342

HISTORY OF ENGLAND.

CHAP.

IX.

J688,

The

Queen

aud

Prince

of Wales

sent to

France.

Lauzun.

important it was that his flight should he ascribed by thenation to his own folly and perverseness, and not to harshusage and well grounded apprehension. It seems probablethat, even in the extremity to which he was now reduced, allhis enemies united would have been unable to effect his com-plete overthrow had he not been his own worst enemy: but,while his Commissioners were labouring to save him, he waslabouring as earnestly to make all their efforts useless. *

His plans were at length ripe for execution. The pre-tended negotiation had answered its purpose. On the sameday on which the three Lords reached Hungerford the Princeof Wales arrived at Westminster. It had been intended thathe should come over London Bridge; and some Irish troopswere sent to Southwark to meet him. But they were receivedby a great multitude with such hooting and execration thatthey thought it advisable to retire with all speed. The poorchild crossed the Thames at Kingston, and was brought intoWhitehall so privately that many believed him to be still atPortsmouth.**

To send him and the Queen out of the country withoutdelay was now the first object of James. But who could betrusted to manage the escape? Dartmouth was the mostloyal of Protestant Tories ; and Dartmouth had refused.Dover was a creature of the Jesuits; and even Dover hadhesitated. It was not very easy to find an Englishman of rankand honour who would undertake to place the heir apparentof the English crown in the hands of the King of France. Inthese circumstances, James bethought him of a French noble-man who then resided in London, Antonine, Count of Lauzun.Of this man it has been said that his life was stranger than thedreams of other people. At an early age he had been theintimate associate of Lewis, and had been encouraged to

* My account of what passed at Hungerford is taken from Claren-don's Diary, Dec. 8, 9. 1688 ; Burnet, i. 794.; the Paper delivered to thePrince by the Commissioners, and the Prince’s Answer; Sir PatrickHume’s Diary; Citters, Dec. ,V

** Clarke’s Life of James, ii. 237. Burnet, strange to say, had notheard, or had forgotten, that the prince was brought back to London,i. 796.