CHARLES I.

217

The king received an account of this insur- chat.rection by a messenger, dispatched from the lv.north of Ireland. He immediately communicated I64 ‘*his intelligence to the Scottilh parliament. He ex-pected, that the mighty zeal, expressed by theScots for the protestant religion , would immedi-ately engage them to fly to its defence, whereit was so violently invaded: He hoped, thattheir horror against popery , a religion , whichnow appeared in its most horrible aspect, wouldsecond ail his exhortations: He had observedwith what alacrity they had twice run to arms,and assembled troops in opposition to the rightsof their sovereign: He saw with how muchgreater facility they could now collect forces,which had been very lately disbanded, and whichhad been so long inured to military discipline.

The cries of their affrighted and distressed brethrenin Ireland, he promised himself, would power-fully incite them to send over succours, whichcould arrive so quickly, and aid them with suchpromptitude in this uttermost distress. But thezeal of the Scots, as is usual among religioussects , was very feeble , when not stimulated eitherby faction or by interest. They now consideredthemselves entirely as a republic, and made noaccount of the authority of their prince, whichthey had utterly annihilated. Conceiving hopesfrom the present distresses of Ireland, they resolv-ed to make an advantageous bargain for the suc-cours, with which they should supply their neigh-bouring nation. And they cast their eye towards