ho deprecated the arming of Scot against Scot,
and engaged on his own responsibility to preserve the peace between the
Scottish people and their sovereign. His advice, prevailed; the royalists
in Scotland were ordered to follow him as their leader; and, to keep him
true to the royal interest, the higher title of duke was conferred upon
him.[1]

If Hamilton was sincere, he had formed a false notion of his own
importance. The Scottish leaders, acting as if they were independent of the
sovereign, summoned a convention of estates. The estates met[a] in defiance
of the king's prohibition; but, to their surprise and mortification, no
commissioner had arrived from the English parliament. National jealousy,
the known intolerance of the Scottish kirk, the exorbitant

[Footnote 1: Clarendon, iv. 624. Guthrie, 127.]

[Sidenote a: A.D. 1643. June 22.]

claims set up by the Scottish leaders in the late invasion, contributed to
deter many from accepting their new offers of assistance;[1] and more than
two months were suffered to elapse before the commissioners, Vane, Armyn,
Hatcher, and Darley, with Marshall, a Presbyterian, and Nye, an Independent
divine, were despatched[a] with full powers to Scotland.[2] Both the
convention of the estates and the assembly of the kirk had long waited to
receive them; their arrival[b] was celebrated as a day of national triumph;
and the letters which they delivered from the English parliament were read
with shouts of exultation and tears of joy.[3]

In the very outset of the negotiation two important difficulties occurred.
The Scots professed a willingness to take up arms, but sought at the same
time to assume the character of mediators and umpires, to dictate the terms
of reconciliation, and to place themselves in a condition to extort the
consent of the opposite parties. From these lofty pretensions they were
induced to descend by the obstinacy of Vane and the persuasions of Johnston
of Wariston, one of their subtlest statesmen; they submitted to act as the
allies of the parliament; but required as an indispensable

[Footnote 1: "The jealousy the English have of our nation, beyond all
reason, is not well taken. If Mr. Meldrum bring no satisfaction to
us quickly as to conformity of church government, it will be a great
impediment in their affairs here."--Baillie, July 26, i. 372. See also
Dalrymple, ii. 144.]

[Footnote 2: The Scots did not approve of this mission of the Independent
minister