Charge.
That he traiterously betrayed His Majesties Service while he was in the Frith,* 1.1 and had His Majesties Trust and Command of His Fleet and Forces therein: and whilst he was thus, as appeared, in Arms for His Majesty, he in∣tended nothing less, as appears by his Friends and Followers their underhand Dealings, suggesting that his taking that Charge upon him was out of his love and respect to his Country, thereby to prevent that some other should not be put upon it, who might have made use of that Power and Force to their Preju∣dice, whereas he never intended any such thing; by which he did not only most basely betray His Majesties Trust, but there did also endear himself to the Peo∣ple, and by the same means exasperate them against their King and Sovereign. And that he was not only accessory hereto, but really guilty of the thing it self, appears by his own Discourse to divers Persons, that if he had pleased he could have landed his Forces, and done what further he was Warranted by his Com∣mission, but that he never intended it; which Double-dealing may be yet more clearly evinced, in that he had frequent private Meetings, Correspondencies, and Practices with the Counter-party, as particularly by his Ordinary Appointments upon the Sands of Barnbougal, and other places next adjacent, where he usually kept his Meetings with some who were most desperate Leaders and Promoters of these Courses. And the Prime Instruments of the Committee and Cabinet-Counsels there amongst them, then at the very same time, and in the greatest heat of all the business, did profess and give assurance both by word and under their hands, that Hamilton was the greatest Favourer that ever their good Cause had, notwithstanding of all that the formality of the time obliged him to profess to the contrary. And not only in Scotland, (where it was generally known to be so) but even some of the Scotish Commissioners did profess to some of this Kingdom, that Hamilton had done things which they did not approve; but yet that he had been much more Friend than Enemy to the Courses of the Country, and had done much more good than evil: yea Argyle himself upon a private dispute, falling into heat, delivered, that he and those others did nothing but by Hamilton's Directions, Knowledg, or private Approbation. As also whilst he was in the same Expedition, being frequently invited by all His Ma∣jesties good Subjects then in the Northern parts of Scotland, he most treache∣rously be••rayed them, and abandoned the business, as particularly can be instan∣ced by the Marquis of Huntly, who being appointed to receive His Majesties Orders from time to time by Hamilton, whilst he did endeavour at the begin∣ning at Turreff, and other places, vigorously to suppress that Party, was strait∣ly inhibited to engage; but by the contrary, by peremptory Orders wille•• to suf∣fer the Malignant Party to be the first beginners, by which Restraint the Bu∣siness was totally ruined, as is notoriously known. After which, the Viscount of Aboyn, being cloathed by His Majesty with Commissions, and to have had some experimented Officers along in that Imployment, the said Duke of Ha∣milton