with her confidential
ministers, to have placed the Chevalier St. George the next in
succession. In this hope, the wishes of the most respectable portion of
the Jacobite nobility were tranquillized.[183]

The sudden decease of Queen Anne disconcerted the hopes of those who had
been thus waiting for the course of events; and the immediate change of
ministry depriving those who were favourable to the house of Stuart of
power, the succession of George the First was secured, under the aspect,
for a few weeks, of the most perfect national repose. It has been well
explained, that, unless some circumstances connected with the birth and
education of the Chevalier had favoured the interests of Hanover, a very
different result would have appeared. The notion so diligently spread
abroad, of a supposititious birth--the foreign education of the young
Prince--above all, the pains which had been taken to inculcate in his
heart a devotion to the faith of both his parents, were considerations
which strongly favoured the accession of the Elector of Hanover.[184]

A year passed away, and that tranquillity was succeeded by an
ill-concerted, immature enterprise, headed by a man of every talent
except the right sort; and chilled, rather than aided, by the presence
of that melancholy exile who presented himself for the first and last
time, to sadden by the gloom of his aspect, and the inertness of his
measures, the hearts that yearned to welcome him back to Britain.

It was towards the latter end of August, in 1715, in the shire of Perth,
that the people first began to assemble themselves in a body, until they
marched to a small market town, named Kirk Michael, where the Chevalier
was first proclaimed, and his standard set up.[185] Meantime several
noblemen and gentlemen, both in England and in Scotland, influenced by
the Earl of Mar, began to collect their servants and dependants from
different places, and under various pretexts, for their proceedings.
There were also measures concerted in London by the Chevalier's friends;
and among the more active of the partisans, was a certain Captain Robert
Talbot, an Irish officer, who, upon being acquainted with the projected
insurrection, took shipping and sailed for Newcastle-upon-Tyne. By this
agent, the resolutions which had been adopted by the Jacobites in London
were conveyed to their friends in the north of England. This was part of
the scheme of the Jacobites; London was the centre of all the