which convinced them of the hopelessness of attempting to continue the march upon London. The position of the insurgents was thus extremely critical; there were three armies in the field against them, two between them and Scotland, and a third posted for the defence of London. Immediate retreat seemed to be their only chance of saving themselves from destruction, but Prince Charles was exceedingly unwilling to turn back, and protested bitterly against any such proposal; he had great confidence in the divine right and the justice of his cause. Nevertheless the retreat was ordered, and on the 6th of December the army turned towards Scotland; Lord George Murray undertaking the charge of the rear, and performing this difficult duty with ability and success.13

When the insurgents returned to Scotland, they found that Edinburgh was in the possession of the government, and defended by a strong force, and that in other parts of the country bodies of troops were organised and prepared to act against them. But they retreated successfully, passing through Dumfries, and entered Glasgow on the 24th of December, wearied with their long march. They exacted a large contribution of clothing and shoes from the city, and, after staying a week, proceeded towards Stirling. On the 17th of January, 1746, they attacked and defeated a force, commanded by General Hawley, at Falkirk. The Duke of Cumberland was then commissioned to extinguish the rising; the work was congenial to his mind, and he executed it thoroughly. He passed through Edinburgh in the end of January, with a force of ten thousand men, and a train of artillery, and proceeded northwards.

While the Prince's army was attempting to reduce Stirling, they received tidings of Cumberland's advance. Then they commenced a retreat, and reached Crieff on the 2nd of February, and there they separated into two divisions-one, under the Prince himself, moved by Blair-Athol, and the other, under Lord George Murray, proceeded by Montrose and Aberdeen. It

13 Lockhart's Papers, Vol. II., p. 468, et seq.

was arranged that they should meet at Inverness. Cumberland followed the track of Lord Murray, and rested his army at Aberdeen till the spring. In April, he began his march northwards along the coast, in connection with a fleet which sailed parallel with his army.

By this time Prince Charles' army was suffering severely from constant exposure and want of food. The men were much exhausted, and at the utmost did not number more than five thousand, and one hundred and fifty horse. They formed on a moor beyond the enclosures of Culloden House. The Duke of Cumberland steadily continued his march till he came up to the insurgents. The battle of Culloden was fought on the 16th of April, 1746, when the Highlanders were completely defeated, a total rout ensued, and many of them were mercilessly massacred. The Prince escaped, and the remnants of his army dispersed. Then there was begun an indiscriminate slaughter of all those supposed to be disaffected to the government, or in any way implicated in the rising; but I have no wish to dwell on these harrowing and heartrending scenes, and only affirm that the degree and amount of the suffering, inflicted by the authority of the government, were excessive and unnecessarily severe.

While we cannot forget this, we can forgive it; and I may be excused if, once for all, I shed a tear to the memory of our fallen and departed ancestors, whose feelings at this time were expressed in such verses as the following:-

"Fair lady, mourn the memory

O' all our Scottish fame!

Fair lady, mourn the memory

Ev'n of the Scottish name!

How proud were we of our young prince,

And of his native sway!

But all our hopes are past and gone,

Upon Culloden day.

There was no lack of bravery there,

No spare of blood or breath,

For, one to two, our foes we dar'd,

For freedom or for death.

After the battle the sentiments of the Highlanders were naturally depressed:

This was the last of the many risings of the Celts against the government, Culloden being the final battle fought in Britain. Henceforward other fields for the exercise of their powers and their energy had to be sought. An honourable career in the British army was opened to them, which they freely embraced; but I leave it to the historians of Britain to narrate their achievements in every quarter of the globe, and only affirm that the Highlanders have never disgraced their standard in the face of danger and of death. How much they have contributed to the power and to the glory of this great empire, I leave it to others to record. For more than a hundred years our Highland regiments have been characterised by obedience and fidelity to their commanders, loyalty to the throne, and faithful service to

14 Mackay's Jacobite Songs, pp. 209-211. This song is a translation from the Gaelic one, entitled "Culloden Day," and sung to a tune of the same name.

the empire. Let us simply mention their service on the battlefields of Vimiera, Corunna, Badajos, Salamanca, Vittoria, Toulouse, and Waterloo; their memorable service and heroic endurance under the scorching sun and blinding sand of Egypt; their service in the East and in the West, at Alma, Balaklava, Sevastopol, and Lucknow. In courage, in bravery, and steadfastness in battle, they have never been surpassed. And for the details of their actions and their deeds, I refer to our military writers and authorities, who have always shown themselves ready and proud to acknowledge the intrepid fortitude, the unwavering firmness, and the unconquerable spirit of the Highlanders in the hour of peril and of battle.

We can all enjoy the excitement of a contest, and when the dire necessity arises we shall never be found wanting in the defence of our own; but it is not by this alone that we hope to reach our appointed goal, and the Highlanders are as ready to appreciate the benefits and the blessings and the influences of peaceful civilisation as any portion of the British people. In almost every part of the world they have made their mark in the varied fields of industry and trade. But true to their instincts, and to their distinctive habits of mind and feeling, they have always retained a lively interest in and a love for their native land; and for the deeds and the memory of their kindred and ancestors.

In Britain herself great changes have been effected since 1746. Her civilisation has become more rich in its elements, wider and more general in its scope. How much the Celtic element has contributed to it, in art, in science, and in literature, I leave to others to unfold; but the form of civilisation which we have now unitedly been developing for more than a hundred years, is higher in its aims, and more elastic in its vast organisation and immense details, than any other recorded in the history of the world.

Politically, from every point of view, it is best that the Island should be under one government, as this enhances our

strength, our confidence, our security, and our happiness. After many ages of internal war and strife, this blessing of political union and peace was obtained at last; and thus a position and a career was opened to the people of the United Kingdom, such as few other nations have ever enjoyed. This has been long well known and recognised throughout Scotland. It is much to be desired that Ireland would throw in her lot unitedly and heartily with Great Britain. If I might venture a word for the whole Celtic inhabitants of Britain and Ireland, I would earnestly urge the inevitable necessity of the complete and undisputed political and commercial union between Britain and Ireland. For on this the welfare of the people of the three kingdoms unquestionably depends; as also do the vast interests, the advantages, and the responsibilities of our great empire in the world, which, under God, we have all become associated to maintain for the good of the human race. Then when the Irish have become as reconciled to this union as the Scots and the Welsh have long been, we shall look forward with reasonable hope to a time of prosperity, of happiness, and of higher civilisation for the Irish people. Let us all endeavour, in a spirit of honesty and justice, to contribute to this result; and may the day never dawn or the hour come when this union shall be broken.