The Lyon in Mourning, Vol. 1: or a collection of speeches, letters, journals, etc. relative to the affairs of Prince Charles Edward StuartForbes, Robert
History
The Lyon in Mourning, Vol. 1: or a collection of speeches, letters, journals, etc. relative to the affairs of Prince Charles Edward Stuart
Forbes, Robert
Charles Edward, Prince, grandson of James II, King of England, 1720-1788; Jacobite Rebellion, 1745-1746 -- Sources
and safety o' the Prince in a Highland country, where he knew not
a foot of ground, and had not the language o' the people. And sic
far'd o' him, for he was no sooner frae the Prince than he was tane
prisoner. I own he was as faithful and trusty a friend as the Prince
or any man could have, and made an excellent companion to him. But
then he could have done nothing for his preservation if there had
not been some Highland body like mysell wi' them. Faith he taks ower
mickell to himsell; and he is not blate to mind himsell sae mickle
and to forget others that behoved to do much more than he could do in
sic a case.'
Donald found fault with some other instances in O'Neil's Journal,
which it is needless to particularize; for the above particulars are
sufficient for a specimen. In general he said the Journal was not at
all just and exact.
Mr. Finlayson too found fault with O'Neil's account of the battle of
Culloden, and said that in that matter he was far from being right.
After reading O'Neil's Journal, Deacon Clerk and Mr. Finlayson went
off. But luckily Malcolm MacLeod came to us, to whom I resumed what
had passed upon O'Neil's Journal. [Sidenote: _fol._ 272.] Malcolm
said he had reason to think that O'Neil's account was not just in
several things, for that it consisted with his knowledge that O'Neil
had advanced several things in London that would not stand the test.
He said he could not have a good opinion of O'Neil when he was not at
the pains to call for Donald MacLeod, his companion in distress, whom
he could not fail to know to be in London at the very same time he
himself was in it, and to whom he could have had easy access at any
time he pleased. Mean time Malcolm joined with Donald in asserting
that he believed O'Neil was most faithful and trusty to the Prince,
and would do any thing or run any risque to promote his interest. But
then he could not help observing that it was impossible for O'Neil to
do anything for the safety of the Prince in a country where he was
altogether a stranger, and behoved to be at a very great loss for
want of the language.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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