A history of the Highlands and of the Highland clans : with an ...

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HISTORY OF THE HlGHLAtiJiS.
quis of Huntly, who, on hearing of Montrose's success at Kilsyth, iiad
left his retreat in Strathnaver, where he had passed a year and a half
in absolute supineiiess, and returned to his own country. The marquis
envied and hated Montrose, and although a royalist in his heart, he did
not care to expose the crown and monarchy to danger to gratify his
spleen and vanity, as he could not endure to see a man whom he looked
upon as his inferior in rank, monopolize the whole power and authority
in Scotland.
" He was," says Bishop Wishart, " a man equally unfortunate and
inconsiderate ; and, however much he would seem, or was really attach-
ed to the king, yet he often betrayed that interest through a pride and
unaccountable envy he had conceived against Montrose, whose glory
and renown he endeavoured rather to extenuate than make the object of
his emulation. He durst not venture to depreciate Montrose's actions
before his own people, who had been eye-witnesses of them, and were
well acquainted with his abilities, lest it might be construed into a sign
of disart'ection to the king himself. However, he gave out that he would
take the charge of commanding them himself during the remainder of
the war ; and in that view he headed all his own vassals, and advised
his neighbours, not without threats if they acted otherwise, to enlist
under no other authority than his own. They remonstrated how they
could be answerable to disobey Montrose's command, who w as appoint-
ed by the king his deputy-governor and captain-general of all the
forces within the kingdom. Huntly replied, that he himself should in
no way be wanting in his duty to the king ; but, in the meantime, it
tended no less to their honour than his own that it should appea!
to the king and the wiiole kingdom how much they contributed to the
maintenance of the war ; and this, he said, could never be done, unless
they composed a separate army by themselves. He spoke in very
magnificent terms of his own power, and endeavoured as much as pos-
sible to extenuate that of Montrose. He extolled immoderately the
glory and achievements of his ancestors, the Gordons ; a race, worthy
indeed of all due commendation, whose power had for many ages been
formidable, and an overmatch for their neighbours ; and was so even at
this day. It was therefore, he said, extremely unjust to ascribe unto
another, meaning Montrose, the glory and renown acquired by their
courage, and at the expense of their blood. But, for the future, he
would take care, that neither the king should be disappointed of the
help of the Gonlons, nor should they be robbed of the praise due to
their merit."
By this insidious reasoning, Huntly succeeded in blinding the greater
part of his clan as to his real intentions ; but there were some honour-
able men among them who saw through the disguise of the marquis,
and who justly api)reciated the talents of Montrose. They perceived the
great danger to which the king's affairs would be exposed by such
selfish conduct, and they did every thing in their power to induce him