HISTORY OP ENGLAND.

CHAP.

XIII.

IUBU.

22

in the Netherlands, and who might perhaps have acquittedhimself well in a subordinate post and in a regular army, butwho was altogether unequal to the part now assigned to him.*He had already loitered among the Hebrides so long that someships wdiich had been sent with him, and w'hieh were ladenwith stores, had been taken by English cruisers. He and hissoldiers had with difficulty escaped the same fate. Incompetentas he was, he bore a commission which gave him military rankin Scotland next to Dundee.

The disappointment was severe. In truth James would havedone better to withhold all assistance from the Highlandersthan to mock them by sending them, instead of the 'well ap-pointed army which they had asked and expected, a rabblecontemptible in numbers and appearance. It was now evidentthat whatever was done for his cause in Scotland must be doneby Scottish hands.**

While Mackay from one side, and Dundee from the other,were advancing towards Blair Castle, important events hadtaken place there. Murray’s adherents soon began to waver intheir fidelity to him. They had an old antipathy to Whigs; forthey considered the name of Whig as synonymous with thename of Campbell. They saw arrayed against them a largenumber of their kinsmen, commanded by a gentleman who wassupposed to possess the confidence of the Marquess. Thebesieging army therefore melted rapidly away. Many returnedhome on the plea that, as their neighbourhood was about to bethe seat of war, they must place their families and cattle insecurity. Others more ingenuously declared that they wouldnot fight in such a quarrel. One large body went to a brook,filled their bonnets with water, drank a health to King James,and then dispersed.*** Their zeal for King James, however,

* Vim Odyclt to the Greffier of the States General, Aug. jV 1689.

** Memoirs of Sir Ewan Cameron.

*** Balcarras’s Memoirs.