Meanwhile, on the other side preparations went briskly forward. A strong
detachment of regular troops was at once despatched from London, with
the young Duke of Monmouth himself in command. Great pains have been
taken both by contemporary and later writers to explain the reason of
this appointment. It was designed, they have said, to render him
unpopular in Scotland. It is certainly possible that he might have been
sent to Scotland to get him out of the way of his admirers in England,
who just at that time were somewhat inconveniently noisy in their
admiration. But the appointment does not seem to need any very subtle
explanation. Monmouth was the King's favourite son. He had served his
apprenticeship to the trade of war in the Low Countries, and under such
captains as Turenne and William of Orange. He was popular with the
people for his personal courage, his good looks, his pleasant manners,
and above all for his Protestantism--a matter with him possibly more of
policy than principle, but which served among the common people to gain
him the affectionate nickname of The Protestant Duke, and to
distinguish him in their eyes as the natural antagonist to the unpopular
and Popish James. With all his faults Monmouth was no tyrant, and
Charles himself was rather careless than cruel. This appointment,
therefore, was taken in Scotland to signify a disposition on the King's
part to employ gentle means if possible with the insurgents, and as such
was not altogether approved of. Gentle means were not much to the taste
of the presiding spirits of the Council-Board at Edinburgh, whose native
ferocity had certainly not been softened by the fright and confusion of
the last few days. It was particularly requested, therefore, that
Dalziel might be named second in command, who might well be trusted to
counteract any unseasonable leniency on Monmouth's part. Fortunately for
the insurgents the old savage did not receive his commission till the
day after the battle.