quaint Sir Ralph Gore, that I was under a pre-engagement, and not at my own choice to act in it; and have since troubled my Lady Ashe with a letter to the same effect, which I hope has not miscarried. However, upon my return to London, I will further inquire into that matter, and see if there is any room left for me to negotiate as you propose. I still live in hopes of seeing you in England; and if you would take my house at Bilton' in your way, (it lies upon the road within a mile of Rugby,) I would strive hard to meet you there, provided you would make me happy in your company for some days. The greatest pleasure I have met with for some months, is in the conversation of my old friend, Dr. Smalridge, who, since the death of the excellent man you mention, is to me the most candid and agreeable of all bishops; I would say, clergymen, were not deans comprehended under that title. We have often talked of you; and when I assure you he has an exquisite taste of writing, I need not tell you how he talks on such a subject. I look upon it as my good fortune, that I can express my esteem of you, even to those who are not of the bishop's party, without giving offence. When a man has so much compass in his character, he affords his friends topics enough to enlarge upon, that all sides admire. I am sure a zealous sincere and friendly behaviour distinguishes you as much as your many more shining talents; and as I have received particular instances of it, you must have a very bad opinion of me, if you do not think I heartily love and respect you; and that I am ever, dear sir, Your most obedient and Most humble servant, J. ADDISON. A small village in Warwickshire, where Mr. Addison's only daughter long resided, and died in 1797, at a very advanced age. 2 Bishop of Bristol. 3 Dr. St. George Ashe, Bp. of Derry. Addison, it must be remembered, was a witness appealed to by both parties, in the dispute between Swift and Steele, nor was he likely to have paid this very pointed compliment to our author on the steadiness of his friendships, had there been real ground for charging him with gross injustice towards a person with whom Addison himself was still more intimately connected both by private intercourse and party habits. Walter Scott. Sir Since the preceding pages were printed off, the following papers have been discovered. They relate to the subject mentioned at pages 506, 507, THE QUARREL BETWEEN THE KING AND THE PRINCE OF WALES (afterwards GEORGE II.). *The French letter which follows on the next page is the enclosure referred to at page 506, and is, as we suspected, the original of that given in English at page 507. It would appear that Sunderland and Temple Stanyan, as well as Addison, were busy in forwarding Crown' statements of the affair to foreign envoys, as we see by the two next letters. Accounts of it will be found in Rapin, (i. e. Tindal,) vol. v. 550, Jesse's Court of England, vol. iii. p. 5-14, Walpole's Reminiscences and Mem. of GEO. II., Lamberty, Mem. du 18me Siècle; Pictorial England, iv. 343, and elsewhere. Strange to say, it is not even alluded to in Smollett's continuation of Hume. THE EARL OF SUNDERLAND TO MR. DAYROLLES. Whitehall, 3rd December, 1717. SIR, Having now four mails due from Holland, I should have nothing to write to you, but that I think it convenient you should know the true state of the unfortunate affair that has lately happened in the Royal Family, of which you will find a summary account in my Office Circular. This is a matter that one would wish it were possible to conceal; but, as the world will have the story, and probably not a little misrepresented, it is fit you should be informed of the truth, both for your own private use, and to set others right, as there may be occasion. I am, Sir, Your most humble servant, TEMPLE STANYAN (FOR ADDISON) TO MR. WORSLEY. SIR, Whitehall, 10th December, 1717. Mr. Secretary Addison, being indisposed, has directed me to acquaint you, that he has received your favour of the 14th past, with the enclosed papers relating to Mr. La Roche, since which he has likewise received yours of the 30th past, concerning the British merchants being ordered by the viceroy to quit their residence in the Bahia in Brazil. Upon which subjects Mr. Consul Poyntz has also writ to him. My Lord Sunderland has laid your letters before the King; and Mr. Secretary hopes to receive his Majesty's commands upon them, as soon as his health will permit. As people will be very busy in talking of an unfortunate affair that has lately happened in the Royal Family, and which, in all likelihood, may be very much misrepresented, I VOL. V. 2 L herewith transmit to you, by Mr. Secretary's order, the enclosed paper, containing a distinct relation of that matter, which has likewise been communicated to all the Foreign Ministers. Mr. Secretary heartily wishes it were possible to conceal this disagreeable story; but, as it must be public, he thinks it fit you should know the truth of it, both for your own information, and that you may set others right, who shall happen to ask about it. Application having been made to Mr. Secretary in behalf of Mr. Samuel Freemantle, an English merchant in Lisbon, for the recovery of several debts due to him from some Portuguese noblemen and others, Mr. Secretary takes leave, at the request of a friend of his, to recommend the said Freemantle's case to your favour and assistance; and though his Majesty has not been applied to on his account, Mr. Secretary orders me to tell you, that he questions not but you will do the said Mr. Freemantle such good offices as may be consistent with the justice of his demands and the laws of the country, and he desires you will speak to Mr. Consul Poyntz to do the like. I am, sir, Mr. Worsley. Your most obedient and TEMPLE STANYAN. ADDISON'S FRENCH CIRCULAR ON THE ROYAL QUARREL. (Of which the translation is given at p. 507.) Londres, le 14 Decembre, 1717. Sa Majesté aiant été informée qu'on fait courir plusieurs bruits, la plus part mal fondez, de ce qui s'est passé dernierement dans la Famille Royale, m'a ordonné de vous en envoier la Relation ci-incluse. Aussitôt que le jeune Prince fut né, le Roi se fit informer de ce qu'on avoit accoutumé d'observer en pareil cas dans ce Royaume, par rapport à la ceremonie de Batême; et ayant vû par les Registres, que lorsque c'étoit un garçon, et que le Roi en étoit le Parrain, il avoit accoutumé de nommer pour second Parrain un des principaux Seigneurs de la Cour, et le plus souvent le Lord Chambellan, il nomma pour cette fonction le Duc de Newcastle, qui est revêtu de cette charge; nommant en même tems pour Marraine la Duchesse de St. Alban's, première dame d3 honneur de Madame la Princesse. Cependant, Son Altesse Royale le Prince de Galles en conçut un tel chagrin, que jeudi dernier, après la solemnité du Batême finie, ne se trouvant plus maître de son ressentiment, il s'approcha du Duc de Newcastle, et lui dit des injures très fortes, dans la supposition qu'il avoit brigué cet honneur contre son gré. Le Roi se trouvoit encore alors dans la chambre, mais il n'étoit pas à portée d'entendre ce que le Prince disoit au Duc. Ce dernier s'étant crû obligé d'en informer le Roi, et le Prince ayant avoué la chose aux Ducs de Kingston et de Kent et de Roxbourgh, (que S. M. lui envoya le lendemain à cette occasion,) S. M. lui fit ordonner par un second message de ne pas sortir de son appartement jusqu'à nouvel ordre. Samedi le Prince ecrivoit une Lettre au Roi, et le lendemain (Dimanche) une autre; mais S. M. ne les ayant pas trouvées satisfactoires, et ayant d'ailleurs des sujets de mecontentement de diverses autres demarches du Prince, lui fit dire, hier aprés midi, par son ViceChambellan, Mr. Cooke, qu'il eut de sortir du Palais de St. James, et à Madame la Princesse, qu'elle pouvoit rester dans la Palais, autant qu'elle le jugeroit à propos, mais que pour les Princesses ses filles et le jeune Prince, le Roi vouloit qu'ils restassent auprés de lui dans le Palais, et qu'il seroit permis à Madame la Princesse de les voir aussi souvent qu'elle souhaiteroit. Cependant la Princesse, ne voulant pas quitter le Prince son époux, se retira avec lui chez le Comte de Grantham, son Grand Chambellan, dans la maison du quel LL. A.A. RR. ont couché la nuit passé.' This Letter (or rather Circular) appeared in the Amsterdam Gazette. The Critic, a Weekly Paper of that period, published a translation in London with the following somewhat time-serving strictures. "This Letter is too full to need a comment; neither is it proper upon such a subject to make any. Only it may be observed that his Majesty has, through the whole affair, behaved himself with the highest heroism and self-denial, in asserting the cause of the British Peerage, (which was insulted in one of its noblest Members,) against his own son. It had indeed been beneath the Duke of Newcastle not to have resented it; but it is even above what could be expected from a King, to redress it so effectually. This must sure endear him to the nation for ever; and his Royal Highness, as he one day expects to fill the Throne himself, cannot look upon it as an injury to have his Majesty thus justified from wicked imputations, though it unfortunately happens to be at his expense. If any sycophant-incendiaries should insinuate the contrary to him, 'tis hoped he may at last find them. And certainly no disgrace can be too heavy for such, who have taken it into their heads to aggrandize themselves by the disunion of a Royal Family." * * "The detention of the Royal infants is the principal topic. Because OFFICIAL REPORT TO THE KING OF THE PRINCE'S CONDUCT. December 3rd, 1717. YOUR Majesty having commanded us to give you in writing an exact account of what passed between His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales and us, when by your Majesty's order we had the honour to attend him on Friday last, the 29th of November, we humbly beg leave to acquaint your Majesty-That, as near as we can remember, the Lord Privy Seal, having your Majesty's signed order in his hand, told His Royal Highness, that we were sent by your Majesty to ask him, if it was true he had said to the Duke of New castle "You rascal, I will fight you." To which His Royal Highness answered, "I did not say, 'I will fight you;' but I said, 'You rascal, I will find you:' and I will find him; for he has often failed in his respect to me, particularly on this late occasion, by insisting on standing godfather to my son, when he knew that it was against my will; and I should not have suffered it, if it had not been in duty to the king." He likewise added, that it was the right of every subject in England to choose who should be godfather to their children, and that he would never allow any subject in England to use him ill. The Lord Steward then desired His Royal Highness would consider what answer we should carry to the king. But His Royal Highness having repented [of] what he said before,— The Duke of Roxburgh took the liberty to say that, if His Royal Highness would allow him, he would acquaint him, that the Duke of Newcastle had told him, that he had begged the king not to have any consideration of him on that occasion; for he had no other concern in it, than simply to obey His Majesty's commands. nis Highness, it seems, has expressed himself with a paternal concern for them, 'tis to be wire-drawn into a demand; that so, beneath the umbrage of such a message, they, the enemies of the Constitution, may vent their collected gall with a show of authority. But these gentlemen are to understand that his Royal Highness is more an Englishman than they are willing to allow, and has not only too much insight into the rights of princes in general, but of our own in particular, to give way to any such of their instigation. He knows how the best action of the whole life of KING CHARLES II. was the prerogative he claimed of marrying his brother's daughters, in spite of him. His answer to the Duke of York, upon that head, may stand as an unalterable maxim of government in this free nation. 'What!' said the Duke, (swelling with a presumption of the wrong which was offered him,) shall not I have the disposal of my own children? Are they not my daughters?' 'No;' replied the king, they are the kingdom's; and as such I am bound to take care of them.' To this one wise step of that prince we owe our retrieval from the fatal consequence of all the other mismanagements of his reign. This originally secured to us our present constitution, and even the blessings of his Majesty's reign, and the prospect of that of his Royal race after him.” |