Life of Flora Macdonald and her adventures with Prince Charles

few, very unexpectedly — no doubt a very highly prepossess-
ing youth, amiable, affable, and active ; but in a lonely,
sequestered corner of the West Highlands — in the midst of
strangers, with only seven attendants — for the ambitious
purpose of regaining the Crown of Great Britain, already
possessed by a near relative ; and which had been lost to
his own family for fifty-seven years ! To the wise, this hasty
enterprise could hardly fail to appear as a forlorn hope, —
yet the youthful Prince was sanguine in the extreme. He
relied implicitly on the justice of his cause, and not less so
on the fidelity and valour of the Highland chiefs and their
gallant vassals.
By his amiable manners and captivating address he very
soon enlisted the feelings and services of the majority of the
Highland clans. The intelligence of his arrival spread with
the telegraphy of the "fiery-cross" over mountain and glen.
The Highlanders were on the alert, and became speedily
aroused. Under the guardianship of their brave chiefs they
soon hied to the general rendezvous, where a halo of glory
seemed to overshadow their arms, and a confidence of
success to inspire their hearts !
The youthful Prince placed himself at the head of no
insignificant body, and displayed that magnanimity of soul
which might be expected in the descendant of Bruce and
Sobieski ! His soldiers were, no doubt, untrained, and
unskilled in the more scientific modes of carrying on a
great war, but they possessed all the qualities which go to
make good soldiers ; their valour and endurance were great.
It is well known that with these untutored but devoted
followers, the Prince took possession of Scotland, penetrated
England as far as Derby, and caused His Majesty, King
George II. to tremble on his throne ! Had he boldly
entered London, as he had done our Scottish towns, it is diffi-
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