the chevalier; but, although lord Nairn gained over the minister of Hamilton, who, as an organ of the Presbyterians, had great influence over her, she would do nothing in the absence of her son.

Mr. Fleming now learned to his infinite mortification, that notwithstanding so many favourable appearances, his expectations were vain, the expedition under Forbin having totally failed, though, as yet, the Jacobites could not believe it. Should the French fail in Fife or Lothian, they made sure of them landing in Cromarty, or failing in Cromarty, they believed they would go round to the Frith of Clyde, where they could land without opposition. Yea, so great was their infatuation, that they believed the orders of the French king were peremptory to Forbin, to join his seamen to the land forces, run the ships on shore, and abandon them rather than lose the opportunity of making a descent, which was to accomplish such important results. This enthusiasm attributed to the French in the cause of James, by the Scotish Jacobites, was, however, altogether visionary. So very different was the real state of the case, that from the time the English fleet appeared before Dunkirk, the scheme was considered, by those who were to conduct it, as hopeless.* The embarkation of the troops was immediately suspended, and Forbin lost no time in representing to the minister at Paris, the great danger of the attempt, and the little probability of its being ultimately successful. But Louis had already committed himself, and, probably only to save appearances, Forbin was ordered to put to sea, the moment the blockading squadron should be blown off its station. In the mean time the chevalier was seized with the measles, and the troops were disembarked for a few days. On the fourteenth of March, a violent tempest drove the British fleet back to the Downs, and on the seventeenth, at six o'clock in the evening, the French put to sea from the roads of Dunkirk, having ordered as many ships from the harbour to fill their place through the night, in

* Smollett's History of England. Burnet's History of his own Times. + Lockhart Papers, vol. i. p. 241.

order to conceal their sailing from the British cruisers, should any of them happen to look into the roads in the morning. The weather, however, became calm, and they were obliged to come to anchor off Newport pits. Here they were detained by contrary winds, till the evening of the nineteenth. During these two days, three of the frigates having exhibited signals of distress, returned to Dunkirk. As these frigates had on board eight hundred men, with a great quantity of arms and provisions, a council of war was held in the apartment of the chevalier, to determine whether they should proceed direct for Scotland, or wait till they should be rejoined by the frigates. Through the influence of the chevalier himself, it was decided that they should proceed immediately, marshal Matignon entreating admiral Forbin, to give orders for these frigates to join the squadron, as soon as they had furnished themselves with what they wanted. Another council of war became necessary to settle the place of landing. Hooke proposed the north of Scotland, as the place every way best suited for their purpose. Middleton preferred the Frith of

Forth, and it was determined to make the harbour of Bruntisland, whence they could send a detachment to seize upon Stirling, and thus secure that important pass, the only direct communication between the southern and the northern parts of the kingdom.

Something, which might have been considered ominous, however, still attended them. They sailed, as we have stated, on the 19th, at ten P. M., and by six o'clock next morning, it became necessary for the ships in the van to lie to, for those who had fallen behind through the night. The remainder of that day and all night, the fleet proceeded with a brisk gale, and the chevalier was exceedingly sea sick. The voyage was continued the two following days, but on the night of the 22d, fearing to pass the Frith, it was judged prudent again to lie to. On the 23d, they were in sight of the desired Scotish coast; but they had mistaken their reckoning, steered too far north, and in order to gain the Frith, had to return towards the south. They now despatched a frigate up the Frith, bearing English colours, to fire the signal agreed

upon with colonel Hooke, twenty cannon, and in the meantime cast anchor behind the isle of May.*

Thus far every thing was prosperous, and the success of the expedition, might have been considered as no longer doubtful. The country without troops, and every where previously prepared to give them a friendly welcome, the French had but to step on shore, which a few hours more would have enabled them to do, and their work was done. The capital with its fortress, the strongest in the kingdom, and still containing the greater part of the equivalent, would in all probability have yielded to them on the first summons, and a number of Dutch ships, loaded with cannon, small arms, ammunition, and a large sum of money, being at the same time driven on shore in the shire of Angus, must of necessity, have fallen into their hands. Their good fortune, however, was apparent not

real.

The British fleet being so opportunely driven back to the Downs, was a fortunate circumstance they might not have felt themselves warranted to calculate upon, but the benefit of it was entirely lost by their being driven into Newport pits, where, during the two days they remained, they were distinctly seen from the steeples of Ostend, and a vessel was despatched to advertise Sir George Byng of the fact. Sir George, on the receipt of this intelligence, sailed direct for the Frith of Forth, where he had the good fortune to arrive while Forbin, embarrassed and indecisive, was still lingering behind the island of May.

Forbin now found that all his fears had come upon him. His signal ship had sailed up the Forth according to agreement, and had fired her twenty cannon, but had received no answer; and though Malcolm of Grange came on board with the most. flattering account of the friends of the chevalier, there was no demonstration made from the shore, that could direct or assist his wary admiral in the present emergency. Mr. George, a skipper of Aberdeen, who had been sent by the earl of Errol to be his pilot, having crossed over to the Edinburgh side to give notice to Mr. Lockhart of Carnwath, and captain Straiton, of the approach of the fleet, was so elated with his commission

* Hooke's Secret Negotiations, p. 154.

and the vast prospects opening before him, that he fell to carousing with his friends," nor knew till the alarm was given, and he found it impossible to repass the Frith.* The appearance of the British fleet, however, while it brought the deliberations of the enemy to a speedy conclusion, rendered pilots unavailing, and a smart land breeze springing up, they cut their cables and put to sea, in the utmost trepidation, with all the sail they could carry. The British gave chase, and the Salisbury, one of their line of battle ships, was speedily boarded and taken. During the night the French admiral altered his course, and by daylight was out of sight of the English squadron. Sir George Byng returned immediately to the Frith, where he was received with every mark of respect, and was presented with the freedom of the city of Edinburgh, in a gold box, as a testimony of the gratitude of its citizens, for having so opportunely dispelled their fears, and averted the dangers with which they were threatened.

Monsieur Andrezel, in his journal of the proceedings of the French fleet, states, that when the action commenced with the English, the Chevalier de St. George entreated the admiral, Forbin, to put him on shore, declaring that he was resolved to remain in Scotland, although none were to follow him but his domestics, which, Forbin, "after representing to him that it was very improper," refused to agree to. From the same document, we learn, that, when they were no longer pursued by the enemy, the marshal de Matignon, and the admiral count Forbin, proposed to the chevalier to attempt a landing at Inverness, which he agreed to; but as there was no pilot on board, who knew that coast, Ogilvie of Boyn was desired to go in search of one at Buchanness, when a strong wind arising, rendered it impossible for them to continue their course to the north. Being also under apprehensions of wanting provisions, they steered their course towards Dunkirk, where, after being tossed about, in very tempestuous weather, nearly a month, they arrived on the seventh of April, having lost the Salisbury, fallen into the hands of the enemy, and nearly all the land troops by disease, owing to the crowded state of the ships.

*Lockhart Papers, vol. i. p. 241.

Andrezel adds, that though the landing had taken place, the success of the expedition would have been, nevertheless, very doubtful, by reason of the uncertainty both of a fit place for landing, and of the succours that they were to expect to join them, and he seems to think it was no small degree of good fortune that carried them back to Dunkirk, after running so great hazard.*

Thus ended the first attempt of the Chevalier de St. George, which certainly did not advance either his interest or his reputation. It demonstrated to all who were not blinded by prejudice, that, in common with too many of his predecessors, he was infatuated with the superstitions of Popery, and intoxicated with the dream of inviolable prerogative, which must have detached from his interest, all who held enlightened views of the nature of society, and the legitimate ends of government, while it strengthened that mortal aversion, which the whole body of Presbyterians felt towards his family. Instead of resting solely upon his long line of ancestry, and assurances of assistance from the French government, assurances, which, it is highly probable, they never intended to make good, any further, than as they might operate in favour of their schemes of continental aggrandizement, had he cast himself upon the nation, admitted the Claim of Right, and, acting upon the principles of common sense, satisfied the Presbyterians, who, situated as they now were, and feeling as they now did, would certainly have been easier satisfied, than on some former occasions, he might almost by a mere volition, have placed himself upon that throne, from which, through mere folly and imbecility, his father had been ejected, and have left it a peaceable possession to his children. But he had strongly impressed upon him all those marks of special reprobation, which had long characterized his unfortunate family, and among others, that wayward obstinacy, which no prospect of advantage could bend, nor the most. awful visitations subdue. Fortunately for the house of Hanover, he supposed he had no friends in Britain but Papists and high churchmen, who had been the plagues of the

* Hooke's Secret Negotiations, p. 156.