Montrose redivivus,: or The portraicture of James late Marquess of Montrose, Earl of Kincardin, &c. 1. In his actions, in the years 1644. 1645. and 1646. for Charles the First. 2. In his passions, in the years 1649. 1650. for Charles the Second K. of Scots.

Chap. VI.

HE staid three dayes at Perth, for there he expected many in those parts to come in with their friends

and clients armed, who upon the noise of the late vi∣ctory professed themselves most faithfull to the King; but none came but the Earl of Kinoule with a few gen∣tlemen of Gawry, nor did they continue very constant unto him neither. And by this time Argyle was at hand with a great Army of Foot of his own, and supplies of Horse were joyned with him out of the South parts; therefore Montrose passing over the Tay, took up his Quarters in the field (for other quarters he seldome had) neer Couper a little village in Angus, where a fa∣mous Monastery once stood, but now lies on the ground. Here a brave young gentleman, Sir Thomas Ogleby, Son to the Earl of Arley, with others of the Gentry of Angus, met him, and readily offered him their service; whom he courteously entertained, and sent them away with thanks, they pretending they on∣ly went to fit themselves for a march, neverthelesse few of them returned besides the Oglebies.

Next morning by break of day before the Revellier was beat, there was a great tumult in the Camp, the Souldiers ran to their arms, and fell to be wild and ra∣ging; Montrose ghessing that it was some falling out between the Highlanders and the Irish, thrust himself in amongst the thickest of them: there he finds a most horrible murther newly committed, for the noble Lord Kilpontin lay there basely slain. The murtherer was a retainer of his own, one Stuart, whom he had treated with much friendship and familiarity, in so much that that same night they lay both in a bed. It is reported that the base slave had a plot to dispatch Montrose, and in regard of the great power he had with Kilpontin, he conceived he might draw him in to be accessary to the villany, therefore taking him aside into a private place, he had discovered unto him his intentions; which the Nobleman highly detested, as was meet; whereupon the murtherer fearing he would discover

him, assaulted him unawares, and stabbed him with many wounds, who little suspected any harm from his friend and creature. The treacherous Assasine by kil∣ling a Centinoll escaped, none being able to pursue him, it being so dark, that they could scarce see the ends of their Pikes. Some say the traitour was hired by the Covenanters to doe this, others only that he was promised a reward if he did it. Howsoever it was, this is most certain that he is very high in their favour un∣to this very day, and that Argyle immediatly advanced him (though he was no souldier) to great commands in his Army. Montrose was very much troubled with the losse of this Nobleman, his dear friend, and one that had deserved very well both from the King and himself, a man famous for arts and arms, and honesty; being a good Philosopher, a good Divine, a good Lawyer, a good Souldier, a good Subject, and a good man: And embracing the breathlesse body again and again with sighes and tears, he delivers it to his sor∣rowfull friends and servants to be carried to his pa∣rents to receive its funerall Obsequies, as became the splendor of that honourable Family.

With the rest of his Forces Montrose marcheth to Dundee: the Town being proud of the number of its Inhabitants, and having a Garrison out of Fife be∣side, refused to submit. And he, thinking it no wis∣dome to hazard the honour he had gotten by his late victory upon the doubtfull successe of a siege, turns away towards Eske; for he hoped that many of his friends and kindred, being men of greatest note in those parts, and who used to talk as highly what they would doe for the King as any others, would be ready to joyn with him. But they having news of his ap∣proach withdrew themselves: only the Lord Ogleby Earl of Airley, a man of threescore years old, (with his two Sons, Sir Thomas, and Sir David, and some of

his friends, and clients, men of experienced resoluti∣ons) joyned himself unto him: and with admirable constancy he went along with him through all fortunes unto the very end of the War; being in that almost universall defection, the other honour and ornament of the Nobility of Scotland besides Montrose.

While Montrose was hereabouts, he receives intel∣ligence that some Commissioners from the Covenan∣ters (of whom the Lord Burghley was the principall) lay at Aberdene with an Army, and laboured to assure unto themselves the Northern parts, upon which Montrose especially relyed, either by fair means or foul. Hee determines to fight these immediatly be∣fore Argyle could come up to them, therefore with long marches hee hies thither, and possessing him∣selt of the bridge upon the river of Dee, and drawing neer the Citie, he found the enemy drawn up close beside it. Burghley commanded two thousand Foot, and five hundred Horse whom he placed in wings; and having thosen his ground, and planted his great Guns before his men, hee expected battell. Mon∣trose had fifteen hundred Foot (for the Lord Kil∣pontins Souldiers were gone to convey their Lords dead body to his Parents, and most of the Athole-men after the victory of Perth were gone home, from whence they were not farre, laden with spoil) and just four and forty Horse, of whom he made two di∣visions, and mixing amongst them the best fire-men and Archers that he had (who in nimblenesse and swiftnesse of body were almost as good as horsemen) placed them on either wing, to prevent the falling of the enemies Horse upon his rear; which they perfor∣med most gallantly beyond the opinion, or perhaps the belief of many. He gave the command of the right flank to James Hay and Nathaniel Gordon, and of the left to Sir William Rollock, all valiant men.

The left wing of the enemy was commanded by Lewis Gordon, Son to the Marquesse of Huntley, a bold young man and hot spirited, but hair-brain'd, and one that had forced out his fathers friends and clients to fight with Montrose against their wills. He having gotten the plain and most commodious ground for fighting on horse-back, charged Montrose's right flank: which when he perceived, he commanded Rollock with his twenty Horse to their aid, and they being backed with the gallantry of their Commanders, and the activity and stoutnesse of the Foot amongst them, received the charge with so much hardinesse, that they four and forty, beat back full three hundred of the enemy, rout∣ing all, and killing very many. But because they were so few, they durst not follow the chase: which was for∣born by the great prudence of the Commandets, and proved to be of great consequence towards the obtain∣ing of the victory: for the enemy charged Montrose's left Flank (which had no Horse) with their right Wing of Horse. Montrose therefore in a trice (now that Lewis Gordon and his men were fled) conveighs the same Horse to the left Flank; who seeing they were not able to draw themselves into a Body like the ene∣mies, fetch'd a compasse about, and so escaped their first charge; then neatly wheeling about, they fall up∣on the Flank of the enemy, and with their naked swords, beat, and cut, and vanquish, and put them to flight. They took prisoners one Forbes of Kragevar a Knight of great esteem with ••he enemy, and another Forbes of Boindle. Those that retreated got safe away, because that so few could not safely pursue them. They that commanded the enemies Horse were not so much frighted with their losse, as vexed with the disgrace of a double repulse, therefore imputing their defeat to those light fire-locks that were mixed with Montrose's Horse, they themselves call for Foot-men out of their

main Body, intending to return with greater courage. Montrose suspected that, and was loath to engage those few gallant men again, (whose Horses were spent al∣ready ••n two sha••p services,) with the enemy who was reinforced with fresh Foot. Therefore observing the enemies Horse not yet rallied since their new rout, and standing at a sufficient distance from their Foot; he rode about among his own Foot (who had been sore galled already with the enemies Ordinance) and bespeaks them to this effect: We doe no good (my fel∣low souldi••rs) while we dispute the matter at thus much distance, except we closo up with them how shall we know an able man from a weak, a valiant man from a coward? If ye would assail these timorous and brawnlesse shrimps with handy blows, they will never be able to stand you. Goe to therefore, fall about them with your swords and butt-end of your Muskets, beat them down, drive them back, and make them pay what is justly due for their trea∣son and rebellion. It was no sooner said, than they fall to work, break in upon the enemy, defeat them, rout them. Their Horse who expected Foot to come and line them, seeing them all run away, ran faster than they: whom the Conquerours were not able to follow, much lesse to overtake, so they s••ap'd scot-free; but the Foot paid for all, few of which escaped the V••ctors hands. For having no other place to fly unto, but into the City, Montrose's men came in thronging amonst them through the gates and posterns, and laid them on heaps all over the streets. They fought four hours upon such equall tetmes, that it was an even lay whether had the odds. At this Battell Montrose had some great Guns, but they were unserviceable, because all advantages of ground were possessed by the enemy; but the enemies Guns made no small havock of his men. Among others, there was an Irishman that had his legge shot off with a Cannon bullet, only it hung

by a little skin; he seeing his fellow-souldiers some∣thing sad at his mischance, with a loud and cheerfull voyce cryes out, Come on, my Comerades, this is but the fortune of Warre, and neither you nor I have reason to be sorry for it. Doe you stand to it as becomes you, and as for me, I am sure my Lord marquesse, seeing I can no longer serve on foot, will mount me on horse-back: So drawing out his knife, being nothing altered nor troubled, he cut asunder the skin with his own hand, and gave his legge to one of his fellow-souldiers to bury. And truly when he was well again, and made a Trooper, he of∣ten did very faithfull and gallant service. This battell was fought at Aberdene on the twelfth day of September, 1644. Then Montrose calling his souldiers back to their Colours entered the City, and allowed them two dayes rest.