VI.

CHAP. disheartened at the General's temporising policy. News also reached head-quarters that Lord Suther1715. land was advancing at the head of the Monroes, the Mackays, and other Whig clans, and that Inverness had been retaken from the insurgent garrison by Forbes of Culloden and Simon Fraser of Lovat.* This intelligence afforded to Lords Huntly and Seaforth a plausible pretext, which they had for some time desired, of withdrawing from the enterprise. "It was their duty," they said, "to cover their own country; " and they marched with all their retainers from the camp; not, however, without many promises of a speedy

return.

Through these and similar causes, Lord Mar's army dwindled to half its original numbers: nor was the remnant firm and compact. There were not a few, who, hopeless of success- apprised of the surrender at Preston - having no tidings whatever of the Chevalier - and believing him, therefore, to be a prisoner in England -were inclined to lay down their arms if they could obtain honourable terms. Mar endeavoured, on the contrary, to persuade them to sign a declaration, which should engage them to stand by the cause

This was the famous may we not say the infamous ? Lord Lovat, executed in 1745. His deceit and treachery are still proverbial in the Highlands. He had originally joined the insurgents of 1715, but now turned against them with the view of establishing his pretensions as head of the family against the claims of a Jacobite heiress. Chambers's History, p. 283.

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and by each other. At length, however, to pre- CHAP. vent private and separate treaties, he was compelled to promise that he would ascertain how far Argyle might be inclined to treat, or what terms he might be prepared to offer. For this overture Mar employed two channels of communication: first, the Countess of Murray, the Duke's aunt; and secondly, Colonel Lawrence, one of the prisoners at Sheriffmuir, who was now released on parole. The Duke sent a very courteous answer, declaring that his instructions only enabled him to treat with individuals, and not with the whole body, but that he would immediately apply for more extended powers. According to this promise, he sent his commission to London for enlargement. The ministers, however, were by no means inclined to come into his views. They had averted Ormond's insurrection; they had crushed Forster's; they had, therefore, the best part of their troops at their disposal, and were determined

I have compared Sinclair's Memoirs, p. 1086., with Lord Mar's Journal from France; but neither of these is much to be trusted on this point- the former being a philippic against Mar, and the latter his apology. In the collection of original papers (p. 114.) is given a most minute report to Lord Mar from a trumpet John Maclean sent to Stirling on a previous message. He especially dwells on the good cheer he received, which to him was probably not the least interesting part of the business: "A sentry brought me my dinner, viz. pies, roast beef, and hens, and a bottle of wine; and in the afternoon another bottle "of wine, and at night a third. . . . . . . Mr. Kinears showed me " his embroidered vest, and asked me if I saw any gentlemen at "Perth with a vest such as he wore? I said a thousand," &c.

......

CHAP. not to treat on a footing of equality with the VI. rebels who still remained in arms, wishing not 1715. merely to lop the growth, but to pluck out the

roots, of the rebellion. Some reports had already reached them as to Argyle's doubtful and temporising views; and so far from enlarging his commission, they would not even return his old one. Moreover, the 6000 Dutch troops for whom they had applied, had landed about the middle of November, and were already in full march to Scotland.

On the arrival of these powerful reinforcements, Argyle's army was increased in a still greater proportion than Mar's had fallen off, and he might now consider the rebels as completely in his grasp. A great fall of snow at this season, and a long continued frost, alone, he said, prevented him from marching against them. Mar remained at Perth only as it were by sufferance, and had secretly determined, whenever Argyle should advance, to yield the town without a blow.*

It was at the time that the affairs of the Chevalier bore this lowering and gloomy aspect, that he himself arrived in Scotland. I have elsewhere explained the reasons of his long delay, and shown that it was in no degree attributable to any want of zeal or spirit on his part. He landed at Peterhead on the 22d of December, attended by only

* Lord Mar's account from France. Tindal's Hist. vol. vi. p. 492.

*

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six persons, one of whom was the Marquis of Tyne- CHAP. mouth, son of the Duke of Berwick, and the vessel that brought him was immediately sent back to France with the news of his safe arrival. He passed through Aberdeen without disclosing the secret of his rank, and proceeded to Fetteresso, the principal seat of his young partisan the Earl Marischal, where he was detained for several days by his doubts as to the movements of Argyle. Meanwhile, Lord Mar, at Perth, had no sooner been apprised of his arrival, than he took horse with the Earl Marischal, General Hamilton, and about thirty other gentlemen, and hastened forward to meet their long expected Prince. Fully convinced as I am of the justice and wisdom of the Hanover succession, and of the national miseries that must have resulted from its overthrow, I yet cannot divest myself of a feeling of reverencealmost of partiality - when I behold the unhappy grandson of Charles the First striving for the throne of his fathers, and trace his footsteps on the soil of his ancient dominion.

The reception of Mar at Fetteresso was, as might be expected, highly cordial; the Chevalier warmly acknowledged his past services, and created him a Duke. On the 30th, James set off from Fetteresso, and on the 4th of January he slept at Glammis Castle, the residence of the Earls of Strathmore, which he declared to be the

The Pretender to Lord Bolingbroke, Jan. 2. 1716. Stuart Papers. See Appendix. The cause publicly assigned was an ague.

1716.

CHAP. finest gentleman's seat that he had ever seen in VI. any country. Two days afterwards he made his public entry into Dundee on horseback; the Earl of Mar riding on his right hand, and the Earl Marischal on his left, while nearly 300 gentlemen brought up the rear. He was hailed with loud and general acclamations, and, at the request of his friends, remained for an hour at the market-place to gratify the eager affection of the people, who thronged to kiss his hands. Continuing his progress, he, on the 8th, arrived within two miles of the army, at the royal palace of Scone, where he established his residence, named a regular council, and performed several other acts of state. He issued six proclamations for a general thanksgiving, in gratitude of the special and "miraculous providence" shown in his safe arrival *; for prayers in churches; for the currency of all foreign coins; for the meeting of the Convention of Estates; for ordering all fencible men, from sixteen to sixty, to repair to his standard; and for his coronation on the 23d of January.

"At the first news of his landing," says one of the insurgent gentlemen at Perth, "it is impossible "to express the joy and vigour of our men. Now "we hoped the day was come, when we should "live more like soldiers, and should be led on to "face our enemies, and not be mouldering away

• Collection of Original Papers, p. 160.