him in his ambitious project, in which providence, it is vifible, intended he never should fucceed, as I hope clearly to prove to you in my next. LETTER THE FIFTH. INFATUATED by this victory, he remained at Edinburgh, much longer than one in his defperate fituation ought to have done, if he had any hopes of accomplishing his evil designs; if he had not been under the fatality, that his wayward fate had determined to render his expectations abortive in the end. Many were the motives affigned for his delay, and strongly reported, by his best and nearest friends: yet at this very time he began to exert a fpirit, which he had not before shewn, and privately to murmur at the obftinacy and perverfenefs of the Scotch, and the disrespectful treatment he had received from feveral of that nation, who then accompanied him to their own ruin. Entertainments, operas, balls, and other amufements of that nature, greatly occupied a confiderable part of his time. By this he thought to render himself amiable and agreeable to the nobility, and others, who at that time reforted to Edinburgh Edinburgh; and in order, by an affable, obliging, and courteous behaviour, to remove those prejudices that had been and remained strongly imprinted on the minds of most people, against his family, as well as to establish a good opinion and favourable reputation of himself; whilst his natural inclinations, and real intentions, were, by this artful behaviour, concealed. On the other hand, it was faid, with equal appearance of truth, that he remained at Edinburgh only to wait for the arrival of some of the clans, who were preparing to follow, and who had faithfully promised to march and join him. One or other of these reasons may be true; and, for my own part, I am inclined to believe, that there is some truth in both. But amongst all the idle uncreditable reports that were then spread abroad on this subject, none was more ridicu→ lous, false, or ill founded, than that which related to an intrigue with a woman called * Miss Jenny Cameron: her ftation, her age, her occupation, taste, and character, effectually remove every kind of fufpicion on that head. This woman brought on herself the reputation, or rather the nick-name, of his mistress, merely by fpeaking favourably of him and his interefts, and by profeffing an attachment to him, which was common to all her name, who at that time E 2 formed * This woman lived at Edinburgh; was what the Highlanders called loyally attached to the family of the Stuarts; was used to invite the ladies and gentlemen of the town to come to see her, and drink Charly's health. She was far advanced in years, kept a kind of milliner's fhop, and was only dubb'd by way of ridicule with the name of his mistress. formed a large clan. Had the liking or paffion, which had captivated him for Mifs Walking fhaw, whom he afterwards caused to be brought over to France to him, and who still remains with him, notwithstanding his repeated unkindneffes, and cruel treatment of her, as may hereafter be more particularly mentioned; had this, I fay, been known at that time, the name of Jenny Cameron had been as much in oblivion then, as it is now, and ever will remain. It was to these amufements, entertainments, dancings, and the like, with waiting for fome of the clans to advance and join him, that the delay was owing; which prevented him from marching forward fooner, in order to attack Carlife, to open for himself a paffage into England, which he afterwards, but too late, effected, with refpect to his grand view, and other interefts: for whilft, by his delay at Edinburgh, he was fecuring to himself an imaginary fund of praise and affection, he was, in reality, drawing upon himself a load of blame, trouble, and disappointment; which, by a woeful experience, he foon after difcovered, in the fatal confequences that followed. He doubted not of being joined by feveral in his march to Derby; but, to his great mortification, a few only of the common people, about Manchefter, ranked themselves unfortunately under his forelorn standard. Besides, his delay gave time for the English minifters to call home fome of the national regular troops from Flanders (where they were then employed) with the duke of Cumberland at their head; whilft others, in the pay of Great Britain, or by treaty united to her interefts, put themselves in march for the fame purpose, and foon arrived in England. This This answered the views of the French minifter: for, Bruffels being at this time closely befieged by Marshal Saxe, it foon fell into his hands. He had thrown such a quantity of bombs into that city, that many churches and convents fuffered thereby; and most of the nuns, who for beyears fore had not once feen the street, or enjoyed the conversation of men, unless that of their confeffors, were obliged to fly from those convents, for fome time, which gave them the opportunity of seeing the world once more, and of tasting, for fome short time, those pleasures of life they had fo long renounced. We cannot too much admire or applaud the dispatch and chearfulness, with which the English army advanced to seek the enemy. A kind of terror had, at this time, began to spread itself abroad, and the progress of the rebels alarmed great numbers of people; which rendered the bufinefs much more serious than it appeared to be in its first breaking out. What is it any army will not do or endure, commanded by a general whom they love, and in whom they place their hopes and confidence? After the fatigues of long campaigns abroad, their courage warm, and, reanimated with love and duty for their king and country, they look for an occafion to give fresh proofs of both, being perfuaded, that they shall return with victory and laurels. London was not at this time, you know, entirely free from apprehenfions and inquietude; but the city, always ready to fupport the just rights of the crown, not less distinguished for its zeal and attachment to the illustrious family on * on the throne, than for their deteftation and contempt of the Stuarts race, was not wanting to take fuch precautions, and pursue such measures, as the exigence of the times, the danger that menaced the public tranquillity, and the neceffities of the national affairs, demanded. Their attention and liberality were of very great utility: contributions were made, and neceffary fupplies were fent to the foldiers, which were not otherwife provided for; and who, in a hard winter, at that time advancing faft upon them, in proportion as they advanced to meet the enemy, found great benefit and relief thereby; as they prevented many from being attacked by colds and other diforders, that might have been fatal to them, and weaken the arms of our country, and which are generally the certain confequences of winter campaigns. But this was not the only happy effect of their loyal and prudent deliberations and refolutions on this event. It had an effect, perhaps, not thought of, or much expected, at the time of taking those resolutions, and exerting those acts of zeal and generofity. The adventurer saw with grief, that he had no friends, or none of any confequence; that the good and glorious example of the city of London would foon be followed by the rest of the kingdom, if there should be any farther neceffity for other supplies, of what nature soever they might be. He faw with a forrowful heart, that no rifings, *The utility of Alderman, now Sir Stephen Theodore Jansen's great fervices on this occafion, can never be forgot.-See the Appendix at the end of the 2d volume, giving an account of the particular fums raised and applied by the city of London on this eritical occafion. |