SECT. 152. He continued all night under arms, wrapped up in his cloak, and generally sheltered under a rick of barley which happened to be in the field. About three in the morning he called his domestic servants to him, of which there were four in waiting. He dismissed three of them with most affectionate Christian advice, and such solemn charges relating to the performance of their duty and the care of their souls, as seemed plainly to intimate that he apprehended it at least very probable he was taking his last farewell of them. There is great reason to believe that he spent the little remainder of the time, which could not be much above an hour, in those devout exercises of soul which had so long been habitual to him, and to which so many circumstances did then concur to call him. The army was alarmed by break of day by the noise of the rebels' approach, and the attack was made before sun-rise; yet when it was light enough to discern what passed. As soon as the enemy came within gun-shot they made a furious fire; and it is said that the dragoons, which constituted the left wing, imme

served Colonel Gardiner in discourse with several officers the evening before the engagement; at which time, it was afterwards reported, he gave his advice to attack the rebels; and when it was over-ruled, he afterwards saw the colonel walk by himself in a very pensive manner.

diately fled. The colonel at the beginning of the onset, which in the whole lasted but a few minutes, received a wound by a bullet in his left breast, which made him give a sudden spring in his saddle; upon which his servant, who had led the horse, would have persuaded him to retreat: but he said it was only a wound in the flesh; and fought on, though he presently after received a shot in his right thigh. In the mean time it was discerned that some of the enemies fell by him; and particularly one man, who had made him a treacherous visit but a

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few days before, with great professions of zeal for the present establishment.

SECT. 153. Events of this kind pass in less time than the description of them can be written, or than it can be read. The colonel was for a few moments supported by his men, and particularly by that worthy person LieutenantColonel Whitney, who was shot through the arm here, and a few months after fell nobly in the battle of Falkirk; and by Lieutenant West, a man of distinguished bravery; as also by about fifteen dragoons, who stood by him to the last. But after a faint fire, the regiment in general was seized with a panic; and though their colonel and some other gallant officers did what they could to rally them once or twice, they at last took a precipitate flight. And just

in the moment when Colonel Gardiner seemed to be making a pause, to deliberate what duty required him to do in such a circumstance, an accident happened which must, I think, in the judgment of every worthy and generous man, be allowed a sufficient apology for exposing hislife to so great hazard when his regiment had left him. He saw a party of the foot, who were then bravely fighting near him, and whom he was ordered to support, had no officer to head them; upon which he said eagerly, in the hearing of the person from whom I had this account, "Those brave fellows would be cut to pieces for want of a commander;" or words to that effect which while he was speaking, he rode up to them, and cried out aloud," Fire on, my

*The colonel, who was well acquainted with military history, might possibly remember, that in the battle at Blenheim, the illustrious Prince Eugene, when the horse of the wing he commanded had run away thrice, charged at the head of the foot, and thereby greatly contributed to the glorious success of the day. At least such an example may conduce to vindicate that noble ardour which, amidst all the applauses of his country, some have been. so cool and so critical as to blame. For my own part, I thank God, that I am not called to apologize for his following his troops in their flight; which I fear would have been a much harder task; and which, dear as he was to me, would have grieved me much more than his death, with these heroic circumstances attending it.

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lads, and fear nothing." But just as the words were out of his mouth, an Highlander advanced towards him with a scythe fastened to a long pole, with which he gave him such a deep wound on his right arm, that his sword dropped out of his hand; and at the same time several others coming about him while he was thus dreadfully entangled with that cruel weapon, he was dragged off from his horse. The moment he fell, another Highlander, who, if the king's evidence at Carlisle may be credited (as I know not why they should not, though the unhappy creature died denying it), was one Mac-Nought, who was executed about a year after, gave him a stroke, either with a broadsword or a Lochabar axe (for my informant could not exactly distinguish) on the hinder part of his head, which was the mortal blow. All that his faithful attendant saw further at this time was, that, as his hat was fallen off, he took it in his left hand, and waved it as a signal to him to retreat; and added, what were the last words he ever heard him speak, "Take care of yourself:" upon which the servant re tired.

SECT. 15. It was reported at Edinburgh on the day of the battle, by what seemed a considerable authority, that as the colonel lay in his wounds, he said to a chief of the oppo

site side, "You are fighting for an earthly crown, I am going to receive an heavenly one;" or something to that purpose. When I preached the sermon, long since printed, on occasion of his death, I had great reason to believe this report was true; though before the publication of it I began to be in doubt: and on the whole, after the most accurate inquiry I could possibly make at this distance, I cannot get any convincing evidence of it. Yet I must here observe, that it does not appear impossible that something of this kind might indeed be uttered by him, as his servant testifies that he spoke to him after receiving that fatal blow which would seem most likely to have taken away the power of speech, and as it is certain he lived several hours after he fell. If therefore any thing of this kind did happen, it must have been just about this instant. But as to the story of his being taken prisoner, and carried to the pretended prince (who by the way afterwards rode his horse, and entered upon it into Derby), with several other circumstances, which were grafted upon that interview, there is the most undoubted evidence of its falsehood: for his attendant mentioned above assures me, that he himself immediately fled to a mill, at the distance of about two miles from the spot of ground

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