accompanied by only seven persons, the principal being the Marquess of Tullibardine. Conducted to Borodale, belonging to young Clanranald, Charles despatched messages through the Highlands. The gallant Cameron of Lochiel at once repaired to meet the prince, with the view of dissuading him from his rash enterprise, but not succeeding, chivalrously determined to support him. A general rendezvous of the Camerons and other clans was appointed at Glenfinnan, where, in presence of from 700 to 800 Highlanders, old Tullibardine unfurled the flag, composed of white, blue, and red silk. Additional supporters raised his force to 1600 men. So little prepared was the Government to make opposition, that the Pretender marched without disturbance to Perth, and from Perth to Edinburgh, receiving numerous adhesions on the way. While they were proclaiming the Pretender at Edinburgh, Sir John Cope was, on the 18th September, landing troops and artillery at Dunbar, whence he prepared to move on the capital. Charles determined upon going out to meet Cope at the village of Duddingston. On the morning of the 20th, drawing his sword, he exclaimed, "Gentlemen, I have thrown away the scabbard!" The two armies met at Prestonpans, a few miles from Edinburgh (21st September 1745). Sir John Cope was defeated, and the young Pretender returned to Holyrood House in triumph. At a review of his troops, there mustered only 1400 Highlanders, for a great number had gone home to store up the spoil made at Prestonpans.

Meanwhile the Duke of Cumberland arrived from Flanders with Dutch, Danish, and English troops, and Marshal Wade was sent into the northern counties of England. By the end of October, Charles found himself at the head of some 5000 to 6000 men, of whom 400 were cavalry. He then crossed the border, and laid siege to Carlisle, and on the 15th November made his triumphal entry into that town as victor. Leaving there a small garrison, he renewed his march, and pushed on by Kendal and Lancaster to Preston, which he reached on the 27th, and thence he proceeded to Wigan and Manchester. But Marshal Wade was coming down on his rear, and Cumberland lay in front with greatly superior forces.

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The expectations he had formed of being joined by the Roman Catholics of Lancashire failed, but he nevertheless persisted in marching on to Derby. Here he halted and hesitated; and, at last, on the advice of the able Lord George Murray, agreed to retrace his footsteps. Cumberland's dragoons came up with the retreating army on the 18th December, at Clifton Moor, near Penrith, but were assailed so furiously by the Highlanders that they discontinued close pursuit. On the 20th, Charles' birthday, he recrossed the Scottish border. Fresh levies indeed awaited him, but Lord John Drummond, who was expected with a large force from France, had been very unfortunate, losing half his transports in consequence of the attacks of English cruisers, so that he landed with only one regiment of foot, two troops of horse, a few companies of an Irish brigade, and some arms. The Pretender's army now

numbered 9000, which he foolishly employed in laying siege to Stirling. General Hawley was now advancing in full confidence of victory. The insurgents resolved not to stand on the defensive, but to advance to the attack, and the English general was surprised at seeing the Highlanders assembled in order of battle at Falkirk, the 17th January 1746. In the battle that ensued the Pretender came off victorious.

The Duke of Cumberland set out from Edinburgh on the 31st. The Highlanders repassed the Forth, and made for the north. Cumberland proceeded to Stirling, thence to Perth, and by the 26th February had reached Aberdeen. Meanwhile Charles had reached Inverness, from which Lord Loudon (18th February) thought it prudent to retreat. Fort-George fell into the Pretender's hands, and with the cannon there taken Fort-Augustus was compelled to surrender. By degrees the forces of Cumberland kept closing round, and on the 15th April the Highlanders formed in order of battle on Culloden Moor. Here they learned that the king's troops had halted at Nairn to celebrate the Duke's birthday, on which a resolution was taken to make a night attack on the camp of the revellers. The expedition failed. The clans lost their way in the dark, and as morning broke, they attempted to recover their

ground, overwhelmed with fatigue and hunger. In this state they were attacked by troops, fresh, and twice as numerous, and Charles suffered a decisive and disastrous, although, under such circumstances, not an inglorious defeat (16th April 1746). The Highlanders, out of 4000, lost from 2000 to 2600 men. Charles wandered forth an almost solitary fugitive, his only companions being O'Sullivan, O'Neile, and Burke a servant. At length after

incredible privations he reached the isle of South Uist. Thither he was tracked, and the island early in June was surrounded by ships and boats, and searched from end to end, but searched in vain, for none would betray his hiding-place. A generous lady, Flora MacDonald, daughter of MacDonald of Melton, being introduced to Charles at a solitary farm-house, was so affected by his thin wasted appearance, that she resolved upon aiding his escape to a place of greater security. Passing him as her maid-servant, she conducted him in safety to Skye, for which the noble lady was afterwards arrested and confined a year in jail. This was not the end of his miserable adventures. He had still to wander from place to place, trusting to the fidelity of people tempted by an offer of £30,000 for his apprehension, and for the honour of humanity tempted in vain. It was not till the 20th September that he succeeded in escaping on board a French vessel which bore him off to Morlaix, on the coast of Brittany. The measures taken by the Duke of Cumberland after the battle of Culloden, were so cruel that he got the name of the Butcher, by which he was universally stigmatized. Thus ended the last attempt to restore the dynasty of the Stuarts.

When the Duke of Cumberland next appeared in the field, it was as commander-in-chief of an allied army of Dutch, Flemish, Austrian, and English, numbering 100,000 men, opposed to the French under Marshal Saxe, against whom he fought the battle of Laffeldt, near Maestricht (2d July 1747), a battle which, owing to bad generalship, he lost. The French overran the Low Countries, but on the other hand they were beaten out of Italy, where the Spanish Bourbons were endeavouring to establish themselves. At sea the English were more successful. Admiral Anson encountered

A.D. 1755.]

WAR WITH FRANCE.

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the French fleet off Finisterre, took six ships of the line, several frigates, and the best part of a numerous French convoy. Admiral Hawke, off Belleisle, captured six out of nine ships of the line; Commodore Fox took 40 French ships returning richly laden from the West Indies. Other successes were obtained at sea, in various parts of the world. The French proposed peace, which was concluded by a treaty signed at Aix-la-Chapelle (1748). As one of the articles bound France to give up the cause of the Pretender, the latter was (11th December) forcibly expelled from French territory. On the 20th March 1751, died the Prince of Wales, father of George III. He was of a weak character, as was testified by the nature of his disputes with his family; but as contrasted with his brother the Duke of Cumberland, the people regarded him with considerable favour.

In 1755 war broke out afresh, in consequence of disputes between France and England, about their American colonies. The French landed an army in Minorca. Admiral Byng was sent from Gibraltar to throw succours into Port Mahon. As he avoided an engagement with the French fleet, and Minorca was thereby lost, he was tried by court-martial, and, as is now believed, unjustly condemned and shot. He died courageously. Some attempts on the coast of France ended ingloriously, but the worst of all was the disgrace incurred by the Duke of Cumberland, who, commanding 50,000 allied troops, was driven out of Hanover, and obliged to sign the humiliating capitulation of Closter Severn (7th Sept. 1757).

A great minister was, happily for the glory of Great Britain, now at the head of affairs. William Pitt the elder (afterwards Lord Chatham) was a splendid orator, whose language was inspired by a glowing spirit, which fired every one within his reach and influHe said he would conquer America through Germany; which meant that he would give the French enough to do in that quarter; and he kept his word, by assisting Frederick the Great of Prussia, our ally, in the famous seven years' war, which was now raging.

ence.

Meanwhile the struggles of the English and French for supremacy in North America were going on. In July 1758 Louis

bourg fell into the hands of the English. Cape Breton was reduced, and Admiral Boscawen destroyed the French fleet sent to Canada. In the East again, the year 1759 opened with the conquest of Goree and Guadaloupe. In America Ticonderoga and Niagara fell; but the great exploit of the year was the capture of Quebec by General Wolfe, who, on 12th September 1759, scaled the almost inaccessible heights of Abraham, and defeated the French army which was decimated by the extraordinary steadiness of the English fire. Wounded and dying Wolfe heard the cry, "They run!" and in reply to his anxious question, "Who run?" being told "The French;" "Then," said the hero, "I die content!" Soon after the whole of the Canadas yielded to the English arms.

On the Continent the war was waged with varying success, but Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick taking his stand at Minden (31st July) gained a great victory over the French, which compelled them to evacuate Hanover. The English auxiliaries, so far as the infantry were concerned, covered themselves with glory, but Lord George Sackville incurred disgrace by not obeying an order to charge at the head of the cavalry, for which he was tried on his return, and dismissed the service. On the 20th November Sir Edward Hawke attacked the French fleet in Quiberon Bay, in the midst of a storm, and in disregard of the dangers of a lee shore. He was seconded by Lord Howe. Two of the English ships were lost in the storm, and only a portion of the fleet could engage, yet a victory so complete was won as to put an end to all apprehension of invasion by France. In India the design of the French to found an empire had been foiled, chiefly through the instrumentality of Clive, for the proper understanding of whose services it here becomes necessary to trace the progress of British intercourse with the East.

THE EAST INDIA COMPANY.

The East India Company was at first composed of 220 merchants and gentlemen of London, who became incorporated under a charter granted in the year 1600, by Queen Elizabeth, allowing