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Of the many singular circumstances attending this
extraordinary insurrection, the utter ignorance in which the personage in whose name it
was undertaken was kept, is not the least. Charles had indeed written his father on the
eve of his departure from France, acquainting him with the resolution he had taken, but
before his letter reached Rome, the prince was actually at the head of his army. The
object of Charles in concealing his design from the Chevalier is obvious. He was aware
that his father would have opposed such a rash attempt, and might probably have applied to
the court of France to prevent his departure; and having taken his resolution, he was
determined not to put it in jeopardy by too timely an accouncement of his intentions.
Whatever opinion may now be formed of the prudence of an undertaking, which, had it
succeeded, would have been considered as one of the boldest strokes of political widsom,
there can be but one sentiment as to the conduct of the prince, in thus withholding from
his parent all knowledge of the design he had formed for accomplishing the object of his
daring ambition. Though under the corrupt influence of a few interested persons, whom he
kept about his person, he still retained a sufficient portion of filial respect to prevent
him from violating the declared injunctions of his father; and as no opposition short of
actual violence could have induced him to forego his resolution of going to Scotland, he
avoided the disagreeable alternative of disregarding the commands which his father would
have laid upon him by taking the course he did.
When the Chevalier de. George received the prince's letter, which informed him that he was
to proceed instantly to Scotland, he was greatly surprised and agitated; but as the step
had been taken, he became reconciled to it, and even could not help applauding the courage
of the prince in entering upon the enterprise. Writing to the Duke of Ormond, on the 11th
of August, the Chevalier says, "I have now by me your letters of the 14th July, and
of the 27th, which last came by the courier, which brought me an account of the resolution
the prince had taken, and executed without consulting me, for he was very sure I would not
have approved it, tho' I cannot but say, that the courage and sentiments he shows on this
occasion, will always do him honour". Again in writing to his agent, Sempil, on the
same day, he observes, "What takes me up wholly at present, is the resolution the
prince has taken and executed, without my knowledge... The question now is to look
forward, and not to blame what is past. It is true, I never should have advised the prince
to have taken such a step, but since it is taken it must be supported, and whatever be the
event, it will certainly turn much to the prince's personal honour, nay, even something
may be said to justify what he has done. The usage he met with in France, and the dread of
a peace, were no doubt strong motives to push him on a rash undertaking, than to sit
still; and who knows but what has happened, may, in some measure, force the court of
France out of shame to support him, while otherwise perhaps they had continued to neglect
him, and then have abandoned him at last... The prince's example will, I hope, animate our
friends in England; he has ventured generously for them, and if they abandon him, they
themselves, and indeed our country, will be ruined".
It had always been the opinion of the Chevalier - an opinion which experience has shown
was well founded - that no attempt on Scotland could possibly succeed, unless accompanied
by a simultaneous landing in England; and he now saw the necessity of enforcing this
consideration more strongly than ever upon the court of France. In the letter which
Charles had sent him, he desired his father to write to the King of France and Cardinal
Tencin, entreating them for support. The Chevalier however, did not confine himself to the
king and to the cardinal, but addressed himself also to the Marechal de Noailles, and the
whole of the French ministers. Alluding to the necessity of supporting the prince by a
descent on England, the Chevalier says in the letter to Ormond, from which a quotation has
already been made; "Enfin, since the step is taken, it is certainly incumbent on all
of us to do our best to support it, and I am very sure nothing will be wanting on your
side for that effect. My darkness, my anxiety, and the multiplicity of my reflections on
this occasion, are so great that I shall not pretend to enlarge on this subject at
present. In the mean time, I now write to Lord Marischal by way of Paris, and write also
directly to the King of France, and all the ministers, for without a landing in England is
soon made, humanly speaking it will be impossible for the prince to succeed". He
repeats almost the same observations in his letter to Sempil, also referred to: "I
know not particularly the grounds he (the prince) goes upon, but I am afraid there is
little room to hope he will succeed, except he be vigorously supported by the court of
France; and, therefore, we must all of us in our different spheres leave nothing undone
for that effect. I now write myself to the King of France and all the ministers, and we
must be all of us more than ever soley and wholly intent on the great object".
But the Chevalier, in his anxiety to procure early succors for the prince, did not confine
himself to words. To pay off the debts which Charles had contracted before his departure,
he immediately remitted a sum of 200,000 francs to O'Bryan, his chief agent at Paris, and
placed another sum of 50,000 francs in the hands of Waters, junior, his banker in Paris,
at the disposal of O'Bryan, to meet instant contingencies. He afterwards remitted to
Waters, through Belloni, his banker at Rome, 80,000 Roman crowns, and promised another
remittance of 28,000 in a few weeks, which, he said, would exhaust his treasury.
In his letter to the King of France, the Chevalier informed him that he had learned with
great astonishment the departure of the prince for Scotland; that knowing well he would
never have approved of such a step, he had taken his resolution and put it into effect
withour consulting him; but that being done, he was obliged in sincerity to confess that
he could not but admire the conduct of the prince in entering upon the enterprise, which,
he was certain, would make a great and favourable impression upon the minds of his
adherents. He stated, however, his conviction, that without the aid of a foreign force it
was utterly impossible for the prince to succeed, and he entreated his majesty to furnish
the necessary assistance. He reminded him that the prince had been invited by him into
France, and although a year and a half had since elapsed, that he certainly had not forgot
the object which brough his son thither; and that a crisis had now arrived, when the
smallest delay on the part of his majesty might be attended with danger to the success of
the brave attempt which the prince had made, and that he might now, at little risk and at
a small expense, finish the work which the prince was about to commence. As to himself
personally, the Chevalier informed Louis that he had formerly intimated to him that he
intended to resign his rights to the prince; and that his intentions were still the same,
with this difference, however, that while he formerly considered that such a step would be
advantageous for his family, it had now become indispensably necessary for his own honour,
on account of his infirmities, as he considered that he should act rashly, and be guilty
of bad faith towards his subjects, if he pretended to take upon himself the cares of
government, when he was incapable of any fatigue either of body or of mind, and
consequently unable to discharge the duties of a sovereign. |
