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avendes to royal favour were clofed against all but a fac tion. The flames of rebellion were actually kindled in Scotland. 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 yeffels 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 his promife, foon found himself at the head of ten thousand men, well armed and provided.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 neighbour hood of Dumblain, though his forces did not amount to half the number of the enemy. After an engagement which continued feveral hours, in the 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 to the duke of Argyle. It was sufficient for him to have interrupted the progrefs of the enemy; for, in their circumstances, delay was defeat. The earl of Mar foon found his disappointments and his loffes increase. The castle 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 ma ny of the clans, feeing no likelihood of coming foon to a fecond engagement, returned quietly home; for an ir. regular 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 unfuc cefsfully 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

fures,

fures, and all his adherents, to the miniftry at home.Upon the first rumour, therefore, of an infurrection, they imprifoned feveral lords and gentlemen of whom they had a fufpicion. The earls of Home, Wintown, Kinnoul, and others, were committed to the caftle of Edinburgh. The king obtained leave from the lower house to seize Sir William Wyndham, Sir John Packington, Harvey Combe, and others. The lords Lanfdown and Duplin were taken into cuftody. Sir William Wyndham's father-inlaw, the duke of Somerfet, offered to become bound for his appearance, but his furety was refused.

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 meafure was betrayed to government as foon as projected, and many revolts repreffed in the very outfet. The university of Oxford was treated with great feverity on this occafion. Major-general Pepper, with a strong detachment of dragoons, took poffeffion of the city at day-break, declaring that he would instantly shoot any of the ftudents who fhould prefume to appear without the limits of their refpective colleges. The infurrection in the northern counties came to greater

maturity. In the month of October the earl of A. D: Derwentwater and Mr. Forfter took the field with 1715. a body of horse, and being joined by fome gentlemen from the borders of Scotland, proclaimed the Pretender. Their first attempt was to feize upon New caftle, in which they had many friends, but they found the gates fhut against them, and were obliged to retire to Hexham. To oppofe thefe, General Carpenter was detached by government, with a body of nine hundred men, and an engagement was hourly expected. The re bels had 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-advifed 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 efcaping. They now, therefore, began to raise barricadoes, and to put the place in a posture of defence, repulling 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 rafhnefs, Forfter hoped to capitulate with the General, and accordingly fent Colonel Oxburgh, who had been taken prifoner, with a trumpeter, to propofe a capitulation. This, however, Wills refufed, alledging that he would not treat with rebels. and that the only favour they had to expect was to be fpared from immediate flaughter. These were hard terms, but no better could be obtained. They accordingly laid down their arms, and were put under a ftrong guard; all the noblemen and leaders were fecured, and a few of their officers tried for deferting from the royal army, and shot by order of a court-martial. The com mon men were imprifoned at Chester and Liverpool; the noblemen and confiderable officers were fent to London, and led through the streets, pinioned and bound together, to intimidate their party.

The Pretender might by this time have been convinced of the vanity of his expectations, in fuppofing that the whole country would rife up in his caufe. His affairs were actually defperate; yet, with his ufual infatuation, he refolved to hazard his perfon among his friends in Scotland, at a time when fuch a measure was too late for fuccefs. Paffing, therefore, through France in difguife, and embarking in a fmall veffel at Dunkirk, he arrived, after a voyage of a few days, on the coaft of Scotland, with only fix gentlemen in his train. He paffed unknown through Aberdeen to Feteroffe, where he was met by the earl of Mar, and about thirty noblemen and gentlemen of the first quality. There he was folemnly proclaimed. His declaration, dated at Commercy, was printed and difperfed. He went from thence to Dundee, where he made a public entry, and in two days more he arrived at Scoon, where he intended to have the ceremony of his coronation performed. He ordered thankfgivings to be made for his fafe arrival; he enjoined the minifters to pray for him in their churches; and, without the fmalleft share of power, went through the cere monies of royalty, which threw an air of ridicule on all

his conduct. Having thus fpent fome time in unimpor tant parade, he refolved to abandon the enterprise with the fame levity with which it was undertaken. Having made a fpeech to his grand council, he informed them of his want of money, arms, and ammunition, for undertaking a campaign, and therefore deplored that he was compelled to leave them. He once more embarked on board a fmall French fhip that lay in the harbour of Montrofe, accompanied with feveral lords, his adhe rents, and in five days arrived at Gravelin.

In this manner ended a rebellion which nothing but imbecility could project, and nothing but rafhnefs could fupport. But though the enemy was no more, the fury of the victors did not feem in the leaft to abate with fuccefs. The law was now put in force with all its terrors; and the prifons of London were crowded with thofe deluded wretches, whom the miniftry feemed re folved not to pardon.

The commons, in their addrefs to the crown, declared they would profecute, in the moft rigorous manner, the authors of the late rebellion. In confequence of which the earls of Derwentwater, Nithifdale, Carnwath, and Wintown, the lords Widrington, Kenmuir, and Nairne were impeached, and, upon pleading guilty, all but lord Winton received fentence of death. No entreaties could foften the miniftry to fpare these unhappy men.

Orders were difpatched for executing the lords Der wentwater, Nithifdale, and Kenmuir, immediately; the reft were refpited to a farther time. Nithifdale, however, had the good fortune to efcape in woman's clothes, which were brought him by his mother the night before he was to have been executed. Derwent water and Kenmuir were brought to the fcaffold on Tower-hill at the time appointed. Both underwent their fentence with calm intrepidity, pitied by all, and feemingly lefs moved themselves than those who be

held them.

In the beginning of April, commiffioners for trying the rebels met in the court of common pleas, when bills were found against Mr. Forfter, Mr. Mackintosh, and twenty of their confederates.

N 6

Forfter

Forfer efcaped from Newgate, and reached the continent in fafety, the reft pleaded not guilty. Pitts, the keeper of Newgate, being fufpected of having connived at Forter's efcape, was tried for his life, but acquitted. Yet, notwithstanding this, Mackintosh and feveral other prifoners broke from Newgate, after having mastered the keeper and turnkey, and difarmed the centinel. The court proceeded to the trial of thofe that remained; four or five were hanged, drawn, and quartered, at Tyburn; two and twenty were executed at Prefton and Manchefter; and about a thoufand prifoners experienced the king's mercy, if fuch it might be called, to be tranfported to North America.

A rupture with Spain, which enfued fome time after, feryed once more to raife the declining expectations of the Pretender and his adherents. It was hoped that, by the affiftance of cardinal Alberoni, the Spanish minifter, a new infurrection might be excited in England. The duke of Ormond was the perfon fixed upon to conduct this expedition; and he obtained from the Spanish court a fleet of ten fhips of war and tranfports, having on board fix thousand regular troops, with arms for twelve thousand more. But fortune was ftill as unfavourable as ever. Having fet fail, and proceeded as far as Cape Finisterre, he was encountered by a violent ftorm, which difabled his fleet, and fruftrated the expedition. This misfortune, together with the bad fuccefs of the Spanish arms in Si. cily, and other parts of Europe, induced Philip to wish for peace; and he at last confented to fign the quadruple alliance. This was at that time thought an immense acquifition, but England, though the procured the ra tification, had no fhare in the advantage of the treaty. It was about this time that one John Law, a A. D. Scotfman, had cheated France, by erecting a com1721. pany under the name of the Miffiffippi, which promifed that deluded people great wealth, bur which ended in involving the French nation in great dif trefs. It was now that the people of England were deceived by a project entirely fimilar, which is remem bered by the name of the South-fea fcheme, and which was felt long after by thousands. To explain this as

concifely

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