Books: The Letters of Horace Walpole, Volume 1

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(1111) Mr. Henry Fox, in letters to Sir C. H. Williams, of
September 5th and 19th, writes, "England, Wade says, and I
believe it, is for the first comer; and if you can tell
whether the six thousand Dutch, and the ten battalions of
English, or five thousand French or Spaniards will be here
first, you know our fate." "The French are not come, God be
thanked! But had five thousand landed in any part of this
island a week ago, I verily believe the entire conquest would
not have cost them a battle."-B.

(1112) This plan of raising regiment,,; afterwards degenerated
into a gross job. Sir C. H. Williams gives an account of it
in his ballad, entitled "The Herbes." To this Horace Walpole
appended the following explanatory note..--"In the time of the
rebellion, these lords had proposed to raise regiments of
their own dependents, and were allowed; Had they paid them
too, the service had been noble: being paid by Government,
obscured a little the merit; being paid without raising them,
would deserve too coarse a term. It is certain, that not six
regiments ever were raised: not four of which were employed.
The chief persons who were at the head of this scheme were the
Dukes of Bedford and Montagu; the Duke of Bedford actually and
served with his regiment."--The other lords mentioned in the
ballad are, the Duke of Bolton, Lord Granby, Lord Harcourt,
Lord Halifax, Lord Falmouth, Lord Cholmondeley, and Lord
Berkeley. They were in all fifteen-

"Fifteen nobles of great fame,
All brib'd by one false muster."-D.

(1113) Isaac Leheup, brother-in-law of Horace Walpole the
elder. He was a man of great wit and greater brutality, and
being minister at Hanover, was recalled for very indecent
behaviour there.

441 Letter 181
To Sir Horace Mann.
Arlington Street, Sept. 27, 1745.

I can't doubt but the joy of the Jacobites has reached
Florence before this letter. Your two or three Irish priests,
I forget their names, will have set out to take possession of
abbey-lands here. I feel for what you will feel, and for the
insulting things that will be said to you upon the
battle(1114) we have lost in Scotland; but all this is
nothing, to what it prefaces. The express came hither on
Tuesday morning, but the Papists knew it on Sunday night.
Cope lay in face of the rebels all Friday; he scarce two
thousand strong, they vastly superior, though we don't know
their numbers. The military people say that he should have
attacked them. However, we are sadly convinced that they are
not such raw ragamuffins as they were represented. The
rotation that has been established in that country, to give
all the Highlanders the benefit of serving in the independent
companies, has trained and disciplined them. Macdonald (I
suppose, he from Naples,) -who is reckoned a very experienced
able officer, is said to have commanded them, and to be
dangerously wounded. One does not hear the Boy's personal
valour cried up; by which I conclude he was not in the
action.(1115) Our dragoons most shamefully fled without
striking a blow, and are with Cope, who escaped in a boat to
Berwick. I pity poor him(1116) who with no shining abilities,
and no experience, and no force, was sent to fight for a
crown! He never saw a battle but that of Dettingen, where he
got his red riband: Churchill, whose led-captain he was, and
my Lord Harrington, had pushed him up to this misfortune. We
have lost all our artillery, five hundred men taken and three
killed, and several officers, as you will see in the papers.
This defeat has frightened every body but those it rejoices,
and those it should frighten most; but my Lord Granville still
buoys up the King's spirits, and persuades him it is nothing.
He uses his ministers as ill as possible, and discourages
every body that would risk their lives and fortunes with him.
Marshal Wade is marching against the rebels; but the King will
not let him take above eight thousand men; so that if they
come into England, another battle, with no advantage on our
side, may determine our fate. Indeed, they don't seem so
unwise as to risk their cause upon so precarious an event; but
rather to design to establish themselves in Scotland, till
they can be supported from France, and be set up with taking
Edinburgh Castle, where there is to the value of a million,
and which they would make a stronghold. It is scarcely
victualled for a month, and must surely fall into their hands.
Our coasts are greatly guarded, and London kept in awe by the
arrival of the guards. I don't believe what I have been told
this morning, that more troops are sent for from Flanders, and
aid asked of Denmark.

Prince Charles has called a Parliament in Scotland for the 7th
of October; ours does not meet till the 17th, so that even in
the show of liberty and laws, they are beforehand with us.
With all this, we hear of no men of quality or fortune having
joined him but Lord Elcho(1117) whom you have seen at
Florence; and the Duke of Perth,(1118) a silly race-horsing
boy, who is said to be killed in this battle. but I gather no
confidence from hence: my father always said, "If you see them
come again, they will begin by their lowest people; their
chiefs will not appear till the end." His prophecies verify
every day!

The town is still empty; in this point only the English act
contrary to their custom, for they don't throng to see a
Parliament, though it is likely to prove a curiosity!

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 God, 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 nobility 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 assembled 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 shift 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 Yorkshire, 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 associations; of
regiments raised by the dukes of Devonshire, 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 assured 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 pass unvisited; and in short, send him this advertisement
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, Saturdays, 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 noblemen here mentioned were,
William Cavendish, Third Duke of Devonshire; 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 Saturday they called in another physician, Dr.
Oliver; on Monday he pronounced 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 snatched 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 Yorkshire to-morrow. A
privateer of Bristol has taken a large Spanish ship, laden
with arms and money for Scotland. A piece of a plot has been
discovered in Dorsetshire, 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 ambassador has been making his entries this week:
he was at Leicester-fields to-day with the Prince, and very
pretty compliments passed 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 Dorsetshire, 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 assistance, which, in a new
declaration, he intimates that he still expects.(1123) One
only ship, 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 ships 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 massacre 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--nobody 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 cockading 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 circumstances
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--nobody 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 titular 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.

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
assassination plot, in the reign of King William; but at last
made his escape.