The Waverley novels, by Sir Walter Scott, complete in 12 vol., printed from the latest English ed., embracing the author's last corrections, prefaces & notes.

OLD MORTALITY. 517
house and old jail were situated, with the determination to stand the assault
of the insurgents rather than to abandon the capital of the West of Scotland. The presbyterians made their attack in two bodies, one of which
penetrated into the city in the line of the College and Cathedral Church,
while the other marched up the Gallowgate, or principal access from the
south-east. Both divisions were led by men of resolution, and behaved with
great spirit. But the advantages of military skill and situation were too
great for their undisciplined valour.
Ross and Claverhouse had carefully disposed parties of their soldiers in
houses, at the heads of the streets, and in the entrances of closes, as they
are called, or lanes, besides those who were entrenched behind breast-works
which reached aceross the streets. The assailants found their ranks thinned
by a fire from invisible opponents, which they had no means of returning
with effect. It was in vain that Morton and other leaders exposed their
persons with the utmost gallantry, artd endeavoured to bring their antagonists to a close action; their followers shrunk from them in every direction.
And yet, though Henry Morton was one of the very last to retire, and
exerted himself in bringing up the rear, maintaining order in the retreat,
and checking every attempt which the enemy made to improve the advantage they had gained by the repulse, he had still the mortification to hear
many of those in his ranks muttering to each other, "that this came of
trusting to the latitudinarian boys; and that, had honest faithful Burley led
the attack, as he did that of the barricades of Tillietudlem, the issue would
have been as different as might be."
It was with burning resentment that Morton heard these reflections
thrown out by the very men who had soonest exhibited signs of discouragement. The unjust reproach, however, had the effect of firing his emulation,
and making him sensible that, engaged as he was in a perilous cause, it was
absolutely necessary that he should conquer or die.
"I have no retreat," he said to himself. "All shall allow -even Major
Bellenden-even Edith-that in courage, at least, the rebel Morton was not
inferior to his father."
The condition of the army after the repulse was so undisciplined, and in
such disorganization, that the leaders thought it prudent to draw off some
miles from the city to gain time for reducing them once more into such
order as they were capable of adopting. Recruits, in the meanwhile, came
fast in, more moved by the extreme hardships of their own condition, and
encouraged by the advantage obtained at Loudon-hill, than deterred by the
last unfortunate enterprise. Many of these attached themselves particularly to Morton's division. He had, however, the mortification to see that
his unpopularity among the more intolerant part of the Covenanters
increased rapidly. The prudence beyond his years, which he exhibited in
improving the discipline and arrangement of his followers, they termed a
trusting in the arm of flesh; and his avowed tolerance for those of religious
sentiments and observances different from his own, obtained him, most
unjustly, the nickname of Gallio, who cared for none of those things. What
was worse than these misconceptions, the mob of the insurgents, always
loudest in applause of those who push political or religious opinions to extremity, and disgusted with such as endeavour to reduce them to the yoke
of discipline, preferred avowedly the more zealous leaders, in whose ranks
enthusiasm in the cause supplied the want of good order and military subjection, to the restraints which Morton endeavoured to bring them under.
In short, while bearing the principal burden of command — (for his colleagues willingly relinquished in his favour everything that was troublesome
and obnoxious in the office of general)-Morton found himself without that
authority which alone could render his regulations effectual.*
* These feuds, which tore to pieces the little army of insurgents, turned merely on the point whether
the king's interest or royal authority was to be owned or not, and whether the party in arms were to be con2T