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was expected with the greatest anxiety by the inhabitants of Edinburgh, who were continually looking up to the vanes and weather-cocks to ascertain the direction of the wind. On the same day, Provost Stewart directed the volunteers to prepare a list of twenty or thirty persons whom they thought proper to command the companies, that he might name the captains. A deputation accordingly waited upon him with the required list, and on the following day he selected six, among whom was Drummond, his predecessor in office. Each of the captains was allowed to appoint two lieutenants for his own company.*

The volunteers being thus organized, they were regularly drilled twice every day. Cannon were brought up from Leith and mounted on the walls, and the works were proceeded in with renewed activity under the superintendence of Maclaurin, the celebrated mathematician, who bad furnished the designs.

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CHAPTER III.

Departure of Charles from Perth-Crosses the Forth-Retreat of Gardiner's dragoons -The Prince arrives at Falkirk-Holds a council of war-Detachment sent to attack the dragoons, who retire to Kirkliston-Charles arrives at Corstorphine-Great alarm and confusion in Edinburgh-Mock heroism of the Edinburgh volunteers-Junction of Gardiner's and Hamilton's dragoons-Joined by the city-guard and Edinburgh regiment-Flight of the dragoons-Meeting of the magistrates and inhabitants of Edinburgh-Message from Prince Charles-Deputations from the city-Arrival of Cope off Dunbar-Capture of Edinburgh by the Highlanders-Arrival of Charles at the palace of Holyrood-The Chevalier de St George proclaimed at the cross by the heralds-Manifesto of the Prince-Cope lands his troops at Dunbar-Advances to Haddington and afterwards to Preston-Departure of the Prince from EdinburghBattle of Preston.

As early as the seventh of September, Charles had received notice of Cope's intention to embark at Aberdeen; and, that he might not be anticipated by Cope in his design of seizing the capital, he began to make arrangements for leaving Perth for the south. Before the eleventh his force was considerably augmented by tributary accessions from the uplands of Perthshire, and, as his coffers had been pretty well replenished, he resolved to take his departure that day. With this view, Lord George Murray sent. an express to his brother, the marquis of Tullibardine, on the seventh, requesting him to march with such forces as he had collected, on the morning of Tuesday the tenth, by Keinacan and Tay bridge, so as to reach Crieff next day, that he might be able to form a junction with the main army at Dunblane or Doune the following day.*

Charles, accordingly, left Perth on Wednesday the eleventh day of September on his route to the south. The van of the army, or rather a few of each of the clans, reached Dunblane that night, in the neighbourhood of which they encamped. The greater part of the men lagged behind, and did not get up till next day, when they appeared to be greatly fatigued. As this result was imputed to the good quarters they had enjoyed for the last eight days at Perth, and the want of exercise, it was resolved that henceforth the army should encamp in the open air, and be kept constantly in motion. On his march to Dunblane, the prince was joined by Macdonald of Glencoe,

* Jacobite Memoirs, p. 31.

Kirkconnel MS

Sixty of these Macdonalds had previously joined at Perth.

with sixty of his men, and by James Drummond or Macgregor of Glengyle at the head of two hundred and fifty-five Macgregors, the retainers of Macgregor of Glencairnaig.*

Having been obliged to halt a whole day for the remainder of his army, Charles remained in his camp till the thirteenth, on which day he crossed the Forth at the Fords of the Frew, almost in the face of Gardiner's dragoons, who retired towards Stirling on the approach of the Highland army, without attempting to dispute its passage. While passing by Doune, Charles received particular marks of attention from some of the ladies of Menteith, who had assembled in the house of Mr Edmondstone of Cambuswallace, in the neighbourhood of Doune to see him as he passed. A collation had been provided for him, in the expectation that he would have entered the house; but he courteously excused himself, and stopping before the house without alighting from his horse, drank a glass of wine to the healths of his fair observers. The daughters of Mr Edmondstone, who served the prince on this occasion, respectfully solicited the honour of kissing his hand,—a favour which he readily granted; but he was called upon to accord a favour of a still more important character by Miss Robina Edmondstone, cousin to the daughters of the host. The favour sought was the liberty 66 to pree his royal highness's mou." Charles, not being sufficiently acquainted with broad Scotch, was at a loss to comprehend the nature of the request; but on its being explained to him, he instantly caught her in his arms, and instead of allowing her to perform the operation, he himself imprinted a thousand kisses on her fair and blushing face, to the great amusement of the spectators.†

The passage of the Forth had always been considered one of the most daring and decisive steps which a Highland army could take. In their own country the Highlanders possessed many natural advantages over an invading foe, which gave them almost an absolute assurance of success in any contest even with forces greatly superior in numbers; and, in the adjoining Lowlands, they could, if worsted, easily retreat to their fastnesses; but their situation was very different on the south of the Forth, where they were more particularly exposed to be attacked by cavalry, a species of force which they chiefly dreaded, and from which they could, if routed, scarcely expect to escape. It is said, but not upon sufficient authority, that some of Charles's officers at first demurred to the propriety of exposing the army to the dangers of a Lowland campaign in the south, but that he would listen to no arguments against the grand design he had formed of seizing the capital. To cheer his men in the hazardous enterprise, the dangers of which now, for the first time, began to develope themselves, the prince is reported, on ar

The Gartmore MS. quoted in Birt's Letters makes the number only forty; but Home gives it as above.

Nimmo's History of Stirlingshire, edited by the Rev. Macgregor Stirling, p. 564.

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