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Scott, Walter, Sir, 1771-1832

"Waverley"

' The Chevalier took the rebuke in good part.
On the whole, if Prince Charles had concluded his life soon after his
miraculous escape, his character in history must have stood very high. As
it was, his station is amongst those a certain brilliant portion of whose
life forms a remarkable contrast to all which precedes and all which
follows it.
NOTE 38
The following account of the skirmish at Clifton is extracted from the
manuscript Memoirs of Evan Macpherson of Cluny, Chief of the clan
Macpherson, who had the merit of supporting the principal brunt of that
spirited affair. The Memoirs appear to have been composed about 1755,
only ten years after the action had taken place. They were written in
France, where that gallant chief resided in exile, which accounts for
some Gallicisms which occur in the narrative.
'In the Prince's return from Derby back towards Scotland, my Lord George
Murray, Lieutenant-General, cheerfully charg'd himself with the command
of the rear, a post which, altho' honourable, was attended with great
danger, many difficulties, and no small fatigue; for the Prince, being
apprehensive that his retreat to Scotland might be cut off by Marischall
Wade, who lay to the northward of him with an armie much superior to what
H.


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