A collection of ancient and modern Scottish ballads, etc

lis
the enemy before us;" The Highlanders on the left were
not so successful. The Duke of Argyle charged them with
such vigour at the head of the cavalry, that they were
obliged to retire, which they did in the greatest order, rally-
ing ten times in the space of two miles. Having, however,
succeeded in pushing them across the water of Allen,
he returned to the field, where, being joined by General
Wightman with three battalions of foot, he took posses-
sion of some mud-walls and inclosures to cover himself
from the threatened attack of the enemy's right wing,
which, on hearing of the defeat of their left, stopt the
pursuit, and came up to its support ; but either through
jealousy that the left had not done its duty, or awed by
the imposing front which his Grace's troops presented,
the Highlanders did not renew the action. Both armies
fronted each other till the evening, when the Duke retired
to Dumblain, and the Earl of Mar to Ardoch. The
carnage on both sides was nearly equal ; about eight
hundred of the rebels were killed and wounded, while
the loss of the royal army was upwards of six hundred.
The victory was claimed by both parties, from the cir-
cumstance of the right wing of each army being victori-
ous; but all the advantages remained with the Duke of
Argyle, who not only returned to the field next day and
carried off the wounded to Stirling, but by this action
arrested the progress of the enemy to the southward,
and destroyed their hopes of success by the delay which
it occasioned.
This and the two following poems on the battle are not
destitute of merit. Although evidently the productions
of some adherents of the Chevalier's, they give a faithful
character of the noblemen and gentlemen engaged on
both sides, and a humorous description of the motions
of the two armies.]
kS