ing conveniently near to Claverhouse's few
paternal acres. A bargain, which would have seemed in those days no
disgraceful thing to any human being, was accordingly struck between
Claverhouse and the various claimants for the dead man's shoes.
Queensberry, though but lately advanced to a marquisate, had set his
heart upon a dukedom: the Chancellor was in want of money to support his
new honours. And there were other petitioners for the good offices of
the ambassador to Whitehall: Huntly and the Earl Marischal and Sir
George Mackenzie had each marked his share of the general prize. To one
and all Claverhouse promised his services; and they on their part were
to advance by all means in their power his designs on the fat acres of
Dudhope. All this, no doubt, sounds very contemptible to us now, who
manage these matters so much more circumspectly; but it must be
remembered that Lauderdale, though his offence was probably greatly
exaggerated, and though a large part of the fine in which he had been
originally cast was in fact remitted, had certainly been guilty of gross
carelessness, if not of actual malversation; while Claverhouse on his
pact offered to pay, and did pay, whatever sum might be legally fixed as
due for his share of the booty.[41]

All these bargains were in time brought to a successful issue.
Claverhouse was in England from the beginning of March to the middle of
May. He was with the Court at Newmarket, Windsor, and London, always in
high favour, but at the former place finding the King more eager for his
company at the cockpit and race-course than in the council-chamber.[42]
Early in May he returned to Scotland, and shortly after his return he
took his seat at Edinburgh as a Privy Councillor. This was his present
reward: Dudhope and the Constabulary were to follow later, with
Queensberry's and Huntly's dukedoms and the other honours. But Dudhope
was not destined to drop into his lap. The Chancellor, whom he counted
as his particular friend, had played him false. Lauderdale's fine had
been reduced by Charles from seventy thousand pounds to twenty thousand,
sixteen thousand of which were granted to the Chancellor and four
thousand to Claverhouse. But should Lauderdale and his son agree to
assign to the Chancellor under an unburdened title the lands and
lordship of Dundee and Dudhope, then the whole sum was to be remitted,
Lauderdale binding himself to discharge the fines inflicted on his
subordinates. Power was