L'homme qui rit. English

  II.

  James II. was a king, and affected to be a general. He loved to surroundhimself with young officers. He showed himself frequently in public onhorseback, in a helmet and cuirass, with a huge projecting wig hangingbelow the helmet and over the cuirass--a sort of equestrian statue ofimbecile war. He took a fancy to the graceful mien of the young LordDavid. He liked the royalist for being the son of a republican. Therepudiation of a father does not damage the foundation of a courtfortune. The king made Lord David gentleman of the bedchamber, at asalary of a thousand a year.

  It was a fine promotion. A gentleman of the bedchamber sleeps near theking every night, on a bed which is made up for him. There are twelvegentlemen who relieve each other.

  Lord David, whilst he held that post, was also head of the king'sgranary, giving out corn for the horses and receiving a salary of L260.Under him were the five coachmen of the king, the five postilions of theking, the five grooms of the king, the twelve footmen of the king, andthe four chair-bearers of the king. He had the management of therace-horses which the king kept at Newmarket, and which cost hisMajesty L600 a year. He worked his will on the king's wardrobe, fromwhich the Knights of the Garter are furnished with their robes ofceremony. He was saluted to the ground by the usher of the Black Rod,who belongs to the king. That usher, under James II., was the knight ofDuppa. Mr. Baker, who was clerk of the crown, and Mr. Brown, who wasclerk of the Parliament, kotowed to Lord David. The court of England,which is magnificent, is a model of hospitality. Lord David presided, asone of the twelve, at banquets and receptions. He had the glory ofstanding behind the king on offertory days, when the king give to thechurch the golden _byzantium_; on collar-days, when the king wears thecollar of his order; on communion days, when no one takes the sacramentexcepting the king and the princes. It was he who, on Holy Thursday,introduced into his Majesty's presence the twelve poor men to whom theking gives as many silver pence as the years of his age, and as manyshillings as the years of his reign. The duty devolved on him when theking was ill, to call to the assistance of his Majesty the two grooms ofthe almonry, who are priests, and to prevent the approach of doctorswithout permission from the council of state. Besides, he waslieutenant-colonel of the Scotch regiment of Guards, the one which playsthe Scottish march. As such, he made several campaigns, and with glory,for he was a gallant soldier. He was a brave lord, well-made, handsome,generous, and majestic in look and in manner. His person was like hisquality. He was tall in stature as well as high in birth.

  At one time he stood a chance of being made groom of the stole, whichwould have given him the privilege of putting the king's shirt on hisMajesty: but to hold that office it was necessary to be either prince orpeer. Now, to create a peer is a serious thing; it is to create apeerage, and that makes many people jealous. It is a favour; a favourwhich gives the king one friend and a hundred enemies, without takinginto account that the one friend becomes ungrateful. James II., frompolicy, was indisposed to create peerages, but he transferred themfreely. The transfer of a peerage produces no sensation. It is simplythe continuation of a name. The order is little affected by it.

  The goodwill of royalty had no objection to raise Lord David Dirry-Moirto the Upper House so long as it could do so by means of a substitutedpeerage. Nothing would have pleased his majesty better than to transformLord David Dirry-Moir, lord by courtesy, into a lord by right.