Alarms of Assistance from _France_. Our commanding Officer was
Romantickly Loyal, and look'd upon every little Hill we scrambled over,
as an impregnable Fortress, from whose Summit he often took occasion to
Harangue us, as if the Eyes of all _Europe_ were upon us, and the Fate
of the Three Kingdoms hung at our Swords Points. But the Truth was, I
believe, we were unknown to all Mankind, and if those Villages we
march'd by you'd but secure the Cattle from us, the State was in no
great Danger from our Quarter.

As for the Hopes of being assisted from _France_, though our Commander
neglected no Pains to instill such a Belief into the Generality of the
Soldiers, in order to prolong his Reign in that honourable Post he
enjoy'd, yet I read it plainly in my old Captain's Forehead, that
_France_ was not accustom'd to open their Treasures in countenancing
Chimerical Adventures, and that the most we could expect from thence,
would be a small _Dunkirk_ Privateer, with a Hogshead or two of Brandy
to keep the Cause alive, while he was pushing on his Conquests in other
Parts of the Globe, in which the Glory and Interest of _France_ was more
immediately concern'd. For my own Part, as I was resolv'd to pursue my
Fortune in the way of Arms, and finding that there was no appearance of
_Scotland's_ being a Place of Action, so I advis'd with my old Master
what course I should steer to answer the Ends of my Call. The old
Gentleman, though he might have deterr'd me from such an Undertaking, by
proposing himself as an Instance how little you'd be gain'd that way,
having nothing to show for near Sixty Years Service in the War, but a
Bundle of Politick Remarks drawn from the false Steps he and others have
made in endeavouring to make their Fortune, yet since every Man must
spin out his Thread of Life one way or other, and that that was most
likely to succeed well to which a Person found himself most inclinable,
so he humour'd my present Dispositions; but at the same time, counsell'd