FLETCHER, A mnituw, of Salton, in East Lothian, was a statesman and a patriot of the highest order ; and though Scotland, his native land, was the chief object of his exer tionl, yet, wherever the love of country and of liberty pre vails, he deserves to be remembered with respect and gra titude. His powers, too, were called forth at a period of the greatest importance in the British annals. His paternal grandfather, whose Christian name he bore, was on of the fifteen Judges of the Court of Session, by the style of Lord Innerpeffer. His father was Sir Robert Fletcher of' Salton and Innerpeffer; and his mother, whose Panic was Catha rine, daughter of Sir Robert Bruce of Clackmannan, deri ved her descent from the royal and truly illustrious race of Bruce. Andrew Fletcher was the eldest son of this mar riage, and was horn in the year 1653, though in some sketches of his life the date of his birth is stated to be 1650. Tile celebrated and excellent Gilbert Burnet was but 10 years older than young Fletcher ; and, as Sir Robert Fletch er presented him to the rectorship of Salton, which he filled with most exemplary fidelity from 1661 to 1619, Andrew enjoyed the rare advantage of having his principles formed, and his mind cultivated, by Dr Burner, to whom his father, at his death, wisely consigned the care of his son.
Gifted by nature with uncommon powers, it is not sur prising that, under such a preceptor, he made rapid pro gress in classical knowledge, historical erudition, and ge neral literature. His hereditary love of liberty, connected with his indignation at the tyrannical proceedings which marked the conduct of the administration of Charles the Second, after the restoration of that unprincipled king, gave an unfavourable bias to his temper, and seems even to have made him regret that union of the crowns of Scotland and England which was so essentially conducive to the peace and prosperity of both divisions of the island.
Having amply qualified himself, by the deep and solid foundation which had been laid by Burnet and his otherin structors, for receiving improvement, by personal observa tion of men and manners, he travelled for some time on the Continent, and was, soon after his return, elected to repre sent East Lothian in the Scottish parliament, which consis ted only of a single house. While James, Duke of York, acted as lord high commissioner in Scotland, Fletcher dis tinguished himself in particular by his strenuous opposition • to the measures of the court, and particularly to the Bill of Accession. Having connected himself with the Earl of Argyle, he became so obnoxious that he found it necessary to consult his personal safety by leaving Scotland. After
remaining for a time in retirement in London, where he had an opportunity of seeing arid consulting his friend and former instructor Burnet, now a distinguished preacher, and occasionally a faithful monitor of King Charles, of whose personal and political profligacy he afterwards be came the steady opponent, Fletcher by his advice went to Holland, and was soon after declared an outlaw in Scotland, and his estate confiscated. In the United Provinces he and many of the friends of religion and liberty found an asylum.
He returned to England in 1683, with his friend and countryman Robert Bantle of Jerviswood, who, in the fol lowing year, died on a scaffold at Edinburgh, for having aided or connived at the expedition under the Duke of Monmouth, and the unfortunate Eatl of Argyle. It is re corded to the honour of this virtuous man, that though he was offered his life on condition of revealing what he knew of Fletcher's connection with this fatal enterprise, he no bly rejected the proposal, and died, as he had lived, the friend of religious and civil liberty.
As to Fletcher, it appears that he acted a still more im portant part on that occasion than his friend; not only be ing a statesman, but having great knowledge in military affairs, he actually bore arms in that part of the expedition which landed in England, and served under Monmouth ; but finding that, contrary to his engagement, that rash leader caused himself to be proclaimed king without the choice and consent of the people, and without any of those wise limitations which Fletcher considered necessary, he quitted his standard, and concealed himsr:11' till he found an oppor tunity of returning to the Continent. It is stated, that while he had the command of a party in this expedition, he killed the mayor of Lynn, in a dispute which arose about a horse belonging to that gentleman, which had been pressed into the service by his troops. It has even been said, that this event rendered him so unpopular in the little army, that it was deemed advisable for him to retire. Fletcher himself, however, complained of the gross injustice which had been done him in the account of that transaction ; and, in his own account of his conduct on this occasion, which he af terwards gave to the Earl Mareschal of Scotland, he utterly denied that it had any thing to do with his leaving Mon mouth ; in proof of which he stated, that he had continued with him till the proclamation above alluded to was made at Taunton, which Fletcher regarding as a violation of the Duke's engagement, and of his duty to the nation, absolved him from all farther engagement to serve under him.