Page:Cassell's Illustrated History of England vol 4.djvu/513

A.D.1745] strengthen him by their discouraging account of the force of the Highlanders. Nor did the sight of the judges and crown officers who had fled out of Edinburgh at the approach of the Highlanders tend to revive their spirits. Sir John took the level road towards Edinburgh, marching out of Dunbar on the 19th of September.



He does not appear to have sent before him reconnoitring parties, like a good general, to scour the hills, and enable him to assume more commanding ground should they have taken that way, in which case, by being on the heights and morasses in front, they could give battle, or delay it, at pleasure. There were two or three divergent paths along the plain, and these he did reconnoitre, sending two young volunteers on horseback along each road. These young men kept ahead, and returned at midnight, reporting all quiet. Others were then sent to look out till the dawn, two of whom never came back, being tempted by sherry and oysters at a country public-house, and there taken prisoners by an attorney's clerk, a mere lad. On the following morning Sir John quitted the high post-road near Haddington, becoming aware that his cavalry could not act if entangled amongst the defiles and inclosures around him. He took the lower road by St. Germains and Seaton. Home says that the spirits of the royal troops now became as unduly elevated as they had before been depressed, the country people who flocked from all sides to see the army declaring that there would be no battle—the Highlanders would run as soon as they saw them; and some of the officers themselves talked in this strain.