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CHAP. of Dunbar. This triumvirate, then the two Hays and Murray-ruled every thing at the little Court of 1725. James, and raised much dissatisfaction amongst his partisans. Inverness, according to a most respectable authority, "was a cunning, false, avaricious crea"ture, of very ordinary parts, cultivated by no sort "of literature, and altogether void of experience in "business; with insolence prevailing often over "his little stock of prudence. The lady was a mere coquette, tolerably handsome, but withal prodigiously vain and arrogant." Of Dunbar it is admitted, that the character stood far higher; he was brother of William Murray, afterwards Earl of Mansfield, and like that brother had talents of the highest order, and well suited for public affairs, but he was injured at this time by his connection with the Hays.

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The Pretender himself, though a mild, goodnatured, and well-meaning man, was still a Stuart, and not free from the especial curse of that race; when once prepossessed by any favourites, however worthless, he would see and hear nothing to their discredit, and considered all remonstrances against them as insults to himself. It was not long before his titular Queen, Clementina, a Princess of high spirit and blameless character, began to complain of the intolerable insolence with which she was treated by Inverness and his wife. Finding that she could obtain no belief or redress against them, she next applied to her husband's religious * Lockhart's Memoirs, vol. ii. p. 340.

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1725.

scruples, by lamenting that the Prince's Governor, CHAP. Dunbar, should be a Protestant! Nay, more, she urged the same objection against Inverness, as minister, and was foolish enough to use an expression which James, with still more signal folly, afterwards published to the world :-"If he have not "true faith to God, can he be truly faithful to his "master? * She declared that she would not live with her husband unless Inverness were removed; and at length, on the 15th of November, fulfilled her threat by leaving James's palace, and retiring to the Convent of St. Cecilia, at Rome. Her principal adviser was the veteran, and now unemployed, intriguer, Alberoni; one morning that ambitious priest was six hours and a half together, at her Convent.t

Many explanatory letters and memorials were soon handed about on the part of James or of Clementina; he complained of her temper ‡, she of

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* "In answer to what I say of Lord Inverness's fidelity she puts me the question, 'S'il est infidèle à Dieu, sera-t-il fidèle "'à son maître?"" Circular letter of James, dated March 2. 1726.

✦ Circular letter, March 2. 1726, and to the Duke of Ripperda, December 7. 1725.

‡ "Vous ne pouvez que vous souvenir avec quelle patience j'ai souffert vos bouderies depuis plus de deux ans, et que "dans le temps où vous vouliez à peine me parler ou me regarder, je n'ai pris autre parti que celui du silence." - James to Clementina, November 11. 1725. Yet Montaigne might have taught him that "ceulx qui ont à négocier avec des "femmes testues peuvent avoir essayé à quelle rage on les jecte

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CHAP. his obstinacy; but it is very strange, that in this case the most voluminous flow of explanation and recrimination was not on the lady's side!

1725.

These mazes of conflicting statements would be difficult to pierce, and might wholly shut out the truth from us, did we not find a trusty guide in Lockhart of Carnwath. It is impossible to read the Memoirs and Letters of that gentleman without high respect and confidence in his character. A Jacobite from most conscientious principle-always pursuing what he thought the right, through good report and ill report - always telling the truth without fear or favour- he at last offended the Court of James by his frankness as much as the Court of George by his exertions. "It was," he "commonly reported and believed, that Lady Inverness was the King's mistress, and that "the Queen's jealousy was the cause of the rup

tells us

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ture; but I have been often assured, by persons "on whom I may depend, that whilst they lived "with the King they could observe nothing in "him tending that way, and did verily believe "there was nothing of that in the matter."* Nor, in fact, do Clementina's own letters seem to speak of jealousy. But, with the same equal hand, does Lockhart proceed to condemn the intriguing

"quand on oppose à leur agitation le silence et la froideur, et "qu'on desdaigne de nourrir leur courroux." Essais, livre ii. ch. 31.

* Memoirs, vol. ii. p. 340.

character of Inverness, and the weak partiality of CHAP. He observes, that this obstinate devo

his master.
tion to favourites, seeming to grow in proportion
to the complaints which they provoked, did the
Jacobite cause incalculable evil, both at home and
abroad. At Vienna, the Emperor, whose House
was allied to that of Sobieski, was highly displeased
at the treatment of his kinswoman. At Madrid, the
Queen of Spain, as appears from the Stuart Papers,
considered the privileges of her sex as invaded, and
resented it with the utmost indignation.* Thus,
at this important crisis, did James give personal
offence to the two Sovereigns on whose aid all his
hopes depended. He endeavoured to blind his
British partisans as to the mischief done abroad †,
but he could not so easily conceal from them the
ill effects which they had before their eyes. "Your
"trustees," answers Lockhart, "are glad to hear
"from so good an authority as yourself (without
"which they would scarce have credited it), that
"this affair is not likely to produce any bad con-
sequences on your affairs abroad, but it is with
"the greatest concern that they see quite the con-
trary at home; and therefore are obliged, by the

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duty they owe you, in plain words to tell you,

that, so far as their observations and intelligence "reaches, they apprehend it is the severest stroke

* Duke of Wharton to James, Madrid, April 13. 1726. Appendix. The King of Spain withdrew his pension from James. William Stanhope to the Duke of Newcastle, February 11. 1726. + Letter of James, May 1. 1726.

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1725.

1726.

СНАР.
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1726.

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your affairs have got these many years, and will "be such an impediment to them, that they have "much reason to think no circumstance of time,

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no situation of the affairs of Europe, can make "amends; which thought affects them the more "that they perceive you have expectations that something will soon cast up in your favour, and "it is a very mortifying reflection that such an "opportunity should be frustrated. They beg "leave, with the greatest respect and submission, "to represent that they believe this point to be of "such consequence to you, that, in good policy "and prudence, you should rather pass by some failings in, and make some condescensions to the "Queen, than not repair a breach that in all appearance will prove fatal. They have seriously "considered how to put such a face upon it as may be most for your service; but cannot find any expedient so probable as not to revive and bring the matter upon the carpet, for your people here, of all kinds, have got such an im

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pression of the Queen's great merit, and are so "prepossessed with the reports of her being ill "used by some about you, that it is in vain to "attempt dispossessing them of that notion....... May God Almighty direct you in this, perhaps, "the most critical step of your life!"*

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There was also another incident, soon after

* Mr. Lockhart to James, July 23. 1726. He writes in the name of all James's "Trustees" in Scotland.