•WILLIAM AND MAItY.

165

scaffold, put into the hands of Juxon.* Lauzun had been en- crup.couraged to hope that, if French forces were sent to Ireland, - -

he should command them; and this ambitious hope Louvoiswas bent on disappointing.**

An army was therefore for the present refused; but every Assisi- ^thing else was granted. The Brest fleet was ordered to be in nished byreadiness to sail. Arms for ten thousand men and great James,quantities of ammunition were put on board. About fourhundred captains, lieutenants, cadets and gunners were se-lected for the important service of organizing and discipliningthe Irish levies. The chief command was held by a veteranwarrior, the Count of Rosen. Under him were Maumont, whoheld the rank of lieutenant general, and a brigadier namedPusignan. Five hundred thousand crowns in gold, equivalentto about a hundred and twelve thousand pounds sterling, weresent to Brest.*** For James’s personal comforts provision wasmade with anxiety resembling that of a tender mother equippingher son for a first campaign. The cabin furniture, the campfurniture, the tents, the bedding, the plate, were luxuriousand superb. Nothing which could be agreeable or useful to theexile was too costly for the munificence, or too trifling for theattention, of his gracious and splendid host. On the fifteenthofFebruary, James paid a farewell visit to Versailles. Hewasconducted round the buildings and plantations with every markof respect and kindness. The fountains played in his honour.

It was the season of the Carnival; and never had the vastpalace and the sumptuous gardens presented a gayer aspect.

In the evening the two kings, after a long and earnest confe-rence in private, made their appearance before a splendidcircle of lords and ladies. “I hope,” said Lewis, in his noblest

* Mdmoirea do Madame de la Fayette; Madame de S6vign6 to Madamede Grignan, Feb. 28. 1G89.

** Burnet, ii. 17.; Clarke’s Life of James II., 320, 321, 322.

*** Maumont’s Instructions.