CHAPTER XII.

Proceedings of the Whig ministry-Declaration of the Chevalier de St George-Meeting of the Parliament-Arrival of George 1. in Engiand-Conduct of the earl of Mar-New Parliament assembled-Intrigues of the Jacobites-Character of the earl of Mar-Departs from England to erect the standard of revolt in Scotland-Summons a meeting of the Jacobites under the pretence of a hunting-match-Addresses the meeting, and informs them of his designs-Principal Jacobite chiefs summoned to appear at Edinburgh-The Chevalier de St George proclaimed by Mar, who raises the standard of revolt in Braemar-Sends a circular letter to the gentlemen of Perthshire—Issues a declaration-Letter by Mar to the bailie of Kildrummy—Death of Louis XIV.-Manifesto of the Jacobite chiefs.

THE dismissal of the earl of Oxford, from the office of lord-high-treasurer, was gratifying to the Jacobites, whose expectations he had disappointed, and they naturally waited with anxiety for the appointment of his successor, whom they confidently imagined would be Bolingbroke, his rival, who was supposed, on juster grounds, to favour their views, and to whom they had transferred their confidence. But all their hopes were disappointed by the promotion of the duke of Shrewsbury to the treasury, a nobleman distinguished for modesty and disinterestedness, and a devoted attachment to his country. This appointment was owing to the determined conduct of the dukes of Somerset and Argyle, who, on hearing of the dangerous state of the queen, and that the committee of the council were assembled at Kensington on the thirtieth of July, had repaired to the palace and entered the council chamber without being summoned. Their unexpected presence excited some surprise, particularly in Bolingbroke; but on the invitation of the duke of Shrewsbury, who thanked them for their attendance at such a critical juncture, they took their places at the council board. The meeting, thereupon, unanimously agreed to recommend Shrewsbury to the queen as the fittest person to fill the office of lord-treasurer, and she accordingly presented him with the white staff and requested him, at same time, to retain the staff of lord-chamberlain, which he offered to return.

To counteract still farther the schemes of Bolingbroke, all the privy counsellors in London, or the neighbourhood, had been invited, on the proposal of Somerset and Argyle, to attend the council without distinction of party, in consequence of which, Lord Somers, and many other Whig noblemen, repaired to Kensington. The presence of such a number c'

the Whigs completely overawed the Tories, who, confused, distracted, and disunited, were either unable or afraid to oppose the measures proposed by the former for effectually securing the protestant succession, and gave a tacit acquiescence to them. Every precaution, in short, had been taken to prevent any movement of the Jacobite party in favour of the Chevalier and an express was sent to the elector of Hanover, informing him that the physicians despaired of the queen's life, and desiring him to repair to England, with all convenient speed.

As soon as the death of the queen was announced, the lords of the privy council met, and drew up and issued a proclamation the same day, declaring that by the death of Queen Anne, the imperial crowns of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, had "solely and rightfully come to the High and Mighty Prince George, Elector of Brunswick, Lunenburg," in consequence of which, the prince was immediately proclaimed in London, by the heralds at arms, with the usual solemnities, and on Thursday the fifth of August, the same ceremony was repeated at the market cross of Edinburgh, by the deputy-lord-lyon, king at arms, in presence of the magistrates and town council of the city, the judges of the supreme courts, a considerable number of the nobility, and a large assemblage of the inhabitants. The Jacobites preserved a prudent silence on this occasion, but the supporters of the government at Edinburgh, took care, notwithstanding, to provide against any contingency. They, accordingly, cut off a part of the wooden bridge before the castle gate, and drew up the remaining part to cover the gate itself. They also threw up an intrenchment between the gate and the castle wall, on which they posted a party of armed soldiers. In addition to these precautions, Major-general Wightman, the commander of the forces, ordered the different detachments quartered at Dundee, and other places, to join his camp in the vicinity of Edinburgh, with which order they immediately complied.*

Pursuant to an act of the late reign, the parliament met on the day the queen died. The first four days were occupied in swearing in the members, and on the fifth of August, the parliament was opened by the lord chancellor, in name of the lords justices, on whom the interim administration of the government had devolved by an act of the fourth and fifth of Queen Anne. Both houses thereafter voted loyal addresses to his majesty, in which, after congratulating him upon his accession to the throne, they expressed their anxiety for his safe and speedy arrival in Great Britain. To these addresses, his majesty returned most gracious answers, which were reported to both houses on the twenty-fifth of August, on which day the parliament was prorogued till the twentythird day of September.

When the Chevalier de St George heard of the death of his sister, Queen Anne, he set off from his residence in Lorraine, to Paris, to

Rae's History of the late Rebellion, Dumfries, 1718. p. 63.

DECLARATION OF THE CHEVALIER DE ST GEORGE

257 crave the aid of the king of France, in vindication of his hereditary rights but Louis declined to interfere, on the ground that he had, by the treaty of Utrecht, acknowledged the protestant succession. Dis appointed in his application, he retired first to Luneville, and afterwards to Plombieres, whence on the twenty-ninth of August, he issued a declaration as King James the Third, asserting his indefeasible right to the crowns of Great Britain and Ireland, and solemnly protesting against every act that had been already done, or that should thereafter be done to the prejudice of his hereditary rights. In this declaration, he refers to a previous one which he issued on the eighth of October, seventeen hundred and four, after the death of King William, and to a protest dated from St Germains, on the twenty-fifth of April, seventeen hundred and twelve, when he found that a treaty of peace was about being concluded without any regard to him, in which protest he also maintained his right to the said crowns, and protested against whatever might be stipulated in the proposed treaty to his prejudice. He says, that although he had been obliged by the treaty to remove from France, that he had still continued to have his kingdoms and his people in view, and that he had never ceased to hope, that God would in time open his people's eyes, and convince them not only of the notorious injustice done to the crown and him, but of the dangerous consequences thereof for themselves; and that as he could not see, without grief and sorrow, their blood and treasure lavished in the late war, in opposition to his rights, so he could not now with less sorrow, see them exposed to be subjected to an arbitrary power, and become a prey to foreigners-that the settlement of the succession upon one who was so far removed from the regular line, was opposed to the maxims of the English constitution-that the elector of Brunswick was, besides, a foreigner, a powerful prince, and absolute in his own country-that he was ignorant of the laws, manners, customs, and language, and supported by a good many of his own people that there had been many thousands of aliens domiciled in England, for the last thirty years, who would be ready to stand by him upon all occasions-that the subversion of such a sacred and fundamental principle as hereditary right, would lead to endless wars and divisions, and that as there were many other princes, who had better pretensions to the crown than the elector of Brunswick, the nation could never enjoy any lasting peace or happiness, till the succession was again settled "in the rightful line.'

Meanwhile, certain movements in Scotland, among the friends of the Chevalier, indicated to the government that an insurrection was intended. Bodies of armed men were seen marching towards the Highlands, and a party of Highlanders appeared in arms near Inverlochy, which was, however, soon dispersed by a detachment from the garrison. In this situation of matters, the lords justices sent down to Scotland 8

considerable number of half pay officers, chiefly of the Scots regiments, to officer the militia of the country, under the direction of Majorgeneral Whitham, then commander-in-chief in Scotland. These prompt measures taken by the government, alarmed the Jacobites, who, after several consultations, retired to their homes. The duke of Gordon was, by order of the justices, confined in the city of Edinburgh, and the marquis of Huntly, and Lord Drummond, in their respective residences of Brahen, and castle Drummond. The last, on hearing that an order for his seizure had arrived, fled to the Highlands, but offered bail for his good behaviour. At the same time, Captain Campbell of Glendarnel, who had obtained a commission from the late Tory administration, to raise an independent company in the Highlands, was apprehended at Inverlochy, and carried prisoner to the capital, and Sir Donald M'Donald of Slait, was also seized and committed to the castle of Edinburgh.* As the lords justices had received information that the Chevalier intended to land in the kingdom, they, on the fifteenth of September, issued a proclamation, in terms of an act passed in the last session of parliament, offering a reward of one hundred thousand pounds sterling for his apprehension, should he land or attempt to land in Great Britain.t

King George, after vesting the government of his German dominions in a council, embarked at Orange Polder for England on the sixteenth day of September, and landed at Greenwich on the eighteenth, where he was received by the duke of Northumberland, captain of the life-guards, and by the lords justices, and a large number of the nobility and other persons of distinction. Among those who presented themselves on this occasion was the earl of Mar, one of the secretaries of state, but the king had been so prepossessed against this nobleman, and indeed against all the heads of the Tory party, that he did not vouchsafe even to notice him. The earl suspecting that means had been used to prejudice his majesty against him, had, in order to take off any unfavourable impression which these might have produced upon the king's mind, written a letter to George when in Holland on his way to England, congratulating him upon his accession to the throne, stating the services which he had rendered to the government, and assuring his majesty that he should find him as faithful and dutiful a subject and servant as ever any of his family, which had been always loyal, had been to the crown, or as he had been to his late mistress, the queen. With the same view, it is supposed, or to throw the go

• Rae, p. 77.

+ Gazette, 25th September, 1714.

The following is a copy of the original letter as published by sir Richard Steele :

"Sir,

"Having the happiness to be your majesty's subject, and also the honour of being one of your servants, as one of your secretaries of state, I beg leave to kiss your majesty's hand, and congratulate your happy accession to the throne, which I would done myself the honour of doing sooner, had I not hoped to have had the honour of doing it personally ere now.

IMPOLITIC CONDUCT OF GEORGE I

259

vernment off its guard, Mar caused a letter to be addressed to him by some of the heads and branches of the Jacobite clans expressive of their loyalty to King George, and declaring, that as they had been always ready to follow his lordship's directions in serving Queen Anne, they were equally ready to concur with him in faithfully serving his majesty. But the prejudices of the king against Mar were too deeply rooted to be overcome, and within eight days after the king's arrival in

*

I am afraid I may have had the misfortune of being misrepresented to your majesty, and my reason for thinking so is, because I was, I believe, the only one of the late queen's servants whom your ministers here did not visit, which I mentioned to Mr Harley and the earl of Clarendon, when they went from hence to wait on your majesty; and your ministers carrying so to me, was the occasion of my receiving such orders as deprived me of the honour and satisfaction of waiting on them and being known to them.

I suppose I had been misrepresented to them by some here upon account of party, or to ingratiate themselves by aspersing others, as our parties here too often occasion; but I hope your majesty will be so just as not to give credit to such misrepresentations.

The part I acted in the bringing about and making of the Union, when the succession to the crown was settled for Scotland on your majesty's family, when I had the honour to serve as secretary of state for that kingdom, doth, I hope, put my sincerity and faithfulness to your majesty out of dispute.

My family have had the honour, for a great tract of years, to be faithful servants to the crown, and have had the care of the king's children, (when kings of Scotland) intrusted to them. A predecessor of mine was honoured with the care of your majesty's grandmother when young, and she was pleased afterwards to express some concern for our family in letters, which I still have under her own hand.

I had the honour to serve her late majesty in one capacity or other ever since her accession to the crown. I was happy in a good mistress, and she was pleased to have some confidence in me, and regard for my services; and since your majesty's happy accession to the crown, I hope you will find that I have not been wanting in my duty in being instrumental in keeping things quiet and peaceable in the country to which I belong

and have some interest in.

Your majesty shall ever find me as faithful and dutiful a subject and servant as ever any of my family have been to the crown, or as I have been to my late mistress, the queen. And I beg your majesty may be so good not to believe any misrepresentations of me, which nothing but party-hatred, and my zeal for the interest of the crown, doth occasion; and I hope I may presume to lay claim to your royal favour and protection. As your accession to the crown hath been quiet and peaceable, may your majesty's reign be long and prosperous; and that your people may soon have the happiness and satisfaction of your presence among them, is the earnest and fervent wishes of him who is, with the humblest duty and respect,

Whitehall, Aug. 30, O. S. 1714."

Sir,

Your majesty's most faithful, most dutiful, and most obedient subject and servant,

MAR."

*This document, which was signed by the chief of Maclean, Macdonell of Glengarry, Cameron of Lochiel, Macdonell of Keppoch, Sir Donald Macdonald, Mackintosh of Mackintosh, Mackenzie of Fraserdale, M'Leod of Contulick, Grant of Glenmoriston, Chisholm of Comer, and M Pherson of Cluny, is as follows:

"My Lord, "So soon as we heard of the afflicting news of the death of her late majesty, Queen Anne, it did exceedingly comfort us, that, after so good and great a queen, who had the hearts and consulted the true happiness of all her people, we were to be governed by his sacred majesty, King George, a prince so brightly adorned with all royal virtues, that Britain, under his royal administration, shall still be flourishing at