uths, but in their Hearts they were known to have
Court preferments and places in the chiefest degree of veneration. These
were the springs and motives of all their Actions, which appeared in a
hundred instances thereafter. However, by the bye, I must say that such
a Squadrone Volante in any Parliament seems to be always a happy means
in the hand of Providence to keep the several members of an
Administration in their duty, for people in great power seldom fail to
take more upon them than falls to their share.

The chiefs of the Squadrone Lords were the Dukes of Montrose and
Roxburgh, the Earls of Rothes and Haddington, all these young men of
about 24 years of Age; but the chief of all, at least the man under
whose name they principally voted, was the Marquis of Tweeddale, a very
good Man, but not perfectly qualified for Court intrigues.

Amongst their Gentlemen was one Mr. Fletcher of Saltoun, a Man of
Republican principles, who had spent his youth in Holland, had been
forfeited under the late King James, but afterwards restored under King
William by Act of Parliament. He was a man a little untoward in his
temper, and much inclined to Eloquence. He made many speeches in
Parliament, which are all printed, but was not very dexterous in making
extemporary replies. He was, however, a very Honest Man, and meant well
in everything he said and did, except in cases where his humour,
passion, or prejudices were suffered to get the better of his reason.

FOOTNOTES:

[13] The Royal Commissioner.

UNION OF THE CROWNS.

A. THE LAST SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT (1705).

+Source.+--_A Journey to Edenborough in Scotland_, p. 112, by Joseph
Taylor, late of the Inner Temple, Esquire. Edited from the original
manuscript by William Cowan. (Edinburgh: 1903.)

It hapned whilst we were at Edenborough, that the Act for a treaty of
Union, between England and Scotland, was upon debate, and having the
honour to have severall Lords and Members of parliament often dine with
us, they inform'd us of the Grand day when the Act was to be past or
rejected, and by speciall favour of my Lord high Commissioner, we had
leave to stand upon the throne by his right hand: The usuall way to
admit strangers is to give them a battoon; which holding in their hands,
shows that they are forreigners. The Lords and Comons sit together; As
soon as we heard the names call'd over, We observ'd Dukes, Marquesses,
and Earles sat on the Uppermost seats o