Abigail's Cousin

by Ron Pearse

  To the left and right of Ormonde were clerks at smaller side-tables who were to record the proceedings. Harley nodded at St. John who addressed the chair: "With your leave, your grace," then addressing each of the two clerks said, "clerks of the hearing, have you everything you need?"

  One of them evidently the senior clerk nodded, turning to say: "We have, may it please, your grace."

  Ormonde looked to Harley who said: "May I have the prisoner brought in, your grace?"

  Ormonde nodded and Harley went to the door at the opposite end, opening it and saying to the official: "Bring in the prisoner, serjeant!"

  A shuffling could be heard which materialised into a dishevelled figure moving forward with small steps to a clanking of chains and St John was moved to pity as he looked at the prisoner. He might have been described as well-dressed except that his shirt though soiled was of evident quality as both cuffs and front were brocaded in silk lace. He looked a gentleman brought low by circumstances about to unfold at this hearing. The serjeant brought his prisoner to a halt a little way from Ormonde and as the prisoner raised his head to look at the assembled company, St John reflected whether he might well be in a similar position one day. He was brought up sharp by Ormonde barking at the prisoner: "Your name, sir!"

  As he heard the words, the prisoner looked his interlocutor fully and St John perceived Ormonde to flinch, looking down as the prisoner answered: "Anthonie de Guiscard."

  "Your calling, sir," asked the duke getting the reply:

  "Le capitaine de l'infanterie des Huegenots."

  Ormonde features twisted in fury: "Speak English, sir! We shall have no frenchifying here!"

  St John looked at Guiscard and read his lips and sympathised and would have liked to say 'tcha' and 'imbecile' himself.

  Ormonde said: "What did he say?" to which St John answered: "He said he is a captain in the Huguenot infantry, your grace."

  Ormonde folded his arms and impatiently said: "Then what the devil is he doing here? Why is he not in ... where is our army precisely at present?"

  "In winter quarters, your grace." answered St John noting Ormonde's graceless acknowledgement. St John said: "With your leave, your grace." and addressed the prisoner: "Tell his grace, monsieur, why you are here."

  Guiscard began: "Le Duc de Malbrouk assigned me to your ministry for war." whereupon St John reproved him: "Your grace, monsieur. Tell him of your duties."

  The prisoner replied to St John, ignoring Ormonde who was clearly irked but said nothing as Guiscard spoke: "I was assisting the officers in the ministry. Am I permitted to say more? The information is confidential."

  Harley now intervened forestalling Ormonde: "He was employed in p-planning the invasion of France, your grace. It never went ahead and is still classified as secret."

  Ormonde fidgeted while Harley spoke and now said impatiently: "Quite amazing. I knew nothing of this. When was this to be?"

  St John spoke in French to Guiscard: "Ne repondez pas monsieur de Guiscard," then turning to Ormonde, said: "I beg pardon, your grace, the details are still secret. We should clear the room if the prisoner is to answer."

  Ormonde shifted in his chair and said: "No matter, let us proceed with other matters," then turning to Guiscard spoke sternly: "It seems, sir, you are a dangerous man. Have you passed information to Versailles?"

  Guiscard looked shocked, eyeing St John then Harley then back to Ormonde uttering a single word, "Non!"

  Ormonde sat up violently and pointed a finger at the prisoner: "No, your grace! Do you know who I am?"

  St John answered for him: "Pardon me your grace." Then to Guiscard: "Mon ami, s'il vous plait! Repondez 'no, your grace'. Now tell his grace, have you passed anything to Versailles?"

  "No, your grace," said Guiscard flatly, obviously distressed.

  Ormonde accused him: "You were caught in the act, sir. What have you to say?"

  Clearly overcome forgetting St John's plea, he said: "Rien! Rien de rien!" This reply sent Ormonde into apoploxy. He exploded: "In English, sir, or by the saints, I'll have you flogged!"

  "B-by your leave, your grace." Harley interrupted, then to Guiscard said: "Know you Lord Portmore, monsieur?"

  "No, sir. Who is he?"

  Harley held up a letter and quickly turning it to show Ormonde then held it in front of Guiscard saying: "Lord Portmore intercepted this letter, sir. The messenger told him it was from you. What have you to say?"

  Guiscard drew himself up as if affronted and slowly said: "A gentleman would not touch the correspondence of his lady."

  Ormonde as baffled as everyone else asked Harley: "What has this to do with treason charges, Mr Harley?"

  Harley replied: "I crave your indulgence your grace. You see it was his lordship who b-brought the prisoner to my attention as a spy. This gentleman has taken advantage of the kind offices of Lady P-portmore to send treasonable correspondence to France."

  The duke said: "Is not the lady also guilty by these actions?"

  "Technically, your grace." replied Harley.

  "Explain, sir!" said the duke tetchily.

  "Shall I, Mr Harley?" asked St John and Harley wearily nodded whereupon St John addressed Ormonde: "This lady formerly enjoyed an amicable attachment which James sudden departure from England curtailed, your grace. She was visited on occasion by envoys of neutral countries, who compromised their situation by transmitting her correspondence."

  Harley intervened at that point to add: "All this was known about, your grace and, uh, tolerated. Need one say more your grace, p-presently?"

  Ormonde shook his head but whether from vexation or incomprehension it was difficult to deduce. He said lamely: "Highly irregular. Hmmm."

  Harley continued, winking at St John: "My officers had the p-prisoner watched your grace. He was seen to have taken several documents from my office and having b-been followed to St James Park, he was seen to remove them from his p-pocket and was about to read them when the officers arrested him. A search of his p-person revealed a p-pocket full of suspect addresses."

  "Suspect addresses. What addresses? Whose?" asked the duke.

  "Of high ranking officers your grace, at p-present in France." answered Harley to which Ormonde replied: "Where would French officers normally be?" Harley with an air of patience explained: "Of B-british officers, your grace."

  Ormonde said: "British officers! Who are they, man?"

  Harley nodding in the direction of the clerks said: "I b-beg your grace's indulgence. They are also confidential."

  The duke was clearly out of his depth. He quizzed Harley: "What do you make of it?" Harley however with a sign known unto St John intimated he should take over and St John who sat opposite Harley spoke: "It seems, your grace, he was selling secrets to us as well as Versailles."

  Ormonde confused at having to switch between the two men as well as the prisoner seemed also bemused at the latest item of information. He said: "Why are British officers buying...? What are they buying?"

  St John replied: "We can explain that later, your grace."

  A thought came into Ormonde's head: "What were they paying you, sir?" This was addressed to the prisoner who replied: "Enough. Just enough to make up for what Mr Harley robbed me of."

  Ormonde failed to pick up Guiscard's omission of his rank. He said:

  "What is he talking about, Harley?"

  Harley was silent so the duke turned to St John who looked at Harley. There was a suggestion of a smile playing across his lips. He said to Ormonde: "The prisoner's pension was held up your grace." He hesitated and looking over at Harley reverted to Ormonde: "Due to circumstances beyond our control, your grace."

  Ormonde had no clue to the plight people faced without the means to support life. He looked at the serjeant: "And this blackguard saw fit to betray the country that gave him refuge." He turned to the prisoner: "Is that your gratitude?"

  Guiscard eyed the duke with contempt: "What do you know of gratitude, monsieur? I served England at risk of my life w
ith the greatest duke in Christendom at Blenheim, at Ramillies. Mr Harley did ill to me to spite the duke. He hates the duke, do you not monsieur?"

  "Your Grace!" Harley was suddenly humble as he added, "The fellow is talking nonsense."

  Ormonde looked at Harley sternly for he knew the prisoner had spoken truth and turned to look at St John whom he had taken a regard for, then at the prisoner. He turned back to St John: "I think we have heard enough for today gentlemen."

  St John was taken aback. He got up from his chair and turned to the serjeant, then momentarily at Ormonde: "With your grace's leave. Serjeant, remove the prisoner."

  The serjeant was leaning back against the door and seemed asleep, or in a doze and did not react whereupon the prisoner stepped forward and lunged at Harley who was just feet away. Guiscard shouted: "J'en veux donc a toi." and lunged a second time then Harley cried out:

  "He's stabbed me!"

  At the same instant St John leapt over the table with drawn sword and pushed Guiscard back covering him with his sword. "Serjeant! Guards! He's stabbed Mr Harley. Mr Harley is bleeding”.

  Ormonde leapt from his seat and with drawn sword stabs at Guiscard who also falls. He cries out: "Finish me your grace. Look how I bleed."

  Ormonde shouts: "It's the hangman for you!"

  St John shouts to a guard: "Hurry, fetch a surgeon!"

  Harley lies on the floor clutching his chest and St John bends over him calling out: "Give him room, please." He removes his coat and folding it places it beneath his head. He whispered to Harley: "Quiet old friend, a surgeon will soon be here."

  When the surgeon arrives, Guiscard cried out: "Attend him, monsieur. I have stabbed him." Then his head sinks down unconscious as the surgeon attends to Harley who also seems to have sunk into a stupor.

  Chapter 14

  As a result of the occasion when Charles I accompanied by an armed guard invaded the chamber of the House of Commons, future monarchs were debarred from entering that chamber ever again so that when Queen Anne made her official opening of Parliament following the general election of 1710, her majesty was conveyed to the entrance of the House of Lords, at that time sitting in the so-called Painted Hall. Subsequently a messenger then conveyed her summons to the members in the other place and so in response they walked to join the lords. In balmy times of the year, their walk might take them through pleasant gardens though in any event past the Chamber of Requests.

  The opening ceremony over, the members would troop back into the former St. Stephen's Chapel, secularised in 1548 after the Reformation their seats being former choir stalls to the left and right of a central aisle. Light poured into the chamber through stained glass windows though only the four facing south allowed uninterrupted light as the north side was boxed in by adjacent buildings erected subsequently. After the Act of Union with Scotland, Sir Christopher Wren was commissioned to provide extra places for Scottish MPs as well as provision for the public to observe the proceedings.

  The newly elected Speaker, Sir William Bromley had to shout to make himself heard above the hubbub of the Chamber:

  "Order! Order!" He waited for the noise to subside. "It was reported last Wednesday by the Clerk of Proceedings that the ballot for early day motions was headed by the member for Bristol, Mr Henry St. John. I now call upon the honourable member to announce his motion and to introduce the debate, Mr St. John!”

  The member rose and spoke: "Mr Speaker, I have the honour to announce the motion before the House. It is: That the previous Whig Ministry has prolonged the war un-necessarily."

  He sat down to bedlam, the Speaker shouting vainly for order before the chamber quietened sufficiently for him to call: "Who seconds the motion?" Robert Harley arose from the front bench and called: "Mr Speaker, I second the motion," sitting down promptly whereupon the Speaker promptly called: "Who opposes the motion?"

  The member who got to his feet stood on the south side of the chamber facing the members who had proposed the motion and who occupied the north side. He said, simply: "Mr Speaker, I oppose the motion." and sat down. In the newly erected Public Gallery, one person whispered to his friend's enquiry that it was Lieutenant-General Stanhope that had just sat down. Behind them a gentleman dressed in the smart uniform of a parliamentary usher whispered 'hush' in a low voice while the Speaker once more called order to the House and upon the member for Bristol to open the debate.

  Henry St. John rose and spoke: "Mr Speaker. When in September, 1709, a year after the allied victory at Oudenarde, Mr Walpole brought an offer of peace from no less a personage than the king of France, Louis XIV, there arose inevitably high hopes among both enemy and ally alike of the imminent cessation of hostilities. Louis had undertaken to persuade his grandson, Philip of Anjou, to surrender the Spanish throne to Charles of Austria. The Duke of Marlborough indeed was so confident of peace that he sent for, at great expense from his estate at Blenheim, a chair of state in which to sign the peace preliminaries in a style befitting England's plenipotentiary at The Hague. Mr Speaker that chair was never used because by article 37 of the Peace Treaty drawn up by the Allies, should Philip refuse to leave Spain, Louis, his grandfather, must guarantee to take up arms and drive him out. In other words, promise to fight his own grandson.

  "Mr Speaker. This was an imposition so manifestly unjust that everything else foundered upon it. You might be forgiven for the belief that the will for peace on the part of the Whig ministry was singularly lacking." A member had risen from his seat among the opposite benches and stalls waving a piece of paper and appealing to speak and St. John stopped his peroration saying: "I give way to the honourable member."

  It was the member for Preston, Arthur Maynwaring who spoke: "Mr Speaker, the member for Bristol has failed to explain what would happen had Louis made his appeal and Philip not complied. I say unto him: What then?" He sat down to cheers from his side and St. John was on his feet again. He continued:

  "I am given to understand, Mr Speaker, that Philip had agreed to abdicate, but the Whig ministers were reluctant to afford him the chance because they wanted to continue making vast profits from the war."

  A loud collection of shouts erupted on this news, such as, 'hear, hear', 'shame', 'withdraw'; there was stamping of feet; members waved papers in the air. The Speaker called for order and eventually peace was restored and he invited the Bristolian to resume. Colonel Masham in the public gallery watching the proceedings, groaned inwardly. A good question had been put to St. John who had avoided answering preferring to indulge in name-calling. The colonel despaired that if the debate continued in like vein, more heat than light would be generated. Nonetheless he began to listen again as St John was speaking:

  "...So the yearned-for peace foundered because Louis could not agree to this impossible condition. He appealed to his people. Facing famine though they were and on their knees, the French peasantry arose in indignation. With rekindled patriotic fervour they answered the call of their king. The French army quickly made up its numbers and marched to meet the allied army in the bloodbath of Malplaquet, where the allied lost as many dead and wounded as the French and yet..."

  He stopped to mounting noise from both sides of the House. There was much un-parliamentary language printed later by Jonathon Swift, blandly as hoots of derision, shouts of exultation, and as before stamping of feet so that the voice of the Speaker was lost in the din. As it subsided his shouts for order could be heard and as St John rose to resume, the Speaker gestured for him to continue:

  "Mr Speaker, the culpability for the bloodbath of Malplaquet must be laid to those Whig ministers who had the impudence to call it a victory. As her majesty was heard to say, 'if that be a victory, pray God we never suffer a defeat'..." He got no further. Uproar ensued. Shouts of 'shame', 'withdraw', 'an outrage' littered the atmosphere and yet again the Speaker could not make himself heard. As it subsided, he issued a warning:

  "This is a disgrace. If it continues I shall suspend the sitting. I warn the House. If this disgracef
ul behaviour does not end, I shall advise her majesty that this House must be prorogued." At once there was silence followed by whispering and the Speaker invited St John to continue.

  "Mr Speaker," began St. John, and before proceeding he scanned the whole chamber, and said: "I assure the House that in those disreputable coffee-houses where Whigs like to congregate," this provoked laughter, "to discuss their latest financial coups, the bloodbath of Malpalquet was the occasion for rejoicing because the Whigs were busy calculating future profits for new uniforms..." He stopped again, and added: "I give way to the honourable member."

  It was Mainwaring again. He said: "By talking in such a way, Mr Speaker, the honourable member for Bristol is debasing this debate. Let me remind the honourable member, Mr Speaker, that after Malplaquet, however he likes to describe it, the allied army advanced and the French retreated."

  St. John got to his feet impatient for the Speaker's call to continue. Once again he surveyed the chamber and then declaimed: "There you have it, Mr Speaker. The honourable member reports an advance of a few yards costing thousands of allied lives yet thousands of pounds added to bank balances of Whig bankers and money-lenders."

  He stopped in full flow and irritably turned round whereupon he is handed a note and addresses the chair: "Mr Speaker, I beg the indulgence of the House. An urgent matter has arisen and I beg leave to depart the Chamber."

  The Speaker accedes to the request and looks down at a sheet of paper before him lifting up his head to speak: "I call upon the honourable member for Chippenham, Mr Robert Walpole."

  The man who rose from his seat occupied a stall on the opposite side to Henry St John. He was in his early thirties and belonged to the so-called Court Whigs who had surrounded William III. Until now they had given their support for the War though being mostly landowners had no need to join the ranks of merchant adventurers in pursuit of trade for their land provided them with sufficient income to be above the hurly-burley of commerce. But like many High Tories were beginning to feel the impact of higher land taxes. Mr Walpole addressed the chamber confidently: