -could fucceed in fuch Hands. I need not tell you, that many People were Enemies to it, on the Account of the Managers, and perhaps if it were inquired into, the Tumults which were raised against it would be found to be fomented by others, than those who did openly oppose it, but this is certain that the Squadrone's falling in with it,contrary to moft People's Expectation, carried it through against all underhand Tricks, and publick Oppofition, which left no Place of Retreat to the D. 2 and hisFriends,had they been ever fo much inclined to it, without expofing themselves openly to the View of the World, asprofeft Enemies both to the Succeffion and Union. And I cannot omit informing you of what I have from a very good Hand, that their Enmity to the Succeffion was fo great to the very laff, that had the Union been voted out, and the Succeffion with Limitations carried, as a proper Expedient to lay the Difcontents which at that Time Irofe folhigh, and to prevent a Rupture betwixt the Nations, till the Union had been more fully confider'd,our Parliament would have been broke up, rather than the Succeffion agreed to.

I must leave it to your own Conjecture, whether fome of thofe who defeated the Succeffion were reftrain'd from doing the like with the Union, by Motives of Fear or Profit, or whether there was a Mixture of both; but it is certain the Squadrone,who have been fo much reproached both before and fince, could have no probable Hopes of Reward; for they were not employ'd in the Treaty, nor trufted with the Management of it in the House, and that they endanger'd both their Safety and their Reputation with theirCountry, in whofe Opinion they stood fo fair, by acting as they did for the Union, is not to be deny'd; for as their Enemies were very induftrious to give a wrong Turn to what they did in the Matter of the Succeffion, they had the fame hard Fate in their Conduct about the Union; and fince every Body must allow them to be Men of more Penetration than not to forfee this, I think I may be allow'd to have fo much Charity for them as to fuppofe they acted as they did, because they found by Experience there was no carrying the Succeffion with Limitations, to deliver their Country from an oppreffive Ministry, and the Danger of a Popish Succeffor, and therefore they refolved to unite with England, on the Terms propofed, as the only Way left us

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to

to come under the fame Proteftant Succeffor, and to have a Share in the fame Trade and Liberty, for Want of which, by the Union of the Crowns, we were reduced to a Condition of Beggary and Slavery, and that of the worst and most contemptible Sort, fince we were become Slaves to those who were always Tools to your Miniftry, and by Confequence no more than the Servants of Servants, which was the Curfe inflicted upon Cham by his Father Noab.

Such of our Nation as had an honeft Defign in the Union intended the joint Security, Wealth and Liberty of both Kingdoms upon an equal Footing; but whether fome of thofe in both Parts of the Inland who pretended a Zeal to pufh and carry it on, and to a great Share of the Merit for atchieving it, had not fomething else in view, and particularly to keep us ftill under Slavery, with a Design to ferve old arbitrary Principles and Views, may perhaps appear by what we are now to confider.

Nothing is a greater Proof of this than the great Effort made in Parliament to have the Privy Council ftill continued among us, which, if I be rightly informed, was as great as any that ever was known to be made by a Court Party; and I can affure you that our late Courtiers endeavour'd to render the Squadrone odious among us, because of their strenuous Appearance against the Council, which, with the unanswerable Arguments they urged in Parliament for abolishing it, is none of the leaft Caufes of all that Malice and Falfhood which has fince been vented against them and their Friends, as you may perceive by that filly Libel, intituled, A Brief Account of the Elections in the North of Britain, with fome Account of the Divifions there. To fay nothing of the Unreasonableness to keep up fuch a Mark of Diftinction with us, after the Sovereignty of the two Nations was confolidated, it is known to every Man that fince the Union of the Crowns, our Privy-Council has been as arbitrary as the Turkish Divan, that they affumed a Parliamentary Power, and concur'd with all Courts in oppreffing us. Thus in King James and King Charles the Firft's Time, they fet up a high Commiffion, which, contrary to ftanding Law, made Innovations both in Church and State, and brought our Lives, Fortunes, and Liberties to a precarious Dependance upon the Court. In Charles the Second's Time, they brought down Armies of Savage Highlanders upon the Country in Time of Peace, garriton'dGentlemens Houtes without theirConfent, levy'dMoney for their Subfiftance contrary to Law, difpenfed with Acts of Parliament, countenanced military Officers to try and execute Men without Jury or Record, difarm'd the Subjects at Pleasure; and in King James the Seventh's Time, concur'd in thofe Proclamations which pretended to annull our Laws. In a Word, they were the Inftruments of all those Grievances complain'd of in the Claim of Right, and even fince the Revolution they were so acustom'd to arbitrary Practices, that they acted many illegalThings, which was not in the Power of honeft Men among them to prevent, as they themfelves have frequently complain'd. So that it is evident to a Demonstration, that our late Ministry, who you fee plain, by the Libel abovementioned, expected to have had their Power continued over us, were angry at the abolishing of the Council, because it deprived them of a proper Handle, by which they might still tyrannize over us and influence our Elections, the Return of which they had cunningly got vefted in themselves by the Union, had the Parliament of

Great

Great-Britain thought fit to continue the Council. I fhall only add, that by the Proceedings of that Party both before and fince, it is easy to perceive, that if they acted in fuch an arbitrary Manner when we had a Parliament here to ..call them to an Account, they would have chaftifed us with Scorpions instead! of Rods, and have made ufe of their Power to make us all Janifaries and Spahis, to serve the Designs of any Arbitrary Prince against the whole Inland, now that we have no Parliament here, especially if their Power of returning Lour Members had been continued, for to be fure they would have returned none but such as should either have palliated their illegal Practices, or concurred with them. But bleffed be God the Parliament of Great-Britain has delivered us from this Yoke, though our own late Courtiers, and other People with you, would willingly have had it wreathed harder about our Necks than ever.

The Weakness of their Pretence, that they defired the Continuance of the Council for fecuring our Peace, is easily feen through; fince every one knows that it might be better fecured by the fameMethods as yours in England,if honeft Men were made Sheriffs, and put into the Commiffions of the Lieutenancy and Peace; but their Sincerity in this Matter may pretty well be gueffed at, fince, by her Majesty's late Proclamation, with respect to our Country, it is evident how bare-faced Popery and Jacobitifm have appeared, and how much they'increased under their Administration. Perhaps you would think it an uncharitable Suggestion, if any body should offer to say that fome of our late Miniftry defigned it should be fo; but this you may depend on as Fact, that in many Places they have recommended Perfons to be Juftices of Peace, who are very unacceptable to the Country, and that there are not a few Jacobites and lewd Men among them; there is one Inftance fo notorious, that all the honeft Men of the Kingdom are alarmed at it, viz. Sir Robert Greerfon of Lagg,who was a barbarous Perfecutor în the late Reigns, and ordered two Women to be tied to a si Stake within the Sea-mark till they were drowned by the Tide, because they would not hear the Epifcopal Minifters: He was alfo one of those who murdered People in the Fields without any Form of Law, was lately cited to Edinburgh for Clipping and Coining upon which his Servants that were fufpected fled the Country, and is proved to be guilty of notorious Adultery, which is Death by our Law; yet this Man is lately made a Juftice of Peace, which I can af fure you was not by the Recommendation of the Squadrone, for it was not thought fit to oblige them fo much as to put their Friends into the Commiffion. By this you may judge what Regard fome of our late Courtiers have to the Country; they knew this Man's Character well enough, and that making him a Juftice would occafion Complaints, and raise Jealoufies, as it has actually done among all the Minifters and fober People of the Stuartry of Kircubright, for they can think no Good defigned to them, when fuch Men are advanced to Authority, as have always been their profeffed Enemies.

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I come now to the late Invafion, and muft defire you to obferve the following Circumstances that preceded it, which perhaps may furnish you with fome new Thoughts about the Conduct of our late Miniftry. The first Thing I would defire you to obferve, is their Oppofition to the Oath for Abjuring the Pretender, which carried a firft Reading in our Parliament, and might easily.. VOL. III. then

Gg

then have paffed into a Law,had they thought fit it should. In the fecondPlace, be pleased to remember the Indemnity procured by thofe Gentlemen, upon which fo many People came over from St. Germains; and pray don't forget the Scots Plot that followed it, and who it was that gave fuch Countenance and Protection to Captain Frazer, and others, who had forfeited their Lives by our Laws, to come and go from France at that Juncture of Time. I hope you will alfo confider the Encouragement given to our Nonjurant Clergy, to petition for a Toleration, without being obliged to own her Majefty's Government. I must defire you, in the third Place, to remember that crafty and unaccountable Oppofition made by them in our Parliament to the very last against the Proteftant Succeffion. Fourthly, Be pleased to confider whether the Endeavours, after the Union was made, to continue a Ministry and Council over us, which were fo ungrateful to the Nation, was a proper Method to allay our Difcontents, and to leffen the Number of the Pretender's Friends. In the Fifth Place, confider how naked we were left as to Forces, and how ill our chief Garrisons were provided, when the Pretender came upon our Coafts; and fince it is very well known that our Administration had frequently stunned us with a Noife of Jacobite Plots and Fears of fuch an Invafion, to create a Sufpicion of such as opposed their Measures, you may cafily judge whether they could be excufeable in- not taking more Care, to have us provided against a real Invasion when it came. I fhall not fay any thing to leffen the E. of Leven's Conduct and Care to oppose that Defcent, but I think it may be justly faid without Offence, that all his Lordship was capable to do against it in fuch Circumftances would have fignified little, had not Providence taken more Care of us than our Administrators; for I fuppofe you are not ignorant, that had there not been a Spirit of Terror and Infatuation among the French, or fomething else, which is not yet known to us, they might eafly have landed before your Fleet ar rived to give them Chase; and what Confufion, Bloodshed, and Danger, that 2 might have occafioned to the whole Inland, if you consider the above mentioned Circumftances, is easier to be imagined than expressed. I

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The next Thing.to be confidered, is the Conduct of our late Ministry fince the happy Disappointment of the Invasion ; you know very well that a confiderable Number of our Nobility and Gentry were taken up on Suspicion of favouring it; and we have Reafon to fuppofe, that the Lift of them was, given in to your Council by thofe Gentlemen, fo that whatever Partiality or PartyQuarrel, there might be in it, or whatever Neglect there was, in not taking up others, whom perhaps there was more Reason to suspect, it must be charged upon them, fince it is natural to think that few of your Ministry, are sufficiently acquainted with Perfons and Characters here but it was a general Obfervation with us, that whoever advised to thofe Proceedings, feem'd rather to design a Slur upon fuch as oppofed our late Courtiers in their Meafures, and to influence our Elections, than really to fecure the Kingdom: The taking up the late Ld. Belhaven, Mr. Fletcher, and others, who had concur'd in the Revolution, and were always firm to it, was a plain Proof of this. I must here take Notice of one Thing which raifed, a general Difguft in our Country, and that was the carrying up of all thofe Prifoners to London. Whatever might have been faid for it at another Time, it'

I' feem'd