arguments, which he proposed unto them with a
popular air, he at length prevailed upon them to embrace his project;
and some say, they engaged by oath to stand by him, and one another, and
to bring over their friends and dependants to do the like. However, the
noblemen and gentlemen did not immediately after this meeting draw
together their men, but went every man back to his own estate, to take
their measures for appearing in arms, when they should hear again from
the Earl of Mar, who remain'd, in the mean time, in his own country,
with some few attendants only. These noblemen and gentlemen being
returned home, began to draw together their servants and dependants, in
all the places where they had interest, making several pretences for
doing so, but did not discover the real design till things were in
readiness to break out. And indeed it was but a few days after, that the
Earl of Mar summon'd them all, at least such as were near at hand, to a
general meeting at Aboyne in Aberdeenshire, on the third of September,
in order to concert farther measures for their appearing in arms: And
having there directed the drawing together their forces without any loss
of time, he returned to Brae-Mar, and continued some days gathering the
people, till their number was increased considerably; but the accounts
being so various, while some say there were then two thousand men, most
of them horse, and others but sixty, I shall not condescend on the
particular number: However, with those he had got together, he set up
the Pretender's Standard at Brae-Mar, on the sixth of September, 1715,
and there proclaim'd him King of Scotland, England, France, and Ireland,
etc. 'Tis reported, that when this standard was first erected, the ball
on the top of it fell off, which the superstitious Highlanders were very
much concern'd at, taking it as an omen of the bad success of the cause
for which they were then appearing, and indeed, the event has proven
that it was no less. Thereafter they went to a small town named
Kirkmichael, where having proclaim'd the Pretender, and summon'd the
people to attend his standard, they staid some few days, and then
proceeded to Moulin, another small town in the shire of Perth, where
they likewise proclaim'd him, and rested some short time, gathering
their forces; and where by the coming in of others of their party, their
number was considerably increased.

FOOTNOTES:

[50] George I.

[51] Crail.

B. DEFENCE