BEHEADED ON TOWER HILL.
No Fraser chief has achieved more notoriety than Simon, the fourteenth Lord Lovat. His enemies avenged themselves for the failure of their nefarious plots against him by supplying, at a cheap rate, the charcoal with which prejudiced historians have blackened his memory. But while his fate is still held up as a warning to evil doers, it has been proved, beyond peradventure, that his character has been much maligned, and that he appears rather as a man of inexhaustible resources, availing himself of whatever means lay nearest to his hand to extricate himself from enormous difficulties and to attain objects which, though of personal advantage to himself and Clan, were as honorable as they were just, and wholly in keeping with the customs of his day. His efforts to secure the chiefship and the honors of his house, and to extend the power of the Clan, were genuinely patriotic. His Lordship certainly was a man of learning and ability. He was an admirable letter writer, and passages in his correspondence show that he had wonderful facility in writing and a capital style.
The picture here given is from a mezzo-tint in possession of Mr. B. Homer Dixon, from a painting of Lord Lovat, by David Le Clerc, a Swiss who was in England in 1715 and 1716. The picture which is supposed to have been taken in 1715, when Lord Lovat was about forty-eight years old, is marked: "Le Clare, pinxt. J. Simon, fecit." Although armour had been disused before Lord Lovat's time, it was the fashion at that period for gentlemen to be painted in armour. The mezzo-tint is very rare.
BRIGADIER SIMON FRASER.
BRIGADIER-GENERAL FRASER,
Younger of Balnain.
Among the officers of Fraser's Highlanders were several clansmen destined to rise high in military distinction. Of them few are better known in the Clan than Captain Simon Fraser of Balnain, afterwards Quarter-Master General in Ireland, a post which he quitted to serve as Brigadier-General in Burgoyne's Army in America. He had served in the Scotch regiment in the Dutch service, and was wounded at Bergen-op-Zoom. He spoke French perfectly and to this accomplishment and his coolness was due his signal service at Quebec, where he saved the transports from discovery at a critical moment before the precipice was scaled.
Smollet relates the incident as follows:—"The French had posted sentries along shore to challenge boats and vessels and give the alarm occasionally. The first boat that contained the English troops being questioned accordingly, a captain of Fraser's regiment, who had served in Holland, and who was perfectly well acquainted with the French language and customs, answered without hesitation to qui vive?—which is their challenging word—La France; nor was he at a loss to answer the second question, which was much more particular and difficult. When the sentinel demanded, a quel regiment? the captain replied, de la reine, which he knew by accident to be one of those that composed the body commanded by Bougainville. The soldier took it for granted this was the expected convoy (a convoy of provisions expected that night for the garrison of Quebec), and, saying passe, allowed all the boats to proceed without further question. In the same manner the other sentries were deceived; though one, more wary than the rest, came running down tothe water's edge and called, pour quoi est ce que vous ne parlez pas haut? 'Why don't you speak with an audible voice?' To this interrogation, which implied doubt, the captain answered with admirable presence of mind, in a soft tone of voice, tai toi nous serens entendues! 'Hush! we shall be overheard and discovered.' Thus cautioned the sentry retired without further altercation."