Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Curious Facts Relative To The Late Charles Stuart, The Pretender .
precaution , that he went abroad opemy in day-light in his own dress , only laying aside his blue ribband and star ; walked onee through St . James ' s , and took a turn in the Mall . ' About five years ago , I told this story to Lord Holderness , who was Secretary of State in the year 1753 ; and I added , that I supposed this piece of intelligence had at that time escaped his Lordship . " By no means" said he ; " and whodo you thinkfirst told it me ?
, , , It was the King himself ; who subjoined , " And what do you think , my Lord , I should do with him ? " Lord Holderness owned that he was puzzled how to reply , for if he declared his real sentiments , they might savour of indifference to the royal family . The King perceived his embarrassment , and extricated him from it by adding , " My Lord , I shall just do nothing at all ; and when he is tired of
England , he will go abroad again . "—I think this story , for the honour of the late King , ought to be more generally known . ' ' But what will surprise you more , Lord Marechal , a few days after the coronation of the present King , toid me that he believed the Pretender was at that time in London , or at least had been so very latelyand had come over to see the show of the coronationand had
, , actually seen it . I asked my Lord the reason for this strange fact . " Why , " says he , " a gentleman told me so that saw him there , and that he even spoke to him , and whispered in his ears these words : " Your Royal Highness is the . last of all mortals whom I should expect to see here . " " It was curiosity that led me , " said the other ; " but
I assure you , added he , " that the person , who is the object of all this pomp and magnificence , is the man 1 envy the least . " You see this story is so near traced from the fountain-head , as to wear a great face of probability . Query , what if the Pretender had taken up Dyniock's gauntlet ? ' 1 find that the Pretender ' s visit to England , in the year 1753 , was known to all the Jacobites ; and some of them have assured me
, that he took the opportunity of formally renouncing the Roman Catholic relig ion , under his own name of Charles Stuart , in the New Church in the Strand ! ancl that this is the reason of the bad treatment he mat with at the court of Rome . I own that I am a sceptic with regard to the last particular . ' Lord Marechal had a very bad opinion of this unfortunate Prince
, and thought there was no vice so mean or atrocious of which he was not capable ; of which he gave me several instances . —My Lord , though a man of great honour , may be thought a discontented courtier ; but what confirmed me in that idea of that Prince , was a conversation I had with Helvetius at Paris , which I believe 1 have told you . In case I have notI shall mention a few particulars .
, That gentleman told me that he had no acquaintance with the Pretender ; but some time after that Prince was chased out of France , " a letter , " said he , " was brought me from him , in which he told me , that the necessity of his affairs obfiged him to be at Paris , and as he knew me by character to be a man of the greatest probity and honour in France , he would trust himself to me , if I would promise to conceal
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Curious Facts Relative To The Late Charles Stuart, The Pretender .
precaution , that he went abroad opemy in day-light in his own dress , only laying aside his blue ribband and star ; walked onee through St . James ' s , and took a turn in the Mall . ' About five years ago , I told this story to Lord Holderness , who was Secretary of State in the year 1753 ; and I added , that I supposed this piece of intelligence had at that time escaped his Lordship . " By no means" said he ; " and whodo you thinkfirst told it me ?
, , , It was the King himself ; who subjoined , " And what do you think , my Lord , I should do with him ? " Lord Holderness owned that he was puzzled how to reply , for if he declared his real sentiments , they might savour of indifference to the royal family . The King perceived his embarrassment , and extricated him from it by adding , " My Lord , I shall just do nothing at all ; and when he is tired of
England , he will go abroad again . "—I think this story , for the honour of the late King , ought to be more generally known . ' ' But what will surprise you more , Lord Marechal , a few days after the coronation of the present King , toid me that he believed the Pretender was at that time in London , or at least had been so very latelyand had come over to see the show of the coronationand had
, , actually seen it . I asked my Lord the reason for this strange fact . " Why , " says he , " a gentleman told me so that saw him there , and that he even spoke to him , and whispered in his ears these words : " Your Royal Highness is the . last of all mortals whom I should expect to see here . " " It was curiosity that led me , " said the other ; " but
I assure you , added he , " that the person , who is the object of all this pomp and magnificence , is the man 1 envy the least . " You see this story is so near traced from the fountain-head , as to wear a great face of probability . Query , what if the Pretender had taken up Dyniock's gauntlet ? ' 1 find that the Pretender ' s visit to England , in the year 1753 , was known to all the Jacobites ; and some of them have assured me
, that he took the opportunity of formally renouncing the Roman Catholic relig ion , under his own name of Charles Stuart , in the New Church in the Strand ! ancl that this is the reason of the bad treatment he mat with at the court of Rome . I own that I am a sceptic with regard to the last particular . ' Lord Marechal had a very bad opinion of this unfortunate Prince
, and thought there was no vice so mean or atrocious of which he was not capable ; of which he gave me several instances . —My Lord , though a man of great honour , may be thought a discontented courtier ; but what confirmed me in that idea of that Prince , was a conversation I had with Helvetius at Paris , which I believe 1 have told you . In case I have notI shall mention a few particulars .
, That gentleman told me that he had no acquaintance with the Pretender ; but some time after that Prince was chased out of France , " a letter , " said he , " was brought me from him , in which he told me , that the necessity of his affairs obfiged him to be at Paris , and as he knew me by character to be a man of the greatest probity and honour in France , he would trust himself to me , if I would promise to conceal