rt, they must be
strangely degenerated, since they did not lay hold of this opportunity
of shaking off the German yoke. Though I am convinced the Prince had a
great many well-wishers in England, and though it is my opinion he would
have succeeded had they all declared for him, nevertheless I cannot join
in the cry against them, no more than I can condemn abundance of his
friends in Scotland who did not join him. I have told elsewhere upon
what a slender foundation this expedition was undertaken. Murray had
imposed upon the Prince, and hurried him into it, without concerting
anything with England. The English had always insisted upon a body of
regular troops, not under seven and not above twelve thousand effective
men. They saw the Prince in England with a handful of militia, which
they could never think a match for thirty thousand regular troops. It is
true the English have, in former times, taken arms upon less
encouragement and less provocation than they had met with of late; but
in those days the common people were accustomed to arms, and the
insurgents were as good soldiers as any that could be brought against
them."

Such is the reasoning of an eye-witness. One thing is certain,
contemporary writers appear to have generally acquiesced in the
propriety of the retreat; and that circumstance constitutes the
strongest evidence in favour of the step. Yet, viewing events at this
distance of time, and taking into account the panic which seized, not
only the public mind, but which affected the heads of the Government on
hearing of the bold and rapid march of the insurgents, our faith in the
wisdom of a retreat is weakened. In the night when it was announced in
the fashionable circles of St. James's that the Prince had reached
Derby, a general consternation was diffused throughout society. A lady
of the highest rank, who was in one of the assemblies of the day,
related to one of her descendants that upon the intelligence reaching
the party where she was, the rooms were instantly cleared, and on the
following morning there was not a carriage to be seen in London.

Nor were these apprehensions confined to any particular sphere.[135] The
arrival of the troops at Derby was known in London on the ninth of
December, henceforth called by the English "Black Monday." Many of the
inhabitants fled in terror from the metropolis, taking their treasures
with them; the shops were closed: people thronged to the bank to obtain
payment of