At the same time it may
be admitted, that the Prince, like others of his family, did not esteem
the services done him by his adherents so highly as he ought. Educated
in high ideas of his hereditary right, he has been supposed to have held
every exertion and sacrifice made in his cause as too much the duty of
the person making it, to merit extravagant gratitude on his part.
Dr. King's evidence (which his leaving the Jacobite interest renders
somewhat doubtful) goes to strengthen this opinion.
The ingenious editor of Johnstone's MEMOIRS has quoted a story said
to be told by Helvetius, stating that Prince Charles Edward, far from
voluntarily embarking on his daring expedition, was literally bound hand
and foot, and to which he seems disposed to yield credit. Now, it being
a fact as well known as any in his history, and, so far as I know,
entirely undisputed, that the Prince's personal entreaties and urgency
positively forced Boisdale and Lochiel into insurrection, when they
were earnestly desirous that he would put off his attempt until he could
obtain a sufficient force from France, it will be very difficult to
reconcile his alleged reluctance to undertake the expedition, with his
desperately insisting on carrying the rising into effect, against the
advice and entreaty of his most powerful and most sage partisans.
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