278

HISTORY OF ENGLAND.

and who was not less abhorred by the Protestant Tories than bythe Whigs. The hall was in a tumult. The enemies of Jameswere loud and vehement. His friends, angry with him, andashamed of him, saw that it was vain to think of continuing thestruggle in the Convention. Every vote which had been doubtsful when his letter was unsealed was now irrecoverably lost.The sitting closed in great agitation.*

It was Saturday afternoon. There w r as to be no othermeeting till Monday morning. The Jacobite leaders held aconsultation, and came to the conclusion that it was necessaryto take a decided step. Dundee and Balcarras must use thepowers with which they had been intrusted. The minority mustforthwith leave Edinburgh and assemble at Stirling. Atholassented, and undertook to bring a great body of his clansmenfrom the Highlands to protect the deliberations of the RoyalistConvention. Every thing was arranged for the secession; but,in a few hours, the tardiness of one man and the haste ofanother ruined the whole plan.

The Monday came. The Jacobite lords and gentlemen w r ereactually taking horse for Stirling, when Athol asked for a delayof tw'enty four hours. He had no personal reason to be in haste.By staying he ran no risk of being assassinated. By going heincurred the risks inseparable from civil war. The members ofhis party, unwilling to separate from him, consented to thepostponement which he requested, and repaired once more tothe Parliament House. Dundee alone refused to stay a momentlonger. His life was in danger. The Convention had refusedto protect him. He would not remain to be a mark for thepistols and daggers of murderers. Balcarras expostulated to nopurpose. “By departing alone,” he said, “you will give the

* Act. Pari. Scot., Mar. 16. 168;; Balcarras’s Memoirs; History of tliolate Revolution in Scotland, 1<>90; Account of the Proceedings of theEstates of Scotland, 2G89; London Gaz., Mar. 25. 1689; Life of James,ii. 342. Burnet blunders strangely about these transactions.