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The Bonnie Prince Charlie
Bookmark
The story of this unique bookmark is fascinating. An antiquarian book friend
of ours came across a small leather-bound journal - 164 pages of closely written
execrable doggerel that makes William McGonagall look like the Poet
Laureate.
It was written in 1746 by one Thomas Smith of London
and within his work was included 298 lines with the snappy title of:
Observations on the gradual progress of the late unnatural
rebellion: or remarks on the vallur and bravery of his royal highness prince
william Duke of cumberland: in the last decicive battle, fought in Scotland near
colloden house: on ye 16th of Apr:1746.
The prize however, was not the writings, but a slim piece of tattered
paper to which was affixed a blue heart and a lock of light brown hair. The
spidery writing on the paper read:
From our own bonnie Prince Charlie . . . . Ford 1745 . . . . .
to be kept in the family for ever and aye . . . . God bless him."
The circumstances of this find and the nature of it led all the experts
to whom we spoke, to agree that this artefact is doubtless what it purports to
be - a lock of Bonnie Prince Charlie's hair. This is now in our archives but we
thought that it would be fitting to perpetuate its original use as a bookmark
and we've therefore reproduced it in laminated form and made it available in our
online shop.
How the bookmark came to be in the poetry book of an ardent
English fan of 'Butcher' Cumberland is a puzzle - unless he was a
closet Jacobean - but we're extremely grateful that it was. In homage to Thomas
Smith's magnus opum we reproduce it in full below for you use as a
punishment for wayward offspring when they've been particularly bad . . . . but
be warned . . . they may need counselling afterwards . . . our transcriber is
not due out of the funny farm for another two months!
All spellings, punctuations and capitalisations are as in the
original.
Observations on the gradual progrese of the late unnatural rebellion: or,
remarks on the vallur and bravery of his royal highness prince william Duke of
cumberland in the last decisive battle, fought in Scotland near colloden house
on ye 16th of Apr: 1746.
As we are well informed by history,
that france has ever been an
enemy
to europe's peace and unanimity:
hatred and mallice, must of
consequence
have there its chiefest seat and residence.
their base
projected schemes and consultations
have proved fatal to their neighbouri'g
nations,
among them often raising some dispute,
that they their ill
designes execute.
sad insurrections, quarels and
contentions,
have been the sore effects of their inventions.
each king of
france before our memory,
has been to england more especially,
an open or
a secret enemy.
like unto them the present king also,
has unto britan been
a fatal foe,
and that indeed, but litle time agoe.
wanting among us to
foment disorders,
and spoil domestic peace wiothin our borders.
his agents
hether by his order came
to perpatrate his most mallicious scheme:
under
pretence that their proceedings was
in the behalf of the pretenders
cause:
though they perhaps had other things in view,
which pushe'd them on
their project to pursue.
But how this enterprise was cari'd on,
I shall
attempt to make remarks upon:
tis now my present purpose and intent,
to
show their methods and their management,
their progress in it and the whole
event.
But firsty of all I shall occasion take,
some brief remarks upon
the scots to make,
and something say of that
rebelious breed,
from whome those troubles lately did proceed.
as to the
different way of life and station,
among the natives of the scottish
nation,
is what among us must be known so well,
I therefore need not take
up time to tell.
but let's observe a little by the way,
how much the
chiefs of scotland ??res the sway:
over their clans they such influence
have,
that if they of them do alliance crave,
they will to pleasure them
be bold and brave.
as they can scarcely judge twixt right and rong,
their
arguments prevail with them so strong,
they'll act according as their chiefs
direct,
let whatsoevere will be the effect.
smooth words does them so to
obedience bring,
they readily engage in any thing,
be it in never so
unjust a cause,
and in defiance to their sovereigns laws.
But to proceed
and not detain you here,
it may be proper now to persevere,
and very
briefly shew unto the reader,
what was intended by the french invader.
the
fremnch have often aim'd, tis evident,
to overturn the british
government:
and though their base attempts have prov'd in vain,
revenge
has prompted them to try again.
with resolution to put halp in hand,
not
only to distrub the british land,
but to dethrone our rightfull
sovereign,
and in his stead, set up a nother king.
of consequence it must
be their intent,
for to divest our king of government,
they let their rage
and envie loose upon him,
if posable to bring destruction on him.
but that
which greatly did encourage them
in executing this their stratagem,
well
known to france and evidently seen,
the scots have a rebelious people
been:
as they discovers such discontent
under the british king and
government:
the fremnch immagin'd they would sure appear
in the behalf of
the young chevelear.
and as there was some probability
the highlanders
would joyn their company,
so then this scheme, one of their hellish
plots,
must now be acr'd on among the scots.
they they for scotland sail'd
accordingly,
and first set footing in the Isle of sky.
the highland chiefs
not being straingers to
what those from france was now about to do,
they
met then with a courtious complyment,
and not their conduct in the least
resent,
nor yet accost them with an angry look,
but well approv'd of what
they undertook.
and very freely with them did combine,
to carry on the
thing they did design.
assureing them their resolution was
to do their
best in favour of the cause.
and then the highland chiefs, of
consequence,
exerted their extensive influence
over their highland clans,
to whome they goes,
the whole of their intention to disclose:
not doubting
by their impertunity,
with arguments compos'd of flattery,
they would unto
their pleasure soom comply.
perhaps by telling them, the chivelear
your
rightful prince is now arrived here,
hopeing you will with us, his freinds
unite,
to aid and help him to obtain his right:
and of for him you do your
best endeavour,
you will become the objects of his favour.
perhaps these
base deluding applications
was intermixed with such insinuations,
which
tended much their vassals to convince,
the young pretender was their
rightfull prince.
at ;enth the strenth and force of argument,
did with
their clans become so prevalent,
to joyn with them they gave their free
consent.
and in conformity unto their will,
resolved was their pleasure to
fulfill.
but as the clans becoms a martial band,
by joying in to put their
help in hand,
their chiefs might intimate to them that since,
that they
have thus engaged for their prince,
they must withstand and manfull
oppose
all them that come against him, as their foes:
that you may well
bare all oppossision down,
and pave his way unto the british crown.
This
as their clans was in their measures brought,
it must be pleasing to their
inward thoughts:
knowing as this important thing was done,
they with their
clans and french would be as one.
which surely gave them much
encouragement,
and animated them in their intent:
as this has put them
into a condition,
to make a stand in case of opposition.
haveing united
all their strenth and force,
they then consulted how to steer their course,
at lenth they march'd about from pleace to pleace,
by which their numbers
daily did increase.
but as they thus drive on in their intent,
it may not
be amiss to represent,
the motions of their king and parlement.
the
british court, haveing of consequence
of their preceedings had
intelligence,
they acted therefore in their own defence.
knowing their
base designs against them were,
the nations safety did become their
care,
and have to check them in their mad cerreer.
all prudent measures
then they did pursue,
if posable inorder to subdue,
this desprate ill
designing hellish even.
but yet this quarel was not soon desided,
because
for them we was but ill provided.
the british forces being then in
flanders,
and with them too, the chief of our commanders,
and as necesaty
requir'd them home,
much time must-needs be spent before they come.
at
lenth they with the Duke (great britan's freind)
arrived here the nation to
defend.
what strenth we had before within our land.
had try'd in vain, the
rebels to withstand:
then as our Duke so bold and brave had been,
in
flanders (where 'twas manifestly seen,)
he must be qualify'd for to
oppose,
our most malicious execreble foes.
but let me now return again
unto
the highland clans, (that base rebelious crew,)
to shew what further
progress they are makeing,
and how they caries on their undertaking.
they
still persisted in their first intent,
their nest proceeding shews it
evident.
they formed a new desing with resolution
to put the same in
speeddy execution:
which put the country round in great confution.
for as
they had a numerous company,
that with provision they might have
supply,
they then betook themselves to robbary.
for as they pass'd through
city town or village,
their daily practice was to rob and pillage,
the
highland clans encourag'd by their chiefs,
they readily become a gange of
thieves.
then they from north, unto south britan came,
and there they
insolently done the same.
the tru and loyal subjects of our king,
those
lawless rebels did to ruing bring:
extorting from them those effects they
had,
their case become lementable and sad.
thus they went on so impudent
and bold,
as though indeed they could not be controll'd:
but as they did
presume do dareingly,
the english strenth and forces to defy,
they sure
forgot their wonted bravery,
but of it they must have a feeling sense,
for
thus proceeding in their insolence.
at lenth the hastty progress of our
foes,
(though long continu'd) draweth near a close.
for when our forces
unto them drew near,
it struck the rebbels with a pannick fear:
the Duke's
approaching fill'd their hearts with dread,
so that they with precippitation
fleed:
to find out safety but they knew not where,
being oursu'd like to a
hunted hare.
that fury which in them appear'd so late,
so greatly did
deminish and abate:
they rather chous'd to use a nimble heel,
their
boasted vallur, thus when fully tried,
grew faint and weak, nay even almost
died.
but on the sixteenth day of April,
the rebbels mad men like, though
voide of skill,
prompted with mallice and with bitter rage,
they then
resolved our army to engage,
the english forces boldly did advance,
to
quell the rebbels and the foes from france.
but this crew did with such feury
rush,
as though they would the english forces crush,
but yet their base
attempts could not avail,
their giddy conduct made their projects
fail.
whereas our army when they first began,
the valient Duke di animate
his men,
by his behaveiour so discreet and bold,
with skill and courage
they went on so well,
that numbers of the rebbels by them fell.
but though
indeed they were repuls'd with loss,
they did advance again but to their
cost:
the english army push'd on them so close,
even with such rappiddity
and force,
that rendered their attempts and efforts vain,
and by their
driveing on with might and main,
they added to the num,ber of the
slayn:
for as tru vallour was so needfull then,
to be exerted by true
english men,
our Duke much like a horo did behave,
and those he did
command were bold and brave.
so valient was the forces of our king,
their
foes begand to flag and drop the wing.
at lenth their men on every side lay
dead;
the rest perceieving with confusion fleed.
yet ne'er the less their
nimble heels could not
deliver them from their derserv'd lot,
they fell as
others did upon the spot.
our valient troups so swiftly did pursue,
they
in the chase not only many slew,
but others did become their prisoners
too.
and thus you find the field of colloden
drank'd up the blood of their
rebellious men.
and so the popeish crew of the pretender,
was overcome by
william our defender.
and now prince charles as they was pleased to
call-him,
as soon as disapointment did befall-him,
his men haveing
receiv'd a fatal stroke,
and all his measures thus entierly broke,
he like
to others shifted off with haste,
though knew not where to be a welcome
guest
and thus the rebels saw the consequence,
of all their past
presumtuous insolence.
alass they had their base design effected,
what
dreadfull doings might we have expetced:
perhaps how things should be was
formed out,
though what they aim'd at was not brought about:
son to
dispose of what concern'd the nation,
tis probable was had in
consultation:
hopeing thereby they should be rich and great,
by thus new
moddaling affairs of state.
but this they find too soon become their
care,
and so they totally defeated are,
and royal William does the loral
wear.
he has their schemes unto distruction brought,
and under God, has
our deliverance wrought:
through heavan's aid he made a glorious
stand,
and vanquish'd those disturbers of our land:
and let them see
things may be formed out
but not so soon and ealsie brought about,
But as
he left the pleasures of a court
for our good his vallur to exert,
and did
all dangers of the war dispise,
to check the progress of our enemies,
and
to defend our chruch and liberties,
let britons all his bravery set
forth,
and give him praise according to his worth:
and may his fame the
present age survive,
and ever live to keep his name alive.
in case our
Duke should go again to flanders,
and there to act as head of our
commanders,
may he there still his vallur forth advance,
to curb the
haughty insolence of france:
and may the french unto their sorrow
know,
our Duke to be a second marlborough.
And now before a lay aside my
pen,
by way of caution, let not english men
forget our famous King at
detinggen:
who hazarded his Life for to oppose,
his and hisn people's most
malicious foes.
and there obtained a glorious vittory,
and made his
enemeises before him fly.
then let the vallur of his majesety,
by english
men be kept in memory,
and handed down unto posterity.
let britons shew
their zeal and loyalty
ti him and his Illustrious family:
and all with one
accord their powers unite,
in the defence of george our sovereign's
right.
then by the blessing of the Lord of host,
if He directs our fleets
to guard the coast,
our foes in vain may try to do their worst.
"Come back McGonagall . . . all is forgiven!"
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Size 58mm wide x 1800mm long.
(7 inches x 2.25 inches for those living in the civilised
world)
Take me to the shop please
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