The Committee of Estates, which had resumed its sittings, did not like the job.  They called the deputation a private meeting of some protesting ministers, and clapped the leaders into prison.

A government had now been formed for Scotland.  Middleton was Lord High Commissioner, a soldier of fortune who had been raised to the peerage for the occasion.  He was also named commander-in-chief of the forces and governor of Edinburgh Castle.  With him were associated Glencairn as Lord Chancellor, Lauderdale as Secretary of State, Rothes as President of the Council, and Crawford as Lord Treasurer.  The first proceeding of this Parliament, known in the gossip of the time as the Drunken Parliament from the too frequent condition of its chiefs, was to pass a Rescissory Act, repealing all measures that had become law since the year 1633, including even those passed by the Parliament professing the authority of Charles himself.  This was followed by an Act “concerning religion and Church government,” in which, after some pious but vague protestations of the royal design to “encourage the exercise of religion both public and private, and to suppress all profaneness and disorderly walking,” it was promised that the administration by sessions, presbyteries, and synods would not for the present be interfered with.  That present, however, soon passed.  On May 27th, two days before the anniversary of the Restoration of the Monarchy, the Act for the Restoration of Episcopacy was made law.  A previous Act had ordained May 29th to be kept holy; and the opposition taken to this by those who objected to all holidays as idolatrous had in turn produced a measure which practically marks the beginning of that system of vague bullying, as Dr. Burton has happily called it, which was in no long time to pass into a persecution anything but vague.  On December 15th, in Westminster Abbey, Sharp was consecrated Primate of Scotland, and at the same time Fairfoul was raised to the see of Glasgow, Hamilton to the see of Galloway, and the good and gentle Leighton to the see of Dunblane.

Meanwhile the English Parliament had by its Navigation Act crushed for the time the short-lived hopes of Scottish commerce, and was now busy with an Act of Indemnity.  This had been practically one of the conditions of the Restoration, but Scotland had not been included in the bargain.  Argyle was the first to suffer from the omission.  He had gone up to London to pay his court to the new King, but had been refused an audience.  He was arrested, and, after a short sojourn in the Tower, sent back to Edinburgh to stand his trial for high treason before the Estates.  He was found guilty and beheaded in the High Street on May 27th, 1661, two days after the anniversary of the more shameful death which he had helped to bring upon Montrose.  As he had been expressly pardoned during the King’s short reign in Scotland for all acts committed by him against the Crown up to the year 1657, and as his accusers