The Letters of Horace Walpole, Earl of Orford Volume I Part 73

447 Letter 185 To Sir Horace Mann.

Arlington Street, Nov. 4, 1745.

It is just a fortnight since I wrote to you last: in all that time the rebellion has made no progress, nor produced any incidents worth mentioning. They have entrenched themselves very strongly in the Duke of Buccleuch's park, whose seat, about seven miles from Edinburgh, they have seized. We had an account last week of the Boy's being retired to Dunkirk, but it was not true. Kelly,(1127) who is gone to solicit succour from France, was seized at Helvoet, but by a stupid burgher released. Lord Loudon is very brisk in the north of Scotland, and has intercepted and beat some of their parties. Marshal Wade was to march from Newcastle yesterday.

But the rebellion does not make half the noise here that one of its consequences does.

Fourteen lords (most of them I have named to you), at the beginning, offered to raise regiments; these regiments, so handsomely tendered at first, have been since put on the regular establishment; not much to the honour of the undertakers or of the firmness of the ministry, and the King is to pay them. One of the great grievances of this is, that these most disinterested colonels have named none but their own relations and dependents for the officers, who are to have rank; and consequently, both colonels and subalterns will interfere with the brave old part of the army, who have served all the war. This has made great clamour. The King was against their having rank, but would not refuse it; yet wished that the House of Commons would address him not to grant it.

This notification of his royal mind encouraged some of the old part of the ministry, particularly Winnington and Fox, to undertake to procure this Address. Friday it came on in the committee; the Jacobites and patriots (such as are not included in the coalition) violently opposed the regiments themselves; so did Fox, in a very warm speech, levelled particularly at the Duke of Montagu, who, besides his old regiment, has one Of horse and one of foot on this new plan.(1128) Pitt defended them as warmly: the Duke of Bedford, Lord Gower, and Lord Halifax, being at the head of this job. At last, at ten at night, the thirteen regiments of foot were voted without a division, and the two of horse carried by 192 to 82. Then came the motion for the address, and in an hour and half more, was rejected by 126 to 124. Of this latter number were several of the old corps; I among the rest. It is to be reported to the House to-morrow, and will, I conclude, be at least as warm a day as the former. The King is now against the address, and all sides are using their utmost efforts. The fourteen lords threaten to throw up, unless their whole terms are complied with; and the Duke of Bedford is not moderately insolent against such of the King's servants as voted against him. Mr. Pelham espouses him; not recollecting that at least twice a-week all his new allies are suffered to oppose him as they please. I should be sorry, for the appearance, to have the regiments given up; but I am sure our affair is over, if our two old armies are beaten and we should come to want these new ones; four only of which are pretended to be raised. Pitt, who has alternately bullied and flattered Mr. Pelham, is at last to be secretary-at-war;(1129) Sir W. Yonge to be removed to vice-treasurer of Ireland, and Lord Torrington(1130) to have a pension in lieu of it. An ungracious parallel between the mercenary views Of these patriot heroes, the regiment-factors, and of their acquiescent agents, the ministry, with the disinterested behaviour of m Lord Kildare,(1131) was drawn on Friday by Lord Doneraile; who read the very proposals of the latter for raising, clothing, and arming a regiment at his own expense, and for which he had been told, but the very day before this question, that the King had no occasion.--"And how," said Lord Doneraile, "can one account for this, but by saying, that we have a ministry who are either too good-natured to refuse a wrong thing, or too irresolute to do a right one!"

I am extremely pleased with the, purchase of the Eagle and Altar, and think them cheap: and I even begin to believe that I shall be able to pay for them. The gesse statues are all arrived safe. Your last letter was dated Oct. 19, N. S. and left you up to the chin in water(1132) just as we were drowned five years ago. Good night, if you are alive still!

(1127) He had been confined in the Tower ever since the a.s.sa.s.sination plot, in the reign of King William; but at last made his escape.

(1128) This circ.u.mstance is thus alluded to in Sir C. H.

Williams's ballad of "The heroes.

"Three regiments one Duke contents, With two more places you know: Since his Bath Knights, his Grace delights In Tri-a junct' in U-no."

The Duke of Montagu was master of the great wardrobe, a place worth eight thousand pounds a-year. He was also grand-master of the order of the Bath.-D.

(1129) In the May following, Mr. Pitt was appointed paymaster of the forces.-E.

(1130) Pattee Byng, second Viscount Torrington. He had been made vice-treasurer of Ireland upon the going out of the Walpole administration.-D.

(1131) @ James Fitzgerald, twentieth Earl of Kildare; created in 1761, Marquis of Kildare, and in 1766 Duke of Leinster- -Irish honours.-D.

(1132) By an inundation of the Arno.

449 Letter 186 To Sir Horace Mann.

Arlington Street, Nov. 15, 1745.

I told you in my last what disturbance there had been about the new regiments; the affair of rank was again disputed on the report till ten at night, and carried by a majority of 23.

The King had been persuaded to appear for it, though Lord Granville made it a party point against Mr. Pelham.

Winnington did not speak. I was not there, for I could not vote for it, and yielded not to give any hindrance to a public measure (or at least what was called so) ' just now. The Prince acted openly, and influenced his people against it; but it, only served to let Mr. Pelham see, what, like every thing else, he did not know, how strong he is. The King will scarce speak to him, and he cannot yet get Pitt into place.

The rebels are come into England: for two days we believed them near Lancaster, but the ministry now own that they don't know if they have pa.s.sed Carlisle. Some think they will besiege that town, which has an old wall, and the militia in it of c.u.mberland and Westmoreland; but as they can pa.s.s by it, I don't see why they should take it; for they are not strong enough to leave garrisons. Several desert them as they advance south; and altogether, good men and bad, n.o.body believes them ten thousand. By their marching westward to avoid Wade, it is evident they are not strong enough to fight him. They may yet retire back into their mountains, but if once they get to Lancaster, their retreat is cut off; for Wade 'will not stir from Newcastle, till he has embarked them deep into England, and then he will be behind them. He has sent General Handasyde from Berwick with two regiments to take possession of Edinburgh. The rebels are certainly in a Very desperate situation: they dared not meet Wade; and if they had waited for him their troops would have deserted. Unless they meet with great risings in their favour in Lancas.h.i.+re, I don't see what they can hope, except from a continuation of our neglect. That, indeed, has n.o.bly exerted itself for them.

They were suffered to march the whole length of Scotland, and take possession of the capital, without a man appearing against them. Then two thousand men sailed to them, to run from them. Till the flight of Cope's army, Wade was not sent.

'Two roads still lay into England, and till they had chosen that which Wade had not taken, no army was thought of being sent to secure the other. Now Ligonier, with seven old regiments, and six of the new, is ordered to Lancas.h.i.+re: before this first division of the army could get to Coventry, they are forced to order it to halt, for fear the enemy should be up with it before it was all a.s.sembled. It is uncertain if the rebels will march to the north of Wales, to Bristol, or towards London. If to the latter, Ligonier must fight the n: if to either of the other, I hope, the two armies may join and drive them into a corner, where they must all perish. They cannot subsist in Wales, but by being supplied by the' Papists in Ireland(. The best is, that we are in no fear from France; there is no preparation for invasions in any of their ports. Lord Clancarty,(1133) a Scotchman of great parts, but mad and drunken, and whose family forfeited 90,000 pounds [email protected] for King James, is made vice-admiral at Brest. The Duke of Bedford goes in his little round person with his regiment: he now takes to the land, and says he is tired of being a pen and ink man. Lord Gower too, insisted upon going with his regiment, but is laid up with the gout.

With the rebels in England, you may imagine we have no private news, nor think of foreign. From this account you may judge, that our case is far from desperate, though disagreeable, The Prince, while the Princess lies-in, has taken to give dinners, to which he asks two of the ladies of the bedchamber, two of the maids of honour, etc. by turns, and five or six others.

He sits at the head of the table, drinks and harangues to all this medley till nine at night; and the other day, after the affair of the regiments, drank Mr. Fox's health in a b.u.mper, with three huzzas, for opposing Mr. Pelham--

"Si quel fata aspera rumpas, Tu Marcellus eris!"

You put me in pain for my eagle, and in more for the Chutes; whose zeal is very heroic, but very ill-placed. I long to hear that all my Chutes and eagles are safe out of the Pope's hands! Pray wish the Suares's joy of all their espousals.

Does the Princess pray abundantly for her friend the Pretender? Is she extremely abbatue with her devotion? and does she fast till she has got a violent appet.i.te for supper?

And then, does she eat so long that old Sarrasin is quite impatient to go to cards again? Good night! I intend you shall be resident from King George.

P. S. I forgot to tell you, that the other day I concluded the ministry knew the danger was all over; for the Duke of Newcastle ventured to have the Pretender's declaration burnt at the Royal Exchange.

(1133) Donagh Maccarty, Earl of Clancarty, was an Irishman, and not a Scotchman.-D.

451 Letter 187 To Sir Horace Mann.

Arlington Street, Nov. 22, 1745.

For these two days we have been expecting news of a battle.

Wade marched last Sat.u.r.day from Newcastle, and must have got up with the rebels, if they stayed for him, though the roads are exceedingly bad and great quant.i.ties of snow have fallen.

But last night there was some notice of a body of rebels being advanced to Penryth. We were put into great spirits by an heroic letter from the mayor of Carlisle, who had fired on the rebels and made them retire; he concluded with saying, "And so I think the town of Carlisle has done his Majesty more service than the great city of Edinburgh, or than all Scotland together." But this hero, who was crown the whole fas.h.i.+on for four-and-twenty hours, had chosen to stop all other letters.

The King spoke of him at his levee with great encomiums; Lord Stair said, "Yes, sir, Mr. Patterson has behaved very bravely." The Duke of Bedford interrupted him; "My lord, his name is not Paterson; that is a Scotch name; his name is Patinson." But, alack! the next day the rebels returned, having placed the women and children of the country in wagons in front of their army, and forcing the peasants to fix the scaling-ladders. The great Mr. Pattinson, or Patterson (for now his name may be which one pleases,) instantly surrendered the town and agreed to pay two thousand pounds to save it from pillage. Well! then we were a.s.sured that the citadel could hold out seven or eight days but did not so many hours. On mustering the militia, there were not found above four men in a company; and for two companies, which the ministry, on a report of Lord Albemarle, who said they were to be sent from Wade's army, thought were there, and did not know were not there, there was nothing but two of invalids. Colonel Durand, the governor, fled, because he would not sign the capitulation, by which the garrison, it is said, has sworn never to bear arms against the house of Stuart. The Colonel sent two expresses, one to Wade, and another to Ligonier at Preston; but the latter was playing at whist with Lord Harrington at Petersham. Such is our diligence and attention!

All my hopes are in Wade, who was so sensible of the ignorance of our governors that he refused to accept the command, till they consented that he should be subject to no kind of orders from hence. The rebels are reckoned up to thirteen thousand; Wade marches with about twelve; but if they come southward, the other army will probably be to fight them; the Duke is to command it, and sets out next week with another brigade of Guards, and Ligonier under him. There are great apprehensions for Chester from the Flints.h.i.+re-men, who are ready to rise. A quartermaster, first sent to Carlisle, was seized and carried to Wade; he behaved most insolently; and being asked by the General, how many the rebels were, replied, "enough to beat any army you have in England." A Mackintosh has been taken, who reduces their formidability, by being sent to raise two clans, and with orders, if they would not rise, at least to give out they had risen, for that three clans would leave the Pretender, unless joined by those two. Five hundred new rebels are arrived at Perth, where our prisoners are kept.

I had this morning a subscription pool@ brought me for our parish; Lord Granville had refused to subscribe. This is in the style of his friend Lord Bath, who has absented himself whenever any act of authority was to be executed against the rebels.

Five Scotch lords are going to raise regiments 'a l'Angloise!

resident in London, while the rebels were in Scotland; they are to receive military emoluments for their neutrality!

The Fox man-of-war of twenty guns is lost off Dunbar. One Beavor, the captain, had done us notable service: the Pretender sent to commend his zeal and activity, and to tell him, that if he would return to his allegiance, be should soon have a flag. Beavor replied, "he never treated with any but princ.i.p.als; that if the Pretender would come on board him, he would talk with him." I must now tell you of our great Vernon: without once complaining to the ministry, he has written to Sir John Philipps, a distinguished Jacobite, to complain of want of provisions; yet they do not venture to recall him!

Yesterday they had another baiting from Pitt, who is ravenous for the place of secretary at war: they would give it him; but as a preliminary, he insists on a declaration of our having nothing to do with the Continent. He mustered his forces, but did not notify his intention; only at two o'clock Lyttelton said at the Treasury, that there would be business at the House. The motion was to augment our naval force, which, Pitt said, was the only method of putting an end to the rebellion.

s.h.i.+ps built a year hence to suppress an army of Highlanders, now marching through England! My uncle attacked him, and congratulated his country on the wisdom of the modern young men; and said he had a son of two-and-twenty, who, he did not doubt, would come over wiser than any of them. Pitt was provoked, and retorted on his negotiations and greyheaded experience. At those words, my uncle, as if he had been at Bartholomew fair, s.n.a.t.c.hed off his wig, and showed his gray hairs, which made the august senate laugh, and put Pitt out, who, after laughing himself, diverted his venom upon Mr.

Pelham. Upon the question, Pitt's party amounted but to thirty-six: in short, he has nothing left but his words, and his haughtiness, and his Lytteltons, and his Grenvilles.

Adieu!

453 Letter 188 To Sir Horace Mann.

Arlington Street, Nov. 29, 1745.

We have had your story here this week of the pretended pretender, but with the unlucky circ.u.mstance of its coming from the Roman Catholics. With all the faith you have in your little spy, I cannot believe it; though, to be sure, it has a Stuart-air, the not exposing the real boy to danger. The Duke of Newcastle mentioned your account this morning to my uncle; but they don't give any credit to the courier's relation. It grows so near being necessary for the young man to get off by any evasion, that I am persuaded all that party will try to have it believed. We are so far from thinking that they have not sent us one son, that two days ago we believed we had got the other too. A small s.h.i.+p has taken the Soleil privateer from Dunkirk, going to Montrose, with twenty French officers, sixty others, and the brother of the beheaded Lord Derwent.w.a.ter and his son,(1134) who at first was believed to be the second boy. News came yesterday of a second privateer, taken with arms and money; of another lost on the Dutch coast, and of Vernon being in pursuit of two more. All this must be a great damp to the party, who are coming on--fast--fast to their destruction. Last night they were to be at Preston, but several repeated accounts make them under five thousand--none above seven; they must have diminished greatly by desertion.

The country is so far from rising for them, that the towns are left desolate on their approach, and the people hide and bury their effects, even to their pewter. Warrington bridge is broken down, which will turn them some miles aside. The Duke, with the flower of that brave army which stood all the fire at Fontenoy, will rendezvous at Stone, beyond Litchfield, the day after to-morrow: Wade is advancing behind them, and will be at Wetherby in Yorks.h.i.+re to-morrow. In short, I have no conception of their daring to fight either army, nor see any visible possibility of their not being very soon destroyed.

My fears have been great, from the greatness of our stake; but I now write in the greatest confidence of our getting over this ugly business. We have another very disagreeable affair, that may have fatal consequences: there rages a murrain among the cows; we dare not eat milk, b.u.t.ter, beef, nor any thing from that species. Unless there is snow or frost soon, it is likely to @spread dreadfully though hitherto it has not reached many miles from London. At first, it was imagined that the Papists had empoisoned the pools; but the physicians have p.r.o.nounced it infectious, and brought from abroad.

I forgot to tell you, that my uncle begged the Duke of Newcastle to stifle this report of the sham Pretender lest the King should hear it and recall the Duke, as too great to fight a counterfeit. It is certain that the army adore the Duke, and are gone in the greatest spirits; and on the parade, as they began their march, the Guards vowed that they would neither give nor take quarter. For bravery, his Royal Highness is certainly no Stuart, but literally loves to be in the act of fighting. His brother has so far the same taste, that the night of his new son's christening, he had the citadel of Carlisle in sugar at supper, and the company besieged it with sugar-plums. It was well imagined, considering the time and the circ.u.mstances. One thing was very proper; old Marshal Stair was there, who is grown child enough to be fit to war only with such artillery. Another piece of ingenuity of that court was on the report of Pitt being named secretary at war. The Prince hates him, since the fall of Lord Granville: he said, Miss Chudleigh,(1135) one of the maids, was fitter for the employment; and dictated a letter which he made her write to Lord Harrington, to desire he would draw the warrant for her. There were fourteen people at table, and all were to sign it: the Duke of Queensberry(1136 would not, as being a friend of Pitt, nor Mrs. Layton, one of the dressers: however, it was actually sent, and the footman ordered not to deliver it till Sir William Yonge was at Lord Harrington's-alas! it would be endless to tell you all his Caligulisms! A ridiculous thing happened when the Princess saw company: the new-born babe was shown in a mighty pretty cradle, designed by Kent, under a canopy in the great drawing-room. Sir William Stanhope went to look at it; Mrs. Herbert, the governess, advanced to unmantle it; he said, "In wax, I suppose."--"Sir!"--"In wax, Madam?"--"The young Prince, Sir."--"Yes, in wax, I suppose."

This is his odd humour? when he went to see this duke at his birth, he said, "Lord! it sees!"

The good Provost of Edinburgh has been with Marshal Wade at Newcastle, and it is said, is coming to London-he must trust hugely to the inactivity of the ministry! They have taken an agent there going with large contributions from the- Roman Catholics, who have pretended to be so quiet! The d.u.c.h.ess of Richmond, while her husband is at the army, was going to her grace of Norfolk:(1137) when he was very uneasy at her intention, she showed him letters from the Norfolk, "wherein she prays G.o.d that this wicked rebellion may be soon suppressed, lest it hurt the poor Roman Catholics." But this wise jaunt has made such a noise that it is laid aside.

Your friend Lord Sandwich has got one of the Duke of Montagu's regiments: he stayed quietly till all the noise was over. He is now lord of the admiralty, lieutenant-colonel to the Duke of Bedford, aide-de-camp to the Duke of Richmond, and colonel of a regiment!

A friend of mine, Mr. Talbot, who has a good estate in Ches.h.i.+re, with the great t.i.thes, which he takes in kind, and has generally fifteen hundred pounds stock, has expressly ordered his steward to burn it, if the rebels come that way: I don't think this will make a bad figure in Mr. Chute's brave gazette. As we go on prospering, I will take care to furnish him with paragraphs, till he kills Riviera(1138) and all the faction. When my lovely eagle comes, I will consecrate it to his Roman memory; don't think I want spirits more than he, when I beg you to send me a case of drams: I remember your getting one for Mr. Trevor.

I guessed at having lost two letters from you in the packet-boat that was taken: I have received all you mention, but those of the 21st and 28th of September, one of which I suppose was about Gibberne: his mother has told me how happy you have made her and him, for which I much thank you and your usual good-nature. Adieu! I trust all my letters will grow better and better. You must have pa.s.sed a lamentable scene of anxiety; we have had a good deal; but I think we grow in spirits again. There never was so melancholy a town; no kind of public place but the playhouses, and they look as if the rebels had just driven away the company. n.o.body but has some fear for themselves, for their money, or for their friends in the army: of this number am I deeply; Lord Bury(1139) and mr.

Conway, two of the first in my list, are aide-de-camps to the Duke, and another, Mr. Cornwallis,(1140) is in the same army, and my nephew, Lord Malpas(1141)--so I still fear the rebels beyond my reason. Good night.

P. S. It is now generally believed from many circ.u.mstances, that the youngest Pretender is actually among the prisoners taken on board the Soleil: pray wish Mr. Chute joy for me.

(1134) Charles Radcliffe, brother of James, Earl of Derwent.w.a.ter, who was executed for the share he took in the rebellion of 1715. Charles was executed in 1746, upon the sentence p.r.o.nounced against him in 1716, which he had then evaded, by escaping from Newgate. His son was Bartholomew, third Earl of Newburgh, a Scotch t.i.tle he inherited from his mother.-D.