It is a moot question still whether, if Prince Charlie had had his own way--which he insisted pretty strongly upon for some time, and marched straight on London where he had mostly new levies of militia to deal with, he might not have attained his object. He was but one hundred and twenty-seven miles from London, and the state of affairs in the capital can best be judged by the following account of a loyal writer who was in London at the time: “When the Highlanders, by a most incredible march, got between the Duke’s army and the metropolis, they struck a terror into it scarcely to be credited.”[70] An immediate rush was made upon the Bank of England which only escaped bankruptcy by paying in sixpences to gain time. Shops were shut and business suspended. The Duke of Newcastle, the Minister who occupied Sir Robert Walpole’s place, “stood trembling and amazed.” It is also stated that King George had some of his “most precious effects--did these include the Walmoden?”--removed on board his yachts, which were ordered to remain at the Tower Quay ready to sail at a moment’s notice. It is not thought likely that he offered the Prince of Wales a passage in either of these, neither is Frederick mentioned at this time although no doubt he was with the troops at Finchley. But all these fears in London were groundless. Prince Charles’s officers had determined among themselves to retreat from Derby back to Scotland, and the broken-hearted Prince at last reluctantly consented. By the same road they returned, hotly pursued a part of the way by the Duke of Cumberland with some thousands of horse; but after a rear-guard action at the village of Clifton, near Penrith, in which he lost a hundred men, killed and wounded, the Duke drew off leaving the Chevalier to retreat in peace to Glasgow, which he reached on the 26th of December, concluding this marvellous winter’s march of eight hundred and eighty-two miles in fifty-six days, some of which were of course resting days. From this time forward the struggle was really one between the Prince and the Duke of Cumberland as the aged Marshal Wade was superseded, and Henry Hawley, one of the Duke of Cumberland’s generals, took his place. Prince Charles, however, having been reinforced by Lord Strathallan and Lord John Drummond, easily defeated General Hawley at Falkirk, on the 17th January, 1746, taking many prisoners, one of whom, probably an Irishman, is recorded to have remarked: “By my soul, if Charlie goes on in this way, Prince Frederick will never be King George.” The authorities in London were soon thoroughly aroused by this victory of the Highlanders, and determined upon sending the Duke of Cumberland to take supreme command in Scotland, all danger of an invasion of England being over. Thus began that memorable campaign of Cumberland’s, which culminated in Culloden, and--from his savage cruelty to the wounded at that place--covered his name for evermore with infamy.