entered upon
that scene of action which has rendered his name so celebrated. About
eight hundred of the men of Athole flocked to his standard. Five hundred
men more, who had been levied by the Covenanters, were persuaded to
embrace the royal cause: and with this combined force, he hastened to
attack Lord Elcho, who lay at Perth with an army of six thousand men,
assembled upon the first news of the Irish invasion. Montrose, inferior
in number, totally unprovided with horse, ill supplied with arms and
ammunition, had nothing to depend on, but the courage which he himself,
by his own example, and the rapidity of his enterprises, should inspire
into his raw soldiers. Having received the fire of the enemy, which was
answered chiefly by a volley of stones, he rushed amidst them with
his sword drawn, threw them into confusion, pushed his advantage, and
obtained a complete victory, with the slaughter of two thousand of the
Covenanters.[*]

This victory, though it augmented the renown of Montrose, increased not
his power or numbers. The far greater part of the kingdom was extremely
attached to the covenant; and such as bore an affection to the royal
cause, were terrified by the established authority of the opposite
party. Dreading the superior power of Argyle, who, having joined
his vassals to a force levied by the public, was approaching with a
considerable army, Montrose hastened northwards, in order to rouse again
the marquis of Huntley and the Gordons, who, having before hastily taken
arms, had been instantly suppressed by the Covenanters. He was joined
on his march by the earl of Airly, with his two younger sons, Sir Thomas
and Sir David Ogilvy: the eldest was at that time a prisoner with the
enemy. He attacked at Aberdeen the Lord Burley, who commanded a force
of two thousand five hundred men. After a sharp combat, by his undaunted
courage, which in his situation was true policy, and was also not
unaccompanied with military skill, he put the enemy to flight, and in
the pursuit did great execution upon them.[**]

* 1st of September, 1644. Rush. vol. vi. p. 983. Wishart,
cap. 5.

** 11th of September, 1644. Rush. vol. vi. p. 983. Wishart,
cap. 7.

But by this second advantage he obtained not the end which he expected.
The envious nature of Huntley, jealous of Montrose's glory, rendered him
averse to join an army where he himself must be so much eclipsed by
the superior merit of the general. Argyle,