He was reproved by the magnanimity of the man whom he desired to remove
from the Prince's councils. Although the Duke of Perth did not profess
to acquiesce in the opinion that it was unreasonable that he should have
the chief command, although he did not pretend to acknowledge the
justice of the claim, he nobly gave up, for the sake of a Prince whom he
loved, the superiority to Lord George Murray. His conduct on this
occasion recalls the generous sentiments of the knight and soldier in
ancient times; unhappily it failed in producing that unanimity which it
was intended to effect. The rancour between Lord George Murray and the
Secretary still remained, although it did not break out on every
occasion, and sometimes gave way to the common cause when the interests
of all were at stake.[88]
At Carlisle the forces were reviewed and were found to amount to above
five thousand foot, with five hundred[89] on horseback, mostly
low-country gentlemen followed by their servants, under the name of
guards, hussars, &c.[90] After a few days rest, and after completing
every arrangement for the preservation of Carlisle, the army marched to
Penrith; Lord George preceding the rest of the forces at the head of six
regiments and some horse. This was an adventurous undertaking with so
small a force; for there were now in England above sixty thousand men in
arms including the militia and the newly raised regiments; but the
Prince, observes Mr. Maxwell, "had hitherto had a wonderful run of
success." He was still buoyed up with hopes of a landing of French
troops, and of an insurrection in his favour.[91]
On the twenty-fourth of November the Prince marched from Carlisle to
Penrith, and thence to Lancaster, which he reached on the twenty-fifth,
at the head of the vanguard of his army. He was dressed in a light plaid
belt, with a blue sash, a blue bonnet on his head, decorated with a
white rose, the sound of the bagpipes, and the drum playing "The King
shall have his own again;" the banners, on which were inscribed the
words "Liberty and Property, Church and King," failed, nevertheless, to
inspire the cold spectators who beheld them with a corresponding
enthusiasm.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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