their congregations. The people found the Volunteers ranked up in the Lawnmarket, preparatory to marching out of town; and immediately after, Hamilton's dragoons rode up the street, on their way from Leith to Corstorphine. These heroes clashed their swords against each other as they rode along, and displayed, by their language, the highest symptoms of courage. The Volunteers, put into heart by their formidable appearance, uttered a hearty huzza, and the people threw up their hats in the air. But an end was soon put to this temporary affectation of bravery. The mothers and sisters of the volunteers began to take the alarm at seeing them about to march out to battle, and, with tears, cries, and tender embraces, implored them not to hazard their precious lives. Even their male relations saw fit to advise them against so dangerous a measure, which they said staked their valuable persons against the worthless carcasses of a parcel of brutes. That these remonstrances were by no means unsuccessful, was speedily shown by the result. An order being given to march after the dragoons, Captain ExProvost Drummond, who stood at the head of the regiment, led off his company down the West Bow, towards the West Port, expecting all the rest to follow in their order. What was this gentleman's astonishment, on reaching the gate, to find that, instead of being followed as he expected, only a few of his more immediate friends and most enthusiastic comrades had chosen to do him that honour! All the rest had either remained irresolute where they were in the Lawnmarket, or slipped down the various lanes which they passed in their

brief march to the West Port. A city wag after→ wards compared their march to the course of the Rhine, which at one place is a majestic river flowing through fertile fields, but, being continually drawn off by little canals, at last becomes a small rivulet, and is almost lost in the sand before reaching the ocean.

When Drummond found himself so poorly attended, he sent back a lieutenant to know what had detained the regiment. Out of all who were still standing in the Lawnmarket, this gentleman found an hundred and forty-one who still retained some sense of either shame or courage, and expressed themselves willing to march. The lieutenant brought these down to the West Port, where, being added to the Town Guard and the half-fledged subscription-regiment, they made up a body of three hundred and sixty-three men, besides officers.

Even this insignificant band was destined to be still farther reduced before making a movement against the approaching danger. As they were standing within the West Port, before setting out, Dr Wishart, a clergyman of the city, and Princi pal of the College, came down with several other clergymen, and conjured the Volunteers to remain within the walls, and reserve themselves for the defence of the city. The words of the reverend man appealed directly to the sentiments of the persons addressed; and, though some affected a courage which could listen to no proposals of peace, by far the greater part would have gladly obeyed the Doctor's behest. Happily, their manhood was saved the shame of a direct and pointblank retreat, by a circumstance which took place

just at this time. Drummond having sent a mes sage to the Provost, bearing, that unless he gave his final permission for their march, they should not proceed, they were gratified with an answer, in which the Provost congratulated them upon their resolution not to march; on which Drummond, who had made all this show of zeal for the meanest of purposes, withdrew with the air of a man who is baulked by malice in a design for the public service; and all the rest of the Volunteers dispersed except a few, chiefly hot-headed college youths, who resolved to continue in arms till the end of the war. 3 Meanwhile the Town Guard and Edinburgh Regiment, in number an hundred and eighty men, marched out, by order of the Provost, to support the dragoons at Corstorphine; being the whole force which the capital of Scot land found it possible on this occasion to present against its formidable enemy.

The night succeeding this disgraceful day was spent without disturbance. The walls of the city were guarded by six or seven hundred men, consisting of Trained Bands, Volunteers, and tenants of the Duke of Buccleuch, who had been sent by that nobleman to assist in defending the town. Some of these watchmen were not relieved for twenty-four hours; and as we learn from a newspaper of the period, that the magistrates had restricted them during the night to a " single chopin of ale," the nature of the service may be conjectured as having been by no means very agreeable. The grandfather of a citizen of Edinburgh now living, is said by his descendant to have been so much exhausted by a long course of vigils at the door of the Council Chamber, that he was obliged

at last to lay down his musket, and go home to his house in the Grassmarket for a refreshment.

During the course of this night the two regiments of dragoons retired to a field betwixt Leith and Edinburgh, and the infantry entered the city. Brigadier-General Fowkes arrived on the same night from London, in order to take the command of this little army of protection. He did so next morning; and, by an order from General Guest, governor of the castle, marched out to Colt Bridge, a place two miles west of the city, where he was joined in the course of the forenoon by the civic troops. Α person who saw these unfortunate soldiers at their post, 4 describes them as having been drawn up in the open field to the east of Colt Bridge, in

the form of a crescent, with Colonel Gardiner at their head, who, on account of his age and health, was muffled in a wide blue surcoat, with a handkerchief drawn round his hat and tied under his chin. The Edinburgh Regiment and Town Guard he describes as looking extremely dismal; but certainly their hearts could not be fainter than those of the "bluff dragoons. The event was such as to show that nobody had escaped the panic of this momentous day.

On retreating the preceding night to their quarters between Edinburgh and Leith, the dragoons had left a small reconnoitring party at Corstor phine, which is about two miles in advance of Colt Bridge. It was with this party that the panic commenced. The insurgents observing them on their approach to Corstorphine, sent forward one or two of their number on horseback to take a view of them, and bring a report of their number. These wicked fellows riding up pretty near,

thought proper to fire their pistols rather towards. than at the party; and the poor dragoons immediately, in the greatest alarm, wheeled about, without returning a shot, and retired upon the main body at Colt Bridge, to whom they communicated all their fears. It was immediately resolved by General Fowkes to make no further opposition to the rebels, whom he saw to be too strong to be resisted without some risk; and he accordingly issued the welcome order for a retreat. This mo

tion was performed with the greatest good will by the various troops; and the Jacobite inhabitants of Edinburgh were immediately gratified with the sight of these cowards, all galloping as hard as they could, over the ground now occupied by the New Town, on their way to the eastward.

A clamour immediately rose in the streets of Edinburgh, which, till this period, had been crowded with anxious faces; and hundreds ran about, erying that it was madness to think of defending the town, after the dragoons had fled, and that if this measure was persisted in," they should all be murdered!" A message from the Young Chevalier had previously been delivered to them, importing, that if they admitted him peaceably into the town, they should be civilly dealt with, but that resistance would subject them to all the pains of military usage; and the general cry now was, that the town should be surrendered. The Provost, in returning from the West Port, where he had been giving orders, in consequence of the retreat of his militia, was assailed upon the street by multitudes of the alarmed inhabitants, and implored to call a meeting of the citizens, to determine what should be done. He consented with some reluctance to