Chapter XXXIII
In which there is nothing very particular or very interesting.
We must now change the scene for a short time, and introduce to ourreaders a company assembled in the best inn which, at that time, was tobe found in the town of Cherbourg. The room in which they were assembledwas large in dimensions, but with a low ceiling--the windows werediminutive, and gave but a subdued light, on account of the vicinity ofthe houses opposite. The window-frames were small, and cut diamond-wise;and, in the centre of each of the panes, was a round of coarsely-paintedglass. A narrow table ran nearly the length of the room, and, at eachend of it, there was a large chimney, in both of which logs of wood wereburning cheerfully. What are now termed _chaises longues_, were drawn tothe sides of the table, or leaning against the walls of the room, whichwere without ornament, and neatly coloured with yellow ochre.
The company assembled might have been about thirty in number, of whichhalf a dozen, perhaps, were in the ecclesiastical dress of the time;while the others wore the habiliments then appropriated to cavaliers orgentlemen, with very little difference from those as worn in the timesof the Charleses in England, except that the cloak had been discarded,and the more substantial roquelaure substituted in its place. Most ofthe party were men who had not yet arrived to middle age, if we exceptthe clericals, who were much more advanced in life; and any one, who hadever fallen in with the smuggling lugger and its crew, would have had nodifficulty in recognising many of them, in the well-attired andevidently high-born and well-educated young men, who were seated orstanding in the room. Among them Sir Robert Barclay was eminentlyconspicuous; he was standing by the fire conversing with two of theecclesiastics.
"Gentlemen," said he at last, "our worthy Father Lovell has just arrivedfrom St Germains; and, as the most rapid communication is now necessary,he is empowered to open here and before us, every despatch which webring over, before it is transmitted to head-quarters, with permissionto act as may seem best to the friends of his Majesty here assembled."
The fact was, that King James had lately completely given himself up toreligious exercises and mortification, and any communication to him wasattended with so much delay, that it had been considered advisable toact without consulting him; and to avoid the delay consequent on thetransmission of communications to Paris, the most active parties haddetermined that they would, for the present, take up their residence atCherbourg, and merely transmit to their friends at St Germains, anaccount of their proceedings, gaining, at least, a week by thisarrangement. The party assembled had many names of some note. Among theecclesiastics were Lovell, Collier, Snatt, and Cooke; among thecavaliers were those of Musgrave, Friend, and Perkins, whose relativeshad suffered in the cause; Smith, Clancey, Herbert, Cunningham, Leslie,and many others.
When Sir Robert Barclay approached the table, the others took theirseats in silence.
"Gentlemen," said Sir Robert, laying down the despatches, which had beenopened, "you must be aware that our affairs now wear a very prosperousappearance. Supported as we are by many in the government of England,and by more in the House of Commons, with so many adherents here to ourcause, we have every rational prospect of success. During the firstthree months of this year, much has been done; and, at the same time, itmust be confessed that the usurper and the heretics have taken everystep in their power to assail and to crush us. By this despatch, now inmy hand, it appears that a Bill has passed the Commons, by which it isenacted, 'that no person born after the 25th March next, being a Papist,shall be capable of inheriting any title of honour or estate,within the kingdom of England, dominion of Wales, or town ofBerwick-on-the-Tweed.'"
Here, some of the ecclesiastics lifted up their eyes, others strucktheir clenched hands on the table, and the cavaliers, as ifsimultaneously, made the room ring, by seizing hold of the handles oftheir swords.
"And further, gentlemen, 'that no Papist shall be capable of purchasingany lands, tenements, or hereditaments, either in his own name, or inthe name of any other person in trust for him.'"
The reader must be reminded, that in those days, there was no _Times_ or_Morning Herald_ laid upon the breakfast table with the debates of theHouse--that communication was anything but rapid, there being noregular post--so that what had taken place two months back, was veryoften news.
"It appears then, gentlemen, that our only chance is to win ourproperties with our own good swords."
"We will!" was the unanimous reply of the laity present.
"In Scotland, our adherents increase daily; the interests of so manyhave been betrayed by the usurper, that thousands of swords will startfrom their scabbards so soon as we can support the cause with thepromised assistance of the court of Versailles: and we have hereintelligence that the parliament are in a state of actual hostility tothe usurper, and that the national ferment is so great as to be almoston the verge of rebellion. I have also gained from a privatecommunication from our friend Ramsay, who is now at Amsterdam, and in aposition to be most useful to us, that the usurper has intimated to hisown countrymen, although it is not yet known in England, that he willreturn to the Hague in July. Such, gentlemen, is the intelligence I haveto impart as respects our own prospects in our own country--to which Ihave to add, that the secret partition treaty, which is inimical to theinterests of the French king, has been signed both in London and theHague, as well as by the French envoy there. A more favourableoccurrence for us, perhaps, never occurred, as it will only increase thealready well-known ill-will of his Catholic Majesty against the usurperof his own father-in-law's crown. I have now, gentlemen, laid before youour present position and future prospects; and, as we are met to consultupon the propriety of further measures, I shall be most happy to hearthe suggestions of others."
Sir Robert Barclay then sat down.
Lovell, the Jesuit, first rose. "I have," said he, "no opinion to offerrelative to warlike arrangements, those not being suitable to myprofession. I leave them to men like Sir Robert, whose swords are alwaysready, and whose talents are so well able to direct their swords; still,it is well known, that the sources of war must be obtained, if war isto be carried on; and I have great pleasure in announcing to thoseassembled, that from our friends in England, I have received advice ofthe two several sums of ninety-three thousand pounds and twenty-ninethousand pounds, sterling money, having been actually collected, and nowheld in trust for the support of the good cause; and, further, that thecollections are still going on with rapidity and success. From his mostCatholic Majesty we have received an order upon the minister for the sumof four thousand louis, which has been duly honoured, and from ourblessed father, the Pope, an order for five hundred thousand paolis,amounting to about thirteen thousand pounds in sterling money, togetherwith entire absolution for all sins already committed, and about to becommitted, and a secure promise of paradise to those who fall in themaintenance of the true faith and the legitimate king. I have, further,great expectations from Ireland, and many promises from other quarters,in support of the cause which, with the blessing of God, I trust willyet triumph,"
As soon as Lovell sat down, Collier, the ecclesiastic, rose.
"That we shall find plenty of willing swords, and a sufficient supply ofmoney for our purposes, there can be no doubt; but I wish to propose onequestion to the company here assembled. It is an undoubted article ofthe true faith, that we are bound to uphold it by any and by everymeans. All human attempts are justifiable in the service of God. Manyhave already been made to get rid of the usurper, but they have not beencrowned with success, as we too well know; and the blood of our friends,many of whom were not accessories to the act, has been lavishly spilt bythe insatiate heretic.
"But they have, before this, received immortal crowns, in suffering asmartyrs in the cause of religion and justice. I still hold that ourattempts to cut off the usurper should be continued; some hand morefortunate may succeed. But not only is his life to be taken, ifpossible, but the succession must be cut off root and branch. You allknow that, of the man
y children born to the heretic William, all but onehave been taken away from him in judgment for his manifold crimes. Oneonly remains, the present Duke of Gloucester, and I do consider thatthis branch of heresy should be removed, even in preference to hisparent, whose conduct is such as to assist our cause, and whose deathmay weaken the animosity of his Catholic Majesty, whose hostility iswell known to be personal. I have neither men nor money to offer to you,but I have means, I trust, soon to accomplish this point, and I dedicatemy useless life to the attempt."
It would occupy too much of our pages, if we were to narrate all thatwas said and done at this conference, which we have been obliged toreport, as intimately connected with our history. Many others addressedthe meeting, proposals were made, rejected, and acceded to. Lists ofadherents were produced, and of those who might be gained over.Resolutions were entered into and recorded, and questions debated.Before the breaking up, the accounts of the sums expended, and themonies still on hand, were brought forward; and in the former items, thename of Vanslyperken appeared rather prominent. As soon as the accountswere audited, the conference broke up.
We have said that, among those who were at the conference, might beobserved some persons who might be recognised as part of the crew of thelugger. Such was the case; Sir Robert Barclay and many others were menof good family, and stout Jacobites. These young men served in the boatwith the other men, who were no more than common seamen; but this wasconsidered necessary in those times of treachery. The lugger pulledeighteen oars, was clinker built, and very swift, even with a fullcargo. The after-oars were pulled by the adherents of Sir Robert, andthe arm-chest was stowed in the stern-sheets: so that these young menbeing always armed, no attempt to betray them, or to rise against them,on the part of the smugglers, had they been so inclined, could havesucceeded. Ramsay's trust as steersman had been appropriated to JemmySalisbury, but no other alteration had taken place. We have entered intothis detail to prove the activity of the Jacobite party. About an hourafter the conference, Sir Robert and his cavaliers had resumed theirseamen's attire, for they were to go over that night; and two hoursbefore dusk, those who had been at a conference, in which the fate ofkingdoms and crowned heads was at stake, were to be seen labouring atthe oar, in company with common seamen, and urging the fast boat throughthe yielding waters, towards her haven at the cove.