Page:Cassell's Illustrated History of England vol 4.djvu/519

A.D.1745] designs. Besides the handful of troops under the incompetent command of Sir John Cope—troops as destitute of discipline as they were scanty in number—there was scarcely an English soldier north of the Tweed. Nor was this the worst feature of this astounding neglect of the danger in that quarter.



From the date of the rebellion, nothing had been done to put a check upon the Highland clans, except to make military roads across the mountains, and to build two or three forts. These, moreover, were deemed amply sufficient to keep the Highlanders in subjection. As for conciliation, or for winning over those clans by making it one or two good and far-seeing men, were treated with contempt. The Highland clans were of three classes. First, there were the whig clans, the Campbells, the Grants, the Munros, Mackays, and Sutherlands. Had these powerful and numerous clans been armed and encouraged, they would of themselves have been able to put down any insurrections in the Highlands, for they were by far the most numerous and powerful, and well affected to government, and jealous of the Jacobite clans. There would have needed few English troops in Scotland; but on an emergency, with the assistance of a body of English troops, all opposition would their interest to be loyal, such matters, though urged by have been hopeless. But all the Highlanders had been