what seemed to have been so long forgot, and spoke, as I am told, to this effect:

My Lords,

THE temper of this house, with relation to your enquiry into the late intended invasion, since your address to her Majesty to have the papers laid before you, and since they have been upon your table, is so very visible, I need not take notice of it, but ought rather to ask forgiveness for myself, that I should dare so much as to mention that matter once more to your lordships; nor should I do it, were it not from an absolute necessity and justice, which I think is due to myself, and those lords who did me the honour to second the motion I made for addressing her Majesty for those papers; for to me it seems too much like fear or guilt, to sit down tamely, under any reflexion a man has in his power to wipe off, and there are some which we perhaps may hereafter be reproached with; one is, that these lords, who made you this motion, never so much as looked into the papers they called for, or have thought on, or mentioned that matter since. Perhaps they will say too, That they never intended it should come to any thing, that it was only a cover to hide some design they had under it; nay, I do not know but they may go so far as to say, that under hand they were trying how an act of grace would relish. Should such a thing, be offered, I know myself so innocent, as in our present circumstances, I should not give my consent to it, for I shall always think, that when horses are skittish, vicious, and head-strong, let whoso will be upon their back, it is fit they should never be without a good strong curb in their mouths. And as to these papers, my lords, I have looked into them, and those who have done so cannot, in my opinion, but think of them; but that your lordships may not have my word only for this, I will, with your lordship's leave, take notice of some particulars that are in them; and that you may be certain of the truth of what I observe, I beg your clerk may read for vouchers the papers themselves, as they shall be called for...

'It will not, I presume, be denied me, that upon the twenty-third of February, Mr. Boyle received certain intelligence, that the intended armament at Dunkirk was designed for Scotland; there had been several advices before of great preparations making, and by the great quantity of fire-arms it was judged to be for some land design. The States were apprehensive, and acquainted, her Majesty by their minister with it; and Scotland had been in several intelligences named, but I do not find there was a certain account till that of the twenty-third of February, to Mr. Boyle.

The Queen, in her letter of the twenty-fifth of February, to the council of Scotland, thinks it necessary to acquaint them with it, and that she does expect they should do their utmost for the protection of her subjects, and preservation of the publick peace; that nothing on her part should be wanting; that she has given orders that some of her troops in Flanders should be ready to imbark, in case the imbarkation at Dunkirk should go on: And that her troops in England and Ireland are so disposed as to give what assistance may be necessary; in the

mean time authorises and impowers them, the privy-council, to give such orders as were proper to put her forces, forts, and garrisons there, in the best order.

This then being allowed, the first question is, What number of forces, effective regular troops I mean, were in Scotland at this time, that is, the twenty-third or twenty-fifth of February, 1708? I cannot but observe to your Lordships that there has been a great deal of care taken to conceal this from us, although this very account was particularly asked for by your address; yet in all that great bundle, there is not one paper from whence we can learn the number: I was therefore forced to get the best light and intelligence I could elsewhere, and have very good authority for what I am going to say, and do affirm to your Lordships, that the regular forces in Scotland, upon the twenty-fifth of February, 1708, were not above 1500 men. If I am mistaken, I hope some Lord here will set me right, and take upon him to say what the real number was at that time.

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And since there were but 1500 men, it is certain that was not a number or strength that could be thought by any man sufficient to secure and protect the kingdom against the invasion that threatened it; and the ferment that was then in the nation was such, that I do not find they durst so much as trust their militia with their own defence. therefore in the next place to consider, what additional strength or augmentation this handful of men had, or what assistance, either from the forces from Ostend, or those from Ireland, or English troops from hence.

As to augmentations or additions, I find there was little or nothing done, as to that part. The parliament indeed had, on the twentieth of December, 1707, raised the establishment of the forces in Scotland from 2834 to 5932; but it appears by a letter from the Earl of Leven, to the Earl of Mar, of the seventh of March, that little notice had as yet been taken of what the parliament had done; for in that letter to the Earl of Mar, he intreats him again to mind the establishment, and let him know if he shall give encouragement to any who should be willing to take arms to join them; and says further, he hopes at least, that so much of the levy money, as is due since the Twenty-fourth of Decem ber, will be given now; for that would buy some horses, and levy some men: So that by this letter it appears there was no money given to levy men, or increase the forces in Scotland, though there were 3600 men wanting at that time, and had been so ever since the parliament had voted the establishment in December, and though our danger at that time, from the want of them, was so very great and evident, which seems very astonishing. Nor does it appear that any directions, or money for this or any other service, till the invasion was over, was ordered here till the twelfth of March; and then indeed, on the thirteenth, the Earl of Mar writes from hence, to the Earl of Leven, that my Lord Treasurer had ordered the people of the customs and excise to answer the Earl of Leven with money for provisions, and other necessary charges; and further says, That my Lord Marlborough told him that very morning, which was the thirteenth, that the Scotch establishment

would be ended that day; he knows not how they have made it, or if they have altered any thing that we had concerted with St. John, or if any thing be omitted; but he hoped they had not.

It is very true, her Majesty, in her second letter, of the Eighth of March, to the council of Scotland, recommends to them to give present directions to put her forts, garisons, and magazines there, in a good posture of defence; and says, That what shall be expended towards these ends, by their warrants, shall be repaid, for which she has already given orders. What those orders were, or to whom given, are not to be found among the papers; but it is very evident, that there was no order for one farthing of money, to answer either the orders of the council, or the Earl of Leven's necessary charges, out of any branch of the revenue, or otherwise; for in a letter of the Earl of Leven to the Earl of Mar, of the thirteenth of March, he has these words, which will likewise shew the condition of the nation, at that time:

My Lord, says he, I leave it to your Lordship, to consider my circumstances; here I am, not one farthing of money to provide provision, or for contingencies, or intelligence, none of the commissions yet sent down, few troops, and those almost naked. It vexes me sadly to think, I must retire towards Berwick, if the French land on this side the Firth; and, that you may not have his Lordship's single word for it, the Lord Advocate confirms very much the truth of this, in his letter of the eleventh of March, to the Earl of Mar; for after he had said, that he was ordered to lay before her Majesty the inclosed information, for the Castle of Edinburgh, and a particular account of what it wants, to put it in a case of defence; and also the Castles of Sterling, Dumbarton, and Blackness, to shew their present condition, and what great disorder and want they are in, and that he had formerly sent a memorial of Mr. Slezer's, for a train of artillery; all which he hopes will be considered :' He adds, I believe,' says he, there was never a country more destitute and defenceless, than we are, nor have we so much as a treasury, or any money for incident charges; so that I must again, by the council's order, lay these things before your Lordship, and that at least some order may be given, whereby necessary expences may be defrayed; and the Earl of Mar's letter of the thirteenth, from hence, is the first account, we have of any money, that was ordered for Scotland. By all which, it plainly appears, that notwithstanding the orders, the Queen mentions in her letter of the eighth of March, the council had not a shilling for necessary expences, on the eleventh, nay, not so much as one penny ordered, till the thirteenth; and as to the establishment, notwithstanding all the pressing instances, that was not settled till after the invasion, as appears by the Earl of Mar's letters, of the twelfth and thirteenth of March.

This, my Lords, is the true state, as appears from the papers themselves given in, relating to the force of that, I had almost said, deserted, but I may say defenceless nation; few men, and those almost naked; three thousand six hundred men wanting of the establishment voted by parliament, for the year 1707-8, near three months before; no levymoney, no establishment settled, no commissions sent down, not a shil,

ling ordered by the ministry, out of any branch of the revenue, or otherwise, to the Privy-council or Earl of Leven, for necessary expences, or to bring provisions, or for contingencies, or intelligence, and all this in a time of the utmost danger.

In the next place, I shall shew your Lordships, when Scotland was in this defenceless condition, what assistance they had from Ostend, England, and Ireland. As to the transports, that were to come from Ostend, though all the dispatch was made, that could be made, they did not arrive at Tinmouth-Bar, till ten days after the enemy were seen upon the Scotch coast; so that the dispute, if there had been any, would have been over, and the enemy, in all human probability, would have been masters both of Edinburgh, the castle, and all that was in it, before they could come up to their assistance. And the very orders to Baker is so extraordinary, a man cannot but take notice of it, for, after that he is required and directed to make the best of his way to TinmouthBar, with her Majesty's ships under his command, and the transport ships with troops, which he brought with him from Ostend, &c. there is a further order in these words, 'But in regard there are several dismounted troopers on board the transports, you are to send a vessel with them to Harwich, if you can conveniently, their horses being now in Essex; so that instead of taking the horses to Tinmouth, the dismounted troopers are first to be sent to Harwich, to their horses, and from thence to proceed to Scotland, which, one would think, were a very round-about way.

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And as to our troops from hence, which were to assist them, the several regiments of horse-dragoons and foot had not their orders to hold themselves in a readiness to march till the eleventh of March. next day, orders were given for them to augment, and on the fourteenth, they were ordered to march northward; which was certainly too long a delay, considering what a march it is from hence to Edinburgh; yet this was all the readiness they were in, to assist them.

But there is one thing which is most amazing, and I must again de sire, if I am wrong in fact, that some lord here, who I am sure can, will set me right.

The Queen, as I shewed to your Lordships, in her letter of the eighth of March, which your clerk just now read, told the council of Scotland, Our troops from Ireland, which we mentioned in our last, are ready to imbarque in transport ships, provided in those places, with all necessaries for that service; and yet it does appear plainly, That there were no transports provided at that time here, nor were any transport ships ordered in Ireland; nay, the very orders to provide transports were not given by my Lord Sunderland, till the twelfth of March here, nor by my Lord Lieutenant for Ireland, for the troops to be in a readiness to be transported, till the thirteenth; and then my Lord Sunderland sends an order to the commissioners of transports, telling them, That it is her majesty's pleasure, that they forthwith take up shipping, for the transportation of six hundred horse, that are to imbarque at the White-house between Carrickfergus and Belfast, and it is left, says he, to your discretion, to hire these ships, either at Whitehaven,

Liverpool, or Chester, as you can do it, with most expedition and con veniency; and, upon the thirteenth, his lordship sends another letter' acquainting them, that they are to provide a board those ships hay and oats sufficient to serve six-hundred horse for a fortnight, and as many water-casks, as may be necessary to carry water, particulars that were, it seems, forgot in the first orders; and in an extract of the Earl of Pembroke's letter to the Lords Justices of Ireland, of the thirteenth, he tells them, I do not in the least doubt, but that your lordships will issue proper orders for one regiment of horse, and two of dragoons, to be provided with necessaries ready to imbarque, whenever there shall be occasion for them; and it is her Majesty's opinion, that the regiments. under the command of Lieutenant-General Langston, Major-General Ecclyn, and Lord Tunbridge, should be on this service; and I am of opinion, that it will be for the service of the Queen, to have these three regiments move with all convenient speed, and take their quarters in and about Belfast and Carrickfergus, that they may be in a readiness to imbarque: I desire your lordships to give directions to the proper officers, to provide and get ready hay, oats, and water, for at least a fortnight.

And here, if we consider, that these letters were dated the twelfth and thirteenth of March from hence, that they were to go to the commissioners of transports here, and to the lords justices in Ireland; that after these transports were to be agreed for, and hay, oats, and water to be provided, and the three regiments to be ordered to march, what time all this would take up: It seems very evident, that her Majesty was not truly acquainted with the danger she was in; that she thought these things were in a readiness, which were not; and that the orders she had given had not been observed, as she concluded, they were; and in the last place, that these three regiments must arrive in Scotland, very late.

But there is one thing more so very new, and without precedent, that it cannot but be very astonishing, which is, that in the Earl of Leven's instructions, of the fourth of March, in that part where he is ordered to Ireland, for assistance, there is a blank left, as to the person to whom he is to write, the words are these. You are, upon the first appearance of any squadron of French ships upon the coast, to send to Ireland to

to advertise him thereof, whoh as orders to send troops to your assistance;' and yet, as was just now proved both from Lord Sunderland's letter to the commissioners of transports, and from my lord lieutenant's to the lords justices, there was not so much as orders given, for any transports here, till the twelfth, nor any ever in Ireland, nor were the three regiments directed to move, in order to imbarquing, till the thirteenth. I confess, when I read this, I thought it was a mistake of the transcriber, till I saw these words in the Earl of Leven's own letter, of the 7th of March, to the Earl of Mar: 'I desire you, says the Earl of Leven, to send down the name of the person I am to write to in Ireland, if there be occasion; and must still intreat your lordship, that orders be sent for some horses and dragoons to imbarque.' And again, in his letter of the 13th, where he has these words to the Earl of Mar, he repeats

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