78 HISTORY OF GREAT BRITAIN.

chap, Argyle, though he long seemed to temporize,liii. had, at last, embraced the covenant; and he1639. became the chief leader of that party: A manequally supple and inflexible, cautious and deter-mined , and entirely qualified to make a figureduring a factious and turbulent period. The earlsof Rothes, Caflilis , Montrose, Lothian, the lordsLindesey, London, Yester, Balmerino, distin-guished themselves in that party. Many Scotchofficers had acquired reputation in the GermanWar. wars , particularly under Gustavus ; and thesewere invited over to aflist their country in herpresent necestity. The command was intrusted toLesley , a soldier of experience and abilities.Forces were regularly inlisted and disciplined.Arms were commissioned and imported fromforeign countries. A few castles, which belongedto the king , being unprovided with victuals,ammunition , and garrisons , were soon seized.And the whole country , except a small part ,where the marquis of Huntley still adhered to theking, being in the hands of the covenanters,was, in a very little time, put in a tolerableposture of defence

The fortifications of Lei th were begun andcarried on with great rapidity. Besides the inferiorfort, and those who labored for pay, incrediblenumbers of volunteers, even noblemen and gen-tlemen, put their hand to the work, and deemedthe most abject employment to be dignified by

a

May, p. 49.