(s) Parlia mentary

Hiftory, vol. XIV. P. 379.

to Jersey, and from thence to France, as required and commanded by his father and mother, where he met with the treatment. of Princes dependent on others for fubfiftence (G).

1

However

and advice you fhall give, which will be an unspeakable comfort to us (s).' This was a very artful letter, and tended to cover the defign, long before fixed, of going into France, and to render the execution of it the more eafy. Accordingly the Prince, departing from Scilly, went to Jersey; where, after great difputes among his council, fome of whom, and particularly the chancellor of the Exchequer, remained on the island, he embarked for France, and safely arrived at Paris. Indeed many of the Prince's counsellors thought it very unfafe and impolitic to trust the heir to the British dominions in a foreign land, especially as it was well known he would be there under the government of his mother, whose counfels had been fo fatal to herfelf, her husband, and the kingdom. But the truth was, the King judged the Prince's freedom neceffary to his own prefervation; that it was in danger from the power of the Parliament in any part of his domipions; and the Queen, who loved to give the law to her husband, peremptorily infifted on her fon's refidence with her to which the King was no way averse, though he had more than once alfo mentioned Denmark as the place of refuge.

(G) He met with the treatment of Princes dependent on athers for fubfiflence.] It had been fufpected, and talked, that France was intended for the abode of the Prince, fome time before it was fo in ft. Nor was it a fecret

in

However here he abode, till called into action

in that kingdom, that fuch was the intention of their Majefties. One of the Prince's bed-chamber, who was newly returned from Paris, brought a letter from the Earl of Norwich, then the Kings ambaffador there, 'to one of the council; in which taking notice of a report there of the Prince of Wales's coming thither, he paffionately declared against it as a certain ruin to the Prince; of which the meffenger, by his direction, gave ! many inftances of moment (t).' The advice, we fee, had no effect, though the event fhewed the wifdom of it. Lord Clarendon tells us, that all the profeffions which had been made of refpect and tenderness towards the Prince of Wales when his perfon fhould once appear in France were unworthily disappointed. The Prince, 'continues he, had been above two months with the Queen his mother, before any notice was taken of his 'being in France, by the leaft meffage fent from the court to congratulate his arrival there; but that time

was spent in debating the formalities of his reception; how the King fhould treat him? whether he should ⚫ take place of Monfieur the King's brother? and what • kind of ceremonies fhould be obferved between the. • Prince of Wales and his uncle the Duke of Orleans? and many fuch other particulars; in all which they were refolved to give the law themfelves; and which had been fitter to have been adjusted in Jersey, before he put himself into their power, than difputed after⚫ wards in the court of France; from which there could be then no appeal. And it can hardly be believed, with how little refpect they treated him during the whole time of his ftay there. They were very care

• ful,

1

(z) Id. vol. v.P. 33, 34

action by the revolt of part of the fleet

ful, that he might not be look'd upon as supported by them, either according to his dignity, or for the maintenance of his family; but a mean addition to the penfion which the Queen had before, was made to her Majefty, without any mention of the Prince her fon; who was wholly to depend upon her bounty, without < power to gratify or oblige any of his own fervants ; that they likewife might depend only upon the Queens goodnefs and favour, and fo behave themselves accordingly (u). All this was very naturally to have been expected. For France was too much engaged with the whole houfe of Auftria, to wifh to raise up new foes, which, probably, would have been the event had they' received Charles with the ceremonies to which his birth entitled him, and enabled him to live in fplendor. Nor would it have been becoming the prudence of Mazarine to have lavished the treasures of the crown on an exiled* Prince, when their armies were frequently in want of pay, and money was of fo great importance to their af-" fairs. Add to this, that misfortunes feldom create refpect in ftanders by; and that dependence, of course, meets with flights and neglects.

If there be man (ye gods) I ought to hate,
Dependence and attendance be his fate.

COWLEY,

Thofe have little sense of their own dignity, or rather can have no dignity at all, who ftoop for favours, or pay attendance in expectation of them, when by economy or induftry they can maintain their independency, and, by

that

that means, rank with the greatest.

The neglect of

the French court was not the only evil felt by the Prince.
His mother exerted her authority over him, and required
the like submiffion' she had exacted from his father.
The Prince,' fays the writer so often quoted in this
note, • remained at Paris under the government of his
• mother; exercised with that ftrictness, that though
his Highnefs was above the age of feventeen years, it
⚫ was not defired that he should meddle in any business,
· or be fenfible of the unhappy condition the royal fa-
mily was in. The affignation which was made by the
⚫ court of France for the better fupport of the Prince,
was annexed to the monthly allowance given to the
Queen, and received by her, and diftributed as fhe
thought fit; fuch cloaths and other neceffaries pro-
'vided for his Highness as were thought convenient;
her Majesty defiring to have it thought that the Prince
• liv'd entirely upon her, and that it would not confift
• with the dignity of a Prince of Wales to be a pen-
fioner to the King of France. Hereby none of his
• Highness's fervants had any pretence to ask money,
but they were to be contented with what should be
allowed to them; which was difpenfed with a very
fparing hand; nor was the Prince ever mafter of ten
piftoles to difpofe as he defired. The Lord Jermyn
was the Queens chief officer, and govern'd all her re-
ceipts, and he loved plenty fo well, that he would not
be without it, whatever others fuffered. All who had
any
relation to the Prince, were to implore his aid;
and the Prince himself could obtain nothing but by
him; which made moft perfons of honour of the
English nation, who were driven into banishment, as
many of the nobility and chief gentry of the kingdom
then were, choose rather to make their refidence in
• fome

1

216.

fleet from the Parliament (H), which, to gether with the commotions in England and Wales, and the Scottish army, under,

the

fome other place, as Caen, Roan, and the like, than ' in Paris, where the Prince was, and could do fo lit'tle: nor was this economy well liked even in France,

nor the Prince himself fo much refpected as he would have been if he had lived more like himself, and ap() lb. p.peared more concern'd in his own bufinefs (x).' What a hopeful plight muft the Prince be indeed in; poor, and fubjugated to the will of an imperious mother, directed by an all-commanding, fole favourite! No condition could be lefs worthy of envy.

(H) The revolt of part of the fleet from the Parlia ment, &c.] After the vote of, No more addrefes to the King, a ftrong inclination for peace with him took place in the minds of the majority of the British nation. For fuffering excites compaffion; and compaffion is active and powerful. Befides this, those who had taken the lead, fince the new modelling of the army, in the houfe, had many enemies, on account of their avowed principles and behaviour. Their disregard to the Covenant difgufted the Scots: the restraint laid on the fiery zeal of the English prefbyterians was very ill brooked by them: and the cavaliers could not with patience fee themselves fubjected by those who had for formerly been the objects of their derifion.Add to this, that there was not a man of these three parties, though difagreeing among themselves, but looked with horror on the dethroning, imprisoning, or exe→ cuting of their King. Thefe men, then full of refentment against the leaders in the Parliament and army,

and