MONMOUTH, JAMES SCOTT, DUKE OF leader of an abortive insurrection against James II. in 1685, was the son of Lucy Walters, who became the mistress of Charles II. during his exile at The Hague. He was born at Rotterdam on April 9, 1649. Charles always recognized him as his son, and lav ished on him an almost doting affection. Until the Restoration he was placed under the care of Lord Crofts, by whose name he was known. In July 1662 he was sent for by Charles, and at thirteen came under the protection of Lady Castle maine. No formal acknowledgement of his relation to the king was made until James's betrothal to Anne Scott, count ess of Buccleuch, whom he married in 1665. During 1663 he was made duke of Orkney, duke of Monmouth and knight of the Garter, and on his marriage he and his wife were created duke and duchess of Buccleuch, and he took the surname of Scott. In 167o, on the death of Monk, he was made captain-general of the king's forces. Monmouth was now becoming a person of political im portance. The anti-popery spirit was rapidly turning to frenzy, and the succession of James a probability and a terror. Charles was urged to legitimize Monmouth by a declaration of his mar riage with Lucy Walters. Every attempt was made, especially by Shaftesbury, to accustom people to this idea, and his position was emphasized by James's second marriage, with the Catholic prin cess Mary of Modena. From this time his popular title was "the Protestant duke." In 1674 he was made "commander-in-chief"; and at Shaftesbury's instance was placed in command of the army employed in 1675 against the Scottish Covenanters, and was pres ent at Bothwell Bridge (June 22, 1679). In 1678, when Charles was driven into war with Louis, Monmouth took command of the English contingent.
In 1679 the king fell ill, and the dangers of a disputed succes sion became apparent. The party opposed to Monmouth, or rather to Shaftesbury, prevailed upon Charles to consent to the return of his brother, James, from Brussels. When, after the king's recovery, James went back to Brussels, he received a promise that Monmouth too should leave the country. Accordingly, in Sept. 1679, the latter repaired to Utrecht, but he secretly returned to London two months later, and, as the champion of Protestant ism, was well received. The king appeared to be greatly incensed,
deprived him of his offices, and ordered him to leave the kingdom at once. This he refused to do, and henceforth was merely f or bidden to appear at court.
It was at this time that the exclusionists, who, in the absence of parliament were deprived of their best basis for agitation, de veloped the system of petitioning. So successfully was this an swered by the "abhorrers" that Charles, feeling the ground safer under him, recalled James to London—a step immediately fol lowed by the resignation of the chief Whigs in the council.
Once more, an attempt was made to establish Monmouth's claims, but Charles again publicly declared that he had never been married but to the queen. Monmouth now went to the west of England, visiting the chief members of the country party, and gaining popularity among the people. When the right of James to the succession was again formally acknowledged by Charles in 168o, Monmouth threw himself vehemently into the plans of the exclusionists, speaking and voting for exclusion in the House of Lords. In 1681 the parliament passed a series of resolutions of ex treme violence, of which one was that Monmouth should be re stored to all his offices and commands; and when Charles sum moned a fresh parliament to meet at Oxford the leaders of the exclusionists went thither with troops. Not until the dissolution of this last parliament, in March 1681, did the weakness of Mon mouth's cause appear. The deep-seated respect for legitimate de scent asserted itself, and a great reaction took place. In Novem ber Dryden published Absalom and Achitophel. Shaftesbury was attacked, and Monmouth himself did not escape insult in the street and from the pulpit. When he went, in 1682, on a second progress through the western and north-western counties his pro ceedings were narrowly watched, and he was arrested at Stafford. He was released on bail, and in February 1683, after the death of Shaftesbury, he openly broke the implied conditions of his bail by a third visit to Chichester on pretence of hunting.