"November 27th, 1715.
"Sir,
"I had yours of the twenty-second, the twenty-fifth, and also spoke with the person you mention in it; I suppose he wou"d see you, as he returned. The disaster of our friends in England is very unlucky, both to affairs there and here. Since we knew of it here a _devil_, who I suspected for some time to be lurking amongst us, has appeared openly in his own colours. I forsaw this a-comeing some days ago. I have endeavoured to keep people from breaking amongst themselves, and was forced to go into the first step of it; but I hope we shall be able to have the manadgement of it, and prevent its doing any hurt, but to confounde in time comeing the designs of those who were the promoters of it. It was by the advise of all your friends what I have done, so let not our folks be alarmed when they hear of it from I----g. It is odd where the K----[115] can be all this time, since, by all appearance and all the accounts we have, he has left France long ago; but that must quickly appear, and I hope to get things staved off til it does. But without his comeing what can be done?
Tho" I hope that will not be the case. It is odd that others write of Col. H----y and Doctor Abor--y, both at Parise, and that they do not write themselves, tho" I"m told to-day that there"s a letter from them to me at Edinburgh, which I long for. We are told of troops comeing from Englande, both English and Dutch. I doubt if they"ll ventur to quitt with both, and I would fain hope that none of them will come soon. G.o.d grant that the K---- be safe. If he go to England, as we are told he designed, I doubt not but he knows of support there. I confess there"s a great deal lost by his long delay, but that certainly was not in his power to help, else it wou"d not have been so. If he still come here, I hope we will yet be able to make a stand for him this winter, but I thought I was obledged to let him know the true situation before he land, which I have done to the best of my pow"r, and lodged letters for him in the places where I thought it most likely he wou"d come, so that he may not be dissapointed by expecting to find things better than they are. He has been so long by the way that it wou"d seme he is not comeing to England, but that he is comeing round about Ireland to Scotland; and neither he nor D---- O----d[116] be in England. It wou"d seem that they will not stir there, which would make it a very hard task here; but I hope Providence will protect him, and yet settle him on his throne.
"I find it will be sometime before I can stirr from hence, and if the enemy get not reinforcments, I judge they will not stirr either; but as soon as they get them they certainly will, and I"m afraid we shall be oblidged to take the hills, which is a could quarter now.
I wish you knew a great many particulars I have to tell you, but it is not safe writing them; there are some people with us who it had been good for the King they had stay"d at home, where they want not a little to be, and will leave us at last, but we must make the best of them, tho" there be but ill stuff to make it of as the saying is.
Never had man so plaguie a life as I have had o" late; but I"ll do the best I can to go threw it, and not be unworthy of the trust reposed in me. My service to Mr. Hall, and I hope he"ll make my compliments to his correspondent at P----se,[117] who he mentions in his to me; but its odd that I have heard from none there myself ever sine B----n came, especially since other letters come through. I must own I have not had many encouragements, but that should be nothing if I had encouragements for others. Should it please G.o.d that the King"s affairs should not succeed, but that people capitulated, I do not purpose to be a Scots or Englishman if they would let me, and all that I wou"d ask for myself is liberty to go abroad, for in that case I wou"d rather live in Siberia than Britain. If the King does not come soon, I find people will not hold out long; but if he does, there are honest men enough to stand by him and not see him perish. Pray let me hear from you as often as you can, and when you write to Mrs. Miller[118] make my compliments to her. I wish some of our men here had her spirit. I hope you are now perfectly recover"d, but pray take care that you fall not ill again. Adieu.
"Pray cause give the enclosed to my brother as soon as it comes to your handes. I beg you may apprise our friends at London and Parise of what has been done hear to-day; the sending to Argle at Stirling a message about articles of treaty, as appears from other papers, which I tel you I was forced to go into;--that they may not be surprised at it and think we have given all over, which might have very bad consequences in both places. Do this by the first post. All will come right again if the King come soon to Britain."
The answer returned by the Duke of Argyle to Lord Mar"s overture was this: that "he had no sufficient powers to treat with the Earl of Mar and his Council as a body, but that he would write to Court about it."
To this reply, which was sent with much courtesy by the Duke, a rejoinder was made, "That when the Duke should let the Earl of Mar and his Council know that he had sufficient power, then they would make their proposition." The proposal was sent up to St. James"s, but no further notice was taken of it, nor were the powers of the Duke of Argyle extended to enable him to come to any terms with Lord Mar. But although the negotiation thus died away, the weakness it betrayed among the Jacobite party was highly prejudicial to their cause.
James, during all the recent events, had been engaged in making several attempts to leave St. Maloes. He had gone openly on board ships which were laden with arms and ammunition for his use, but had withdrawn when he found that his embarkation was known. He therefore changed his plans, and crossing to Normandy, resolved to embark at Dunkirk. Having lurked for several days, disguised as a mariner, on the coast of Brittany, he went privately to Dunkirk, where he embarked, attended by the Marquis of Tynemouth, the eldest son of the Duke of Berwick, Lieutenant Cameron, and several other persons, on board a French ship, which, according to some accounts, "was laden with brandy, and furnished with a good pa.s.s-port." Thus at length having ventured on the ocean, the Prince set sail towards Norway; but changed his direction, and steered towards Peterhead, in Aberdeenshire. During all this time, the Earl of Mar suffered from the utmost anxiety and perplexity for one who was unworthy of the exertions made for his restoration. This is evident from the following letter, dated November the thirtieth, to Captain Straiton:
"The accounts of that person"s[119] way of going on, and the danger he is in, confound me; but I hope Providence has not preserved him all this while to destroy him at last. I am doing all I can to make it safe; and perhaps what we thought our misfortune, (the men going home after Sheriff Muir,) may prove our happiness, they being where that person is to come, and I send troops there immediately."
"I knew before I got yours that the Dutch troops were coming here.[120] Those by sea may come soon, but those by land cannot be here a long time. They will now power in all the troups from England on us; but I hope we may hold it this winter in spite of them, tho"
we shall have hard quarters in the Highlands. In case of what Mr.
H----ll writes me prove true, and happen, for fear of accidents after it does, were it not fitt that you should write to France to send some ships to cruise up and down the north-west coast to save the person Mr. H----ll writes of, if things should not prove right?
and our friends in France can either send them from thence or Spain, round Ireland? I hear of but two little ships of warr on that coast; and the ships I would have sent may pa.s.s as marchant ships tradeing and putting in by accident therabouts, which they often do. Pray think of this, and write of it soon to France, as I intend to do to-night by an express I am sending; and were it not fitt you should write of it too to some trusty friend at London? But it must be done with the utmost caution, for fear of disheartning the English. Tho"
the safty of that person is of such consequence that all ways is to be taken for it, and all accidents guarded against.
"I wrote to you the twenty-seventh, and in it I gave you account of an affair which happened amongst us, which obliged us to send a message to the Duke of Argyll. I hope this came safe to your hand.
His answer was very civil, and our return was in the words following, viz: "We are obliged to the Duke of Argyll for his civility; that, since he has no powers to treat with us, we can say no more now; but if at any time he shall have them, and let us know it, we shall give our answer."
"I hope this affair has been so manadgd that all the spirit of division amongst us is crusht; and pray take care to informe our friends at London and Parise about it, that it may not alarme them.
I am affraid of its alarmeing the Regent, and keeping him from doing anything for the King; for which reason I send an express to Lord Bolingbroke to-night. I suppose it will be ten or twelve dayes at least before the Duke of Argyll will have a return, and we may know much before that time. If they agree to a treaty, it is still in our own power; and if not, I hope people will stand together for their own sake.
"You speak in your two last as if you were opresst about our divisions. All I shall trouble you further in relation to this,--there are odd people amongst us, and those of whom it should not have been expected; they had instild their spirit so farr into many, that there was no steming the tide but by going into it, or else breaking amongst ourselves, and, like them, make a seperat peace; but now those wise folk are ashamed of themselves, and are disclaimed by those who they said comissioned them. I do all I can to make others forgett this behaveour of those people, and I hope we shall be as unite as ever. If the King come, I am sure we shall; and if G.o.d is not pleased to bless us with his presence, whatever we do shall be in consert.
"I beg to hear often from you, and particularly what you can learn of the motion of the enimie and their designs.
"I send a reinforcement to-night to Bruntisland of a hundred men, and there was fifty in it before.
"Lord Seaforth went north some time ago, and severall of Lord Huntly"s people; so I hope they togither will be able to keep Lord Sutherland from doing much mischife, and e"er long to reduce him and all the King"s enimies there. We are not yet in so much apprehention of them as Mr. H----ll seems to be. I am mightily pleased you are so much recovered, which I know by your hand-writeing; but I can scarce conceave how you get yourself keept free of our enimies,--may you do long so, and
"I am sincearly yours, &c. Adieu."
On the first of December, the Earl having still heard no tidings of the Chevalier, and being ignorant of his real movements, again writes in all the uncertainty, and with the circ.u.mspection of one who knows not whether his letter will be received. He seems always to have sent duplicates of his letters.
"I am in the utmost pain about the K----,[121] and I have done all in my power to make him safe, but I hope Providence will protect him. I sent one for France this morning, and I hope he may sail in a day or two, but let that not keep you from writeing there too. I would fain hope that the Regent has altered his measurs, and is comeing into the K----"s intrest, else I do not see how it had been possible for him to get thro" France: if so, I have good hopes, and I wish he may come to us; but if not, and that England do nothing, I wish he were safe again where he formerly was, for we shall never be able alone to do his bussiness, and he will be in the utmost danger after starveing a winter in the Highlands. Lord Huntley is still very much out of humour and nothing can make him yet believe that the K----"s a-comeing. He intends to go north, under the pretext of reduceing Lord Sutherland, and his leaving us at this time I think might have very bad effects, which makes me do all I can to keep him. The Master of Sinclair is a very bad instrument about him, and has been most to blaim of any body for all the differences amongst us. I am plagued out of my life with them, but must do the best I can. I expect now to hear every day of the K----"s landing; but should he be any time of comeing, and the Duke of Argyll get his powers and send us word of it before he come, our old work will begin again, and I am sure I shall be deserted by a great many. Some people seem so farr from being pleased with the news of the K----"s comeing, that they are visiblie sorry for it; and I wish to G.o.d these people had never been with us for they will be our undoing!
and what a plague brought them out, since they could not hold it out for so short a time? I shall be blamed, I know, over all Europe for what I am entirely innocent of. It will be my own ruin beside, but if that could advance the K----"s affairs I am contented. In time I shall be justified when my parte in all this affair comes to be knowen, and I bless G.o.d I have witnesses enough who have seen all; and if accidents do not happen them, my papers will show it to conviction, for I have been pretty exact in keeping copies and a journall.
"Since I have wrote so fully to you, I do not write to Mr. H----ll, for which I hope he"ll forgive me.[122]
"I am anxious to know if my brother got my note that was inclosed to you in that of the twenty-seventh, which was to caution him in a thing that I was affraid his over great concern for me might make him do, and which would vex me extreamly if he did.
"I long to hear from you again, as I suppose you will from me; and as soon as I know of what you"ll expect to hear of from me, you shall. Adieu."
In a few days afterwards Lord Mar had gained more precise intelligence of the Prince"s movements; on the delay at St. Maloes he puts the favourable construction of the vessel"s having been wind-bound, as will be seen by the following letter. The dissensions in his counsels, aided, as he hints, by the influence which the Master of Sinclair exercised over the Marquis of Huntley, were, still, not among the least of his difficulties.
"December 6th, 1715.
"Sir,
"Last night one of the messengers I had sent to France returned, and there came with him to Montrose, Mr. Charles Fleeming and General Eclin; but they are not yet come here, nor some money that came along with them. I have a letter from the King, the fifteenth of November, N. S. from St. Malos; severall from Lord Bolingbroke, the last of which was the twenty-seventh, and he belived the King then to be saild, and he had been wind bound there three weeks; but he did not sail, as I understand from the messenger til the eighteenth inst., he having seen a letter from Col. Hay at St. Maloes, to Mr.
Arbuthnot, two dayes after he sailed. G.o.d send him safe to us, for which I have done all in my power! It is in the hands of Providence, and I hope G.o.d will protect him. It is not to be known where he is to land, and indeed it cannot be known certainly. Even this has not quite cured all the whims amongst us. Lord grant a safe landing, and I hope that will. The Duke of Ormond is gone to England, and I believe he has some troops with him and arms and ammunition.
"I hear from Fife to-day that there landed at Leith on Sunday last four hundred of the Dutch troops. I hope that"s all that are comeing by sea. I have the King"s Declaration, which is to be reprinted here, and shall be dispers"d in a few days. The less that it be spoke that the King is to land soon, I believe the better, until he actually does, for that but make the Government more alert. Were he but once landed, I have reason to belive that there will be a new face of affairs seen abroad as well as at home in the King"s favour, which is all I dare yet adventure to trust of it to paper; but I hope in G.o.d were the King once with us all will be well.
"There are more officers comeing to us from abroad different wayes, so it"s likely they may be dropping in every day. The Duke of Berwick stays behind for a very good reason, and is to follow. The King has been pleased to confer new honours on me, but I do not think it fitt to take it on me til he comes, and if it pleases not G.o.d he come to us safe, I am indifferent what becomes of all I ever had, and this may go with the rest. It is goodness in him, and more than I askt or deserve. I will long to hear from you; and tho" I desire you not to let the news I write you be much talkt of, yet I suppose it will be no secret, for I am obliged to communicate what I get to so many that it cannot possible be keept, and yet I cannot help this. Tho" Lord Huntley said little to me to-day upon my shewing him my letters, yet I know it from good hands he is not a bitt in better humour and that he will now positively go north; which I suppose he"ll write of to me to-morrow, for "tis seldom now he"ll either see me or let me see him, tho" I take all the ways I can to please and humour him, but all will not do: however, I hope will not have many followers. Master of Sinclair is gone this day to see his father upon a sharp letter he had from him yesterday about his behaviour. Some others are ashamed of the part they acted, but if the King come not soon all of them will relapse again. The clans stand firm, and I hope will to the last.
"Pray try to get notice of what private letters from London say upon our proposeing terms, and let me know as soon as you can. Adieu."
It is curious to trace the revival of the Earl"s hopes, and the increase of his confidence. The following letter contains, among other circ.u.mstances, a reference to the supposed attempt of the Earl of Stair, in France, to a.s.sa.s.sinate James.
"December 10th, 1715.
"Sir,
"Yesterday I had yours of the fourth and fifth, for which I thank you. I wrote to you on the eighth, which I hope you got safe, and in it I told you of one of the messengers I had sent to France being returned, and with him General Eclin and Mr. Charles Fleming, and some money: since that Doctor Abercromby is returned and Lord Edward Drummond is come with him and brought some more money. They come off the same day with the others, and landed the same day at Aberdeen the others did at Montrose. They only brought duplicates of the dispatches I had by the others, and a letter to me from the Q---- with a pacquet from her to the K----, by which you may be sure he is sail"d, and we hourly expect to hear of his landing. Since those people came, those amongst us who had been uneasy, are now comeing to be in good humour again, particularly Lord Huntley; and I have agreed to his going north with some of his horse to get all his people there together to suppress those about Inverness, and also to have them in readiness against the K. comes. Pray G.o.d send him safe and soon, and then I do not despair of things going right still. Our whole prisoners almost, I mean the private men, are like to take on since they heard of the K----g"s being certainly a-comeing; and since they saw the two enclosed papers, they say that were he once come, there will be news of their armie and all those prisoners.
Even those who do not lift with us, pray openly for the K----, and that G.o.d may keep him out of the hands of his enimies.
"The two enclosed are sent about to a great many places: it is better to delay dispersing the K----"s declaration til he arrive, since I hope that is near.
"I admear we hear no certain accounts of the Duke of Ormond, for the fifteenth inst. the K---- and Q---- too write to me that he was saild a second time for England.
"Pray G.o.d it may be well with him, and if he do not, then I wish he may come here with all my heart.
"We have heard nothing as yet of the Duke of Argyle"s return from London, and I imagine we shall hear nothing from him upon it, when he does get it and I hope he shall never be askt for it more by us.
The Duke of Atholl will himself send his men against Crafourd.
"I believe I forgot to tell you in my last that Colonel Hay mist very narrowly being murdered in France, takeing him for the K---- (being in one of his cheases), by Lord Stair"s gang, and in their pockets Lord Stair"s orders were found to go to such a place, and there obey what orders they should receive from Count Dougla.s.s[123]
(Lightly), let them be never so desperate. This is something so horrid that I want words to express it. I tell it you just as those from France tell me. The fellow was imprisoned by the government there and reclaimed by Lord Stair. Lord Clairmont was actually reclaimed by the Regent before they come away; so his being brought to England after, may work something. I have just now a packet of news sent me by A. M., for which I thank you. Notwithstanding this great new General"s being come, I see not how they can do anything at Stirling till the Dutch join them, and that cannot be yet for some time; pray Heavens the K---- come before them! I know by other accounts as well as yours, from abroad, that they are not above four thousand complete and some of these are lost. Our Highlanders have got in their heads a mighty contempt for them, which may do good.
This goes by the Hole,[124] from when your packet yesterday was sent me. I have nothing further to add now, but I hope soon to send you agreable news. Pray give my service to I. H. and desire him to make my compliments to his landlady and tel her, I hope she is now right with her son, which I am exceeding glad of. Adieu."
At length, on the twenty-second of December, James landed at Peterhead, after a voyage of seven days. His arrival dispelled many doubts of his personal courage, since, after all his deliberations, he adopted by no means the least hazardous course by traversing the British ocean, which was beset by British men-of-war. He had sailed from Dunkirk in the small vessel in which he had embarked, and which was followed by two other vessels, containing his domestics, and stores for the use of his army. His immediate attendants were disguised as French officers, and his retinue as seamen. It had been the Chevalier"s original intention to have landed in the Frith of Tay; but observing a sail which he suspected to be unfriendly, he altered his course, and landed at Peterhead, where the property of the Earl Marischal was situated. The ship in which the Chevalier sailed was, however, near enough to the sh.o.r.e to be able, by signals, to make signs to his friends of his approach. At Perth the intelligence was received with the utmost joy, and produced a most favourable effect, even among the prisoners of war, which Lord Mar describes in the following letter. Up to the twenty-eighth of the month he had not seen the Prince:
"The 28th December.
"Yours of the twenty-second I have got just now by the Hole, and I sent one that way to you yesterday from our friend here, in which you have the joyfull news of the King"s safe arival, which I hope in G.o.d will effectually s.e.m.e.nt what you recomend to us. Our friend went yesterday morning to meett his master, who I hope will be here with us again Friday; I pray G.o.d turn the hearts of his enemies, both for the sake of him and their poor country! It will be a monstruous crime never to be forgiven, if they now draw their swords against him, since he has been pleased to give them a most gratious indemnity for all that is past, without exception. All will now soon be dispersed in the North that opose him. Sutherland"s men are deserting him, and the Frasers are all gone home. I make no doubt but that we are masters of Inverness, and so consequently the whole North before this time. I make no doubt but that the King"s presence will forward everything: it has already had great effects here: and those that were for separate measurs have reason to be ashamed, and I hope they will make amends by their future behaveor. We have sent over some of the declarations, and ane other paket of them is gone this night. Now is the time for every body to bestir themselves, and that all resort here to their master. I ame persuaded you"l not be idle. Those that made a pretext of the King"s not being landed, are now left unexcusable; and if those kind of folks now sit still and look any more on, they ought to be worse treated than our worst enemies. I beg of you to send us what accounts you can learn on your side, and what they are now to do upon this news. I hope in G.o.d we shall now be soon ready to give them a meeting! It will be of consequence for us to hear often from your side, and we have little other accounts than from you. I have sent yours by ane express this day to our friend, and I hope to hear from you soon in return to the last that went on Munday. The K---- lay on Sat.u.r.day night at the Earl of Marischall"s house; he had a very good and safe pa.s.sage, and has given them fair slip, for I supose they did never rekon on his comeing the near way. I hear there is a great resort to him, since he landed, of all ranks.
"The Duke of Athol[125] sent a pairty of two hundered of his men yesterday morning, under the comand of his brother Lord Edward, and his son Lord James, to Dunkeld to have surprised our garison there, which consisted of about one hundred men of the clans; but it seems the garison had notice of it some hours before they came, and gave them such a warm reception, that they retired in great haste with the loss of two men killed by our out-sentinels and five or sixe wounded. I belive his Grace"s men had no good will to the work, and were brought their against their inclinations. They had nott then gott the account there of the King"s arival, els I belive they had not atempted it. I wish our garison were now at Brunt Island, but I hope that loss soon be made up. I hope you"ll omitte no occasion in letting us hear from you. Adieu.