第86章

IhavealreadynoticedtheimputationsthrownbytheChevalierJohnstoneonthePrince’scourage。Butsomepartatleastofthatgentleman’staleispurelyromantic。Itwouldnot，forinstance，besupposed，thatatthetimeheisfavouringuswiththehighly-wroughtaccountofhisamourwiththeadorablePeggie，theChevalierJohnstonewasamarriedman，whosegrandchildisnowalive，orthatthewholecircumstantialstoryconcerningtheoutrageousvengeancetakenbyGordonofAbbachieonaPresbyterianclergyman，isentirelyapocryphal。Atthesametimeitmaybeadmitted，thatthePrince，likeothersofhisfamily，didnotesteemtheservicesdonehimbyhisadherentssohighlyasheought。Educatedinhighideasofhishereditaryright，hehasbeensupposedtohaveheldeveryexertionandsacrificemadeinhiscauseastoomuchthedutyofthepersonmakingit，tomeritextravagantgratitudeonhispart。Dr。King’sevidence(whichhisleavingtheJacobiteinterestrenderssomewhatdoubtful)goestostrengthenthisopinion。

TheingeniouseditorofJohnstone’sMemoirshasquotedastorysaidtobetoldbyHelvetius，statingthatPrinceCharlesEdward，farfromvoluntarilyembarkingonhisdaringexpedition，wasliterallyboundhandandfoot，andtowhichheseemsdisposedtoyieldcredit。Now，itbeingafactaswellknownasanyinhishistory，and，sofarasIknow，entirelyundisputed，thatthePrince’spersonalentreatiesandurgencypositivelyforcedBoisdaleandLochielintoinsurrection，whentheywereearnestlydesirousthathewouldputoffhisattemptuntilhecouldobtainasufficientforcefromFrance，itwillbeverydifficulttoreconcilehisallegedreluctancetoundertaketheexpedition，withhisdesperatelyinsistingoncarryingtherisingintoeffect，againsttheadviceandentreatyofhismostpowerfulandmostsagepartisans。Surelyamanwhohadbeencarriedboundonboardthevesselwhichbroughthimtosodesperateanenterprise，wouldhavetakentheopportunityaffordedbythereluctanceofhispartisans，toreturntoFranceinsafety。

ItisaverredinJohnstone’sMemoirs，thatCharlesEdwardleftthefieldofCullodenwithoutdoingtheutmosttodisputethevictory；and，togivetheevidenceonbothsides，thereisinexistencethemoretrustworthytestimonyofLordElcho，whostates，thathehimselfearnestlyexhortedthePrincetochargeattheheadoftheleftwing，whichwasentire，andretrievethedayordiewithhonour。Andonhiscounselbeingdeclined，LordElchotookleaveofhimwithabitterexecration，swearinghewouldneverlookonhisfaceagain，andkepthisword。

Ontheotherhand，itseemstohavebeentheopinionofalmostalltheotherofficers，thatthedaywasirretrievablylost，onewingoftheHighlandersbeingentirelyrouted，therestofthearmyout-numbered，out-flanked，andinaconditiontotallyhopeless。Inthissituationofthings，theIrishofficerswhosurroundedCharles’spersoninterferedtoforcehimoffthefield。AcornetwhowasclosetothePrince，leftastrongattestation，thathehadseenSirThomasSheridanseizethebridleofhishorse，andturnhimround。Thereissomediscrepancyofevidence；buttheopinionofLordElcho，amanoffierytemper，anddesperateattheruinwhichhebeheldimpending，cannotfairlybetaken，inprejudiceofacharacterforcouragewhichisintimatedbythenatureoftheenterpriseitself，bythePrince’seagernesstofightonalloccasions，byhisdeterminationtoadvancefromDerbytoLondon，andbythepresenceofmindwhichhemanifestedduringtheromanticperilsofhisescape。TheAuthorisfarfromclaimingforthisunfortunatepersonthepraiseduetosplendidtalents；

buthecontinuestobeofopinion，thatattheperiodofhisenterprise，hehadamindcapableoffacingdangerandaspiringtofame。

ThatCharlesEdwardhadtheadvantagesofagracefulpresence，courtesy，andanaddressandmannerbecominghisstation，theauthorneverhearddisputedbyanywhoapproachedhisperson，nordoesheconceivethatthesequalitiesareover-chargedinthepresentattempttosketchhisportrait。

ThefollowingextractscorroborativeofthegeneralopinionrespectingthePrince’samiabledisposition，aretakenfromamanuscriptaccountofhisromanticexpedition，byJamesMaxwellofKirkconnell，ofwhichIpossessacopy，bythefriendshipofJ。Menzies，Esq。ofPitfoddells。Theauthor，thoughpartialtothePrince，whomhefaithfullyfollowed，seemstohavebeenafairandcandidman，andwellacquaintedwiththeintriguesamongtheAdventurer’scouncil：-

EverybodywasmightilytakenwiththePrince’sfigureandpersonalbehaviour。Therewasbutonevoiceaboutthem。Thosewhominterestorprejudicemadearunawaytohiscause，couldnothelpacknowledgingthattheywishedhimwellinallotherrespects，andcouldhardlyblamehimforhispresentundertaking。Sundrythingshadconcurredtoraisehischaractertothehighestpitch，bes