Lairds of Glenlyon

THE LAIRDS OF GLENLYON. 243
" The left of the King's army, commanded by General
Whetham, observing a great cloud of the Highlanders
break through the centre close by them, and gathering
apace, could make no guess of their number, they standing
so thick and confused, and intercepting their view, so as
they could neither hear nor see what was acted upon the
right, which the circular ground upon which the army stood
would of itself have impeded without any other obstruction,
and all communication or intelligence by aides-de-camp or
otherwise being intercepted, made them firmly believe that
the Duke and the right of the army were either entirely
beat, or at least surrounded by the rebels ; nor did they
find themselves in condition to resent or rescue them if it
had been so. And now finding the rebels endeavouring to
get behind them, and so either to march to Stirling or cut
off their retreat, and themselves in no condition to keep
the field, they retired at a very slow pace towards Dunblane,
and from thence to Corntown, at the end of the long cause-
way that leads to Stirling Bridge, where they arrived about
three in the afternoon."
The want of a commander who could seize on that deci-
sive moment when the line of Whetham yielded, ruined the
Jacobite cause. Mar's incapacity became conspicuous to
the meanest clansman, when no attempt was made at
massing together the different sections of the right, for one
concentrated effort of co-operation againt the retreating
royal regiments. Without command, without common ac-
tion, the clans stood astonished in the places to which they
were appointed at the beginning of the battle, and the
forces opposed to them being beaten back, knew not what
they should do next, There they stuck in armed battalioni