will reflect honour' on the Highlands of Scotland while their mountains shall continue to exist. [When General Stewart was printing his "Sketches of the Highlanders," he asked Sir Walter Scott to suggest a motto for the titlepage-and he pointed out those lines of Shakspeare "'Tis wonderful That an invisible instinct should frame them CHAPTER LXXXV. Lord George Murray-Pardon of Murray of Broughton, on his becoming Evidence for the prosecutions— Trial of the Earls of Kilmarnock, Cromarty, and Lord Balmerino -Reprieve of Cromarty-Execution of Kilmarnock and Balmerino-Trial and Execution of Lord LovatExecutions on Kennington Common, at Brampton, Penrith, York, and Carlisle-Act of Indemnity, but with a long List of Exceptions-Short Imprisonment of Flora MacDonald-Long Period during which Prosecutions of the Jacobites were kept on Foot. We must now detail the consequences of the civil war to the Prince's most important adherents. Several had been taken prisoners on the field of battle, and many more had been seized in the various excursions made through the country of the rebels by the parties of soldiery. The gaols both in England and Scotland had been filled with these unfortunate persons, upon whom a severe doom was now to be inflicted. That such was legally incurred, cannot be denied; and, on the other hand, it will hardly be now contradicted, that it was administered with an indiscriminate severity, which counteracted the effects intended, by inspiring horror instead of awe. The distinguished persons of the party were with good reason considered as most accountable for its proceedings. It was they who must have obtained power and wealth had the attempt succeeded, and they were justly held most responsible when they failed in their attempt at accomplishing a revolution. Lord George Murray, who acted so prominent a part in the insurrection, effected his escape to the continent, and died at Medenblinck in Holland, in 1760. The Earls of Kilmarnock and Cromarty, and Lords Balmerino and Lovat, in Scotland, with Mr Charles Ratcliffe, in England (brother of the Earl of Derwentwater, attainted and executed in 1715), were the persons most distinguished by birth and title whom the Government had within their power. The Marquis of Tullibardine had also been made prisoner, but death, by a disease under which he had long languished, relieved his captivity in the Tower, and removed him from all earthly trial or punishment. There could have been no difficulty in obtaining evidence against Kilmarnock, Cromar '[" He arrived, 21st March, 1747, at Rome, where he was received with great distinction by the Pretender, who fitted up an apartment for him in his palace, and introduced him to the Pope." -WOOD, vol. i. p. 152.] [" He died 9th July, 1746, in the 58th year of his age, and was privately interred in the chapel of the Tower. In his last moments he declared, that although he had been as much as any man attached to the cause of the Pretender, if he might now advise his countrymen, it should be never more to enter into rebellious measures, for after having failed in their late attempt, they might be sure never to succeed in any other."-WOOD, vol. i. p. 150.] ty, and Balmerino, all three of whom had acted openly in the rebellion at the head of an armed force; but in Lovat's case, who had not been personally in arms, it was absolutely necessary that evidence should be brought of his accession to the secret councils of the conspiracy, which it was also desirable should be made known to the British public. The Government were therefore desirous to get at the grounds, if possible, on which the conspiracy had been originally formed, and to obtain knowledge of such Jacobites of power and consequence in England, as had been participant of the councils which had occasioned such an explosion in North Britain. A disclosure so complete could only be attained by means of an accomplice deep. in the secret intrigues of the insurgents. It was, therefore, necessary to discover among the late counsellors of the Chevalier, some individual who loved life better than honour and fidelity to a ruined cause; and such a person was unhappily found in John Murray of Broughton, secretary to Charles Edward. This unfortunate gentleman, as we have already seen, was intimately acquainted with the circumstances in which the rebellion had originated, had been most active in advancing the Chevalier's interest, both in civil and military affairs; and though he considerably embroiled his master's affairs, by fanning the discord between the Duke of Perth and Lord George Murray, and stimulating the Chevalier's dislike to the latter nobleman; yet it would be overloading the memory of the unfortunate, to suppose that his conduct arose from any other motive than a desire to advance the objects of his own ambition, without a thought of betraying his master's interest. After the battle of Culloden, Murray fled to the Highlands, but, unable to endure the hardships which he incurred in these regions, he returned to his native country, and took refuge with a relation,' whose seat is in the mountains at the head of Tweeddale. He was here discovered and made prisoner. Being assailed by threats and promises, this unhappy gentleman was induced, by promise of a free pardon, to confess to Ministers the full detail of the original conspiracy in 1740, and the various modifications which it underwent subsequent to that period, until the landing of Prince Charles in the Hebrides. It has never been doubted that his details must have involved the names of many persons, both in England and Scotland, who did not take up arms in the insurrection of 1745, although, as the law of England requires two witnesses to every act of high treason, none such could have been brought to trial upon Murray's single evidence. He himself urged, in extenuation of his conduct, that although he preserved his own life, by bringing forward his evidence against such men as Government could have convicted without his assistance, yet he carefully concealed many facts, which, if disclosed, would either have borne more hard upon such complotters before the 1 [His brother-in-law, Mr Hunter of Polmood.] |