re sent to London with the offer
of the crown....

The administration of the coronation-oath of Scotland was a ceremony
attended with much awe; the King holding up his right hand high, whilst
he swore, and repeated each word with slowness after the person who read
it. It contained a clause, that the King should root out heretics. At
these words, William stopt the Earl of Argyle, who was administering the
oath, and declared, he did not mean to oblige himself to become a
persecutor. The commissioners answering, that such was not the meaning
of the oath: "Then," said the King, "I take it in that sense only."
Whether this scruple was the effect of affectation or of delicacy, is
immaterial: it became a King, and it pleased the people.

DUNDEE'S REBELLION (1689).

+Source.+--_Memoirs of the War carried on in Scotland and Ireland,
1689-1691_, by Major-General Hugh Mackay, Commander-in-Chief of His
Majesty's forces. _With an appendix of original papers_, p. 225.
(Edinburgh: Bannatyne Club, 1833.)

THE DUKE OF HAMILTON TO LORD MELVILL.

_Holyroodhous, 8 June, 1689._

Yesternight I received your lordship's of the 4th instant, with one to
General Major Mackay; I did the same night send one to the west to
dispatch some to Ireland for intelligence, and write two several ways to
the captains of our ships to go to the coast of Ireland to cruise there,
and give the best account they could if there was any appearance of an
invasion from thence, which, I am confident, there is little fears of,
if it be not by the French fleet, and it's very strange if they can be
able to come to our coasts and land men, if there be an English and
Dutch fleet at sea as you write, but if they should be able to land any
considerable force we should be in an ill condition, considering how
disaffected all the north is, and if we should absolutely with all his
forces recall Mackay before he dissipates or beats Dundee, all that
country generally, lowlands as well as highlands, would be in arms with
him; so, upon communicating your letter to the Council this morning,
they thought it not fit absolutely to recall him, but leave it much to
himself, and desired him to send any of the English horse that is with
him to the west country, where they can be best provided with horse
meat, and most of our own new levied horse we intend should go there
also, and some regiments of our foot lays there an