venturous hope which urges men upon desperate enter prises; and began to believe that the conspiracy would dissolve of itself, without the necessity of his placing himself in direct opposition to so violent a character as his uncle, and incurring the hazard with which such opposi tion must needs be attended.

Mr. Redgauntlet, however, did not, or would not, see any such marks of depression of spirit among his coadjutors, but met them with cheerful countenance, and a warm greeting of welcome. "Happy

to meet you here, my lord," he said, bowing low to a slender young man. "I trust you come with the pledges of your noble father, of B- , and all that loyal house.-Sir Richard what news in the West? I am told you had two hundred men on foot. to have joined when the fatal retreat from Derby was commenced. When the white Standard is again displayed, it shall not be turned back so easily, either by the force of its enemies, or the falsehoods of its friends.-Doctor Grumball, I bow to the representative of Oxford, the mother of learning and loyalty.Pengwinion, you Cornish chough, has this good wind blown you north ?-Ah, my brave Cambro-Britons when was Wales last in the race of honour ?"

Such and such-like compliments he dealt around, which were in general answered by silent bows; but when he saluted one of his own countrymen by the name of Mac Kellar, and greeted Maxwell of Summertrees by that of Pate-in-Peril, the latter replied, "that if Pate were not a fool, he would be Pate-inSafety;" and the former a thin old gentleman, in tarnished embroidery, said bluntly, "Ay troth, Redgauntlet, I am here just like yourself; I have little to lose-they that took my land the last time, may take my life this; and that is all I care about it."

The English gentlemen, who were still in possession of their paternal estates, looked doubtfully on each other, and there was something whispered among them of the fox which had lost his tail.

Redgauntlet hastened to address them. "I think, VOL. II.

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my lords and gentlemen," he said, "that I can account for something like sadness which has crept upon an assembly gathered together for so noble a purpose. Our numbers seem, when thus assembled, too small and inconsiderable to shake the firm-seated usurpation of half a century. But do not count us by what we are in and thewe muscle, but by what our summons can do among our countrymen. In this small party are those who have power to raise battalions, and those who have wealth to pay them. And do not believe our friends who are absent are cold or indifferent to the cause. Let us once light the signal, and and it will be hailed by all who retain love for the Stuart, and by all-a more numerous body-who hate the Elector. Here I have letters from"

Sir Richard Glendale interrupted the speaker. "We all confide, Redgauntlet, in your valour and skill --we admire your perseverance; and probably nothing short of your strenuous exertions, and the emulation awakened byyour noble and disinterested conduct, could have brought so many of us, the scattered remnant of a disheartened party, to meet together once again in solemn consultation ;-for I take it, gentlemen," he said, looking around, "this is only a consultation."

"Nothing more," said the young lord.

"Nothing more," said Doctor Grumbal, shaking his large academical peruke.

And "Only a consultation," was echoed by the others.

Redgauntlet bit his lip. "I had hopes," he said, "that the discourses I have held with most of you, from time to time, had ripened into more maturity than your words imply, and that we were here to execute as well as to deliberate; and for this we stand prepared. I can raise five hundred men with my whistle."

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Five hundred men !" said one of the Welsh squires; "Cot bless us! and, pray you, what cood could five hun dred men do ?"

"All that the priming does for the cannon, Mr. Meredith," answered Redgauntlet; "it will enable us to seize Carlisle, and you know what our friends have engaged for in that case."

▾ Yes--but," said the young nobleman, "you must not hurry us on too fast, Mr. Redgauntlet; we are all, I believe, as sincere and true-hearted in this business as you are, but we will not be driven forward blindfold. We owe caution to ourselves and our families, as well as to those whom we are empowered to represent, on this occa sion."

"Who hurries you, my lord? Who is it that would drive this meeting forward blindfold? I do not understand your lordship," said Redgauntlet.

"Nay," said Sir Richard Glendale, "at least do not let us fall under our old reproach of disagreeing among our selves. What my lord means, Redgauntlet, is, that we have this morning heard it is uncertain whether you could even bring that body of men whom you count upon; your countryman, Mr. Mac Kellar, seemed, just before you came in, to doubt whether your people would rise in any force, unless you could produce the authority of your nephew."

"I might ask," said Redgauntlet, "what right Mac Kellar, or any one, has to doubt my being able to accomplish what I stand pledged for?--But our hopes consist in our unity. Here stands my nephew. Gentlemen, I present to you my kinsman, Sir Arthur Darsie Redgauntlet of that Ilk."

"Gentlemen," said Darsie, with a throbbing bosom, for he felt the crisis a very painful one, "allow me to say, that I suspend expressing my sentiments on the important subject under discussion, until I have heard those of the present meeting."

"Proceed in your deliberations, gentlemen," said Redgauntlet ; "I will show my nephew such reasons for acquiescing in the result, as will entirely remove any scruples which may hang around his mind."

Dr. Grumball now coughed, "shook his ambrosial curls," and addressed the assembly.

"The principles of Oxford," he said, are well understood, since she was the last to resign herself to the Arch-Usurper-since she has condemned, by her sovereign authority, the blasphemous, atheistical, and anarchical tenets of Locke, and other deluders of the public mind.

Oxford will give men, money, and countenance, to the cause of the rightful monarch. But we have been often deluded by foreign powers, who have availed themselves of our zeal to stir up civil dissensions in Britain, not for the advantage of our blessed though banished monarch, but to stir up disturbances by which they might profit, while we, their tools, are sure to be ruined. Oxford,'therefore, will not rise, unless our Sovereign comes in person to claim our allegiance, in which case, God forbid we should refuse him our best obedience."

"It is a very cood advice," said Mr. Meredith.

"In truth," said Sir Richard Glendale, "it is the very key-stone of our enterprise, and the only condition upon which I myself and others could ever have dreamt of taking up arms. No insurrection which has not Charles Edward himself at its head, will ever last longer than till a single foot-company of red-coats march to disperse it."

"This is my own opinion, and that of all my family," said the young nobleman already mentioned; “and I own I am somewhat surprised at being summoned to attend a dangerous rendezvous such as this, before something certain could have been stated to us on this most important preliminary point."

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"Pardon me, my lord," said Redgauntlet; "I have not been so unjust either to myself or my friends-I had no means of communicating to our distant confederates (without the greatest risk of discovery) what is known to some of my honourable friends. courageous, and as resolved, as when, twenty years since, he threw himself into the wilds of Moidart, Charles Edward has instantly complied with the wish-es of his faithful subjects. Charles Edward is in this country-Charles Edward is in this house!-Charles Edward waits but your present decision, to receive the homage of those who have ever called themselves his loyal liegemen. He that would now turn his coat, and change his note, must do so under the eye of his Sovereign."

There was a deep pause. Those among the conspirators, whom mere habit, or a desire of preserving consistency, had engaged in the affair, now saw with terror their retreat cut off: and others, who at a dis

tance had regarded the proposed enterprise as hopeful, trembled when the moment of actually embarking in it was thus unexpectedly, and almost inevitably, precipitated.

"How now, my lords and gentlemen!" said Redgauntlet; "is it delight and rapture that keeps you thus silent? where are the eager welcomes that should be paid your rightful King, who a second time confides his person to the care of his subjects, undeterred by the hair-breadth escapes and severe privations of his former expedition? I hope there is no gentleman here that is not ready to redeem, in his prince's presence, the pledge of fidelity which he offered in his absence?"

"I, at least," said the young nobleman, resolutely, and laying his hand on his sword, "will not be that coward. If Charles is come to these shores, I will be the first to give him welcome, and to devote my life and fortune to his service."

"Before Cot," said Mr. Meredith, "I do not see that Mr. Redcantlet has left us any thing else to do." "Stay," said Summertrees, "there is yet one other question. Has he brought any of those Irish rapparees with him, who broke the neck of our last glorious affair ???

"Not a man of them," said Redgauntlet.

"I trust," said Dr. Grumball, "that there are no Catholic priests in his company. I would not intrude on the private conscience of my Sovereign, but as an unworthy son of the Church of England, it is my duty to consider her security."

"Not a popish dog or cat is there, to bark or mew about his Majesty," said Redgauntlet. "Old Shaftesbury himself could not wish a prince's person more secure from Popery-which may not be the worst religion in the world, notwithstanding.-Any more doubts, gentlemen? can no more plausible reasons be discovered for postponing the payment of our duty," and discharge of our oaths and engagements?-Mean