that appeal that went to their hearts? Lo- either a nation or an individual. It is evichiel, too, "came convinced of the rashness, dent that Charles Stuart, with the instinct nay madness, of the enterprise," as Lord of a doomed man, felt that nothing which Mahon tells us in his admirable narrative, could overtake him could be so fatal and

"and determined to urge Charles to desist from it and return to France till a more favourable opportunity." His brother Fassifern entreated him to send his decision by letter. "If this Prince once sets eyes on you," says the sagacious Highlander, "he

terrible as a return to his captivity. Had he died on Culloden field, had his boat been swamped by the bitter northern waves, and he himself disappeared for ever into their stormy abysses, it would have been well for the exile. What was ill for him

will make you do what he pleases." But was to leave that land in which he found Lochiel, strong in his own prudence, went himself, even in his worst privations, a man on like the rest to protest and remonstrate. and a Prince, with an independent existThe argument was long between the Adven- ence, and not a miserable puppet of fortune. turer and the chief. At last Charles brought it to a climax. I am resolved to put all to the hazard," he said. " In a few days I will raise the Royal standard, and proclaim to the people of Britain that Charles Stuart is come over to claim the crown of his ances

Neither, perhaps, could better have been for the country itself, which thus rushed upon a glorious destruction, killing by one splendid act the old life which was doomed too, and must have died by inches had there been no Forty-five. It is something to call

tors, or perish in the attempt. Lochiel, forth that highest bloom of antique virtue, who, my father has often told me, was our that unequalled faithfulness, devotion, and firmest friend, may stay at home and learn honour which throw an everlasting glory upfrom the newspapers the fate of his Prince." on the death-struggle of the highland clans. Against this final argument no Highland It is something for a man to prove himself heart could stand. "Not so," said Lochiel, generous in victory, gay, friendly, magnanmoved out of all prudence; "I will share imous, and gentle, when fortune smiles

on

the fate of my Prince, whatever it may be, him-patient, tender, cheerful, and unre

pining in the heaviest calamities. The man and the race embarked together in a venture which could not but bring tragic and terrible consequences to both. They did their best to overthrow the foundations of all our national peace, and plunge us once

and so shall every man over whom nature or fortune has given me any power." This was the result of every personal meeting between Charles and the Highland chiefs. Those who kept aloof, in some instances, escaped the fascination. Sir Alexander Macdonald and the Chief of Macleod stood more into the chaos from which we were esout prudently, withdrawing themselves from caping. They put everything on the east, all intercourse with the royal suppliant. He pledging their very existence, with scarce landed on the mainland on the 25th July, a possibility of ultimate success, and no surrounded by Highland guards, and a de- hopes but those roused by emotion and votion all the more intense and priceless excitement, without foundation or reality. that it was tinged with despair, and began Yet who can say that they did amiss? in that distant corner of the empire which Ages of pitiful quiet in a borrowed palace he intended to conquer, the brief, brilliant, were not worth that one brief year of life extraordinary campaign, four months of un- to the leader of this wildest of forlorn hopes. expected and half-miraculous triumph, which And what would have been a century of was to be followed by such overthrow, such ebbing existence, struggles with now cus

suffering and calamity, as reason had predicted and enthusiasm defied.

We are obliged, in practical life, to judge by the common human standard of failure and success. And according to that standard, this enterprise, doomed from its beginning, and which even in the heart of its leaders was an alternative of despair, can be considered only as a piece of tragic folly, madly conceived and bitterly

toms, and sick efforts to retain the past, in comparison with the passion and agony of Celtic Scotland, thus accomplished, as it were, at a stroke, with accompaniment of some of the noblest emotions and greatest acts of which human nature is capable? They marched with the wild pibroch wailing over them, with waving plaids and antiquated shields, and hearts full of primitive virtues, passions, and errors, for which the

punished. But there are other views which world had grown too old, straight into the in the calm of ages, even the most piti- jaws of destruction-into the valley of ful spectator may be allowed to take, death, into the mouth of hell. It was the and which point out the great but difficult end of a race, of a condition of things, of an truth, that pain, calamity, and havoc are ancient, noble, and most unfortunate dynot the worst misfortunes that can befall nasty. Valour unsurpassed, fidelity unequalled, mercy even, unlooked-for com- | have just quoted. In word and deed, as in panion, marched with them, a guard of hon- outward bearing, the young paladin bore our, to the inevitable tomb. And in the himself like a knight of romance. He put face of all after horrors, all suffering, death, and ruin, let us say it was done well.

on with his Highland garb the spirit of his earlier forefathers. Immediately after this The standard was raised on the 19th of ceremony, and not more than a month from August in Glenfinnan. On the eve of this the moment of his landing, in his eagerness ceremony a party of Keppoch's men, aided to encounter Cope, whom he had thus by a detachment of Camerons, surprised promised to meet, he marched sixteen miles and took captive two companies of soldiers in boots; "and one of the heels coming on their way to reinforce the garrison at off, the Highlanders said they were unco Fort William - an auspicious beginning to glad to hear it, for they hoped the want of the struggle. When Charles approached the heel would make him march more at Glenfinnan with his body-guard of Macdon- leisure. So speedily he marched that he alds, he was chilled and disappointed to was like to fatigue them all." Whatever find it silent and deserted, not a man yet of his army had to bear, Charles took a share

his host having assembled at the trystingplace. "Uncertain, and anxious for his fate," says Lord Mahon, "the Prince entered one of the neighbouring hovels, and

in their privations. He lived hardly, slept on the heather by their side, marched at their side across moor and hill, watched late and rose up early, like a man to the waited for about two hours"-a dreary manner born. He did what was more asbreak in the high current of excitement tonishing still in that age and on such an which must have carried him along. At enterprise. He paid for everything his arlength the Camerons appeared defiling over my consumed, insisted on the strictest disthe hill, six hundred valiant men, advanc- cipline, punished all marauders, and had ing " in two lines of three men abreast, be- his accounts kept with the precision of a tween which were the English companies private household. The wild clans came taken on the 16th, marching as prisoners, down from the hills full of the instinct of and disarmed." This sight alone was plunder, with the Adventurer at their head, enough to raise to certainty the hopes of who firmly believed himself the rightful an enthusiastic and imaginative race. In Prince of the rich country through which presence of the triumphant Highlanders they passed. Had they cleared everything and the captive Southrons - emblems of before them, it would have been a natural the two races, no doubt, in many a spark-result to be expected in the circumstances; ling Celtic eye - the standard flew forth to but nothing of the kind appears to have tathe Highland winds. It was unfurled by ken place. "It was not uncommon, inold Tullibardine - the Duke of Athole, as he was called, though his younger brother at the moment enjoyed the title and possessions of the house. "Such loud huzzas and schiming of bonnets up into the air, appearing like a cloud, was not heard of for a long time," says a certain Terence Mulloy, evidently repeating the description given by one of the prisoners. Old Athole was above seventy when he threw forth those crimson folds into the Highland air and proclaimed King James. Gallant old age, dauntless youth, the enthusiasm of victory, the sullen silence of the captives amid all that wild outburst of rejoicing,

deed," says Lord Mahon, "for the Highlanders to stop some respectable portly citizen as he passed along, levelling their muskets at him with savage and threatening gestures; but on being asked by the trembling townsman what they wanted, they usually answered, 'a bawbee ! י" Charles himself levied contributions from the towns through which he passed; but he suffered no invasion of the rights of private property. In the Jacobite Memoirs' will be found an entire account-book, with all its quaint details, interspersed with bits of pathetic history, showing the careful regulation of his expenditure. "The Prince paid well for

make up another of the wonderful pictures everything he got," says the steward who of which this story is full. When Charles furnished this remarkable record, "and alhad addressed his Highlanders, he turned, ways ordered drink-money to be given libcourteous as a true Prince, to the English erally where he lodged." His courteous captain, who stood by. "You may go to generosity to his prisoners has already been your General," he said; "tell him what mentioned. When called upon to rejoice you have seen, and that I am coming that his enemies were at his feet, he turned to give him battle;" and thus dismissed away compassionate, lamenting the fate of

with chivalrous promptitude the honourable enemy. "No gentleman could be better used than he was," adds the authority we

"his father's deluded subjects." And when urged to make reprisals upon the English captives for cruelties inflicted on his friends,

66

his high nature revolted against the sug-left the path clear for the invaders. As gestion. "I cannot in cold blood take they marched, stream after stream joined away lives which I have spared in the heat them; here an entire clan, there a smaller of action," said the noble young Adventur- party. The gentlemen of the country joined er; nor would he ever threaten to do so, the Prince's march after the Highland line saying, with still greater magnanimity, that was passed, bringing true hearts and stout it was below him to make empty threats courage, if not so many additional broadwhich he never would put into execution. swords. When any doubtful man fell in It was with the greatest difficulty that he his way, his eloquence and charm of manner was forced to answer the proclamation of had its usual effect. "An angel could not the Government offering a reward for his resist such soothing close applications," own head, by a counter-proclamation set- said Cluny Macpherson, lately captain in ting a price on that of the Elector of Hano- the Hanoverian service, but soon at Charles's ver. His rival and contemporary Cumber-side with all his clan. He lived with them land, unfortunately, was not moved by so all like a brother, falling into their patrifine a sense of honour. Throughout the archal familiar habits. Even his own royal story, indeed, Charles shows himself the affairs and melancholy family life were talked preux chevalier to whom, alas! permanent of among the genial affectionate company. victory is slow to come. His was not the At Nairn House, on the way south, genius of battle, nor the merciless policy of the company happened to observe what which could take advantage of all chances. a thoughtful state his father would now be A tender heart and noble consideration for in, from the consideration of those dangers others are, no doubt, qualities of a great and difficulties he had to encounter with, leader; but these have rarely been exhibited and that upon this account he was much to for the benefit of the enemy. Charles be pitied, because his mind behoved to be was not a great leader; he was a spotless knight. His foe disarmed was, if not his friend, at least his fellow-creature, to be dealt with in a spirit of splendid humanity; the very assassins who threatened his own life called forth, at worst, a pitiful contemptuous mercy. It is Sir Lancelot who moves across those fields of brief battle, those gleams of briefer triumph. Such a character, while it rouses all the generous admiration of which the mind is capable, awakes at the same time a pang of compassion. It is doomed from the commencement of its career. It is unqualified for that bloody arena which is no longer governed by the laws of knighthood. The general whose compassionate soul melts over his enemy's forces, who has not the heart to shoot a traitor or keep a prisoner, whose mind is set on conducting his warfare by feats of personal valour, by lofty generosity and consideration, can never win more than Charles won a swift, short, brilliant campaign; until the common herd, surprised, takes courage in its numbers; and the rude soldier, careless of blood or suffering, resumes his hard supremacy. It is Cumberland, shooting the wounded on the field, giving no quarter, crushing down the country with his iron boot, who wins the day.

"received passports to protect their per- and tried to bring them to temper by representsons and goods;" and to one of them, a ing that it was a mean, barbarous principle linendraper from London, the royal gentle- among princes, and must dishonour them in the man courteously addressed himself, bidding eyes of all men of honour; that I did not see how him tell his townsfolk that he should be at my cousin's having set me the example would St. James's in two months. In the morning justify me in imitating that which I blame so much in him. But nothing I could say would he rose early to drill his troops; in the evening left the ball, as soon as he had pacify them. Some even went so far as to say, 'Shall we venture our lives for a man who danced one measure, to visit his sentry-seems so indifferent of his own?' Thus have I posts. No time was there in his busy life been drawn in to do a thing for which I condemn for unprofitable thoughts. And yet there myself. Your Majesty knows that in my nature was time enough for full consideration of I am neither cruel nor revengeful; and God, what he was doing in all its aspects. We who knows my heart, knows that if the Prince cannot refrain from quoting here a remark-who has forced me to this (for it is he that has able letter, printed in the Jacobite Me- forced me) was in my power, the greatest pleas moirs,' and said to be written from Perth ure I could feel would be in treating him as the to his father in Rome, though we Black Prince treated his enemy, the, King of obliged to add that the only evidence for France—to make him ashamed of having shown its authenticity is the fact that it was found himself so inhuman an enemy to a man for atin Bishop Forbes's collections. It extempting a thing, whom he himself (if he had presses, at least, sentiments which we know any spirit) would despise for not attempting. by indisputable testimony to have been spoken by Charles :

are

"PERTH, September 16th, 1745. "SIR,- Since my landing, everything has succeeded to my wishes. It has pleased God to prosper me hitherto even beyond my expectations. I have got together thirteen hundred men, and am promised more brave determined men, who are resolved to die or conquer with

me.

The enemy marched a body of troops to attack me; but when they came near they changed their mind, and, by taking a different route and making forced marches, have escaped to the north, to the great disappointment of my Highlanders; but I am not at all sorry for it; I shall have the greater glory in beating them when they are more numerous and supported by their dragoons.

"I have occasion every day to reflect on your Majesty's last words to me that I should find power, if tempered with justice and clemency, an easy thing to myself, and not grievous to those under me. "Tis owing to the observance of this rule, and to my conformity to the customs of these people, that I have got their hearts to a degree not to be easily conceived by those who do not see it. I keep my health better in these wild mountains than I used to do in the Campagna Felice, and sleep sounder lying on the bare ground than I used to do in the palaces

As I know

"I beg your Majesty would be under no uneasiness about me. He is safe who is in God's protection. If I die, it shall be as I lived, with honour; and the pleasure I take in thinking I have a brother in all respects more worthy than myself to support your just cause, and redeem your country from the oppression under which it groans (if it will suffer itself to be rescued), makes life more indifferent to me. and admire the fortitude with which your Majesty has supported your misfortunes, and the generous disdain with which you have rejected all offers of foreign assistance, on terms which you thought dishonourable to yourself and injufriends should at this time take advantage of the rious to your country; if bold but interested tender affection with which they know you love me, I hope you will reject their proposals with the same magnanimity you have hitherto shown, and leave me to shift for myself as Edward III. left his brave son, when he was in danger of being oppressed by numbers in the field. No, sir, let it never be said that to save your son you injured your country. When your enemies bring in foreign troops, and you reject all foreign assistance on dishonourable terms, your deluded subjects of England must see who is the true father of his people. For my own part I declare, once for all, that while I breathe I will never consent to alienate one foot of land that

"I know there will be fulsome addresses from fresh from the influences of the interrupted the different corporations of England; but I hope sermons, were seized with such a panic as, they will impose on none but the lower and more to do them justice, women are seldom asignorant people. They will no doubt endeavour sailed by when patriotism demands a sacrito revive all the errors and excesses of my grand- fice from them. They clung to their valfather's unhappy reign, and impute them to your Majesty and me, who had no hand in them,

and most by them. Can anything more unreasonable than to suppose that your Majesty, who is so sensible of and has so often considered the fatal error of your father, would with your eyes open go and repeat them?

"Notwithstanding the repeated assurance your Majesty has given in your declaration that you will not invade any man's property, they endeavour to persuade the unthinking people that one of the first things they are to expect will be to see the public credit destroyed; as if it would be your interest to render yourself contemptible in the eyes of all the nations of Europe, and make all the kingdoms you hope to reign over poor at home and insignificant abroad.

trade was

iant defenders with tears and outcries. Why should a husband and father risk his precious life against the wild Highlander, whose fighting? ? The honest burghers felt with their wives that the idea was monstrous. They melted away imperceptibly, stealing off through friendly close and sheltering wynd, and when their captain looked round, outside the gate, he found himself followed by the merest handful, not more than a score of men! Such a satire upon human nature could scarcely have been perpetrated by any poet. It is history alone which dares to indulge in such wild ridicule of its subordinate figures. While the trem"I find it a great loss that the brave Lord bling militia pulled off their rusty blades in Marishall is not with me. His character is very the secret seclusion of home, the wild eager high in the country, and it must be so wherever enemy outside their gates dispersed almost it is known. I had rather see him as a thousand by a breath the troopers who had made bold French, who, if they should come only as friends to go and look at them; and its chiefs once to assist your Majesty in the recovery of your more summoned the city to surrender. The just rights, the weak people would believe came bailies met and talked and trembled, and as invaders. There is one man in this country could not tell what to do. They tried to whom I could wish to have my friend, and that gain time and negotiate, hoping in Sir John is the Duke of Argyll, who I find is in great Cope, who was about landing at Dunbar. credit among them, on account of his great abil- All the next day was spent in their futile ities and quality, and has many dependents by frightened struggles. But early on Tueshis large fortune; but I am told I can hardly day morning, Lochiel, with five hundred flatter myself with the hopes of it. The hard Camerons, took the matter in hand; and the usage which his family has received from ours has sunk deep into his mind. What have those princes to answer for who by their cruelties have raised enemies not only to themselves but to

their innocent children?"

On the 15th of September the city of Edinburgh, in which the Whig party had a stronghold, was plunged into the wildest commotion. The fire-bell was set tolling on the sober Sunday afternoon while all the population were at church. Frightened and excited, the towns-people rose in the midst of the sermons, some of which at least were far from complimentary to the approaching Prince, and rushed out into the streets, where the trainbands of the town were assembled, and through which Hamilton's dragoons were marching on the way to defeat and flight. Then there ensued a scene of extravagant farce in the midst of

burghers and their wives woke up to find that, with less trouble than they had experienced in getting out of their uniforms, the Highlanders had taken possession of their city! - a strange little dramatic touch of laughter in a story too full of tears.

Yet

The scenes that followed have been so described as that none may venture to repeat them. as the stranger treads the longdeserted floors, and lingers in the recessed windows of that gallery at Holyrood, hung with all its impossible kings, he will find another picture come up before him with a pathos too profound for words. All those gallant soldiers doomed to so speedy and violent an end - the winding-sheet high on their breasts, as the superstition of their country says - some to perish on the scaffold, some under the brutal coup de grace of Cumberland's butchers; one, the highest of

the heart-rending tragedy. It is almost all, reserved for a more lingering, more Shakespearian in the depth of contrast. dreadful fate; - all those fair women, whose The volunteers cheered the dragoons; and hearts, for a moment gay, were to be wrung the dragoons, scarcely less faint-hearted in with what tortures of anxiety, what vain efthe moment of danger than their amateur forts, what sickening hopes! Never could coadjutors, replied by answering cheers and be more pathetic merry-making than Charles the clash of their doughty swords. At these Edward's ball in the old house of his fathers. sounds the Edinburgh wives and mothers, The coronach seems to sound over the