PRINCE CHARLES STUART. 



statesmen and heroes have acted inconsistently with the characters they had won ; 

 but then they had great virtues to throw into the scale, which established an 

 immense balance in their favour. 



Of Prince Charles whose adventures after the battle of Culloden, the 

 " Flodden" of the North, are universally known we need only add, that after 

 innumerable hardships and hair-breadth escapes, he succeeded, with about a 

 hundred of his friends, in securing his retreat to France in a privateer engaged 

 for that purpose. It is worthy of remark, as a trait that reflects immortal 

 honour on the people of the Highlands, that during his wanderings amongst 

 them, Prince Charles had occasion to entrust his life to more than fifty individuals 

 many of them poor and destitute but not one of whom was tempted either 

 by the enormous bribe offered, or intimidated by the continual vigilance of their 

 enemies, to betray his path or lurking-place. 



A person of the name of M'lan to whose cottage the prince went and threw 

 himself on his protection though no friend to his cause, watched over him 

 for several weeks with inviolable fidelity. What renders this fact still more 

 remarkable is, that M'lan, whose family were at the time in a state of starvation, 

 was compelled to the dire necessity of robbing in order to support the prince 

 of robbing, too, at the risk of his life, when a word or sign would have raised him 

 to opulence, and to special favour with government. It is< a melancholy fact 

 to add, in conclusion to such unparalleled fidelity, that this poor man was 

 afterwards brought to the gallows for having, during a season of great severity, 

 stolen a cow to keep his family alive, and when he had only one choice left, to 

 rob or to starve. A little before his execution, he took off his bonnet and said 

 " I thank God that, although condemned to suffer death for an offence com- 

 mitted under the pressure of want, I have never betrayed a trust never 

 injured the poor never refused to share my last morsel with the stranger and 

 the needy." On having the circumstance represented to him, the king was 

 said to have expressed much regret that the sentence had been carried into 

 execution, and to have added, that, had the case been reported to him in proper 

 time, the poor man should have been placed in a situation where he would have 

 had no temptation to rob for his subsistence. 



We now proceed to Fort George occupying the eastern extremity of the county 

 which projects into the Moray Frith.* It was built at the disastrous period 



In pursuing this route, the antiquary will find the ancient baronial residence of Dalcross Castle an 

 object of attraction. It consists of two towers, joined at right angles, the inner corner where they meet, 

 being covered with a projecting turret and large entrance gate. In the front court is a deep draw-well ; the 

 windows are staunchioned with iron ; it has a huge oaken door, with inner iron gratings; the kitchen, with 

 its enormous vaulted chimney, is like the arch of a bridge ; the dungeons and the hall are quite perfect. 



VOL. II. 



