He entered into a negotiation with Murray,
Huntley, Athol, and the numerous royalists in the Highlands; but the
secret, without the particulars, was betrayed to Argyle,[b] probably by
Buckingham, who disapproved of the project; and all the cavaliers but three
received an order to leave the court in twenty-four hours--the
[Footnote 1: Balfour, iv. 98-107.]
[Sidenote a: A.D. 1650. Sept. 12.]
[Sidenote b: A.D. 1650. Sept. 27.]
kingdom in twenty days. The vigilance of the guards prevented the execution
of the plan which had been laid; but one afternoon, under pretence of
hawking, Charles escaped[a] from Perth, and riding forty-two miles, passed
the night in a miserable hovel, called Clova, la the braes of Angus. At
break of day he was overtaken by Colonel Montgomery, who advised him[b] to
return, while the Viscount Dudhope urged him to proceed to the mountains,
where he would be joined by seven thousand armed men. Charles wavered; but
Montgomery directed his attention to two regiments of horse that waited at
a distance to intercept his progress, and the royal fugitive consented[c]
to return to his former residence in Perth.[1]
The Start (so this adventure was called) proved, however, a warning to the
committee of estates.
Pages:
417
418
419
420
421
422
423
424
425
426
427
428
429
430
431
432
433
434
435
436
437
438
439
440
441