Scotland, the General took to himself a wife, having determined, as he was in very easy circumstances, to lead a quiet and domestic life; but no offspring appearing, both became very unhappy, and sought in the hurry of society a refuge from the solitude of home. The General proceeded to tell his friend, that he was induced to leave his home and his wife, and, with the King's commission in his pocket, go out to join Marlborough in Flanders. The General gives a most heart-rending account of the cruelty which he practised against his wife, under a false impression that she had been unfaithful to him. The intelligence was conveyed to him by some monster calling himself a friend, and, by a most unhappy coincidence, the wife, at the very crisis of the plot, gave birth to a boy, and thus appeared to contribute an irresistible proof of her crime. The General, under these circumstances, became infuriated, and sent a severe letter to his wife; but he never heard from her, for she died under the effect of the treatment of her husband. The General informed his friend that the boy also died; but old Hoskins finding that the General had no personal cognizance of the child's death, bid him not despair of the possibility of yet seeing him alive. This suggestion partly arose from an incident that occurred to Hoskins in the apartment of the General. Whilst listening to the melancholy story of his military friend, Hoskins caught a view of a portrait hanging in the room, and expressed sudden amazement at the sight. Lamont desired an explanation, and Hoskins informed him that, in an excursion in the Highlands some short time before, he had met with a boy whose countenance bore a striking resemblance to that of the painting, which was a portrait of the General's wife. But this discovery was made at a moment when it excited but little interest, and all recollection of it appears to have been dropped.

The author now takes an opportunity of introducing an historical notice of the regiment, the Black Watch. From an early part of the last century, it was the practice of the government to appoint companies of picked men to be stationed in different districts of the Highlands. At first the number of companies was limited to six, and as they were severally commanded by noblemen or gentlemen, who acted independently of each other, they received the name of "Independent companies." They derived their designation, Black Watch (Reicadan Du), from the dark colour of the tartan which they wore, and which being composed mostly of black, blue, and green, enabled them to conceal their bodies in the thickets, and also gave them an imposing dark appearance. The further account of this body we give in the words of the author:

"The duties of the Highland Watch, when spread over the mountain districts of their country, were of a nature which required, in general, all the delicacy and forbearance of spirit which should characterize persons of a superior condition; and were, upon the whole, of a species which never

could have been entrusted to such men as usually fill the ranks of our modern infantry, far less to the common soldiers of that immoral period, The various attainders and confiscations which the attachment of the Gael to their ancient kings had occasioned in the Highlands, having thrown a number of families into misery and destitution, together with the differences in politics, which are the natural consequences of mercenary temptation, so much the system of government from Walpole's times to the present, having aggravated the quarrels, and increased the reprisals of rival clans-all these causes were productive of the disorders which it was the duty of the Black Watch to detect and repress. These disorders, however, and that spirit of revenge which, to an exaggerated extent, has been attributed to the Highlander, with occasional cattle-driving and stealthy opposition to the law, were, notwithstanding all that has been represented regarding them, in reality much inferior, both in amount and aggravation, to the robberies, rapines, and assassinations, then committed in England, to an extent, and with an effrontery, that is astonishing in times so near to our own. Nevertheless, among a people simple in their manners, and moral in their lives and sentiments, to a remarkable degree, such disorders being often mixed up with politics and party spirit, made a strong appearance in the calm life of the hills; and, at least, afforded a handle for that irritating severity with which, during this and the preceding reign, every thing like offence committed in Scotland was uniformly treated by a government, contemptible in history for its own shameless corruption. But when it is considered that the duties of the Watch embraced also the watching of all meetings of the chiefs, and the checking of every thing like political combination, as well as the enforcing throughout their glens the severe provisions of the hated disarming act, and the hounding out of robbers and Caernachs, and that the offenders were very often the near relations or connexions of the men employed against them, the painful delicacy of their duty may easily be understood; yet that duty they appear to have performed without reproach."-Vol. ii. pp. 80—82.

An order from government was despatched to Scotland directing the Black Watch to march to England. The summons excited a great sensation, and though the men received it at first with anger, they were induced ultimately to acquiesce. They proceeded accordingly to London, and instead of finding the king, who, they were promised, would review them in person, they were informed that he had departed for Hanover; and what was still more unpleasant, they were told that he had left peremptory instructions that the Black Watch should also proceed to the Continent on foreign service. The indignation of the principal portion of the soldiers knew no bounds, and desertion to a considerable extent was the consequence. The deserters had at their head young M Naughton, who formerly had assisted in the escape of his father from prison, and the whole of them set out in the middle of the night to return to Scotland. A proper force was sent in pursuit of them, and brought them back prisoners: they were tried and condemned.

In the meantime, Hector hears of the misfortunes of his intimate friends in London, and without loss of time departs for the scene

of their calamity. As he stops in the vicinity of the metropolis he is met by his former antagonist, Crombie, who being a fierce anti-Jacobite, causes Hector to be arrested: he is led before a magistrate who turns out to be Sir Thomas Ruthven, the father of Helen, the heroine of the balcony at the Earl of Breadalbane's, and is charged with the crime of being a Jacobite. Hector is detained in custody by the magistrate, but Helen his daughter, hearing the circumstances that occurred, comes forward to inform her father that the prosecutor in this case was the enemy of the prisoner, and that the proceedings were altogether the result of a vindictive purpose. These grounds were sufficient in the magistrate's opinion to warrant his discharge, and Hector was set at liberty. He could not leave the spot, however, without an interview with Helen, who gave him letters to Lord Gosford, in the hope that, through his influence, the prisoners in the Tower, under sentence of death, might be saved. The letter was accordingly presented, but the nobleman, in an interview with Hector, soon satisfied him that he had no expectation of success: he advised the young man, therefore, to seek by all means access to the Princess Elizabeth, as being the only source of hope that was left; and for the purpose of facilitating this object, Hector received a letter from Lord Gosford directed to Lord Hervey, a favourite of the Princess. The letter, and the visit of Hector to Lord Hervey were successful, and the former had the good fortune to be admitted to an interview with the royal lady, who granted a letter in favour of the prisoners, addressed to the Privy Council. But the dye was cast, and the Council refused to withdraw the sentence.

In the meantime, the regiment of the Black Watch was sent to Flanders, and as Hector had acquired a reputation for bravery, and moreover had shown an anxious desire to join the regiment, little difficulty was encountered by him in obtaining a commission in the Black Watch. Hector was lucky enough to have formed one of the officers of this regiment in sufficient time to be able to take part in the great and decisive battle of Fontenoy, a subject which leads the author into the details of the political relations of Europe at that era. He also presents an elaborate, and indeed, a very luminous account of the celebrated action. Some very curious collateral reflections are excited by the re-consideration of this battle, which refer to some very important questions relating to the truth of history. The author who undertook to give an account of its details, naturally applied himself to such investigations as would supply him with authentic materials for the purpose, and was not a little astonished to find, that so far as the English accounts of the battle went, they were not only scanty, but even contradictory, so prone are nations to be silent on their defeats. Consequently, the greatest difficulty was met with by the author in arriving at even a vague understanding from them, of the

rationale of the battle. Voltaire's description, that which is mostly followed, except by Marshall Saxe, is no more than a continued series of compliments to the French generals, but which belong more naturally to a work of fiction, than they do to genuine history; besides the work of Voltaire furnishes no clue whatever to the portion of the armies, and the site of the action. The English Earl Crawford, who fought on the side of the allies, has written an account, the only impression conveyed by which is the certainty that the failure on the side of the allies, was due altogether to the incapacity and discord of the leaders. Such is the condition of our materials for affording information on this great historical event: the French have therefore had no controul in the freedom with which they are always disposed to exaggerate their own achievements, and this may be one cause why it is that up to this moment they hold up the memory of this great fight as a warning to England, that her standard borne against the French nation, has not always been accompanied by invincibility. One or two anecdotes in connexion with the battle, will not be unwelcome to our readers.

"These six men (prisoners) were sent back by the Duke of Cumberland on the following day, from regard to their bravery. In resisting this desperate attack, Voltaire tells (History of the War of 1741) that an English soldier drove his bayonet into the leg of the officer who headed the detachment, through the heavy hussar boot, with such violence, that he was unable to pull it out again; and the horse ran off with the bayonet sticking in its side through the unfortunate captain's leg, and the butt-end trailing on the ground. Maddened with pain, the animal galloped among the lines, the musket tearing open both wounds in such a manner, that both died in a little while after."-Vol. iii. p. 200.

Hector distinguished himself eminently in this great battle, and at one moment was in the act of seizing a French standard, when a blow from behind stunned him so that he was compelled to yield the precious prize. On turning round, the figure of his old persecutor, Crombie, stood before him, and Hector had the mortification of seeing the villain snatch up the fruits of his prowess, for Crombie had now possessed himself of the enemy's flag. It appears that Crombie had also obtained a commission in the Black Watch, and had preceded the object of his vengeance to Flanders.

The effect of the blow inflicted by Crombie on Hector, left the latter a prey to the enemy, and he consequently became a prisoner. He was conveyed to Paris, where, being on parole, he meets his old friend Duncan M'Naughton, whom he had released from prison, and who, after the execution of his son in London, could no longer remain in his native country, but joined Clare's Irish regiment which fought for the French king. Duncan invites Hector to join the young pretender, then about to make a descent on Scotland;

but Hector's sense of duty and honour kept him still to his regiment, and his allegiance to the House of Hanover. It was stated by the author, that the king of France being at Fontenoy, noticed Hector in a particular manner, and now being in Paris he was invited by his majesty to the palace to attend one of the fetes given in commemoration of the great victory of Fontenoy. The description given of the fortuity and the adventures of Hector, amongst its scenes is carried out at length, and is, we believe, correct so far as respects its general fidelity to truth.

The two powers, France and Great Britain, entered into a negotiation for an exchange of prisoners, and Hector was soon on board a vessel which bore him to Leith. On his arrival in Scotland he found that the battle of Culloden had only just been fought, and he is ordered to join the Black Watch now directed on a strong-hold of the rebels near Breadalbane. The regiment, to his great mortification, has Crombie for its leader. The soldiers attack the stronghold; and Duncan M'Naughton being one of its defenders, took a leading part in resisting the attack, during which he killed Crombie. This place becomes the final scene in which poetical justice is rendered to the whole dramatic company. Hector is recognised to be the son of General Lamont, and is married to Helen Ruthven. In the Black Watch we have a very valuable contribution to our historical novels.

ART. III.

1. A Selection of the Papers Showing the Nature of the Arrangements now in Progress in Bombay for providing a Supply of Silk. Parliamentary Papers. 1833.

2. Memoires de la Societe Royale d'Agriculture, Histoire Naturalle et Arts utiles de Lyon. 8vo. Lyons. 1833.

3. Memoire de la Societe Royale d'Agriculture et des Arts du Department de Seine et Ouse. 8vo. Versailles. 1833.

If we cast our eyes on the recent and present state of silk manufactures on the Continent, particularly in its chosen seat, the south of France, and in England, we shall find many elements developing themselves in the prospect which promise an ultimate victory to the latter in the great struggle for supremacy. The chief grounds on which we venture this prediction, are founded on the relations in which even now we stand to France as a rival in her silk productions; the strides which we are making to reach the progress she has attained in this department, are almost crowned with success, and when at last we shall be placed on the same footing with her, which, we desire to know, is most likely to win the race VOL. I. (1834) NO. II.

M