8
Townly. His supposed intention was to pursue
his way through Chester to Wales, where he
hoped to find a great number of adherents; but
all the bridges on the river Mersey being broken
down, he choose the road to Stoekport, and ford-
ed the river at the head of his division, though
the water rose to his middle. Taking Maecles-
field and Congleton in his way, on the 4th of
December he entered the town of Derby, where
his father was proclaimed with great solemnity.
He had now advanced to within one hundred
miles of the capital, which was filled with conster-
nation, and had he proceeded might have made
himself master of it, and been joined by a consid-
erable number of his friends, who impatiently
waited for his approach.
Though suceess had hitherto attended him,
Charles however found himself miserably dis-
appointed in his expeetations. He was now in
the heart of England, and, except a few that join-
ed him at Manehester, not a soul appeared in his
behalf. The Weleh took no step to exeite an in-
surrection in his favour; the French made no at-
tempt towards an invasion; the highland chiefs
began to murmur and he saw himself with a hand-
ful of men hemmed in between two considerable
armies, in the middle of winter, and in a country
disaffected to his cause. He could scarcely hope
