Flight of the Heron read-along: Part IV chapters 1-2

[regshoe]

Lots of drama in this week's chapters...!

Next week we'll continue with Part IV chapters 3 and 4.

Comments

[luzula]

Ah yes, I recognize that story from Duffy. In general a lot of people were trying to save Jacobites by using the patronage system and appealing to influential Whigs that they had some connection to, which in many cases was successful. So yeah, I don't think it's unreasonable for Keith to expect to be able to save Ewen that way.

Heee, I'm glad to see you're getting sucked into research reading. *g*

[sanguinity]

There was also a page or so in here about Loudoun, asserting that he was notably better than most of the government officers about treating surrendered Jacobites with decency. I note, too, that Loudoun was a Campbell, and thus surmise -- connecting the dots with something I think you said elsewhere -- that he was one of the Campbells in particular that Jacobites would insist on surrendering to, if they were going to surrender at all.

Which makes me wonder if Keith might have had a chance of success with Loudoun, had he 1) kept his cool, and 2) had this interview on his first pass through the fort.

[luzula]

Yeah, Loudoun was a pretty decent guy, from what I've read! I see why Broster apologized for slandering him...but hey, the plot needed to go where it needed to go. : D

Albemarle, who is seen sympathetically in FotH because he likes Keith (which he mostly does because he has the hots for Lady Stowe), was actually much worse.

Let's see if I can dig up a quote by Albemarle...okay, here we go: I [...] always feared from the bad inclination of the people in most of the northern counties and from their stubborn, inveterate disposition of mind, nothing could effect it but laying the whole country waste and ashes, and removing all the inhabitants (excepting a few) out of the kingdom.

[sanguinity]

Something to keep in mind when we see Albemarle. I wish I could say that is the only quote like that I've read from the government officers, but sadly, it's very much not. :-/