Memoirs of Major Alexander Ramkins (1718)

by Daniel Defoe

something like a Descent, but this was notsufficient to convince me, who knew that such Alarms were often givenupon a quite different Score, to what the Generality of People had inView. However, the _French_ laid strong Colours upon this Preparative;first they gave out, That they had bribed most of the _English_ Fleet,so there wou'd be no Danger from that Quarter nor Body to oppose theDescent; again, King _James_ set forth a solemn Manifesto, inviting allhis Subjects to rise and take Arms, granting an Amnesty only to such aswere specify'd in his Proclamation, and to put the last Stroke to thisMaster-piece of Policy; the King himself was perswaded to appear at theHead of some Troops upon the Coast of _Normandy_. The Pill thus guilded,was swallow'd by every Body; I own I was my self charm'd with the Beautyof the Project, and it look'd so like the dawning of a Restoration, thatI was resolv'd to make Interest with our General, that I might notreturn to my Company upon the Borders of _Italy_; but rather accompanymy Prince, and contribute more immediately to conclude the happy Work.While these Matters were in Agitation, I had an Invitation to see thePalace and Gardens of St. _Clou_, from an old Acquaintance, whom I knewan Officer upon the _Rhine_, but now was one of the Duke of _Orlean_'sSecretaries. This Gentleman, as we walk'd in St. _Clou_'s Gardens, beinginquisitive how I had spent my Time since our last parting, and how myAffairs stood at present, I gave him a short Narration of my Travels andActions, telling him I was now a Captain of Foot, and had a Promise of aLieutenant Colonels Commission the next Vacancy, but that I design'd tothrow up my Pretensions, and accompany King _James_. The Gentlemansurpriz'd at what I said, I suppose Sir, said he, you must have a fairProspect of a Place at Court to put it at Ballance with a LieutenantColonels Commission, and then turning his Discourse into Raillery, orperhaps says he, you are so taken with the beautiful Enclosures of_Normandy_, as to think a Tour in that Country will recompence all otherLosses. No Sir, said I, but I am in hopes, that as I am one who havebeen useful to his Majesty in several Capacities, so being near hisPerson in the Descent, if it prove Successful, as no Body seems toquestion, so I shall be more in his Majesty's Eye, and in fairerProspect of climbing, than if I were doing him Service at a Distance.Well, Sir, said he, I am sorry our former Intimacy does oblige me to usethe Freedom of disabusing you of this vulgar Error of most of King_James_'s Subjects. I cannot blame them for being desirous to returnHome, but they are so Infatuated in their Zeal that way, that theyimagine every Step our Monarch takes, tends immediately towards theirMaster's Restoration; believe me, old Friend, Kings have commonly longHeads, and 'tis well known _Lewis_ XIV has led all _Europe_ through somany Politick Mazes for these Forty or Fifty Years, that he never letsany Body know he is doing a Thing till 'tis in a manner done. AllMasters in Politicks look one way and Row another. I own thePreparatives upon the Coast of _Normandy_ look like a Descent, but thereare false Attacks upon Kingdoms as well as upon Towns: You are notIgnorant that King _William_ is now at the Head of a powerful Army in_Flanders_, and that our King is not so well provided there as heexpected; Now if King _William_ receives the Reinforcement he expectsout of _England_ and _Scotland_, it will give him that Superiority, that_France_ will not be able to make the last stand on that Quarter; sothat 'tis no Secret for us at _Versailles_, that all this Alarm of aDescent upon _England_, is a meer blind to make a Diversion, and tohinder the Transportation of the _British_ Forces. But you Jacobites and_English_ are so ragingly dispos'd, to give every Thing a favourableturn towards King _James_'s Cause, that I have frequently observ'd,there can scare be two Men of War sent out of any Port of _France_, letit be towards the _Indies, Mediterranean_, or other Places, but you makea Descent of it. But as I insinuated Sir, I am glad I have theOpportunity to set you to Rights as to this Affair, that you may notrisque a seeming promising Fortune, by catching a Shadow. The Thoughtsof having King _James_ made such a Tool of, would not permit meimmediately to be civil to the Gentleman, and return him Thanks for theseasonable Advice; however, after I had recollected my self, I did myDuty in that Respect: But the Idea he gave me of his Masters Politicksleft a Deep Resentment on my Soul. Afterwards, as I return'd to _Paris_,I ruminated upon this Subject, and I saw a thousand Contradictions andImprobabilities in the pretended Descent. The Troops design'd for thisBusiness was very few, and the worst in _France_; the King's ownSubjects were not to be employ'd, unless a few Straglers; besides therewere no Transportships, nor in fine, any Thing that look'd like anAttempt to Conquer three Potent Kingdoms. King _William_ had in amanner the whole Kingdom in his Design at his Descent, he also had the_English_ Army secur'd to him, he brought over 15000 Veterans in a Fleetof 600 Sail, but this sham Descent was destitute of all theseAdvantages. I don't question but _Lewis_ XIV, as he proposed an End inthis Politick Amusement, so it answer'd accordingly; but as for poorKing _James_, I know no Benefit either He or his Friends reap'd from it,besides the Fatigue of a _Norman_ Progress, and having all the Jacobitesin _England_ imprison'd, fin'd, and plunder'd; so that to gain a fewAcres of Land to _France_, _England_ must be exasperated to let all theLaws loose upon both Protestants and Roman Catholicks that wereWell-wishers to King _James_. And yet though the French Court obtain'dtheir Ends in one Respect, they suffer'd from the Hand of Providence inanother. I wou'd not be thought to pry with too much Curiosity into thehidden Paths of Providence, otherwise I should be apt to judge that theDestruction of the _French_ Fleet at the _Hague_, look'd somewhat like aJudgment from Heaven for amusing an unfortunate Prince with a falseProspect of Happiness, and yet that loss has been sometimes objected toKing _James_, as marr'd upon his Account, so dextrous are the _French_in turning Things to their own Credit.

  After this you may well imagine I took a new Resolution not to part withthe Prospect I had of making my Fortune in the Post I was in, joyningCompany therefore with three or four more Officers who belong'd to thesame Army in which I serv'd, we set out with all Expedition. I don'tremember to have been better diverted upon the Road, since I first knewwhat it was to Travel; one of our Company was a _Provincial_, and thevery Quintessence of Wit and Gaiety. There was not the most trivialOccurrence but he dexterously made use of it to divert us, particularlyat a small Village within a Days Journey of _Lions_. The Bailiff of theVillage coming to our Inn to gather a kind of Tax (as it happen'd to bea Day pitch'd upon for that end) for the Relief of the Poor, the_Provincial_ Gentleman being deputed, the Steward of our Company, fellinto some Discourse with the Bailiff in the Kitchin. Among other Things,the Bailiff being mellow, gave him to understand, that though his Mienand Equipage was not extraordinary, yet he was the Chief Man in theTown, and immediately represented the King's Majesty, so that if any ofthe Company were of Quality, it was his Business to show them thatRespect which was due to them. The _Provincial_ had a good Cue to giveus a Comical Scene, which all was contriv'd upon the Spot, to drive awaya deep Melancholy from one of our Company, who had not spoke a Word intwo Days. With that he took the Bailiff aside, Sir, said the Person, weall attend here on the Prince of ---- Eldest Son, who is going to Travelinto _Italy_. Had there been a Garison here, it ought to have been drawnup at his Entrance, and the Keys of the Town deliver'd to him; but sinceyou are not so provided, you may exert yourselves as much as you can; Isuppose you have Musick in the Town? yes Sir said the Bailiff, we havethree Violins, a grand Bass, and a Citherne. Do you never exhibit anyPlays says the _Provincial_, or other Antick Performance? No replies theBailiff, but we have a Sport that comes very near it, which we entertainthe Country with twice a Year, _viz_. at _Easter_ and _Whitsunday_, andthe Parts are now fresh in the Actors Memory. This will do says the_Provincial_, but see all Things are ready to give the Young Prince theDiversion immediately after Supper, because he durst not sit up verylate. As for the Prologue, wherein you are to Address your selves to hisHighness, I will furnish you with the Method and Form in which it mustbe spoke by the School-master of the Town. Now all this was carried onin Privacy from us, tell we were call'd out one by one, all exceptingthe Chagrin Gentleman, who lay dozing in an two arm'd Chair, to whom wewere instructed to pay a singular
Respect to during Supper, to blind theMatter. And now the whole Village was drawn about the Inn, to have aSight of the young Prince. After Supper all the Tables and Chairs wereremov'd; the Bailiff enters with his Staff, and according to Informationgiven him, Kneels down and pays his Respects to the suppos'd Prince;After him comes in the Actors in their proper Dresses; and then theSchool-master, who open'd the Farce with a Comical Address made by the_Provincial_ Officer, which in every Line hinted at some Passage of theMelancholy Gentleman's Life, but with such an Ambiguous turn, and yethome to the Man, that it was an excellent Piece of Diversion, to observethe variety of Motions in the Princes Countenance, who thought all to beWitchcraft