IhavealreadynoticedtheimputationsthrownbytheChevalierJohnstoneonthePrince’scourage。Butsomepartatleastofthatgentleman’staleispurelyromantic。Itwouldnot，forinstance，besupposed，thatatthetimeheisfavouringuswiththehighly-wroughtaccountofhisamourwiththeadorablePeggie，theChevalierJohnstonewasamarriedman，whosegrandchildisnowalive，orthatthewholecircumstantialstoryconcerningtheoutrageousvengeancetakenbyGordonofAbbachieonaPresbyterianclergyman，isentirelyapocryphal。Atthesametimeitmaybeadmitted，thatthePrince，likeothersofhisfamily，didnotesteemtheservicesdonehimbyhisadherentssohighlyasheought。Educatedinhighideasofhishereditaryright，hehasbeensupposedtohaveheldeveryexertionandsacrificemadeinhiscauseastoomuchthedutyofthepersonmakingit，tomeritextravagantgratitudeonhispart。Dr。King’sevidencewhichhisleavingtheJacobiteinterestrenderssomewhatdoubtfulgoestostrengthenthisopinion。
TheingeniouseditorofJohnstone’sMemoirshasquotedastorysaidtobetoldbyHelvetius，statingthatPrinceCharlesEdward，farfromvoluntarilyembarkingonhisdaringexpedition，wasliterallyboundhandandfoot，andtowhichheseemsdisposedtoyieldcredit。Now，itbeingafactaswellknownasanyinhishistory，and，sofarasIknow，entirelyundisputed，thatthePrince’spersonalentreatiesandurgencypositivelyforcedBoisdaleandLochielintoinsurrection，whentheywereearnestlydesirousthathewouldputoffhisattemptuntilhecouldobtainasufficientforcefromFrance，itwillbeverydifficulttoreconcilehisallegedreluctancetoundertaketheexpedition，withhisdesperatelyinsistingoncarryingtherisingintoeffect，againsttheadviceandentreatyofhismostpowerfulandmostsagepartisans。Surelyamanwhohadbeencarriedboundonboardthevesselwhichbroughthimtosodesperateanenterprise，wouldhavetakentheopportunityaffordedbythereluctanceofhispartisans，toreturntoFranceinsafety。
ItisaverredinJohnstone’sMemoirs，thatCharlesEdwardleftthefieldofCullodenwithoutdoingtheutmosttodisputethevictory；and，togivetheevidenceonbothsides，thereisinexistencethemoretrustworthytestimonyofLordElcho，whostates，thathehimselfearnestlyexhortedthePrincetochargeattheheadoftheleftwing，whichwasentire，andretrievethedayordiewithhonour。Andonhiscounselbeingdeclined，LordElchotookleaveofhimwithabitterexecration，swearinghewouldneverlookonhisfaceagain，andkepthisword。
Ontheotherhand，itseemstohavebeentheopinionofalmostalltheotherofficers，thatthedaywasirretrievablylost，onewingoftheHighlandersbeingentirelyrouted，therestofthearmyout-numbered，out-flanked，andinaconditiontotallyhopeless。Inthissituationofthings，theIrishofficerswhosurroundedCharles’spersoninterferedtoforcehimoffthefield。AcornetwhowasclosetothePrince，leftastrongattestation，thathehadseenSirThomasSheridanseizethebridleofhishorse，andturnhimround。Thereissomediscrepancyofevidence；buttheopinionofLordElcho，amanoffierytemper，anddesperateattheruinwhichhebeheldimpending，cannotfairlybetaken，inprejudiceofacharacterforcouragewhichisintimatedbythenatureoftheenterpriseitself，bythePrince’seagernesstofightonalloccasions，byhisdeterminationtoadvancefromDerbytoLondon，andbythepresenceofmindwhichhemanifestedduringtheromanticperilsofhisescape。TheAuthorisfarfromclaimingforthisunfortunatepersonthepraiseduetosplendidtalents；
buthecontinuestobeofopinion，thatattheperiodofhisenterprise，hehadamindcapableoffacingdangerandaspiringtofame。