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
[Sidenote: _fol._ 288.] May 5th. When in sight of Stornway the
Prince sent the guide to Donald MacLeod to inform him that he and
the two captains were at such a place, desiring withal that he would
forthwith send them a bottle of brandy and some bread and cheese,
for that they stood much in need of a little refreshment. Donald
immediately obeyed the summons and came to the Prince, bringing along
with him the demanded provisions. He found the Prince and his two
attendants upon a muir all wet to the skin, and wearied enough with
such a long journey through the worst of roads in the world. Donald
told the Prince that he knew of a faithful and true friend to take
care of him till things should be got ready for the intended voyage.
This was the Lady Killdun[133] at Arynish, to whose house Donald
conducted the Prince and his two attendants. Here the Prince was
obliged to throw off his shirt, which one of the company did wring
upon the hearth-stone, and did spread it upon a chair before the fire
to have it dried.
[133] Of the family of MacKenzie.
The same day, May 5th, Donald was sent back to Stornway to get things
in readiness. But when he came there, to his great surprize he found
no less than two or three hundred men in arms. The Lewis is inhabited
by the MacKenzies, and belongs to the Earl of Seaforth. Donald could
not understand [Sidenote: _fol._ 289.] at all what was the matter
that occasioned such a sudden rising of men, and therefore, without
fear or dread, he went directly into the room where the gentlemen
were that had taken upon themselves the rank of officers, and asked
them what was the matter. Every one of them immediately cursed him
bitterly, and gave him very abusive language, affirming that he had
brought this plague upon them; for that they were well assured the
Prince was already upon the Lewis, and not far from Stornway, with
five hundred men. This they said exposed them to the hazard of losing
both their cattle and their lives, as they heard the Prince was come
with a full resolution to force a vessel from Stornway. Donald very
gravely asked, How sorrow such a notion could ever enter into their
heads? 'Where, I pray you,' said he, 'could the Prince in his present
condition get 500 or one hundred men together? I believe the men are
mad. Has the devil possessed you altogether?' They replied that Mr.
John MacAulay, Presbyterian preacher in South Uist, had writ these
accounts to his [Sidenote: _fol._ 290.] father in the Harris, and
that the said father had transmitted the same to Mr. Colin MacKenzie,
Presbyterian teacher in the Lewis. Donald saned these blades, the
informers, very heartily, and spared not to give them their proper
epithets in strong terms. 'Well then,' said Donald, 'since you know
already that the Prince is upon your island, I acknowledge the truth
of it; but then he is so far from having any number of men with him
that he has only but two companions with him, and when I am there
I make the third.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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