Pickle the Spy; Or, the Incognito of Prince Charles

ER 1750–

by Hanbury Williams-Hume's legend-Report by a spy-Billets to Madame de Talmond-Quarrel-Disappearance-'The old aunt'-Letters to Mademoiselle Luci-Charles in Germany-Happy thought of Hanbury Williams-Marshal Keith's mistress-Failure of this pl

k Jacobite toasts in private. 'But,' says ?neas, 'there are not in England three persons of distinction of the same sentiments as to the method of restoring the Royal family, some being for one way, some for another.' They have neither heart nor money for an armed assertion of their ideas. In 1745, Sir William Watkins Wynne (who stayed at home in Wales) had not 200l. by him in ready money, and money cannot be raised on lands at such moments. Yet this very man was believed to have spent 120,000l. in contested elections. 'It is very probable that six times as much money has been thrown away upon these elections'-he means in the country generally-'as would have restored the King.' ?neas knew another gentleman who had wasted 40,000l. in these constitutional diversions. 'The present scheme,' he goes on, 'is equally weak.' The English Jacobites were to seem to si

here he had no fighting partisans? There are no traces of a serious organised plan, and the Prince probably crossed the water, partly to see how matters really stood, pa

aft of his written o

. Sept, 1750. to ye P. T.

e, come si s'etoit mois-meme; particulierement en l'assurant de nouveau come quois j'ai ses veritable interest plus a cour que

ai

Duc de

ur, je vous prie d'être persuade d

ed, not to be given

ow from a memorandum in his own hand. 'My full powers and commission of Regency renewed, when I went to England in 1750, and nothing to be said at Rome,

cord survives in the Stuart Papers o

From P. parted ye 28th. Arrived here ye 30th Sept. If she [Madame de Talmond, probably] does not come, and ye M. [messenger] agreed on to send back for ye Letters and Procuration [to] ye

ck of the

post; ye Lady's being arrived, or her re

has made a confidence. M. Lorain's being here [the Duke of Lorraine, ex-King of Poland, probably, a friend of Madame de Talmo

mmunication between Madame de Talmond, t

Primrose's, much to her alarm. [107] He prowled about the Tower with Colonel Brett, and thought a gate might be damaged by a petard. His friends, including Beaufort and Westmoreland, held a meeting in Pall Mall, to no purpose. The tour had no results, except in the harm

August 3

ldest Son, is called le Sieur Malapert, his direction is hereunder

He is put upon the list of the French King's Bounty for eight hundred Livres yearly, the same as is allowed to those that had a Captain's Commission in the Pretender's Service and are fled hither. It is Sullivan and Ferguson who employ Tate to get the 1,500 Seals done, he being a man that does still Jeweller's business and follows it

this very intaglio of the Prince, a letter

In English official circles no more than this was known. Troops were concentrated near Stafford after Charles had returned to Lorraine. Hume told Sir John Pringle a story of how Charles was in London in 1753, how George II. told the fact to Lord Holdernesse, and how the King expressed his good-humoured indifference. But Lord Holdernesse contradicted the tale, as we have already observed. If Hume meant 1750 by 1733 he was certainly wrong. George wa

glish Government received information from Pa

October

d Nairn's; Sometimes at Sens, with Col. Steward and Mr. Ferguson; when at Paris, at Madme. la Princesse de Talmont's, or the Scotch Seminary; nobody travels with him but Mr

a year, and is very lately gone to London to be Chaplain to the Sardinian Minister: he has carried with him a quantity of coloured Glass Seals with the Pretender's Son's Effigy, as also

ed to the Pope that Charles is at Boulogne-sur-Mer, which he very possibly was. On January 9 and 22, Horace Mann reports, on the information of Cardinal Albani, that James and the Duke of York are ill with grief. 'Something extraordinary has happen

e Stuart Papers of 1750 are a number of tiny billets, easily concealed, and doubtless passed to the lady fur

ence pour celui qui vous aime

Englis

s [buy hooks!] and lines for fishing, an

incess

que vous devez être à mon égard.' She is leaving for Commercy. On the reverse the Prince has written, 'Judi. Je comance a ou

his suspicious view of the lady's movements. On September 26, 1750

Pr

ber 26

peter, Combien chaque jour de votre absence faira du tor a mes affaier outre Le desire d'avoire une Coinpagnie si agréable dans une si triste solitude, que ma malheureuse situation m'oblige indispensab

remettera tout ce quil aura pour mois, vo

ste solitude after a week of London. On September 30 he announces to Waters that there will be no news of him till January 15, 1751. For three months he disappears beyond even his agent's ken. On Octobe

ober 20

le [himself], Et je puis dire avec raison quelle agit come Le plus Grand de ses ennemis par son retard, elle ajoute encor a cela des menaces si on La presse d'avantage, et si l'on se plain de son indigne procedé. Md. Poulain seroit deja partit, e

l. La

yer tapisse

e Garonne

rmain

de cette Lettre par Le premier Ord

eu M

brace de to

lle tante: now estranged and perhaps hostile. Madame de la Bruère is probably the wife of M. de l

Nov.

Tante soi si deresonable. Elle se done tout La paine immaginable pour agire cont

rs en avant que vous communiquier aucune Chose de ce qui regard Mlle. Chevalier [himself], a Md. la Tante [Talmond] jusqu'a ce que Elle pense ot

a tender passion between Charles and the girl who was now his Minister of Affairs, Foreign

seclusion

. The 'merchandise' is letters for the Prince, which have reached

6 Nov

egarde Les Marchandises de modes que vous avez chez vous depuis que j'ai en Le plaisir de vous voire et que cette Tante [Madame de Talmond] veut avoire l'indignité d'en differer le paiement, il faut que vous les renvoiez au memes Marchands de qu

who has rather tactlessly shown the letter of November 7 to Mada

s epistl

h N

ne voulant pas qu'on parlet a cette vieille Femme jesqu'a ce qu'elle changeat de sentiment, et qu'elle paix la somme si necessaire à son Commerce. Ne vous serriez vous pas trompée de l'adresse de l'incluse pour la jeune Marchande de Mdlle. La bruière-Vous devez peut ete La con

lles jusqu'a ce que le paiement soit fait.

nce. On December 30 he sends for 'L'Esprit des Lois' and 'Les Amours de Mlle. Fanfiche,' and other books of diversified character. On Decemuber 31, his birthday, he wrote to Waters, 'the indisposition of those I employ has occasioned this long silence.' Mr. Dormer was his chief medium of intelligence with England. 'Commerce with Germany' is mentioned; efforts, probably, to interest Frederick the Great. On January 27, 1751, Mademoiselle Luci is informed that la tante has paid (p

g to form relations with Frederick the Great. Goring, under the name of 'Stouf,' was certainly working

eldt Marshal Keith's present illness) the King of Prussia ordered that this woman should be immediately sent out of his dominions. Upon which she quitted Berlin, and is certainly gone directly to Riga, which is the place of her birth. Now, as I am well persuaded that she was in all the Feldt Marshal's secrets, I would humbly submit it to Your Grace, whether it might not be proper for His Majesty to order his Ministers at the Court of Petersburgh to make instance to the Empress of Russia, that this woman

bury Wi

istress of Field Marshal Keith could not be got at; she had gone to Sweden, and this chivalrous propo

ment that Charles had been in Berlin, and had been received by Frederick 'with great civility.' The King, however, did not accede to Charles's demand for h

Young Pretender's motions watched, in such a manner as to be able to point out to him where he may be met with; and that his Majesty doth therefore insist that, in conformity to the treaties now subsisting between the two nations he be immed

harles's arrest

edie' ('Athalie') and 'Histoire de Miss Clarisse, Lettres Anglaises '(Richardson's 'Clarissa'), and 'La Chimie de Nicola' (sic). Mademoiselle Luci, writing on March 5, tells how the Philosophe (Montesquieu,), their friend, has heard a Monsieur Le Fort boast of knowing the Prince's hiding-place. 'The Philosophe turned the conversation.' The Prince answers that Le Fort is trè

hile Dixon may be James Dawkins, or Dr. King, of St. Mary's Hall, Oxford. On May 16, Charles gave Goring instructions as to 'attempting the Court of Prussia, or any other except France, after their unworthy proceedings.' Goring did not set out till June 21, 1751. From Berlin the poor man was to go to Sweden. In April, Madame de Talmond was kind to Charles 'si malheureux et

ard (Madame de Talmond

er 19,

ld gladly know, that I may yield everything with a good grace, let it cost what it will. As a rule it would cost me much, nay, all, to sacrifice your friendship. But I have nothing to contest with old friends, who are more lovable than myself. On my side I have only the knowledge and the feeling of your worth, which require but discernment and justice

Luci replies

er 22,

y as an effort of extreme politeness on your side. Assuredly, Madame, I am strongly attached to Madame your friend [the Prince]; for her I would suffer and do everything short of stooping to an act of baseness. If, Madame, you have not found in me virtues which will assure you of this, at least trust my faults! My character is not supp

by the Prince's hand, nor has he improved the o

untry, and I am always ready to sacrifice everything for it, Life and rest, but the least reflection as to ye point of honour I can never pass over. There is nobody whatsoever I respect more as ye K. of Prussia; not as a K. but as I believe him to

xile. He had now entered on his attempt to secure Prussian aid, and