Old Play.
OUR travellers reach Edinburgh without any farther adventure, and the
Master of Ravenswood, as had been previously settled, took up his abode
with his noble friend.
In the mean time, the political crisis which had been expected took
place, and the Tory party obtained in the Scottish, as in the English,
councils of Queen Anne a short-lived ascendency, of which it is not our
business to trace either the cause or consequences. Suffice it to say,
that it affected the different political parties according to the nature
of their principles. In England, many of the High Church party, with
Harley, afterwards Earl of Oxford, at their head, affected to separate
their principles from those of the Jacobites, and, on that account,
obtained the denomination of Whimsicals. The Scottish High Church party,
on the contrary, or, as they termed themselves, the Cavaliers, were more
consistent, if not so prudent, in their politics, and viewed all the
changes now made as preparatory to calling to the throne, upon the
queen's demise, her brother the Chevalier de St.
Pages:
487
488
489
490
491
492
493
494
495
496
497
498
499
500
501
502
503
504
505
506
507
508
509
510
511