Memoirs of Major Alexander Ramkins (1718)

the _French_ King's Orders, and threatened by _M.T._ with theBastile, if he did not return forthwith to _Lorain_, otherwiseconsidering the After-acts of the Gentlemen then in Play, he would veryprobably been at St. _James_'s several Days before King _George_ lefthis Palace at _Hanover_. This was so shocking a Treatment from the grandProtector of distress'd Monarchs, that the Queen Mother then at_Chalonois_ said this was a Key to all the mask Politics which had beenacting 27 Years, and the very Thought of it threw her into such aConsternation, that she has never since recover'd it. I know 'tispretended that _Lewis_ XIV was now grown more scrupulous than formerly;he had been in sticking to the Letter of Treaties. I shall not disputewhether passing through the Country without assisting the Pretender,cou'd be wrested by any Logick to be acting in his Favour. But if_Lewis_ XIV, was scrupulous, he ought to have been so when he grewnearer his End; for 'tis pretended by those who are willing to representhim as always a Friend to King _James_, that in despute of the Articlesof _Utrecht_, he came into the Measures of the Duke of _Ormond_, Lord_Bolinbroke_, the Earl of _Mar_, &c. and had not Death in the mean timetaken him off, wou'd have furnish'd 'em with all Things necessary tohave made a Head against King _George_. This, I say, is confidentlyreported by _Lewis_ XIV's Admirers. But then they will have theinconsistancy to account for, why he shou'd not scruple to raise an Armyto succour the Pretender, who a little before scrupled to let him pass'dwith a Couple of Servants, through his Country. For my own Part I amenclin'd to believe he never was so much his Friend, but died as hecou'd, a juggler, and that if he sign'd any thing in form of the lateInsurrection 'twas in one of his delirious Fits which were notinfrequent in his latter Years. If the Regent be a just Interpreter ofhis Actions.

  And to come home to the present Time, has not _France_ still the sameregardless Dispositions towards the Pretender? Are they not ready toenter into any Engagement whatever to stand by the Articles of _Utrecht_to the greatest nicety? I know it has been aprised about, that _France_was in the Design against King _George_; but as the Regent reply'd verypertinently to the Earl of _Stairs_'s Memorial. There needs no moreconvincing Proof that _France_ has not been meddling, than to understandthat both in _Scotland_ and _England_, the Rebels have been destituteboth of Arms and Money? The Custom-house Officers of _Great-Britain_,have no Authority to search _French_ Ships as they go out of their ownPorts, and had it not been an easy Matter to have sent what Arms theypleas'd into _Scotland_? What occasion was their for the Pretender tohave sculk'd so long upon the Shoar, and stolen privately out of one oftheir Havens, if the Regent had encourag'd him.

  It was no Secret to me and several others above Twenty Eight Years ago,that _France_ was never sincere in this Affair; but as their Projectscame nearer to a Conclusion, they took less care to conceal the Secret.Till they had a Prospect of settling the _Spanish_ Monarchy in the Houseof _Bourbon_, they were loud and high in their Demands concerning King_James_; but the Hopes they conceiv'd that way, made 'em clap up aPeace at _Reswick_, and lay King _James_'s Interest to Sleep. When the_Spanish_ Project was ripe, and the Wealth of the _Indies_ ready to dropinto their Lap, and that they were actually to be put into Possession ofit, the Allies were amused with two Partition Treaties, and thePretender sacrific'd to the same Politicks at the Treaty of _Utrecht_.Yes he was neglected, despised, banish'd out of _France_, forc'd out of_Lorain_, a free State, threaten'd at _Avignon_, a Sanction never yetviolated, and now he and his Adherents are preparing themselves to bethrust into the Jaws of the _Turk_, unless the Regent out of Pitydeliver him up in hope of the 100000_l_. and finish the Character ofsuccouring distress'd Monarchs, by being the Occasion of losing his Headon _Tower-Hill_, rather than being Impail'd at _Constantinople_.

  But before I dismiss this Matter, I am to account for several Things,which will argue the Court of St. _Germains_ guilty of the greatestIngratitude, unless they acknowledge the endless Obligations they lieunder to _France_. Has he not fed a distressed People almost TwentyYears, and that two in a Royal and Princely Manner? Did he not entertainabove 15000 _Irish_ Troops who were dismiss'd _Ireland_ by the Treaty of_Limerick_? Has he not constantly pay'd all the Respect imaginable tothe Court of St. _Germains_? promis'd King _James_ upon his Death-bed,he wou'd never desist? assur'd the Son he wou'd draw his Sword, and itshould ne'er be sheath'd till he had fix'd him in his Throne? Has he notmade several chargeable Attempts to make good his Promise? SuchPanegyricks as these have often Rung in my Ears, when the _French_ werebent upon extolling the Religious Disposition of the Monarch inprotecting an unfortunate Prince; and the Expedient was notunserviceable in regard of the generality of the People who easily wereblinded with the glaring Object. But let us take this Oeconomy topieces, and examine every Wheel and Spring; for my part, I can regardthis boasted Liberality no otherwise than a very imperfect Restitution.Did not K. _James_ both Ruin himself and Thousands of Families meerly bygoing into _French_ Measures. I heard the Court of _France_ was oblig'dto feed all the Posterity of that unfortunate misled Multitude, who havebeen deluded this Twenty Nine Years by their Politicks. 'Tis what Ibelieve what the loosest of their Casuists wou'd not refuse to oblige'em to upon a fair hearing of the Case. But that the Entertaining the_Irish_ Troops shou'd be mention'd as an Instance of _French_ Charity,is a very Remarkable piece of Assurance. The _Swiss_ and other Statesare consider'd with large annual Pensions for the Privilege of ListingMen, besides double Pay during the Time of their Service; but the_Irish_ and all the rest of King _James_'s Subjects, poor Fools, mustthink themselves happy to bear the brunt of every Siege and Engagement,for half Pay, be regarded as Beggars, living upon Charity, be reform'dand abandon'd when they are no further useful. The Honour purchas'd bythese distress'd People at _Cremina_, _Luzara_, _Spireback_, _Almaza_,_Friburg_, _&c._ have merrited better Articles, and the Blood they havelost is a large disbursement for the Expences at St. _Germains_. A few_French_ Compliments paid once a Week at St. _Germains_, is but a poorrecompence for a ruin'd People, especially when the Origin and Motive oftheir Misfortunes are look'd into. And the Gasconades and Politick,Promises made both to the Father and the Son of never sheathing theSword with the Sham Attempts in their Favour, will be recorded inAntiquity, not as Arguments of his Christianity, but strong Lines ofPolicy how a Prince is to make use of all Occurrences to promote thewelfare of his own People, nothing, being more successful in suchjunctures, than a Pretence of Religion, and assisting Persons indistress.

  Having brought my Remarks to this Period, I design'd to have drop'd myPen immediately, but considering that a Judicious Reader will expect Ishould advance something by way of Principle to justify the Reflexions Ihave made. I must add a Word or two more concerning the unjust, as wellas unpolitick Proceedings of those who have been deluded by a ForeignPower to bring Destruction to their own native Country. And in the firstplace I must deliver my Thoughts as to the Cause in General. TheQuestion of Hereditary, was not so well clear'd at the Revolution, butthat many very discerning and well meaning Men might be drawn into aBelief, that lineal and immediate Right was part of the Divine Law, andso not dispensable. This was my Opinion in the Beginning, and it was aPrinciple which carried me through the Wars this Twenty Nine Years inFavour of King _James_, even at those Times, when I was fully convinc'dthat _France_ had no real Design to re-establish him. But afterwardswhen I began to look narrowly into the Question of Hereditary Right, andsaw that the Notion of _Jure Divino_ was only an assum'd Principle tobuoy up the Faction. I by Degrees slacken'd in my Zeal, and having noother Nation of Government, then by submitting to the Supream NationalPower, where the Law of God was silent, I found this an effectual Meansto quiet my Conscience. However I still persisted and follow'd thePretender's Cause, the Success of the Roman-Catholick Interest provokingme to it: For I imagin'd that Salvo ought to weigh down in Practise,where other Matters relating to Succession were still under Controversy;but when I took under serious Consideration the Practise of ourAncestors, and how in all Ages both Church and State came frequentlyinto Non-Hereditary Measures, where I run over
the String ofDisappointments King _James_ had met withal by the Politic Management_of France_. When I reflected what Misery had befallen, and was like tobefall these Kings by adhering to the besoted Notion of HereditaryRight, I put the whole Controversy upon the Issue of Religion, and itplainly appear'd to me, that no Roman Catholick was oblig'd to opposethe Revolutionary Measures in Conscience, much less in Policy. I wasfully satisfy'd in the first Part of the Enquiry by that unanswerablePiece lately printed, call'd, _A Roman Catholick System of Allegiance_.As for the latter Part, let the Tory and Roman Catholick Party sum uptheir Losses since 1688, and it will convince 'em