The Letters of Horace Walpole, Earl of Orford
Chapter 72 : I have so trained myself to expect this ruin, that I see it approach without an emotion

I have so trained myself to expect this ruin, that I see it approach without an emotion. I shall suffer with fools, without having any malice to our enemies, who act sensibly from principle and from interest. Ruling parties seldom have caution or common sense. I don't doubt but Whigs and Protestants will be alert enough in trying to recover what they lose so supinely.

I know nothing of my Lady O. In this situation I dare say she will exert enough of the spirit of her Austrian party, to be glad the present government is oppressed; her piques and the Queen of Hungary's bigotry will draw satisfaction from what ought to be so contrary to each of their wishes. I don't wonder my lady hates you so much, as I think she meant to express by her speech to Blair.

Quem non credit Cleopatra nocentem, A quo casta fuit?"

She lives chiefly with my Lady Townshend: the latter told me last night, that she had seen a new fat player, who looked like every body's husband. I replied, "I could easily believe that, from seeing so many women who looked like every body's wives." Adieu! my dear Sir: I hope your spirits, like mine, will grow calm, from being callous of ill news.

(1114) At Preston-Pans, near Edinburgh; where the Pretender completely defeated Sir John Cope, on the 21st of September.-D.

(1115) "Charles," says Lord Mahon, 'put himself at the head of the second line, which was close behind the first, and addressed them in these words@ Follow me, gentlemen, and by the blessing of G.o.d, I will this day make you a free and happy people." Hist. Vol. iii. P. 392.-E.

(1116) General Cope was tried afterwards for his behaviour in this action, and it appeared very clearly, that the ministry, his inferior officers, and his troops, were greatly to blame; and that he did all he could, so ill-directed, so ill-supplied, and so ill-obeyed.

(1117) Eldest son of the Earl of Wemyss.

(1118) James Drummond, who would have been the fifth Earl of Perth, had it not been for the attainder and outlawry under which his family laboured. His grandfather, the fourth earl, had been created a duke by James II. after his abdication. He was not killed at Preston-Pans.-D.

443 Letter 182 To Sir Horace Mann.

Arlington Street, Oct. 4, 1745.

I am still writing to you as "R'esident de sa Majest'e Britannique;" and without the apprehension of your suddenly receiving letters of recall, or orders to notify to the council of Florence the new accession. I dare say your fears made you think that the young Prince (for he is at least Prince of Scotland) had vaulted from Cope's neck into St.

James's House; but he is still at Edinburgh; and his cousin Grafton, the lord chamberlain has not even given orders for fitting up this palace for his reception. The good people of England have at last rubbed their eyes and looked about them.

A wonderful spirit is arisen in all counties, and among all sorts of people. The n.o.bility are raising regiments, and every body else is-being raised. Dr. Herring,(1119) the Archbishop of York, has set an example that would rouse the most indifferent; in two days after the news arrived at York of Cope's defeat, and when they every moment expected the victorious rebels at their gates, the bishop made a speech to the a.s.sembled county, that had as much true spirit, honesty, and bravery in it, as ever was penned by an historian for an ancient hero.

The rebels returned to Edinburgh, where they have no hopes of taking the Castle, for old Preston, the deputy-governor, and General Guest, have obliged them to supply the Castle constantly with fresh provisions, on pain of having the town fired with red-hot bullets. They did fling a bomb on Holyrood House, and obliged the Boy to s.h.i.+ft his quarters. Wade is marching against them, and will have a great army: all the rest of our troops are ordered from Flanders, and are to meet him in Yorks.h.i.+re, with some Hessians too. That county raises four thousand men, besides a body of foxhunters, whom Oglethorpe has converted into hussars. I am told that old Stair, who certainly does not want zeal, but may not want envy neither, has practised a little Scotch art to prevent wade from having an army, and consequently the glory of saving this country. This I don't doubt he will do, if the rebels get no foreign aid; and I have great reason to hope they will not, for the French are privately making us overtures of peace. My dear child, dry your wet-brown-paperness, and be in spirits again!

It is not a very civil joy to send to Florence, but I can't help telling you how glad I am of news that came two days ago, of the King of Prussia having beat Prince Charles,(1120) who attacked him just after we could have obtained for them a peace with that King. That odious house of Austria! It will not be decent for you to insult Richcourt but I would, were I at Florence.

Pray let Mr. Chute have ample accounts of our zeal to figure with at Rome. of the merchants of London undertaking to support the public credit; of universal a.s.sociations; of regiments raised by the dukes of Devons.h.i.+re, Bedford, Rutland, Montagu; Lords Herbert, Halifax, Cholmondeley, Falmouth, Malton, Derby,(1121) etc.; of Wade with an army of twenty thousand men; of another about London of near as many--and lastly, of Lord Gower having in person a.s.sured the King that he is no Jacobite, but ready to serve him with his life and fortune. Tell him of the whole coast so guarded, that nothing can pa.s.s unvisited; and in short, send him this advertis.e.m.e.nt out of to-day's papers, as an instance of more spirit and wit than there is in all Scotland:

TO ALL JOLLY BUTCHERS.

MY BOLD hearts, The Papists eat no meat on Wednesdays, Fridays, Sat.u.r.days, nor during Lent.

Your friend, JOHN STEEL.

Just as I wrote this, a person is come in, who tells me that the rebels have cut off the communication between Edinburgh and the Castle: the commanders renewed their threats: and the good magistrates have sent up hither to beg orders may be sent to forbid this execution. It is modest! it is Scotch!-and, I dare say, will be granted. Ask a government to spare your town which you yourself have given up to rebels: and the consequence of which will be the loss of your Castle!-but they knew to what Government they applied! You need not be in haste to have this notified at Rome. Tell it not in Gath! Adieu! my dear Sir. This account has put Me so out of humour, and has so altered the strain of my letter, that I must finish.

(1119) An excellent prelate, afterwards promoted to the see of Canterbury. Walpole, in his Memoires, mentioning his death, thus speaks of him: "On the 13th of March, 1757, died Dr.

Herring, Archbishop of Canterbury a very amiable man, to whom no fault was objected; though perhaps the gentleness of his Principles, his great merit, was thought one. During the rebellion he had taken up arms to defend from oppression that religion, which he abhorred making an instrument of oppression."-D.

(1120) The battle of Soor in Bohemia, gained by the King of Prussia over the Austrians, on the 30th of September, 1745.-D.

(1121) For an account of this transaction see note 1112, letter 181, at p. 440. The n.o.blemen here mentioned were, William Cavendish, Third Duke of Devons.h.i.+re; John Russell, fourth Duke of Bedford; John, second and last Duke of Montagu; Henry Arthur Herbert, first Lord Herbert of cherbury of the third creation; George Montagu, third Earl of Halifax; George, third Earl of Cholmondeley; Hugh Boscawen, second Viscount Falmouth; Thomas Wentworth, first Earl of Malton; and Edward Stanley, eleventh Earl of Derby.--D.

445 Letter 183 To sir Horace Mann.

Arlington Street, Oct. 11, 1745.

This is likely to be a very short letter; for I have nothing to tell you, nor any thing to answer. I have not had one letter from you this month, which I attribute to the taking of the packet-boat by the French, with two mails in it. It was a very critical time for our negotiations; the ministry will say, it puts their transactions out of order.

Before I talk of any public news, I must tell you what you will be very sorry for-Lady Granville is dead. She had a fever for six weeks before her lying-in, and could never get it off. Last Sat.u.r.day they called in another physician, Dr.

Oliver; on Monday he p.r.o.nounced her out of danger. About seven in the evening, as Lady Pomfret and Lady Charlotte were sitting by her, the first notice they had of her immediate danger, was her sighing and saying, "I feel death come very fast upon me!" She repeated the same words frequently-remained perfectly in her senses and calm, and died about eleven at night. Her mother and sister sat by her till she was cold.

It is very shocking for any body so young, so handsome, so arrived at the height of happiness, so sensible of it, and on whom all the joy and grandeur of her family depended, to be so quickly s.n.a.t.c.hed away! Poor Uguccioni! he will be very sorry and simple about it.

For the rebels, they have made no figure since Their victory.

The Castle of Edinburgh has made a sally and taken twenty head of cattle, and about thirty head of Highlanders. We heard yesterday, that they are coming this way. The troops from Flanders are expected to land in Yorks.h.i.+re to-morrow. A privateer of Bristol has taken a large Spanish s.h.i.+p, laden with arms and money for Scotland. A piece of a plot has been discovered in Dorsets.h.i.+re, and one Mr. Weld(1122) taken up.

The French have declared to the Dutch, that the House of Stuart is their ally, and that the Dutch troops must not act against them; but we expect they shall. The Parliament meets next Thursday, and by that time, probably, the armies will too. The rebels are not above eight thousand, and have little artillery; so you may wear what ministerial spirits you will.

The Venetian amba.s.sador has been making his entries this week: he was at Leicester-fields to-day with the Prince, and very pretty compliments pa.s.sed between them in Italian. Do excuse this letter; i really have not a word more to say; the next shall be all arma virumque cano!

(1122) Edward Weld, Esq. of Lulworth Castle. Hutchins, in his History of Dorsets.h.i.+re, says, that, "although he ever behaved as a peaceful subject, he was ordered into custody, in 1745, on account of his name being mentioned in a treasonable anonymous letter dropped near Poole; but his immediate and honourable discharge is the most convincing proof of his innocence."-E.

446 Letter 184 To Sir Horace Mann.

Arlington Street, Oct. 21, 1745.

I had been almost as long without any of Your letters as you had without mine; but yesterday I received one, dated the 5th of this month, N. S.

The rebels have not left their camp near Edinburgh, and, I suppose, will not now, unless to retreat into the Highlands.

General Wade was to march yesterday from Doncaster for Scotland. By their not advancing, I conclude that either the Boy and his council could not prevail On the Highlanders to leave their own country, or that they were not strong enough, and still wait for foreign a.s.sistance, which, in a new declaration, he intimates that he still expects.(1123) One only s.h.i.+p, I believe a Spanish one, has got to them with arms, and Lord John Drummond(1124) and some people of quality on board. We don't hear that the younger Boy is of the number.

Four s.h.i.+ps sailed from Corunna; the one that got to Scotland, one taken by a privateer of bristol, and one lost on the Irish coast; the fourth is not heard of. At Edinburgh and thereabouts they commit the most horrid barbarities. We last night expected as bad here: information was given of an intended insurrection and ma.s.sacre by the Papists; all the Guards were ordered out, and the Tower shut up at seven. I cannot be surprised at any thing, considering the supineness of the ministry--n.o.body has yet been taken up!

The Parliament met on Thursday. I don't think, considering the crisis, that the House was very full. Indeed, many of the Scotch members cannot come if they would. The young Pretender had published a declaration, threatening to confiscate the estates of Scotch that should come to Parliament, and making it treason for the English. The only points that have been before the house, the address and the suspension of the Habeas Corpus, met with obstructions from the Jacobites. By this we may expect what spirit they will show hereafter.(1125) With all this, I am far from thinking that they are so confident and sanguine as their friends at Rome. I blame the Chutes extremely for c.o.c.kading themselves: why take a part when they are only travelling? I should certainly retire to Florence on this occasion.

You may imagine how little I like our situation; but I don't despair. The little use they made, or could make of their victory; their not having marched into England; their miscarriage at the Castle of Edinburgh; the arrival of our forces, and the non-arrival of any French or Spanish, make me conceive great hopes of getting over this ugly business. But it is still an affair wherein the chance Of battles, or perhaps of one battle, may decide.

I write you but short letters, considering the circ.u.mstances of the time; but I hate to send you paragraphs only to contradict them again: I still less choose to forge events; and, indeed, am glad I have so few to tell you.

My lady O. has forced herself upon her mother, who receives her very coolly: she talks highly of her demands, and quietly of her methods - the fruitlessness of either will, I hope, soon send her back--I am sorry it must be to you!

You mention Holdisworth:(1126) he has had the confidence to come and visit me within these ten days; and (I suppose, from the overflowing of his joy) talked a great deal and with as little sense as when he was more tedious.

Since I wrote this, I hear the Countess has told her mother, that she thinks her husband the best of our family, and me the worst--n.o.body so bad, except you! I don't wonder at my being so ill with her; but what have you done? or is it, that we are worse than any body, because we know more of her than any body does! Adieu!

(1123) "At three several councils did Charles propose to march into England and fight Marshal Wade; but as often was his proposal overruled. At length he declared in a very peremptory manner, 'I see, gentlemen, you are determined to stay in Scotland and defend your country; but I am not less resolved to try my fate in England, though I should go alone.'" Lord Mahon, vol. iii. P.241.-E.

(1124) Brother of the t.i.tular Duke of Perth.

(1125) "As to the Parliament," writes Horatio Walpole to Mr.

Milling, on the 29th of October, "although the address was unanimous the first day, yesterday, upon a motion 'to enquire into the causes of the progress of the rebellion' the House was so fully convinced of the necessity of immediately putting an end to it, and that the fire should be quenched before we should enquire who kindled or promoted it, that it was carried, not to put the question at this time, by 194 against 112."-E.

(1126) A nonjuror who travelled with Mr. George Pitt.