Murray  "  had  been  imprisoned  for  his  conduct  at
the  famous  Westminster  election,  and  sought


HOPE  AND  DESPAIR  287

revenge  in  as  hare-brained  a  plot  as  ever  was
planned."

Murray  was  to  proceed  to  London,  raise  a  body
of  desperados,  seize  the  Royal  family,  and  pro-
claim a  restoration !  Charles,  conveniently  at
hand,  was  to  appear  opportunely.  Pickle,  the  spy
(young  Glengarry),  knew  all  about  this  mad
scheme,  and  by  his  means  the  Government  were
able  to  follow  it  step  by  step.  Meeting  Lochgarry
and  Dr.  Archibald  Cameron  at  Menin,  some
thirty  miles  from  Ghent,  Charles  informed  them
of  his  plans,  and  sent  them  to  Scotland  "  to
prepare  the  clans,  who  were  to  await  Field-
Marshal  Keith's  arrival  with  Swedish  troops
before  resorting  to  arms."

November  10th  was  the  date  agreed  upon  for
the  execution  of  the  scheme ;  but,  as  Pickle
wrote,  "  when  matters  came  to  the  push  some
frivolous  excuses  retarded  this  great  and  glorious
blow."  Charles,  so  far  as  we  know,  never  reached
London,  and  the  haphazard  bubble  burst.  "  We
will  see,"  Pickle  wrote  in  April  of  next  year
(1753),  "if  the  month  of  May  or  June  will  pro-
duce something  more  effective  than  November."
The  only  effective  thing  produced  was  the  arrest
and  execution  of  Dr.  Archibald  Cameron,  the  last
Jacobite  martyr.  "  Charles  had  reached  the  limit
of  his  party's  willingness  actively  to  support  him.
The  Elibank  plot  was  the  last  fizzle  of  the
Jacobite  '  devil.' '  Scheme  after  scheme  had
failed.  For  poor  Charles  Edward  every  field  of


288        PRINCE  CHARLES  EDWARD

exertion  was  finally  closed ;  all  his  ambition  for
ever  blighted.
