with the government till the danger was over (" Pro sugges

tis, jam nullo periculo, Cumbrio devotissimæ preces passim "exauditæ);" or why, if the fact were so, he should now revive the memory of it by this unnecessary remark, I know not. Certainly Smollett gives another account of their behaviour, and has preserved an anecdote concerning one of them, which is worth remembering, and which I will here transcribe.

"While he (the Pretender) resided at Edinburgh, some of the Presbyterian clergy continued to preach in the churches of that city, and publicly prayed for King George without suffering the least punishment or molestation. One minister, in particular, of the name of Macvicar, being solicited by some Highlanders to pray for their prince, promised to comply with their request, and performed his promise in words to this effect: "And as for the young prince, who is come hithe in quest of an earthly crown, grant, O Lord, that he may speedily receive a crown of glory."* Hist. of Eng. b. 2. ch. 8, note.

I have been led to the mention of those remarks and reflections, which Dr. W. intersperses in his work very thickly. They are introduced, as I conceive, partly to instruct and entertain his reader, during the course of an old and wellknown story; and partly in imitation of Tacitus, whose manner he evidently follows. In this part he has succeeded better; yet even here, the mischief of his original error still pursues him. Some of his observations, which pass off de

* This neat turn was (I think) exceeded by another of the same kind, in the time of Oliver Cromwell. When that successful usurper had assumed the protectorate, and prayers were required to be made for him in the churches, one minister, who, according to the practice of those days, chose his own form of words, framed his prayer thus: "We beseech thee, O Lord, to look down upon the Protector of these realms: and as thou hast put the sword into his hand, put it into his heart also-to do good to thy people."

cently in a Latin dress, would make but a sorry figure in his native language. I will confine myself to a single example. The action at Falkirk, as he observes, was fought in the midst of wind and rain and this was greatly unfavourable to the king's 's troops, because the storm bea in their faces, and the rain made their firelocks useless. Here he inserts an observation upon the nature of gunpowder: his words are, "Adhæc "pulvis nitrosus, quæ est ejus natura, tubis restinctus cor"rumpitur;" p. 71. Would any man at this day, writing in any language of Europe, think of telling his readers that gunpowder is spoiled by the wet? Or would any man dream of putting this information in an English history, unless it were addressed to a people unacquainted with the use of fire

arms?

But as I have freely censured the performance of Dr. W. in some points which I think reprehensible, so I shall willingly bring forward others, where he appears to advantage.

In his local descriptions he is neat and perspicuous. Of this, the following, of the mountain Coriarach, may be given as an example:

"Mons Coriarichus non modò editus admodùm, sed ab oriente "adeò rectus est, & quasi præcisus, ut parietis ad cœlum usque "subtructi speciem præ se ferat. Juga vicina, etiam per æstatem, "gelida ac fida nivibus. Ipse unico tramite superandus, eoque "adeò tortuoso, ut jumenta sursum enitentia decies septies in "gyrum agi conspiciantur. Adhoc, petris asperis laxisque totus 66 propè coopertus inhorrescit, quibus desuper provolutis justus "exercitus, vel inermi manu proteri dejicique posset. Nec jam " verticem adsequutis, nihil eluctandum restat, quum neque jugo "simplici continuatus, neque in apicem unicum adsurgens, dorsum "habeat crebris impeditisque valliculis intercisum. Harum sin. 66 gulas interluunt torrentes montani, nonnunquam aspero, lubrico "nonnunquam fallentique alveo meantes. Adhæc, coryli sylvestres & sorbi aucupariæ sponte enatæ latebras insidiis maximè "opportunas itineri circundant." P. 37, 38.

The next extract which I shall make is the account of a very singular exploit that took place near Inverness: a military stratagem which was planned by a lady, and executed by a - GG 2

blacksmith. The story is well told, and enlivened with many natural circumstances :

"Intereà Loudonus Comes, qui haud spernendam regiorum manum Innernessum contraxerat, Stuartum in vicino commorantem "clam aggredi statuit. Distat ab Innernesso Moia, principis Mac"intotiorum prædium, circiter M. P. IX. Eò, militibus, maximam 66 partem, commeatu dato dimissis, concesserat Carolus, à Dominâ "Macintotiâ, ipsâ gentis principe, (spreto conjuge, qui fermè uni❝cus è clientela regi nomen dederat,) gratissimo exceptus hospitio.

66

Vigiliis remissiùs habitis, è clientibus aderant ad summum D, "minores profectò, quàm qui in hostico propè et ducem et caussam "belli custodirent. Ea omnia per exploratores Loudono cognita. 66 Igitur, delectis ad мD militibus, nocte illuni Moiam pergit, con"fecti belli gloriam sibi certò spondens. Cæterùm haud ante pro"fectus erat quàm Macintotia, cui nil muliebre præter corpus, lite"ris ab Innernesso, quod ad rei ordinem tempusque certior facta, "de toto commento turbando atque evertendo cogitat. Eum in "finem, neque Carolo ablegato, ac ne quidem consilii participe fac"to, neque in re trepida milite in armis esse jusso, fabrum ferra. "rium cui plurimùm fidebat accersit; mandatque ut sex tantùm 66 septémve è familiaribus suis stipatus viam quâ Innernessum itur, "insideret, Loudonumque, ludificaretur averteretque. Lubens ob "temperat homo vafer ac versutus. Jamque in insidiis erant, quum pedum supplosione adesse regios moniti, sclopetis quibus "instructi fuerant displosis, ingenti strepitu discurrunt, aciemque, quæ tamen nulla erat, ordinare videntur, Dextrâ Macdonal"dos, sinistra Cameronios,' subinde Lochielium Keppochiumque, nota simul et metuenda regiis nomina, compellantes. Jamque "perculsis auget pavorem caligo et noctis silentium: neque con"silio posthac, ac ne vel cæco Marti locus erat: namque his auditis "unà omnes, quà cuique obviam, turpi fugâ sibi consulere; socios "propè exanimes proterere et conculcare, inter itineris angustias "aliis super alios coarctatis et acervatis. Neque ad stragem cumu"landam hoste opus erat; quum prout quis cuique suorum aderat "hostis adesset perinfestus: jurgiis denique ac comploratione om. "nia plena. Mane primo, vibicibus ac luto deformes, pudendum " in modum Innernessum repetunt. Intereà Carolus, tam periculi 66 quàm victoriæ, nescius, lecto surrexerat, quum faber reversus, ❝ haud sine verborum jactantiâ, de rebus à se noctu gestis ordine disserit. Scilicet id magnis olim imperatoribus ante triumphum "licuisse accepimus, quanquam inter vetera, sive famæ, sive fortunæ, exempla, ullo astu triumphatum hostem bis centuplicem "laboret annalium fides." P. 85-87.

The author's reflections on the event of the battle of Culloden, are just, and solemn, and well adapted to the occasion :

3

"Hic erat ille dies reliquæ Britanniæ lætus, Caledoniæ luctuo66 sus, si quem diem aut lætum aut luctuosum reddere valeant, hinc, "jus, fas, lex, in æternum stabilita, inde, non unius campi strages,

quæque stragem vulgò consequuntur, populationes, incendia, rap"tus; quin et indomita eousque genti mos impositus, neque no"cendi modò sed et injurias propulsandi dempta facultas, etiam "lingua pro virili excisa, et, coalituræ in posterum gratiæ pignus iniquum, Celtarum vox extincta." P. 102, 103.

The last passage which I shall now produce is that where he describes the situation of the unfortunate adventurer, when he was traced into the Isle of Uist, and surrounded by his pur

suers:

Hæc in

"Per insulam neque finibus adeò laxam neque incolis frequen"❝tem, ad duo millia hominum nocte dieque commeantes, unum eun"demque ore, oculis, auribus perquirebant, quem in finem itinera "obsessa fuerant, portus trajectusque custodiis occupati, etiam mare ipsum celocibus ac naviculis infestum excubabat. "ter discrimina per mensem integrum Carolus insulanos fidissimos "habuit. Iisdem, ducibus unà et exploratoribus, usus, noctu sæpis"simè per stationes hostium elapsus, alia ex aliis latibula quærere ; quæ apud regios agerentur, nihil incompertum habere; ipse nonnunquam, è proximo, verba per silentium minacia exaudire, trucesque hostium vultus inter ignes collustrare." P. 113, 114.

All the circumstances of this description are well chosen. In the latter part, the lively images are represented as in a picture they are grand and terrific, and remind us of the author's great original. I have selected these four specimens to shew, by as many instances, that Dr. Whitaker, notwithstanding the faults in his writing, is capable of adorning his pages with the perspicuous, the natural, the pathetic, and the sublime.

I must now proceed to consider his book in another view. He sets out with observing, that the subject of his history may give a lesson of prudence to governors. I have already mentioned what that is.* In my opinion it may teach the people something more important, which he has omitted; viz. the wickedness of disturbing a settled government that is not greatly

* See above, page 425.

or dangerously tyrannical; and the folly of men in shedding their blood (as the friends of the exiled family did) in support of hereditary right. He says, none of the Stuarts had a cruel disposition; nemini animus per se cruentus, p. 4. Surely he forgets James II. and his government in Scotland, during the reign of his brother. Burnet has compared Charles to Tiberius. In the malignant parts of his character, James bore a nearer resemblance to that tyrant: he had not indeed so much dissimulation; that vice was corrected by his bigotry: whether or no his character was the better for it, I stand not to enquire.

The descendant of this family, and its representative in 1745, is the hero of Dr. Whitaker's story. But he does not well sustain that character. I shall not resort to other authors for any thing concerning him, but take the account as Dr. Whitaker has given it. His first landing on the coast of Scotland was an act of boldness beyond heroism. He came (says Dr. Whitaker) a foreigner, ignorant of the language and manners of the country, without troops, with little money, hardly any arms or ammunition, more like one escaped from shipwreck than an invader. Cameron of Lochiel, the chief of a clan, was the first person he applied to, and upon whom he chiefly depended. This friend shewed him the hopelessness of his enterprise, and intreated him to go back, and wait for a better opportunity. But to this he would not listen. Let Dr. Whitaker relate what followed :

"Juvenis indignabundus in hæc verba prorupit: Quum tu, "Lochieli, cujus in fidem ac prope tutelam, tanquam domûs regiæ "spectatissimi et integerrimi clientis, me permiserim, belli tamen "aleam exhorrescas, mihi certum est et obstinatum, paucis ab"hinc diebus, passo hoc in littore vexillo, solium avitum utcunque "repetere. Tu verò abi, et, principe periclitante, otio fruere.' "Tum demum Lochielius animi victus, manus dedit." P. 30.

Notwithstanding the magnanimity which the Doctor puts into this speech, the conduct was blindly obstinate; and Lochiel, if, instead of yielding, he had sat still and left him to