THIS was the most complete victory Montrose had ever gained, and with the loss of only seven or eight persons slain.* This account appears incredible, from the different rencounters in the field, and the brisk fire for a short while maintained by five of Baillie's regiments. Near the field of battle, on the south, lies a large morass, called Dullater Bog, through the midst of which the Great Canal now stretches. Several of Baillie's cavalry, in the hurry of flight, ran unawares into it, and perished. Both men and horses have been dug up there, in the memory of people yet alive. As moss is endowed with an antiseptic quality, the corpses were not greatly consumed. In those days, musquets were fired by applying a match; and several of Baillie's regiments, being not properly supplied with matches, did not fire.§ * THREE of them were Ogilvies, relations of the family of Airly. + WISHART'S History. The General's Account. One, as tradition goes, was found on horseback, with all his military accoutrements, in the very posture in which he had sunk. § WISHART. General Baillie's Account. (The account of the battle given by an actor, Clanronald's Bard, may be deem. MONTROSE became master of all the country. Edinburgh, Glasgow, other towns, and ed not unworthy of transcription. "Coming nigh to Kilsyth, after a night march, they (the royal troops) encamped nearthe adjacent hills; but, upon the morning of next day, they perceived the great host of the enemy in pursuit of them. The royal army had no choice, but either to break up their camp and fly without bread and flesh, or fight this great army. Upon which they immediately called a Council of War of all the of ficers and gentry, to consult whether they were to retreat, or fight the enemy; but Montrose requested to have the opinion of the soldiers of the whole army. The soldiers gave it as their opinion that it would be much better for them to fight, though attended with danger, than to be constantly retreating day and night. Upon which, Montrose sent a trumpeter to the enemy, to acquaint them that he was ready to give them battle. They set three thousand pike and musquet men in the front, in three divisions, and eleven thousand in battalions behind these. It may be easily supposed what a hardship it was, for a small army to encounter them; for the royal army were only four thousand foot and five hundred horse, bare-footed, with their shirt-tails tied between their legs; the cavalry had white shirts above their garments. This brave heroic band marched to the attack, in face of the enemy's cannon and masquets, with great courage and caution. The attack was begun by an excellent Irish and Scotch regiment of Gaels. Major MacLauchlan went before, directed by Alexander MacDonald. Other two regiments were ordered to their relief, the MacLeans, and Donald son of Muidartach's gallant regiment; but the MacLeans were nearer the enemy, and were sooner in order than Clanronald. There fell out some difference between Donald son of John Muidartach, and Donald son of young Hector MacLean, about precedency; but the Clanronald made their way through the MacLeans to the attack. Donald's men, and Patrick Caoch MacGregor's men, several counties, compounded with him for large sums. ARGYLE, and the rest of the covenanting nobility, fled to different places. Baillie, with such of his cavalry as he could collect, repaired to Stirling. He was, afterwards, by the Committee of Estates, called to account made but one regiment. They gained the trenches. Donald was the first man that leaped over them, and his men followed; and by the rushing forward of the rest of the army who followed him close, the great army of the Covenanters was routed. They continued, a great part of the day, killing and pursuing the enemy......... What induced me," says the Bard, "to write this much is, that those who have written upon the wars have taken little or no notice of the Gael (Highlanders), who were the principal people concerned in it, and did all that was done on the King's side." MS Translation of Red Book of Clanronald. Patrick MacGregor (called Caoch from his eccentric valour) appears, with many other Chiefs, in an extant voucher, the original of which the writer of this note has scen, under his signature," Patrik McGregre off that Ilk." Some particulars regarding him occur in Douglas's Baronage, p. 503. Editor.) * (A letter is said, by Bishop Burnet, to have been found among Montrose's papers, after his subsequent defeat at Philip-baugh, dissuading the King from making terms with his rebellious subjects, and filled with terms indecorously triumphant. We are not satisfied with its genuineness, however veracious Burnet must be regarded in his report of what he believed. We have our doubts of the propriety of divulging intercepted correspondence; and cannot help suspecting the possibility of forgery in such a case. Editor.) for the loss of the battle. He vindicated himself; and was publicly declared to have acted conformably to the directions of "the Field Committee," SECT. XVI. SECOND BATTLE OF FALKIRK, Ergo inter sese paribus concurrere telis Virgil. THE motto is inapplicable, in so far as it was not civil but foreign war which caused the first battle of Falkirk. The second arose from a civil war, of which it was a prominent feature, that many of the friends of order in Scotland were the insurgents. It was to re So much additional light has been thrown upon the subject, since Mr Nimmo wrote, that it has been deemed expedient to recast the section. Mr Nimmo's statements, so far as judged correct, have been embodied, both in the notes and text. cover lost rights, not to acquire new, that it was fought." It has been fashionable," says "It one of the most eminent of the moderns, "to defame and vilify the House of Stuart. They have found few apologists, for the dead cannot pay for praise; and who will, without reward, oppose the tide of popularity? Yet," he adds, "there still remains among us a zeal for truth in opposition to fashion."* We do not propose to discuss the expediency of being ruled by a Monarch educated in the Court of Rome; however his representative might have solemnly abjured its creed. The question has ceased to be practical. * LIFE of Dr Samuel Johnson, by James Boswell Esqr, 3d edition, Vol. 1, p. 314. THIS fact is stated by the historian of England, Mr Hume, in a letter to Sir John Pringle, 10th February 1773. Mr Hume's words are, "That the present Pretender was in London in 1753, I know with the greatest certainty, because I had it from Lord Mareschal, who said it consisted with his certain knowledge. I find that the Pretender's visit to England in 1753 was well known to all the Jacobites, and some of them have assured me that he took the opportunity of formally renouncing the Catholic religion under his own name of Charles Stuart, and that this is the reason of the bad treatment he met with from the Court of Rome." Mr Hume mentions his having conversed, five years before the date of this letter, with Lord Holderness, who had been Secretary of State in 1753, regarding this anti-catholic pilgrimage of Charles's, and |