In Scotland the spirit of disaffection equally prevailed among the superior officers; but their attention was averted from political feuds by military operations.  In the preceding years, under the appearance of general tranquillity, the embers of war had continued to smoulder in the Highlands:  they burst into a flame on the departure of Monk to take the command of the

[Footnote 1:  Thurloe, ii. 149, 150, 162, 214.]

English fleet.  To Charles in France, and his partisans in Scotland, it seemed a favourable moment; the earls of Glencairn and Balcarras, were successively joined by Angus, Montrose, Athol, Seaforth, Kenmure, and Lorne, the son of Argyle; and Wogan, an enterprising officer, landing at Dover,[a] raised a troop of royalists in London, and traversing England under the colours of the commonwealth, reached in safety the quarters of his Scottish friends.  The number of the royalists amounted to some thousands:  the nature of the country and the affections of the natives were in their favour; and their spirits were supported by the repeated, but fallacious, intelligence of the speedy arrival of Charles himself at the head of a considerable force.  A petty, but most destructive, warfare ensued.  Robert Lilburne, the English commander, ravaged the lands of all who favoured the royalists; the royalists, those of all who remained neuter, or aided their enemies.  But in a short time, personal feuds distracted the councils of the insurgents; and, as the right of Glencairn to the chief command was disputed, Middleton arrived[b] with a royal commission, which all were required to obey.  To Middleton the protector opposed Monk.[c] It was the policy of the former to avoid a battle, and exhaust the strength of his adversary by marches and counter-marches in a mountainous country, without the convenience of roads or quarters; but in an attempt to elude his pursuer, Middleton was surprised[d] at Loch Garry by the force under Morgan; his men, embarrassed in the defile, were slain or made prisoners; and his loss taught the royalist leaders to deserve mercy by the promptitude of their submission.  The Earl of Tullibardine set the example;[e] Glencairn followed; they were imitated by their associates;

[Sidenote a:  A.D. 1653.  Nov. 22.] [Sidenote b:  A.D. 1654.  Feb. 1.] [Sidenote c:  A.D. 1654.  April 8.] [Sidenote d:  A.D. 1654.  July 19.] [Sidenote e:  A.D. 1654.  August 24.]

and the lenity of Monk contributed as much as the fortune of war to the total suppression of the insurgents.[1] Cromwell, however, did not wait for the issue of the contest.  Before Monk had joined the army, he published[a] three ordinances, by which, of his supreme authority, he incorporated Scotland with England, absolved the natives from their allegiance to Charles Stuart, abolished the kingly office and the Scottish parliament, with all tenures and superiorities importing servitude and vassalage, erected courts-baron to supply the place