--In serving France I served Scotland. The French were the
natural allies to the Scotch, and by supporting their Crown I enabled my
countrymen to maintain their independence against the English.

_Argyle_.--The French, indeed, from the unhappy state of our country,
were ancient allies to the Scotch, but that they ever were our natural
allies I deny. Their alliance was proper and necessary for us, because
we were then in an unnatural state, disunited from England. While that
disunion continued, our monarchy was compelled to lean upon France for
assistance and support. The French power and policy kept us, I
acknowledge, independent of the English, but dependent on them; and this
dependence exposed us to many grievous calamities by drawing on our
country the formidable arms of the English whenever it happened that the
French and they had a quarrel. The succours they afforded us were
distant and uncertain. Our enemy was at hand, superior to us in
strength, though not in valour. Our borders were ravaged; our kings were
slain or led captive; we lost all the advantage of being the inhabitants
of a great island; we had no commerce, no peace, no security, no degree
of maritime power. Scotland was a back-door through which the French,
with our help, made their inroads into England; if they conquered, we
obtained little benefit from it; but if they were defeated, we were
always the devoted victims on whom the conquerors severely wreaked their
resentment.

_Douglas_.--The English suffered as much in those wars as we. How
terribly were their borders laid waste and depopulated by our sharp
incursions! How often have the swords of my ancestors been stained with
the best blood of that nation! Were not our victories at Bannockburn and
at Otterburn as glorious as any that, with all the advantage of numbers,
they have ever obtained over us?

_Argyle_.--They were; but yet they did us no lasting good. They left us
still dependent on the protection of France. They left us a poor, a
feeble, a distressed, though a most valiant nation. They irritated
England, but could not subdue it, nor hinder our feeling such effects of
its enmity as gave us no reason to rejoice in our triumphs. How much
more happily, in the auspicious reign of that queen who formed the Union,
was my sword employed in humbling the foes of Great Britain! With how
superior a dignity did I appear in the combined British senate,
maintaining the interests of the