To slay and spare not was their watchword; but whom
they were to slay, or what was to be gained or done when the slaying was
accomplished, no two men among them were agreed. For the moment the
current of their fury seems to have set most strongly against the
Indulgence and those who had accepted its terms. A single instance will
show pretty clearly the state of insubordination into which those
unhappy men had fallen. It was announced that one Rae, a favourite
expounder on the moderate side, was about to preach on a certain day in
camp. Hamilton, who still retained the nominal command, sent him a
letter bidding him not spare the Indulgence. To this Rae, who does not
seem himself to have been in any position of authority, made answer that
Hamilton had better mind what belonged to him, and not go beyond his
sphere and station.[31] It would not be difficult to draw a parallel
between the condition of the Covenanting camp at that time and the
so-called Irish Party of our own time. Indeed, if any body will be at
the trouble to examine the contemporary accounts of Hamilton and his
followers, and particularly their language, much of which has been
faithfully chronicled by their admirers, they will be surprised to find
how closely the parallel may be pushed.
Meanwhile, on the other side preparations went briskly forward.
Pages:
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106