Castle-Drummond, which is in the vicinity of Perth, and within an easy march of Mar's headquarters.1

One important member of the insurrection must also be mentioned. This was the Earl of Breadalbane, the same unrelenting statesman who was the author of the Massacre of Glencoe. He had been employed by King William in 1689 to achieve, by dint of money, the settlement and pacification of the Highlands; and now, in his old age, he imagined his interest lay in contributing to disturb them. When cited to appear at Edinburgh as a suspected person, he procured a pathetic attestation under the hand of a physician and clergyman, in which the Earl was described as an infirm man, overwhelmed with all the evils that wait on old age. None of his infirmities, however, prevented

1["The preserving the town of Inverary," says Patten, " was a considerable piece of service; for, had the rebels been master of that important pass, they might have poured in their men either towards Glasgow, or into the shire of Ayr, and must have been fought with perhaps to disadvantage, as things then stood, or they would have joined the rebels in the North of England, at their pleasure."-P. 180.]

2 ["We, Mr John Murray, Doctor of Medicine at Perth, and Mr Alexander Comrie, Minister at Kenmore, do, upon soul and conscience, testify and declare, that John, Earl of Breadalbane, an old infirm man of four-score years of age, is much troubled with coughs, rheums, defluctions, and other maladies and infirmities which usually attend old age; that he is much subject to the gravel and stitches, and that at this present, and for some time by-gone, he complains of pains in his back, &c.; and the stitches in his sides have been so violent, that notwithstanding of his great age, there was a necessity for blooding him, which has not yet removed them, and he is so ill that he cannot travel from this to Edinburgh without apparent danger of his health and life." Signed as above, at Taymouth, 19th Sept., 1715.

him from attending the Earl of Mar's summons, on the very day after the certificate is dated. Breadalbane is supposed to have received considerable sums of money from the Earl of Mar, who knew the only terms on which he could hope for his favour. But for a long time the wily Earl did nothing decisive, and it was believed that he entertained a purpose of going to Stirling, and reconciling himself with the Duke of Argyle, the head of the elder branch of his house. This, however, Breadalbane did not do; but, on the contrary, appeared in the town of Perth, where the singular garb and peculiar manners of this extraordinary old chief attracted general attention. He possessed powers of satirical observation in no common degree; and seemed to laugh internally at whatever he saw which he considered as ridiculous, but without suffering his countenance to betray his sentiments, except to very close observers Amidst the various difficulties of the insurgents, his only advice to them was, to procure a printing press, and lose no time in issuing gazettes.

Mar took the hint, whether given in jest or earnest. He sent to Aberdeen for a printing press, in order to lose no time in diffusing intelligence more widely by that comprehensive organ of information. It was placed under the management On the day following Breadalbane arrived at Logierait.— Original Letters in the Appendix to the Second Edition of RAE's History, 1746, p. 417.]

1 ["He is of a fair complexion, and has the gravity of a Spaniard, is as cunning as a fox, wise as a serpent, and as slippery as an eel."-MACKAY'S Memoirs.]

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of Robert Freebairn, one of the printers for the late Queen Anne, whose principles had led him to join the insurgent army. He was chiefly employed in extending by his art the delusions through means of which the insurrection had been originally excited, and was in a great measure kept afloat. It is a strong example of this, that while Mar actually knew nothing of the fate of Forster and Kenmure, with the auxiliary party of Highlanders under MacIntosh; yet it was boldly published that they were masters of Newcastle, and carried all before them, and that the Jacobites around London had taken arms in such numbers, that King George had found it necessary to retire from the metropolis.

It does not appear that the Earl of Breadalbane was so frank in affording the rebels his military support, which was very extensive and powerful, as in imparting his advice how to make an impression on the public mind by means of the press. His own age excused him from taking the field; and it is probable, his experience and sagacious observation discovered little in their counsels which promised a favourable result to their enterprise, though supported certainly by a very considerable force in arms. A body of his clan, about four or five hundred strong, commanded by the Earl's kinsman, Campbell of Glendarule, joined the force under General Gordon; but about four hundred, who had apparently engaged in the enterprise against Inverary, and were embodied for that purpose, dispersed, and returned to their own homes afterwards without joining Mar.

The whole force being now collected on both sides, it seemed inevitable, that the clouds of civil war which had been so long lowering on the horizon, should now burst in storm and tempest on the devoted realm of Scotland.

CHAPTER LXX.

Motives of the Earl of Mar for Undertaking the Insurrection-Causes which devolved the Command of the Army upon him-Interception of Supplies of Arms and Ammunition destined for the Jacobite Army—Addresses to the Chevalier de St George and the Duke of Orleans sent from the Army at Perth-Dissatisfaction among some of the Principal Men in Mar's Army-Plans of Mar— March of Mar from Perth and of Argyle from Stirling -the Armies come in sight of each other near Dunblane -Mar's Council of War-Battle of Sheriffmuir.

[1715.]

I HAVE delayed till this point in the Scottish history some attempt to investigate the causes and conduct of the Rebellion, and to explain, if possible, the supineness of the insurgent general and chiefs, who, having engaged in an attempt so desperate, and raised forces so considerable, should yet, after the lapse of two months, have advanced little farther in their enterprise than they had done in the first week after its commencement.

If we review the Earl of Mar's conduct from beginning to end, we are led to the conclusion, that the insurrection of 1715 was as hastily as rashly undertaken. It does not appear that Mar was in