guards were posted round the castle, and all communications
between it and the town declared treasonable. The Duke replied by a
largess of money to the heralds to drink King James's health, telling
them that they should in common decency have turned the King's coats
they wore on their backs before they came to declare the King's subjects
traitors.

Meanwhile a messenger had arrived with a sealed despatch for the Estates
from James. It seemed strange both to Dundee and Balcarres that the
message had not been to them, or at least accompanied by a letter
informing them of its purport; but they had no suspicion of its
contents, and willingly agreed to the terms on which the Whigs consented
to hear it read. These terms were, that the Convention was a legal and
free meeting, and would accept no order to dissolve until it had secured
the liberty and religion of Scotland. The vote was passed, and the
letter was read, to the consternation of the Jacobites and the delight
of the Whigs. Of all the foolish acts committed by James the despatch of
this letter was, in the circumstances, the most foolish. Not a word did
it contain of any intention to respect the religion or the liberty of
men whom it still professed to address as subjects. Pardon was promised
to all who should return to their allegiance within a fortnight: to all
others punishment was threatened in this world, and damnation in the
next. Nothing was wanting to heighten the imprudence. The letter was in
the handwriting of Melfort, who was equally odious to both parties; and
it had been preceded by one from William expressed in terms as wise and
moderate as the others were headstrong and foolish. But the feeling of
the more temperate Jacobites will best be shown in the account Balcarres
himself gave to his master of the effect produced by this fatal epistle.
"When the messenger was announced," he wrote,

"His coming was joyful to us, expecting a letter from your
Majesty to the Convention, in terms suitable to the bad
situation of your affairs in England, and as had been
advised by your friends before we left London; and so
assured were they of their advices being followed, that they
had encouraged all the loyal party, and engaged many to come
to the Convention, in hopes such full satisfaction would be
given in matters of religion and liberty, that even most of
those who had declared against you would return to their
duty