Page:Cassell's Illustrated History of England vol 4.djvu/518

 504 could not, from the state of his health, join the march into England, both he, and the Macdonalds and the Macleods of the Isles were prepared to defend his interests in the Highlands. The greater part of this intelligence was false, entirely so as regarded the Isles-men, and it was now well known that the English government had got together twelve thousand veteran troops, besides thirteen regiments of infantry and two of cavalry newly raised. The Highland chiefs, therefore, strenuously opposed the march till they should receive the reinforcements which he had promised them from France, as well as more money. Others contended that he ought not to invade England at all, but to remain in Scotland, make himself master of it, and reign there as his ancestors had done. But it was not merely to secure the crown of Scotland that he had come; it was to recover the whole grand heritage of his race, and he determined to march into England without further delay. The Highland chiefs, however, resolutely resisted the proposal, and at three successive councils he strove with them in vain to induce them to cross the border and fight the array of marshal Wade, which lay at Newcastle, consisting of Dutch and English troops. At length Charles said indignantly, "Gentlemen, I see you are determined to stay in Scotland; I am resolved to try my fate in England, and I go, if I go alone."

Lord George Murray then said that, as they needs must go, he proposed that they should enter England on the Cumberland side, so as to harass Wade's troops, if he marched across to meet them. The idea was adopted as a great improvement; it was kept a profound secret. Still further to mislead the English, lord George proposed another plan, which was also adopted—to divide the army into two columns, to march by two different routes, but to unite at Carlisle. One of these was to be led by the prince himself by Kelso, as if intending to march directly into Northumberland, the other to take the direct road through Moffat. It was resolved to leave lord Strathallan to command in Scotland, to take up his head-quarters at Perth, receive the expected succours from France, and all such reinforcements from the Highlands as should come in.

These arrangements being complete, Charles lay at Pinkie House on the 31st of October, as he had done after the battle of Prestonpans, and the next day, the 1st of November, he commenced his march.



Each of the two columns was preceded by a number of horsemen to act as scouts. The pay of a captain was fixed at half-a-crown a day; that of a lieutenant two shillings; of an ensign eighteenpence; the privates received each sixpence, except the first rank of each regiment, which consisted of such as ranked as gentlemen, and were better armed, all having targets, which many of them had not; these tacksmen and dunie-wassails received a shilling a day each. In the day of battle each company of a regiment furnished two of its best men to form the bodyguard of the chief, who usually took his post in the centre, and was surrounded by his brothers and cousins, with whom it was a point of honour to defend the chief to the death. So set forward the Highland army for England, and it is now necessary to see what preparations England had made for the invasion.

At the time of the landing of prince Charles in Scotland, never was a country left so utterly unprotected, so utterly uncared-for as that country; as though, instead of being the very point to which the exiled dynasty would direct their first efforts in any attempt at recovering the throne, it had been a part of the kingdom the most remote from his