than too eagerly applauded by friends who had seen him tried by every
species of danger.

Aspersions have been thrown on Charles's personal bravery; it may be
worth while to comment on them. The story of Lord Elcho's
reproaching the Prince for not heading a charge of the second line at
Culloden, has unluckily been circulated by Sir Walter Scott. On
February 9, 1826, Scott met Sir James Stuart Denham, whose father was
out in the Forty-five, and whose uncle was the Lord Elcho of that
date. Lord Elcho wrote memoirs, still unpublished, but used by Mr.
Ewald in his 'Life of the Prince.' Elcho is a hostile witness: for
twenty years he vainly dunned Charles for a debt of 1,5001.
According to Sir James Stuart Denham, Elcho asked Charles to lead a
final charge at Culloden, retrieve the battle, or die sword in hand.
The Prince rode off the field, Elcho calling him 'a damned, cowardly
Italian--.'

No such passage occurs in Elcho's diary. He says that, after the
flight, he found Charles, in the belief that he had been betrayed,
anxious only for his Irish officers, and determined to go to France,
not to join the clans at Ruthven. Elcho most justly censured and
resolved 'never to have anything more to do with him,' a broken vow!
{19a} As a matter of fact, Sir Robert Strange saw Charles vainly
trying to rally the Highlanders, and Sir Stuart Thriepland of Fingask
gives the same evidence. {19b}

In his seclusion during 1750, Charles wrote a little memoir, still
unpublished, about his Highland wanderings. In this he says that he
was 'led off the field by those about him,' when the clans broke at
Culloden. 'The Prince then changed his horse, his own having been