With less foundation, some writers have traced the idea of a
parliament, and of the British constitution, in rude and early times. I
was curious to know if he had really heard, or understood, any thing of
that subject, which, had he been a greater man, would probably have been
eagerly maintained. 'Why, John, (said I,) did you think the king should
be controuled by a parliament?' He answered, 'I thought, Sir, there were
many voices against one.'
The conversation then turning on the times, the Wanderer said, that, to
be sure, the life he had led of late was a very hard one; but he would
rather live in the way he now did, for ten years, than fall into the
hands of his enemies. The gentlemen asked him, what he thought his
enemies would do with him, should he have the misfortune to fall into
their hands. He said, he did not believe they would dare to take his
life publickly, but he dreaded being privately destroyed by poison or
assassination. He was very particular in his inquiries about the wound
which Dr. Macleod had received at the battle of Culloden, from a ball
which entered at one shoulder, and went cross to the other. The doctor
happened still to have on the coat which he wore on that occasion. He
mentioned, that he himself had his horse shot under him at Culloden;
that the ball hit the horse about two inches from his knee, and made him
so unruly that he was obliged to change him for another.
Pages:
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222