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Redgauntlet

by　Sir　Walter　Scott






CONTENTS。

Introduction　Text　　　　　Letters　I　…　XIII　　　　　Chapters　I　…　XXIII　　　　　Conclusion　Notes　Glossary





INTRODUCTION

The　Jacobite　enthusiasm　of　the　eighteenth　century；　particularly　during　the　rebellion　of　1745；　afforded　a　theme；　perhaps　the　finest　that　could　be　selected　for　fictitious　composition；　founded　upon　real　or　probable　incident。　　This　civil　war　and　its　remarkable　events　were　remembered　by　the　existing　generation　without　any　degree　of　the　bitterness　of　spirit　which　seldom　fails　to　attend　internal　dissension。　　The　Highlanders；　who　formed　the　principal　strength　of　Charles　Edward's　army；　were　an　ancient　and　high…spirited　race；　peculiar　in　their　habits　of　war　and　of　peace；　brave　to　romance；　and　exhibiting　a　character　turning　upon　points　more　adapted　to　poetry　than　to　the　prose　of　real　life。　　Their　prince；　young；　valiant；　patient　of　fatigue；　and　despising　danger；　heading　his　army　on　foot　in　the　most　toilsome　marches；　and　defeating　a　regular　force　in　three　battlesall　these　were　circumstances　fascinating　to　the　imagination；　and　might　well　be　supposed　to　seduce　young　and　enthusiastic　minds　to　the　cause　in　which　they　were　found　united；　although　wisdom　and　reason　frowned　upon　the　enterprise。

The　adventurous　prince；　as　is　well　known；　proved　to　be　one　of　those　personages　who　distinguish　themselves　during　some　single　and　extraordinarily　brilliant　period　of　their　lives；　like　the　course　of　a　shooting…star；　at　which　men　wonder；　as　well　on　account　of　the　briefness；　as　the　brilliancy　of　its　splendour。　　A　long　tract　of　darkness　overshadowed　the　subsequent　life　of　a　man　who；　in　his　youth；　showed　himself　so　capable　of　great　undertakings；　and；　without　the　painful　task　of　tracing　his　course　farther；　we　may　say　the　latter　pursuits　and　habits　of　this　unhappy　prince　are　those　painfully　evincing　a　broken　heart；　which　seeks　refuge　from　its　own　thoughts　in　sordid　enjoyments。

Still；　however；　it　was　long　ere　Charles　Edward　appeared　to　be；　perhaps　it　was　long　ere　he　altogether　became；　so　much　degraded　from　his　original　self；　as　he　enjoyed　for　a　time　the　lustre　attending　the　progress　and　termination　of　his　enterprise。　　Those　who　thought　they　discerned　in　his　subsequent　conduct　an　insensibility　to　the　distresses　of　his　followers；　coupled　with　that　egotistical　attention　to　his　own　interests　which　has　been　often　attributed　to　the　Stuart　family；　and　which　is　the　natural　effect　of　the　principles　of　divine　right　in　which　they　were　brought　up；　were　now　generally　considered　as　dissatisfied　and　splenetic　persons；　who；　displeased　with　the　issue　of　their　adventure　and　finding　themselves　involved　in　the　ruins　of　a　falling　cause；　indulged　themselves　in　undeserved　reproaches　against　their　leader。　　Indeed；　such　censures　were　by　no　means　frequent　among　those　of　his　followers　who；　if　what　was　alleged　had　been　just；　had　the　best　right　to　complain。　　Far　the　greater　number　of　those　unfortunate　gentlemen　suffered　with　the　most　dignified　patience；　and　were　either　too　proud　to　take　notice　of　ill…treatment　an　the　part　of　their　prince；　or　so　prudent　as　to　be　aware　their　complaints　would　meet　with　little　sympathy　from　the　world。　　It　may　be　added；　that　the　greater　part　of　the　banished　Jacobites；　and　those　of　high　rank　and　consequence；　were　not　much　within　reach　of　the　influence　of　the　prince's　character　and　conduct；　whether　well　regulated　or　otherwise。

In　the　meantime　that　great　Jacobite　conspiracy；　of　which　the　insurrection　of　1745…6　was　but　a　small　part　precipitated　into　action　on　the　failure　of　a　far　more　general　scheme；　was　resumed　and　again　put　into　motion　by　the　Jacobites　of　England；　whose　force　had　never　been　broken；　as　they　had　prudently　avoided　bringing　it　into　the　field。　　The　surprising　effect　which　had　been　produced　by　small　means；　in　1745…6；　animated　their　hopes　for　more　important　successes；　when　the　whole　nonjuring　interest　of　Britain；　identified　as　it　then　was　with　great　part　of　the　landed　gentlemen；　should　come　forward　to　finish　what　had　been　gallantly　attempted　by　a　few　Highland　chiefs。

It　is　probable；　indeed；　that　the　Jacobites　of　the　day　were　incapable　of　considering　that　the　very　small　scale　on　which　the　effort　was　made；　was　in　one　great　measure　the　cause　of　its　unexpected　success。　　The　remarkable　speed　with　which　the　insurgents　marched；　the　singularly　good　discipline　which　they　preserved；　the　union　and　unanimity　which　for　some　time　animated　their　councils；　were　all　in　a　considerable　degree　produced　by　the　smallness　of　their　numbers。　　Notwithstanding　the　discomfiture　of　Charles　Edward；　the　nonjurors　of　the　period　long　continued　to　nurse　unlawful　schemes；　and　to　drink　treasonable　toasts；　until　age　stole　upon　them。　　Another　generation　arose；　who　did　not　share　the　sentiments　which　they　cherished；　and　at　length　the　sparkles　of　disaffection；　which　had　long　smouldered；　but　had　never　been　heated　enough　to　burst　into　actual　flame；　became　entirely　extinguished。　　But　in　proportion　as　the　political　enthusiasm　died　gradually　away　among　men　of　ordinary　temperament；　it　influenced　those　of　warm　imaginations　and　weak　understandings；　and　hence　wild　schemes　were　formed；　as　desperate　as　they　were　adventurous。

Thus　a　young　Scottishman　of　rank　is　said　to　have　stooped　so　low　as　to　plot　the　surprisal　of　St。　James's　Palace；　and　the　assassination　of　the　royal　family。　　While　these　ill…digested　and　desperate　conspiracies　were　agitated　among　the　few　Jacobites　who　still　adhered　with　more　obstinacy　to　their　purpose；　there　is　no　question　but　that　other　plots　might　have　been　brought　to　an　open　explosion；　had　it　not　suited　the　policy　of　Sir　Robert　Walpole　rather　to　prevent　or　disable　the　conspirators　in　their　projects；　than　to　promulgate　the　tale　of　danger；　which　might　thus　have　been　believed　to　be　more　widely　diffused　than　was　really　the　case。

In　one　instance　alone　this　very　prudential　and　humane　line　of　conduct　was　departed　from；　and　the　event　seemed　to　confirm　the　policy　of　the　general　course。　　Doctor　Archibald　Cameron；　brother　of　the　celebrated　Donald　Cameron　of　Lochiel；　attainted　for　the　rebellion　of　1745；　was　found　by　a　party　of　soldiers　lurking　with　a　comrade　in　the　wilds　of　Loch　Katrine　five　or　six　years　after　the　battle　of　Culloden；　and　was　there　seized。　　There　were　circumstances　in　his　case；　so　far　as　was　made　known　to　the　public；　which　attracted　much　compassion；　and　gave　to　the　judicial　proceedings　against　him　an　appearance　of　cold…blooded　revenge　on　the　part　of　government；　and　the　following　argument　of　a　zealous　Jacobite　in　his　favour；　was　received　as　conclusive　by　Dr。　Johnson　and　other　persons　who　might　pretend　to　impartiality。　　Dr。　Cameron　had　never　borne　arms；　although　engaged　in　the　Rebellion；　but　used　his　medical　skill　for　the　service；　indifferently；　of　the　wounded　of　both　parties。　　His　return　to　Scotland　was　ascribed　exclusively　to　family　affairs。　　His　behaviour　at　the　bar　was　decent；　firm；　and　respectful。　　His　wife　threw　herself；　on　three　different　occasions；　before　George　II　and　the　members　of　his　family；　was　rudely　repulsed　from　their　presence；　and　at　length　placed；　it　was　said；　in　the　same　prison　with　her　husband；　and　confined　with　unmanly　severity。

Dr。　Cameron　was　finally　executed　with　all　the　severities　of　the　law　of　treason；　and　his　death　remains　in　popular　estimation　a　dark　blot　upon　the　memory　of　George　II；　being　almost　publicly　imputed　to　a　mean　and　personal　hatred　of　Donald　Cameron　of　Lochiel；　the　sufferer's　heroic　brother。

Yet　the　fact　was　that　whether　the　execution　of　Archibald　Cameron　was　political　or　otherwise；　it　might　certainly　have　been　justified；　had　the　king's　ministers　so　pleased；　upon　reasons　of　a　public　nature。　　The　unfortunate　sufferer　had　not　come　to　the　Highlands　solely　upon　his　private　affairs；　as　was　the　general　belief；　but　it　was　not　judged　prudent　by　the　English　ministry　to　let　it　be　generally　known　that　he　came　to　inquire　about　a　considerable　sum　of　money　which　had　been　remitted　from　France　to　the　friends　of　the　exiled　family。　　He　had　also　a　commission　to　hold　intercourse　with　the　well…known　M'Pherson　of　Cluny；　chief　of　the　clan　Vourich；　whom　the　Chevalier　had　left　behind　at　his　departure　from　Scotland　in　1746；　and　who　remained　during　ten　years　of　proscription　and　danger；　skulking　from　place　to　place　in　the　Highlands；　and　maintaining　an　uninterrupted　correspondence　between　Charles　and　his　friends。　　That　Dr。　Cameron　should　have　held　a　commission　to　assist　this　chief　in　raking　together　the　dispersed　embers　of　disaffection；　is　in　itself　sufficiently　natural；　and；　considering　his　political　principles；　in　no　respect　dishonourable　to　his　memory。　　But　neither　ought　it　to　be　imputed　to　George　II　that　he　suffered　the　laws　to　be　enforced　against　a　person　taken　in　the　act　of　breaking　them。　　When　he　lost　his　hazardous　game；　Dr。　Cameron　only　paid　the　forfeit　which　he　must　have　calculated　upon。　　The　ministers；　however；　thought　it　proper　to　leave　Dr。　Cameron's　new　schemes　in　concealment；　lest；　by　divulging　them；　they　had　indicated　the　channel　of　communication　which；　it　is　now　well　known；　they　possessed　to　all　the　plots　of　Charles　Edward。　　But　it　was　equally　ill　advised　and　ungenerous　to　sacrifice　the　character　of　the　king　to　the　policy　of　the　administration。　　Both　points　might　have　been　gained　by　sparing　the　life　of　Dr。　Cameron　after　conviction；　and　limiting　his　punishment　to　perpetual　exile。

These　repeated　and　successive　Jacobite　plots　rose　and　burst　like　bubbles　on　a　fountain；　and　one　of　them；　at　least；　the　Chevalier　judged　of　importance　enough　to　induce　him　to　risk　himself　within　the　dangerous　precincts　of　the　British　capital。　　This　appears　from　Dr。　King's　ANECDOTES　OF　HIS　OWN　TIMES。

'September；　1750。I　received　a　note　from　my　Lady　Primrose；　who　desired　to　see　me　immediately。　　As　soon　as　I　waited　on　her；　she　led　me　into　her　dressing…room；　and　presented　me　to'　＇the　Chevalier；　doubtless＇。　　'If　I　was　surprised　to　find　him　there；　I　was　still　more　astonished　when　he　acquainted　me　with　the　motives　which　had　induced　him　to　hazard　a　journey　to　England　at　this　juncture。　　The　impatience　of　his　friends　who　were　in　exile　had　formed　a　scheme　which　was　impracticable；　but　although　it　had　been　as　feasible　as　they　had　represented　it　to　him；　yet　no　preparation　had　been　made；　nor　was　anything　r