[1350] See among the Stuart Papers a letter from Secretary Edgar to Mr. William Hay, 26th September, 1752, and that from Mr. Hay’s letter to Edgar, October 1752. Charles seems to have been desirous after this to have none but Protestants about him. He sent an order to Avignon, in November 1753, to dismiss all his “Papist servants.” He kept at this time a French mistress, and having quarrelled with her, he discarded her because she was “a Papist too.” The following note, also, in the prince’s hand, appears on the back of a letter of Waters the banker, of 26th June, 1754:—“My being a Protestant I can prove to be an advantage to the Papist, and my terrible situation not to be incapable to attempt any plan either against my honour or interest, seeing them that are so far from my country.” At this time (June 1754) Charles was living in Paris incognito.
[1351] See his answer to the deputation that waited on him in the year 1755:—
“As to his religion,” says Dr. King, “he is certainly free from all bigotry and superstition, and would readily conform to the religion of the country. With the Catholics he is a Catholic, with the Protestants he is a Protestant; and to convince the latter of his sincerity, he often carried an English Common Prayer-book in his pocket, and sent to Gordon (whom I have mentioned before), a non-juring clergyman, to christen the first child he had by his mistress, Mrs. Walkinshaw.”
[1352] Klose’s Memoirs of Prince Charles, vol. ii. p. 208.
[1353] The French government settled a pension of 1200 livres per annum upon his widow, and granted an annual allowance of 400 livres to each of his two sons who were in its service, in addition to their pay.
[1354] King’s Political and Literary Anecdotes, p. 264, et seq.
[1355] Several letters between Charles and Lord Marischal will be found among the Stuart Papers. The most interesting are one from his lordship, without signature, 15th April 1754, another also without signature, 18th May 1754, and Charles’s answer of the latter date.
[1356] Stuart Papers.
[1357] Letter to Edgar, 24th March 1754.
[1358] Letter,—Charles to Edgar, 12th March, 1755.