So passed from a long possession of power a Minister who inaugurated a system of corruption13, which was not so much abused by himself, as made a ready instrument of immeasurable mischief14 in the hands of his successors. Had Walpole used the power which he purchased with the country's money more arbitrarily and perniciously, the system must have come much sooner to an end. As it was, the evils which he introduced fell rather on posterity15 than on his own time.
Before he withdrew, the king, who retained his high opinion of his political wisdom, consulted him on the constitution of the new Cabinet. Walpole recommended that the post of First Lord of the Treasury16, including the Premiership, should be offered to Pulteney, as the man of the most undoubted talent. If he should refuse it, then that it should be given to Lord Wilmington, who, though by no means capable of directing affairs by his own energy, was of a disposition17 which might allow them to be conducted by the joint18 counsel of his abler colleagues. The king consented that the Premiership should be offered to Pulteney, though he hated the man, but only on this condition, that he pledged himself to resist any prosecution19 of the ex-Minister. Pulteney declined the overture20 on such a condition, for though he said he had no desire to punish Walpole, he might not be able to defend him from the attacks of his colleagues, for, he observed, "the heads of parties, like those of snakes, are carried on by their tails." The king then sent Newcastle to Pulteney, and it was agreed to allow Wilmington to take the post of First Lord of the Treasury. Carteret thought that this office was more due to him, but Pulteney declared that if Wilmington were not permitted to take the Premiership he would occupy it himself, and Carteret gave way, accepting the place of Secretary of State, with the promise that he should manage in reality the foreign affairs. In[80] all these arrangements the king still took the advice of Walpole, and Newcastle was instructed to again endeavour to draw from Pulteney a promise that he would at least keep himself clear of any prosecution of the late Minister. Pulteney evaded23 the question by saying that he was not a bloody24 or revengeful man; that he had always aimed at the destruction of the power of Walpole, and not of his person, but that he still thought he ought not to escape without some censure25, and could not engage himself without his party.
Newcastle, who wanted to retain his place in the new Cabinet, was more successful on his own behalf. Pulteney said he had no objection to himself or the Lord Chancellor26, but that many changes must be made in order to satisfy the late Opposition27, and to give the Cabinet a necessary majority. Pulteney then declared that, for himself, he desired a peerage and a place in the Cabinet, and thus the new Ministry was organised:—Wilmington, First Lord of the Treasury; Carteret, Secretary of State; the Marquis of Tweeddale, Secretary for Scotland; Sandys, the motion-maker, Chancellor of the Exchequer28; the Prince of Wales was to receive the additional fifty thousand pounds a year; and his two friends, Lord Baltimore and Lord Archibald Hamilton, to have seats at the new Board of Admiralty.
When these arrangements became known, the Tory party grew dreadfully exasperated29. But not the Tories only—there were throngs30 of Whigs who had battled zealously33 for the same object, and with the same hope of personal benefit, and yet they were passed over, and Pulteney, Carteret, and their immediate35 coterie36 had quietly taken care of themselves, and thrown their coadjutors overboard. A meeting was appointed between Pulteney and the rest already in office, and the Duke of Argyll, Chesterfield, Cobham, Bathurst, and some others. The Prince of Wales was present, and the different claims were discussed. Argyll was satisfied by being made Master-General of the Ordnance38, Colonel of His Majesty39's Royal Regiment40 of Horse Guards, Field-Marshal and Commander-in-Chief of all the forces in South Britain. Chesterfield got nothing, professing41 to wait to see a more thorough change of men before he went amongst them; but Cobham was made a Field-Marshal, and restored to the command of the Grenadier Guards, but he could get nothing for his nephew, the fiery43 Oppositionist, Lyttelton. Lord Harrington was made an Earl and President of the Council. But what surprised the country most was that Pulteney, hitherto the head and soul of the party, should have been content to sacrifice himself for the sake of a title. He was made Earl of Bath and received a place in the Cabinet; but by this change, although he seemed to have a brilliant career before him, he forfeited44 the confidence of the country, which had always looked up to him as the most determined45 and disinterested46 of patriots47. From this moment he sank into insignificance49 and contempt. Some others of the old officials remained in as well as Newcastle. Sir William Yonge and Pelham, brother of Newcastle, retained their posts, Yonge as Secretary of War, and Pelham as Paymaster of the Forces.
The new Ministry were now to find that it was very difficult to perpetuate50 principles and measures which they had for a quarter of a century been condemning51 simply because they furnished weapons of annoyance52 to the party then in power. The public, still smarting under the ruinous mismanagement of the war, returned to the charge, by demanding an inquiry into the conduct of Walpole, whom they accused of their sufferings. These petitions were introduced and recommended by what were called the Boy Patriots—Pitt, Lyttelton, and the rest.
As a means of popularity, they insisted on the standing53 army being abolished in time of peace, on the strict limitation of placemen in Parliament, and on the return to triennial Parliaments. These were hard topics for the patriots now in power to digest. But the depression of trade continued, and no one could suggest a remedy but that of reducing taxation54 at the very time that all parties were zealous34 for the prosecution of the war. Finding no other solution to their difficulties, the public turned again to the demand of an inquiry into the administration of Walpole, hoping to lay bare in that the causes of their sufferings. Accordingly Lord Limerick, on the 23rd of March, rose and proposed a committee to inquire into the administration of Walpole, not for twenty, but for the last ten years. Pulteney not only voted, but spoke55 in favour of this motion, and it was carried by a majority of seven. Lord Limerick was chosen chairman, and such was the partial and vindictive56 spirit in which they went to work in examining papers and witnesses, that the honourable-minded Sir John Barnard, though so staunch an opponent of Walpole when in power, declared that he would no longer take part in the labours of a committee which displayed so little regard to the general inquiry, but concentrated all their efforts on the ruin of one individual.
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But the Committee found itself opposed in these objects in the highest quarter. The king displayed the most firm disposition to protect his late Minister, and was in constant communication with Walpole and his friends for the purpose. Every means were used to protect from the scrutiny57 of the Committee those who were possessed58 of the most important information, and to induce them to remain obstinately59 silent. Mr. Edgecumbe, who had managed the Cornish boroughs60 for Walpole, and could have revealed things which would have filled the Committee with exultation61, was raised to the Upper House, and thus removed from the power of the Commons. Paxton, the Solicitor63 to the Treasury, a most important witness, remained unshakably silent, and was committed to Newgate; nor was the Committee more successful with Scrope, the Secretary to the Treasury. This officer, who, no doubt, held most desirable knowledge in his bosom64, firmly refused to make any disclosures, though he was now a very feeble old man. Other officials declined to make statements whose disclosure might incriminate themselves, and which they were excused from doing by the great principles of our judicature. To remove this obstacle Lord Limerick, the Chairman of the Committee, then moved that a Bill of Indemnity65 should be passed, to exempt66 witnesses from all penalties in consequence of their disclosures. This passed the Commons by a majority of twelve, but was rejected in the House of Lords by a large majority.
After contending with such difficulties—for the Committee was, in truth, combating with all the powers of the Crown—it was not likely that it would produce a very effective report. In fact, desirable as it was that a deep and searching inquiry should have been made, and the mysteries of that long reign22 of corruption thrown open, the fact that the Monarch67 and the Minister had gone hand in hand through the whole of it was, on the very surface, fatal to any hope of a successful issue, and what rendered this fatality68 greater was, that the Committee too obviously went into the question hotly to crush an old antagonist69 who had defeated and humiliated70 them for a long course of years, rather than to serve the nation. When, therefore, on the 30th of June, they presented their report, the feeling, on its perusal71, was one of intense disappointment. It alleged72 that, during an election at Weymouth, a place had been promised to the Mayor if he would use his influence in obtaining the nomination73 of a retiring officer, and that a church living had been promised to the Mayor's brother-in-law for the same purpose; that some revenue officers, who refused to vote for the ministerial nominees74, were dismissed; that a fraudulent contract had been given to Peter Burrell and John Bristow, two members of the House of Commons, for furnishing money in Jamaica for the payment of the troops, by which they had pocketed upwards75 of fourteen per cent. But what were these few trifling76 and isolated77 cases to that great system of corruption which the public were satisfied had spread through all Walpole's administration, and which abounded78 with far more wonderful instances than these? The very mention of them, and them alone, was a proclamation of defeat.
The Committee of Inquiry, stimulated80 by the disappointment of the public, began preparations for a fresh report; but their labours were cut short by the termination of the Session. In order to conciliate in some degree public opinion, Ministers hastened to allow the passing of a Bill to exclude certain officers from the House of Commons; they passed another to encourage the linen81 manufacture; a third, to regulate the trade of the Colonies; and a fourth, to prevent the marriage of lunatics. They voted forty thousand seamen82 and sixty-two thousand landsmen for the service of the current year. The whole expenditure83 of the year amounted to nearly six million pounds, which was raised by a land-tax of four shillings in the pound; by a malt-tax; by a million from the sinking fund; and by other resources. They provided for the subsidies84 to Denmark and Hesse-Cassel, and voted another five hundred thousand pounds to the Queen of Hungary. On the 15th of July the king prorogued85 Parliament; at the same time assuring the two Houses that a peace was concluded between the Queen of Hungary and the King of Prussia, through his mediation86; and that the late successes of the Austrian arms were in a great measure owing to the generous assistance of the British nation.
Deserted87 by the Prussians, the French retired88 with precipitation to Prague, where they were followed by the Austrian army under Prince Charles of Lorraine and Prince Lobkowitz. Soon after the Grand Duke of Tuscany took the principal command, and the French offered to capitulate on condition that they might march away with their arms and baggage. This was refused; but Marshal Belleisle stole out of Prague in December, and, giving Lobkowitz the slip, made for the mountains with fourteen thousand men and thirty pieces of artillery89. Belleisle[82] displayed unwearied activity in protecting his men and baggage from the harassing91 pursuit of Lobkowitz. Notwithstanding this his men perished in great numbers from famine and the severity of the season. They had been reduced to eat horseflesh before leaving Prague, and now they fell exhausted92 in the deep snows, and were mercilessly butchered by the Austrian irregulars and peasantry. On the 29th of December he reached Eger, and from that point marched into Alsace without further molestation93; but he then found that of the thirty-five thousand troops which he took into Germany, only eight thousand remained. Though this retreat was celebrated94 as one of the most remarkable95 in history, the Marshal, on reaching Versailles, was received with great coldness.
Whilst these events had been passing in Austria and Bavaria, the King of England had endeavoured to make a powerful diversion in the Netherlands. Under the plea of this movement sixteen thousand British troops were embarked97 in April for the Netherlands; but they were first employed to overawe Prussia, which was in contention98 with Hanover regarding the Duchy of Mecklenburg. There were other causes of dispute between Prussia and the Elector of Hanover. George having now this strong British force, besides sixteen thousand Hanoverian troops and six thousand auxiliary99 Hessians, Frederick thought proper to come to terms with him, and, in consequence of mutual100 arrangements, the Hanoverian troops quitted Mecklenburg, and George, feeling Hanover safe, marched this united force to the Netherlands to join the British ones. He expected the Dutch to co-operate with him and the Austrians, and strike a decided101 blow at France. But the Earl of Stair, who was to command these forces, and who was at the same time ambassador to the States, found it impossible to induce the Dutch to act. They had increased their forces both by sea and land, but they were afraid of the vicinity of the French, and were, with their usual jealousy102, by no means pleased to see the English assuming power in the Netherlands. Therefore, after making a great demonstration103 of an attempt on the French frontier with the united army, the project was suddenly abandoned, and the troops retired into winter quarters. But little was accomplished104 during this year by the British fleet.
Parliament met on the 16th of November, when the king told them that he had augmented105 the British forces in the Low Countries with sixteen thousand Hanoverians and six thousand Hessians. In fact, it had been his design, accompanied by his son, the Duke of Cumberland, to go over and take the command of the combined army of English, Hanoverians, Austrians, and Dutch; but the arrival of the Earl of Stair, who had been the nominal106 commander of these troops, and the return of Lord Carteret from the Hague, with the news that the Dutch could not be moved, had caused him to give up the idea and order his baggage on shore again. He assured Parliament, however, that the spirit and magnanimity of the Queen of Hungary, and the resolute107 conduct of the King of Sardinia in Italy, had produced the most beneficial effect. The usual address, proposed by the Marquis of Tweeddale, met with considerable opposition, especially in the Upper House, from the Earl of Chesterfield. Lyttelton again introduced the Place Bill, but it was rejected by the very men who had formerly108 advocated it. There was another motion made for inquiry into the administration of Walpole, on the plea that inquiry had been shamefully109 stifled110 on the former occasion; but it met with the same fate. But on the 10th of December the Opposition mustered112 all its strength on the motion of Sir William Yonge, the new Secretary at War, that we should pay for the sixteen thousand Hanoverians and the six thousand Hessians, and that a grant of six hundred and fifty-seven thousand pounds should be made for their maintenance from August, 1742, to December, 1743. It was the hard task of Sandys, as the new Chancellor of the Exchequer, to defend this monstrous113 grant and the interests of Hanover, after so many years of attack on these topics in opposition. Pitt answered Sandys in the most caustic114 style of his eloquence115, and Sir John Aubyn and others followed as indignantly; but the Ministers carried the motion by two hundred and sixty votes against one hundred and ninety-three. Their ablest supporter on this occasion was Murray, afterwards Lord Mansfield, who made his first parliamentary speech on the occasion, and showed the delighted Cabinet that the man whom they had just made their Solicitor-General was capable of contending with that "terrible comet of horse," Pitt.
GEORGE II. AT DETTINGEN, 1743.
From the Painting by Robert Hillingford
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The year 1743 opened with a mighty117 struggle on the subject of gin. In 1736, as we have seen, the awful increase of drunkenness, which was attributed to the cheapness of gin, induced a majority of the House of Commons to pass an Act levying119 twenty shillings a gallon duty upon the liquor, and charging every vendor120 of it fifty pounds per annum for a licence. Walpole at the time declared that such an attempt to place gin beyond the reach of the poor consumers would fail; that it would fail equally as a source of revenue, for it would lead to wholesale121 smuggling122 and every possible evasion123 of the law. The event had proved Walpole only too correct in his prognostications. So far from checking the use of gin, the Act had stimulated it enormously. The licences, so preposterously124 high, were wholly neglected; no duty was paid, yet the destructive liquid was sold at every street corner. Ministers now saw that, by attempting too much, every thing in this case had been lost. They were sacrificing the revenues only to sacrifice the well-being125 of the people. They determined, therefore, to reduce the licences from fifty pounds to one pound per annum, and at the same time to retain a moderate duty on the liquor. By this means the fatal compound would remain much at the same price, but the vendors126 would be induced to take out licences, and the revenues would be greatly improved, whilst the whole sale of the article would be more under the restraints of law and police. A Bill was framed on these principles, and passed rapidly through the Commons; but in the Lords it encountered a determined opposition. It was, however, carried entire, and, says Smollett, "we cannot help averring127 that it has not been attended with those dismal128 consequences which the Lords in the Opposition foretold129."
The business of the session now hastened to its close. Votes were given for forty thousand seamen and eleven thousand marines; for sixteen thousand British troops in Flanders, and twenty-three thousand for guards and garrisons131 at home. For the year's supplies six millions of pounds were voted, and then Parliament was prorogued on the 21st of April. In doing this, George told the Houses that he had ordered his army to pass the Rhine to support the Queen of Hungary. No sooner had Parliament closed, than George, accompanied by his son, the Duke of Cumberland, and Lord Carteret, hastened off to Germany. The British army, which the king had ordered to march from Flanders to aid the Austrians, had set out at the end of February. They were commanded by Lord Stair, and on their route were joined by several Austrian regiments133 under the Duke of Aremberg, and the sixteen thousand Hanoverians in British pay, who had wintered at Liége. They marched so slowly that they only crossed the Rhine in the middle of May. They halted at H?chst, between Mayence and Frankfort, awaiting the six thousand Hanoverians in Electoral pay, and an equal number of Hessians, who had been garrisoning134 the fortresses135 of Flanders, but who were now relieved by Dutch troops. Stair had now forty thousand men, and might easily have seized the Emperor at Frankfort. All parties had respected, however, the neutrality of Frankfort, and Stair did the same, probably because the Emperor, having no subjects to ransom137 him, might have proved rather a burden on his hands. De Noailles, on his part, had sixty thousand men, independently of the twelve thousand furnished to Broglie. He kept an active eye on the motions of the allied138 army, and as Stair encamped on the northern bank of the Main, he also passed the Rhine and encamped on the southern bank of the Main. The two camps lay only four leagues from each other, presenting a most anomalous139 aspect.
The genius of Lord Stair was anything but military, and soon led him into a dilemma140. Instead of waiting, as he had first determined, for the reinforcements of Hessians and Hanoverians, he advanced up the river, with the intention of drawing supplies from Franconia. He advanced to Aschaffenberg, which he reached on the 16th of June; but Noailles had rapidly followed him, and adroitly142 seized on the fords of both the Upper and Lower Main, thus cutting off Stair both from his own stores at Hanau, and from the expected supplies of Franconia. At this critical moment King George arrived at the camp, and found Noailles lying in a strong position, and Stair cooped up with his army in a narrow valley between the wild and hilly forest of Spessart, which extends from Aschaffenberg to Dettingen and the river Main. To render his case the more desperate, he had quarrelled with Aremberg, who had let him pursue his march alone; and Stair now lay, with only thirty-seven thousand men, in the very grasp, as it were, of Noailles and his sixty thousand men.
In this awkward dilemma the king resolved to cut his way through the French, superior as they were, and regain143 communication with their magazines and their auxiliaries144 at Hanau. But Noailles was closely watching their movements; and, being aware of what was intended, took instant measures to prevent the retreat. He immediately advanced from their front to their rear, threw two bridges over the Main at Selingenstadt, and[84] despatched his nephew, the Duke de Gramont, to secure the defile145 of Dettingen, through which the English must pass in their retreat. He also raised strong batteries on the opposite bank of the Main, so as to play on the English as they marched along the river. These preparations being unknown to the English, and still supposing Noailles' principal force lay between them and Aschaffenberg, instead of between them and Dettingen, on the 27th of June, at daybreak, the king struck his tents, and the march on Dettingen began. George showed a stout146 heart in the midst of these startling circumstances, and the soldiers, having the presence of their king, were full of spirits. George took up his position in the rear of his army, expecting the grand attack to come from that quarter; but presently he beheld147 his advanced posts repulsed148 from Dettingen, and the French troops pouring over the bridge of the Main. He then perceived that Noailles had anticipated their movements, and, galloping150 to the head of his column, he reversed the order of his march, placing the infantry151 in front and the cavalry152 in the rear. His right extended to the bosky hills of the Spessart, and his left to the river. He saw at once the difficulty of their situation. Gramont occupied a strong position in the village of Dettingen, which was covered by a swamp and a ravine. There was no escape but by cutting right through De Gramont's force—no easy matter; and whilst they were preparing for the charge, the batteries of the French on the opposite bank of the Main, of which they were previously153 unaware154, began to play murderously on their flank. With this unpleasant discovery came at the same instant the intelligence that Noailles had secured Aschaffenberg in their rear with twelve thousand men, and was sending fresh reinforcements to De Gramont in front. Thus they were completely hemmed155 in by the enemy, who were confidently calculating on the complete surrender of the British army and the capture of the king.
George and his soldiers, however, lost no atom of heart; they determined to cut a way through the enemy or die on the ground; and luckily at this moment the enemy committed almost as great an error as Stair had done. Noailles quitted his post in front of the king's army, and crossed the Main bridge to give some further orders on that side; and no sooner did he depart than his nephew, De Gramont, eager to seize the glory of defeating the English, and not aware that the whole British army was at that moment about to bear down upon him, ordered his troops to cross the ravine in their front, and assault the English on their own side. The order was executed, and had instantly the unforeseen effect of silencing their own batteries on the other side of the river, for, by this movement, the French came directly between their fire and the English, which it had been till that moment mercilessly mowing156 down.
At this moment the horse which George II. was riding, taking fright at the noise made by the French in their advance, became unmanageable, and plunged157 forward furiously, nearly carrying the king into the midst of the French lines. Being, however, stopped just in time, the king dismounted, and placing himself at the head of the British and Hanoverian infantry on the right, he flourished his sword and said, "Now, boys! now for the honour of England! Fire, and behave bravely, and the French will soon run!"
The first charge, however, was not so encouraging. The French made an impetuous onset158, and threw the advanced guard of the English into confusion; but the king and his son, the Duke of Cumberland, who commanded on the left, and, like his father, took his stand in the front line, displayed the highest pluck, and inspired their troops with wonderful courage. The tide of battle was quickly turned, and Noailles, from the other side, saw with astonishment159 and alarm his troops in action contrary to his plans. He returned in all haste to give fresh support to his soldiers, but it was too late. Gallantly161 as the French fought, the presence of the king and prince on the other side made the English and Hanoverians irresistible162. King, and prince, and army all showed an enthusiastic courage and steadiness which bore down everything before them. The dense163 column of infantry, led on by the king, broke the French ranks, and cut through them with terrible slaughter165. Noailles, seeing the havoc166, gave a command which completed the disaster. To shield his men, he ordered them to repass the Main; but a word of retreat, in all such cases, is a word of defeat. The retrograde movement produced dismay and disorder167; the whole became a precipitate168 rout132. The French were driven in confused masses against the bridges, the bridges were choked up with the struggling throng31, and numbers were forced into the river, or jumped in for escape, and were drowned.
Such was the battle of Dettingen, equally remarkable for the blunders of the generals and the valour of the men; still more so, as the last battle in which a King of England has commanded in[85] person. At Hanau, the army not only refreshed itself, but was joined by reinforcements, which rendered the Allies nearly equal in numbers to the French. Lord Stair, therefore, proposed to pass the Main, and make a second attack on the enemy. The king, however, would not consent. Stair, with all his bravery, had shown that he was very incautious. He was, moreover, of a most haughty169 temper, and had quarrelled violently with the Hanoverian officers, and displayed much contempt for the petty German princes. They were, therefore, by no means inclined to second his counsels, though they had fought gallantly at Dettingen. Stair complained loudly of the neglect to follow up the French, and resigned.
GEORGE II.
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The best excuse for George II.'s apparent sluggishness170 was, that the French were now so closely pressed by concentrating armies. Prince Charles of Lorraine and the Austrians were pressing De Broglie so hotly that he was glad to escape over the Rhine near Mannheim; and Noailles, thus finding himself between two hostile armies, followed his example, crossed over the Rhine to Worms, where, uniting with Broglie, they retreated to their own frontier at Lauter, and thus the Empire was cleared of them. The Emperor Charles now suffered the fate which he may be said to have richly deserved. He was immediately compelled to solicit62 for peace from Austria through the mediation of George of England and Prince William of Hesse. But Maria Theresa, now helped out of all her difficulties by English money and English soldiers, was not inclined to listen to any moderate terms, even when proposed by her benefactor171, the King[86] of England. The Emperor was down, and she proposed nothing less than that he should permanently172 cede173 Bavaria to her, or give up the Imperial crown to her husband. Such terms were not to be listened to; but the fallen Emperor finally did conclude a treaty of neutrality with the Queen of Hungary, by which he consented that Bavaria should remain in her hands till the conclusion of a peace. This peace the King of England and William of Hesse did their best to accomplish; and Carteret, who was agent for King George, had consented that on this peace England should grant a subsidy174 of three hundred thousand crowns to the Emperor. No sooner, however, did the English Ministers receive the preliminaries of this contract, than they very properly struck out this subsidy, and the whole treaty fell to the ground.
Before quitting Germany, however, George had signed a treaty between himself, Austria, and Sardinia, in which Italian affairs were determined. The Spaniards, under Count Gages and the Infant Don Philip, had made some attempts against the Austrians in Italy, but with little effect. By the present treaty, signed at Worms on the 13th of September, the King of Sardinia engaged to assist the Allies with forty-five thousand men, and to renounce175 his pretensions176 to the Milanese, on condition that he should command the Allied army in Italy in person, should receive the cession177 of Vigevenasco and the other districts from Austria, and a yearly subsidy of two hundred thousand pounds from England. This was also negotiated by Lord Carteret on the part of King George, and without much reference to the Ministers in England, who, on receiving the treaty, expressed much dissatisfaction; but, as it was signed, they let it pass. But there was another and separate convention, by which George agreed to grant the Queen of Hungary a subsidy of three hundred thousand pounds per annum, not only during the war, but as long as the necessity of her affairs required it. This not being signed, the British Ministers refused to assent178 to it, and it remained unratified.
In all these transactions Carteret showed the most facile disposition to gratify all the Hanoverian tendencies of the king, in order to ingratiate himself and secure the Premiership at home. But in this he did not succeed; he was much trusted by George in foreign affairs, and in them he remained. Lord Wilmington, Prime Minister, had died two months before the signing of the treaty at Worms, and the competitors for his office were Pelham, brother of the Duke of Newcastle, and Pulteney. Pelham was supported by Newcastle, Lord Chancellor Hardwicke, and still more powerfully by the old Minister under whom he had been trained—Lord Orford, who, though out of office, was consulted in everything relating to it. Pulteney and Pelham had both, according to their friends, neglected the necessary steps for succeeding Wilmington. Pulteney had declined any office, vainly hoping that his great popularity would enable him to guide public affairs. His friends reminded him that had he taken the Treasury on Walpole's resignation, he would now have been still at the helm. Pelham's great adviser179, Lord Orford, said to him, "If you had taken my advice, and held the Exchequer under Wilmington, the whole had dropped into your mouth." Pelham, however, received the appointment from the king, and this was communicated in a letter from Carteret, who candidly180 told him that, as the old friend and colleague of Pulteney, Lord Bath, he had done all in his power to secure the office for him, but now he would support Pelham cordially, notwithstanding. Pelham was at this period forty-seven years of age, of far inferior talent to Orford, but pursued his cautious principles and acted under his advice.
On the return of the king and Carteret, Parliament was opened on the 1st of December. The first trial of the Opposition was on the Address, on which occasion its real strength was not called forth181, and this was carried by two hundred and seventy-eight votes against one hundred and forty-nine. But the subject of Hanoverian troops and Hanoverian measures soon displayed its extent and virulence182. There was a vehement183 feeling against everything relating to Hanover, and Pitt lost no time in denouncing Carteret and his measures in the most bitter terms. Pitt's thunder was echoed by others, and the scene in the Commons was described by a spectator as like nothing but a tumultuous Polish Diet. Such was the ferment184 amid which opened the year 1744, and it soon became evident that the existence of the country was at stake. Preparations had been making for the invasion of England for some time. Cardinal185 Tencin, the new French Minister, sent Murray of Broughton to James in Rome, to desire him to send his eldest186 son, Prince Charles, to France to be in readiness for the campaign[87] in England, and in due course the Young Pretender arrived at Gravelines.
The expedition against England was at this moment actually in motion. The squadrons of Brest and Rochefort were already united under the command of Admiral Roquefeuille, and sailing up the Channel to clear the way for the transports containing the soldiers. Sir John Norris had been appointed Admiral of our Channel fleet, consisting of twenty-one ships of the line. He had lain at Spithead, but had quitted that station and sailed into the Downs, where he was joined by other ships from Chatham; and thus was not only superior in number to the French, but had the advantage of being well acquainted with the coasts, he having long been Captain of Deal Castle. Roquefeuille sailed right up to the Isle10 of Wight, and, observing no vessels187 off Spithead, he, in his French egotism, concluded that the fleet had sought shelter in Portsmouth harbour. He therefore lost no time in despatching a small vessel188 to Dunkirk to hasten on his armament. Seven thousand men were instantly sent on board transports, and the prince and Marshal Saxe, who was to take command of the land force, accompanied them. Roquefeuille, meanwhile, proceeding189 on his voyage, came to anchor off Dungeness, which he had no sooner done than he beheld the British fleet bearing down upon him in much greater force than his own, for he had only fifteen ships of the line and five frigates190. The destruction of the French fleet appeared inevitable191, but Sir John Norris this time justly incurred192 the censure of lingering. He thought, from the state of the tide and the approach of night, it was better to defer193 the attack till morning; and, when morning came, no Frenchmen were to be seen. The French admiral, much more active than poor old Sir John, had slipped his cables and made the best of his way homewards.
The next day tempest scattered194 the approaching transports. Sir John thought the storm sufficient excuse for not pursuing; but the winds followed the invaders195, and blowing directly from London towards Dunkirk, dispersed197 the French transports, sank some of the largest of them with all their men, wrecked198 others on the coast, and made the rest glad to recover their port. Charles waited impatiently for the cessation of the tempest to put to sea again, but the French ministers were discouraged by the disaster, and by the discovery of so powerful a British fleet in the Channel. The army was withdrawn199 from Dunkirk, Marshal Saxe was appointed to the command in Flanders, and the expedition for the present was relinquished201.
After these transactions there could no longer remain even the name of peace between France and England. Mr. Thompson, the British Resident at Paris, made the most indignant complaints of the hostile proceedings202 of the French fleets and of the encouragement of the Young Pretender. The reply to this was a formal declaration of war, couched in the most offensive terms, in the month of March, to which George replied in a counter-declaration equally strong.
The French having now formally declared war with England, entered on the campaign with Flanders in the middle of May with eighty thousand men, the king taking the nominal command, in imitation of Louis XIV. Marshal Saxe was the real commander, and with this able general Louis went on for some time reaping fictitious203 laurels204. The King of England expected to see the Allies muster111 seventy-five thousand men—a force nearly equal to that of the French; but the Dutch and Austrians had grievously failed in their stipulated205 quotas206, and the whole army did not exceed fifty thousand. General Wade207, the English commander, was a general of considerable experience, but no Marlborough, either in military genius or that self-command which enabled him to bear up against tardy208 movements and antagonistic209 tempers of the foreign officers. Consequently, whilst he had to contend with a very superior force, he was hampered210 by his coadjutors, lost his temper, and, what was worse, lost battles too. The French went on taking town after town and fortress136 after fortress. But this career of victory was destined211 to receive a check. Prince Charles of Lorraine, at the head of sixty thousand men, burst into Alsace, and marched without any serious obstacle to the very walls of Strasburg; while the French king was stricken with fever at Metz.
Whilst Louis lay ill at Metz, France received an unexpected relief. Prince Charles was hastily recalled to cope with Frederick of Prussia, who had now joined France in the counter-league of Frankfort, and burst into the territories of Maria Theresa. He found in Prague a garrison130 of fifteen thousand men, yet by the 15th of September he had reduced the place, after a ten days' siege. At the same time Marshal Seckendorf, the Imperial general, entered Bavaria, which was defended only by a small force, and quickly reinstated[88] Charles on the throne of Munich. Vienna itself was in the greatest alarm, lest the enemies uniting should pay it a visit. But this danger was averted212 by the rapid return of Prince Charles of Lorraine from before Strasburg. He had to pass the very front of the French army; nevertheless, he conducted his forces safely and expeditiously213 to the frontiers of Bohemia, himself hastening to Vienna to consult on the best plan of operations. Maria Theresa again betook herself to her heroic Hungarians, who, at her appeal, once more rushed to her standard; and Frederick, in his turn alarmed, called loudly on the French for their promises of assistance, but called in vain. The French had no desire for another campaign in the heart of Austria. The Prussian invader196, therefore, soon found himself menaced on all sides by Austrians, Croatians, and Hungarian troops, who harassed214 him day and night, cut off his supplies and his forages215, and made him glad to retrace217 his steps in haste.
Carteret—or Granville, as we must now style him, for he succeeded to the earldom in 1744—still retained the favour of the king precisely218 in the same degree as he had forfeited that of the people and the Parliament, by his unscrupulous support of George's Hanoverian predilections220. Elated with the favour of the king, Granville insisted on exercising the same supreme221 power in the Cabinet which Walpole had done. This drove Pelham and his brother, Newcastle, to inform the king that they or Granville must resign. George, unwilling222 to part with Granville, yet afraid of offending the Pelham party, and risking their support of the large subsidies which he required for Germany, was in a great strait. He sent for Lord Orford up from Houghton, who attended, though in the extreme agonies of the stone, which, in a few months later, brought him to his end. Walpole, notwithstanding the strong desire of the king to retain Granville, and that also of the Prince of Wales—who on this and all points connected with Hanover agreed with the king, though no one else did—decided that it was absolutely necessary that he should resign; and accordingly, on the 24th of November, Granville sullenly223 resigned the seals, and they were returned to his predecessor225, the Earl of Harrington.
The fall of Granville became the revolution of all parties. The Pelhams, in order to prevent his return to the Ministry through the partiality of the king, determined to construct a Cabinet on what was called a broad bottom—that is, including some of both sections of the Whigs, and even some of the Tories. They opened a communication with Chesterfield, Gower, and Pitt, and these violent oppositionists were ready enough to obtain place on condition of uniting against Granville and Bath. The difficulty was to reconcile the king to them. George was not well affected226 towards Chesterfield, and would not consent to admit him to any post near his person, but permitted him, after much reluctance227, to be named Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland. As for Pitt, he was even more repugnant to the king than Chesterfield, and Pitt, on his part, would accept nothing less than the post of Secretary at War. The Pelhams advised him to have patience and they would overcome the king's reluctance; but when they proposed that the Tory Sir John Hynde Cotton should have a place, George, in his anger, exclaimed, "Ministers are kings in this country!"—and so they are for the time. After much negotiation3 and accommodating of interests and parties, the Ministry was ultimately arranged as follows:—Lord Hardwicke remained Lord Chancellor; Pelham was First Lord of the Treasury and Chancellor of the Exchequer; the Duke of Newcastle became one Secretary of State, Lord Harrington the other; the Duke of Devonshire remained Steward228 of the Household; the Duke of Bedford was appointed First Lord of the Admiralty, with Lord Sandwich as Second Lord; Lord Gower was made Privy229 Seal; Lord Lyttelton became a member of the Treasury Board; Mr. Grenville was made a Junior Lord of the Admiralty; Sir John Hynde Cotton received the office of Treasurer230 of the Chamber231 in the Royal Household; and Bubb Doddington contrived232 to be included as Treasurer of the Navy. Lords Cobham and Hobart had also appointments; and the Duke of Dorset was made President of the Council.
Granville being got rid of, and the Opposition bought up with place, the only difference in the policy which had been pursued, and which had been so bitterly denounced by the noblemen and gentlemen now in office, was that it became more unequivocally Hanoverian and more extravagant233. "Those abominably234 Courtly measures" of Granville were now the adopted measures of his denouncers. The king had expressed, just before his fall, a desire to grant a subsidy to Saxony; but Lord Chancellor Hardwicke had most seriously reminded his Majesty of the increased subsidy to the Queen of Hungary, which made it impracticable: now, both the increased subsidy to Maria Theresa and the subsidy to Saxony were passed without an objection. A quadruple alliance was entered into between Britain, Austria, Holland, and Saxony, by which Saxony was to furnish thirty thousand men for the defence of Bohemia, and to receive a hundred and fifty thousand pounds, two-thirds of which were to be paid by England, and one-third by Holland. The Elector of Cologne received twenty-four thousand pounds, the Elector of Mayence eight thousand pounds. Nay235, soon discovering that, as there was no opposition, there was no clamour on the subject, Ministers the very next year took the Hanoverians into their direct pay again, and in 1747 increased the number of them from eighteen thousand to twenty thousand.
[89]
INTERIOR OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS IN 1742.
(From a Drawing by Gravelot engraved236 by W. J. White.)
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[90]
In January of 1745 died Charles VII., King of Bavaria and Emperor of Germany. His life had been rendered miserable237, and his kingdom made the prey238 of war, by his unpatriotic mania240 of supporting the French in their attacks on Germany. His son and successor showed himself a wiser and a better man. He at once renounced241 all claims to the Austrian succession, and to the Imperial crown. He agreed to vote for the Prince of Tuscany, Maria Theresa's husband, at the next Diet, and never to support the French or the Prussian arms. On these terms a treaty was concluded between Austria and Bavaria at Füssen, and Austria therefore restored to him his rightful inheritance of Bavaria.
The campaign in Flanders opened in April. The British faithfully furnished their stipulated number of men (twenty-eight thousand), but both Austria and Holland had most disgracefully failed. Holland was to send fifty thousand into the field, and keep the other ten thousand in her garrisons; but she had sent less than half that number, and Austria only eight squadrons. The French had a fine army of seventy-five thousand men under the able general, Marshal Saxe; and the King of France and the Dauphin had come to witness the conflict, which gave a wonderful degree of spirit to their troops. On the part of the Allies, the Duke of Cumberland was chief in command, but, from his youth, he was not able to set himself free from the assumptions of the Austrian general, old Marshal K?nigsegg, and the Dutch general, the Prince of Waldeck. As it was, to march against the French before Tournay was to rush into a certain contest with the whole French army of nearly eighty thousand men, whilst the Allies could have only about fifty thousand. Saxe made the ablest arrangements for the coming fight. He left fifteen thousand infantry to blockade Tournay, drew up his army in a very strong position a few miles in advance, and strengthened it by various works.
The Allies, on coming near, found Saxe encamped on some gentle heights, with the river Scheldt and the village of Antoine on his right, and a wood named Barré on his left. In front lay a narrow valley, and, as at Dettingen, he had secured the passage of the river by the bridge of Calonne in his rear, defended by a tête-de-pont, and a reserve of the Household Troops. He had constructed abatis in the wood of Barré, thrown up redoubts between Antoine and Fontenoy, and strongly fortified242 those villages themselves. The narrow valley between Barré and Fontenoy was formidably defended by cross batteries, and by the natural ruggedness244 of the ground; and altogether the French officers confidently regarded their position as unassailable. Yet, inferior as they were in numbers, the Allies at once marched and attacked the French pickets245 and outposts, drove them in, and stood under arms, as it was growing dark, ready to renew the onset at daybreak.
At four o'clock in the morning (the 11th of May) the cannonade began. Prince Waldeck undertook to carry Fontenoy and Antoine with the Dutch, and the Duke of Cumberland, at the head of the English and Hanoverians, to bear down on the enemy's left. At the same time, the Duke sent General Ingoldsby with a division to clear the wood of Barré, and storm the redoubt beyond. When Ingoldsby reached the wood, he found it occupied by a body of sharpshooters, and instead of attacking them vigorously he paused and returned to the duke for fresh orders—a great neglect of duty by which much time was lost, and the enemy enabled to direct their undivided attention on that side to the main body of English and Hanoverians advancing under the duke. On the other hand, the Dutch, finding Fontenoy surrounded by a fosse, and the French mounted with their batteries on the rubbish of houses, which they had demolished247 for the purpose, were panic-struck, and instead of making a resolute rush to storm the place, having suffered considerably248 from the French batteries, fell back, and stood aloof249, thus leaving the English and Hanoverians exposed to the whole fire of the hostile army.
Thus shamefully deserted on both hands, Cumberland still led forward his British and Hanoverians against the main body of the French army. The ruggedness of the ground in the[91] narrow valley between the wood of Barré and Fontenoy compelled them to leave the cavalry behind; but the infantry pushed on, dragging with them several pieces of artillery. Cumberland had the advantage of the advice and spirit of his military tutor, General Ligonier, and, in face of a most murderous fire, the young commander hastened on. The batteries right and left mowed250 them down, and before this comparative handful of men stood massed the vast French army, in a position pronounced by the French impregnable. The dense column of the English, compressed between the wood of Barré and Fontenoy, soon drove the French from their positions, and, still pushing on towards the rear of Fontenoy, threatened to cut off the bridge of Calonne, and with it the enemy's retreat across the river. Both French and English conceived that the battle was decided for the Allies. Marshal K?nigsegg congratulated Cumberland on their victory, and, on the other hand, Saxe warned Louis XV. that it was necessary to retreat. Louis, however, is said to have protested against giving way, and both French and English soon became aware that the Dutch had deserted their post, and that the right wing of the French army remained wholly unengaged. The British and Hanoverian conquerors251 on their right, when they mounted the French positions, looked out for their left wing, the Dutch, and, to their dismay, beheld them hanging with cowardly inactivity in the distance. The brave Marshal Saxe, at the same moment making the same discovery, called forward the Household Troops, which had been posted to receive the Dutch, and precipitated252 them on the flank of the British. Foremost in this charge was the Irish Brigade, in the pay of France, who fought like furies against their countrymen. Overwhelmed by numbers, and numbers perfectly253 fresh, and mowed down by additional artillery which the default of the Dutch had set at liberty, and unsupported by their own cavalry from the confined and rugged243 nature of the ground, the brave British and Hanoverians were compelled to give way. But they did it in such order and steadiness, disputing every inch of the ground, as excited the admiration254 of their opponents. The Duke of Cumberland was the last in the retreat, still regardless of his own danger, calling on his men to remember Blenheim and Ramillies; and seeing one of his officers turning to flee, he threatened to shoot him. Thus they gave way slowly, and still fighting, till they reached their horse, which then made a front to cover them, till they were out of the mêlée; their dastardly allies, the Dutch, then joined them, and they marched away in a body to Ath. Tournay, for which the battle was fought, might have detained the French a long time; but here, again, Dutch treachery did its work. Hertsall, the chief engineer in the Dutch service, betrayed the place to the French, fled to their camp, and then assisted them by his advice. Tournay surrendered in a fortnight, and the citadel255 the week after. Ghent, Bruges, Oudenarde, and Dendermond fell in rapid succession. Whilst the Allies were covering Antwerp and Brussels, the French attacked and took Ostend, again by the treachery of the governor, who refused to inundate256 the country.
The affairs of England, menaced by invasion, were during this time compelling George to draw part of his forces homeward; it was, consequently, only the approach of winter which saved the towns of Flanders from the French. At the same time, the wily Prussian was in arms again, trusting to seize yet more of the Austrian territories, whilst the powerful ally of Maria Theresa was at once pressed by the fault of the Dutch and Austrians in Flanders, and at home by the Pretender. George, who, in spite of all remonstrances257, had persisted, notwithstanding the domestic danger, in paying his annual visit to Hanover, was earnestly engaged, through Lord Harrington, in endeavouring to accomplish a peace between Prussia and Austria. Neither Frederick nor Maria Theresa, however, was in any haste to conclude peace. Frederick hoped to profit by the engagement of England with the French, and Maria Theresa held out, with some vague hopes of regaining258 Silesia through the money of England. But Frederick, on the 3rd of June, gained a decided victory over Prince Charles of Lorraine, throwing himself between the Austrians and the Saxons, whom the English subsidy had brought to their aid. In this battle of Hohen Friedberg the Austrians lost nine thousand men in killed and wounded, and had as many made prisoners. Prince Charles retreated into Bohemia, and was soon followed by Frederick, who fixed259 his camp at Chlum. Whilst another battle was impending260, Maria Theresa, still undaunted, accompanied her husband to the Diet at Frankfort, where she had the satisfaction of seeing him elected Emperor of Germany on the 13th of September. The same month, however, her troops were again defeated by Frederick at Sohr, near the sources of the Elbe. The King of Prussia now offered to make peace, and Maria[92] Theresa rejected his overtures261; but another victory over her combined army of Austrians and Saxons, which put Frederick in possession of Dresden, brought her to reason. A peace was concluded at Dresden on Christmas Day, by which Silesia was confirmed to Prussia, and Frederick, on his part, acknowledged the recent election of the Emperor Francis. King George had also entered into a secret treaty with Prussia; and Frederick, sending his army into winter quarters in Silesia, returned to Berlin, thence to ponder fresh schemes of aggrandisement.
The time for the last grand conflict for the recovery of their forfeited throne in Great Britain by the Stuarts was come. The Pretender had grown old and cautious, but the young prince, Charles Edward, who had been permitted by his father, and encouraged by France, to attempt this great object in 1744, had not at all abated262 his enthusiasm for it, though Providence263 had appeared to fight against him, and France, after the failure of Dunkirk, had seemed to abandon the design altogether. When he received the news of the battle of Fontenoy he was at the Chateau264 de Navarre, near Evreux, the seat of his attached friend, the young Duke de Bouillon. He wrote to Murray of Broughton to announce his determination to attempt the enterprise at all hazards. He had been assured by Murray himself that his friends in Scotland discountenanced any rising unless six thousand men and ten thousand stand of arms could be brought over; and that, without these, they would not even engage to join him. The announcement, therefore, that he was coming threw the friends of the old dynasty in Scotland into the greatest alarm. All but the Duke of Perth condemned265 the enterprise in the strongest terms, and wrote letters to induce him to postpone266 his voyage. But these remonstrances arrived too late; if, indeed, they would have had any effect had they reached him earlier. Charles Edward had lost no time in making his preparations.
He had been able to borrow a hundred and eighty thousand livres from two of his adherents267, had made serious exertions268 to raise arms, and though he had kept his project profoundly secret from the French King and Ministry, lest they might forcibly detain him, he had managed to engage a French man-of-war called the Elizabeth, carrying sixty-seven guns, and a brig of eighteen guns called the Doutelle, an excellent sailer. On the 2nd of July the Doutelle left St. Nazaire, at the mouth of the Loire, and waited at Belleisle for the Elizabeth, when they put forward to sea in good earnest. Unfortunately, only four days after leaving Belleisle, they fell in with the British man-of-war the Lion, of fifty-eight guns, commanded by the brave Captain Butt269, who in Anson's expedition had stormed Paita. There was no avoiding an engagement, which continued warmly for five or six hours, when both vessels were so disabled that they were compelled to put back respectively to England and France.
With the Elizabeth the Young Pretender lost the greater part of his arms and ammunition270. Yet he would not return, but set out in the Doutelle towards Scotland. In two days more the little vessel was pursued by another large English ship, but by dint271 of superior sailing they escaped, and made the Western Isles272. It was only after a fortnight's voyage, however, that they came to anchor off the little islet of Erisca, between Barra and South Uist.
Charles landed in Lochnanuagh on the 25th of July, and was conducted to a farm-house belonging to Clanranald. He then despatched letters to the Highland chiefs who were in his interest. Principal amongst these were Cameron of Lochiel, Sir Alexander Macdonald, and Macleod. Lochiel was as much confounded at the proposal to commence a rebellion without foreign support as the Macdonalds. For a long time Lochiel stood out, and gave the strongest reasons for his decision; but Charles exclaimed, "I am resolved to put all to the hazard. I will erect273 the Royal Standard, and tell the people of Britain that Charles Stuart is come over to claim the crown of his ancestors, or to perish in the attempt. Lochiel, who, my father has always told me, was our firmest friend, may stay at home, and learn from the newspapers the fate of his prince." "Not so!" instantly replied the impulsive274 Highlander9. "I will share the fate of my prince, whatever it may be, and so shall every man over whom nature or fortune has given me any power." The decision of Lochiel determined the whole Highlands. The Macdonalds of Skye held back when sent for, but numbers of others were immediately influenced by the example of Lochiel. Macdonald of Keppoch, Macdonald of Glengarry, and numbers of others, sent in their adhesion. Charles then removed to Kinloch Moidart, the residence of the chief of that name, where he was joined by Murray of Broughton, who brought with him[93] from the south the manifestoes of Charles ready printed. Charles appointed him his secretary, which post he continued to hold during the expedition.
On the 16th of August a party of English soldiers, sent by the Governor of Fort Augustus to reinforce the garrison at Fort William, were assailed276 by a number of Keppoch's Highlanders in the narrow pass of High Bridge. They attempted to retreat when they found they could not reach their antagonists277 in their ambush278, but they were stopped by a fresh detachment of the followers279 of Lochiel, and compelled to lay down their arms. Five or six of them were killed, and their leader, Captain Scott, was wounded. They received the kindest treatment from the conquerors, and as the Governor of Fort Augustus refused to trust a surgeon amongst them to dress the wounds of Captain Scott, Lochiel immediately allowed Scott to return to the fort on his parole, and received the rest of the wounded into his house at Auchnacarrie.
THE LANDING OF PRINCE CHARLIE. (See p. 92.)
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In the valley of Glen Tronian, on the 19th of August, they proceeded to erect the standard. The Marquis of Tullibardine, as highest in rank, though feeble and tottering280 with age, was appointed to unfurl the banner, supported on each hand by a stout Highlander. The colours were of blue and red silk, with a white centre, on which, some weeks later, the words Tandem281 triumphans were embroidered282. Tullibardine held the staff till the manifesto275 of James, dated Rome, 1743, appointing his son Regent, was read; and as the banner floated in the breeze the multitude shouted lustily, and the hurrahs were boisterously283 renewed when Charles made them a short address in English, which few of the common class understood.
The slowness with which the Government became aware of these proceedings is something astonishing in these days of telegraphs and railroads. Though Charles sailed on the 2nd of July, it was not till the 30th of the same month that Lord Tweeddale, the Scottish Secretary of State in London, was informed even that he had left Nantes. Sir John Cope was the commander of the forces in Scotland, and he immediately gave orders for drawing[94] together such troops as he had to Stirling. These were extraordinarily284 few. There were two regiments of dragoons, Gardiner's and Hamilton's, but both recent in the service; and the whole force at his disposal, exclusive of garrisons, did not amount to three thousand men. Cope was eager enough to march into the Highlands, even with such forces as he had, and crush the insurrection at once. He proposed this apparently285 active and judicious286 scheme to the Lords Justices in England, George II. himself being at Hanover, and they warmly approved of it, and issued their positive orders for its execution. It was, in truth, however, the most fatal scheme which could be conceived. The spirit of rebellion was fermenting287 in every glen and on every hill, and to march regular troops into these rugged fastnesses was only to have them shot down by invisible marksmen on all hands, and reduced to the extremity288 of the two companies already captured. The plan was to have secured all the passes into the Lowlands, to have drawn200 his forces to the foot of the mountains wherever a descent could be made, and blockade the rebels in their own hills till they should be reduced by gradual approaches and overwhelming numbers. Famine, indeed, would soon have tamed any large body of men in those sterile289 regions.
Sir John marched out of Edinburgh for the north on the very day that the standard of the Stuarts was erected290 in Glenfinnan, the 19th of August. On the following day he continued his route from Stirling, accompanied by one thousand five hundred foot, leaving, very properly, the dragoons behind him, as of no service in the mountains, nor capable of finding forage216 there. He then continued his march towards Fort Augustus, which he hoped to make the centre of his operations, and then to strike a sudden and annihilating291 blow on the handful of rebels. At Dalwhinnie he heard that the rebels now mustered six thousand, and that they meant to dispute the pass of Corriarrick, lying directly in the line of his march towards Fort Augustus. This Corriarrick had been made passable by one of General Wade's roads, constructed after the rebellion of 1715, to lay open the Highlands. The road wound up the mountain by seventeen zig-zags or traverses, and down the other side by others, called by the Highlanders the Devil's Staircase. Three hundred men were capable, much more three thousand, of stopping an army in such a situation, and Cope called a council of war. At length it was agreed that they should take a side route, and endeavour to reach Inverness and Fort George. The resolve was a fatal one, for it gave the appearance of a flight to the army, and left the road open to Stirling and the Lowlands.
Charles, on his part, had determined to occupy Corriarrick. For that purpose he had made a forced march, disencumbered himself of all possible encumbrances292 by burning his own baggage, and encouraging his followers to do the same. On the morning of the 27th he stood on the north side of Corriarrick, and, as he put on his brogues, he is said to have exclaimed, with exultation, "Before these are unloosed, I shall be up with Mr. Cope." To his great astonishment, however, when he reached the summit all was one wild solitude—not a man was visible. At length they discerned some soldiers ascending293, whom they set down for part of Lord Loudon's regiment, forming the English vanguard. They turned out to be only some deserters, who informed them of the change in Cope's route.
At this news the Highlanders were filled with exuberant294 joy. They demanded permission to pursue and attack Cope's soldiers; but the chiefs saw too clearly the grand advantage offered them of descending295 suddenly into the Lowlands by the road thus left open. Whilst Sir John was making a forced march to Inverness, which he reached on the 29th of August, the Highlanders were descending like one of their own torrents297 southwards. In two days they traversed the mountains of Badenoch; on the third they reached the Vale of Athol.
On the 30th of August they reached Blair Castle. The Duke of Athol, the proprietor299, fled at their approach, and old Tullibardine resumed his ancestral mansion300, and gave a splendid banquet there to Charles and his officers. On the third day they resumed their march, and reached Perth on the 4th of September, which the prince entered on horseback, amid loud acclamations. Whilst at Perth he received two valuable accessions to his party—the titular301 Duke of Perth, who brought with him two hundred men, and Lord George Murray, the brother of the Duke of Athol, and a man of considerable military experience.
"GOD SAVE KING JAMES."
From the Painting by Andrew C. Gow, R.A.
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Hearing that General Cope—who had seen his blunder in leaving open the highway to the Scottish capital—after having reached Inverness, had begun a rapid march on Aberdeen, trusting to embark96 his army there, and reach Edinburgh in[95] time to defend it from the rebel army, Charles marched out of Perth on the 11th of September. He reached Dunblane that evening, and on the 13th he passed the fords of Frew, about eight miles above Stirling, knowing that several king's ships were lying at the head of the Firth. On their approach, Gardiner retired with his dragoons from the opposite bank. Stirling, being deserted by the troops, was ready to open its gates; but Charles was in too much haste to reach Edinburgh. Hearing that Gardiner, with his dragoons, intended to dispute the passage of Linlithgow Bridge, Charles sent on one thousand Highlanders, before break of day, under Lord George Murray, in the hope of surprising them; but they found that they had decamped the evening before, and they took peaceable possession of Falkirk and the old palace. The prince himself came up on the evening of that day, Sunday, the 15th, where the whole army passed the night, except the vanguard, which pushed on to Kirkliston, only eight miles from Edinburgh.
The consternation302 of the city may be imagined. The inhabitants, who had, at first, treated the rumour303 of the Young Pretender's landing with ridicule304, now passed to the extreme of terror. On Sunday night the Highlanders lay between Linlithgow and the city, and on Monday morning Charles sent forward a detachment, which, on coming in sight of the pickets, discharged their pistols. The dragoon pickets did not wait to return the fire, but rode off towards Coltbridge, nearer to Edinburgh, where Gardiner lay with the main body of horse. No sooner, however, did this commander perceive the advancing Highlanders, than he also gave the order to retreat, and the order was so well obeyed, that from a foot's-pace the march quickened into a trot305 and presently into a gallop149, and the inhabitants of Edinburgh saw the whole force going helter-skelter towards Leith, where they drew bit. The valiant306 troops mounted again, and galloped307 to Preston, six miles farther, some of them, it was said, not stopping till they reached Dunbar. This "Canter of Coltbridge," as it was called in derision, left the city at the mercy of the Highlanders, except for about six or seven hundred men mustered from the City Guard, the volunteer corps308, and some armed gentlemen from Dalkeith and Musselburgh, who took post at the gates.
The magistrates309, now summoned by the Lord Provost to a meeting in the Goldsmiths' Hall, resolved to send a deputation to the prince, desiring that he would cease hostilities310 till they had had time to decide what they should do. Scarcely had the deputies set out, when news came that the transports, with Cope's army on board, were seen off Dunbar, the wind being unfavourable for making Leith, and that his troops would soon be landed, and in full march for the city. It was now determined to recall the deputation, but that was found to be too late, and General Guest was applied311 to to return the muskets312, bayonets, and cartridge313 boxes which had been given up to him. Guest very properly regarded men who had thrown up their arms in a panic as unfit to be trusted with them again, and advised that the dragoons should be ordered to unite with Cope's infantry, and advance on the city with all possible speed. About ten o'clock at night the deputation returned, having met the prince at Gray's Mill, only two miles from the city, who gave them a letter to the authorities, declaring that they had a sufficient security in his father's declarations and his own manifesto; and he only gave them till two o'clock in the morning to consider his terms. The deputation returned in the utmost dejection, little deeming that the prince had taken such measures as should render them the means of surrendering the city. But Charles had despatched Lochiel and Murray of Broughton, with eight hundred Camerons, to watch every opportunity of surprising the town, carrying with them a barrel of gunpowder314 to blow up one of the gates. This detachment had arrived, and hidden themselves in ambush near the Netherbow Port. The deputation passed in with their coach by another gate, and the ambush lay still till the coachman came out at the Netherbow Port to take his carriage and horses to the stables in the suburbs. The ambush rushed upon the gate before it could be closed, secured the sentinels, ran forward to the other gate, and secured its keepers also. When the inhabitants rose in the morning they were astonished to find the city in possession of the Highlanders. On the 17th of September Charles occupied Holyrood. Amidst wild enthusiasm, the Old Pretender was proclaimed as King James VIII. at the Cross, Murray of Broughton's beautiful wife sitting on horseback, with a drawn sword in her right hand, while with her left she distributed white favours to the crowd.
But there was no time for festivities. The English army was approaching, and it was necessary for Charles to assert his right by hard blows as well as by proclamations. The citizens stood aloof from his standard; but Lord Nairn arrived most opportunely315 from the Highlands with five[96] hundred of the clan6 Maclachlan, headed by their chief, and accompanied by a number of men from Athol. These swelled316 his little army to upwards of two thousand five hundred, and Charles declared that he would immediately lead them against Cope. The chiefs applauded this resolution, and on the morning of the 19th he marched out to Duddingston, where the troops lay upon their arms, and then he summoned a council of war. He proposed to continue the march the next morning, and meet Cope upon the way. In the highest spirits the clans marched on through Musselburgh and over the heights at Carberry, where Mary Queen of Scots made her last unfortunate fight, nor did they stop till they came in sight of the English army.
Cope had landed his force at Dunbar on the very day that the prince entered Edinburgh. His disembarkation was not completed till the 18th. Lord Loudon had joined him at Inverness with two hundred men, and now he met the runaway317 dragoons, six hundred in number, so that his whole force amounted to two thousand two hundred men—some few hundreds less than the Highlanders. Sir John took the level road towards Edinburgh, marching out of Dunbar on the 19th of September. Next day Lord Loudon, who acted as adjutant-general, rode forward with a reconnoitring party, and soon came back at a smart trot to announce that the rebels were not approaching by the road and the open country to the west, but along the heights to the south. Sir John, therefore, altered his route, and pushed on to Prestonpans, where he formed his army in battle array. He placed his foot in the centre, with a regiment of dragoons and three pieces of artillery on each wing. His right was covered by Colonel Gardiner's park wall and the village of Preston; his left extended towards Seaton House, and in his rear lay the sea, with the villages of Prestonpans and Cockenzie. Between him and the Highlanders was a deep morass318.
The night was cold, and the two armies lay on the ground. In the middle of the night Anderson of Whitburgh, a gentleman whose father had been out in the 'Fifteen and who knew the country well, suddenly recollected319 a way across the bog320 to the right. He communicated this to Hepburn of Keith and Lord George Murray, who went to waken the prince, who, sitting up in his heap of pea-straw, received the news with exultation. He started up, a council was called, and as it drew towards morning it was resolved to follow Anderson as their guide immediately. An aide-de-camp was despatched to recall Lord Nairn and his five hundred, and the army marched after Anderson in profound silence. It was not without some difficulty that they crossed it, after all; some of the soldiers sank knee-deep, and the prince himself stumbled and fell. When they reached the firm ground the mounted pickets heard the sound of their march, though they could not see them for the thick fog. The dragoon sentinels demanded who went there, fired their pistols, and galloped off to give the alarm.
Cope maintained the order of battle arranged the day previous, except that he turned the men's faces towards the east instead of the west, to meet the new position of the enemy. His infantry was posted in the centre; Hamilton's dragoons were on the left, and Gardiner's with the artillery in front, on the right, leaning on the morass. The Highlanders no sooner saw the enemy than, taking off their caps, they uttered a short prayer, and pulling their bonnets321 over their brows, they rushed forward in their separate clans with a yell that was frightful323.
Colonel Gardiner endeavoured to charge the advancing enemy with his dragoons; but it was in vain that he attempted to animate324 their craven souls by word and example—at the first volley of the Highlanders they wheeled and fled. The same disgraceful scene took place on the left, at nearly the same moment. Hamilton's regiment of horse dispersed at the first charge of the Macdonalds, leaving the centre exposed on both its flanks. The infantry made a better stand than the cavalry; it discharged a steady and well-directed volley on the advancing Highlanders, and killed some of their best men, amongst others, a son of the famous Rob Roy. But the Highlanders did not give them time for a second volley; they were up with them, dashed aside their bayonets with their targets, burst through their ranks in numerous places, so that the whole, not being able to give way on account of the park wall of Preston, were thrown into confusion, and at the mercy of the foe325. Never was a battle so instantly decided—it is said not to have lasted more than five or six minutes; never was a defeat more absolute. Sir John Cope, or Johnnie Cope, as he will be styled in Scotland to the end of time, by the assistance of the Earls of Loudon and Home, collected about four hundred and fifty of the recreant326 dragoons, and fled to Coldstream that night. There not feeling secure, they continued their flight till they reached Berwick, where Sir Mark Kerr received Cope with the[97] sarcastic327 but cruelly true remark that he believed that he was the first general on record who had carried the news of his own defeat.
PRINCE CHARLES EDWARD STUART (THE "YOUNG PRETENDER"). (After the Portrait by Tocque, 1748.)
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Charles was anxious to follow up his victory by marching directly into England, trusting to the effect of this signal triumph to bring all inclined to the Stuart dynasty to his standard. He was confident that if he met with anything like success on the way, a rapid march would put London in his possession. And, in truth, such was the miserably328 misgoverned condition of the country at the time, that, had he come with a tolerable French army, nothing could have prevented him from becoming master of the kingdom. Never was England so thoroughly329 exposed to foreign danger, so utterly330 unarmed and unprotected,[98] whilst it had been sending such armaments to the Continent. Fortunately, the French had not supported the Pretender on this occasion, as they had promised, and fortunately, too, when Charles came to review the army with which he proposed to enter England, there remained of it only one thousand four hundred men. The rest had gone home with their booty; nay, some had gone and were returning, not to fight, but to carry off more which they had concealed331.
Accordingly, Charles could do nothing but maintain his position for the present in Scotland, and send off a messenger to France to announce his wonderful success, and to urge that now was the moment to hasten over troops and supplies, and secure the Crown and friendship of England for ever. He sent over Mr. Kelly to the French Court and to his father, and for a moment there was a lively disposition at Versailles to strike the blow. The king immediately despatched some supplies of money and arms, some of which were seized by English cruisers, and some of which arrived safely. There was also a talk of sending over Charles's brother, Henry, Duke of York, at the head of the Irish regiments and of others, and active preparations were made for the purpose at Dunkirk. But again this flash of enthusiasm died out, and Charles, three weeks after Kelly, sent over Sir James Stewart to aid him in his solicitations. But all was in vain. The French again seemed to weigh the peril332 of the expedition, and on their part complained that the Jacobites showed no zeal32 in England, without which the invasion would be madness. Thus the time went by, till the Dutch and English troops landed in England, and the opportunity was lost.
Meanwhile, Charles, compelled to wait the course of events in Edinburgh, endeavoured to render himself popular by his moderation and magnanimity. Volunteers began to flock to his standard, the chief cause, however, being, no doubt, the prestige of his victory. Fresh reinforcements poured down from the Highlands. Altogether, Charles's army now amounted to nearly six thousand men. It would have amounted to ten thousand had the Macdonalds and Macleods of Skye and Lord Lovat joined him. But though Charles sent a Macleod of Skye over to the island chiefs, urging them now to join his standard as certain of victory, they refused to move. He then went over from Skye to Castle Dounie to stimulate79 Lord Lovat, but that deceitful old miscreant333 was playing the double game, and waiting to see which side would be the stronger. At length his army had received the last reinforcements that he expected, by the arrival of Menzies of Sheen with a considerable body of men, and he was impatient to march southwards. He was the more ready to quit Scotland because Lord Lovat had now sent him word that though he could not, from the state of his health, join the march into England, both he and the Macdonalds and the Macleods of the Isles were prepared to defend his interests in the Highlands. The greater part of this intelligence was false, entirely334 so as regarded the Islesmen, and it was now well known that the English Government had got together twelve thousand veteran troops, besides thirteen regiments of infantry and two of cavalry newly raised. The Highland chiefs, therefore, strenuously335 opposed the march till they should receive the reinforcements which he had promised them from France, as well as more money. Others contended that he ought not to invade England at all, but to remain in Scotland, make himself master of it, and reign there as his ancestors had done. But it was not merely to secure the Crown of Scotland that he had come; it was to recover the whole grand heritage of his race, and he determined to march into England without further delay. The Highland chiefs, however, resolutely337 resisted the proposal, and at three successive councils he strove with them in vain to induce them to cross the Border and fight the army of Marshal Wade, which lay at Newcastle, consisting of Dutch and English troops. At length Charles said indignantly, "Gentlemen, I see you are determined to stay in Scotland; I am resolved to try my fate in England, and I go, if I go alone."
Lord George Murray then said that, as they needs must go, he proposed that they should enter England on the Cumberland side, so as to harass90 Wade's troops, if he marched across to meet them. The idea was adopted as a great improvement; it was kept a profound secret. Still further to mislead the English, Lord George proposed another plan, which was also adopted—to divide the army into two columns, to march by two different routes, but to unite at Carlisle. One of these was to be led by the prince himself by Kelso, as if intending to march straight into Northumberland; the other to take the direct road through Moffat. It was resolved to leave Lord Strathallan to command in Scotland, to take up his headquarters at Perth, receive the expected succours from France, and all such reinforcements from the Highlands as should come in.
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These arrangements being complete, Charles lay at Pinkie House on the 31st of October, and the next day, the 1st of November, he commenced his march. Each of the two columns was preceded by a number of horsemen to act as scouts338. In the day of battle each company of a regiment furnished two of its best men to form the bodyguard339 of the chief, who usually took his post in the centre, and was surrounded by his brothers and cousins, with whom it was a point of honour to defend the chief to the death. So set forward the Highland army for England, and it is now necessary to see what preparations England had made for the invasion.
The news of the invasion brought George from Hanover. He arrived in London on the last day of August, by which time the Young Pretender had already been entertained by Lord Tullibardine at Blair Castle; but he seemed to feel no great alarm. He thought the forces of Cope were sufficient to compete with the insurgents340, and Lord Granville and his party did their best to confirm him in this opinion. On the 20th of September three battalions341 of the expected Dutch forces landed, and received orders to march north. But what contributed more than anything to the security of the kingdom was the activity of the fleet. The seamen all round the coasts showed as much spirit and life as the soldiers had shown cowardice342. Privateers as well as men-of-war vied with one another in performing feats343 of bravery. A small ship off Bristol took a large Spanish ship, bound for Scotland, with arms and money. Another small ship took the Soleil, from Dunkirk, carrying twenty French officers and sixty men, to Montrose; and a small squadron of privateers, which volunteered to serve under a brave naval344 captain, took a vast number of French vessels, and drove still more upon their own shores. Charles's younger brother, Henry, was waiting to bring over the Irish regiments to his aid, but Louis would not hazard their appearance at sea in the face of such a dangerous fleet. Charles made an attempt to corrupt12 Captain Beavor, of the Fox man-of-war, by offering him splendid rewards in case of his success, but the gallant160 officer sent him word that he only treated with principals, and that, if he would come on board, he would talk with him.
In London, notwithstanding, there was considerable alarm, but rather from fear of the Papists and Jacobites at home than of any danger from abroad. Every endeavour had been used, in fact, to revive the old Popery scare. There were rumours345 circulated that the Papists meant to rise, cut everybody's throats, and burn the City. There was fear of a run on the Bank of England, but the merchants met at Garraway's Coffee-house, and entered into engagements to support the Bank. They also opened a subscription346 to raise two hundred and fifty thousand pounds to enlist347 troops, and many of them gave as much as two thousand pounds apiece. A camp was formed in Hyde Park of the Household Troops, horse and foot, a regiment of horse grenadiers, and some of the battalions that came over from Flanders. In the provinces many of the great nobility proposed to raise regiments at their own expense, and this act of patriotism348 was loudly applauded. In some instances the patriotism was real. But the main body of the Whig nobility and some others cut a very different figure. No sooner did Parliament meet on the 18th of October, and whilst the Jacobites were in the highest spirits, and opposing both the Address and the suspension of the Habeas Corpus, than the Dukes of Devonshire, Bedford, Rutland, Montague, the Lords Herbert, Halifax, Cholmondeley, Falmouth, Malton, Derby, and others, moved, contrary to their splendid promises, that their regiments should be paid by the king, and should be put upon the regular establishment. The king was as much disgusted as the most independent of his subjects, but he found himself unable to prevent the measure.
At length the Duke of Cumberland arrived from Flanders, and foreign and English troops were assembled in the Midland counties; Marshal Wade had also ten thousand men collected at Newcastle-on-Tyne. The Duke of Cumberland was appointed Commander-in-Chief, and the brave soldiers who had fought under him at Fontenoy were ready to follow him, in the highest confidence of making short work with the Highlanders.
Those Highlanders commenced their march into England with no predilection219 for the adventure. The warfare349 of Scotland was familiar to them; in all ages they had been accustomed to descend296 from their mountains and make raids in the Lowlands. But England was to them an unknown region; they knew little of the dangers or the perils350 before them; they knew that in the Whiggish clans of the West they left powerful enemies behind them. No sooner did they lose sight of Edinburgh than they began to desert. Charles led his division of the army across the Tweed at Kelso, and sent on orders to Wooler to[100] prepare for his reception, thus keeping up the feint of marching eastward351; instead of which, he took his way down Liddesdale, and on the 8th of November crossed the Esk, and encamped that night at a place called Reddings, on the Cumberland side.
The next day, the other column, which had marched through Moffat, came up, and the united army advanced towards Carlisle. They were perceived as they were crossing a moor352 on the 9th, about two miles from Carlisle, by the garrison, which began to fire their cannon246 upon them, and kept it up actively353 for some time. On the 10th Charles sent a letter summoning the garrison to surrender, but the garrison returned no answer, except by its cannon. They expected that Marshal Wade would soon march to their relief, whence their courage; and, indeed, the prince heard that Wade was on the way by Hexham, and, instead of waiting for him, he went to meet him at Brampton, in the forest of Inglewood, seven miles from the town; but, finding he had been deceived, he sent back part of the troops to commence the siege of Carlisle in form. As the batteries began to rise, the courage of the commanders in the town began to fail, and they offered to capitulate; but the prince declined any terms but surrender of both town and castle, the troops being allowed to retire without their arms on engaging not to serve against Charles for twelve months. These terms were accepted on the 15th, and the prince made a triumphant354 entry on the 17th.
The town, the castle, the arms, horses, and military stores being surrendered to the prince, and the militia355 and invalids356 having marched out, a council of war was called to determine future proceedings. Some proposed to march against Wade and bring him to action, others to return to Scotland, but Charles still insisted on marching forward. Lord George Murray was the only one who at all seconded him, and he did not recommend marching far into England without more encouragement than there yet appeared; but as the prince was anxious to ascertain357 that point, he said he was sure his army, small as it was, would follow him. Charles expressed his conviction that his friends in Lancashire waited only for their arrival; and the Marquis D'Eguilles declaring his expectation of a speedy landing of a French army, under this assurance the council consented to the advance.
On the 20th of November this memorable358 march commenced. For the convenience of quarters, the two divisions of the army were still maintained, the first led by Lord George Murray, the second by the prince himself. They left a garrison of two hundred men at Carlisle, though, on a muster, it was discovered that above a thousand men had deserted since they left Edinburgh, and that they had now only four thousand five hundred to attempt the conquest of England with. At Penrith the whole army halted for a day, hearing that Wade was coming against them; but finding, on the contrary, that he was gone back, they pursued their route by Shap, Kendal, and Lancaster, to Preston, where they arrived on the 27th. On the way, so far from meeting with any signs of adhesion, the farmers from whom they had taken horses congregated359 and pursued them on other horses, dismounted some of their cavalry, and carried their horses away again. Preston was a place of ill omen48 to the Highlanders ever since the defeat of the Duke of Hamilton in the Civil War there, and the surrender of Mackintosh in 1715. They had a fixed idea that no Scottish army could ever advance farther. To break this spell, Lord George led his vanguard at once over the bridge, and quartered them beyond it. The army halted there a day, and then proceeded to Wigan, which they entered the next day. Till he reached Preston, however, Charles received no tokens of sympathy. At Preston, for the first time, he received three hearty360 cheers, and a few men joined his standard. On the road from Wigan to Manchester the expressions of goodwill361 increased; throngs of people collected to see him pass, but none would consent to join them. At Manchester the approach of the army had been heralded362 by a Scottish sergeant363, a drummer, and a woman, the men in plaids and bonnets exciting great astonishment, and bringing together thousands of spectators. They announced the prince for the morrow, and began recruiting for his service. They offered a bounty364 of five guineas, to be paid when the prince came. A considerable number enlisted365, receiving a shilling in token of engagement.
On the 1st of December the army resumed its march. They immediately found the effect of Cumberland's presence at Lichfield: they had to ford116 the Mersey near Stockport, and to carry the baggage and artillery over a rude wooden bridge, consisting of the trunks of trees thrown across, at Chorlton. That evening they reached Macclesfield. Lord George pushed on with his division to Congleton, whence he sent on Colonel[101] Kerr, who routed a small body of the Duke of Kingston's horse, and drove them towards Newcastle-under-Lyme. Kerr seized Captain Weir366, well known as one of Cumberland's principal spies, and, by threatening him with the gallows367, drew from him the particulars of the duke's numbers and position. It appeared that the duke was under the impression that the prince was directing his march towards Wales to join his partisans368 there, and having encouraged this notion by this advance, and led the duke to proceed as far as Stone, Lord George suddenly altered his route, and got to Ashbourne, and thence to Derby, thus throwing the road to London quite open, and being two or three days' march in advance of the duke. Charles entered Derby the same day, the 4th of December, and took up his quarters at a house belonging to the Earl of Exeter, at the bottom of Full Street.
PRINCE CHARLIE'S VANGUARD AT MANCHESTER. (See p. 100.)
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They were now only one hundred and twenty-seven miles from the capital, both Wade and Cumberland behind them, and Charles, notwithstanding the conditions on which they had come on from Macclesfield, still confidently and enthusiastically dwelt on the onward369 march to London, and his certain success. In the morning a council was held, when Lord George Murray appealed to the prince whether they had received the least accession of strength, or the smallest sign of encouragement? Such being the case, what hope was there for them in proceeding? They had barely five thousand men to contend against three armies, amounting at least altogether to thirty thousand. If they got to London before Cumberland, and if they managed to elude370 the army at Finchley, they had scarcely numbers to take quiet possession of London. But were they forced to fight the king and his army under the walls of the metropolis371, they could not do it without loss; and then, supposing Wade and Cumberland to unite behind them, as they certainly would do, how could they hope to contend against them? Assistance from France, as they had pointed37 out, was hopeless whilst the English had such a force in the Channel. Charles listened to these arguments with undisguised[102] impatience372, and the probability is that, had his officers been willing to follow him, and live or die in the enterprise, he would have seized London, and accomplished one of the most brilliant exploits in history.
It is true that George II. was also a brave and staunch commander, prepared to die on the spot rather than yield, as he had shown at Dettingen. But the greater part of his forces at Finchley were raw levies373, and might not have stood better than the troops had done in Scotland. There was a terror of the Highlanders, even in the army; and as for London itself, the panic, when it was heard that they had got between the duke's army and the capital, was, according to Fielding, who was then in London, incredible. There was a frantic374 rush upon the Bank of England, and it is said that it must have closed had it not gained time by paying in sixpences. The shops were shut, business was at a stand, the Ministers were in the utmost terror, and the Duke of Newcastle was said to have shut himself up for a day, pondering whether he should declare for the Pretender or not. The king himself was by no means confident of the result. He is said to have sent most of his precious effects on board a yacht at the Tower quay375, ready to put off at a minute's warning. The day on which the news of the rebels being at Derby reached London was long renowned376 as Black Friday. In such a state of terror, and the army at Finchley inferior in numbers, and infinitely377 inferior in bravery, who can doubt that Charles would for a time have made himself master of the metropolis?
Charles, wrought378 up to the highest pitch of agony at the prospect379 of being compelled to abandon the splendid design of entering London in triumph, continued to expostulate and entreat380 the whole day. The Duke of Perth and some of the Irish officers, moved by his distress381, gave way, and called on the other chiefs to yield; but they remained immovable, and the prince, seeing the case hopeless, at length gave up the contest, and, in deep dejection, assented382 to the retreat. But, as if he deemed the relinquishment383 of the march on the metropolis the ruin of the whole enterprise, he declared that henceforth he would summon no more councils—being accountable only to God and his father, he would not again either seek or accept their advice.
The next morning, the 6th of December, the retreat commenced; but the soldiers and the inferior officers little dreamed that it was a retreat. They imagined that they were going to fight the Duke of Cumberland, and marched out in high spirits. The morning was foggy, and for some time the delusion384 was kept up; but when the fog cleared away, and they perceived that they were retracing385 their former route, their disappointment and rage became excessive. The retreat was rapidly continued through Preston, and on to Lancaster, which they reached on the 13th. On the 18th Oglethorpe and Cumberland, accompanied by a mob of country squires386 and mounted farmers, attacked Lord George Murray's rear near Penrith; but the countrymen were speedily put to flight by a charge of the Glengarry clan, and Oglethorpe fell back to the main body. They came up again, however, in the evening near the village of Clifton, and Lord George perceived, by the fitful light of the moon, the enemy forming behind the stone walls, and lining387 every hedge, orchard388, and outhouse. Just as the royal troops commenced their charge they were stopped by a cross-fire of the concealed Highlanders, and, whilst affected by this surprise, Lord George cried, "Claymore! claymore!" and rushing down upon them with the Macphersons of Cluny, attacked them sword in hand. Being supported by the Stuarts of Appin, they compelled the English to retreat.
Nevertheless, the whole army was dead beat and in the most deplorable condition when they entered Carlisle on the morning of the 19th. As the enemy did not appear, they rested that day and the following night, when they set forward again, leaving a fresh garrison. Cumberland was soon up before the walls, and they fired vigorously at him; but he sent off to Whitehaven and brought up six eighteen-pounders, with which, to their dismay, he began to play on their crumbling389 walls on the 29th. Next morning they hung out a white flag, and offered to capitulate; but Cumberland would hear of no terms except their surrendering on condition that they should not be put to the sword. At three o'clock in the afternoon both town and castle were surrendered, the garrison being shut up in the cathedral, and a guard set upon them. On the 3rd of January the Duke of Cumberland left the command to General Hawley, and hastened back to London, being summoned to defend the southern coast from a menaced landing of the French.
Meanwhile, the Highland army was continuing its retreat. On the 20th of December they left Carlisle, and crossed into Scotland by fording[103] the Esk. On the 26th Lord George entered Glasgow, and Charles, with the other division, on the 27th. At Glasgow the prince and the army lay for seven days to rest, and to levy118 contributions of all kinds of articles of apparel for the soldiers. On the 3rd of January, 1746, the same day that Cumberland left Carlisle for London, Charles marched his army out of Glasgow, new clad and new shod, for Stirling. The next day he took up his quarters at the house of Bannockburn, and distributed his men through the neighbouring villages, Lord George Murray occupying Falkirk. Lords Strathallan and Drummond soon arrived from Perth with their united force, attended by both battering390-guns and engines from France.
With this force, tempted4 by the battering train, Charles committed the error of wasting his strength on a siege of Stirling Castle, instead of preparing to annihilate391 the English troops, which were in rapid advance upon him.
The Duke of Cumberland, being called southward, had got General Hawley appointed to the command of the army sent after the Young Pretender. Wade was become too old and dilatory392, but Hawley was much fitter for a hangman than a general. Horace Walpole says he was called "the Lord Chief Justice," because, like Jeffreys, he had a passion for executions; that when the surgeons solicited393 the body of a deserter, which was dangling394 before Hawley's windows, for dissection395, he would only consent on condition that he had the skeleton to ornament396 the guard room. Hearing of his approach, Charles drew in his forces from Falkirk under Lord George, left a few hundred men to blockade Stirling, and concentrated his army on the renowned field of Bannockburn. On the 16th of January Charles, expecting Hawley, drew up his forces, but no enemy appeared. The next day, still perceiving no Hawley, he advanced to Pleanmuir, two miles east of Bannockburn, and on the way to Torwood. No enemy yet appearing, the prince determined to advance and find him out. Hawley was so confident of dispersing397 the Highland rabble398 at any moment that he chose, that he had neglected every military precaution, had fixed no outposts, and was away at Callander House, at some distance from the field, comfortably taking luncheon399 with Lady Kilmarnock, whose husband was in the rebel army, and who was exerting all her powers of pleasing to detain the foolish general as long as possible. At length, when the rebels had come up so near that there was only Falkirk Moor between the armies, Hawley, roused by fresh messengers, came galloping up without his hat, and in the utmost confusion. In the middle of this rugged and uneven400 moor, covered with heath, rose a considerable ridge8, and it appeared to be a race between the two enemies which should gain the advantage of the summit. On the one side galloped the English cavalry, on the other sped the Highlanders, straining for this important height; but the fleet-footed Gael won the ground from the English horse, and Hawley's horse halted a little below them. Neither of the armies had any artillery, for the Highlanders had left theirs behind in their rapid advance, and Hawley's had stuck fast in the bog. So far they were equal; but the prince, by taking a side route, had thrown the wind in the teeth of the English, and a storm of rain began with confounding violence to beat in their faces. The English cavalry remained, as it had galloped up, in front, commanded, since the death of Gardiner, by Colonel Ligonier, and the infantry formed, like the Highlanders, in two lines, the right commanded by General Huske, and the left by Hawley. Behind, as a reserve, stood the Glasgow regiment and the Argyll militia. The order being given, the cavalry under Ligonier charged the Macdonalds, who coolly waited till the English horse was within ten yards of them, when they poured such a murderous volley into them as dropped a frightful number from their saddles, and threw the whole line into confusion. The Frasers immediately poured an equally galling401 cross-fire into the startled line, and the two dragoon regiments which had fled at Coltbridge and Prestonpans waited no longer, but wheeling round, galloped from the field at their best speed. The Macdonalds, seeing the effect of their fire, in spite of Lord George Murray's endeavours to keep them in order, rushed forward, loading their pieces as they ran, and fell upon Hawley's two columns of infantry. Having discharged their pieces, they ran in upon the English with their targets and broadswords. The left soon gave way, and Hawley, who had got involved in the crowd of flying horse, had been swept with them down the hill, and thus had no means of keeping them to their colours. On the right of the royal army, however, the infantry stood firm, and as the Highlanders could not cross the ravine to come to close quarters with sword and target, they inflicted402 severe slaughter upon them; and Cobham's cavalry rallying, soon came to their aid and protected their flank, and[104] increased the effect on the Highlanders, many of whom began to run, imagining that the day was lost. Charles, from his elevated position observing this extraordinary state of things, advanced at the head of his second line, and checked the advance of the English right, and, after some sharp fighting, compelled them to a retreat. But in this case it was only a retreat, not a flight. These regiments retired, with drums beating and colours flying, in perfect order. A pursuit of cavalry might still have been made, but the retreat of the English was so prompt, that the Highlanders suspected a stratagem403; and it was only when their scouts brought them word that they had evacuated404 Falkirk that they understood their full success (January 18, 1746).
The battle of Falkirk, which in itself appeared so brilliant an affair for Prince Charles, was really one of his most serious disasters. The Highlanders, according to their regular custom when loaded with plunder405, went off in great numbers to their homes with their booty. His chief officers became furious against each other in discussing their respective merits in the battle. Lord George Murray, who had himself behaved most bravely in the field, complained that Lord John Drummond had not exerted himself, or pursuit might have been made and the royal army been utterly annihilated406. This spirit of discontent was greatly aggravated407 by the siege of the castle of Stirling. Old General Blakeney, who commanded the garrison, declared he would hold out to the last man, in spite of the terrible threats of Lord George Murray if he did not surrender. The Highlanders grew disgusted with work so contrary to their habits; and, indeed, the French engineer, the so-called Marquis de Mirabelle, was so utterly ignorant of his profession, that the batteries which he constructed were commanded by the castle, and the men were so much exposed that they were in danger of being destroyed before they took the fortress. Accordingly, on the 24th of January they struck to a man, and refused to go any more into the trenches408.
This was followed by a memorial, signed by most of the chief officers, including Lord George Murray, Lochiel, Keppoch, Clanranald, and Simon Fraser, Master of Lovat. This was sent by Lord George to Charles, and represented that so many men were gone home, and more still going, in spite of all the endeavours of their chiefs, that if the siege were continued they saw nothing but absolute destruction to the whole army. The prince sent Sir Thomas Sheridan to remonstrate409 with the chiefs, but they would not give way, and Charles, it is said, sullenly acquiesced410 in the retreat.
It was time, if they were to avoid a battle. Cumberland was already on the march from Edinburgh. He quitted Holyrood on the 31st of January, and the insurgents only commenced their retreat the next morning, the 1st of February, after spiking411 their guns. With this force the prince continued his march towards Inverness, a fleet accompanying him along the coast with supplies and ammunition. On nearing Inverness, he found it rudely fortified by a ditch and palisade, and held by Lord Loudon with two thousand men. Charles took up his residence at Moray Castle, the seat of the chief of the Macintoshes. The chief was in the king's army with Lord Loudon, but Lady Macintosh espoused412 the cause of the prince zealously, raised the clan, and led them out as their commander, riding at their head with a man's bonnet322 on her head, and pistols at her saddle-bow. Charles, the next morning, the 17th of February, called together his men, and on the 18th marched on Inverness. Lord Loudon did not wait for his arrival, but got across the Moray Firth with his soldiers, and accompanied by the Lord-President Forbes, into Cromarty. He was hotly pursued by the Earl of Cromarty and several Highland regiments, and was compelled to retreat into Sutherland. Charles entered Inverness, and began to attack the British forts. Fort George surrendered in a few days, and in it they obtained sixteen pieces of cannon and a considerable stock of ammunition and provisions.
But, notwithstanding these partial advantages, and though the duke and his army were enduring all the severities of a Highland winter, exposed to the cutting east winds on that inclement413 coast, and compelled to keep quarters for some time, Cumberland was steadily414 seizing every opportunity to enclose the Highlanders in his toils415. His ships cut off all supplies coming by sea. They captured two vessels sent from France to their aid, on board of one of which they took the brother of the Duke of Berwick. The Hazard, a sloop416 which the Highlanders had seized and sent several times to France, was now pursued by an English cruiser, and driven ashore417 on the coast of Sutherland: on board her were a hundred and fifty men and officers, and ten thousand pounds in gold, which the clan Mackay, headed by Lord Reay, got possession of. This last blow, in addition to other vessels sent out to succour him being compelled to return to France, reduced Charles to the utmost[105] extremities418. He had only five hundred louis-d'ors left in his chest, and he was obliged to pay his troops in meal, to their great suffering and discontent. Cumberland was, in fact, already conquering them by reducing them to mere336 feeble skeletons of men. The dry winds of March rendered the rivers fordable, and, as soon as it grew milder, he availed himself of this to coop the unhappy Highlanders up still more narrowly in their barren wilds, and stop all the passes into the Lowlands, by which they might obtain provisions. He himself lay at Aberdeen with strong outposts in all directions; Mordaunt at Old Meldrum, and Bland419 at Strathbogie. As soon as he received an abundance of provisions by a fleet of transports, along with Bligh's regiment, hearing that the Spey was fordable, on the 7th of April he issued orders to march, and the next day set forward himself from Aberdeen with Lord Kerr's dragoons and six regiments of foot, having the fleet still following along the shore with a gentle and fair wind. On reaching the Spey Lord John Drummond disputed their passage, having raised a battery to sweep the ford, and ranged his best marksmen along the shore. But the heavier artillery of the duke soon drove Lord John from the ground; he set fire to his barracks and huts, and left the ford open to the enemy, who soon got across. On Sunday, the 13th of April, the English advanced to Alves, and on the 14th reached Nairn. As the van, consisting of the Argyllshire men, some companies of Grenadiers, and Kingston's Light Horse, entered Nairn, the rear of Lord John Drummond had not quitted it, and there was skirmishing at the bridge. The Highlanders still retreated to a place called the Lochs of the Clans, about five miles beyond Nairn, where the prince came up with reinforcements, and, turning the flight, pursued the English back again to the main body of their army, which was encamped on the plain to the west of Nairn.
CULLODEN HOUSE. (From a Photograph by G. W. Wilson and Co., Aberdeen.)
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That night Charles and his chief officers lay at Culloden House, the seat of the able and patriotic239 Lord-President, Duncan Forbes; but the troops were obliged to lie on the moor amid the heather, which served them both for beds and fuel, the cold being very severe. They were up early in the morning, and formed in order of battle on[106] Drummossie Muir, the part of the heath of Culloden near to Culloden House. No enemy, however, appeared, and there the poor hungry men lay for most of the day with no other food than a biscuit per man. A council of war being called, Lochiel stated this fact as a plea for delay; Lord John Drummond, the Duke of Perth, and others, were of the same opinion; but Lord George Murray declared for making a night march, and surprising the duke's army whilst it would lie, as they supposed, asleep in a drunken debauch420. Charles, who had the same idea, but had not yet broached421 it, embraced Lord George with ardour, declaring it of all things his own wish. The idea was adopted, yet the slightest military wisdom would have shown them the futility422 of the scheme. The men were in a general state, not only of famine, but of discontent, from the non-payment of their arrears423. The night was dark, and the men soon began to stumble through bog and mire424, making their march heavy, and causing them to curse and swear. It was soon found that they were so feeble and incapable425 of walking, even, to say nothing of fighting after a fourteen or fifteen miles' march, on empty stomachs, that it was impossible to make the rear keep up with the van. They had calculated on being at Nairn at two o'clock, but it was that hour before they had all passed Kilravock House, only four miles from the English camp. It was clear that it would be daylight long before they reached Nairn, and they could only get there to be slaughtered426 in helplessness, for they would be too tired either to fight or run away. It was therefore agreed to return.
The retreat was made, and the men found themselves again in the morning on the bleak427, black heath of Drummossie, hungry and worn out, yet in expectation of a battle. There was yet time to do the only wise thing—retreat into the mountains, and depend upon a guerilla warfare, in which they would have the decided advantage. Lord George Murray now earnestly proposed this, but in vain. Sir Thomas Sheridan and other officers from France grew outrageous428 at that proposal, contending that they could easily beat the English, as they had done at Prestonpans and Falkirk—forgetting that the Highlanders then were full of vigour429 and spirit. Unfortunately, Charles listened to this foolish reasoning, and the fatal die was cast.
The English army was now in full march against them. About eight o'clock in the morning of April 16 a man who had been left asleep in the wood of Kilravock hastened to Culloden House, where Charles and his chief officers were resting, to announce that Cumberland's troops were coming. There was then a hurried running and riding to get the army drawn up to receive them. Cumberland came on with his army, divided into three columns of five battalions each. The artillery and baggage followed the second column along the sea-coast on the right; the cavalry covered the left wing, which stretched towards the hills. The men were all in the highest spirits, and even the regiments of horse, which had hitherto behaved so ill, seemed as though they meant to retrieve430 their characters to-day. The Highlanders were drawn up about half a mile from the part of the moor where they stood the day before, forming a sad contrast to Cumberland's troops, looking thin, and dreadfully fatigued431. In placing them, also, a fatal mistake was made. They were drawn up in two lines, with a body of reserve; but the Clan Macdonald, which had always been accustomed to take their stand on the right since Robert Bruce placed them there in the battle of Bannockburn, were disgusted to find themselves now occupying the left. Instead of the Macdonalds now stood the Athol Brigade. As the battle began, a snow-storm began to blow in the faces of the Highlanders, which greatly confounded them.
Their cannon was both inferior and worse served than that of the English; and when, at one o'clock, the duke began to play on their ranks with his artillery, he made dreadful havoc amongst them. Several times the Highlanders endeavoured to make one of their impetuous rushes, running forward with loud cries, brandishing432 their swords and firing their pistols; but the steady fire of the English cannon mowed them down and beat them off. Seeing, however, a more determined appearance of a rush, Colonel Belford began to charge with grape shot. This repelled433 them for a time; but at length, after an hour's cannonade, the Macintoshes succeeded in reaching the first line of the English. Firing their muskets, and then flinging them down, they burst, sword in hand, on Burrel's regiment, and cut their way through it. The second line, however, consisting of Sempill's regiment, received them with a murderous fire. Cumberland had ordered the first rank to kneel down, the second to lean forward, and the third to fire over their heads. By this means, such a terrible triple volley was given them as destroyed them almost en masse. Those left alive, however, with all their ancient fury, continued to hew42 at[107] Sempill's regiment; but Cumberland had ordered his men not to charge with their bayonets straight before them, but each to thrust at the man fronting his right-hand man. By this means his adversary's target covered him where he was open to the left, and his adversary's right was open to him. This new man?uvre greatly surprised the Highlanders, and made fearful havoc of them. From four to five hundred of them fell between the two lines of the English army. Whilst the Macintoshes were thus immolating434 themselves on the English bayonets, the Macdonalds on their left stood in sullen224 inaction, thus abandoning their duty and their unfortunate countrymen from resentment435 at their post of honour on the right having been denied them. At length, ashamed of their own conduct, they discharged their muskets, and drew their broadswords for a rush; but the Macintoshes were now flying, and the grape-shot and musket-shot came so thickly in their faces, that they, too, turned and gave way. Whilst Charles stood, watching the rout of his army to the right, he called frantically436 to those who fled wildly by to stand and renew the fight. At this moment Lord Elcho spurred up to him, and urged him to put himself at the head of the yet unbroken left, and make a desperate charge to retrieve the fortune of the day; but the officers around him declared that such a charge was hopeless, and could only lead the men to certain slaughter, and prevent the chance of collecting the scattered troops for a future effort. Though he did not attempt to resist the victorious437 enemy, which was now hopeless, he seems to have lingered, as if confounded, on the spot, till O'Sullivan and Sheridan, each seizing a rein141 of his bridle438, forced him from the field.
AFTER CULLODEN: REBEL HUNTING.
After the Painting by SEYMOUR LUCAS, R.A., in the National Gallery of British Art
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Charles, accompanied by O'Sullivan, Sheridan, and other gentlemen, rode away to a seat of Lord Lovat's. The wild gallop of horsemen startled that wily old fox in his lair298; and when he heard the news the Master began to tremble for his own safety. There are different accounts of his reception of the fugitive439 prince. One says that he was so occupied with thinking of making his own escape, that he hardly showed common courtesy to the prince and his companions, and that they parted in mutual displeasure. Another states that Lovat urged the same advice as Lord George Murray had done, still to get up into the mountains, and make a bold face, by which time might be gained for fresh reinforcements, or at least for making some terms for the unhappy people. But it is clear that Charles had now lost all spirit, if he had ever retained much after he had been forced to retreat from Derby. He and his party rode away again at ten o'clock at night, and reached Invergarry, the castle of Glengarry, about two hours before daybreak. Lord George still entertained the idea of keeping together a large body of Highlanders. He had already with him one thousand two hundred. Charles had stolen away from Invergarry to Arkaig, in Lochaber, and thence to Glenboisdale, where the messengers of Lord George found him, accompanied only by O'Sullivan, O'Neil, and Burke, his servant, who knew the country and acted as guide. All the rest of his train had shifted for themselves. Lord George entreated440 the prince not to quit the country, but to continue to gather a force in the mountains, and thus resist and harass their enemies till they received reinforcements; but Charles sent him word that the only chance was for himself to hasten over to France, and use all his interest to bring over an efficient force. He therefore sent Lord George a written plan of his intentions, which was not, however, to be opened till he had sailed; and he desired Lord George to request the different chiefs and their men to seek their own safety as best they might. That act terminated the Rebellion.
Cumberland was now hunting down the fugitives441 on all sides. He posted himself at Fort Augustus, which the insurgents had blown up before leaving it, and from that centre he sent out his myrmidons in every direction to hunt out the Highlanders, and shoot them down on the spot or bring them in for execution. Everywhere the unhappy clans were pursued by their hereditary442 enemies, the Whig clans, especially by the men of Argyllshire, and massacred with the most atrocious cruelty. They stripped their houses and then burned them down, drove away the cattle, and tracking the miserable families into dens164 and caves, smothered443 them with burning heather, or thus forced them to rush out upon their bayonets. In all these diabolical444 proceedings, the Duke of Cumberland and the brutal445 General Hawley were foremost. "After all," Cumberland (whose wicked work earned him the name of "The Butcher") wrote to the Duke of Newcastle from Fort Augustus, "I am sorry to leave this country in the condition it is in, for all the good that we have done has been a little blood-letting, which has only weakened the madness, but not at all cured it; and I tremble for fear[108] that this vile446 spot may still be the ruin of this island and our family."
THE STANDARD OF PRINCE CHARLIE'S BODYGUARD, TAKEN AT CULLODEN. (In the possession of Sir Archibald Lamb at Beauport, Sussex.)
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The Young Pretender, during this time, had been making a hard run for his life, beset447 and hunted on all sides for the thirty thousand pounds set upon his head. During the whole five months of his adventurous448 wanderings and hidings, nothing could induce a single Highlander to betray him, notwithstanding the temptation of the thirty thousand pounds. The most familiar story is his escape from South Uist, where he had been tracked and surrounded. At this moment Miss Flora449 Macdonald, a near relative of Macdonald of Clanranald, with whom she was on a visit, stepped forward to rescue him. She procured450 a pass from Hugh Macdonald, her stepfather, who commanded part of the troops now searching the island, for herself, her maid, Betty Burke, and her servant, Neil Mac Eachan. She, moreover, induced Captain Macdonald to recommend the maid, Betty Burke—which Betty Burke was to be Charles in disguise—to his wife in Skye as very clever at spinning. At the moment that all was ready, General Campbell, as if suspecting something, came with a company of soldiers, and examined Clanranald's house. The prince, in his female attire451, however, was concealed in a farm-house, and the next morning he and his deliverer embarked in a boat with six rowers and the servant Neil. In passing the point of Vaternish, in Skye, they ran a near chance of being all killed, for the militia rushed out and fired upon them. Luckily the tide was out, so that they were at a tolerable distance, were neither hurt, nor could be very quickly pursued. The boatmen pulled stoutly452, and landed them safely at Mougstot, the seat of Sir Alexander Macdonald. Sir Alexander was on the mainland in Cumberland's army; but the young heroine had the address to induce his wife, Lady Margaret Macdonald, to receive him; and as the house was full of soldiers, she sent him to her factor and kinsman453, Macdonald of Kingsburgh, in the interior of the island, who brought him to a place of safety. At last, on the 20th of September, he got on board the French vessel. Lochiel and Cluny, and about a hundred other refugees, sailed with him, and they landed at the little port of Roscoff, near Morlaix, in Finistère, on the 29th of September, whence Charles hastened to Paris, was received in a very friendly manner by Louis XV., and by the Parisians, when he appeared at the opera, with rapturous acclamations.
Charles was, both in Scotland—on which his wild adventure had inflicted such miseries—and in France, a hero of romance; but his captured adherents had far other scenes to face than the lights and luxurious454 music of the opera. The prisons were crammed455 to such a degree with the[109] unfortunate Gaels, that Government was compelled to stow numbers away on board of men-of-war and transports, till fever broke out and swept them off by hundreds, sparing the labours of judges, juries, and hangmen. In Carlisle prison alone four hundred Scots were jammed in a space not properly sufficient for forty! The poor prisoners had been brought out of Scotland in open defiance456 of the Act of union and of the recognised rights of the Scottish courts; and now they were called on to cast lots for one in twenty to take their trials, with a certainty of being hanged, and the rest shipped off to the Plantations457 in America without any trial at all.
THE END OF THE '45. (After the Painting by John Pettie, R.A., by permission of the late Captain Hill.)
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Amongst the most distinguished458 persons captured were Lords Kilmarnock, Cromarty, Balmerino, Mordington, and Lovat. Cromarty, Balmerino, and Kilmarnock were brought to trial before the peers in Westminster Hall on the 28th of July. "Cromarty," says Horace Walpole, "was a timid man, and shed tears; and Kilmarnock, though behaving with more dignity, pleaded guilty, both expressing remorse460 for their past conduct, and their fervent461 good wishes for the person and government of the king." But old Balmerino, the hero of the party, pleaded not guilty, and took exceptions to the indictment462. "He is," writes Walpole, "the most natural, brave old fellow I ever saw; the highest intrepidity463, even to indifference464." All these noblemen were pronounced guilty. Cromarty pleaded piteously the condition of his wife and family: that he left his wife enceinte, and eight innocent children to suffer for his fault. His wife's entreaties465 and the interest of the Prince of Wales saved him; Kilmarnock and Balmerino were beheaded.
Lord Lovat was the last who was brought to the block for this rebellion, and we will conclude our account of it with his trial and execution, though they did not take place till March, 1747. Lovat had not appeared in arms, nor committed any overt21 act, and therefore it was difficult to[110] convict him. The cunning old sycophant466 hoped to elude the law, as he had done so often before, but Murray of Broughton, the brother of Murray, afterwards Lord Mansfield, to save his own life, turned king's evidence, and won eternal infamy467 by sacrificing his own friends. He not only produced letters and other documents which amply proved the guilt459 of Lovat, but threw broad daylight on the whole plan and progress of the insurrection from 1740 onwards. The conduct of Lovat on his trial was as extraordinary as his life had been. He alternately endeavoured to excite compassion468, especially that of Cumberland—who attended this, though he avoided the trials of the other insurgents—by representing how he had carried his Royal Highness in his arms about Kensington and Hampton Court Parks as a child, and then by the most amusing jests, laughter, execrations, and tricks, to puzzle or confuse the witnesses.
As he left the hall he turned and said, "Farewell, my lords; we shall never meet again in the same place." And with this tragi-comedy closed the strange, romantic, and melancholy469 rebellion of 1745 and 1746, for in a few weeks an act of indemnity was passed, disfigured, however, with eighty omissions470. It was followed by other measures for subduing471 the spirit of the vanquished472 Highlanders—the disarming473 act, the abolition474 of heritable jurisdiction475, and the prohibition476 of the Highland costume.
Whilst the rebellion was raging in Scotland there had been an attempt to change the ministry, and to place at the helm Lord Granville. That nobleman had so engrossed477 the favour of the king, that Pelham and his brother, Newcastle, found their measures greatly obstructed478 by Granville's influence, and suspected that they would soon be called on to give place to him. They determined, therefore, to bring matters to a crisis, confident that Granville would never be able to secure a majority in either House against them. To furnish a reason for their tendering their resignation, they demanded the place which they had promised to Pitt.
Under the influence of Granville and of Lord Bath, the king refused to admit Pitt, and they determined to resign, but got Lord Harrington to take the first step. He tendered the resignation of the Seals on the 10th of February, 1746, and the king accepted them, but never forgave Harrington. The same day Newcastle and Pelham tendered theirs, and their example was followed by others of their colleagues. The king immediately sent the Seals to Granville, desiring him and Bath to construct a new administration. They found the thing, however, by no means so easy. It was in vain that they made overtures to men of distinction to join them. Sir John Barnard declined the post of Chancellor of the Exchequer; Chief Justice Willes that of Lord Chancellor. After forty-eight hours of abortive479 endeavours, Lord Bath announced to the king that they were unable to form a Cabinet. It was with extreme chagrin480 that George was compelled to reinstate the Pelhams. He expressed the most profound mortification481 that he should have a man like Newcastle thus forced upon him—a man, he said, not fit to be a petty chamberlain to a petty prince of Germany. What made it the more galling, the Pelhams would not take back the Seals without authority to name their own terms, and one of them was, that such of the adherents of Bath and Granville as had been retained in the Ministry should be dismissed. The Marquis of Tweeddale was, accordingly, one of these, and his office of Secretary of State for Scotland was abolished. Pitt was introduced to the Cabinet, not as Secretary at War, as he had demanded, but as Vice-Treasurer of Ireland, and subsequently, on the death of Winnington, as Paymaster of the Forces. By this event the Opposition was still further weakened, and the Pelhams for some time seemed to carry everything as they wished, almost without a single ruffle482 of opposition.
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1 ministry | |
n.(政府的)部;牧师 | |
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2 inquiry | |
n.打听,询问,调查,查问 | |
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3 negotiation | |
n.谈判,协商 | |
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4 tempted | |
v.怂恿(某人)干不正当的事;冒…的险(tempt的过去分词) | |
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5 highland | |
n.(pl.)高地,山地 | |
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6 clan | |
n.氏族,部落,宗族,家族,宗派 | |
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7 clans | |
宗族( clan的名词复数 ); 氏族; 庞大的家族; 宗派 | |
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8 ridge | |
n.山脊;鼻梁;分水岭 | |
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9 highlander | |
n.高地的人,苏格兰高地地区的人 | |
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10 isle | |
n.小岛,岛 | |
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11 collapse | |
vi.累倒;昏倒;倒塌;塌陷 | |
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12 corrupt | |
v.贿赂,收买;adj.腐败的,贪污的 | |
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13 corruption | |
n.腐败,堕落,贪污 | |
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14 mischief | |
n.损害,伤害,危害;恶作剧,捣蛋,胡闹 | |
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15 posterity | |
n.后裔,子孙,后代 | |
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16 treasury | |
n.宝库;国库,金库;文库 | |
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17 disposition | |
n.性情,性格;意向,倾向;排列,部署 | |
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18 joint | |
adj.联合的,共同的;n.关节,接合处;v.连接,贴合 | |
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19 prosecution | |
n.起诉,告发,检举,执行,经营 | |
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20 overture | |
n.前奏曲、序曲,提议,提案,初步交涉 | |
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21 overt | |
adj.公开的,明显的,公然的 | |
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22 reign | |
n.统治时期,统治,支配,盛行;v.占优势 | |
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23 evaded | |
逃避( evade的过去式和过去分词 ); 避开; 回避; 想不出 | |
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24 bloody | |
adj.非常的的;流血的;残忍的;adv.很;vt.血染 | |
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25 censure | |
v./n.责备;非难;责难 | |
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26 chancellor | |
n.(英)大臣;法官;(德、奥)总理;大学校长 | |
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27 opposition | |
n.反对,敌对 | |
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28 exchequer | |
n.财政部;国库 | |
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29 exasperated | |
adj.恼怒的 | |
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30 throngs | |
n.人群( throng的名词复数 )v.成群,挤满( throng的第三人称单数 ) | |
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31 throng | |
n.人群,群众;v.拥挤,群集 | |
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32 zeal | |
n.热心,热情,热忱 | |
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33 zealously | |
adv.热心地;热情地;积极地;狂热地 | |
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34 zealous | |
adj.狂热的,热心的 | |
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35 immediate | |
adj.立即的;直接的,最接近的;紧靠的 | |
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36 coterie | |
n.(有共同兴趣的)小团体,小圈子 | |
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37 pointed | |
adj.尖的,直截了当的 | |
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38 ordnance | |
n.大炮,军械 | |
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39 majesty | |
n.雄伟,壮丽,庄严,威严;最高权威,王权 | |
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40 regiment | |
n.团,多数,管理;v.组织,编成团,统制 | |
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41 professing | |
声称( profess的现在分词 ); 宣称; 公开表明; 信奉 | |
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42 hew | |
v.砍;伐;削 | |
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43 fiery | |
adj.燃烧着的,火红的;暴躁的;激烈的 | |
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44 forfeited | |
(因违反协议、犯规、受罚等)丧失,失去( forfeit的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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45 determined | |
adj.坚定的;有决心的 | |
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46 disinterested | |
adj.不关心的,不感兴趣的 | |
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47 patriots | |
爱国者,爱国主义者( patriot的名词复数 ) | |
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48 omen | |
n.征兆,预兆;vt.预示 | |
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49 insignificance | |
n.不重要;无价值;无意义 | |
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50 perpetuate | |
v.使永存,使永记不忘 | |
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51 condemning | |
v.(通常因道义上的原因而)谴责( condemn的现在分词 );宣判;宣布…不能使用;迫使…陷于不幸的境地 | |
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52 annoyance | |
n.恼怒,生气,烦恼 | |
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53 standing | |
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的 | |
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54 taxation | |
n.征税,税收,税金 | |
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55 spoke | |
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说 | |
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56 vindictive | |
adj.有报仇心的,怀恨的,惩罚的 | |
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57 scrutiny | |
n.详细检查,仔细观察 | |
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58 possessed | |
adj.疯狂的;拥有的,占有的 | |
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59 obstinately | |
ad.固执地,顽固地 | |
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60 boroughs | |
(尤指大伦敦的)行政区( borough的名词复数 ); 议会中有代表的市镇 | |
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61 exultation | |
n.狂喜,得意 | |
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62 solicit | |
vi.勾引;乞求;vt.请求,乞求;招揽(生意) | |
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63 solicitor | |
n.初级律师,事务律师 | |
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64 bosom | |
n.胸,胸部;胸怀;内心;adj.亲密的 | |
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65 indemnity | |
n.赔偿,赔款,补偿金 | |
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66 exempt | |
adj.免除的;v.使免除;n.免税者,被免除义务者 | |
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67 monarch | |
n.帝王,君主,最高统治者 | |
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68 fatality | |
n.不幸,灾祸,天命 | |
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69 antagonist | |
n.敌人,对抗者,对手 | |
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70 humiliated | |
感到羞愧的 | |
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71 perusal | |
n.细读,熟读;目测 | |
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72 alleged | |
a.被指控的,嫌疑的 | |
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73 nomination | |
n.提名,任命,提名权 | |
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74 nominees | |
n.被提名者,被任命者( nominee的名词复数 ) | |
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75 upwards | |
adv.向上,在更高处...以上 | |
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76 trifling | |
adj.微不足道的;没什么价值的 | |
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77 isolated | |
adj.与世隔绝的 | |
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78 abounded | |
v.大量存在,充满,富于( abound的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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79 stimulate | |
vt.刺激,使兴奋;激励,使…振奋 | |
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80 stimulated | |
a.刺激的 | |
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81 linen | |
n.亚麻布,亚麻线,亚麻制品;adj.亚麻布制的,亚麻的 | |
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82 seamen | |
n.海员 | |
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83 expenditure | |
n.(时间、劳力、金钱等)支出;使用,消耗 | |
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84 subsidies | |
n.补贴,津贴,补助金( subsidy的名词复数 ) | |
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85 prorogued | |
v.使(议会)休会( prorogue的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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86 mediation | |
n.调解 | |
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87 deserted | |
adj.荒芜的,荒废的,无人的,被遗弃的 | |
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88 retired | |
adj.隐退的,退休的,退役的 | |
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89 artillery | |
n.(军)火炮,大炮;炮兵(部队) | |
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90 harass | |
vt.使烦恼,折磨,骚扰 | |
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91 harassing | |
v.侵扰,骚扰( harass的现在分词 );不断攻击(敌人) | |
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92 exhausted | |
adj.极其疲惫的,精疲力尽的 | |
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93 molestation | |
n.骚扰,干扰,调戏;折磨 | |
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94 celebrated | |
adj.有名的,声誉卓著的 | |
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95 remarkable | |
adj.显著的,异常的,非凡的,值得注意的 | |
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96 embark | |
vi.乘船,着手,从事,上飞机 | |
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97 embarked | |
乘船( embark的过去式和过去分词 ); 装载; 从事 | |
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98 contention | |
n.争论,争辩,论战;论点,主张 | |
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99 auxiliary | |
adj.辅助的,备用的 | |
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100 mutual | |
adj.相互的,彼此的;共同的,共有的 | |
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101 decided | |
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的 | |
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102 jealousy | |
n.妒忌,嫉妒,猜忌 | |
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103 demonstration | |
n.表明,示范,论证,示威 | |
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104 accomplished | |
adj.有才艺的;有造诣的;达到了的 | |
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105 Augmented | |
adj.增音的 动词augment的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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106 nominal | |
adj.名义上的;(金额、租金)微不足道的 | |
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107 resolute | |
adj.坚决的,果敢的 | |
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108 formerly | |
adv.从前,以前 | |
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109 shamefully | |
可耻地; 丢脸地; 不体面地; 羞耻地 | |
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110 stifled | |
(使)窒息, (使)窒闷( stifle的过去式和过去分词 ); 镇压,遏制; 堵 | |
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111 muster | |
v.集合,收集,鼓起,激起;n.集合,检阅,集合人员,点名册 | |
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112 mustered | |
v.集合,召集,集结(尤指部队)( muster的过去式和过去分词 );(自他人处)搜集某事物;聚集;激发 | |
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113 monstrous | |
adj.巨大的;恐怖的;可耻的,丢脸的 | |
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114 caustic | |
adj.刻薄的,腐蚀性的 | |
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115 eloquence | |
n.雄辩;口才,修辞 | |
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116 Ford | |
n.浅滩,水浅可涉处;v.涉水,涉过 | |
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117 mighty | |
adj.强有力的;巨大的 | |
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118 levy | |
n.征收税或其他款项,征收额 | |
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119 levying | |
征(兵)( levy的现在分词 ); 索取; 发动(战争); 征税 | |
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120 vendor | |
n.卖主;小贩 | |
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121 wholesale | |
n.批发;adv.以批发方式;vt.批发,成批出售 | |
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122 smuggling | |
n.走私 | |
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123 evasion | |
n.逃避,偷漏(税) | |
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124 preposterously | |
adv.反常地;荒谬地;荒谬可笑地;不合理地 | |
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125 well-being | |
n.安康,安乐,幸福 | |
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126 vendors | |
n.摊贩( vendor的名词复数 );小贩;(房屋等的)卖主;卖方 | |
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127 averring | |
v.断言( aver的现在分词 );证实;证明…属实;作为事实提出 | |
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128 dismal | |
adj.阴沉的,凄凉的,令人忧郁的,差劲的 | |
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129 foretold | |
v.预言,预示( foretell的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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130 garrison | |
n.卫戍部队;驻地,卫戍区;vt.派(兵)驻防 | |
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131 garrisons | |
守备部队,卫戍部队( garrison的名词复数 ) | |
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132 rout | |
n.溃退,溃败;v.击溃,打垮 | |
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133 regiments | |
(军队的)团( regiment的名词复数 ); 大量的人或物 | |
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134 garrisoning | |
卫戍部队守备( garrison的现在分词 ); 派部队驻防 | |
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135 fortresses | |
堡垒,要塞( fortress的名词复数 ) | |
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136 fortress | |
n.堡垒,防御工事 | |
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137 ransom | |
n.赎金,赎身;v.赎回,解救 | |
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138 allied | |
adj.协约国的;同盟国的 | |
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139 anomalous | |
adj.反常的;不规则的 | |
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140 dilemma | |
n.困境,进退两难的局面 | |
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141 rein | |
n.疆绳,统治,支配;vt.以僵绳控制,统治 | |
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142 adroitly | |
adv.熟练地,敏捷地 | |
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143 regain | |
vt.重新获得,收复,恢复 | |
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144 auxiliaries | |
n.助动词 ( auxiliary的名词复数 );辅助工,辅助人员 | |
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145 defile | |
v.弄污,弄脏;n.(山间)小道 | |
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147 beheld | |
v.看,注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 );瞧;看呀;(叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现)哎哟 | |
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148 repulsed | |
v.击退( repulse的过去式和过去分词 );驳斥;拒绝 | |
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149 gallop | |
v./n.(马或骑马等)飞奔;飞速发展 | |
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150 galloping | |
adj. 飞驰的, 急性的 动词gallop的现在分词形式 | |
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151 infantry | |
n.[总称]步兵(部队) | |
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152 cavalry | |
n.骑兵;轻装甲部队 | |
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153 previously | |
adv.以前,先前(地) | |
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154 unaware | |
a.不知道的,未意识到的 | |
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155 hemmed | |
缝…的褶边( hem的过去式和过去分词 ); 包围 | |
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156 mowing | |
n.割草,一次收割量,牧草地v.刈,割( mow的现在分词 ) | |
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157 plunged | |
v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 );暴跌;骤降;突降 | |
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158 onset | |
n.进攻,袭击,开始,突然开始 | |
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159 astonishment | |
n.惊奇,惊异 | |
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160 gallant | |
adj.英勇的,豪侠的;(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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161 gallantly | |
adv. 漂亮地,勇敢地,献殷勤地 | |
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162 irresistible | |
adj.非常诱人的,无法拒绝的,无法抗拒的 | |
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163 dense | |
a.密集的,稠密的,浓密的;密度大的 | |
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164 dens | |
n.牙齿,齿状部分;兽窝( den的名词复数 );窝点;休息室;书斋 | |
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165 slaughter | |
n.屠杀,屠宰;vt.屠杀,宰杀 | |
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166 havoc | |
n.大破坏,浩劫,大混乱,大杂乱 | |
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167 disorder | |
n.紊乱,混乱;骚动,骚乱;疾病,失调 | |
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168 precipitate | |
adj.突如其来的;vt.使突然发生;n.沉淀物 | |
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169 haughty | |
adj.傲慢的,高傲的 | |
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170 sluggishness | |
不振,萧条,呆滞;惰性;滞性;惯性 | |
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171 benefactor | |
n. 恩人,行善的人,捐助人 | |
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172 permanently | |
adv.永恒地,永久地,固定不变地 | |
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173 cede | |
v.割让,放弃 | |
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174 subsidy | |
n.补助金,津贴 | |
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175 renounce | |
v.放弃;拒绝承认,宣布与…断绝关系 | |
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176 pretensions | |
自称( pretension的名词复数 ); 自命不凡; 要求; 权力 | |
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177 cession | |
n.割让,转让 | |
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178 assent | |
v.批准,认可;n.批准,认可 | |
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179 adviser | |
n.劝告者,顾问 | |
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180 candidly | |
adv.坦率地,直率而诚恳地 | |
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181 forth | |
adv.向前;向外,往外 | |
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182 virulence | |
n.毒力,毒性;病毒性;致病力 | |
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183 vehement | |
adj.感情强烈的;热烈的;(人)有强烈感情的 | |
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184 ferment | |
vt.使发酵;n./vt.(使)激动,(使)动乱 | |
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185 cardinal | |
n.(天主教的)红衣主教;adj.首要的,基本的 | |
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186 eldest | |
adj.最年长的,最年老的 | |
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187 vessels | |
n.血管( vessel的名词复数 );船;容器;(具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的)人 | |
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188 vessel | |
n.船舶;容器,器皿;管,导管,血管 | |
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189 proceeding | |
n.行动,进行,(pl.)会议录,学报 | |
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190 frigates | |
n.快速军舰( frigate的名词复数 ) | |
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191 inevitable | |
adj.不可避免的,必然发生的 | |
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192 incurred | |
[医]招致的,遭受的; incur的过去式 | |
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193 defer | |
vt.推迟,拖延;vi.(to)遵从,听从,服从 | |
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194 scattered | |
adj.分散的,稀疏的;散步的;疏疏落落的 | |
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195 invaders | |
入侵者,侵略者,侵入物( invader的名词复数 ) | |
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196 invader | |
n.侵略者,侵犯者,入侵者 | |
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197 dispersed | |
adj. 被驱散的, 被分散的, 散布的 | |
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198 wrecked | |
adj.失事的,遇难的 | |
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199 withdrawn | |
vt.收回;使退出;vi.撤退,退出 | |
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200 drawn | |
v.拖,拉,拔出;adj.憔悴的,紧张的 | |
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201 relinquished | |
交出,让给( relinquish的过去式和过去分词 ); 放弃 | |
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202 proceedings | |
n.进程,过程,议程;诉讼(程序);公报 | |
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203 fictitious | |
adj.虚构的,假设的;空头的 | |
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204 laurels | |
n.桂冠,荣誉 | |
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205 stipulated | |
vt.& vi.规定;约定adj.[法]合同规定的 | |
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206 quotas | |
(正式限定的)定量( quota的名词复数 ); 定额; 指标; 摊派 | |
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207 wade | |
v.跋涉,涉水;n.跋涉 | |
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208 tardy | |
adj.缓慢的,迟缓的 | |
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209 antagonistic | |
adj.敌对的 | |
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210 hampered | |
妨碍,束缚,限制( hamper的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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211 destined | |
adj.命中注定的;(for)以…为目的地的 | |
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212 averted | |
防止,避免( avert的过去式和过去分词 ); 转移 | |
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213 expeditiously | |
adv.迅速地,敏捷地 | |
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214 harassed | |
adj. 疲倦的,厌烦的 动词harass的过去式和过去分词 | |
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215 forages | |
n.牛马饲料( forage的名词复数 );寻找粮草 | |
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216 forage | |
n.(牛马的)饲料,粮草;v.搜寻,翻寻 | |
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217 retrace | |
v.折回;追溯,探源 | |
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218 precisely | |
adv.恰好,正好,精确地,细致地 | |
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219 predilection | |
n.偏好 | |
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220 predilections | |
n.偏爱,偏好,嗜好( predilection的名词复数 ) | |
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221 supreme | |
adj.极度的,最重要的;至高的,最高的 | |
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222 unwilling | |
adj.不情愿的 | |
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223 sullenly | |
不高兴地,绷着脸,忧郁地 | |
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224 sullen | |
adj.愠怒的,闷闷不乐的,(天气等)阴沉的 | |
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225 predecessor | |
n.前辈,前任 | |
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226 affected | |
adj.不自然的,假装的 | |
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227 reluctance | |
n.厌恶,讨厌,勉强,不情愿 | |
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228 steward | |
n.乘务员,服务员;看管人;膳食管理员 | |
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229 privy | |
adj.私用的;隐密的 | |
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230 treasurer | |
n.司库,财务主管 | |
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231 chamber | |
n.房间,寝室;会议厅;议院;会所 | |
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232 contrived | |
adj.不自然的,做作的;虚构的 | |
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233 extravagant | |
adj.奢侈的;过分的;(言行等)放肆的 | |
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234 abominably | |
adv. 可恶地,可恨地,恶劣地 | |
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235 nay | |
adv.不;n.反对票,投反对票者 | |
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236 engraved | |
v.在(硬物)上雕刻(字,画等)( engrave的过去式和过去分词 );将某事物深深印在(记忆或头脑中) | |
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237 miserable | |
adj.悲惨的,痛苦的;可怜的,糟糕的 | |
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238 prey | |
n.被掠食者,牺牲者,掠食;v.捕食,掠夺,折磨 | |
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239 patriotic | |
adj.爱国的,有爱国心的 | |
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240 mania | |
n.疯狂;躁狂症,狂热,癖好 | |
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241 renounced | |
v.声明放弃( renounce的过去式和过去分词 );宣布放弃;宣布与…决裂;宣布摒弃 | |
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242 fortified | |
adj. 加强的 | |
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243 rugged | |
adj.高低不平的,粗糙的,粗壮的,强健的 | |
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244 ruggedness | |
险峻,粗野; 耐久性; 坚固性 | |
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245 pickets | |
罢工纠察员( picket的名词复数 ) | |
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246 cannon | |
n.大炮,火炮;飞机上的机关炮 | |
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247 demolished | |
v.摧毁( demolish的过去式和过去分词 );推翻;拆毁(尤指大建筑物);吃光 | |
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248 considerably | |
adv.极大地;相当大地;在很大程度上 | |
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249 aloof | |
adj.远离的;冷淡的,漠不关心的 | |
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250 mowed | |
v.刈,割( mow的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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251 conquerors | |
征服者,占领者( conqueror的名词复数 ) | |
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252 precipitated | |
v.(突如其来地)使发生( precipitate的过去式和过去分词 );促成;猛然摔下;使沉淀 | |
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253 perfectly | |
adv.完美地,无可非议地,彻底地 | |
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254 admiration | |
n.钦佩,赞美,羡慕 | |
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255 citadel | |
n.城堡;堡垒;避难所 | |
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256 inundate | |
vt.淹没,泛滥,压倒 | |
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257 remonstrances | |
n.抱怨,抗议( remonstrance的名词复数 ) | |
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258 regaining | |
复得( regain的现在分词 ); 赢回; 重回; 复至某地 | |
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259 fixed | |
adj.固定的,不变的,准备好的;(计算机)固定的 | |
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260 impending | |
a.imminent, about to come or happen | |
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261 overtures | |
n.主动的表示,提议;(向某人做出的)友好表示、姿态或提议( overture的名词复数 );(歌剧、芭蕾舞、音乐剧等的)序曲,前奏曲 | |
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262 abated | |
减少( abate的过去式和过去分词 ); 减去; 降价; 撤消(诉讼) | |
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263 providence | |
n.深谋远虑,天道,天意;远见;节约;上帝 | |
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264 chateau | |
n.城堡,别墅 | |
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265 condemned | |
adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词 | |
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266 postpone | |
v.延期,推迟 | |
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267 adherents | |
n.支持者,拥护者( adherent的名词复数 );党羽;徒子徒孙 | |
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268 exertions | |
n.努力( exertion的名词复数 );费力;(能力、权力等的)运用;行使 | |
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269 butt | |
n.笑柄;烟蒂;枪托;臀部;v.用头撞或顶 | |
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270 ammunition | |
n.军火,弹药 | |
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271 dint | |
n.由于,靠;凹坑 | |
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272 isles | |
岛( isle的名词复数 ) | |
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273 erect | |
n./v.树立,建立,使竖立;adj.直立的,垂直的 | |
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274 impulsive | |
adj.冲动的,刺激的;有推动力的 | |
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275 manifesto | |
n.宣言,声明 | |
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276 assailed | |
v.攻击( assail的过去式和过去分词 );困扰;质问;毅然应对 | |
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277 antagonists | |
对立[对抗] 者,对手,敌手( antagonist的名词复数 ); 对抗肌; 对抗药 | |
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278 ambush | |
n.埋伏(地点);伏兵;v.埋伏;伏击 | |
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279 followers | |
追随者( follower的名词复数 ); 用户; 契据的附面; 从动件 | |
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280 tottering | |
adj.蹒跚的,动摇的v.走得或动得不稳( totter的现在分词 );踉跄;蹒跚;摇摇欲坠 | |
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281 tandem | |
n.同时发生;配合;adv.一个跟着一个地;纵排地;adj.(两匹马)前后纵列的 | |
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282 embroidered | |
adj.绣花的 | |
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283 boisterously | |
adv.喧闹地,吵闹地 | |
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284 extraordinarily | |
adv.格外地;极端地 | |
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285 apparently | |
adv.显然地;表面上,似乎 | |
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286 judicious | |
adj.明智的,明断的,能作出明智决定的 | |
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287 fermenting | |
v.(使)发酵( ferment的现在分词 );(使)激动;骚动;骚扰 | |
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288 extremity | |
n.末端,尽头;尽力;终极;极度 | |
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289 sterile | |
adj.不毛的,不孕的,无菌的,枯燥的,贫瘠的 | |
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290 ERECTED | |
adj. 直立的,竖立的,笔直的 vt. 使 ... 直立,建立 | |
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291 annihilating | |
v.(彻底)消灭( annihilate的现在分词 );使无效;废止;彻底击溃 | |
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292 encumbrances | |
n.负担( encumbrance的名词复数 );累赘;妨碍;阻碍 | |
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293 ascending | |
adj.上升的,向上的 | |
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294 exuberant | |
adj.充满活力的;(植物)繁茂的 | |
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295 descending | |
n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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296 descend | |
vt./vi.传下来,下来,下降 | |
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297 torrents | |
n.倾注;奔流( torrent的名词复数 );急流;爆发;连续不断 | |
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298 lair | |
n.野兽的巢穴;躲藏处 | |
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299 proprietor | |
n.所有人;业主;经营者 | |
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300 mansion | |
n.大厦,大楼;宅第 | |
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301 titular | |
adj.名义上的,有名无实的;n.只有名义(或头衔)的人 | |
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302 consternation | |
n.大为吃惊,惊骇 | |
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303 rumour | |
n.谣言,谣传,传闻 | |
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304 ridicule | |
v.讥讽,挖苦;n.嘲弄 | |
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305 trot | |
n.疾走,慢跑;n.老太婆;现成译本;(复数)trots:腹泻(与the 连用);v.小跑,快步走,赶紧 | |
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306 valiant | |
adj.勇敢的,英勇的;n.勇士,勇敢的人 | |
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307 galloped | |
(使马)飞奔,奔驰( gallop的过去式和过去分词 ); 快速做[说]某事 | |
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308 corps | |
n.(通信等兵种的)部队;(同类作的)一组 | |
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309 magistrates | |
地方法官,治安官( magistrate的名词复数 ) | |
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310 hostilities | |
n.战争;敌意(hostility的复数);敌对状态;战事 | |
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311 applied | |
adj.应用的;v.应用,适用 | |
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312 muskets | |
n.火枪,(尤指)滑膛枪( musket的名词复数 ) | |
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313 cartridge | |
n.弹壳,弹药筒;(装磁带等的)盒子 | |
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314 gunpowder | |
n.火药 | |
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315 opportunely | |
adv.恰好地,适时地 | |
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316 swelled | |
增强( swell的过去式和过去分词 ); 肿胀; (使)凸出; 充满(激情) | |
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317 runaway | |
n.逃走的人,逃亡,亡命者;adj.逃亡的,逃走的 | |
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318 morass | |
n.沼泽,困境 | |
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319 recollected | |
adj.冷静的;镇定的;被回忆起的;沉思默想的v.记起,想起( recollect的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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320 bog | |
n.沼泽;室...陷入泥淖 | |
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321 bonnets | |
n.童帽( bonnet的名词复数 );(烟囱等的)覆盖物;(苏格兰男子的)无边呢帽;(女子戴的)任何一种帽子 | |
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322 bonnet | |
n.无边女帽;童帽 | |
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323 frightful | |
adj.可怕的;讨厌的 | |
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324 animate | |
v.赋于生命,鼓励;adj.有生命的,有生气的 | |
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325 foe | |
n.敌人,仇敌 | |
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326 recreant | |
n.懦夫;adj.胆怯的 | |
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327 sarcastic | |
adj.讥讽的,讽刺的,嘲弄的 | |
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328 miserably | |
adv.痛苦地;悲惨地;糟糕地;极度地 | |
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329 thoroughly | |
adv.完全地,彻底地,十足地 | |
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330 utterly | |
adv.完全地,绝对地 | |
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331 concealed | |
a.隐藏的,隐蔽的 | |
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332 peril | |
n.(严重的)危险;危险的事物 | |
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333 miscreant | |
n.恶棍 | |
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334 entirely | |
ad.全部地,完整地;完全地,彻底地 | |
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335 strenuously | |
adv.奋发地,费力地 | |
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336 mere | |
adj.纯粹的;仅仅,只不过 | |
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337 resolutely | |
adj.坚决地,果断地 | |
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338 scouts | |
侦察员[机,舰]( scout的名词复数 ); 童子军; 搜索; 童子军成员 | |
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339 bodyguard | |
n.护卫,保镖 | |
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340 insurgents | |
n.起义,暴动,造反( insurgent的名词复数 ) | |
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341 battalions | |
n.(陆军的)一营(大约有一千兵士)( battalion的名词复数 );协同作战的部队;军队;(组织在一起工作的)队伍 | |
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342 cowardice | |
n.胆小,怯懦 | |
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343 feats | |
功绩,伟业,技艺( feat的名词复数 ) | |
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344 naval | |
adj.海军的,军舰的,船的 | |
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345 rumours | |
n.传闻( rumour的名词复数 );风闻;谣言;谣传 | |
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346 subscription | |
n.预订,预订费,亲笔签名,调配法,下标(处方) | |
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347 enlist | |
vt.谋取(支持等),赢得;征募;vi.入伍 | |
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348 patriotism | |
n.爱国精神,爱国心,爱国主义 | |
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349 warfare | |
n.战争(状态);斗争;冲突 | |
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350 perils | |
极大危险( peril的名词复数 ); 危险的事(或环境) | |
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351 eastward | |
adv.向东;adj.向东的;n.东方,东部 | |
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352 moor | |
n.荒野,沼泽;vt.(使)停泊;vi.停泊 | |
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353 actively | |
adv.积极地,勤奋地 | |
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354 triumphant | |
adj.胜利的,成功的;狂欢的,喜悦的 | |
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355 militia | |
n.民兵,民兵组织 | |
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356 invalids | |
病人,残疾者( invalid的名词复数 ) | |
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357 ascertain | |
vt.发现,确定,查明,弄清 | |
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358 memorable | |
adj.值得回忆的,难忘的,特别的,显著的 | |
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359 congregated | |
(使)集合,聚集( congregate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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360 hearty | |
adj.热情友好的;衷心的;尽情的,纵情的 | |
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361 goodwill | |
n.善意,亲善,信誉,声誉 | |
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362 heralded | |
v.预示( herald的过去式和过去分词 );宣布(好或重要) | |
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363 sergeant | |
n.警官,中士 | |
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364 bounty | |
n.慷慨的赠予物,奖金;慷慨,大方;施与 | |
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365 enlisted | |
adj.应募入伍的v.(使)入伍, (使)参军( enlist的过去式和过去分词 );获得(帮助或支持) | |
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366 weir | |
n.堰堤,拦河坝 | |
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367 gallows | |
n.绞刑架,绞台 | |
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368 partisans | |
游击队员( partisan的名词复数 ); 党人; 党羽; 帮伙 | |
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369 onward | |
adj.向前的,前进的;adv.向前,前进,在先 | |
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370 elude | |
v.躲避,困惑 | |
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371 metropolis | |
n.首府;大城市 | |
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372 impatience | |
n.不耐烦,急躁 | |
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373 levies | |
(部队)征兵( levy的名词复数 ); 募捐; 被征募的军队 | |
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374 frantic | |
adj.狂乱的,错乱的,激昂的 | |
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375 quay | |
n.码头,靠岸处 | |
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376 renowned | |
adj.著名的,有名望的,声誉鹊起的 | |
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377 infinitely | |
adv.无限地,无穷地 | |
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378 wrought | |
v.引起;以…原料制作;运转;adj.制造的 | |
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379 prospect | |
n.前景,前途;景色,视野 | |
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380 entreat | |
v.恳求,恳请 | |
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381 distress | |
n.苦恼,痛苦,不舒适;不幸;vt.使悲痛 | |
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382 assented | |
同意,赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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383 relinquishment | |
n.放弃;撤回;停止 | |
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384 delusion | |
n.谬见,欺骗,幻觉,迷惑 | |
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385 retracing | |
v.折回( retrace的现在分词 );回忆;回顾;追溯 | |
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386 squires | |
n.地主,乡绅( squire的名词复数 ) | |
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387 lining | |
n.衬里,衬料 | |
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388 orchard | |
n.果园,果园里的全部果树,(美俚)棒球场 | |
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389 crumbling | |
adj.摇摇欲坠的 | |
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390 battering | |
n.用坏,损坏v.连续猛击( batter的现在分词 ) | |
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391 annihilate | |
v.使无效;毁灭;取消 | |
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392 dilatory | |
adj.迟缓的,不慌不忙的 | |
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393 solicited | |
v.恳求( solicit的过去式和过去分词 );(指娼妇)拉客;索求;征求 | |
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394 dangling | |
悬吊着( dangle的现在分词 ); 摆动不定; 用某事物诱惑…; 吊胃口 | |
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395 dissection | |
n.分析;解剖 | |
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396 ornament | |
v.装饰,美化;n.装饰,装饰物 | |
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397 dispersing | |
adj. 分散的 动词disperse的现在分词形式 | |
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398 rabble | |
n.乌合之众,暴民;下等人 | |
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399 luncheon | |
n.午宴,午餐,便宴 | |
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400 uneven | |
adj.不平坦的,不规则的,不均匀的 | |
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401 galling | |
adj.难堪的,使烦恼的,使焦躁的 | |
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402 inflicted | |
把…强加给,使承受,遭受( inflict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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403 stratagem | |
n.诡计,计谋 | |
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404 evacuated | |
撤退者的 | |
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405 plunder | |
vt.劫掠财物,掠夺;n.劫掠物,赃物;劫掠 | |
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406 annihilated | |
v.(彻底)消灭( annihilate的过去式和过去分词 );使无效;废止;彻底击溃 | |
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407 aggravated | |
使恶化( aggravate的过去式和过去分词 ); 使更严重; 激怒; 使恼火 | |
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408 trenches | |
深沟,地沟( trench的名词复数 ); 战壕 | |
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409 remonstrate | |
v.抗议,规劝 | |
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410 acquiesced | |
v.默认,默许( acquiesce的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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411 spiking | |
n.尖峰形成v.加烈酒于( spike的现在分词 );偷偷地给某人的饮料加入(更多)酒精( 或药物);把尖状物钉入;打乱某人的计划 | |
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412 espoused | |
v.(决定)支持,拥护(目标、主张等)( espouse的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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413 inclement | |
adj.严酷的,严厉的,恶劣的 | |
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414 steadily | |
adv.稳定地;不变地;持续地 | |
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415 toils | |
网 | |
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416 sloop | |
n.单桅帆船 | |
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417 ashore | |
adv.在(向)岸上,上岸 | |
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418 extremities | |
n.端点( extremity的名词复数 );尽头;手和足;极窘迫的境地 | |
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419 bland | |
adj.淡而无味的,温和的,无刺激性的 | |
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420 debauch | |
v.使堕落,放纵 | |
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421 broached | |
v.谈起( broach的过去式和过去分词 );打开并开始用;用凿子扩大(或修光);(在桶上)钻孔取液体 | |
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422 futility | |
n.无用 | |
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423 arrears | |
n.到期未付之债,拖欠的款项;待做的工作 | |
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424 mire | |
n.泥沼,泥泞;v.使...陷于泥泞,使...陷入困境 | |
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425 incapable | |
adj.无能力的,不能做某事的 | |
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426 slaughtered | |
v.屠杀,杀戮,屠宰( slaughter的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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427 bleak | |
adj.(天气)阴冷的;凄凉的;暗淡的 | |
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428 outrageous | |
adj.无理的,令人不能容忍的 | |
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429 vigour | |
(=vigor)n.智力,体力,精力 | |
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430 retrieve | |
vt.重新得到,收回;挽回,补救;检索 | |
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431 fatigued | |
adj. 疲乏的 | |
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432 brandishing | |
v.挥舞( brandish的现在分词 );炫耀 | |
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433 repelled | |
v.击退( repel的过去式和过去分词 );使厌恶;排斥;推开 | |
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434 immolating | |
v.宰杀…作祭品( immolate的现在分词 ) | |
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435 resentment | |
n.怨愤,忿恨 | |
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436 frantically | |
ad.发狂地, 发疯地 | |
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437 victorious | |
adj.胜利的,得胜的 | |
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438 bridle | |
n.笼头,束缚;vt.抑制,约束;动怒 | |
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439 fugitive | |
adj.逃亡的,易逝的;n.逃犯,逃亡者 | |
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440 entreated | |
恳求,乞求( entreat的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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441 fugitives | |
n.亡命者,逃命者( fugitive的名词复数 ) | |
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442 hereditary | |
adj.遗传的,遗传性的,可继承的,世袭的 | |
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443 smothered | |
(使)窒息, (使)透不过气( smother的过去式和过去分词 ); 覆盖; 忍住; 抑制 | |
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444 diabolical | |
adj.恶魔似的,凶暴的 | |
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445 brutal | |
adj.残忍的,野蛮的,不讲理的 | |
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446 vile | |
adj.卑鄙的,可耻的,邪恶的;坏透的 | |
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447 beset | |
v.镶嵌;困扰,包围 | |
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448 adventurous | |
adj.爱冒险的;惊心动魄的,惊险的,刺激的 | |
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449 flora | |
n.(某一地区的)植物群 | |
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450 procured | |
v.(努力)取得, (设法)获得( procure的过去式和过去分词 );拉皮条 | |
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451 attire | |
v.穿衣,装扮[同]array;n.衣着;盛装 | |
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452 stoutly | |
adv.牢固地,粗壮的 | |
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453 kinsman | |
n.男亲属 | |
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454 luxurious | |
adj.精美而昂贵的;豪华的 | |
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455 crammed | |
adj.塞满的,挤满的;大口地吃;快速贪婪地吃v.把…塞满;填入;临时抱佛脚( cram的过去式) | |
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456 defiance | |
n.挑战,挑衅,蔑视,违抗 | |
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457 plantations | |
n.种植园,大农场( plantation的名词复数 ) | |
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458 distinguished | |
adj.卓越的,杰出的,著名的 | |
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459 guilt | |
n.犯罪;内疚;过失,罪责 | |
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460 remorse | |
n.痛恨,悔恨,自责 | |
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461 fervent | |
adj.热的,热烈的,热情的 | |
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462 indictment | |
n.起诉;诉状 | |
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463 intrepidity | |
n.大胆,刚勇;大胆的行为 | |
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464 indifference | |
n.不感兴趣,不关心,冷淡,不在乎 | |
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465 entreaties | |
n.恳求,乞求( entreaty的名词复数 ) | |
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466 sycophant | |
n.马屁精 | |
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467 infamy | |
n.声名狼藉,出丑,恶行 | |
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468 compassion | |
n.同情,怜悯 | |
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469 melancholy | |
n.忧郁,愁思;adj.令人感伤(沮丧)的,忧郁的 | |
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470 omissions | |
n.省略( omission的名词复数 );删节;遗漏;略去或漏掉的事(或人) | |
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471 subduing | |
征服( subdue的现在分词 ); 克制; 制服; 色变暗 | |
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472 vanquished | |
v.征服( vanquish的过去式和过去分词 );战胜;克服;抑制 | |
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473 disarming | |
adj.消除敌意的,使人消气的v.裁军( disarm的现在分词 );使息怒 | |
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474 abolition | |
n.废除,取消 | |
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475 jurisdiction | |
n.司法权,审判权,管辖权,控制权 | |
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476 prohibition | |
n.禁止;禁令,禁律 | |
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477 engrossed | |
adj.全神贯注的 | |
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478 obstructed | |
阻塞( obstruct的过去式和过去分词 ); 堵塞; 阻碍; 阻止 | |
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479 abortive | |
adj.不成功的,发育不全的 | |
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480 chagrin | |
n.懊恼;气愤;委屈 | |
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481 mortification | |
n.耻辱,屈辱 | |
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482 ruffle | |
v.弄皱,弄乱;激怒,扰乱;n.褶裥饰边 | |
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