64 SCOTLAND ILLUSTRATED. 



was little 'time for parley. " Surrender ! " they exclaimed, " in the name of 

 thy lawful sovereign ! " " Never ! " replied the officer, with vehemence ; and, 

 suiting the action to the word, made a deadly lounge at the speaker, who 

 caught the sword in his target. At the same instant, fired by this ungenerous 

 return for proffered quarter, a Highlander was on the point of inflicting sum- 

 mary vengeance with his battle-axe, when, at length, the officer was prevailed on 

 to surrender to Mr. Stuart of Invernayhle, who took him under his imme- 

 diate protection, and finally obtained his Hberty. This officer was Colonel 

 Whiteford, of Ballochmj'le, whose loyalty to the House of Hanover had placed 

 him that day in conflict wdth his countrymen. The incident forms a deHghtfid 

 contrast to the barbarous policy pursued by the opposite party, whose frequent 

 execution of such straggling officers of the Highland army as misfortune threw 

 in their way, served only to foment those feelings of exasperation which a 

 conduct more in unison with humanity would have greatly softened, if not 

 disarmed. But the policy of the times encoiu-aged extremes, and trusted, 

 perhaps too much, to the terror inspired by a system amounting almost to 

 extermination, as the best means of crushing the progress of rebellion. 



It is pleasing to add, that after the flnal struggle, when the clans were routed 

 on Culloden, and the generous deliverer of Whiteford was himself a prisoner — 

 destined for the scafibld — the latter, after vainly suing every officer of state for 

 the pardon of his friend, applied at last to the duke of Cumberland, on whose 

 favourable consideration he had the claims of acknowledged merit and efficient 

 service. The duke, however, was inexorable. " No, Whiteford," he replied, 

 vpith his peculiar emphasis ; " had you asked promotion, your plea might have 

 been heard. Pardon a rebel with arms in his hand ! The very request is an 

 imputation against your loyalty." " He saved my life," calmly interrupted 

 Whiteford, " and thereby restored me to the honour of serving my king. If, 

 therefore, I have acted under your royal highness the part of a good soldier, 

 let the life of my friend — compared with which all promotion is but as dust 

 in the balance — requite my service, and be the monument of your royal high- 

 ness's clemency." " Clemency!" hastily interrupted the duke; "ay, that is 

 the word ! It is my well-known clemency that has overwhelmed me with all 

 these petitions!" — pointing to a table covered with writings. " In a word, the 

 rebel in whose behalf you appear, must pay the forfeit, — Wliiteford, the forfeit; 

 he must die ! my clemency must not interrupt the course of justice. " 



" Then," said Wliiteford, taking a paper from lus breast, and laying it on 

 the table where the duke was seated, " permit me. Sir, to make this tender 

 of my commission ; and, with your royal highness's sanction to retire from a 



