whose very name had long been a terror to them. Their success seemed even to
have upon their spirits the effect of a sudden and violent surprise, so much had
their taking up arms been a measure of desperation rather than of hope. Their
meeting was also casual and they had hastily arranged themselves under such
commanders as were remarkable for zeal and courage, without much respect to any
other qualities. It followed, from this state of disorganisation, that the whole
army appeared at once to resolve itself into a general committee for considering
what steps were to be taken in consequence of their success, and no opinion
could be started so wild that it had not some favourers and advocates. Some
proposed they should march to Glasgow, some to Hamilton, some to Edinburgh, some
to London. Some were for sending a deputation of their number to London to
convert Charles II. to a sense of the error of his ways; and others, less
charitable, proposed either to call a new successor to the crown, or to declare
Scotland a free republic. A free parliament of the nation, and a free assembly
of the Kirk, were the objects of the more sensible and moderate of the party. In
the meanwhile, a clamour arose among the soldiers for bread and other
necessaries, and while all complained of hardship and hunger, none took the
necessary measures to procure supplies. In short, the camp of the Covenanters,
even in the very moment of success, seemed about to dissolve like a rope of
sand, from want of the original principles of combination and union.
    Burley, who had now returned from the pursuit, found his followers in this
distracted state. With the ready talent of one accustomed to encounter
exigencies, he proposed that one hundred of the freshest men should be drawn out
for duty - that a small number of those who had hitherto acted as leaders,
should constitute a committee of direction until officers should be regularly
chosen - and that, to crown the victory, Gabriel Kettledrummle should be called
upon to improve the providential success which they had obtained, by a word in
season addressed to the army. He reckoned very much, and not without reason, on
this last expedient, as a means of engaging the attention of the bulk of the
insurgents, while he himself, and two or three of their leaders, held a private
council of war, undisturbed by the discordant opinions, or senseless clamour, of
the general body.
    Kettledrummle more than answered the expectations of Burley. Two mortal
hours did he preach at a breathing; and certainly no lungs, or doctrine,
excepting his own,