both on foot, whilst his personal
enemies were near the Prince in the time of the action, and did little
to advise or suggest, are strongly insisted upon in his narrative. "I
believe," he adds, after firmly but dispassionately stating all these
unhappy mistakes, "that my conduct was unexceptionable, and that in the
advantages we gained I had a considerable share."[165]

The day succeeding the victory of Falkirk was passed by the insurgents
in burying the slain, and in collecting the spoils. A deep pit was dug
by the country people, into which the English soldiers and the Highland
clansmen were precipitated into one common grave. The former were easily
distinguished by the frightful gashes of the broad-swords on their
breasts and limbs. The tomb contained a heap of human bodies; and long
after the event the spot of this rude sepulchre might be traced by a
deep hollow in the field.[166]

Charles Edward had now arrived at another crisis of his singular
destiny. The fate of a single day had once more rendered him victorious,
but it requires a superior and matured judgment to profit by success.
"One thing is certain," remarks an eye-witness of this contest, and that
is, "that the vanquished will always have great resources in the
negligence of the victorious party."

The battle of Falkirk struck terror into every English heart, and the
panic of the Black Monday again spread like a contagion throughout the
country. After the retreat from Derby, the higher ranks of society in
England, who had betrayed an unwonted degree of alarm, concluded that
they had nothing more to fear even from "a band of men so desperately
brave who had done so much with such little means." The victory at
Falkirk was, therefore, received with redoubled alarm; and at court,
during a ball which was held instantly after the event, only two persons
appeared with calm and cheerful countenances. These were the King, whose
personal courage was undoubted, and General Cope, who rejoiced that
Hawley's failure might in some measure excuse his own.[167]

Under these circumstances, and being assured that the panic in Edinburgh
equalled that in London, Prince Charles was strongly advised to repair
to Edinburgh and to resume the possession of the capital. He hesitated,
and the delay proved fatal to his interests. There was no time to be
lost;--the conduct of Hawley had inspired universal contempt not only
for his abilities, but for his cowardice. "General Hawley,"