few instances of treachery occurred. The only persons who, on these occasions, sacrificed their honour to their interests, were some renegade Highlanders, who, having abjured their country, had lost along with it all its characteristical principles. This general feeling of honour, and this high standard of public virtue in the country, formed the surest pledge of the conduct of individuals. Of the many who knew of Prince Charles's places of concealment, one poor man, being asked why he did not give information, and enrich himself by the reward of L.30,000, answered, "Of what use would the money be to me? A gentleman might take it, and go to London or Edinburgh, where he would find plenty of people to eat the dinners, and drink the wine which it would purchase; but, as for me, if I were such a villain as to commit a crime like this, I could not remain in my own country, where nobody would speak to me, but to curse me as I passed along the road." No prohibitory law, no penal enactment, or abstract rule of morality, could have operated so powerfully on the mind, as a feeling of this sort.

* In those times of strife and trouble, instances might be given of fidelity and unbroken faith that would fill a volume. The following will show that this honourable feeling was common amongst the lowest and most ignorant. In the years 1746 and 1747, some of the gentlemen "who had been out" in the rebellion, were occasionally concealed in a deep woody den near my grandfather's house. A poor half-witted creature, brought up about the house, was, along with many others, intrusted with the secret of their concealment, and employed in supplying them with necessaries. It was supposed that when the troops came round on their usual searches, they would not imagine that he could be intrusted with so important a secret, and, consequently, no questions would be asked. One day two ladies, friends of the gentlemen, wished to visit them in their cave, and asked Jamie Forbes to show them the way. Seeing that they came from the house, and judging from their manner that they were friends, he did not object to their request, and walked away before them. When they had proceeded a short way, one of the ladies offered him five shillings. The instant he saw the money, he put his hands behind his back, and seemed to lose all recollection. "He did not know what they wanted; he never saw the gentlemen, and knew nothing of them," and turning away, walked in a quite contrary direction. When questioned afterwards why he ran away from the ladies, he answered, that when they had offered him such a sum, (five shillings was of some value seventy years

This sensibility to dishonour among their kindred and neighbours, guided and controlled the conduct of many, whose principles in other respects were not unimpeachable. In September 1746, Prince Charles Edward lay two days without food in the mountains of Lochaber. The inhabited parts of the country were full of troops, and Charles having moved to some distance from the place he had agreed on with his friends, they knew not where to send him supplies. In this extremity, he proposed to ask assistance from some men whom they had observed in the morning going into a hut or cave a short way from where he was. He had only two attendants, Macdonell of Lochgarry, and an Irishman. The latter urged him not to trust men of their suspicious appearance; but he answered, that he had often reposed confidence in similar circumstances, and never had cause to repent it, and that he would now put these men to the proof. He then proceeded to the hut, and on entering found six men sitting round a stone, on which was placed a piece of beef for their dinner.

The men, struck by his tall figure and appearance, with an old bonnet and a plaid flung across his shoulders, started up at his entrance, when one of them, who at once recognised him, cried out, "Oh Dougal Mahony,"-(pretending he knew him as one of the Prince's Irish followers,) "I am happy you are come so opportunely; sit down and take a share of our beef; I wish your master Prince Charles had as good." After they had dined, the Highlander led the Prince out of sight of his companions, and throwing himself on his knees, begged pardon in the humblest manner for the freedom he had taken in addressing him as an Irishman; which, he stated, he did, because he knew not whether the Prince might desire to trust his companions. Charles answered, that he had no desire to conceal himself from them; however, the Highlander more cautious, went and spoke to each of the men separately, informing them who ago, and would have bought two sheep in the Highlands,) he suspected they had no good intention, and that their fine clothes and fair words were meant to entrap the gentlemen.

their guest was, and that he expected they would be faithful to him. The instant every man was informed, he flew with eagerness to the Prince, and assured him that no reward, not all the kingdom of Scotland could give, would induce them to betray him,-a crime which would render them infamous, banish them for ever from their native country, and cause them to be disowned by their kindred and friends.

The implied punishment of treachery was a kind of outlawry or banishment from the beloved society, in which affection and good opinion were of such vital importance. While the love of country and kindred, and dread of the infamy which inevitably followed treachery, acted thus powerfully, the superstitions of the people confirmed the one and strengthened the other. A noted freebooter, John Du Cameron, † or the Sergeant Mor, as he was called, was apprehended by a party of Lieutenant Hector Munro's detachment, which had been removed from Badenoch to Rannoch in the year 1753. It was generally believed in the country, that this man was betrayed by a false friend, to whose house he had resorted for shelter in severe weather. The truth of this allegation, however, was never fully established. But the supposed treacherous friend was heartily despised; and having lost all his property, by various misfortunes, he left the country in extreme poverty, although he rented from government a farm on advantageous terms, on the forfeited estate of Strowan. The favour shown him by government gave a degree of confirmation to the suspicions raised against him; and the firm belief of the people to this day is, that his misfortunes were a just judgment upon him for his breach of trust towards a person who had, without suspicion, reposed confidence in him.

Such were the principles which, without the restraints of ⚫ He remained some time with these men, who supplied him with all the comforts they could procure, and among other things plundered an officer's baggage to supply him with shirts and linen,—a luxury to which he had for some time been a stranger. This robbery made a noise at the time, and was frequently mentioned as an instance of the thievish disposition of the Highlanders.

+ See Appendix, H.

law, gave a kind of chivalrous tone to the feelings of the people, and combined cordial affection and obedience to superiors, with that spirit of independence which disdained to yield submission to the unworthy. I have already noticed instances of the deposition of worthless chiefs:-the following is a remarkable one of the desertion of a chief by his people. Powerful in point of influence and property, neither the one nor the other was able to act on his followers in opposition to what they considered their loyalty and duty to an unfortunate monarch. In the reign of King William, immediately after the Revolution, Lord Tullibardine, eldest son of the Marquis of Atholl, collected a numerous body of Athole Highlanders, together with three hundred Frasers, under the command of Hugh Lord Lovat, who had married a daughter of the Marquis. These men believed that they were destined to support the abdicated king, but were, in reality, assembled to serve the government of William. When in front of Blair Castle, their real destination was disclosed to thein by Lord Tullibardine. Instantly they rushed from their ranks, ran to the adjoining stream of Banovy, and, filling their bonnets with water, drank to the health of King James; and then, with colours flying, and pipes playing, "fifteen hundred of the men of Athole, as reputable for arms as any in the kingdom," put themselves under the command of the Laird of Ballechin, and marched off to join Lord Dundee, + whose chivalrous bravery, and heroic and daring exploits, had excited their admiration more than those of any other warrior since the days of Montrose. They knew him not as the "Bloody Clavers" of the southern and western districts; on the contrary, to the Highlanders, he was always kind and condescending. Soon after this defection, the battle of Killicrankie, or of Renrorie, (as the Highlanders call it), was fought, when one of those incidents occurred which were too frequent in turbu

General Mackay's Memoirs.

In this instance, the paramount principle of loyalty triumphed over feudal influence.

lent times. Sir Ewen Cameron of Lochiel, with his clan, had joined Lord Dundee in the service of the abdicated king, while his second son, a captain in the Scotch Fusileers, was under General Mackay on the side of government. As the General was observing the Highland army drawn up on the face of a hill, a little above the house of Urrard, and to the westward of the great pass, he turned round to young Cameron, who stood next to him, and pointing to the Camerons, "Here," said he, "is your father with his wild savages; how would you like to be with him?" "It signifies little,” replied the other, "what I would like; but I recommend it to you to be prepared, or perhaps my father and his wild savages may be nearer to you before night than you would like." And so it happened. Dundee delayed his attack "till," according to an eye-witness, "the sun's going down, when the Highlandmen advanced on us like madmen, without shoes or stockings, covering themselves from our fire with their targets. At last they cast away their muskets, drew their broadswords, and advanced furiously upon us, broke us, and obliged us to retreat; some fled to the water, some another way." In short, the charge was like a torrent, and the rout complete; but Dundee fell early in the attack. The consternation occasioned by the death of the General prevented an immediate pursuit through the great

* The author of the Memoirs of Lord Dundee, speaking of this battle, says, "Then the Highlanders fired, threw down their fusils, rushed in with sword, target, and pistol, upon the enemy, who did not maintain their ground two minutes after the Highlanders were amongst them; and I dare be bold to say, there were scarce ever such strokes given in Europe, as were given that day by the Highlanders. Many of General Mackay's officers and soldiers were cut down through the skull and neck to the very breast; others had skulls cut off above their ears, like night-caps; some soldiers had both their bodies and cross-belts cut through at one blow; pikes and small swords were cut like willows; and whoever doubts of this, may consult the witnesses of the tragedy."

It has generally been believed that Lord Dundee was killed at the close of the action; but the following extract of a letter from James VII. to Stewart of Ballechin, who commanded the Atholemen after their desertion from Lord Tullibardine, shows that he fell early.