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This express reached the Duke on the night of CHAP. Sunday, the 16th. He had already been apprised of the new position of the insurgents at Seton House, and had determined to assail them the next day. But the danger of Stirling, and of his whole army, overbore every other consideration, and he hastily quitted Edinburgh on Monday morning, with nearly all the forces he had brought, and thus, by a singular combination of events, whilst MacIntosh seemed to run from Argyle, Argyle, on his part, seemed to run from MacIntosh. The activity and judgment of the Duke deserve, however, the highest praise on this occasion; and by his timely retreat he saved Stirling, as by his timely coming he had saved Edinburgh. At four o'clock that afternoon Mar had already reached Dumblane, six miles from the English camp, with 4000 men, and an equal number following at a short distance in the rear; and nothing could have prevented his onset but Argyle's arrival - nor ought that. The insurgent general should undoubtedly have given battle at a time when his enemy's force was so much less than he could hope again to find it; yet he preferred the timid resolution of turning round and marching back to Perth without striking a blow, alleging as excuses that the country about Dumblane was too exhausted to supply him with provisions; that he could not leave the north exposed to the incursions of Lord Sutherland; that he had not yet received all the reinforcements he was promised. The truth

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CHAP. is, as William the Third observes in one of his letters, that "whenever there is an unwillingness "to do any thing, reasons against it are easily "found to prove that impossible which is not so."* MacIntosh, meanwhile, remained two days at Seton House, expecting an attack from Argyle. Had he known of that General's departure, he might, perhaps, have resumed his designs against Edinburgh, although the number of volunteers and militia now assembled could scarcely have admitted of his success. A party of these, which had sallied forth under Lords Rothes and Torphichen, deprived him, however, of all intelligence as to the state of the city; and on the 19th he began his march, struck across the wilds of Lammermoor, and on the 22d joined the southern insurgents at Kelso. The combined force was then about 2000 men, namely, 1400 foot under MacIntosh, and 600 Northumbrian and Dumfries-shire horsemen under Lord Kenmure and Mr. Forster.

Two plans were now open for the adoption of this army. First, to march southwards and engage General Carpenter, an officer of great merit, second in command at the battles of Almenara and Zaragoza, and at the defence of Brihuega, and high in Stanhope's confidence, who had now been sent as the military chief to Newcastle, and who was advancing at the head of about 900 cavalry.

*Letter to the Duke of Shrewsbury, dated August 30. 1694, and printed in the Shrewsbury Correspondence.

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As these were newly levied, and very raw soldiers, CHAP. there appeared a reasonable prospect of defeating them with more than twice the number of irregular 1715. troops, and such a victory would have cast no small lustre on the rebel arms. The second plan was to march northwards, to take Argyle in the rear, so as to co-operate with an attack of Lord Mar in front. Either of these plans, if decidedly pursued, seemed to promise great advantages; but the difference of opinions as to their comparative merit precluded both. The Scotch officers refused to enter England, the English were determined to advance no further in Scotland. Under these circumstances, they agreed upon a miserable compromise. They determined to march neither against Carpenter nor against Argyle, but to proceed along the range of the Cheviots, and to keep at nearly the same distance from the Border-a senseless half-measure, which failed as much as half-measures commonly do. The leading officers, on this occasion, instead of forming a rational and deliberative body, seemed rather to resemble an inanimate mass, which, when drawn by equal forces in different directions, naturally takes an intermediate course.

One of the first results of their folly was, that Carpenter and his dragoons falling into their track, and following in their rear, gave to their march the appearance of a flight. The disputes amongst themselves were also kept alive by the want of a final decision, and daily grew louder. On one occasion the English even threatened to surround the High

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CHAP. landers, and compel them to march, but the mountaineers merely cocked their pistols, and calmly 1715. observed, that if they were to be made a sacrifice, they were determined at least that it should be in their own country. It was with great difficulty that this quarrel was hushed. At length, having reached Langholm, at no great distance from the Irish channel, and being deterred from a project they had formed of investing Dumfries, it became necessary for them to determine their further movements; and after a long altercation they finally resolved upon an invasion of Lancashire, where they had good grounds to expect the rising and junction of the Roman Catholic gentry. MacIntosh entered heartily into the scheme, but was unable to prevail upon all his followers; and a detachment of 500, disregarding his orders, marched away to the northward by themselves.

The remaining body of the insurgents entered England on the 1st of November, and took up their quarters for that night at Brampton, a small town in Cumberland, where Mr. Forster opened a commission which he had received during the march from Lord Mar, authorising him to act as their General in England. Next day they proceeded to Penrith. The Posse Comitatus had been called out to oppose them: it was headed by the Bishop of Carlisle and Lord Lonsdale *, and amounted to

This bishop was Dr. William Nicholson. Lord Lonsdale was the third and last Viscount of the first creation. He died unmarried in 1750. He is said, in Collins's Peerage, to have been

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above 10,000; but these ignorant men, having CHAP. formed to themselves a dreadful idea of the insurgents, were seized with a panic terror at their approach, and dispersed in all directions. A great number of horses and of prisoners were taken; but the latter being of far less value to the insurgents than the former were immediately released. From Penrith they pursued their march through Appleby and Kendal to Kirby Lonsdale, every where proclaiming the Pretender, and levying the public money. They received no assistance from the leading Catholics in Cumberland and Westmoreland; most of them, such as Mr. Howard of Corby, and Mr. Curwen of Workington, having been previously secured by the government in Carlisle Castle. At Kirby, however, Mr. Forster was joined by some of the Roman Catholic gentlemen of Lancashire; and they now entered that county, directing their march upon the town of the same name. Lancaster was then occupied by the notorious Colonel Chartres, who wished to defend the place by blowing up the bridge over the Loyne, and preventing the enemy's passage; but this being opposed by the inhabitants, he retired, and the rebels entered without hindrance. They had here the satisfaction to release several of their friends imprisoned in the county gaol, especially one Thomas Syddal, who had headed a mob at Manchester in pulling down a meeting house. On

"a great patriot, and a Lord of the bedchamber, "-a happy combination!