The manuscripts of His Grace the Duke of ... - Electric Scotland

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torment that it had wrung confessions even out of men on whom his
Majesty's favourite boot had been tried in vain.* Both Perth and
Melfort avowed themselves converts to the Roman Catholic faith, and
soon after presented themselves at Court and received such favour that
they ventured to bring direct charges against Queensberry as Commissioner
or Treasurer. Queensberry obtained a copy of the charges,
and Sir George Lockhart, the eminent lawyer, wrote full and exhaustive
answers to what was called Lord Melfort's " Lybell," and the King was
satisfied that Melfort's accusations were frivolous and dismissed them.
The King, however, was so pleased with the conversion of the two
brothers and that of Alexander Earl of Morray, the Secretary of State,
that he desired to promote them. Halifax to whom Perth expressed
some apprehensions that his malignant desire to ruin Queensberry would
ruin himself, answered to Perth, " Be of good cheer, my lord, thy faith
That remark was much tiilked of at the time.
hath made thee whole."
Under the renewed authority which Perth and Melfort received from the
King, they both carried matters with a high hand in Scotland. In the
second Session of the first parliament of King James, another indignity
was cast upon Queensberry, this time by the King. In the first session
he had held the office of Lord High Commissioner. This dignity was
now bestowed upon the Earl of Morray, who, as has been pointed out,
had recently become a convert to the religion of King James, and who
thereby, as Macaulay observes ''abjured the religion of which his
illustrious ancestor had been the foremost champion."!
In a subsequent page the same author notices the filling of offices and
honours by those of the King's persuasion, and he adds that Queensberry
was stripi of all his employments. J But that statement is not strictly
correct. His office of Lord Treasurer vms put in commission as it had
formerly been. The King was pleased to name him first in the commission,
and also to appoint him president of the privy council with a
salary of £1,000 per annum. § He attended his place as president of
council in the second session of the parliament presided over by the Earl
of Morray.
Previous to this, on the 9th of October 1685, the Duke of Queensberry
had obtained from the King a most ample letter of approbation and
exoneration for his discharge of the many and high offices of Principal
Treasurer and Justice-General of Scotland, governor of the Castle
of Edinburgh, extraordinary lord of Session, as one of lords of Secret
Council, and as sheriff of Nithsdale and Galloway and lately as High
Commissioner in the first session of the current parliament, wherein he
represented the King's sacred person and royal authority. In all these
offices the Duke conducted himself with candour and integrity, and
with the highest approbation and satisfaction of the King : and his
Majesty indemnifies him for any acts of omission or commission that
could be urged against him in his discharge of these offices, a^d approves
his whole proceedings. (N"o. 61 infra.)
* Macaulay, Vol. II., pp. 112, 113. f Vol. II., pp. 113, lU.
X Ibid., p. 124. § No. 65 infra.
F 2