Volume I Part 12 (2/2)
BISHOP ROCKET.--”Know then, Lord Mount-Leinster, that I shall send my sedan chairmen to fight you!!”
”A precious boon, and peerless proxies, I needs must say, my Lord Bishop, thou hast chosen!!! In sooth I oft have heard of knights of the lance and eke of the bucket,[29] but never until now heard of knights of the pole! But although, from your Lords.h.i.+p's reply, it appears that your _next_ and _nearest_ of kin happen to be your sedan-chairmen!! my own dignity prevents me having any further parley with you, much less contact with _your kindred_!” And then Lord Mount-Leinster, wheeling around, made his exit from the robing-room, flinging a rapid and most contemptuous look at the discomfitted bishop.
[29] This slily alludes to the _Secchia Rapita_, (”The Rape of the Bucket,”) a burlesque poem, by Ta.s.soni.
All peers and prelates, much diverted at the result, now withdrew.
_Solventur risu curiae._ The enemies of Bishop Rocket (who had certainly sprung from a low origin) insisted that his two sedan chairmen were his own proper kinsmen, and, moreover, bore his name. His friends did not deny the charge; but said, in extenuation, that ”after all this was no wondrous thing, as the Mareschal de Richelieu, when at Vienna, had purchased baronies for his two _porteurs de chaise_; and when some ladies of fas.h.i.+on boasted that they had in their kitchen several French Marquises, 'I believe it,' replied the Mareschal, 'for my sedan chair is supported by a brace of German barons!'”
The eulogists of Lord Mount-Leinster loudly lauded him for the chivalrous spirit which he had manifested in this _rencontre_ with the Church, which they considered and maintained as in no wise inferior to the adventure of the redoubted knight _de la Mancha_, when he encountered the windmill, and whose valour it was confessed was only to be paralleled with his discretion!
CHAPTER X.
Times have their changes; sorrows make us wise: The sun itself must set as well as rise!
PERKIN WARBECK.
While matters were going forward in Ireland as we have endeavoured to describe them in the preceding chapters, the tide, meanwhile, of political occurrences in England arose to a tempestuous and uncontrollable flood, that was wholly unexpected by Tyrconnel, and quite unapprehended by his royal master. To England, therefore, we now must trace our steps.
The various unpopular and arbitrary acts of King James the Second paralyzed those loyal effusions that burst forth when he ascended the royal throne of the Stuarts. The acquittal of the seven bishops who had been arbitrarily imprisoned in the tower still further increased the king's unpopularity. The confiscation too of property which followed, and the attainder of many loyal Protestants, soon swelled high the torrent that shortly was to burst against the abutments of his throne, and destroy that prerogative of power which he had so unjustly and so unconst.i.tutionally a.s.sumed. Many now doubted the justness of the appellation of ”James the Just,” which had been awarded him shortly subsequent to his having been proclaimed king. Indeed his going publicly to ma.s.s two days consequent to his succession to the crown, at the time gave surprise and offence to the nation. Some events too occurred in those superst.i.tious days, that in the present times would be slightly pa.s.sed over, but which, albeit, were certainly considered as ill omens in that age. At the solemnity of the coronation, the crown not being properly fitted for the royal head, was often observed in a tottering condition, and likely to fall off. Mr. Henry Sidney supported it once with his hand, and pleasantly told the king,[30] that ”this was not the first time that his family had supported the crown.” ”In one of the churches in London, the king's arms, stained on a gla.s.s window, suddenly fell down and broke in pieces, while the rest remained standing, without a possibility of discovery why that part should fall down sooner than the rest. The canopy also, which had been borne over his head at the coronation, did break.”[31]
[30] Rapin's History of England, vol. II. pages 742, 743, and Note.
[31] Ibid.--pages 742, 743, 771.
James II. espoused the Princess Maria d'Este, the sister of Francis Duke of Modena, who was as beautiful as she was unfortunate. The queen had been married some time without presenting her royal consort with a child. When this event did take place, malice, falsehood, envy, and intrigue, were not slow in p.r.o.nouncing that the heir apparent thus born was a ”suppositious Prince of Wales.” Then followed the ridiculous episodes of the ”sham conception,” and ”the warming-pan,” which were all a tissue of forgery and falsehood, still further intended to diminish the king's decreasing popularity, and bring his person and throne into disrepute. But upon the whole ma.s.s and evidence of history that is presented, the only conclusion to be drawn was this, and only this--that the Prince of Wales, so far from being suppositious, was royally and legally born, the royal and lawful successor to his father's throne and realms.
In consequence of all these combining unpopular results, a resolution was taken by many of the disappointed, disaffected n.o.bility and gentry, of calling in the Prince of Orange of Na.s.sau to ascend the throne of Britain. And in pursuance of this determination several n.o.blemen and gentlemen were secretly deputed to go over to the prince, and invite him to a.s.sume the sceptre of England. To these invitations the prince fully acceded, and firmly determined to head the party. It need not be told the reader that the Prince of Orange was the son-in-law of King James, having espoused his daughter, the Princess Mary. The intriguing party used all their endeavours to prevent the secret of their project from being divulged. In this matter the Earl of Sunderland basely betrayed his royal master. Meanwhile King James remained wholly incredulous to the belief of the existence of these political machinations; and although he was advised thereto by Mr. Skelton, his Majesty's Envoy at the Hague, ”that a great project was secretly carrying on against him,”
yet was this incredulous sovereign so sure of success, that he quite neglected this intelligence, conceiving that it was only an artifice to divert him from his designs; and he, therefore, to all such reports closed an unwilling and unbelieving ear.
Numbers of the English n.o.bility and gentry now addressed the Prince of Orange to deliver them from that oppression under which they bent. And in reply to a long _memoire_ presented to the prince, he published two manifestoes, declaratory of, and justifying his descent upon England, which were accompanied by his embarkation from the states of Holland, and shortly followed by his arrival in England, where by numbers his Highness was warmly received. Many personages of high rank declared to him their support; and furthermore, several regiments of the army of King James joined the standard of the Prince of Orange.
At length the landing of the prince, and the cordial reception with which he met withal, awoke the royal and too incredulous James from his trance, and he now finally resolved upon the measure of flying from his discontented subjects, whom he considered had betrayed him by thus calling in a foreigner to a.s.sume the sovereignty; and he forth-with determined to sail with what expedition he might from the sh.o.r.es of England, and put himself at once under the protection of the King of France.
However, previous to the flight of the unhappy James from his throne and realm of fair England, he resolved in the first instance to provide for the escape of his queen consort, and his son, the infant Prince of Wales. King James was so surrounded by spies and informers, that the very greatest circ.u.mspection was absolutely necessary to shun the hundred eyes of Argus which environed him; for, as but too often is the unhappy case with kings, that almost literally he knew not whom to trust. While flatterers and sycophants surround and blockade a throne, it must not be expected that truth, sincerity, or friends.h.i.+p, can there be found;--no! they are quite unknown within the stately precincts of a court! But still there was one found, and one worthy of the royal trust--the Count de Lauzun, a n.o.ble, brave, and generous Frenchman; and to this n.o.bleman the king intrusted his queen and infant son, to a.s.sist them in conducting them in safety to France, aloof from all the enemies of the royal James.
The plan of proceeding, and all the consecutive details, were accordingly secretly arranged, and the greatest and most scrupulous care and caution were duly taken to keep these determinations a profound secret, lest the flight of the queen and infant prince being known or suspected, the measure might be wholly frustrated by the intervention of the emissaries of the Prince of Orange.
The solemn hour of midnight was selected as the safest time for the flight of the royal fugitives. The young prince, to escape suspicion, was placed in bed at his accustomed hour; and shortly after the king and queen, having duly dismissed all their attendants, retired seemingly to repose, but not to rest!
When the eyes of all in the palace were closed, save the waking, watching, unwearied eye-lids of the royal sufferers, the king and queen arose from their couch, and cautiously opened the private door leading to the royal closet, where in readiness awaited the n.o.ble and faithful Count de Lauzun. The queen raised the infant prince from his cradle, wrapped him in a swathe of flannel to keep the infant warm; indeed no unnecessary precaution, for cold and bitter was the winter weather in which the royal child was thus in silent secrecy of night taken away from the princely hall of his royal progenitors.
King James affectionately embraced them both, as sad and sorrowful he bade them a mournful farewell; and wept most bitterly at this parting scene, in which affliction his royal consort fully partic.i.p.ated. His Majesty then intrusted them both to the loyal charge of the n.o.ble and faithful count, who taking the royal infant under one arm, while he a.s.sisted the queen with the other, they set forth from the palace to pursue their perilous and melancholy journey.
Stormy and tempestuous was the night, the wind blew with violence, and rain impetuously descended in torrents. They now approached the banks of the Thames, in order to procure a boat to cross over to Lambeth. At this point of time Count de Lauzun had previously engaged a boat to be ready in attendance, thence to escape down the river to Gravesend, to come up with the vessel which he had hired, and there awaited to convey them to France. But unluckily it happened that so pitchy dark and stormy was the night, the boat, when hailed, was not to be found. In total despair for some moments he remained; but again, more loud and stoutly once more he hailed the boat: the signal was heard, and obeyed. They descended down the Whitehall stairs and embarked; and finding a great swell in the river the count resolved not to proceed by water to Gravesend, but to land at Lambeth, and thence proceed by land. They arrived in safety at the Lambeth stairs, and landed, when the count surrendered to the queen the royal charge to hold, while he went forth to obtain a coach from the nearest adjoining inn.
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