sh character to a
principle may be plainly read in the reluctance of the Lowlanders to
hazard, even for a Stuart, the safety of what they esteem to be their
vital interests.[67]

It was, however, a fine, although a mournful sight, when the Clans
taking the road to London left Dalkeith. It was indeed only after long
and anxious deliberation, that these brave men had resolved to risk an
advance to England, without any certain expectation of a rising in that
country; yet there were many among the chiefs who went forth that day,
and among these were some of the bravest and the most determined who
"trusted in themselves alone."[68] Among those who were declared
secretly to have desponded of success, and yet to have gone on in the
career from a sense of honour, was Lord George Murray.

The march to England was very judiciously planned and well executed. "It
resembled," observes the Chevalier Johnstone, "on a small scale, that of
Marshal Saxe some years before, when he advanced to lay siege to
Maestricht." The Prince went day after day on foot, contrary to general
expectation; for it was thought that he would only have done so at the
beginning to encourage the soldiers: but in dirty lanes, and in deep
snow, the youth reared in seclusion and luxury took his chance with the
common men, and could scarcely ever be prevailed upon even to get on
horseback to ford a river. "It's not to be imagined," writes his
affectionate partisan and historian Maxwell, "how much this manner of
bringing himself down to a level with the men, and his affable behaviour
to the meanest of them, endeared him to the army."[69] On arriving at
Lauder, hearing that some of the Highlanders had remained behind with a
view, it was thought, of deserting, Charles got on horseback before it
was light, rode back two or three miles, and brought the stragglers with
him.[70] On the fourth instant he reached Kelso. Such was the success of
this well-contrived march, and such the secrecy with which it was made,
that Marshal Wade, who was at Newcastle with eleven thousand men,
continued to cover and protect that place, without an idea of advancing
to intercept the Highland troops. Indeed, the secret was so well kept,
that hardly any subordinate officer in the Prince's service knew where
the junction of the columns was intended to take place.[71]

Arduous as the Prince's march had been to Kelso, it was enlivened by
some incidents in which the stern and haughty Lord George