MEMOIRS

OF

THE REBELLION OF 1745,

&c. &c.

PRINCE Charles Edward Stuart, grandson of James the Second, who was dethroned in 1688, unable to support any longer the endless delays in the embarkation of the troops, destined by the court of France for an invasion of Scotland, at length formed the resolution of repairing

In a letter from the historian Hume, to Sir John Pringle, dated 10th of February, 1773, and published in the Gentleman's Magazine for May, 1788, some circumstances are stated which, if true, give no very high idea of the resolution of Charles, in entering on this expedition. After quoting the opinions of Lord Mareschal, and Helvetius (in whose house he was concealed nearly two years), as to the worthlessness of his character, opinions which so many accounts serve to confirm, Mr. Hume, in relating a conversation which he had with Helvetius at Paris, makes the French philosopher say, "I have been assured, when he went down to Nantes to embark on his expedition to Scotland, he took fright, and refused to go on board; and his attendants, thinking the matter gone too far, and that they would be affronted for his cowardice, carried

B

secretly to that country, and throwing himself into the arms of the Scotch. Their fidelity and attachment to his family had been amply proved, in the different attempts made by them since the Revolution, to replace the Stuarts on the throne; and he entertained a hope of succeeding in his enterprise by the efforts of his subjects alone, without the assistance of foreign powers.

He embarked at Belleisle, on the 3d t of July, 1745, on board a small frigate ‡, escorted

him in the night-time into the ship, pieds et mains lies."It does not appear that Helvetius mentioned the authority on which he made this statement. The attendants of Charles were for the most part persons entitled to very little credit; and if Helvetius derived his information from them, it is of small value. As, however, he was a man of the highest honour, he would hardly have stated such a' circumstance, had it not been communicated to him by persons in whom he himself reposed some degree of belief.

The attachment to the house of Stuart was general only in the Highlands, which hardly contained one-eighth part of the population of Scotland. - The Presbyterians of the Low Country were, with very few exceptions, among the most decided of the adherents of the Revolution; though some of them might not yet be quite reconciled to the union with England.

In these memoirs the old style, which was used in this country in the period which they embrace, is always observed in the different dates.

Mr. Home states, that Charles left Nantes, on the 20th of June, in a fishing-boat: went on board the Doutelle, a frigate of sixteen guns, at St. Nazaire, and was joined by the Elizabeth, near Belleisle.

by the Elizabeth, a ship of sixty guns. These two vessels were armed and fitted out at the expense of Mr. Welsh, a merchant of Nantes, for the conveyance of the Prince to Scotland; but the court of France afterwards reimbursed that individual for all the expenses of the expedition. *

The Prince was only accompanied by seven individuals, viz. the Duke of Athol t, attainted and an exile since the year 1715; Macdonel, an Irishman; Kelly, an Irishman, formerly secretary to the Bishop of Rochester; Sullivan, an Irishman; Sheridan, an Irishman, who had been governor to the Prince; Macdonald, a Scotsman; Strickland, an Irishman ; and

Mr. Home states, that Rutledge and Walch, two merchants of Irish extraction, the sons of refugees who had followed the fortune of James the Second, (the former settled at Dunkirk, and the latter at Nantes,) having become adventurers in privateering, had obtained from the court of France a grant of an old man-of-war, of sixty guns; and purchased a frigate of sixteen guns, which they were equipping for a cruise in the North Seas, when Lord Clare, afterwards Marshal Thomond, introduced them to Charles Stuart; and proposed that they should lend their ships to him for this expedition. This they not only did, but furnished him with all the money and arms they could procure. The sum of money furnished by them to him amounted to 3800/.; which, was afterwards repaid by the old Pretender, by a bill drawn upon John Haliburton, at Dunkirk, in favour of Rutledge.

+ Generally called Marquis of Tullibardine. He was not Duke of Athol when he was attainted.

Strickland is called an Englishman by Mr. Home; who includes among the attendants Buchanan, a messenger sent to Rome, by Cardinal de Tencin.