e shewed much bravery in
putting Claverhouse and that bloody crew to light, killing 36 or 40 of
them, Claverhouse himself narrowly escaping. But the Erastian party
coming up to that little army shortly after this, created them and Mr.
Hamilton their general no small disturbance, they being to them _a snare
upon Mispah, and a net spread upon Tabor_.----And though he most
strenuously opposed them in all their sinful courses of defection and
compliance, yet he was by them treacherously betrayed, in giving his
consent to their publishing the Hamilton declaration;--they promising to
be faithful in all time coming in preaching against the indulgence and
all the land's defections; and that what was ambiguous in that
declaration should be, at the honest party's desire, explained, what was
wrong should be left out, and what was wanting should be supplied,
before it was printed, or otherwise published, save the reading of it
that day:--one word of which they never fulfilled or kept.

But it were a task too tedious here to enumerate all the struggles and
contendings among them at that time; only it is to be remarked, that it
was through Mr. Hamilton's great (I may say deserved) confidence in Mr.
Cargil's faithfulness (who was the principal minister among those called
the protesting party) that Mr. Hamilton was again by the corrupt party
so pitifully ensnared in subscribing their declaration to the duke of
Monmouth, when they were about to engage with the enemy: For they being
intent upon supplicating, the honest party consented only that an
information should be drawn up by Mr. Cargil and Mr. Morton, and sent to
him, of his own and his father's rebellion against God, by their
blasphemy, persecution and usurpation in church and state, &c. but the
corrupt party drawing up their own supplication, sent one of their party
with it in the one hand, and pen and ink in the other, to Mr. Hamilton
to subscribe, just as they were going to engage the enemy. Mr. Hamilton
asked, If it was Mr. Cargil's work? He answered, Yes, (whereas Mr.
Cargil knew nothing of it). Whereupon, being in haste, and having no
doubt of Mr. Cargil's veracity therein, he did that which was still
matter of great grief to him afterwards, as he himself, in a letter from
Holland dated 1685, doth fully testify.

After their defeat at Bothwel-bridge, Mr. Hamilton was by the Erastian
party and their accomplices, most horridly stigmatized and reproached,
as that he should hav