was the prime agent in the affair, and was, if he succeeded, to be made governor of the castle; each of his associates was to have the reward of one hundred guineas, with a commission in the army. They soon succeeded in corrupting one Ainsley, a sergeant in the castle, with the promise of a lieutenancy, a corporal, with the promise of an ensigncy, and two soldiers, the one with eight, and the other with four guineas. They then provided a scaling ladder made of ropes, and so constructed as that two or three persons could ascend abreast. This, the traitors within the castle, were to fasten at the top, and, by means of pulleys, assist in drawing up the conspirators without. They succeeded so far as to have the ladder fixed, and several of the party were upon it, when an officer, who had received intelligence of the plot, walking his rounds, observed the ladder, cut the ropes, and let it fall, by which those who were upon it were precipitated to the bottom of the rock and severely bruised. The centinel fired at the same time, and the party instantly dispersed. A party of the town guard which had been sent to patrole round the castle, found one captain M'Lean, who had been an officer at Killicranky, severely bruised, whom, with Mr. Lesly, Mr. Ramsay, and Mr. Boswell, they secured. The two last were writers, and the first had formerly been a page to the dutchess of Gordon. They likewise found the ladder, and one dozen of firelocks, which, in haste to escape, the conspirators had thrown away. Ainsley, the sergeant, who had engaged to betray the fortress, was hanged, and lieutenant colonel David Stuart, the governor, was disposted for negligence.*

Before leaving Aboyne, where it was determined to rise immediately in arms, the earl of Marr issued the following declaration, which he enclosed in a letter to his baillie of Kildrummy :+" Our rightful and natural king, James the

Campbell's Life of John, Duke of Argyle, pp. 154, 155. Patten's History of the Rebellion, pp. 158, 159.

The following is the letter in which this declaration was enclosed to his baillie, and it is abundantly characteristic:-" Jocke, ye was right not to come with the 100 men ye sent up to-night, when I expected four times the number. It is a pretty thing when all the Highlands of Scotland are now rising upon their king and country's account, as I have accounts from them since they were with me, and the gentlemen of our neighbouring Lowlands

eighth, by the grace of God, who is now coming to relieve us from our oppression, having been pleased to intrust us with the direction of his affairs, and the command of his forces in this his ancient kingdom of Scotland, and some of his faithful subjects and servants met at Aboyne, viz. the lord Huntly, the lord Tullibardine, the earl Marischal, the earl Southesk, Glengary from the clans, Glendaruel, from the earl of Breadalbine and gentlemen of Argyleshire, Mr. Patrick Lyon of Auchterhouse, the laird of Auldbair, lieutenant general George Hamilton, major general Gordon, and myself, having taken into consideration his majesty's last and late order to us, find, that as this is now the time that he ordered us to appear openly in arms for him, so it seems to us absolutely necessary for his majesty's service, and the relieving of our native country from all its hardships, that all his faithful and loving subjects, and lovers of their country, should, with all possible speed, put themselves into arms. These are, therefore, in his majesty's name and authority, and by virtue of the power aforesaid, and

expecting us down to join them, that my men should be only refractory. Is not this the thing we are now about, which they have been wishing these twenty-six years? And now, when it is come, and the king and country's cause at stake, will they for ever sit still and see all perish?

I have used gentle means too long, and so I shall be forced to put other orders I have in execution; I have sent you enclosed, an order for the lordship of Kildrummy, which you are immediately to intimate to all my vassals; if they give ready obedience, it will make some amends: and if not, ye may tell them from me, that it will not be in my power to save them (were I willing) from being treated as enemies, by those who are ready soon to join me, and they may depend on it, that I will be the first to propose and order their being so. Particularly, let my own tenants in Kildrummy know, that if they come not forth with their best arms, that I will send a party immediately to burn what they shall miss taking from them. And they may believe this not only a threat, but by all that's sacred I'll put it in execution, let my loss be what it will, that it may be example to others. You are to tell the gentlemen that I'll expect them in their best accoutrements, on horseback, and no excuse to be accepted of. Go about this with all diligence, and come yourself, and let me know your having done so. All this is not only as you will be answerable to me, but to your king and country.

Sic subscribitur.

To John Forbes of Increrau,

Baily of Kildrummy.

Your assured friend and servant,
MAR."

by the king's special order to me thereunto, to require and empower you forthwith to raise your fencible men, with their best arms; and you are immediately to march them to join me and some other of the king's forces at the Invor of Braemar, on Monday next, in order to proceed in our march to attend the king's standard with his other forces. The king, intending that his forces shall be paid from the time of their first setting out, he expects, as he positively orders, that they behave themselves civilly, and commit no plundering, or other disorders, upon the highest penalties and his displeasure, which is expected you'll see observed.

"Now is the time for all good men to show their zeal for his majesty's service, whose cause is so deeply concerned, and the relief of our country from oppression and a foreign yoke, too heavy for us and our posterity to bear; and to endeavour the restoring not only of our rightful and native king, but also our country to its ancient, free, and independent constitution, under him whose ancestors have reigned over us so many generations.

"In so honourable, good, and just a cause, we cannot doubt of the assistance, direction, and blessing of Almighty God, who has so often rescued the royal family of Stuart, and our country from sinking under oppression.

"Your punctual observance of these orders is expected, for the doing of all which, this shall be to you, and all you employ in the execution of them sufficient warrant. Given at BraeMarr, the ninth of September, 1715."

This, with its envelope to John Forbes of Increrau, was probably thought sufficient for calling forth the energies of the district of Kildrummy; but for the country at large, something more soothing and more specious was deemed necessary, and, in a few days, the party issued a most flaming manifesto, imbodying, in a very narrow compass, the whole slang and sophistry belonging to the faction. They had it printed at Edinburgh, and, "by Mr. Robert Freebairn, one of the king's printers there," the tenor whereof follows:-" His majesty's right of blood to the crown of these realms is undoubted, and has never been disputed or arraigned, by the least circumstance of a lawful authority.

"By the laws of God, by the ancient constitution, and by

the positive unrepealed laws of the land, we are bound to pay his majesty the duty of loyal subjects; nothing can absolve us from this our duty of subjection and obedience, the laws of God require our allegiance to our rightful king; the laws of the land secure our religion and other interests; and his majesty giving up himself to his protestant subjects, puts the means of securing to us our concerns, religious and civil, in our own hands.

"Our foundamental constitution has been entirely altered, and sunk amidst the various shocks of unstable faction; while, in the searching out new expedients pretended for our security, it has produced nothing but daily disappointment, and has brought us and our posterity under a precarious dependance upon foreign councils and interests, and the power of foreign troops.

"The late unhappy Union, which was brought about by the mistaken notions of some, and the ruinous and selfish designs of others, has proved so far from healing and lessening the differences betwixt his majesty's subjects of Scotland and England, that it has widened and increased them; and it appears, by experience, so inconsistent with the rights, privileges, and interests of us and our good neighbours and fellow-subjects of England, that the continuance of it must inevitably ruin us, and hurt them; nor can any way be found out to relieve us, and restore our antient and independent constitution, but by restoring our rightful and natural king, who has the only undoubted right to reign over us; neither can we hope, that the party who chiefly contributed to bring us into bondage, will, at any time, endeavour to work our relief; since 'tis known how strenuously they opposed, in two late instances, the efforts that were made by all Scotchmen, by themselves, and supported by the best and wisest of the English, towards so desirable an end, as they did not adventure openly to disown the dissolution of the Union to be.

"Our substance has been wasted in the late ruinous wars, and we see an unavoidable prospect of having wars continued upon us and our posterity so long as the possession of the crown is not in the right line.

"The hereditary rights of the subjects, though confirmed

by conventions and parliaments, are now treated as of no value or force; and past services to the crown and royal family, are now looked upon as grounds of suspicion.

"A packed up assembly, who call themselves a British parliament, have, as far as in them lies, inhumanly murdered their own and our sovereign, by promising a sum of money as the reward of so execrable a crime.

"They have proscribed, by unaccountable and groundless impeachments and attainders, the worthy patriots of England, for their honourable and successful endeavours to restore trade, plenty and peace to these nations.

"They have broken in upon the sacred laws of both countries, by which the liberty of our persons was secured. They have impowered a foreign prince, who, notwithstanding of his expectations of the crown for fifteen years, is still unacquainted with our manners, customs, and language, to make an absolute conquest (if not timely prevented) of the three kingdoms, by vesting himself with an unlimited power, not only of raising unnecessary forces at home, but also of calling in foreign troops ready to promote his uncontrollable designs. Nor can we be ever hopeful of its being otherwise, in the way it is at present, for some generations to come. And the sad consequence of these unexampled proceedings, have really been so fatal to great numbers of our kinsmen, friends, and fellow-subjects of both kingdoms, that they have been constrained to abandon their country, houses, wives, and children, or give themselves up prisoners, or perhaps victims, to be sacrificed at the pleasure of foreigners, and a few hot-headed men of a restless faction whom they employ.

"Our troops abroad, notwithstanding of their long and remarkably good services, have been treated, since the peace, with neglect and contempt, and particularly in Holland; and 'tis not now the officer's long service, merit, and blood they have lost, but money and favours, by which they obtain justice in their preferments, so that 'tis evident, the safety of his majesty's person, and independency of his kingdoms, call loudly for immediate relief and defence.

"The consideration of these unhappy circumstances, with the due regard we have to common justice, the peace and quiet