Nigel Tranter - Young Montrose

THE YOUNG MONTROSE

JamesGraham, the great Marquis of Montrose, is one of the noblest figuresof history, a brilliant leader of men, a world-acclaimed strategist,a talented moderate in a bigoted age, a man of as great probity as ofcharm and the loyalist of the loyal - yet, a strangely modest man atheart. And by no means a plaster saint, by any count. If Charles theFirst had had even one other servant of the stature of Montrose,probably British History would have been very different. But one manalone could not alter all, when intolerance, despotism, folly andweakness held the stage -even though James Graham tried hard, andalmost succeeded.

Inthis novel Nigel Tranter takes the fascinating, gallant, yetdesperate story of this man from the initial snub he received fromthe monarch he was to devote his life to serve, to the detriment ofhis own marriage, well-being and peace of mind, through all thereluctant involvement in national affairs, through intrigue,violence, treachery, to battle, more battle, and eventualnear-triumph. But expensive triumph, for James Graham and those heloved, with all Scotland almost in his grasp and his hated enemy,Archibald Campbell, Marquis of Argyll, defeated and discredited, andEngland and Oliver Cromwell next on the list. But that was toreckon without Fate ...

TheYoung Montrose

NigelTranter

CORONETBOOKS Hodder and Stoughton Copyright 1972 by Nigel Tranter

Firstpublished in Great Britain in 1972 by Hodder and Stoughton Limited

FirstCoronet edition 1972 Fifth impression 1992

Theright of Nigel Tranter to be identified as the author of this workhas been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designsand Patents Act 1988.

Thisbook is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way oftrade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, hired out or otherwisecirculated without the publisher's prior consent in any form ofbinding or cover other than that in which it is published andwithout a similar condition including this condition being imposed onthe subsequent purchaser.

Nopart of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any formor by any means, electronic or mechanical, includingphotocopying, recording or any information storage or retrievalsystem, without either the prior permission in writing from thepublisher or a licence, permitting restricted copying. In the UnitedKingdom such licences are issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency,90 Tottenham Court Road. London W1P SHE.

ISBN0-340-16213-5

Printedand bound in Great Britain for Hodder and Stoughton Paperbacks,a division of Hodder and Stoughton Limited, Mill Road. Dunton Green,Sevenoaks, Kent TN13 2YA (Editorial Office: 47 Bedford Square, LondonWC1B 3DP) by Clays Ltd., St Ives plc. THE YOUNGMONTROSE

PRINCIPALCHARACTERS

InOrder of Appearance

jamesgraham, fifth earl of montrose: twenty-thirdchief of the Grahams, aged twenty-four. An Greumach M or .

johngraham, lord kilpont :son of the first Earl of Airth (or eighteenth Earl of Menteith).

kingcharles the first

james,third marquis of hamilton: chiefof the Hamiltons, later first Duke.

williamhamilton, earl of lanark: brotherto above.

williamlaud :Archbishop of Canterbury.

archiualdnapier, first lord napier of merchiston: Scotsstatesman, brother-in-law of Montrose.

john,lord graham: eldestson of Montrose.

james,lord carnegie :son or theEarl of Southesk, brother-in-law of Montrose.

davidcarnegie. first earl of southesk: father-in-lawof Montrose.

ladymagdalen carnegie, countess of montrose

Jamesgraham :second son of Montrose,

P atrickgraham, younger of inchbrakie :known as Black Pate, friend and kinsman of Montrose.

JohnLeslie, sixth earl of rothes :Scots statesman and Covenant leader,

rev.alexander henderson: Ministerof Leuchars and Covenant leader,

sirthomas hope of craighall :Lord Advocate,

archibald J ohnstonofwarriston :Advocate and Covenant leader, later Lord Warriston.

johncampbell, first earl of loudoun: Covenantleader, later Chancellor of Scotland.

rev.andrew cant :Minister of Pitsligo, leading Scots divine.

rev,david dickson :Minister of Irvine, leading Scots divine.

georgegordon. second marquis of huntly: chiefof Clan Gordon.

jamesgordon, viscount aboyne: secondson of above.

lordlewis gordon: thirdson of Huntly.

george,lordcordon: eldestson of Hunlly.

archibaldcambell. eighth earl of argyll: MacCailean M or , chiefof Clan Campbell, later first Marquis. alexanderleslie: Field-Marshal,later first Earl of Leven.

robertarnot, or balfour.second lord balfour of burleigh: Scotsstatesman and general.

queenhenrietta maria: wifeof King Charles. princerupert of the r hine: nephewof King Charles,Royalist commander.

princemaurice of bohemia: brotherof above, Royalist general.

sirwilliam rollo : sonof Laird of Duncrub, lieutenant of Montrose.

alastairmacdonald, younger of colonsay : nicknamedColkitto, commander of lrish gallowglasses.

daviddrummond. master of madderty: heirof Lord Madderly, brother-in-law of Montrose.

jamesogilv y, first earlof airie : chiefof Ogilvys and staunch kingsman.

sir David ogilvy: sonof Airlie.

sirthomas ogilvy: sonof Airlie.

colonelnathaniel gordon: soldierof fortune.

colonelmagnus ocahan: Irishlieutenant of Colkitto.

williamkeith, seventh earl marischal: chiefof Keiths and Covenant commander.

johnmac donald of moidart, captain of clanranald: greatHighland chief.

alancameron of locheil, captain of clan cameron: greatHighland chief.

ianlom macdonald: theBard of Keppoch.

PARTONE

JamesGraham stood, tapping The toeof his high-heeled silkenshoe on the waxed floor, and eyed his fellow men and women with scantapproval. He was not aware that this showed rather plainly - orindeed, at all - on his handsome features; nor even that impatiencewas evident in his toe-tapping. For he was a young man of principleas well as of determined courtesy, and desired to offend none, exceptperhaps in chivalrous fashion and in a suitable cause. But thesepeople were, in the main, deplorable to a man of any sensibility,women as well as men, unfortunately. James Graham approved of women,normally.

Thatthere were not a few Scots amongst the posturing, painted, scented,chattering crew, was probably half the trouble. James Graham wasphilosophically and broad-mindedly prepared to find the Englishcourtier more or less like this - just as he had made thoughtfulallowances for the inanities and perversions of Paris, Seville,Venice, Padua, Florence, and even the Papal Court at Rome, from whichhe had just come; but to see Scots like John Maitland, Master ofLauderdale, with rouged cheeks and painted lips; Patrick Leslie, LordLindores, simpering and ogling behind upraised scented gloves; andthe handsome Elizabeth Murray, though she could be no more thansixteen, not only with her gown cut so low that her breasts escapedwhenever she stooped or bowed which she did with markedregularity - but chose to find her garters in constant need ofadjustment, with consequent extra stooping and disarray; allthis was unedifying. The last might be all very well, indeed perhapscommendable, in private. But not in public, not in the Palace ofWhitehall, surely. Here it seemed not only a betrayal of soundPresbyterian Scotland, but in the worst of taste. Not that thethronging, overdressed crowd found it so, most evidently, since allwere of a similar pattern. As though determined to demonstrate thatthe wretched Puritans had no place here. Yet the King was a sober andreligious man, much more godly than was James Graham - and Scots-bornat that That he should tolerate this sort of behaviour at his Courtwas scarcely believable. His flighty little French wife, of course,was otherwise, they said - and the doting Charles denied her nothing.No doubt this was Henrietta Maria's doing.