- had remonstrated against the support which France was giving to the Roman Catholic party in Great Britain*, and that most of the French Ministers shrunk from offending their continental allies, while others wished every effort to be concentrated for Flanders. Even the Irish Brigade, though consisting of Charles's own countrymen and partisans, was not reserved for his service. Even a little money, for his immediate wants, could only be obtained after repeated solicitation and long delay. Yet Charles's high spirit endured. He writes to his father: "I own one must have a great stock of patience to "bear all the ill usage I have from the French Court, "and the TRACASSERIES of our own people. But my patience will never fail in either, there being no other "part to take."† And again, "Whatever I may suffer, "I shall not regret in the least, as long as I think it of "service for our great object; I would put myself in a "tub, like Diogenes, if necessary."+

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It had been intimated to Charles, through Murray of Broughton, and on the part of his principal Scottish friends, that they could do nothing in his behalf, nor even think themselves bound to join him, unless he came with a body of at least 6000 troops, and 10,000 stand of arms. These he had no longer any hope of obtaining, and he was therefore brought back by necessity to his first and favourite scheme, "having it always at heart," says he in a later letter, "to restore my Royal Father by "the means of his own subjects alone."§ He wrote to Scotland, whither Murray had now returned, announcing his intention, at all hazards, to attempt the enterprise. Meanwhile he made every exertion for procuring arms, borrowed 180,000 livres from two of his adherents, and wrote to his father at Rome, concealing his real project, but requesting that his jewels might be pawned, and the money sent to him. "For our object," says he, "I would

Mémoires de Noailles, vol. vi. p. 22. This passage has hitherto been overlooked, in reference to the conduct of the French Court upon this subject, but fully accounts for it.

† Letter, January 16. 1745. Stuart Papers.

Letter, January 3. 1745.

Instructions to Alexander Macleod, Edinburgh, September 24. 1745. See Home's History, Append. p. 324.

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PRINCE CHARLES AT NAVARRE.

...

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<< pawn even my shirt.. As for my jewels, I should, on "this side the water, wear them with a very sore heart, thinking that there might be made a better use of "them. . . . It is but for such uses that I shall ever "trouble your Majesty with asking for money; it will never be for plate or fine clothes, but for arms and "ammunition, or other things that tend to what I am come about to this country."

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The announcement of Charles's intentions excited equal surprise and alarm among his friends in Scotland; all, with the single exception of the Duke of Perth, condemned his project; they wrote dissuasive letters which, however, came too late f, and they stationed Murray on the watch on the Highland coast, that if the Prince came, he might see him, and urge him to return. Murray remained on this station during the whole month of June, and then went back to his house in the south of Scotland, supposing the enterprise abandoned. But, on the con. trary, the tidings of the battle of Fontenoy had decided Charles's movements, it seeming to afford a favourable opportunity, such as might never occur again. He made all his preparations with equal speed and secrecy. He was then at the Château de Navarre, near Evreux, formerly a favourite haunt of his great ancestor Henri Quatre, and, since Charles Stuart, again the refuge of fallen grandeur in the Empress Josephine. In 1745, it was the seat of the young Duke de Bouillon, between whom and Charles a romantic friendship had been formed.§ From Navarre, on the 12th of June, Charles wrote a most remarkable letter to his father, for the first time revealing his design. Here are some extracts:"Let me mention

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a parable: a horse that is to be sold, if spurred it does "not skip or show some signs of life, nobody would care

* Letter, March. 7. 1745.

Examination of Mr. Murray of Broughton, August 13. 1746. "Navarre, à une demie lieue d'Evreux, bâti par Monseigneur le "Duc de Bouillon, sur les ruines d'un château que les Rois de Navarre "avaient fait faire pour la chasse, 1702." (Copied from a MS., Bibliothèque du Roi, Paris.) Delille says, in Les Jardins,

"L'ombre du Grand Henri chérit encore Navarre."

§ See in the Culloden Papers, p. 205., an intercepted letter from the Duke to Charles in Scotland, assuring him in the warmest terms of friendship that he may dispose of all his estate and blood.

C

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"to have him, even for nothing. Just so my friends would care very little to have me, if, after such scandalous usage from the French Court, which all the world is “sensible of, I should not show that I have life in me. "Your Majesty cannot disapprove a son's following the "example of his father. You yourself did the like in the year Fifteen; but the circumstances now are indeed very different, by being much more encouraging.... "This letter will not be sent off till I am on shipboard. "... I have sent Stafford to Spain, and appointed Sir "Thomas Geraldine to demand succours in my name to "complete the work, and I have sent letters for the King "and Queen. Let what will happen, the stroke is struck; " and I have taken a firm resolution to conquer or to die, "and to stand my ground as long as I shall have a man "remaining with me. Whatever happens unfortunate "to me, cannot but be the strongest engagement to the "French Court to pursue your cause; nay, if I were sure they were capable of any sensation of this kind, if I did "not succeed, I would perish, as Curtius did, to save my country and make it happy. . . . Your Majesty may now see my reason for pressing so much to pawn my jewels, "which I should be glad to have done immediately, for I "never intend to come back."*

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...

To King Louis, or to the French Ministry, Charles gave no intimation whatever of his intended enterprise, having strong grounds to fear that he might else be forcibly detained. Nevertheless, he secured the assistance of one large French man-of-war, and had even hopes of a second. "It will appear strange to you," writes he to James's Secretary, "how I should get these things with"out the knowledge of the French Court. I employed "one Rutledge, and one Walsh, who are subjects:" (they were merchants at Nantes ;) "the first has got a grant of 66 a man-of-war from the French Court to cruise on the "coast of Scotland, and is luckily obliged to go as far "north as I do, so that she will escort me without appear"ing to do it." The ship of war thus obtained was named the Elizabeth, and carried sixty-seven guns: the vessel for Charles's own conveyance was a brig of eighteen,

*Letter, June 12. 1745.

Letter to Mr. Edgar, June 12. 1745.

RENDEZVOUS AT NANTES.

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the Doutelle*, an excellent sailer, fitted out by Walsh to cruise against the British trade. The arms provided by the Prince-about 1500 fusées, 1800 broad-swords, with powder, balls, flints, and twenty small field-pieces-were for the most part embarked in the Elizabeth: the money that he carried with him was less than four thousand Louis d'ors. It must be owned, that the charm of this romantic enterprise seems singularly heightened, when we find from the secret papers I have now disclosed, that it was undertaken not only against the British Government, but without, and in spite of, the French!

The Doutelle lay in the mouth of the Loire, and Nantes was the place appointed to meet at. The better to conceal the design, the gentlemen who were to embark with Charles travelled by various routes to the rendezvous; while they remained there, they lodged in different parts of the town, and if they accidentally met in the streets, they took not the least notice of each other, nor seemed in any way acquainted if there was any person near enough to observe them.† All things being prepared, Charles set out from Navarre, and, after being delayed for a few days by contrary winds, embarked on the 2d of July at seven in the evening, from Saint Nazaire, at the mouth of the Loire. At the island of Belleisle they were further detained till the 13th, expecting the Elizabeth, but, on her arrival, proceeded in good earnest on their voyage. It was from Belleisle that the Prince bade a last farewell to his friends in Italy. "I hope in God we shall soon meet, which I am resolved shall not be but at "home. . . . I am, thank God, in perfect good health, but "have been a little sea-sick, and expect to be more so; "but it does not keep me much abed, for I find the more "I struggle against it the better." As a disguise, he

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* It is called Le Du Belier by Charles himself in his letter of August 2. 1745 (see Appendix); but all other authorities agree in the name La Doutelle.

† Jacobite Memoirs of 1745, p. 2.; a valuable work, compiled from the papers of Bishop Forbes, by Sir Henry Steuart of Alanton, and R. Chambers, Esq. 1834.

To Mr. Edgar, July 12. 1745. In the proceedings abroad I always give the date according to the New Style, but in Great Britain according to the Old. The same is to be observed of Prince Charles's own letters.

wore the habit of a student of the Scots College at Paris, and his rank was not known to the crew; and to conceal his person still more, he allowed his beard to grow until his arrival in Scotland.

On the fourth day after leaving Belleisle the adventurers fell in with a British man-of-war of 58 guns, called the Lion, and commanded by Captain Brett, the same officer who, in Anson's expedition, had stormed Paita. An engagement ensued between this ship and the Elizabeth, when after a well-matched fight of five or six hours, the vessels parted, each nearly disabled. The Lion found it necessary to put back to England, and the Elizabeth to France. As to the Doutelle, it had kept aloof during the conflict; Charles had earnestly pressed Mr. Walsh to allow him to engage in it, but Walsh, feeling the magnitude of his charge, exerted his authority, as owner of the vessel, and steadily refused, saying at last, that if the Prince insisted any more he should order him down to the cabin!* The Doutelle now pursued her voyage alone; but the return of the Elizabeth lost Charles the greater part of the arms and stores he had so laboriously provided.

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Two days afterwards the little bark that bore "Cæsar "and his fortunes," was chased by another large vessel, but escaped by means of superior sailing, and was rapidly wafted among the Western Isles.† After about a fortnight's voyage, it moored near the little islet of Erisca, between Barra and South Uist. As they neared the shore, an eagle that came hovering round the ship, delighted the adventurers by its favourable augury. Here," said Lord Tullibardine, turning to his master, "is the King of Birds come to welcome your Royal Highness "to Scotland!" Charles and his followers then landed and passed the night on shore. They learnt that this cluster of islands belonged to Macdonald of Clanranald, a young chief attached to the Jacobite cause, -that Clanranald himself had gone to the mainland; but that his

*Narrative of Mr. Æneas Macdonald, one of the Prince's companions. (Jacobite Memoirs, p. 7.)

There is some discrepancy here as to the dates (compare the Jacobite Memoirs, p. 9. with the Lockhart Papers, vol. ii. p. 479.); but it is of small importance. The day of Charles's landing in Moidart was certainly July 25. O. S.