[41]
All these bargains were in time brought to a successful issue.
Claverhouse was in England from the beginning of March to the middle of
May. He was with the Court at Newmarket, Windsor, and London, always in
high favour, but at the former place finding the King more eager for his
company at the cockpit and race-course than in the council-chamber.[42]
Early in May he returned to Scotland, and shortly after his return he
took his seat at Edinburgh as a Privy Councillor. This was his present
reward: Dudhope and the Constabulary were to follow later, with
Queensberry's and Huntly's dukedoms and the other honours. But Dudhope
was not destined to drop into his lap. The Chancellor, whom he counted
as his particular friend, had played him false. Lauderdale's fine had
been reduced by Charles from seventy thousand pounds to twenty thousand,
sixteen thousand of which were granted to the Chancellor and four
thousand to Claverhouse. But should Lauderdale and his son agree to
assign to the Chancellor under an unburdened title the lands and
lordship of Dundee and Dudhope, then the whole sum was to be remitted,
Lauderdale binding himself to discharge the fines inflicted on his
subordinates. Power was also given to Claverhouse to redeem this
property from the Chancellor at twenty years' purchase; and it seems
also to have been privately agreed between them that the purchase-money
was not to be exacted, on condition of the former buying certain other
lands in the neighbourhood that the latter wished to dispose of.
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