Books: The Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides with Samuel Johnson, LL.D.

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All this was negotiated before the Wanderer got forward to Portree.
Malcolm M'Leod, and M'Friar, were dispatched to look for him. In a
short time he appeared, and went into the publick house. Here Donald
Roy, whom he had seen at Mugstot, received him, and informed him of
what had been concerted. He wanted silver for a guinea, but the
landlord had only thirteen shillings. He was going to accept of this
for his guinea; but Donald Roy very judiciously observed, that it
would discover him to be some great man; so he desisted. He slipped
out of the house, leaving his fair protectress, whom he never again
saw; and Malcolm Macleod was presented to him by Donald Roy, as a
captain in his army. Young Rasay and Dr Macleod had waited, in
impatient anxiety, in the boat. When he came, their names were
announced to him. He would not permit the usual ceremonies of respect,
but saluted them as his equals.

Donald Roy staid in Sky, to be in readiness to get intelligence, and
give an alarm in case the troops should discover the retreat to Rasay;
and Prince Charles was then conveyed in a boat to that island in the
night. He slept a little upon the passage, and they landed about
day-break. There was some difficulty in accommodating him with a
lodging, as almost all the houses in the island had been burnt by
soldiery. They repaired to a little hut, which some shepherds had
lately built, and having prepared it as well as they could, and made a
bed of heath for the stranger, they kindled a fire, and partook of
some provisions which had been sent with him from Kingsburgh. It was
observed, that he would not taste wheat-bread, or brandy, while
oat-bread and whisky lasted; 'for these,' said he, 'are my own
country's bread and drink'. This was very engaging to the Highlanders.

Young Rasay being the only person of the company that durst appear
with safety, he went in quest of something fresh for them to eat; but
though he was amidst his own cows, sheep, and goats, he could not
venture to take any of them for fear of a discovery, but was obliged
to supply himself by stealth. He therefore caught a kid, and brought
it to the hut in his plaid, and it was killed and drest, and furnished
them a meal which they relished much. The distressed Wanderer, whose
health was now a good deal impaired by hunger, fatigue, and watching,
slept a long time, but seemed to be frequently disturbed. Malcolm told
me he would start from broken slumbers, and speak to himself in
different languages, French, Italian, and English. I must however
acknowledge, that it is highly probable that my worthy friend Malcolm
did not know precisely the difference between French and Italian. One
of his expressions in English was, 'O God! Poor Scotland!'

While they were in the hut, M'Kenzie and M'Friar, the two boatmen,
were placed as sentinels upon different eminences; and one day an
incident happened, which must not be omitted. There was a man
wandering about the island, selling tobacco. Nobody knew him, and he
was suspected to be a spy. M'Kenzie came running to the hut, and told
that this suspected person was approaching. Upon which the three
gentlemen, young Rasay, Dr Macleod, and Malcom, held a council of war
upon him, and were unanimously of opinion that he should instantly be
put to death. Prince Charles, at once assuming a grave and even severe
countenance, said, 'God forbid that we should take away a man's life,
who may be innocent, while we can preserve our own.' The gentlemen
however persisted in their resolution, while he as strenuously
continued to take the merciful side. John M'Kenzie, who sat watching
at the door of the hut, and overheard the debate, said in Erse, 'Well,
well; he must be shot. You are the king, but we are the parliament,
and will do what we choose.' Prince Charles, seeing the gentlemen
smile, asked what the man had said, and being told it in English, he
observed that he was a clever fellow, and, notwithstanding the
perilous situation in which he was, laughed loud and heartily. Luckily
the unknown person did not perceive that there were people in the hut,
at least did not come to it, but walked on past it, unknowing of his
risk. It was afterwards found out that he was one of the Highland
army, who was himself in danger. Had he come to them, they were
resolved to dispatch him; for, as Malcolm said to me, 'We could not
keep him with us, and we durst not let him go. In such a situation, I
would have shot my brother, if I had not been sure of him.' John
M'Kenzie was at Rasay's house, when we were there.[Footnote: This old
Scottish Member of Parliament, I am Informed, is still living (1785).]
About eighteen years before, he hurt one of his legs when dancing, and
being obliged to have it cut off, he now was going about with a wooden
leg. The story of his being a Member of Parliament is not yet
forgotten. I took him out a little way from the house, gave him a
shilling to drink Rasay's health, and led him into a detail of the
particulars which I have just related. With less foundation, some
writers have traced the idea of a parliament, and of the British
constitution, in rude and early times. I was curious to know if he had
really heard, or understood, any thing of that subject, which, had he
been a greater man, would probably have been eagerly maintained. 'Why,
John,' said I, 'did you think the king should be controuled by a
parliament?' He answered, 'I thought, sir, there were many voices
against one.'

The conversation then turning on the times, the Wanderer said, that to
be sure, the life he had led of late was a very hard one; but he would
rather live in the way he now did, for ten years, than fall into the
hands of his enemies. The gentlemen asked him, what he thought his
enemies would do with him, should he have the misfortune to fall into
their hands. He said, he did not believe they would dare to take his
life publickly, but he dreaded being privately destroyed by poison or
assassination. He was very particular in his inquiries about the wound
which Dr Macleod had received at the battle of Culloden, from a ball
which entered at one shoulder, and went cross to the other. The doctor
happened still to have on the coat which he wore on that occasion. He
mentioned, that he himself had his horse shot under him at Culloden;
that the ball hit the horse about two inches from his knee, and made
him so unruly that he was obliged to change him for another. He threw
out some reflections on the conduct of the disastrous affair at
Culloden, saying, however, that perhaps it was rash in him to do so. I
am now convinced that his suspicions were groundless; for I have had a
good deal of conversation upon the subject with my very worthy and
ingenious friend, Mr Andrew Lumisden, who was under secretary to
Prince Charles, and afterwards principal secretary to his father at
Rome, who, he assured me, was perfectly satisfied both of the
abilities and honour of the generals who commanded the highland army
on that occasion. Mr Lumisden has written an account of the three
battles in 1745-6, at once accurate and classical. Talking of the
different Highland corps, the gentlemen who were present wished to
have his opinion which were the best soldiers. He said, he did not
like comparisons among those corps: they were all best.

He told his conductors, he did not think it advisable to remain long
in any one place; and that he expected a French ship to come for him
to Lochbroom, among the Mackenzies. It then was proposed to carry him
in one of Malcolm's boats to Lochbroom, though the distance was
fifteen leagues coastwise. But he thought this would be too dangerous,
and desired that at any rate, they might first endeavour to obtain
intelligence. Upon which young Rasay wrote to his friend, Mr M'Kenzie
of Applecross, but received an answer, that there was no appearance of
any French ship.

It was therefore resolved that they should return to Sky, which they
did, and landed in Strath, where they reposed in a cow-house belonging
to Mr Niccolson of Scorbreck. The sea was very rough, and the boat
took in a good deal of water. The Wanderer asked if there was danger,
as he was not used to such a vessel. Upon being told there was not, he
sung an Erse song with much vivacity. He had by this time acquired a
good deal of the Erse language.

Young Rasay was now dispatched to where Donald Roy was, that they
might get all the intelligence they could; and the Wanderer, with much
earnestness, charged Dr Macleod to have a boat ready, at a certain
place about seven miles off, as he said he intended it should carry
him upon a matter of great consequence; and gave the doctor a case,
containing a silver spoon, knife, and fork, saying, 'keep you that
till I see you', which the doctor understood to be two days from that
time. But all these orders were only blinds; for he had another plan
in his head, but wisely thought it safest to trust his secrets to no
more persons than was absolutely necessary. Having then desired
Malcolm to walk with him a little way from the house, he soon opened
his mind, saying, 'I deliver myself to you. Conduct me to the Laird of
M'Kinnon's country.' Malcolm objected that it was very dangerous, as
so many parties of soldiers were in motion. He answered. 'There is
nothing now to be done without danger.' He then said, that Malcolm
must be the master, and he the servant; so he took the bag, in which
his linen was put up, and carried it on his shoulder; and observing
that his waistcoat, which was of scarlet tartan, with a gold twist
button, was finer than Malcolm's, which was of a plain ordinary
tartan, he put on Malcolm's waistcoat, and gave him his; remarking at
the same time, that it did not look well that the servant should be
better dressed than the master.

Malcolm, though an excellent walker, found himself excelled by Prince
Charles, who told him, he should not much mind the parties that were
looking for him, were he once but a musquet shot from them; but that
he was somewhat afraid of the highlanders who were against him. He was
well used to walking in Italy, in pursuit of game; and he was even now
so keen a sportsman, that, having observed some partridges, he was
going to take a shot; but Malcolm cautioned him against it, observing
that the firing might be heard by the tenders who were hovering upon
the coast.

As they proceeded through the mountains, taking many a circuit to
avoid any houses, Malcolm, to try his resolution, asked him what they
should do, should they fall in with a party of soldiers: he answered.
'Fight to be sure!' Having asked Malcolm if he should be known in his
present dress, and Malcolm having replied he would, he said, 'Then
I'll blacken my face with powder.' 'That,' said Malcolm, 'would
discover you at once.'

'Then,' said he, 'I must be put in the greatest dishabille possible.'
So he pulled off his wig, tied a handkerchief round his head, and put
his night-cap over it, tore the ruffles from his shirt, took the
buckles out of his shoes, and made Malcolm fasten them with strings;
but still Malcolm thought he would be known. 'I have so odd a face,'
said he, 'that no man ever saw me but he would know me again.'

He seemed unwilling to give credit to the horrid narrative of men
being massacred in cold blood, after victory had declared for the army
commanded by the Duke of Cumberland. He could not allow himself to
think that a general could be so barbarous.

When they came within two miles of M'Kinnon's house, Malcolm asked if
he chose to see the laird. 'No,' said he, 'by no means. I know
M'Kinnon to be as good and as honest a man as any in the world, but he
is not fit for my purpose at present. You must conduct me to some
other house; but let it be a gentleman's house.' Malcolm then
determined that they should go to the house of his brother-in-law, Mr
John M'Kinnon, and from thence be conveyed to the main land of
Scotland, and claim the assistance of Macdonald of Scothouse. The
Wanderer at first objected to this, because Scothouse was cousin to a
person of whom he had suspicions. But he acquiesced in Malcolm's
opinion.

When they were near Mr John M'Kinnon's house, they met a man of the
name of Ross, who had been a private soldier in the Highland army. He
fixed his eyes steadily on the Wanderer in his disguise, and having at
once recognized him, he clapped his hands, and exclaimed, 'Alas! is
this the case?' Finding that there was now a discovery, Malcolm asked,
'What's to be done?' 'Swear him to secrecy,' answered Prince Charles.
Upon which Malcolm drew his dirk, and on the naked blade, made him
take a solemn oath, that he would say nothing of his having seen the
Wanderer, till his escape should be made publick.

Malcolm's sister, whose house they reached pretty early in the
morning, asked him who the person was that was along with him. He said
it was one Lewis Caw, from Crieff, who being a fugitive like himself,
for the same reason, he had engaged him as his servant, but that he
had fallen sick. 'Poor man!' said she, 'I pity him. At the same time
my heart warms to a man of his appearance.' Her husband was gone a
little way from home; but was expected every minute to return. She set
down to her brother a plentiful Highland breakfast. Prince Charles
acted the servant very well, sitting at a respectful distance, with
his bonnet off. Malcolm then said to him, 'Mr Caw, you have as much
need of this as I have; there is enough for us both: you had better
draw nearer and share with me.' Upon which he rose, made a profound
bow, sat down at table with his supposed master, and eat very
heartily. After this there came in an old woman, who, after the mode
of ancient hospitality, brought warm water, and washed Malcolm's feet.
He desired her to wash the feet of the poor man who attended him. She
at first seemed averse to this, from pride, as thinking him beneath
her, and in the periphrastick language of the highlanders and the
Irish, said warmly, 'Though I wash your father's son's feet, why
should I wash his father's son's feet?' She was however persuaded to
do it.

They then went to bed, and slept for some time; and when Malcolm
awaked, he was told that Mr John M'Kinnon, his brother-in-law, was in
sight. He sprang out to talk to him before he shoulld see Prince
Charles. After saluting him, Malcolm, pointing to the sea, said,
'What, John, if the prince should be prisoner on board one of those
tenders?' 'God forbid!' replied John. 'What if we had him here?' said
Malcolm. 'I wish we had,' answered John; 'we should take care of him.'
'Well, John,' said Malcolm, 'he is in your house.' John, in a
transport of joy, wanted to run directly in, and pay his obeisance;
but Malcolm stopped him, saying, 'Now is your time to behave well, and
do nothing that can discover him.' John composed himself, and having
sent away all his servants upon different errands, he was introduced
into the presence of his guest, and was then desired to go and get
ready a boat lying near his house, which, though but a small leaky
one, they resolved to take, rather than go to the Laird of M'Kinnon.
John M'Kinnon, however, thought otherwise; and upon his return told
them, that his chief and Lady M'Kinnon were coming in the laird's
boat. Prince Charles said to his trusty Malcolm. 'I am sorry for this,
but must make the best of it.' M'Kinnon then walked up from the shore,
and did homage to the Wanderer. His lady waited in a cave, to which
they all repaired, and were entertained with cold meat and wine. Mr
Malcolm M'Leod being now superseded by the Laird of M'Kinnon, desired
leave to return, which was granted him, and Prince Charles wrote a
short note, which he subscribed 'James Thompson', informing his
friends that he had got away from Sky, and thanking them for their
kindness; and he desired this might be speedily conveyed to young
Rasay and Dr Macleod, that they might not wait longer in expectation
of seeing him again. He bade a cordial adieu to Malcolm, and insisted
on his accepting of a silver stock-buckle, and ten guineas from his
purse, though, as Malcolm told me, it did not appear to contain above
forty. Malcolm at first begged to be excused, saying, that he had a
few guineas at his service; but Prince Charles answered, 'You will
have need of money. I shall get enough when I come upon the main
land.'

The Laird of M'Kinnon then conveyed him to the opposite coast of
Knoidart. Old Rasay, to whom intelligence had been sent, was crossing
at the same time to Sky; but as they did not know of each other, and
each had apprehensions, the two boats kept aloof.

These are the particulars which I have collected concerning the
extraordinary concealment and escapes of Prince Charles, in the
Hebrides. He was often in imminent danger. The troops traced him from
the Long Island, across Sky, to Portree, but there lost him.

Here I stop, having received no farther authentic information of his
fatigues and perils before he escaped to France. Kings and subjects
may both take a lesson of moderation from the melancholy fate of the
House of Stuart; that kings may not suffer degradation and exile, and
subjects may not be harrassed by the evils of a disputed succession.

Let me close the scene on that unfortunate House with the elegant and
pathetick reflections of Voltaire, in his Histoire Generale. 'Que les
hommes prives,' says that brilliant writer, speaking of Prince
Charles, 'qui se croyent malheureux, jettent les yeux sur ce prince et
ses ancetres.'

In another place he thus sums up the sad story of the family in
general:

II n'y a aucun exemple dans l'histoire d'une maison si longtems
infortunee. Le premier des Rois d'Ecosse, qui eut le nom de Jacques,
apres avoir ete dix-huit ans prisonnier en Angleterre, mourut
assassine, avec sa femme, par la main de ses sujets. Jacques II, son
fils, fut tue a vingt-neuf ans en combattant centre les Anglois.
Jacques III, mis en prison par son peuple, fut tue ensuite par les
revoltes, dans une battaille. Jacques IV perit dans un combat qu'il
perdit. Marie Stuart, sa petite fille, chassee, de son trone, fugitive
en Angleterre, ayant langui dix-huit ans en prison, se vit condamnee a
mort par des juges Anglais, et eut la tete tranchee. Charles I, petit
fils de Marie, Roi d'Ecosse et d'Angleterre, vendu par les Ecossois,
et juge a mort par les Anglais, mourut sur un echauffaut dans la place
publique. Jacques, son fils, septieme du nom, et deuxieme en
Angleterre, fut chasse de ses trois royaumes; et pour comble de
malheur on contesta a son fils sa naissance; le fils ne tenta de
remonter sur le trone de ces peres, que pour faire perir ses amis par
des bourreaux; et nous avons vu le Prince Charles Edouard, reunuissant
en vain les vertus de ses peres, et le courage du Roy Jean Sobieski,
son ayeul maternel, executer les exploits et essuyer les malheurs les
plus incroyables. Si quelque chose justifie ceux qui croyent une
fatalite a laquelle rien ne peut se soustraire, c'est cette suite
continuelle de malheurs qui a persecute la maison de Stuart, pendant
plus de trois-cent annees.

The gallant Malcolm was apprehended in about ten days after they
separated, put aboard a ship and carried prisoner to London. He said,
the prisoners in general were very ill treated in their passage; but
there were soldiers on board who lived well, and sometimes invited him
to share with them: that he had the good fortune not to be thrown into
jail, but was confined in the house of a messenger, of the name of
Dick. To his astonishment, only one witness could be found against
him, though he had been so openly engaged; and therefore, for want of
sufficient evidence, he was set at liberty. He added, that he thought
himself in such danger, that he would gladly have compounded for
banishment. Yet, he said, he should never be so ready for death as he
then was. There is philosophical truth in this. A man will meet death
much more firmly at one time than another. The enthusiasm even of a
mistaken principle warms the mind, and sets it above the fear of
death; which in our cooler moments, if we really think of it, cannot
but be terrible, or at least very awful.

Miss Flora Macdonald being then also in London, under the protection
of Lady Primrose, that lady provided a post-chaise to convey her to
Scotland, and desired she might choose any friend she pleased to
accompany her. She chose Malcolm. 'So,' said he, with a triumphant
air, 'I went to London to be hanged, and returned in a post-chaise
with Miss Flora Macdonald.'

Mr Macleod of Muiravenside, whom we saw at Rasay, assured us that
Prince Charles was in London in 1759, and that there was then a plan
in agitation for restoring his family. Dr Johnson could scarcely
credit this story, and said, there could be no probable plan at that
time. Such an attempt could not have succeeded, unless the King of
Prussia had stopped the army in Germany; for both the army and the
fleet would, even without orders, have fought for the King, to whom
they had engaged themselves.

Having related so many particulars concerning the grandson of the
unfortunate King James the Second; having given due praise to fidelity
and generous attachment, which, however erroneous the judgement may
be, are honourable for the heart; I must do the highlanders the
justice to attest, that I found every where amongst them a high
opinion of the virtues of the King now upon the throne, and an honest
disposition to be faithful subjects to his majesty, whose family had
possessed the sovereignty of this country so long, that a change, even
for the abdicated family, would now hurt the best feelings of all his
subjects.

The abstract point of right would involve us in a discussion of remote
and perplexed questions; and after all, we should have no clear
principle of decision. That establishment, which, from political
necessity, took place in 1688, by a breach in the succession of our
kings, and which, whatever benefits may have accrued from it,
certainly gave a shock to our monarchy, the able and constitutional
Blackstone, wisely rests on the solid footing of authority: 'Our
ancestors having most indisputably a competent jurisdiction to decide
this great and important question, and having, in fact decided it, it
is now become our duty, at this distance of time, to acquiesce in
their determination.' [Footnote: Commentaries on the Laws of England,
Book I. chap. 3.]

Mr Paley, the present Archdeacon of Carlisle, in his Principles of
Moral and Political Philosophy, having, with much clearness of
argument, shewn the duty of submission to civil government to be
founded neither on an indefeasible jus divinum, nor on COMPACT, but on
EXPEDIANCY, lays down this rational position:

Irregularity in the first foundation of a state, or subsequent
violence, fraud, or injustice, in getting possession of the supreme
power, are not sufficient reasons for resistance, after the government
is once peaceably settled. No subject of the British Empire conceives
himself engaged to vindicate the justice of the Norman claim or
conquest, or apprehends that his duty in any manner depends upon that
controversy. So likewise, if the house of Lancaster, or even the
posterity of Cromwell, had been at this day seated upon the throne of
England, we should have been as little concerned to enquire how the
founder of the family came there. [Footnote: Book VI. chap. 3. Since I
have quoted Mr Archdeacon Paley upon one subject, I cannot but
transcribe, from his excellent work, a distinguished passage in
support of the Christian Revelation. After shewing, in decent but
strong terms, the unfairness of the INDIRECT attempts of modern
infidels to unsettle and perplex religious principles, and
particularly the irony, banter, and sneer, of one whom he politely
calls 'an eloquent historian', the archdeacon thus expresses himself:

'Seriousness is not constraint of thought; nor levity, freedom. Every
mind which wishes the advancement of truth and knowledge, in the most
important of all human researches, must abhor this licentiousness, as
violating no less the laws of reasoning than the rights of decency.
There is but one description of men to whose principles it ought to be
tolerable. I mean that class of reasoners who can see LITTLE in
Christianity even supposing it to be true. To such adversaries we
address this reflection. Had Jesus Christ delivered no other
declaration than the following, "The hour is coming in the which all
that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth,
--they that have done well unto the resurrection of life, and they
that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation," he had
pronounced a message of inestimable importance, and well worthy of
that splendid apparatus of prophecy and miracles with which his
mission was introduced and attested--a message in which the wisest of
mankind would rejoice to find an answer to their doubts, and rest to
their inquiries. It is idle to say that a future state had been
discovered already. It had been discovered as the Copernican System
was; it was one guess amongst many. He alone discovers who PROVES; and
no man can prove this point but the teacher who testifies by miracles
that his doctrine comes from God' (Book V. chap. 9).

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