Through his efforts a valuable collection of authentic
memoirs, from which extracts have been published within these last few
years, have added a new light, and consequently a new charm, to the
narrative of Prince Charles's adventures, and to the biography of his
followers.

Mr. Forbes, at the time when he visited Flora, was residing in the house
of Lady Bruce of Kinross, within the walls of Cromwell's citadel at
Leith. It was one part of Mr. Forbes's plan, in the pursuit of which he
contemplated forming an accurate history of the whole insurrection, to
visit the State prisoners as they were either carried to London, or
passed on their return to the Highlands. Most of his collection was
therefore formed at the close of the last campaign, when the
recollections of the unfortunate actors in the affair were vivid and
accurate. Among other minor occupations was the acquisition of relics of
Charles Edward, whom the worthy divine almost idolized. "Perhaps," says
Mr. Chambers,[307] "the most curious and characteristic part of the
work is a series of relics which are found attached to the inside of the
boards of certain volumes. In one I find a slip of thick blue silk
cloth, of a texture like sarcenet, beneath which is written, 'The above
is a piece of the Prince's garter.' Below this is a small square piece
of printed linen, the figures being in lilac on a white ground, with the
following inscription: 'The above is a piece of the identical gown which
the Prince wore for five or six days, when he was obliged to disguise
himself in a female dress, under the name of Betty Burke. A _swatch_ of
the said gown was sent from Mrs. Macdonald of Kingsburgh,' Then follows
a slip of tape, with the following note: 'The following is a piece of
that identical apron-string which the Prince wore about him when in a
female dress. The above bit I received out of Miss Flora Macdonald's own
hands, upon Thursday, November 5, 1747.'"

In 1762, this reverend enthusiast was chosen by the presbyteries of
Caithness and Orkney as their bishop, and was consecrated at Cupar in
Fife in the same year. He was the last bishop whose charge was limited
only to those two districts.

Mr. Forbes was accompanied in his visits to Flora Macdonald, while at
Leith, by Lady Bruce, Lady Mary Cochrane, Mrs. Clerk, and many other
ladies; who made valuable presents of clothes to the heroine, and who
listened to her narrative, as she delivered it to Mr. Forbes, with many
e