711 
E N G L 
were not able to (lop tbe infiirreCtion in the weflern coun¬ 
ties, wliere it was already begun. However, their pre¬ 
parations were weak and ill conducted ; every meafure 
was betrayed to government as loon as projected, and 
many revolts repreded in. the veryoutfet. The univerfity 
ef Oxford was treated with great feverity on this occalion. 
Major-general Pepper, with a flrong detachment of dra¬ 
goons, took polfeflion of the city at day-break, declaring 
he would indantly flioot any of the (indents who (liould 
prefume to appear without tlie limits of their refpeCtive 
colleges. The infurreftion of the northern counties came 
to greater maturity. . In October, 1715, the ear! of Der- 
wentwater, and Mr. Foder, took tli£ field with a body of' 
horfe, and, being joined by fome gentlemen from the bor¬ 
ders of Scotland, proclaimed the pretender. Their firft 
attempt was to feize upon Newcaflle, in which they had 
many friends ; but they found the gates (hut againlf them, 
and were obliged to retire to Hexham. To oppofe thefe, 
general Carpenter was detached by government with a 
body of nine hundred men, and an engagement was hourly 
expedited. But the rebels took the rout to Jedburgh, 
whefe they hoped to leave Carpenter behind them, and 
penetrate into England by the weflern border. This was 
an effectual means to cut themfelves off both from retreat 
or afliflance. A party of Highlanders, who had joined 
the rebels, refufed to accompany them in this defperate 
irruption, and one-half of them adtually returned to their 
own country. At Brampton, Foder opened his commif- 
don, which had been lent him from the earl of Mar, and 
there he proclaimed the pretender king. They continued 
their march to Penrith,where the militia that, was aderu¬ 
bied to oppole them, fled at.their appearance. From 
Penrith they proceeded, by the way of Kendal and I.an- 
cafler, to Preflon, of which place they took polfeflion 
without any refinance. But this was the lad (lage of their 
ill-advifed incurdon ; for general Wills, at the head of 
(even thoufand men, came up to the town to attack them, 
and his activity allowed them no time to efcape. They 
now, therefore, began to put the place in a poflure of de¬ 
fence, and repulfed the firfl attack of the royal army. 
Next day, however, Wills was reinforced by Carpenter, 
and the town was inveded on all fides. In this helplefs 
dtuation, Foder hoped to capitulate with the general, 
and fent colonel Oxburgh, who had been taken prifoner, 
to propofe terms. But Wills refilled to treat with rebels; 
and faid that the only favour they had to expert, was to 
be fpared from immediate daughter. Thele were hard 
terms; but no better could be obtained. They accord¬ 
ingly laid down their arms, and were put under a drong 
guard; all the noblemen and leaders were fecured, and 
a lew ot their officers tried for defecting from the royal 
army, and fliot by fentence of a court-martial. The com¬ 
mon foldiers were imprifoned at Chefler and Liverpool ; 
the noblemen and officers were efcorted to London, and 
led through the dreets, pinioned and bound together, to 
intimidate their party. 
Thus ended the two firfl expeditions fet on foot in fa¬ 
vour of the pretender; in neither of which appear the 
fmalled traces of conduct, fagacity, or defign. But the 
direction of affairs on the continent, and at the court of 
Paris,,.was infinitely worfe. Bolingbroke had there been 
made his fecretary, and Ormond his prime-minifler. But 
thefe datelmen quickly found that nothing could be done 
in favour of his caufe. Louis XIV. who had ever during 
his life efpoufed the intered of the abdicated family, 
Commended prince James to the care of his brother the 
duke of Orleans, who (ucceeded in the government of 
the kingdom ; but he denied the pretender any afliftance. 
His party was compofed of the lowed and the mod igno¬ 
rant exiles from the Britidi dominions ; the fecrets of his 
cabinet, and all his intended meafures, were bandied 
about in coffee-houfes by perfons of the lowed rank ; 
fubaltern officers were elevated to the rank of generals ; 
and even proflitutes were intruded to manage his nego¬ 
tiations. The pride of the regent duke of Orleans, there. 
i 
A N D. 
fore, independent of his fuperior policy, could never have 
flittered him to foul his integrity by connecting himfelf 
with fuch a motley tribe. The'pretender, thus defer ed 
in France, refolved to hazard his perfon among his friends 
in Scotland. Pafling through France in difguife, and 
embarking in a fmall velfel at Dunkirk, he arrived, after 
a voyage of a few days, on the coad of Scotland, with 
only fix gentlemen in his train. He palled unknown 
through Aberdeen to Feterofle, where he was met by the 
earl ot Mar, and about thirty noblemen and gentlemen 
in his intered. There he Was folenmly proclaimed. His 
declaration, dated at Commercy, was printed and dif- 
perfed. He went from thence to Dundee, where he made 
a public entry, and in two days more he arrived at Scone, 
where he intended to have the ceremony of his coronation 
performed. He ordered thankfgivings to be made for 
his fafe arrival ; he enjoined the clergy to pray for him in 
their churches ; and, without the fmalled (hare of power, 
went through the ceremonies of royalty, which threw an 
air of ridicule on all his conduct. Having (pent fome 
time in unimportant parade, he refolved to abandon the 
enterprife with the fame levity with which it was under¬ 
take;!. Having made a fpeech to his council, he informed 
them of his want of money, arms, and ammunition, for 
undertaking a campaign, and therefore deplored that he 
was compelled to leave them. He embarked in the har¬ 
bour of Montrofe, accompanied with feveral lords, his 
adherents, and in five days arrived at Gravelines. General 
Gordon, with the afliflance of the eail marefchal, pro¬ 
ceeded at their head to Aberdeen, where he fecured three 
veflels, which took on-board fuch perfons as wiflied to 
make their efcape to the continent. He then continued 
his march through the Highlands, and difmifled his 
forces as he went forward. His retreat was made with 
fuch expedition, that the duke of Argyle, with all his 
activity, could never overtake his rear, which confided 
of a thoufand horfe. 
In this manner terminated a rebellion founded in imbe¬ 
cility, and conducted in rartinefs and folly. The law vvas^ 
now put in force with all its terrors ; and the prifons 
were crowded with the deluded infurgents. The earls 
of Derwentwater, Nitlnfdale, Carnwath, and Wigtown, 
the lords Widrington, Kenmuir, and Nairne, w ere im¬ 
peached, and, upon pleading guilty, all but lord Wig¬ 
town, received fentence of death. No entreaties could 
(often the minidry to (pare thefe unhappy men. The 
houfe of lords even prefented an addrefs to the throne 
for mercy, but without effedt; the king anfwered, that 
on this, as well as on all other occaflons, he would act 
as he thought mod confident with the dignity of the 
crown, and the lafety of his people. Several others of 
the principals in the pretender’s intered, were alfo puniflied 
with death., fome of whom were drawn and quartered. 
Upwards of a thoufand of the lower orders experienced 
the king’s mercy, and were fent to people the Britifli co¬ 
lonies in North America, which thus gained flrength and 
importance from the difaffeCtions in England:. 
The rebellion thus extinguiflied, ferved to confirm the 
authority of thofe in power. The parliament had (hewn 
itfelf eager to fecond the views of the minidry; and the 
pretended danger of the date was made a pretext for con¬ 
tinuing the parliament beyond the legal term of its exift- 
ence. An aCt, therefore, was made by themfelves, re¬ 
pealing that by which they were to be dilfolved every 
third year, and the term of the duration was extended to 
feven years, A. D. 1716. This was the origin of fepten- 
nial parliaments. If it could be right to extend their 
felf-eleCted duration to feven years, they might by the 
fame parity of reafoning perpetuate their authority, and 
thus dedroy the balance of the conditution. On the 
introduction of the feptennial bill, Mr. Shippen, in his 
memorable fpeech againfl it, remarked as follows: “ I 
humbly conceive we have it not in our power to con- 
fent to this bill ; for I cannot difeover by what rule of 
reafon or law, we, who are only reprelentatives, can 
enlarge, 
