Page:History of Prince Charles Edward Stuart.pdf/8

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Townly. His supposed intention was to pursue his way through Chester to Wales, where he     hoped to find a great number of adherents; but all the bridges on the river Mersey being broken down, he choose the road to Stoekport, and ford- ed the river at the head of his division, though the water rose to his middle. Taking Maecles- field and Congleton in his way, on the 4th of     December he entered the town of Derby, where his father was proclaimed with great solemnity. He had now advanced to within one hundred miles of the capital, which was filled with conster- nation, and had he proceeded might have made himself master of it, and been joined by a consid- erable number of his friends, who impatiently waited for his approach. Though suceess had hitherto attended him, Charles however found himself miserably dis- appointed in his expeetations. He was now in     the heart of England, and, except a few that join- ed him at Manehester, not a soul appeared in his behalf. The Weleh took no step to exeite an in- surrection in his favour; the French made no at- tempt towards an invasion; the highland chiefs began to murmur and he saw himself with a hand- ful of men hemmed in between two considerable armies, in the middle of winter, and in a country disaffected to his cause. He could scarcely hope