The Project Gutenberg EBook of Redgauntlet, by Sir Walter Scott

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Title: Redgauntlet

Author: Sir Walter Scott

Posting Date: December 31, 2008 [EBook #2516]
Release Date: February, 2000

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK REDGAUNTLET ***

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REDGAUNTLET

by Sir Walter Scott

CONTENTS.

Introduction
Text
Letters I - XIII
Chapters I - XXIII
Conclusion
Notes
Glossary

Original Transcriber's Note: Footnotes in the printed book have been
inserted in the etext in square brackets ("[]") close to the place where
they were referenced by a suffix in the original text. Text in italics
has been written in capital letters. There are some numbered notes at
the end of the text that are referred to by their numbers with brief
notes, also in square brackets, embedded in the text.

INTRODUCTION

The Jacobite enthusiasm of the eighteenth century, particularly during
the rebellion of 1745, afforded a theme, perhaps the finest that could
be selected for fictitious composition, founded upon real or probable
incident. This civil war and its remarkable events were remembered by
the existing generation without any degree of the bitterness of spirit
which seldom fails to attend internal dissension. The Highlanders, who
formed the principal strength of Charles Edward's army, were an ancient
and high-spirited race, peculiar in their habits of war and of peace,
brave to romance, and exhibiting a character turning upon points more
adapted to poetry than to the prose of real life. Their prince, young,
valiant, patient of fatigue, and despising danger, heading his army
on foot in the most toilsome marches, and defeating a regular force
in three battles--all these were circumstances fascinating to the
imagination, and might well be supposed to seduce young and enthusiastic
minds to the cause in which they were found united, although wisdom and
reason frowned upon the enterprise.

The adventurous prince, as is well known, proved to be one of
those personages who distinguish themselves during some single and
extraordinaril