have been needless; but as they consisted of a parcel of people of low fortunes, that could not subsist without their board wages, which, at ten guineas a-week, during each session, was duly paid them, or mere tools and dependants, it was not to be expected they would act the part which became them for their country's service; and, therefore, these representations were judged necessary to spur them up to their duty, and withal show the ministry that the people would not behave so tamely as did their mean-spirited representatives.”*

The Jacobites, in the meantime, while they put on the guise of patriotism, and openly promoted opposition to the measure, were highly gratified by it, hopeful that it would have been persisted in; and they had taken measures for electing delegates from the shires, to meet and correspond, for consulting and giving information of all that occurred, that so uniform measures might be taken and prosecuted with vigour and unanimity as occasion offered. Had the measure been passed, it was resolved that each shire and borough should meet, and recalling the right and power they had granted to their representatives to sit in the British parliament, elect others in their place to determine what was now to be done when the articles of Union were openly violated, and, of course, the treaty itself dissolved. All these schemes were, however, rendered nugatory, by the ministry at once abandoning the measure, and substi tuting three-pence per bushel on malt, being only the half of what was paid in England, to which all the Scots members submitted, without attempting any opposition.†

• Lockhart Papers, vol. ii. pp. 139, 140.

+"The ministry were desirous to have the malt tax, or something in lieu thereof, out of Scotland, because the revenues arising from that country did no more than pay the civil list, and maintain a suitable number of troops; and the charges of subsisting the Scots members of parliament became a burden upon the government, and they wanted to have an equivalent, or be eased thereof. So that Walpole plainly and frankly told these gentlemen when they applied to him, that they knew what money was raised, and how applied in Scotland, and they must lay their account with tying up their stockings with their own garters. Thus, for supporting a parcel of corrupt locusts the country must be oppressed, which, at the same time indeed, deserved no better, for electing a set of men, of whom no better could be expected." Lockhart Papers, vol. ii. pp. 140, 141.

A particular account of all these matters was carefully transmitted to the pretender and his friends in Italy, together with all the hopes and the fears of the party. Their hopes we have already seen their fears were, that a law might be passed this session abolishing the peculiar dress of the Highlanders, and making it death for any of these people to wear arms. It was even believed, that there was a scheme on foot "for suppressing the language, with intention of dissipating that body of people;" and for this purpose, they supposed, that under pretence of reviewing the troops, general Wade had been employed the preceding summer, as he had traversed the highlands in all directions, examined the passes, inquired narrowly into the characters of the principal inhabitants, and taken notes of all that he either heard or saw. It is not at all improbable, that such views might have been entertained at the time; but there was neither wisdom in the administration properly to plan, nor firmness to carry through consistently such a measure.

In answer to their communications, the pretender highly commended the zeal, the firmness, and the fidelity of his friends; and though foreign affairs were still in as hopeless a state as ever, he could not but be of opinion, that he never had more reason to hope well from them, and for some favourable change at last in his favour; and he adds, "the best and most certain news I can send you at present, is that of the queen's being about three months gone with child, which I am sure will be a very acceptable account to you," &c. This expected child, however, whose birth promised to diffuse so much joy, instead of being a hero, the retriever of the fallen fortunes of his family, proved more imbecile and unwarlike than all his progenitors, but equally superstitious and obsequious to foreign influence, through the friendship of his holiness the pope, was created cardinal de York, and died the last of his unfortunate race.

In the beginning of the year, 1725, a letter from his secretary, colonel Hay, assures the still longing friends of James, that "there are many events, which, according to the course of nature, must soon happen, any one of which must give a fair opportunity to the king [James] to act to some purpose. He is doing every thing in his power to prepare himself to profit of a

favourable conjuncture, and does not doubt but his friends at home will be ready to join with him when he shall call for their assistance, which, when it does happen, will in all appearance be a surprise upon them." In no long time after,

James himself announces to them the health of his queen, and "the new born." In this letter he admits that "it is but too manifest in this conjuncture nothing but a foreign power can do the work effectually, and to begin it by halfs would be ruining all. It is," says he, "my friends' business to be quiet, and to preserve themselves in a condition for being useful on a proper occasion, though that ought not to hinder them from using their utmost endeavours to thwart and oppose the measures of government, as far as that can be done without exposing themselves to the lash of the law, and, indeed, so far it is necessary they should exert themselves, since there is no other way left at present to keep up the spirit of the nation, and support the credit of the cause, which requires vigour as well as prudence in those concerned in it. I cannot but hope, more than ever, that the time of our deliverance is not far off, though I fear scarcely to be expected this summer." In this letter he also announced his full determination to withdraw his confidence from the earl of Marr, and his having declared colonel Hay his secretary, and created him a peer of Scotland by the title of earl of Inverness. "I am persuaded," continues he, "I shall never have cause to repent of that step, nor my faithful subjects to complain of it, for he is one who hath no other view in politics but to obey me in all things, and to serve them where he can; and the usage his lady hath lately met with, shows me the value even my enemies think I ought to put upon him. She was not charged with any commission from me when she went over, and, by the accounts I have, she has behaved herself with a great deal of firmity and courage."+

* Lockhart Papers, vol. ii. p. 145.

+ Lockhart Papers, vol. ii. pp. 150, 151. This compliment to lady Inverness, who was daughter to lord Stormont, and sister to the famous William Murray, created by George III, earl of Mansfield, will be better understood when the reader is informed, that she was at this time supposed to be one of the pretender's mistresses, and that it was in consequence of this that her husband

Soon after passing the malt tax bill for Scotland, a bill, as had been expected, was brought into the house for regulating the Highlands, so as to extend to them the benefits of knowledge and civilization in common with other parts of the empire, that they might be no longer left a dead weight upon the community, and a magazine of mischief, ready to be played off upon the nod of any agitator, who should be able either to bribe their poverty, or to flatter their vanity. Before this bill got fairly through the house, however, it was so modified as to be of little real utility, and the execution of it ended in mere mockery. A much more beneficial scheme, the society for propagating Christian knowledge in the Highlands and Islands, set on foot, and supported by the church of Scotland, was materially aided at this time by the judicious and welltimed bounty of his majesty. The General Assembly of that church convened at Edinburgh, the sixth day of May, 1725, Hugh, earl of Loudon, commissioner, the Rev. James Alston, minister of Dirleton, moderator. "The commissioner delivered to the assembly a warrant under his majesty's hand, signifying his gracious inclination to contribute yearly a thousand pounds sterling for the encouragement of itinerant preachers and catechists, to assist the ministers of large parishes in the Highlands and Islands, where popery and ignorance do prevail, and giving to this assembly a thousand pounds sterling, to be disposed of by them for the foresaid purposes as they should think fit." This munificent donation was repeated every year by his majesty as long as he lived, and has been continued by his successors ever since, to the incalculable advantage of these benighted regions. For the convenience of the people, and that the ministers might be enabled to meet more frequently in a judicative capacity, the presbytery of the North Isles was by this assembly divided into three, viz. Kirkwall, Cairston, and North Isles, and these three presbyteries they erected into a synod, to be called the synod of Orkney.* The good

was so very high in favour, and her brother, James Murray, created earl of Dunbar, and made governor to the young princes. All these doings gave so much offence to the wife of the pretender that she deserted him, and took refuge in a convent, as we shall have occasion to notice afterwards.

*Acts of Assembly, 1725.

effects of all such measures, however, were in a great degree counteracted by the efforts of the pretender and his friends, who regarded these poor oppressed and ignorant barbarians only in so far as they could be made subservient to their purposes of self-aggrandizement.

In consequence of the measures adopted in Scotland, with regard to the malt tax and the Highlanders, several changes of public men were effected. Lord Ilay was despatched to Edinburgh, with full powers to carry through the former of these measures, and, to forward the latter, general Wade was made commander-in-chief of all the forces and garrisons in Scotland, all ships of war upon the coast were subjected to his orders, and he was empowered to erect forts, &c. wherever he found it necessary. Several general officers were appointed under him, and he brought a number of troops from England along with him, which, with those already in Scotland, were marched north, and formed into a camp at Inverness, whence parties were to be issued forth to put in force the disarming act as circumstances might require.

In the meantime the disaffected were improving every circumstance to the best advantage for disturbing the peace of the country, and the malt tax being to commence from the twenty-third of June, was artfully and purposely represented as what would seal for ever the ruin of the country, as well as of every individual connected with the malt trade, which was still in many parts of Scotland an extensive business. Delegates from all the considerable towns in Scotland were sent to Edinburgh to confer with the brewers there, principally with a view to the forming some general plan for evading the duty. After many proposals had been made, it was agreed that the first thing to be guarded against was the duty on the stock of malt in hand, which, to avoid the heavy penalty imposed by the act of parliament in case it was not entered, they resolved to enter in terms of the act, but, at the same time, to make no payments of the duty thereon, and, if the commissioners sued them at law, to give up brewing, by which means they hoped to annihilate the excise, and thus convince the government that what they gained by the malt was to be lost by the produce thereof. This was surely absurd