e likewise been assured that many of the Welsh gentry had actually
left their homes, and were on the way to join Charles, when intelligence
of his retreat at once sent them all back peaceably, convinced that it
was now too late to contribute their assistance. These men, from the
power they had over their tenantry, could have added materially to his
military force. In fact, from all that appears, we must conclude that
the insurgents had a very considerable chance of success from an onward
movement--also, no doubt, a chance of destruction, and yet not worse
than what ultimately befell many of them--while a retreat broke in a
moment the spell which their gallantry had conjured up, and gave the
enemy a great advantage over them."

One victory more was accorded to Prince Charles, before his final
overthrow. After successfully conducting his retreat to Scotland,
occupying Glasgow, and strengthening his army by the accession of new
recruits, he gave battle to the royal forces under General Hawley at
Falkirk, and, as at Preston, drove them from the field. The parties were
on this occasion fairly matched, there being about eight thousand men
engaged on either side. The action was short; and, though not so
decisive as the former one, gave great confidence to the insurgents. It
has been thus picturesquely portrayed by the historian of the
enterprise: "Some individuals, who beheld the battle from the steeple of
Falkirk, used to describe these, its main events, as occupying a
surprisingly brief space of time. They first saw the English army enter
the misty and storm-covered muir at the top of the hill; then saw the
dull atmosphere thickened by a fast-rolling smoke, and heard the pealing
sounds of the discharge; immediately after, they beheld the discomfited
troops burst wildly from the cloud in which they had been involved, and
rush, in far-spread disorder, over the face of the hill. From the
commencement of what they styled 'the break of the battle,' there did
not intervene more than ten minutes--so soon may an efficient body of
men become, by one transient emotion of cowardice, a feeble and
contemptible rabble.

"The rout would have been total, but for the three out-flanking
regiments. These not having been opposed by any of the clans, having a
ravine in front, and deriving some support from a small body of
dragoons, stood their ground under the command of General Huske and
Brigadier Cholmondley. When the Highlanders went past in