Memoirs of Major Alexander Ramkins (1718)

by Daniel Defoe

_Englishman_ only stays in Town now to beWitness against this _Malhoneux_. Hanging is certainly his Doom; but ifother Suspicions are made out, of his being that noted Offender, who hadinfested the Road for a considerable Time, it will be his Fate to bebroke upon the Wheel. However, the _Englishman_ has recover'd most ofhis Money, but he will be forc'd to expend it on Charges; but I will seeto ease him in that Point. I was very much edify'd with this Clergyman'sGenerous and Christian Temper in being obliging and endeavouring to dogood to every Body. But now the Time drew near that we were to leave_Lyons_, we had but one Day more to stay, and that the _Irish_Prebendary challenged to himself, desiring I and my Companions wouldaccept of a small Treat and Dine with him. We had every thing that wasgood in its kind, but he wou'd not press his Wine upon us, for theChurchman's Character, was not to be Sacrific'd to the SoldiersAppetite; for he who urges the Glass too far, if he is not himselfsuspected of Insobriety, is certainly obnoxious to the immoral Part ofthe Ceremony.

  When an Army is not upon Action, the Camp is a tedious Place to spend aMans time in; but we, who are Subjects of _Great Britain_, had someadditional Circumstances to make our Time lie heavy upon our Hands; Formy own part, I always look'd upon my self as a banish'd Man, and myThoughts always look'd homeward. There are a great many Charms in somesort of Delusions, especially, if they flatter Inclination. It was nowalmost grown into a settled Opinion with me, that _France_ would nevermake any farther Attempt to restore King _James_, than by way ofAmusement, to drive on some other Project; and yet upon the leastIntimation of a Descent, my Inclinations willingly carry'd me over toanother Belief: And of this my wavering Temper I soon after gave a veryremarkable Instance. My Brother-in-law inform'd me by Letter from_Paris_, that there was a deep Design laid to make us all Happy in alittle Time, so he advised me to make what haste I could, for that nowthe Sea was dividing, and the Children of _Israel_ were upon theirmarch to the _Land of Promise_. Immediately I answer'd the Summons, andgave into the Advice by taking Post, and had the Satisfaction to Supwith my Brother in five Days time. The very next Day I went to St._Germains_, where I was glad to find every thing in such forwardness.The King was preparing himself to go to _Callis_, where a considerableBody of Men were Rendevouzing, as 'twas generally believ'd, in order tobe transported into _England_; where in and about _London_, severalPersons were privately engag'd, and ready with Arms to receive the Kingat Landing. In the Town of St. _Germains_, several Persons dispos'd oftheir Lodgings and Furniture and turn'd them into Money for thisExpedition. The Day came that the King was to take leave of the Queen,and here I was resolv'd to play the Physiogminist, and observe in theirCountenances, whether I cou'd see any thing that look'd like a Descent,for I did not think it improbable, but the King by this time might be sofar habituated to the _French_ Politicks, as to concur to be made a Foolof, and I was not the only one of that Opinion, that the King himselfwas let into the Secret, and knew very well his Journey to _Callis_; andhovering about the Coast, was only to keep back ten Thousand _English_and _Scotch_, whose Presence, that Campaign, would have done the_French_ no kindness in _Flanders_. An old Project; and thus much I readboth in the King and Queen's Face, for neither at parting, norafterwards, did the Queen signify that Disturbance which she could nothave conceal'd, had the Project been real. I need not give the Readerany farther Account of this Matter for it shewed it self upon the Kingsreturning to St. _Germains_. Had this Design been attended with no worseCircumstances than harassing a Monarch, and fooling his Subjects at_Paris_, and St. _Germains_, it might here be regarded as an Innocentstroke of Politicks, though very disobliging and improper; but if welook on the other side the Channel, it had occasion'd very Cruel andBarbarous Consequences. Those unfortunate Gentlemen who went upon theStrength of this sham Project to raise Men, provide Arms and Horses, andattempt seizing of King _William_'s Person, are dear Instances of_French_ Policy; for 'tis not to be suppos'd that _Church, King_, Sir_William Perkins_, Sir _John Friend_, Sir _John Fenwick_, or half ahundred of their Adherents, wou'd either have attempted the Conqueringof three Kingdoms, or been discover'd by any of the Confederacy, had notthe _French_ both encourag'd 'em and left 'em in the lurch.

  It was observable after this Peregrination, that King _James_ began toride with a very loose Rein, and throwing the Bridle in the Neck,managed his Concerns with a great deal of Indifference. He saw clearlyhow fatal a Thing it was for one King to fall into the Hands of another;and that under the plausible Cloak of Hospitality, and Royal Protection,a Person might be lull'd a Sleep in the Arms of an Enslaver. WhenPrinces are detain'd Prisoners, they generally wear all the Symptoms oftheir Royalty besides that of Freedom, which cannot be distinguish'd somuch by the Eye as, the Judgment; and if some of King _James_'s Subjectsregarded their Master with the same Compassion at the Castle of St._Germains_ as if he had been in the _Bastile_, there was very littleDifference to be found besides the largeness of the Enclosure. And ifKing _James_ has not often been heard to let drop Expressions as if heregarded himself no otherwise than a Politick Prisoner, I am very muchmisinform'd by those who constantly attended his Person. The denying himhis own Guards, the number of Spies he had upon all his Actions, theUneasiness he often shew'd that he cou'd enjoy no Privacy, areCircumstances that smell very strong of a Prison. However, the Pretenceof protecting a Person in Distress, was a noble Sham, and so welldress'd up, that the Generallity ne'er look'd through the Disguise. TheSalary allow'd him, and frequent Protestations of standing by him withunpolitick Heads, were look'd upon as undeniable Proofs of _Lewis_ XIV.'Sincerity; but those who were better acquainted with _French_Stratagems, easily pull'd off the Vizard. King _James_ fell into theHands of _France_, and was a rich Opportunity in the _French_ Hands,from whence they might raise a Thousand Advantages. He was too great aTreasure to be parted with only upon good Terms. A Tool no less usefulto make a Diversion in time of War, than to obtain a beneficial Articleat the Conclusion of Peace; and if upon the Foot of this Maxim he wasnot thrown into one side of the Scales at the Peace of _Reswick_, when_France_ cou'd have no other Motive but being gratified with anEquivalent for the disclaim of his Title, I shall own my self a Strangerto the Spirit and Design of that Treaty. Two things surpris'd all_Europe_ upon that Treaty, the first was, that _France_ should be soinclinable to hearken to a Peace after a War, in which he had alwaysbeen successful. The other was, that no regard shou'd be had to King_James_, not so much as to be admitted to speak, though _France_pretended to have undertaken the War meerly upon his Account, and thathis Quarrel seem'd to be the only Circumstance to justify his Conduct inthe War. The Hopes of gaining Time to work his Ends upon _Spain_, willeasily account for his forwardness in clapping up a Peace, and giving upmore Towns than he had been Master of by the War; for thus like athrough pac'd Politician, he humbled himself by little Condescensions tothe Feet of the Allies, and sacrifices these Excrescencies of his Glory,in hopes very speedily to make good all such Deficiences by the largerAcquisition of _Spain_: But nothing will answer the other Part ofPeople's Expectations. _Lewis_ XIV had often made solemn Protestations,that as the War was principally undertaking to do right to K. _James_,so Peace should not be made unless he was consider'd; and unless it werea few near the Person of _Lewis_ XIV who were in the Secret concerningthe Design upon _Spain_, there was not a Man in _France_ but who had abetter Opinion of their Monarch's Honour, than to think he wou'd desertKing _James_ the Second's Cause in so scandalous a Manner, as not toadmit his Plenipotentiaries to speak at _Reswick_: Yes, so undefensiblewas the Conduct of _France_ upon this Head, that they commonly own'dthey were asham'd to look any that belong to the Court of St. _Germains_in the Face, since all their lofty Protestations for restoring King_James_ ended in the self-ended Design of securing the _Spanish_Monarchy in the House of _Bourbon_. And thus poor King _James_ hadimplicitely devoted himself to the _French_ King's Politicks, first bysuffering himself to be led blindfolded, and after he had pull'd off theVeil, (though some will have it he died with the Film upon his Eyes)caress'd the Opportunity, and
made it a principal Ingredient among thoseMisfortunes which he was in hopes to raise his Merits hereafter, and ifhe question'd the _French_ King's Sincerity, he either durst not tellhim, or scrupled to publish his Insincerity.

  These were the melancholly Meditations with which the more discerningpart of King _James's_ Friends often entertain'd themselves, but greatcare was taken that no such Language shou'd reach the _French_ Court.Their Honour was too nearly touch'd to pass over such Reflexions in thatseverity and remarkable Punishment. I took my self to be pretty Cautiousupon such like Subjects, yet upon this last pretended Descent, King_James_ being