fion. The malecontents of that country had all along maintained a correfpondence with their friends in England, who were now driven by refentment and apprehenfion into a fyftem of politics they would not otherwife have dreamt of. Some of the Tory party, who were men attached to the proteftant religion, and of moderate principles in government, began to affociate with the Jacobites, and to wish in earnest for a revolution. Scotland fift fhewed them an example. The earl of Mar affembling three hundred of his own vaffals in the Highlands, proclaimed the pretender at Caftletown, and fet up his ftandard at a place called Braemaer, affuming the title of lieutenant general of his majesty's forces. To fecond these attempts, two veffels arrived in Scotland from France, with arms, ammunition, and a number of officers, together with affurances to the earl, that the pretender himself would fhortly come over to head his own forces. The earl, in confequence of this promife, foon found himself at the head of ten thoufand men well armed and provided. He fecured the pafs of Tay at Perth, where his head quarters were established, and made himself mafter of the whole fruitful province of Fife, and all the feacoaft on that fide of the Frith of Edinburgh. He marched from thence to Dumblain, as if he had intended to crofs the Forth at Stirling bridge; but there he was informed of the preparations the duke of Argyle was making, who was raifing iorces to give him battle. This nobleman, whofe family had fuffered fo much under the Stewart line, was ítill poffeffed of his hereditary hatred; and upon this occafion he was appointed commander in chief of all the forces of North Britain. The earl of Sunderland alfo went down to Scotland to raise forces for the fervice of government; and many other Scottish peera VOL. IV. followed G followed the example. The earl of Mar being informed that the duke was advancing against him from Stirling, with all his own clans, affifted by fome troops from Ireland, at firft thought it wifest to retreat But being foon after joined by fome of the clans under the earl of Seaforth, and others under general Gordon, an experienced officer, who had fignalized himself in the Ruffian fervice, he refolved to face the enemy, and directed his march towards the South. The duke of Argyle apprized of his intentions, and at any rate willing to prove his attachment to the prefent government, refolved to give him battle in the neighbourhood of Dumblain, though his forces did not amount to half the number of the enemy. In the morning, therefore, he drew up his which did not exceed three thousand army, five hundred men, in order of battle; but he foon found him greatly out-flanked by the enemy. The duke, therefore, perceiving the earl making attempts to furround him, was obliged to alter his disposition, which, on account of the scarcity of general officers, was not done fo expeditiously, as to be finished before the rebels began the attack. The left wing, therefore, of the duke's army received the centre of the enemy, and supported the first charge without fhrinking. It seemed even for a while victorious, as the earl of Clanronald who commanded against it, was killed on the spot. But Glengary, who was fecond in command, undertook to infpire his intimidated forces; and waving his bonnet, cried out feveral times, Revenge. This animated the rebel troops to fuch a degree, that they followed him close to the points of the enemies bayonets, and got within their guard. A total rout began to enfue of that wing of the royal army; and general Wetham, their commander, ing full speed to Stirling, gave out that all was loft, loft, and that the rebels were completely victorious. In the mean time, the duke of Argyle, who commanded in perfon on the right, attacked the left of the enemy, and drove them before him two miles, though they often faced about, and attempted to rally. Having thus entirely broken that wing, and driven them over the river Allen, he returned back to the field of battle, where to his great mortification he found the enemy victorious, and patiently waiting the affault. However inftead of renewing the engagement, both armies continued to gaze at each other, neither caring to begin the attack. At evening, both fides drew off, and both fides claimed the victory. Though the poffeffion of the field was kept by neither, yet certainly all the honour, and all the advantages of the day, belonged only to the duke of Argyle. It was fufficient for him to have interrupted the progrefs of the enemy; for in their circumftances, delay was defeat. In fact the earl of Mar foon found his dif appointments and his loffes encrease. The caftle of Inverness, of which he was in poffeffion, was delivered up to the king, by lord Lovat, who had hitherto profeffed to act in the intereft of the pretender. The marquis of Tullibardine forfook the earl, in order to defend his own part of the country; and many of the clans feeing no likelihood of coming foon to a fecond engagement, returned quietly home; for an irregular army is much easier led to battle, than induced to bear the fatigues of a campaign. In the mean time, the rebellion was ftill more unfuccessfully profecuted in England. From the time the pretender had undertaken this wild project at Paris, in which the duke of Ormond and lord Bolingbroke were engaged, lord Stair, the English ambaffador there, had penetrated all his defigns, and fent faithful accounts of all his mea G 2 fures, fures, and all his adherents, to the ministry at home. Upon the first rumour, therefore, of an infurrection, they imprisoned several lords and gentlemen, of whom they had a fufpicion. The earls of Home, Wintown, and Kinnoul, and others, were committed to the caftle of Edinburgh. The king obtained leave from the lower houfe to feize Sir William Wyndham, Sir John Packington, Harvey, Combe, and others. The lords Landfdown and Duplin were taken into cuftody. Sir William Wyndham's father-in-law, the duke of Somerset, offered to become bound for his appearance; but his furety was refused. But all these precautions were not able to ftop the infurrection in the western countries, where it was already begun. However all their preparations were weak and ill conducted, every measure was betrayed to government as foon as projected, and many revolts repreffed in the very outlet. The univerfity of Oxford was treated with great severity on this occafion. Major general Pepper, with a ftrong detachment of dragoons took poffeffion of the city at day break, declaring he would inftantly fhoot any of the ftudents, who fhould prefume to appear without the limits of their respective colleges. The infurrection in the Northern counties A. D. came to greater maturity. In the month of October, the earl of Derwentwater 1715. and Mr. Forfter, took the field with a body of horse, and being joined by fome gentlemen from the borders of Scotland, proclaimed the pretender. The first attempt was to feize upon Newcastle, in which they had many friends; but they found the gates fhut against them, and were ovliged to retire to Hexham. To oppose these, general Carpenter was detached by government, with a body of nine hundred men, and an engagement was hourly expected. The rebels had two methods, methods, by which they might have conducted themselves with prudence. The one was to march directly into the Western parts of Scotland, and there join general Gordon, who commanded a ftrong body of Highlanders. The other was to crofs the Tweed, and boldly attack general Carpenter, whofe forces did not exceed their own. From the infatuation attendant on that party, neither of thefe measures were purfued. They took the route to Jedburgh, where they hoped to leave Carpenter on one fide, and penetrate into England by the western border. This was the effectual means to cut themselves off either from retreat or affiftance. A party of Highlanders, who had joined them by this time, at firit refufed to accompany them in this defperate irruption, and one half of them actually returned to their own country. At Brampton, Mr. Forfter opened his commiffion of general, which had been fent him from the earl of Mar, and there he proclaimed the pretender. They continued their march to Penrith, where the body of the militia that was affembled to oppose them, fed at their appearance. From Penrith, they proceeded, by the way of Kendal and Lancaster, to Prefton, of which place they took poffeffion. without any refiftance. But this was the laft ftage of their ill advised incurfion; for general Wills, at the head of feven thousand men, came up to the town to attack them; and from his activity there was no escaping. They now therefore, began to raife barricadoes, and to put the place in a pofture of defence, repulfing the firft attack of the royal army with fuccefs. Next day, however, Wills was reinforced by Carpenter, and the town was invested on all fides. In this deplorable fituation, to which they were reduced by their own rashness, Forfter hoped to capitulate with the general, and accordingly fent colonel Oxburgh, who had been G 3 taken |