The Princes of the Blood gave an ample and solid Reply to the Memorial of the Legitimated Princes. They advanc'd, that the King as great as his Authority was, could not grant Prerogatives that were peculiar only to Birth-right; that a Bastard was one without Father, without Mother, without Kindred, &c. and by consequence incapable of holding any Rank which Blood alone can give; that moreover, the Claim of the Legitimated Princes would deprive the Nation of its Right of calling such Family to the Crown as they thought fit, in case the Royal Family should happen to be extinct.
This Memorial was confuted by another, and to the latter there was a Reply. In fine, both sides grew so warm, that to put an end to the Quarrel, the King was oblig'd to speak. He declared solemnly, That the Legitimated Princes should enjoy the Rank of Princes of the Blood during their Lives, but that they could not succeed to the Crown. This Declaration was very well receiv'd, in appearance, by both Parties; but perhaps too it was the Cause of some Events, which in the Consequence gave the Regent no little Uneasiness, whereof I shall soon have occasion to make mention.
During these Transactions in France, there were Commotions of much greater Consequence in England, where a Revolution was expected in favor of the Chevalier de St. George, who having spent some time at the Prince de Vaudemont's House at Commercy in Lorrain, was just set out
for Scotland. He embark'd between Ostend and Dunkirk, and had a happy Passage. As soon as he arriv'd he found a considerable Party which declar'd for him. Every thing seem'd at first to favor him: A great many Persons came to own him for King, and he was serv'd in that Quality. But his Happiness was of no long Duration, and he was oblig'd to retire with Precipitancy from a Country where he was in danger of being ill us'd.
'Twas the Opinion of many People that this Undertaking would have succeeded, if the Prince had not discover'd so much Zeal for the Catholic Religion; for 'twas only desired of him to promise to preserve the Privileges of Scotland in Religious Matters, but he would not hear of it. Moreover, he rose one day from Table without eating a Morsel, because a Clergyman of the Church of England had said the Grace; and upon this Occasion he protested, that he would never eat a Bit of what a Heretic pretended to give a Blessing to. This great Zeal for Religion, a Zeal perhaps too flaming in Circumstances where he might, without any Crime, have smother'd it, was the reason that all the Protestants in Scotland, many of whom had already declared in his Favor, turn'd their backs on him. I happen'd to be present when all this was told to the Duke of Orleans. He made Answer, If all this be true, 'tis no wonder that he has not succeeded; and I look upon him as an undone Prince. At the same time I observ'd such an Air of Satisfaction in his and Madame's Countenances, as convinc'd me that they were not ill pleas'd to see the Elector of Hanover establish'd on the Throne of England.
The Chevalier de St. George return'd to France, and having pass'd thro' the whole Kingdom incog. he went for Refuge to Avignon. The English did all they could with the Regent to engage him to arrest the Chevalier, and demanded likewise that he would cashier all the English and Irish Officers in the Service of France, that were the Pretender's Adherents. The Regent satisfy'd them but in part, for he only cashier'd the Officers. The Chevalier de St. George was hotly pursu'd, and 'tis even said that a certain Lord was a good while in chace of him, with a Design to have killed him; but the Chevalier escap'd the Danger by the Haste that he made to Avignon. When he quitted Scotland he was oblig'd to leave several Lords that had follow'd him in the Lurch, particularly the Duke of Lirie, Son to the Marshal de Berwic, Natural Son of James II. who had so much Difficulty to get to France again, that 'twas even reported for a long while that he had been taken Prisoner and beheaded, as Lord Derwentwater was at London.
The French were sorry to see that Fortune always cross'd the Chevalier de St. George, and could not help pitying the Queen his Mother, whose Sorrows were by this Disaster increas'd; for she had, by the Miscarriage of this Expedition, ruin'd several of her Friends, who had made their utmost Efforts to support the Charges of it.
Tho' the Orleans Family was not very much afflicted at the Misfortune of the Chevalier de St. George, yet it did not hinder Madame from going to Chaillot to condole with the Queen upon her late Misfortunes. I was at the Royal Palace when Madame return'd from the Visit;
and she did me the Honor to tell me, That she had been almost crying her Eyes out. I pretended to be ignorant of the Cause of her Tears, and took the Freedom to ask her, What was the matter? The poor Queen of England! said she, I pity her heartily. I have been weeping with her. I could not help letting Madame know how much I was surpriz'd at this Grief of her's, because I imagin'd she was more in the Interest of the Family that govern'd England, than of a Prince who was a Stranger to her; and one, moreover, that was always out of Fortune's Favor. You are in the right, said Madame, all the Relations of my late Aunt are dear to me, and I with 'em well. But this poor Queen takes it as much to heart as if it was but to-day that she left the Crown. But what can she do? The only way for her is to make her self easy. 'Tis not her Doom to be happy; and since one of 'em must be unfortunate, I had rather she was so than the King of England. But, added she, this must not be told. Madam de D—— coming in just after these Words, Madame told her, That she had been to see the Queen of England, but that she thought she had been with the Nymph Arethusa all the while. Madam de D—— made Answer to her, That it was not surprizing to see Tears shed by Persons so much afflicted as the Queen was. What then, said Madame, are not thirty Tears Misfortunes enough to inure her to them? Thus did this Princess wipe away the Tears which lately fell from her in such a Torrent.