A Legend of Montrose Read online

  CHAPTER III.

  For pleas of right let statesmen vex their head, Battle's my business, and my guerdon bread; And, with the sworded Switzer, I can say, The best of causes is the best of pay.--DONNE.

  The difficulty and narrowness of the road had by this time become suchas to interrupt the conversation of the travellers, and Lord Menteith,reining back his horse, held a moment's private conversation with hisdomestics. The Captain, who now led the van of the party, after abouta quarter of a mile's slow and toilsome advance up a broken and ruggedascent, emerged into an upland valley, to which a mountain stream actedas a drain, and afforded sufficient room upon its greensward banks forthe travellers to pursue their journey in a more social manner.

  Lord Menteith accordingly resumed the conversation, which had beeninterrupted by the difficulties of the way. "I should have thought,"said he to Captain Dalgetty, "that a cavalier of your honourable mark,who hath so long followed the valiant King of Sweden, and entertainssuch a suitable contempt for the base mechanical States of Holland,would not have hesitated to embrace the cause of King Charles, inpreference to that of the low-born, roundheaded, canting knaves, who arein rebellion against his authority?"

  "Ye speak reasonably, my lord," said Dalgetty, "and, CAETERIS PARIBUS,I might be induced to see the matter in the same light. But, my lord,there is a southern proverb, fine words butter no parsnips. I have heardenough since I came here, to satisfy me that a cavalier of honour isfree to take any part in this civil embroilment whilk he may findmost convenient for his own peculiar. Loyalty is your pass-word,my lord--Liberty, roars another chield from the other side ofthe strath--the King, shouts one war-cry--the Parliament, roarsanother--Montrose, for ever, cries Donald, waving his bonnet--Argyleand Leven, cries a south-country Saunders, vapouring with his hatand feather. Fight for the bishops, says a priest, with his gown androchet--Stand stout for the Kirk, cries a minister, in a Geneva cap andband.--Good watchwords all--excellent watchwords. Whilk cause is thebest I cannot say. But sure am I, that I have fought knee-deep in bloodmany a day for one that was ten degrees worse than the worst of themall."

  "And pray, Captain Dalgetty," said his lordship, "since the pretensionsof both parties seem to you so equal, will you please to inform us bywhat circumstances your preference will be determined?"

  "Simply upon two considerations, my lord," answered the soldier."Being, first, on which side my services would be in most honourablerequest;--And, secondly, whilk is a corollary of the first, by whilkparty they are likely to be most gratefully requited. And, to dealplainly with you, my lord, my opinion at present doth on both pointsrather incline to the side of the Parliament."

  "Your reasons, if you please," said Lord Menteith, "and perhaps I may beable to meet them with some others which are more powerful."

  "Sir, I shall be amenable to reason," said Captain Dalgetty, "supposingit addresses itself to my honour and my interest. Well, then, my lord,here is a sort of Highland host assembled, or expected to assemble, inthese wild hills, in the King's behalf. Now, sir, you know the nature ofour Highlanders. I will not deny them to be a people stout in bodyand valiant in heart, and courageous enough in their own wild way offighting, which is as remote from the usages and discipline of war asever was that of the ancient Scythians, or of the salvage Indians ofAmerica that now is, They havena sae mickle as a German whistle, or adrum, to beat a march, an alarm, a charge, a retreat, a reveille, or thetattoo, or any other point of war; and their damnable skirlin' pipes,whilk they themselves pretend to understand, are unintelligible to theears of any cavaliero accustomed to civilised warfare. So that, were Iundertaking to discipline such a breechless mob, it were impossible forme to be understood; and if I were understood, judge ye, my lord, whatchance I had of being obeyed among a band of half salvages, who areaccustomed to pay to their own lairds and chiefs, allenarly, thatrespect and obedience whilk ought to be paid to commissionate officers.If I were teaching them to form battalia by extracting the square root,that is, by forming your square battalion of equal number of men of rankand file, corresponding to the square root of the full number present,what return could I expect for communicating this golden secret ofmilitary tactic, except it may be a dirk in my wame, on placing someM'Alister More M'Shemei or Capperfae, in the flank or rear, when heclaimed to be in the van?--Truly, well saith holy writ, 'if ye castpearls before swine, they will turn again and rend ye.'"

  "I believe, Anderson," said Lord Menteith, looking back to one ofhis servants, for both were close behind him, "you can assure thisgentleman, we shall have more occasion for experienced officers, and bemore disposed to profit by their instructions, than he seems to be awareof."

  "With your honour's permission," said Anderson, respectfully raising hiscap, "when we are joined by the Irish infantry, who are expected, andwho should be landed in the West Highlands before now, we shall haveneed of good soldiers to discipline our levies."

  "And I should like well--very well, to be employed in such service,"said Dalgetty; "the Irish are pretty fellows--very pretty fellows--Idesire to see none better in the field. I once saw a brigade of Irish,at the taking of Frankfort upon the Oder, stand to it with sword andpike until they beat off the blue and yellow Swedish brigades, esteemedas stout as any that fought under the immortal Gustavus. And althoughstout Hepburn, valiant Lumsdale, courageous Monroe, with myself andother cavaliers, made entry elsewhere at point of pike, yet, had we allmet with such opposition, we had returned with great loss and littleprofit. Wherefore these valiant Irishes, being all put to the sword,as is usual in such cases, did nevertheless gain immortal praise andhonour; so that, for their sakes, I have always loved and honoured thoseof that nation next to my own country of Scotland."

  "A command of Irish," said Menteith, "I think I could almost promiseyou, should you be disposed to embrace the royal cause."

  "And yet," said Captain Dalgetty, "my second and greatest difficultyremains behind; for, although I hold it a mean and sordid thing for asoldado to have nothing in his mouth but pay and gelt, like the basecullions, the German lanz-knechts, whom I mentioned before; and althoughI will maintain it with my sword, that honour is to be preferred beforepay, free quarters, and arrears, yet, EX CONTRARIO, a soldier's paybeing the counterpart of his engagement of service, it becomes a wiseand considerate cavalier to consider what remuneration he is to receivefor his service, and from what funds it is to be paid. And truly,my lord, from what I can see and hear, the Convention are thepurse-masters. The Highlanders, indeed, may be kept in humour, byallowing them to steal cattle; and for the Irishes, your lordship andyour noble associates may, according to the practice of the wars insuch cases, pay them as seldom or as little as may suit your pleasure orconvenience; but the same mode of treatment doth not apply to a cavalierlike me, who must keep up his horses, servants, arms, and equipage, andwho neither can, nor will, go to warfare upon his own charges."

  Anderson, the domestic who had before spoken now respectfully addressedhis master.--"I think, my lord," he said, "that, under your lordship'sfavour, I could say something to remove Captain Dalgetty's secondobjection also. He asks us where we are to collect our pay; now, in mypoor mind, the resources are as open to us as to the Covenanters. Theytax the country according to their pleasure, and dilapidate the estatesof the King's friends; now, were we once in the Lowlands, with ourHighlanders and our Irish at our backs, and our swords in our hands,we can find many a fat traitor, whose ill-gotten wealth shall fill ourmilitary chest and satisfy our soldiery. Besides, confiscations willfall in thick; and, in giving donations of forfeited lands to everyadventurous cavalier who joins his standard, the King will at oncereward his friends and punish his enemies. In short, he that joins theseRoundhead dogs may get some miserable pittance of pay--he that joins ourstandard has a chance to be knight, lord, or earl, if luck serve him."

  "Have you ever served, my good friend?" said the Captain to thespokesman.

  "A little, sir, in these our domestic quarrels," answered the man,modes
tly.

  "But never in Germany or the Low Countries?" said Dalgetty.

  "I never had the honour," answered Anderson.

  "I profess," said Dalgetty, addressing Lord Menteith, "your lordship'sservant has a sensible, natural, pretty idea of military matters;somewhat irregular, though, and smells a little too much of selling thebear's skin before he has hunted him.--I will take the matter, however,into my consideration."

  "Do so, Captain," said Lord Menteith; "you will have the night to thinkof it, for we are now near the house, where I hope to ensure you ahospitable reception."

  "And that is what will be very welcome," said the Captain, "for I havetasted no food since daybreak but a farl of oatcake, which I dividedwith my horse. So I have been fain to draw my sword-belt three borestighter for very extenuation, lest hunger and heavy iron should make thegird slip."