A True Account of the Proceedings at Perth: The Impact of an Historical Novel

A True Account of the Proceedings at Perth: The Impact of an Historical Novel P.N, Furbank and W.R. Owens The Old Pretender has never exercised quite the same appeal as Bonnie Prince Charlie. Nevertheless, there is one colourful text which brings him alive and which, in one shape or another, figures in almost all the biographies of him and the histories of the "1715." Its full title is A True Account of the Proceedings at Perth; The Debates in the Secret Council there; with the Reasons and Causes ofthe suddainfinishing and breaking up of the Rebellion: Written by a Rebel, and it was published in the summer after the rebellion. It is a compelling and even rather moving work, giving a most vivid account, apparently by an eyewitness , of the last weeks of the rebel garrison at Perth: their frustrated desire to be fighting; the smooth excuses for delay given by their commander the Earl of Mar; their bitter disappointment with the Pretender; the proceedings of the grand two-days' council of war, at which "every Man was order'd with Freedom to speak their Minds of the Method of Resisting";1 and the reports and whispered rumours of proceedings in another, secret, Council, where it had already been decided, weeks ago, to give up Perth without a struggle. 1 Anon., A True Account ofthe Proceedings at Perth (London, 1716), p. 24. References are to this edition. EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY FICTION, Volume 6, Number 3, April 1994 234 EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY FICTION The work has many memorable passages, among them the account of the Highlanders' excitement at the coming of the Pretender: it is impossible to express the Joy and Vigour of our Men: Now we hop'd the Day was come when we should live more like Soldiers, and should be led on to Face our Enemies, and not lie mouldring away into nothing, attending the Idle determinations of a disconcerted Council, (p. 15) Their enthusiasm cools when they hear how few troops he has brought with him, and the Pretender is equally dismayed at the smallness of their own number. He enquired after our Men, and desired to see the little Kings with their Armies, so he was pleas'd to call the Clans; we appear'd, and he saw our Exercise and Manner of Fighting, and the Goodness of our Arms, all which he appear'd exceedingly pleas'd with, and was very inquisitive to know how many such as we were in Arms for him; but when he was told how few, he gave Tokens again of a disagreeable surprize, (pp. 16-17) As a person, the Highlanders find him altogether disappointing. his Person is tall and thin, seeming to encline to be lean ramer than to fill as he grows in Years; His Countenance is pale, and perhaps he look'd more pale, by Reason he had three Fits of an Ague, which took him two Days after his coming on Shore. ... His Speech was Grave, and not very clearly expressing his Thoughts, nor over-much to the Purpose; but his Words were few, his Behaviour and Temper seem'd always composed; what he was in his Diversions we knew nothing of, for here was no room for those Things, it was no Time for Mirth, neither can I say that I ever saw him Smile ... he car'd not to come Abroad among us Soldiers, or to see us handle our Arms or do our Exercise; some said the Circumstances he found us in dejected him; I am sure the Figure he made dejected us. (pp. 19-21) The "great Men" are in continual colloquies: "nothing was seen but posting to and fro between Schone and Perth." The army leaders are all for fighting; but the Earl of Mar and "two or three Clergymen who kept with him"—also some others whom, "for the Sake of the Times," the narrator says he will not name—are determined against it, alleging the danger to the Chevalier. We told them we had as much Concern for the Safety of the Ch—'s Person as they had, and if we were for putting it to hazard, it...