happy country. Meeting, however, with contrary winds, it was the month of March before he arrived at the castle of Slaines, an old fortress in the shire of Aberdeen. Here be found the countess of Errol, the earl's mother, in waiting for him, with letters from her son, of the most friendly and flattering import, testifying the greatest impatience to be introduced to him, and assuring him, "that all the well affected would exert themselves to the utmost on this occasion, as their last resource, being persuaded, that at the worst they would obtain better conditions sword in hand, than those of the union." From the countess he also learned, further, "that Mr. Hall, a priest, and the confident of the duke of Hamilton, had been with her, waiting for his [Mr. Hooke's] arrival for some considerable time," and she put into his hands a letter, in which, for his employer, the duke of Hamilton, he entreated Mr. Hooke to come to Edinburgh, where, he informed him, the duke, who, with all his friends, was ready to risk every thing for the chevalier de St. George, would take care to have every thing ready for his accommodation, and begging for his grace, immediately, what letters he might have been intrusted with for him. The countess, at the same time, like a prudent and wise politician, wishing to secure, for herself and family, the ear and the services of Mr. Hooke, advised him not to be in haste, "as the duke of Hamilton's affairs were greatly altered within a few months past, all the world having abandoned him, and all the well affected come to an open rupture with him;" and though lord Kilsyth, the great marshal, and even her son the high constable, still kept some little correspondence with him, it was not at all upon political accounts, but merely for the sake of ancient intimacy; and as he had been suspected of corresponding with the court of London, she cautioned Hooke to be particularly careful how he trusted him. But for more minute information she referred him to her son. *

In order to avail himself of this advice, Hooke, who seems to have been very well qualified for the business in which he was employed, ordered M. de Ligondes, who had brought him over from Dunkirk, to proceed with his vessel to Norway, and

* Hooke's Secret Negotiations, p. 17.

to return to the coast in the course of three weeks, and the same day despatched a messenger to the high constable and to Mr Hall. From the former he requested advice. The latter he informed of his intention to wait upon the duke of Hamilton, as soon as he had recovered the fatigues of his journey; and, in return, demanded to know what measures had been taken for admitting him into the presence of the duke, and for rendering his visit to Edinburgh safe. His messenger returned in five days, with assurances that the constable would be with him in the end of the week; that the duke of Hamilton was so much indisposed, that as yet he could not see him, but would write by the constable.*

Hooke in the meantime, addressed himself to lord Drummond, second son to the duke of Perth, whom he sent upon a mission among the Jacobites of the north and north-west, with a copy of his Instructions from M. de Chamillart,† and of a

* Hooke's Secret Negotiations, p. 17.

†The following is a copy of these Instructions, from the Stuart Papers, published by Macpherson, along with his History of Great Britain. They display very particularly, the selfish views of the French court, and the total ignorance under which that court laboured with regard to the condition of Scotland. In the prosecution of these Instructions, Hooke displayed great diligence and fidelity, as a spy or emissary of France, though very little of either as an ambassador of James.

"To be certain of making a diversion in Scotland, which will embarrass the English, and oblige them to bring back a considerable body of troops to England, the Scottish nobility must be in a condition to assemble 25, or 30,000 men, and to clothe, arm, equip, and maintain them, during the campaign: i. e. at least six months, to commence at the beginning of May.

"The favourable dispositions of the nobility, leave no room to doubt but they will make their utmost efforts to withdraw themselves from the yoke which the English nation intends to impose upon them. Before a revolution, which should end in the restoration of the lawful sovereign, is begun, it is necessary to enter into a particular detail of the forces and means which the Scotch can employ to accomplish it, and of the succours which they may promise themselves from the protection of the King, who is no less interested in the success of this enterprise, than his Britannic Majesty. It is for these considerations, that his Majesty hath judged it proper, before he makes any positive promise to the Scots, to send over Mr. Hooke, in order to acquire, upon the spot, a perfect knowledge of the state of things, to form a well digested plan with the nobility, to reduce it to writing, and to get it signed by the principal men of the country; giving them assurances of his Majesty's sincere desire, and

letter from the chevalier, directed to all his friends in general, assuring them of his resolution to come and put himself at their head. To all this was added a paper, drawn up by Hooke himself, representing the extremity to which the nation

his dispositions to send them the succours which may be necessary for them; and his Majesty recommends, in a very particular manner, to Mr. Hooke, not to engage him in expenses, which those he is obliged to lay out elsewhere, will not allow him to support, nor to give them any room to hope for more than he can furnish.

"The articles which are to be the principal objects of his attention, are, first, to inform himself, with certainty, of the number of troops of which the army shall be composed, and of the generals, and other officers, who are in the country, to command them; if they stand in need of some of those which are in France; of what rank, and how many; the particular places where those men, who voluntarily engage, shall assemble, and the place of general rendezvous afterwards.

"To know who will clothe, arm, and equip them; if they have cloth in the country, and if they are able to pay for it: who will furnish fusees, swords, bayonets, belts, bandaliers and powder flasks, linen, stockings, shoes, hats, and other utensils, such as hatchets, pickaxes, and spades.

"If they have any artillery, of what size, and what quantity. "If they have stocks and carriages for cannon.

"If they have officers of artillery, cannoniers, bombadiers, and miners. "If they have mortars, bullets, bombs, grenades, and in what quantity. "If they have powder and ball, whether for cannons or for muskets. "What they want of these things, and what they demand as absolutely necessary for them; acquainting them, that it is not their interest to demand too much.

"It will not be sufficient to be informed, with certainty, that they are able to assemble a considerable army; it likewise is necessary to know further, the means by which the nobility intend to subsist them, while they are in the field; and by which they can form magazines, and assemble waggons, to follow the army, wherever the generals think it may be proper to order it to march.

"The same inquiry must be made about the equipage for the artillery, for the use of which it will be necessary to have a certain number of horses, in proportion to the train which they think they should bring into the field.

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They must not persuade themselves, that the mere goodwill of the nobility, and the blind obedience of their vassals, in doing whatever they choose, are sufficient to oblige them to remain too long from home, when they are furnished only with bread; they must have meat and spirits, or at least vegetables, with some other drink than water, the use of which is not common in that country. "It is of importance to be assured of the manner in which the grain and drink shall be furnished; of the assessment which shall be made; of the contingent which each nobleman shall contribute in grain, drink, and other provis

was reduced; touching upon the interests of its principal families; proposing some expedients for reconciling them, and laying open the dangers to which they exposed themselves, and the utter impossibility of their being delivered while these

ions; of the number of men they will give, and if they shall be clothed, armed and equipped. In short, to enter into such an exact detail, that nothing will remain to be done, but to take a final resolution concerning the project which Mr. Hooke shall form, in order to secure its success.

"It is supposed it may be demanded further, that the person who shall command the army, should explain himself, as to the use he intends to make of it. There will be several other things to be added, which the experience and good sense of Mr. Hooke will suggest to him."

From the same work, we extract, The Declaration of War, and the Particular Instructions which Hooke carried along with him from the Chevalier de St. George. They were as follows.

"James the VIII. by the grace of God, King of Scotland, England, France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith: to all our loving subjects of our ancient Kingdom of Scotland, greeting.

“Whereas, we are firmly resolved to repair to our said Kingdom, and there to assert and vindicate our undoubted right; and to deliver all our good subjects from the oppression and tyranny they groan under, for above these eighteen years past, and to protect and maintain them in their independency, and all their just privileges, which they so happily enjoyed under our royal ancestors, as soon as they have declared for us. We do, therefore, hereby impower, authorize, and require, all our loving subjects to declare for us, and to assemble together in arms, and to join the person whom we have appointed to be captain-general of our forces, when required by him, and to obey him and all others under his command, in every thing relating to our service; to seize the government, and all forts and castles, and to use all acts of hostility against those who shall traitorously presume to oppose our authority, and to lay hold, and make use of what is necessary for the arming, mounting, and subsisting our forces, and obstructing the designs of our enemies; for all which, you are hereby fully warranted and indemnified."

Instructions for Colonel Hooke.

"I. You are forthwith to repair to Scotland, and to endeavour to meet with as many of our friends as you can, to deliver to them our letters respectively, by which they are to give credit to what you propose to them in our

name.

"II. You are to expose to them the necessity of laying hold of this opportunity of vindicating our right, and their privileges and independency, which, if neglected, may never be retrieved.

" III. That as soon as they appear in arms, and have declared for us, we design to come in person to their assistance, with the succours promised us

jealousies subsisted. A message of the same import was sent to the dukes of Athole and Gordon, to Ogilvie of Boyn, and to Innes of Coxtoun, that they might have all things in readiness for entering upon business so soon as Hooke found it convenient to see them.*

While these preparations were going forward, lord Saltoun, a chief of one of the branches of the house of Frazer, coming on a visit to the countess of Errol, gave to Hooke a still more unfavourable character of his grace the duke of Hamilton, than even that by the countess herself, stating, that his grace had most certainly corresponded with Queensberry and Stair, though he had done all he could to conceal it; that he had, not only while the union was in progress, broken all the measures of the well affected who opposed it, but, after its ratification, exerted himself to the utmost to obtain a seat in the British parliament, as one of the sixteen Scotish peers, in which attempt, "though he had condescended to the greatest meannesses," he had utterly failed, not having been allowed so much as to stand a candidate. All this, and more to the

by the most Christian King, which cannot be obtained, till they have given that evidence of their dispositions.

" IV. You are to explain to them, that the declaration of war you carry with you, is only a summons to rise in arms, reserving to bring along with us an ample declaration, for pacifying the minds of our people, and the false and malicious suggestions of our enemies, of which we desire they would send us a draught; in the meantime, you may assure them of our unalterable resolution of securing to them their religion, laws, liberties, and independency.

V. If you find that a party is disposed to rise in arms, on what pretence whatsoever, without directly owning our authority, you are to acquaint our friends, that we allow, and approve of their joining with, and assisting them against our common enemy.

"VI. Our commission of general is designed for the Earl of Arran, but in case he declines it, our friends are to name another, whose name is to be inserted. But neither this commission, nor that for levying of war, either in Scotland or Ireland, to be published, except you find them immediately disposed to take the field; though our letter to him in Ireland may be sent, when it can be safely conveyed.

"VII. You are to assure each of our friends in particular, of the true sense we have of his loyalty, and sufferings on that account, which we think ourselves bound in honour and interest, to reward to the utmost of our power."

* Hooke's Secret Negotiations, p. 18.