Trials of James, Duncan, and Robert M'Gregor, three sons of the celebrated Rob Roy

XXXV1U
lousy of all intrusion within their ancient
limits ; and still indulging a hope, that better
days were approaching, — that their fortunes
were again to prevail, — and that the destiny of
the Stuart family, with which they had united
their own, was ultimately to regain its
ascendant, they remained in a shy and sus-
picious estrangement from the Government,
politics, laws, and manners of their country.
To confirm them in this course, the exiled
family employed all the zeal of their ad-
herents, and all the activity of their emis-
saries ; and it was during this quiet and
frowning interval, betwixt the Rebellions of
1715 and 1745, that the spirit of the clans
was maturing itself for the unhappy adven-
ture, in the failure of which the fortunes of
the family whom they so much cherished,
were for ever broken and overthrown.
During the sullen period which in-
tervened betwixt the two rebellions, and
which discovered the anomalous spectacle of
a large body of the British people, neither
thoroughly reconciled to the Government,
nor daring openly to dispute its authoriry,
the Scottish Highlands exhibited many ex-
amples of that untamed violence which, with-
out implying an open rebellion against the
laws, indicates a sad relaxation of their