history of the mackenzies-第75章

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mother　the　Dowager；　〃Frances　Seaforth。〃　　But　on　the　22d　of　June；　1713；　she　addresses　a　letter　to　Colin　Mackenzie　of　Kincraig；　in　which　she　says〃I　find　my　son　William　is　fully　　inclined　to　do　justice　to　all。　　Within　fifteen　days　he　will　be　at　Brahan。〃　＇Original　produced　at　Allangrange　Service　in　1829。＇

At　this　period　the　great　majority　of　the　southern　nobles　were　ready　to　break　out　into　open　rebellion；　while　the　Highland　chiefs　were　almost　to　　a　man　prepared　to　rise　in　favour　of　the　Stuarts。　　This　soon　became　known　　to　the　Government。　　Bodies　of　armed　Highlanders　were　seen　moving　about　　in　several　districts　in　the　North。　　A　party　appeared　in　the　neighbourhood　of　　Inverness　which　was；　however；　soon　dispersed　by　the　local　garrison。　　The　　Government　became　alarmed；　and　the　Lords　Justices　sent　a　large　number　　of　half…pay　officers；　chiefly　from　the　Scottish　regiments；　to　officer　the　militia；　under　command　of　Major　General　Whitham；　commander…in…chief　　at　the　time　in　Scotland。　　These　proceedings　alarmed　the　Jacobites；　most　of　whom　returned　to　their　homes。　　The　Duke　of　Gordon　was　confined　in　Edinburgh　Castle；　and　the　Marquis　of　Huntly　and　Lord　Drummond　in　their　　respective　residences。　　The　latter　fled　to　the　Highlands　and　offered　bail　for　　his　good　behaviour。　　Captain　Campbell　of　Glendaruel；　who　had　obtained　a　　commission　from　the　late　Administration　to　raise　an　independent　　company　of　Highlanders；　was　apprehended　at　Inverlochy　and　sent　prisoner　　to　Edinburgh。　　Sir　Donald　Macdonald；　XI。　of　Sleat；　was　also　seized　and　　committed　to　the　same　place；　and　a　proclamation　was　issued　offering　a　　reward　of　？00；000　sterling　for　the　apprehension　of　the　Chevalier；　should　he　land　or　attempt　to　land　in　Great　Britain。　　King　George；　on　his　arrival；　　threw　himself　entirely　into　the　arms　of　the　Whigs；　who　alone　shared　his　favours。　　A　spirit　of　the　most　violent　discontent　was　excited　throughout　　the　whole　kingdom；　and　the　populace；　led　on　by　the　Jacobite　leaders；　　raised　tumults　in　different　parts　of　the　King's　dominions。　　The　Chevalier；　　taking　advantage　of　this　excitement；　issued　a　manifesto　to　the　chief　　nobility；　especially　to　the　Dukes　of　Shrewsbury；　Marlborough；　and　Argyll；　who　at　once　handed　them　to　the　Secretaries　of　State。

The　King　dissolved　Parliament　in　January；　1715；　and　issued　an　extraordinary　proclamation　calling　together　a　new　one。　　The　Whigs　were　　successful　both　in　England　and　Scotland；　but　particularly　in　the　latter；　　where　a　majority　of　the　peers；　and　forty　out　of　the　forty…five　members　　then　returned　to　the　Commons；　were　in　favour　of　his　Majesty's　　Government。　　The　principal　Parliamentary　struggle　was　in　the　county　of　　Inverness　between　Mackenzie　of　Prestonhall；　strongly　supported　by　　Glengarry　and　the　other　Jacobite　chiefs；　and　Forbes　of　Culloden；　brother　　of　the　celebrated　President；　who　carried　the　election　through　the　influence　　of　Brigadier…General　Grant　and　the　friends　of　Lord　Lovat。

The　Earl　of　Mar；　who　had　rendered　himself　extremely　unpopular　among　the　Jacobite　chiefs；　afterwards　rewarded　some　of　his　former　favourites　by　advocating　the　repeal　of　the　Union。　　He　was　again　made　Secretary　of　State　for　Scotland　in　1713；　but　was　unceremoniously　dismissed　from　office　by　George　I。；　and　he　vowed　revenge。　　He　afterwards　　found　his　way　to　Fife；　and　subsequently　to　the　Braes　of　Mar。　　On　the　19th　of　August；　1715；　he　despatched　letters　to　the　principal　Jacobites；　among　　whom　was　Lord　Seaforth；　inviting　them　to　attend　a　grand　hunting　match　at　　Braemar　on　the　27th　of　the　same　month。　　This　was　a　ruse　meant　to　cover　　his　intention　to　raise　the　standard　of　rebellion　and　that　the　Jacobites　were　　let　into　the　secret　is　evident　from　the　fact　that　as　early　as　the　6th　of　August　those　of　them　in　Edinburgh　and　its　neighbourhood　were　aware　of　his　intentions　to　come　to　Scotland。　　Under　pretence　of　attending　this　grand　　match；　a　considerable　number　of　noblemen　and　gentlemen　arrived　at　　Aboyne　at　the　appointed　time。　　　Among　them　were　the　Marquis　of　Huntly；　　eldest　son　of　the　Duke　of　Gordon　the　Marquis　of　Tullibardine；　eldest　son　　of　the　Duke　of　Athole；　the　Earls　of　Nithsdale；　Marischal；　Traquair；　Errol；　　Southesk；　Carnwarth；　Seaforth；　and　Linlithgow；　the　Viscounts　Kilsyth；　　Kenmure；　Kingston；　and　Stormont　Lords　Rollo；　Duffus；　Drummond；　　Strathallan；　Ogilvie；　and　Nairne；　and　about　twenty…six　other　gentlemen　of　influence　in　the　Highlands；　among　whom　were　Generals　Hamilton　and　　Gordon；　Glengarry；　Campbell　of　Glendaruel；　and　the　lairds　of　　Aucterhouse　and　Auldbar。　＇Rae；　p　189；　Annals　of　King　George；　pp。　15…16。＇　　Mar　delivered　a　stirring　address；　in　which　he　expressed　regret　for　his　　past　conduct　in　favouring　the　Union；　and；　now　that　his　eyes　were　opened；　　promising　to　do　all　in　his　power　to　retrieve　the　past　and　help　to　make　his　countrymen　again　a　free　people。　　He　produced　a　commission　from　James　　appointing　him　Lieutenant…General　and　Commander　of　all　the　Jacobite　　forces　in　Scotland；　and　at　the　same　time　informed　the　meeting　that　he　was　supplied　with　money；　and　that　an　arrangement　had　been　made　by　which　he　　would　be　able　to　pay　regularly　any　forces　that　might　be　raised；　so　that　no　　gentleman　who　with　his　followers　should　join　his　standard　would　be　put　to　any　expense；　and　that　the　country　would　be　entirely　relieved　of　the　cost　of　　conducting　the　war；　after　which　the　meeting　unanimously　resolved　to　take　　up　arms　for　the　purpose　of　establishing　the　Chevalier　on　the　Scottish　throne。　　They　then　took　the　oath　of　fidelity　to　Mar　as　the　representative　of　　James　VIII。　and　to　each　other；　and　separated；　each　going　home　after　　promising　to　raise　his　vassals　and　to　be　in　readiness　to　join　the　Earl　　whenever　summoned　to　do　so。　　They　had　scarcely　arrived　at　their　　respective　destinations　when　they　were　called　upon　to　meet　him　at　　Aboyne　on　the　3d　of　September　following；　where；　with　only　sixty　　followers；　Mar　proclaimed　the　Chevalier　at　Castletown　in　Braemar；　after　　which　he　proceeded　to　Kirkmichael；　and　on　the　6th　of　September；　raised　　his　standard　in　presence　of　a　force　of　2000；　mostly　consisting　of　cavalry。

When　in　course　of　erection；　the　ball　on　the　top　of　the　flag…staff　fell　off。

This　was　regarded　by　the　Highlanders　as　a　bad　omen；　and　it　cast　a　gloom　　over　the　proceedings　of　the　day。

Meanwhile　Colonel　Sir　Hector　Munro；　who　bad　served　as　Captain　　in　the　Earl　of　Orkney's　Regiment　with　reputation　in　the　wars　of　Queen　Anne；　raised　his　followers；　who；　along　with　a　body　of　Rosses；　numbered　　about　600　men。　　With　these；　in　November；　1715；　he　encamped　at　Alness　　and　on　the　6th　of　October　following　he　was　joined　by　the　Earl　of　　Sutherland；　accompanied　by　his　son；　Lord　Strathnaver；　and　by　Lord　Reay；　　with　an　additional　force　of　600；　in　the　interest　of　the　Whig　Government；　　and　to　cover　their　own　districts　and　check　the　movements　of　the　Western　　clans　in　effecting　a　junction　with　the　Earl　of　Mar；　whom　Earl　William　and　Sir　Donald　Macdonald　had　publicly　espoused；　as　already　stated；　at　the　　pretended　hunting　match　in　Braemar。　　The　meeting　at　Alness　was　　instrumental　in　keeping　Seaforth　in　the　North。　　If　the　Earl　and　his　mother's　　clans　had　advanced　a　month　earlier　the　Duke　of　Argyll　would　not　have　dared　to　advance　against　Mar's　united　forces；　who　might　have　pushed　an　　army　across　the　Forth　sufficient　to　have　paralyzed　any　exertion　that　might　　have　been　made　to　preserve　a　shadow　of　the　Government。　It　may　be　said　　that　if　Dundee　had　lived　to　hold　the　commission　of　Mar；　such　a　junction　　would　not　have　been　necessary；　which　amounts　to　no　more　than　saying　　that　the　life　of　Dundee　would　have　been　tantamount　to　a　restoration　of　the　　Stuarts　Mar　was　not　trained　in　camp；　nor　did　he　possess　the　military　　genius　of　Dundee。　　Had　Montrose　a　moiety　of　his　force　things　would　have　　been　otherwise。　Mar；　trusting　to　Seaforth's　reinforcement；　was　inactive；　and　Seaforth　was　for　a　time　kept　in　by　the　collocation　of　Sutherland's　　levies；　till　he　was　joined　by　700　Macdonalds　and　detachments　from　other　clans；　amounting；　with　his　own　followers；　to　3000　men；　with　which　he　　promptly　attacked　the　Earl　of　Sutherland；　who　fled　with　his　mixed　army　　precipitately　to　Bonar…Bridge；　where　they　dispersed。　A　party　of　Grants　on　　their　way　to　join　them；　on　being　informed　of　Sutherland's　retreat；　thought　　it　pruden