HISTORICAL INCIDENTS AFTER THE RESTORA TION. I11
that, when they were assembled in St Giles’s Church, and it was debated whether they
should stand on their defence or not, only three or four voices answered in the affirmative.
Rut while the citizens were still undetermiaed as to the terms of capitulation, the Nether
Bow Port was unwarily opened to let a coach pass out, on which a party of Highlanders,
who had reached the gate undiscovered, immediately rushed in and secured the city, took
possession of the guard-house, and seized on the arms and ammunition belonging to the
guard.
The Highland army encamped
in the royal park, in the neighbourhood of Duddingston, and the Chevalier himself
took possession of Holyrood Palace. The heralds were required to publish at the Market
Cross the commission of Regency which the Prince’had received from his father, and
which was accordingly done with all the usual ceremonies attending royal proclamations.
Multitudes of the inhabitants now flocked to the neighbouring camp, attracted by the
novelty of the sight, or their favour to the cause of the Stuarts, while the Palace was
crowded by numbers of the better class of citizens, who hastened to testify their fidelity
to the exiled family.
They were received by the Prince with the utmost affability and condescension; but this
did not prevent him issuing an order, requiring the inhabitants of the town and county of
Edinburgh to deliver up their arms at the Palace, and the city to furnish a great variety of
stores for the use of the army, under pain of military execution in case of failure. The
supplies were furnished accordingly, and the city gratified with the Prince’s gracious promise
of payment, so soon as the troubles should be over. The Castle, however, was held
by General Guest, a stanch adherent of the Government, and on the Highlanders appearing
in the city, he displayed the flag, and fired some cannon to warn them not to approach the
fortress.
The Highlanders, thus amply supplied, marched to Preston, about nine miles to the
eastward of the capital, where they defeated and put to rout the royal forces, under the
command of Sir John Cope. The dragoons fled from the field without halting till they
reached Linlithgow. Their baggage, artillery, and military chests all fell into the Prince’s
hands, who returned to the Palace of Holyrood in triumph. Notwithstanding the irregular
character of the Highland army, they behaved, in general, with great order and moderation ;
and such was the simplicity of the poor Highlanders, even in rapine, that it is said some of
them presented their pieces at passengers, and on being asked what they wanted, replied, (‘ a penny,” with which they went away perfectly satiefied.’
The Prince intimated, on his return to Edinburgh, that the ministers should have full
liberty to continue their usual duties on the following day, which was Sunday, the only
requirement being, that, in the prayers for the royal family, no names should be
specified.
Only one of the city ministers, named Hogg, availed himself of this permission, and
lectured in the forenoon in the Tron Church. But the Rev. Neil M‘Vicar of St Cuthbert’s
was of the true old covenanting metal, and not to be intimidated by the near neighbourhood
of the Jacobite forces. He sent word to the commander of the Castle of his intention
to continue the usual services of the day, and proceeded to his pulpit at the appointed hour.
The young Chevalier speedily followed this advance guard.
Scots Mag., rol, vii p. 442.
I12 MEMORIALS OF EDINBURGH.
The church was crowded with an unusually numerous auditory, among whom he recognised
many Jacobites, as well as a number of the Highland soldiers, attracted by the report
of his intentions, and the knowledge of his intrepid character. He prayed, as usual, for
King George, by name, and then added,--“And as for this young man who has come
among us seeking an earthly crown, we beseech thee that he may obtain what is far better,
a heavenly one ! ” When this was reported to Prince Charles he is said to have laughed,
and expressed himself highly pleased at the courage and charity of the worthy
minister.’
For some days after the Battle of Prestonpans, the communication between the town
and the Castle remained uninterrupted. But the Highlanders, who kept guard at the
Weigh-house, having received orders to prevent all further intercourse with the fortress, the
governor, retaliated by threatening to cannonade the town. Messengers were immediately
despatched by the Lord Provost to the Palace, informing the Prince of the danger the city
was exposed to ; but the governor having waited in vain for a favourable answer, a severe
cannonading at last took place, killing and wounding several of the inhabitants, besides
damaging many of the houses nearest the Castle, and spreading such consternation through
the town, that a great portion of the citizens were prepared for immediate flight. The
consequences that were apprehended from such proceedings were, however, happily averted
by a proclamation of the Prince, declaring the infinite regret he felt at the many murders
committed on the inhabitants by the commander of the garrison, and that he had ordered
the blockade of the Castle to be taken off, and the threatened punishment of his enemies to
be suspended, when he found that thereby innocent lives could be saved. Shortly after
this the Prince left Edinburgh, on his route to England, at the head of an army of about
five thousand men ; from thence he was followed, on his return northward, by the Duke
of Cumberland, who, on his arrival in Edinburgh, occupied the same apartments in the
Palace which had so recently been appropriated to the use of the Prince ; and during his
stay there, the paintings of the Scottish monarchs, in the great gallery, were slashed and
otherwise greatly defaced by the English soldiers.
After the final overthrow of the Highland army at Culloden, a species of triumph was
exhibited in Edinburgh, in full accordance with the magnanimity of the Duke, who claimed
the entire credit of a victory, achieved rather by the policy of Duncan Forbes of Culloden.
Fourteen of the standards that had been taken from the insurgents were burnt at the Market
Cross with every mark of contempt. They were ignominiously carried thither by chimney
sweepers,-the Prince’s own standard being particularly distinguished by being borne by
the common hangman ; and as each wa8 thrown into the fire, the heralds proclaimed the
names of the commanders to whom they had belonged!
. The usual election of magistrates having been prevented by the presence of the Highland
army in Edinburgh, they were chosen in the following year by virtue of a royal mandate,
and the newly-elected Council testified their loyalty to the Hanoverian dynasty by
voting the freedom of the city to the Duke of Cumberland, and presenting to him the charter
of citizenship in a massive gold box, embossed with the city arms outside, and having the
Duke’s own arms, with a suitable inscription, engraved within.
The overthrow of the adherents of Prince Charles was followed up by fines, imprisonl
Hist. of the West Kirk, p. 119.
