I cou’d not get a Sight of the Castle of the Venerie, three Leagues from Turin; for while King Victor is a Prisoner there, no body is suffer’d to go near it. You must, no doubt, have heard of that Prince’s being under an Arrest; but I question whether you have been inform’d of what gave Occasion to that Affair, and of the Manner of his being taken into Custody. What I have heard of it from People of Credit, is as follows.
King Victor Amedeus, after the Death of the Queen his Wife, who was Daughter of Philip of France, the late Duke of Orleans, by Henrietta of England, fell in Love with the Marchioness of[24] St. Sebastian, Lady of Honour to the Princess of Piedmont, now Queen of Sardinia. The Virtue of Madame de St. Sebastian, and the King’s Devotion for her, induc’d him to marry this Favourite. But not thinking it honourable for a King to place a Subject on his Throne, he took a Resolution to resign his Crown, before he contracted so unequal a[25]Match. He imparted his Design to Madame de St. Sebastian, who did all she cou’d to prevail with Victor to continue upon the Throne; but finding he was resolv’d not to make her a Queen, she consented to his Abdication, still thinking herself highly honour’d to become the Wife of a Prince, who had worn a Crown. King Victor consulted with his chief Favourites about his Abdication, who all advis’d him not to leave the Throne. His Son King
Charles conjur’d him to keep Possession of it. I protest to your Majesty, said this Prince, I never once indulged a Wish to govern, and think myself exceeding happy to be your First Subject. But all his Remonstrances were of no Effect; and the 5th of September, 1730, was fix’d for the Day of Abdication. Upon that Day, all the chief Persons in the Government, and the Senate, met in the great Hall of the[26]Palace. There the King appear’d without any Mark of Royalty, accompany’d by the Prince of Piedmont, and declar’d to the Assembly, that he was resolv’d to yield the Throne to his Son; and that from that Moment he exempted them, as he did all his Subjects, from the Oath of Allegiance they had taken to him. He exhorted them, at the same time, to acknowledge his Son Charles, Prince of Piedmont, for their King; and desir’d them to be as Loyal to their new Sovereign, as they had been to him. Then the Act of Abdication was read with a loud Voice, by the Marquis del Borgo, Secretary of State, and Charles was recogniz’d for King.
After the Ceremony was over, King Victor, with the Marchioness of St. Sebastian, whom he had married, on Condition[27] that she shou’d wear no other Title, set out for Chamberry, which he had chose for the Place of his Retirement. But
scarce a Month was past, ere he began to repent of having given the Reins out of his Hands, though the King his Son behaved as dutifully to him, as if he had been still his Subject. When King Victor resign’d, he advis’d his Son to cause the Lands of the Nobility and Gentry to be survey’d, and to impose a Tax on them, in Proportion to the Number of Acres. This Scheme, tho’ it had a View to the Increase of the King’s Revenues, tended to the Ruin of the Nobility; for which Reason, Charles when he came to the Crown, did not think proper to put it in Execution. Victor being incensed at it, wrote about it to his Son, rather in the Style of his Lord and Master, than his Father; and perceiving that Charles was still averse to his Counsel, he entertained a Thought of reascending the Throne[28]. To this End, he secretly felt the Pulse of the People, and found them all faithful Subjects to Charles: Yet all this did not discourage him; he relied upon the Troops, which he knew had an Esteem for him, and he thought they wou’d also be his Friends; for most of the Officers having been preferr’d by him, he did not doubt but they were still attach’d to him, and he flatter’d himself with their Concurrence to his Designs. He wrote to the Marshal Rhebinder, in general Terms indeed; but in a Style that was very soothing and tempting. This General, who was Commander
in Chief of the Forces, being sensible of what Consequence it was to deprive King Victor of the least Hopes of reascending the Throne, returned him Answer, that he owned he was obliged to him for his Estate, Honours, and every Thing: ‘Your Majesty, said the Marshal in his Letter, has made me all that I am. I am under no Obligation to King Charles; but my Engagements to your Majesty are inexpressible; tho’ of all the Favours which you have heap’d upon me, the Honour of your Esteem was always to me the dearest. Give me leave therefore, Sir, to preserve that Esteem, which I presume to say, I have acquir’d by the Blood I have spilt for your Service; whereas, Sir, I shou’d forfeit it, were I so unhappy as to be guilty of Perjury to the King whom you have given me, and to whom you have injoined me Obedience. I shall be as true to him as I was to your Majesty, and will shed the last Drop of my Blood to maintain him on the Throne. I am however always ready to give your Majesty the most sincere Marks of my Respect for your Person, being fully persuaded, Sir, that your Majesty will lay no Commands on me, but such as are agreeable to that Justice, which ever accompanied all your Actions, &c.’
This Answer was not sufficient to cool King Victor’s Ambition to resume the Government. He wrote a second time to the Marshal de Rhebinder, and to other General Officers. He assumed an imperious Style, and signify’d, that he knew how to punish those that refus’d to obey him. All these Letters were carried to King Charles, who being concerned to see his Father so uneasy, said to those who brought them, What wou’d you have me do? He is my Father, I depend upon your Fidelity and resign myself to Providence.
The King was still in Hopes, that he shou’d be able to make Victor easy, and was willing to have an Interview with him; and for that Purpose he went with his Queen to Evian, and from thence to Chamberry, where Charles paid his Father a Visit, but found him very much out of Temper. The Prince however bore all with the Dutifulness of a Son. But when he took leave of Victor, he paid a Visit to Madame de St. Sebastian, with whom he had a long Conference. He desir’d this Lady to pacify King Victor, and to dissuade him from concerning himself any farther with State Affairs. He hath made me King, said Charles, and King I will be. You can do any thing with him; therefore make him easy. If he does not like this, let him choose any other Castle or Place in my Dominions that he likes better, of which he shall have the intire Disposal. They say Charles dropt a Hint in this Conversation, that he was inclin’d to yield his Father a Province in Sovereignty; however, he promis’d great Advantages to Madame de St. Sebastian, not only for herself, but for the Son that she had by her former Marriage, and for her Brothers. This Lady promis’d the King all that he desir’d, but kept her Word very ill; for her Ambition to be Queen prompted her to make King Victor every Day more and more uneasy.