[Sidenote: H.O. 55.]
A still more striking illustration of Lauder's political views is afforded
by his numerous observations on Argyll, who played so great a part in
public affairs during the period covered by the manuscripts until his
execution in 1685. Argyll was not a sympathetic figure to Lauder, but, as
usual, he does justice to his qualities, and recognises the tragedy of his
fate. On the day of his execution he notes, 'And so ended that great man,
with his family, at that time.' He had a more cordial personal admiration
for a very different statesman, Lauderdale, though he often disapproved of
his policy. At his death he writes, '24 of August, 1682, dyed John
Maitland, Duke of Lauderdale, the learnedest and powerfullest Minister of
State of his age, at Tunbridge Wells. Discontent and age were the
ingredients of his death, if his Dutchesse and Physitians be freed of it;
for she had abused him most grosely, and got all from him she could
expect.... The Duke of York was certainly most ungrate to Lauderdale; for
Lauderdale was the first who adventured in August 1679 to advise the King
to bring home the Duke of York from Flanders.'[23] Argyll he deemed to be
wanting in magnanimity. In 1671 he writes on the subject of a point in a
lawsuit being decided in Argyll's favour, 'This was my Lord President's
doing [Stair], he being my Lord Argyle's great confidant. It was admired by
all that he blushed not to make a reply upon his Father's forfaultor, and
whow he had committed many treasonable crimes before the discharge, and to
see him rather than tyne his cause, suffer his father rather to be
reproached and demeaned as a traitor of new again, by his own advocats,' So
fourteen years later he writes, 'Whatever was in Argile's first
transgression in glossing the Test (which appeared slender), yet God's
wonderfull judgements are visible, pleading a controversie against him and
his family, for the cruall oppression he used, not only to his father's,
but even to his oune creditors. It was remembered that he beat Mistris
Brisbane done his stairs for craving hir annuelrents, tho he would have
bestowed as much money on a staff or some like curiosity.' He was, however,
one of Argyll's counsel when he was prosecuted for taking the Test, with
the explanation 'that he conceived that this Test did not hinder nor bind
him up from endeavouring alterations to the better either in Church or
State.' Argyll, who had escaped, was sentenced to death in his absence,
attainted, and his estates forfeited. Lauder strongly disapproved of the
proceedings. He writes, 'There was a great outcry against the Criminal
Judges, their timorous dishonesty....' These words, 'consistent with my
loyalty, were judged taxative and restrictive, seeing his loyalty might be
below the standard of true loyalty, not five-penny fine, much less eleven-
penny,' ... 'The design was to low him, that he might never be the head of
a Protestant party, and to annex his jurisdiction to the Crown, and to
parcel out his lands; and tho' he was unworthily and unjustly dealt with
here, yet ought he to observe God's secret hand, punishing him for his
cruelty to his own and his father's creditors and vassals, sundry of whom
were starving.' Lauder speaks of 'that fatal Act of the Test.' He had no
favour for it, and he narrates with glee how 'the children of Heriot's
Hospitall, finding that the dog which keiped the yairds of that Hospitall
had a publick charge and office, they ordained him to take the Test, and
offered him the paper, but he, loving a bone rather than it, absolutely
refused it; then they rubbed it over with butter (which they called an
Explication of the Test in imitation of Argile), and he licked of the
butter, but did spite out the paper, for which they hold a jurie on him,
and in derision of the sentence against Argile, they found the dog guilty
of treason, and actually hanged him.'
[23] Sir George Mackenzie also, who criticises Lauderdale's proceedings
very freely, pays a fine tribute to one trait in his character,