SPECTATOR'S LIBRARY.

Bzooasewr, Memoirs of the Jacobites of 1715 and 1745. By Mrs. Thomson, Author of "Memoirs

of the Court of Henry the Eighth," &c. &c. Vol. III Bentley. Frcnott,

Pericles ; a Tale of Athens in the Eighty-third Olympiad. By the Author of "A

Brief Sketch of Greek Philosophy." In two volumes Longman and Co. 'Inserts, Life in California, during a Residence of several years in that Territory ; comprising a Description of the Country and of the Missionary Establishments, with Incidents, Observations, arc. &c. By An American. To which Is added, a Historical Ac- count of the Origin, Customs, and Traditions of the Indians of Alta-California; translated from the original Spanish Manuscript 1117ey and Putnam.

MRS. THOMSON'S MEMOIRS or THE JACOBITES. Pais volume closes its accomplished author's labour of love in embalm- ing with the choicest frankincense the heroes and heroines of an extinct superstition. A little while longer and this could not have been done. The lapse of a century, more critical notions of government, of politics, and we may add of party, have contributed to place the follies of the Jacobite invasion in a juster light, to submit to a juster appreciation the motives of its author and leaders, and to put under a sterner ban the men who plunge a nation into civil war on the remote chance of forwarding personal objects. The extinction of the Stuart race, and the wonder-work- ings of steam, have deprived of pabulum, and of leisure to chew the cud, those whom hereditary feeling might have rendered insensible to the rea- son of the case. The intense loyalty, amounting to a passion, whith attended the Stuarts and the elder branch of the Bourbons, was deeply shaken in this country during the last century, and certainly went out when the Regent came in. The speculative substitute—the sentiment nourished in some secret nook of the mind, but not influencing conduct and seemly discourse—is nearly extinct too ; only surviving in persons who can remember another generation, who have fed upon family tradi- tions as daily bread, and who cling to ancestral opinion as to an article of faith. It was said during the lifetime of the Pretenders that the ladies were their most strenuous adherents; and perhaps such sentimental Jacobitism as still survives is to be found among the fair. Of this class Mrs. Thom- son is the most eminent and accomplished; for the sympathy of Mr. Jesse with the cause was only an affair of book-business, and the Jacobite loyalty of Young England, when it happens to be real, is simply silly— the "party " are mere dilettanti Jacobites, as some people have a fondness for old china or any other fancy. But Mrs. Thomson's is a genuine wor- ship, which she pays with judgment and discretion—if it be wee ad- mitted that her idols are true divinities.

The lives contained in this volume are those of Lord George Murray, the nominal Commander-in-chief of 1745; the Duke of Perth, whom the Pretender and his cabal for a short time set up as a rival to Lord George ; the three noblemen who were condemned after trial by the Peers—Kil- marnock, Balmerino, and Cromartie (pardoned) ; Charles Radcliffe, bro- ther to Derwentwater, who escaped from Newgate in 1715, and was exe- cuted under his first attainder ; with the Jacobite heroine Flora Macdonald. Of these biographies the life of Lord George Murray is by far the most elaborate, as Lord George is the only person entitled to much notice on the score of capacity. Among the superior officers of the army, he was the only man who was equal to the conduct of any-great event, or even the management of any considerable business. Whether his prudential caution was exactly fitted to the desperate cause in which he embarked from prin- ciple, may be a question. In all other points he was a soldier "tares atque rotundus." With the calm courage of a single combatant, and a strength of frame and constitution which labour could not exhaust or privation and exposure break down, he combined the faculty of order that must characterize the military administrator, with the larger qua- lities of comprehension, sagacity, and promptness in seeing, deciding,

and executing. In what may be termed military invention—the power of forming a plan of campaign, which shall be hidden from all ob- servers till it is unfolded, and then seem the only thing to be done—he was, perhaps, wanting: for, strictly speaking, there was no plan through- out. The Pretender's army marched on, first to Edinburgh, and after Cope's defeat wished to march to London ; and that was the extent of their scheme. But what could be done with such a force, engaged in such a hopeless cause ? In strategy he seems to have been eminently skilful ; and he may be said to have beaten or baffled all the commanders he en- countered,—Cope at Prestonpans, Wade in the evasive march by which he entered England through Carlisle while the old Marshal was waiting for him at Newcastle, Cumberland in the well-conducted retreat from Derby, and Hawley at Falkirk. At Culloden the Jacobite army was in a mea- sure demoralized, and defeat sure. Neither can he be said to have com- manded there. The adventurers about the Pretender, whom Lord George's honesty and a temper not sufficiently courtier-like had provoked, suc- ceeded in throwing doubts upon his fidelity. His suggestions to postpone the battle till the stragglers came in, or to shift to a more favourable ground, were alike disregarded : but he did all that could be done— checked the pursuit, brought off the army, and might have continued the campaign in the Highlands but for the Pretender's desertion and orders to disperse. Lord George, however, had his Burgos ; he failed before Blair Castle, a seat of his family, which his enemies in the camp whispered that he treacherously spared. The fact was, he had no means for a siege. People who know nothing of war "will not believe that important results frequently depend urn fifty or sixty mules, or a few bundles of strawto feed them ; but the fact is so notwithstanding their incredulity," in the Duke of Wellington's words on his own ill success. Besides, Blair Castle was commanded by one of Marlborough's soldiers, who not only had the courage and skill of a veteran, but a reputation, which, when the garrison was reduced to extremity, supported them by faith.

"Meantime, the garrison had one source of confidence in their extremity, on which sailors are more apt to reckon than landsmen. They trusted to the luck of their Commandant. Never had the stout veteran, who had fought, in 1706, at

Baronies, been either sick or wounded. He had never been in any battle that the English did not win." " Never was there an officeimore insensible to fear than the defender of Blair. Whilst Lord George was thus ineffectually battering the walls of the house, Sir Andrew Agnew looked out over the battlements; and, seeing the little impression that was made on the walls, he exclaimed, 'Hout! I daresay the man's mad, knocking down his own brother's house.'"

A TOUCH OF OLD SIR ANDREW AGNEW.

Lord George Murray having established his quarters in the village of Blair, about a quarter of a mile from the North of the castle soon sent down a summons to Sir Andrew Agnew Bart., to surrender, intimating that "he should answer to the contrary at his Peril."

Now Sir Andrew was reputed to be a man of an outrageous temper; and the Highlanders, who could face the Duke of Cumberland's dragoons, shrank from encountering the sturdy, imperious old soldier. The only peraon, therefore, who could be prevailed upon to carry the summons, was a maid-servant from the inn at Blair, who, bring a comely Highland girl, and acquainted with some of the soldiers, conceived herself to be on so friendly a footing with them that she might encounter the risk. The summons was wntten on a very dirty piece of paper; and corresponded well with the appearance of the herald who conveyed it. Pro- vided with this, the young woman set out; as she approached the castle, she waived the summons over her head several times and drawing near one of the

windows on the basement story, made herself heard. She was received by the officers with boisterous mirth: they assured her that they should soon revisit the village and her master's house again, and drive away the Highlanders: but, when entreated by the girl to take her into Sir Andrew's presence, they all at first re- fused; at last the summons was reluctantly conveyed to the Commandant by a Lieutenant more venturesome than the rest. This emissary soon, however, fled from the presence of the Baronet, who broke out with the most vehement expres- sions of rage on reading the contents of the paper; uttered strong epithets against Lord George Murray, and threatened to shoot any messenger who might dare to convey any future communication. The young girl returned to Blair: as she drew near the village, she perceived Lord George Murray, Lord Nairn, Clunie Macpherson, and other officers, standing in the churchyard of Blair; and observed that they were evidently diverted by her errand and its result.

Reverses of fortune, in biography as in tragedy, require some dignity of character to excite much interest. Whether there be an indescribable difference in the manner in which they are borne, which is felt but is too subtik to be seized, or whether the imagination of the observer supplies any deficiency, it is certain that we are induced to scrutinize as much as sympathize with inferior agents. Balmerino's courage seems more like insensibility than equanimity, and Kilmarnock has a dash of weak- ness and hypocrisy—both so different from the perfect demeanour of Charles the First. The more fortunate persons who escaped—to in- trigue and quarrel for the unsubstantial favours of a nominal King— inspire little interest in their details : but we follow Lord George Murray into his dignified retirement to obscurity and narrow means, after he had lost the favour of the young Pretender, with unabated interest, and only wish that the closing years of the commander's life could be more fully displayed. A romantic enterprise and the sympathy of novelists have thrown a halo round the character of the Young Pretender. His father, on the contrary, has been painted in a very unamiable light; but, Mrs. Thom- son's work seems to indicate, with some injustice as regards considerate good-nature and manners,—for in the more solid and important charac- teristics of men and princes, we suspect that all the British Stuarts were much alike. In despite of his son's charges against Lord George Mur- ray, the old gentleman still continued or seemed to continue his con- fidence; and a letter from Spence the friend and reminiscent of Pope, published in the appendix of this third volume, shows that his man- ners were superior to what has been supposed, and that he was no mean proficient in kingcraft. Spence was on his travels, and had received from his father the usual warning of those days to avoid the Pretender or his family. The young divine was, however, entrapped at Rome by a Dr. Cooper, one of the Stuart retinue, a priest of the Anglican Church ; who, besides being of great use as a cicerone, tempted Spence with the surprising offer of hearing the English service performed under the Pope's very nose. Having him thus in the toils, Dr. Cooper managed to bring him in presence of the "King over the water," in the park of the Villa Ludoviei. The youthful traveller writes as follows to his father.

" When they came to us, the Pretender stood, and spoke a word to the Doctor; then looking at us, he asked him whether we were English gentlemen: he asked us how long we had been in town, and whether we had any acquaintance in it; then told us he had a house where English gentlemen would be very welcome. The Princess who stood by, addressing herself to the Doctor in the prettiest Eng- lish I think I ever heard, said, 'Pray, Doctor, if these gentlemen be lovers of musie, invite them to my concert, tonight; I charge you with it '; which she ac- companied with a salute in the most gracious manner. It was a very hard task, Sir, to recede from the honour of such an invitation, given by a Pnncess, who, although married to the Pretender, deserves so much in regard to her person, her house, and family. However, we argued the case with the Doctor, and repre- sented the strict orders we had to the contrary: he replied, there would be no prohibition to a traveller against music, even at the ceremonies of the Roman Ca- tholic Church; that if we missed this occasion of seeing this assembly of the Roman nobility, we might not recover it while we stayed in Rome; and that it became persons of our age and degree to act always the part of gentlemen, without regard to party humours. These arguments were more forcible than ours; so we went, and saw a bright assembly of the prime Roman nobility, the concert com- posed of the best musicians of Rome, a plentiful and orderly collation served; but the courteous and affable manner of eur reception was more taking than all the rest. We had a general invitation given us whilst we stayed in town' and were desired to use the palace as our house. We were indispensably obliged to make a visit next day, in order to return thanks for so many civilities received: those are things due to a Turk. We were admitted without ceremony: the Pretender entertained us on the subject of our families, as knowingly as if he had been all his life in England: be told me some passages of yourself and father, and of his against the followers of King Charles I. and H.; and added, that 'If you, had been of age before my grandfather's death, to learn his principles, there had been little danger of your taking party against the rights of a Stuart.' "lie then observed how far the prejudices of education and wrong notions of infancy are apt to carry people from the paths of their ancestors: he discoursed as pertinently on several of our neighbouring families as I could do: upon which I told him I was surprised at his so perfect knoa ledge of our families in England: his answer was, that from his infancy he had made it his business to acquire the knowledge of the laws, customs, and families of his country, so that he might not be reported a stranger when the Almighty pleased to call him thither. These and the like discourses held until word was brought that dinner was served: we endeavoured all we could to withdraw; but there WU no possibility for it after he had made us this compliment= I assure you, gentlemen, I shall never be for straining man's inclinations: however our grandfathers, who were worthy people, dined, and I hope there can be no fault found that we do the same.' There LS every day a regular table of ten or twelve covers well served, unto which some of the qualified persons of his court, or travellers, are invited: it is supplied with English and French cooking, French and Italian wines; but I took notice that the Pretender eat only of the English dishes, and made his dinner of roast-beef and what we call Devonshire-pie: he also prefers our March beer, which he has from Leghorn, to the best wines: at the dessert, he drinks his glass of champagne very heartily; and, to do him justice, he is as free and cheerful at his table as any man I know. He spoke much in favour of our English ladies, and said he was persuaded he had not many enemies among them; then he carried a health to them. The Princess, with a smiling countenance, took up the matter, and said, I thin

k, then, Sir, it would be but just that I drink to the cavaliers.'"

This volume exhibits the same literary characteristics as its predeces- sors,—a strong bias in favour of the Jacobites, a thorough knowledge of all the information to be gleaned from the written authority, and, what is rarer, and indeed the characteristic which separates Mrs. Thomson from other writers, a mind infused with traditional knowledge and traditional feeling. Her Jacobitism is undoubted ; but she is also animated by a spirit of justice, and a conscientious anxiety to arrive at correctness,— which sometimes leads her to give more attention to apocryphal tales than they deserve. Such we must regard the story of the Duke of Perth having, after getting on ship-board, landed in England—taken refuge at an obscure village near Sunderland—married, had a family, and lived in obscurity till 1782, when he died, without even taking any steps to communicate with his family or emerge from his difficulties, long after all danger had ceased. Such a tale told of any man of rank would be incredible without the clearest and most direct evidence. In the case of a person of refinement and delicate health, such as the Duke of Perth is described to have been, the story is morally and physically improbable. In the teeth of the assertion of Lord Eloho and Maxwell of Kirkconnel, who both state that they embarked with him in a vessel which proceeded to France by the North-west of Ireland, the tale becomes purely incredible : and though the Duke's death on board is not proved by such direct testimony as his quitting Scotland, yet it was commonly believed at the time, and is mentioned on a monument erected to his memory at Antwerp, with the date and circumstances.

"In Galliam tendens, solum natale fugit. Verum assiduis laboribus et patrke malls gravibus oppressus, In man magno, Die natale revertente, ob. 13 Mali 1746, nt. 33.

Et reliquise, ventis adversie, terra sacrata intercluste In undis septiltze."