ons of distinction who united themselves to
him was Lord Napier of Merchiston, son of the famous inventor of the
logarithms, the person to whom the title of a "great man" is more justly
due, than to any other whom his country ever produced. There was in
Scotland another party, who, professing equal attachment to the king's
service, pretended only to differ with Montrose about the means of
attaining the same end; and of that party Duke Hamilton was the leader.
This nobleman had cause to be extremely devoted to the king, not only by
reason of the connection of blood which united him to the royal family,
but on account of the great confidence and favor with which he had ever
been honored by his master. Being accused by Lord Rae, not without some
appearance of probability, of a conspiracy against the king, Charles was
so far from harboring suspicion against him, that, the very first time
Hamilton came to court, he received him into his bed-chamber, and passed
alone the night with him.[**] But such was the duke's unhappy fate or
conduct, that he escaped not the imputation of treachery to his friend
and sovereign; and though he at last sacrificed his life in the king's
service, his integrity and sincerity have not been thought by historians
entirely free from blemish. Perhaps (and this is the more probable
opinion) the subtleties and refinements of his conduct, and his
temporizing maxims, though accompanied with good intentions, have been
the chief cause of a suspicion which has never yet been either fully
proved or refuted.

* It is not improper to take notice of a mistake committed
by Clarendon, much to the disadvantage of this gallant
nobleman; that he offered the king, when his majesty was in
Scotland, to assassinate Argyle. All the time the king was
in Scotland, Montrose was confined in prison. Rush. vol. vi.
p. 980.

** Nalson, vol ii. p. 683.

As much as the bold and vivid spirit of Montrose prompted him to
enterprising measures, as much was the cautious temper of Hamilton
inclined to such as were moderate and dilatory. While the former
foretold that the Scottish Covenanters were secretly forming a union
with the English parliament, and inculcated the necessity of preventing
them by some vigorous undertaking, the latter still insisted, that every
such attempt would precipitate them into measures to which otherwise
they were not perhaps inclined. After the Scottish convention was
s