THE

BRITISH PLUTARCH.

THE LIFE OF

JOHN DALRYMPLE.

S

OHN DALRYMPLE, earl of Stair, the eldest fon of John, viscount, afterwards earl, of Stair, by the lady Elizabeth Dundafs, daughter to Sir John Dundafs of Newlifton, was born upon the twen tieth of July, 1673; and, even while an infant, difcovered fuch charms as prognofticated his future greatnefs. He muftered up a regiment of young boys of his own age, denomi nating them after his own name; and it was furprising to obferve, in how short a time they were enabled to go through the feveral evolutions of the military exercife, while their alaVOL. XII.

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crity,

crity, when under the eye of their great commander, gave a fure prelude of that fuperior greatnefs of foul which afterwards appeared in him, and procured him both the confidence of his king and admiration of his country. Like another Cyrus, he difcouraged every thing that was daftardly and unbecoming in the young gentlemen of his own age; and, with the ut moft addrefs, encouraged what was manly, becoming, and virtuous in them.

Scarce was he arrived at the age of ten years, when he made the moft furprising progrefs in the Greek and Latin tongues; and, being well acquainted with thefe, the French. became eafy to him. He was trained up by a governor for fome years, and then put to the college of Edinburgh under a guardian, where he had run through the whole course of his ftudies in that feminary at the fourteenth year of his age; and was defigned by his father for the law; but, his genius being turned for the fword, he applied himfelf that way.

He left the college of Edinburgh in the year 1688, and went over to Holland; where he paffed through the feveral degrees of preferment under the eye of that diftinguished and auguft commander king William III. then prince of Orange, who fhewed him great refpect in the fight of his officers, and treated him with the tenderness of an affectionate father.

It was here that this noble lord learned fortification and gunnery, which he afterwards fo well

well improved, under the eye of the famous Coehorn; and laid the foundation of that free and difinterested spirit which he breathed in every air, and practised in every clime, for the fervice of his country; and it was here that he learned feveral of the languages of Europe; fuch as, French, Spanish, German, Italian, and Dutch; every one of which he spoke in fuch purity, that one could not diftinguifh his dialect from that of a native of each country; and would have been tempted to think, he was born in the metropolis, which generally excells any other places of the kingdom where. in it ftands, as much in the elegance of accent, as in the politenefs of behaviour and fashion of their habit and drefs.

At the time of the late glorious revolution, he came over to Scotland, and in fo particular a manner laid down the hardships of the Proteftants, as to draw compaflion from all who heard him; and, by a juft representation of the defign of the houfe of Bourbon, which at that time he could fo fhrewdly guefs at, confirmed those who were already engaged for the prince of Orange in the good opinion they had formed of his caufe, and prevailed upon others to embark in the fcheme. In a word, he did the most fubftantial fervices; for, being with his father and grandfather at the convention of the ftates, he feconded their arguments with the most nervous reafoning; and, like another Guftavus, moved the paffions of the audience, who were charmed to fee fuch a noble tenderB 2

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nefs and unaffected fympathy in a young man, whofe gefture and mein commanded admiration from all who heard him.

He was among the first to declare for king William: and, with joy to receive the deli verer of the nation, went up, with his father, to London, where he was joyfully received, and taken into his majefty's fervice, whom he a tended to Ireland, continued with him, as one of his life-guards, during all his military excurfions in that kingdom; and acted the moft heroic part at that time that poffibly could have been expected from the most enterprising officer. He also accompanied his majesty on his return to England, attended him while there, and fet out with him at his majesty's departure for Holland on the fixth of January, 1691; but, as the winds proved contrary, the king was obliged to return to Kenfington, where he ftayed for fome few days, till the breaking of the froft; when he went to Gravefend, and, with a convoy of men of war, ftood to the coaft of Holland; where, coming off the Goree, he left the yacht wherein he was, went off with three shallops, in company with the duke of Ormond, the lord-fteward, and lord-high chamberlain, the earls of Portland and Monmouth, and mynheers Overkirk and Zulefkin: but, through the difficulties of the ice, that came down in fhoals, and the fogginefs of the weather, they remained at fea all night, but arrived at the Goree next morning.

Here