登陆注册
5585000000071

第71章 A LEGEND OF MONTROSE.(64)

The power of man at no time appears more contemptible than when it is placed in contrast with scenes of natural terror and dignity.The victorious army of Montrose,whose exploits had struck terror into all Scotland,when ascending up this terrific pass,seemed a contemptible handful of stragglers,in the act of being devoured by the jaws of the mountain,which appeared ready to close upon them.Even Montrose half repented the boldness of his attempt,as he looked down from the summit of the first eminence which he attained,upon the scattered condition of his small army.The difficulty of getting forward was so great,that considerable gaps began to occur in the line of march,and the distance between the van,centre,and rear,was each moment increased in a degree equally incommodious and dangerous.It was with great apprehension that Montrose looked upon every point of advantage which the hill afforded,in dread it might be found occupied by an enemy prepared for defence;and he often afterwards was heard to express his conviction,that had the passes of Strath-Fillan been defended by two hundred resolute men,not only would his progress have been effectually stopped,but his army must have been in danger of being totally cut off.

Security,however,the bane of many a strong country and many a fortress,betrayed,on this occasion,the district of Argyle to his enemies.The invaders had only to contend with the natural difficulties of the path,and with the snow,which,fortunately,had not fallen in any great quantity.The army no sooner reached the summit of the ridge of hills dividing Argyleshire from the district of Breadalbane,than they rushed down upon the devoted vales beneath them with a fury sufficiently expressive of the motives which had dictated a movement so difficult and hazardous.

Montrose divided his army into three bodies,in order to produce a wider and more extensive terror,one of which was commanded by the Captain of Clan Ranald,one intrusted to the leading of Colkitto,and the third remained under his own direction.He was thus enabled to penetrate the country of Argyle at three different points.Resistance there was none.The flight of the shepherds from the hills had first announced in the peopled districts this formidable irruption,and wherever the clansmen were summoned out,they were killed,disarmed,and dispersed,by an enemy who had anticipated their motions.Major Dalgetty,who had been sent forward against Inverary with the few horse of the army that were fit for service,managed his matters so well,that he had very nearly surprised Argyle,as he expressed it,INTER POCULA;and it was only a rapid flight by water which saved that chief from death or captivity.But the punishment which Argyle himself escaped fell heavily upon his country and clan,and the ravages committed by Montrose on that devoted land,although too consistent with the genius of the country and times,have been repeatedly and justly quoted as a blot on his actions and character.

Argyle in the meantime had fled to Edinburgh,to lay his complaints before the Convention of Estates.To meet the exigence of the moment,a considerable army was raised under General Baillie,a Presbyterian officer of skill and fidelity,with whom was joined in command the celebrated Sir John Urrie,a soldier of fortune like Dalgetty,who had already changed sides twice during the Civil War,and was destined to turn his coat a third time before it was ended.Argyle also,burning with indignation,proceeded to levy his own numerous forces,in order to avenge himself of his feudal enemy.He established his head-quarters at Dunbarton,where he was soon joined by a considerable force,consisting chiefly of his own clansmen and dependants.

Being there joined by Baillie and Urrie,with a very considerable army of regular forces,he prepared to march into Argyleshire,and chastise the invader of his paternal territories.

But Montrose,while these two formidable armies were forming a junction,had been recalled from that ravaged country by the approach of a third,collected in the north under the Earl of Seaforth,who,after some hesitation,having embraced the side of the Covenanters,had now,with the assistance of the veteran garrison of Inverness,formed a considerable army,with which he threatened Montrose from Inverness-shire.Enclosed in a wasted and unfriendly country,and menaced on each side by advancing enemies of superior force,it might have been supposed that Montrose's destruction was certain.But these were precisely the circumstances under which the active and enterprising genius of the Great Marquis was calculated to excite the wonder and admiration of his friends,the astonishment and terror of his enemies.As if by magic,he collected his scattered forces from the wasteful occupation in which they had been engaged;and scarce were they again united,ere Argyle and his associate generals were informed,that the royalists,having suddenly disappeared from Argyleshire,had retreated northwards among the dusky and impenetrable mountains of Lochaber.

The sagacity of the generals opposed to Montrose immediately conjectured,that it was the purpose of their active antagonist to fight with,and,if possible,to destroy Seaforth,ere they could come to his assistance.This occasioned a corresponding change in their operations.Leaving this chieftain to make the best defence he could,Urrie and Baillie again separated their forces from those of Argyle;and,having chiefly horse and Lowland troops under their command,they kept the southern side of the Grampian ridge,moving along eastward into the county of Angus,resolving from thence to proceed into Aberdeenshire,in order to intercept Montrose,if he should attempt to escape in that direction.

同类推荐
  • 入幕须知

    入幕须知

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 太玄真一本际妙经

    太玄真一本际妙经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 天乐鸣空集

    天乐鸣空集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 上清修行经诀

    上清修行经诀

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 中山狼传

    中山狼传

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 我有一万种外挂

    我有一万种外挂

    武科高考题宣布当天,黄炎天赋觉醒,无数外挂加身,然而…“墙制冷静:撞墙可以强大自己的感知力,撞得越狠,感知力就越强。同时,在此外挂保护下,无论怎么撞墙,你都不会受伤,但疼痛感保留。”“最高境界的躲猫猫:用平缓的速度,倒数十下,倒数完毕后,可发动瞬移。每数一组,可瞬移十米,最高积累一公里。”“我没瞎:用食指和中指戳自己的双眼,可以得到自己感知到的事物信息,戳的越狠,信息越全面。……
  • 感谢我的世界里,你曾来过

    感谢我的世界里,你曾来过

    两个相爱的人结婚四年,原以为会和爱人执手到老,不想因为要孩子的事而产生了很深的误会,继而引发家庭暴力。女主角终无法忍受,即使知道自己怀孕了,依然选择离婚。因缘巧合,离婚后的她遇到了真正珍惜、爱惜自己的人,找到了属于自己的幸福……
  • 持一句佛号 回家:净宗大德昌臻法师传

    持一句佛号 回家:净宗大德昌臻法师传

    女作家谭天,在沉寂几年后,集自己数年的修学和写《宽霖法师传》《能海上师传》的经验,发力在《持一句佛号?回家——净宗大德昌臻法师传》中,用独特的视角,通过对四川乐至报国寺主持、四川佛教协会咨议委员会副主席、93岁高僧昌臻老法师一生修行的展示,告诉我们:切勿外求,回照自心,去掉执着,学会放下,完善人格,烦恼自解,为我们呈现了一条回归心灵家园的路。同时明示我们,在浮躁的当今,回归心灵家园的重要!在不安的2012年,为我们带来一抹清凉。
  • 夏有乔木:雅望天堂1

    夏有乔木:雅望天堂1

    继《致青春》《小时代》之后,2014年文坛备受瞩目的影视青春小说。无数网友读者疯狂追捧的青春虐文神作!《致青春》制作班底重磅打造电影!9大影视公司争夺拍制,1000家媒体密切关注!16岁的少女雅望,应爸爸要求去照顾其战友之子、10岁的夏木。美丽的男孩夏木因为童年时期经历的了亲生母亲的死亡现场,而从此生活在一个人的世界里,无法与外界产生一丝的共鸣与沟通。雅望的出现渐渐融化了夏木的心;可是雅望青梅竹马的恋人唐小天高中毕业后去当兵后,认识了大学同学曲蔚然,最终引狼入室。从此雅望,夏木,唐小天,他们三个人的命运都因此而发生翻天覆地的改变……
  • 狼虎之年

    狼虎之年

    半年后,一桩普通的凶杀案成为月城乃至全国轰动一时的新闻:因嫖资纠纷,一个嫖客把一个妓女杀害了,凶犯当即落网,对所犯罪行供认不讳。案情没什么离奇曲折,当事人也都是普通百姓,无任何特殊背景,而引起大众广泛关注的是那个可怜的女人,以及警察从她遗物中发现的多篇日记和她亲手给丈夫折的幸运星,它们承载的内容和信息才是舆论关注的焦点。这个可怜的女人被沸反盈天的舆论一时炒作为“最痴情的妓女”、“最有情有义的妓女”。
  • Ahriman阿里曼

    Ahriman阿里曼

    又名:《我是我吗?你是他否?于她是你?》……你是他吗?……我是不是我?陈伍因持续许久的幻觉而困扰——他总在梦中看见一些看不清面孔的人还有各种恐怖的怪物……“阿里曼。”这是他的喃喃梦语,然而醒来后,那些遥远的记忆又再次退却。沙发上躺着的可爱少女;模糊又时隐时现的记忆;一旦触碰就会被灼伤的过去。……于她是你?……少年的命运将如何运转?相遇的人与这个世界一直隐藏的真相又有何关联呢?
  • 台湾往事:台湾经济改革故事(1949~1960)

    台湾往事:台湾经济改革故事(1949~1960)

    《台湾往事:台湾经济改革简史(1949-1960)》是台湾知名学者郭岱君撰写的一部关于台湾20世纪50年代经济转型的专著。她参用现存于斯坦福大学胡佛研究院的蒋介石日记、国民党党史数据(微缩胶卷)以及几位国民党领导人物的个人数据,再加上作者对当年参与经济建设的老兵的口述访问得到的宝贵史料,让这段鲜为人知的故事浮出水面。许多当年在台湾发生的经济问题,正在今日的中国政经舞台上扮演。例探索台湾经济转型的秘诀,对中国大陆的深化改革具有重要的启示价值。
  • 早梅

    早梅

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 壶中人

    壶中人

    物竞天择、适者生、逆者死。浩瀚星球、人神兽魔拼死相争。
  • 我的女友有金手指

    我的女友有金手指

    灵气复苏。林迟:一块热门灵地,有的人得到它好显示自己身价百倍,一块冷门灵地,因为我来了,所以它身价百倍。方柔柔:( ̄_ ̄)你又犯病了,咱们还去不去搬砖。林迟:……等我换件衣服再去。