to supply his exchequer, and it was with an army increased in
numbers and importance, as well as far better organised--thanks to Lord
G. Murray--that Charles a week later continued his route to Edinburgh.
Having no artillery the Highland army avoided Stirling, crossed the
Forth at the Fords of Frew entirely unopposed, and marched to
Linlithgow, where they expected to fight with Gardiner's dragoons. That
body however did not await their arrival, but withdrew to Corstorphine,
a village two miles from Edinburgh.

The next halt of the Prince's army was at Kirkliston. In the
neighbourhood lay the house of New Liston, the seat of Lord Stair, whose
father was so deeply and disgracefully implicated in the massacre of
Glencoe. It was remembered that a grandson of the murdered Macdonald was
in the army with the men of his clan. Fearing that they would seize this
opportunity of avenging their cruel wrong, the general proposed placing
a guard round the house. Macdonald hearing this proposal, went at once
to the Prince. 'It is right,' he said, 'that a guard should be placed
round the house of New Liston, but that guard must be furnished by the
Macdonalds of Glencoe. If they are not thought worthy of this trust they
are not fit to bear arms in your Royal Highness' cause, and I must
withdraw them from your standard.' The passion for revenge may be strong
in the heart of the Highlander, but the love of honour and the sense of
loyalty are stronger still. The Macdonalds, as we shall see, carried
their habit of taking their own way to a fatal extent.

IV

EDINBURGH

MEANWHILE nothing could exceed the panic that had taken possession of
the town of Edinburgh. The question of the hour was, could the city be
defended _at all_, and if so, could it, in case of siege, hold out till
Cope might be expected with his troops? That dilatory general, finding
nothing to do in the North, was returning to Edinburgh by sea, and might
be looked for any day. There could be no question of the strength of the
Castle. It was armed and garrisoned, and no army without large guns need
attempt to attack it. But with the town it was different. The old town
of Edinburgh, as everybody knows, is built along the narrow ridge of a
hill running from the hollow of Holyrood, in constant ascent, up to the
Castle rock. On each side narrow wynds and lanes descend down steep
slopes, on the south side to the Grassmarket and the Cowgate, on the
north--at the time of which