constantly pressed Charles to allow him to make a diversion in Scotland. Hamilton’s impracticable policy of keeping Scotland neutral for long stood in the way of Charles’s consent. But in 1644, when a Scottish army entered England to take part against the king, Montrose, now created a marquess, was at last allowed to try what he could do. He set out to invade Scotland with about 1000 men. But his followers deserted, and his condition appeared hopeless. Disguised as a groom, he started on the 18th of August with only two gentlemen to make his way to the Highlands. Highlanders had never before been known to combine together, but Montrose knew that most of the clans detested Argyll, and the clans rallied to his summons. About 2000 disciplined Irish soldiers had crossed the sea to assist him. In two campaigns, distinguished by rapidity of movement, he met and defeated his opponents in six battles. At Tippermuir and Aberdeen he routed Covenanting levies; at Inverlochy he crushed the Campbells, at Auldearn, Alford and Kilsyth his victories were obtained over well-led and disciplined armies. At Dundee he extricated his army from the greatest peril, and actually called his men off from the sack that had begun–a feat beyond the power of any other general in Europe. The fiery enthusiasm of the Gordons and other clans often carried the day, but Montrose relied more upon the disciplined infantry which had followed Alastair Macdonald from Ireland. His strategy at Dundee and Inverlochy, his tactics at Aberdeen, Auldearn and Kilsyth furnished models of the military art, but above all his daring and constancy marked him out as the greatest soldier of the war, Cromwell alone excepted. His career of victory was crowned by the great battle of Kilsyth (Aug. 15, 1645). Now Montrose found himself apparently master of Scotland. In the name of the king, who now appointed him lord-lieutenant and captain-general of Scotland, he summoned a parliament to meet at Glasgow on the 20th of October, in which he no doubt hoped to reconcile loyal obedience to the king with the establishment of a non-political Presbyterian clergy. That parliament never met. Charles had been defeated at Naseby on the 14th of June, and Montrose must come to his help if there was to be still a king to proclaim. David Leslie, the best of the Scottish generals, was promptly despatched against Montrose to anticipate the invasion. On the 12th of September he came upon Montrose, deserted by his Highlanders and guarded only by a little group of followers, at Philiphaugh. He won an easy victory. Montrose cut his way through to the Highlands; but he failed to organize an army. In September 1646 he embarked for Norway.
Montrose was to appear once more on the stage of Scottish history. In June 1649, burning to revenge the death of the king, he was restored by the exile Charles II. to the now nominal lieutenancy of Scotland. Charles however did not scruple shortly afterwards to disavow his noblest supporter in order to become a king on terms dictated by Argyll and Argyll’s adherents. In March 1650 Montrose landed in the Orkneys to take the command of a small force which he had sent on before him. Crossing to the mainland, he tried in vain to raise the clans, and on the 27th of April he was surprised and routed at Carbiesdale in Ross-shire. After wandering for some time he was surrendered by Macleod of Assynt, to whose protection, in ignorance of Macleod’s political enmity, he had entrusted himself. He was brought a prisoner to Edinburgh, and on the 20th of May sentenced to death by the parliament. He was hanged on the 21st, with Wishart’s laudatory biography of him put round his neck. To the last he protested that he was a real Covenanter and a loyal subject.
The principal authorities for Montrose’s career are Wishart’s Res gestae, &c. (Amsterdam, 1647); Patrick Gordon’s Short Abridgment of Britane’s Distemper (Spalding Club); and the comprehensive work of Napier, Memorials of Montrose, is abundantly documented, containing Montrose’s poetry, in which is included his celebrated lyric “My dear and only love.”
MONTROSE, a royal, municipal, and police burgh and seaport of Forfarshire, Scotland. It is situated 3034 m. N.E. of Dundee by the North British railway and is also connected with the Caledonian railway company’s system by a branch to Dubton. Pop. (1901), 12,427. The town occupies a considerable area on a
sandy peninsula, and is bounded on the E. by the North Sea, on the N. by the North Esk, on the S. by the South Esk, and, on the W. by Montrose Basin, a large depression, about 7 m. in circuit.
The reclamation of the Basin has been attempted, but an
embankment constructed by Dutch dikers for this purpose
was demolished in a few hours by a storm. In the mouth
of the channel of the South Esk lies the island of Rossie,
or Inchbrayock (pop. 160), which in 1829 was connected with
the burgh by means of a suspension bridge 432 ft. long and by
a drawbridge with the south bank near the fishing village of
Ferryden (pop. 1330). The harbour lies between the suspension
bridge and the sea, and is provided with a wet dock. The links
form one of the best golf-courses in Scotland and are played over
by several clubs. Besides the staple industry of flax-spinning,
there are manufactures of linen, canvas, sheetings, starch, soap,
chemicals, rope and manures, while iron-founding, tanning and
brewing are also carried on. The fisheries are of very considerable
importance and the shipping is usually brisk. There is a
large trade, especially in timber (the chief import), mainly with
Baltic ports and Canada. The parish church is a plain structure,
but has a handsome steeple 200 ft. high. The principal buildings
include the town-hall, the academy on the links, dating from
1820, though its predecessor belonged to the 16th century; the
museum, Dorward’s house of refuge, erected in 1839; the
infirmary and the royal asylum at Sunnyside on the outskirts to
the north-west. Panmure barracks are not far from the wet
dock. In High Street are statues to Sir Robert Peel and Joseph
Hume. Montrose is governed by a provost, bailies and council,
and unites with Arbroath, Brechin, Forfar and Inverbervie (the
Montrose burghs) in returning one member to parliament, a
district group that was represented for many years by John
Morley. Montrose received its charter from David I., and was
made a royal burgh in 1352. It was destroyed by fire in 1244.
Here Edward I. accepted John Baliol’s surrender of the kingdom
on the 10th of July 1296. Sir James Douglas sailed from the
port in 1330 bound for the Holy Land with the heart of Robert
Bruce; and here, too, the Old Pretender embarked in 1716 for
France after the failure of his cause. In 1745 the town threw in
its lot with the Hanoverians, a fact which lent zest to the daring
capture of the “Hazard” sloop of war off Ferryden, by Captain
David Ferrier of Brechin, a thorough-going Jacobite.
MONT ST MICHEL, a rocky islet of western France, off the coast of the department of Manche, some 6 m. N. of Pontorson. Pop. (1906), 238. It forms a towering mass of granite about 3000 ft. in circumference and 165 ft. in height, rising near the
mouth of the Couesnon nearly a mile from the shore, to which it is united by a causeway. The fortress-abbey to which Mont St Michel owes its fame stands upon the more precipitous side of the islet towards the north and west, the sloping portion towards the east and south being occupied by
houses. A strong machicolated and turreted wall surrounds the rock, running along its base on the south, ascending halfway up the cliff on the north, on which side it stands close to the abbey wall, and again descending on the west. The northern and oldest portion of the ramparts dates from the 13th century; the single gateway by which they are pierced is on the south and is a good example of the military architecture of the 15th century. The single street of the island curves from the gateway up to the abbey, ending in flights of steps leading to the donjon or châtelet. It is bordered by old houses, among which is one built by Bertrand du Guesclin in 1366, and contains a parish church of the 15th century. The abbey itself consists of an assemblage of buildings in three storeys upon massive foundations around the church, the most important portion, the Merveille, extending to the north. The floor of the church, built partly on the rock, partly upon foundations, and, at the east end, over a crypt, is on a level with the uppermost storey of the monastic buildings. To the north of and below the apse lies the group of buildings known as the Belle-Chaise. It comprises the châtelet (15th century), a square entrance structure strengthened by flanking turrets and machicolation, the adjoining guard-room (13th century) with the salle
