106

HISTORY OF ENGLAND.

CHAP.

V.

1685.

Scotch

refugees.

Earl ofArgjle.

taking, however desperate, lent his aid. No art was sparedwhich could draw Monmonth from retreat. To the first in-vitations which he received from his old associates he returnedunfavourable answers. He pronounced the difficulties of adescent on England insuperable, protested that he was sickof public life, and begged to be left in the enjoyment of hisnewly found happiness. But he was little in the habit ofresisting skilful and urgent importunity. It is said, too, thathe was induced to quit his retirement by the same powerfulinfluence which had made that retirement delightful. LadyWentworth wished to see him a King. Her rents, her dia-monds, her credit were put at his disposal. Monmouth’sjudgment was not convinced; but he had not firmness to resistsuch solicitations. *

By the English exiles he was joyfully welcomed, and un-animously acknowledged as their head. But there was anotherclass of emigrants who were not disposed to recognise hissupremacy. Misgovernment, such as had never been knownin the southern part of our island, had driven from Scotlandto the Continent many fugitives, the intemperance of whosepolitical and religious zeal was proportioned to the oppressionwhich they had undergone. These men were not willing tofollow an English leader. Even in destitution and exile theyretained their punctilious national pride, and would not con-sent that their country should be, in their persons, degradedinto a province. They had a captain of their own, Archibald,ninth Earl of Argyle, who, as chief of the great tribe of

* Welwood’s Memoirs, App. xv.; Burnet, i. 630. Grey told a somewhatdifferent story: but he told it to save his life. The Spanish ambassadorat the English court, Don Pedro de Ronquillo, in a letter to the governorof the Low Countries written about this time, sneers at Monmouth forliving on the bounty of a fond woman, and hints a very unfounded suspi-cion that the Duke’s passion was altogether interested. “ Hallandose hoytan falto de medios que ha menester transformarse en Amor con Miledien vista de la necesidad de poder subsislir." — Ronquillo to Grana,Mareh 30.