bot Gualtier, that thro' his Hands, and under his Convey. ance, by French Couriers going continually betwixt France and England, fuch Practices might be. carried on with great Safety, which in any other Manner had been too dangerous an Undertaking. The first Time that any fe cret Negotiation is exprefly referr'd to Abbot Gualtier, is found in a Letter, wherein Mr. St. John, March 4. 17 tells Monf. Torcy, He had deferr'd writing to him of late, till the neceffary Difpofitions were made among our People at Home, and till the Queen had taken the only Resolution which could bring us in a fhort Time to a good and folid Peace. I have now the Satisfaction to tell you, that this Refolution is taken, and that Mr. Harley will carry with him this Night, or to Morrow Moiaing, the final Inftructions of the Queen to her Plenipotentiaries. I refer myself to Mr. Gualtier, to explain to you more at large the Subject of this Gentleman's Commiffion, and what the Queen hopes his Moft Chriftian Majefty will do to co-operate with her. Is not to be expected, that those who have been fo careful to fupprefs Matters of lefs Importance, would leave behind them any Transactions that might tend di rectly to favour the Caufe of the Pretender. But as the Committee has obferv'd several Passages which are a plain Indication of the Regard with which the Cause and Perfon of the Pretender were treated, as often as mention'd, they thought fit to bring them together, and lay them before the House in one View. There is a Paper that was left in Lord Bolingbroke's Clofer, dated at Versailles, Sept. 24, 1711, endors'd, as other Office-Papers ufually are. It gives an Ac count that the Pope's Nuncio had in his laft Audience of the King, made the following Declaration : The Court of Rome being fully inform'd, that France was endeavouring to procure a Peace upon the most advantageous Terms that was poffible; and being perfuaded, that if the Peace fhould be made, England would not suffer that the King of France fhould permit the Prince of Wales to continue in his Realms; the Court of Rome offers to the King of France to give this Prince an Azylum at Rome, or any other Part of the Ecclefiaftick Dominions. To which the King of France return'd in Answer, That an Azylum for the Prince of Wales would be no Obftacie to the Peace. That if the Allies did truly design to make a Peace, he would accept of any reasonable Propofitions they should make ; and in this Cafe an Article for the Prince of Wales would be inferted in the Treaty. June 7, 1712, the Bishop of Bristol giving an Account to Lord Bolingbroke of .fome Discourse he had with fome of the Minifters of the Allies, fays, Monfieur Consbruck, one of the Emperor's Plenipotentiaries, kept

alfo

alfo within the Terms of Decency, fave only that he took it for granted, that one great End of all this Management on our Party was to bring in the Pretender; which Apprehenfion one of the Minifters of the States lateley own'd in private Difcourfe, to have been the Fundamental Reason of all their Conduct of late.

It cannot be forgot what great Strefs and Weight was laid upon the Removal of the Pretender out of the Dominions of France. This was what all the Nation with great Juftice expected, and what the Queen declar'd was taken Care of, as an additional Security to the Proteftant Succeffion. But his removing out of France, and being permitted to refide in Lorrain, was not only a great Surprize to all the Nation, but was receiv'd with fuch just Indignation, that the Parliament addrefs'd the Queen upon this Occafion, That she would infift upon his Removal from Lorrain, that Refidence being equally, or more dangerous to Great Britain, than his Abode in France. Her Majesty's Answer, That she would repeat her Inftances, occafion'd in the Houfe of Lords a becoming Refentment, that the Duke of Lorrain fhould prefume to receive and entertain the Pretender to her Crown, in Defiance to her Majefty's Application to the contrary. But it will now appear in what Manner the Removal of the Pretender out of France, was fettled, and that his refiding at Lorrain was not only with the Approbation, but even by the Direction and Appointment of the English Miniftry.

Mr. St. John, in his Letter to Monf, de Torcy, May 24, 1712, 0. S. concludes with faying, He hopes, that with the general Repofe we shall fee reviv'd in a few Weeks, a good Underftanding between two Nations, which may become to each other the most useful Friends, for the fame Reasons they have been the most formidable Enemies. The Queen commands me to tell you, that she hopes, when you send an Answer to this Letter, we shall have an Account that the Chevalier had begun is Journey. In Anfwer to this, Monf. de Torcy fays to my Lord Bolingbroke, You may affure the Queen, that the Chevalier is ready to depart at a Moment's Warning, if he did but know where he was to go, and in what Place he might be in Safety. I own to you, that I know no Prince who is willing to receive him, for Fear of difpleafing the Queen, or other Powers; it will be abfolutely neceflary that there should be fome Explanation upon this Subject, which I defire you to make to me by the Abbot Gualtier, if you do not judge it proper to do it your felf.

Mr. St. John, June 6, 1712, 0. S. writes a publick Letter in Answer to the feveral Points contain'd in Mon

fieur de Torcy's laft Letter; but in that Letter takes no Notice at all of the Chevalier. But the Day after, June 7, 1712, he writes a private Letter, as he calls it himself, to Monf. de Torcy, and concludes, The Abbot Gualtier will write to you on the Subject of the Chevalier.

The Committee obferve, there are two Copies of this private Letter, one deliver'd by Lord Bolingbroke, the other enter'd in Lord Strafford's Book: And in the Copy of this Letter given in by Lord Bolingbroke, this Paffage, That Abbot Gualtier fhall write about the Chevalier, is omit ted by his Lordthip. June 22, 1712, N. S. Monf. de Torcy writes two Letters to my Lord Bolingbroke: In the publick Letter nothing is faid of the Pretender; the private Letter concludes with faying, I have the Honour to fend you a Letter under the King's Hand, for her Britannick Majefly, and Irefer you to what the Albot Gualtier shall say to you, about the Departure of the Chevalier.

Aug. 21, 1712, Lord Bolingbroke being then in France, in his Difpatch to the Earl of Dartmouth, fays, The Cheva lier has fix'd his Departure for the first of next Month, N. S. they propofe that he shall retire to Bar; and they intend to write to the Duke of Lorrain, to ask of the Emperor, and other Princes, a Security for his Perfon, during his Refi dence in that Place. But on the 28th of December, 1712, N. S. it appears, that the Chevalier was ftill in France, upon which Account Mr. Prior writes thus to my Lord Bling broke: Another Point upon which this Court is very folici tous, is, that the Chevalier remaining in any Town of France obftructs the Signing the Peace; yet he cannot go to Lorrain till the Emperor's Paffports will fecure him there. Your LordShip by the Perufal of the Papers, will fee the State of that Cafe; and I have only to add upon this Subject, that the Court of France expreffes an Impoffibility on their Side, to do more than they have done, and hopes we should have Intereft enough with the Emperor, to obtain fuch Paffports from him, as may Secure as well the Perfon, who is to go into Lorrain, as the Duke of Lorrain, who is to receive him.

Mr. Prior on the 29th, writes to the fame Effect to my Lord Treasurer, and fays, The Monarch is a good deal troubled upon this Head, left the young Man fhould fall into the Hands of the Huffars or Barbarians. And Monf. d' Aumont has, Iprefume, Orders to speak to our Miniftry upon it. As to the Dowry, I fhall not only be dunn'd to Death, but hang'd; for the Dowager fends Messengers to me, which you in England do not think it extremely lawful to receive: But if it is to be paid, pray let it be done in a handsome Manner, that may

Shew

fhew the Charity of the Queen, and the Generosity of her Lord Treasurer.

The Papers referr'd to in Mr. Prior's Letter, contain an Account of what the Duke of Lorrain had done at the Defire of the King of France, to obtain from the Allies the neceffary Safeguards for the Chevalier. He fays, That understanding that the Queen of Great Britain had already granted her Safeguard or Protection to the Chevalier de St. George, he believ'd they had no more to do, but to apply to the Emperor, and to the States General. By this Account it is evident, that Abbot Gualtier manag'd the Affairs of the Pretender, with whom fuch Practices were verbally to be tranfacted, as our Miniftry did not think proper to commit to writing. That the Place to which he was to go, because no Body would receive him at the Hazard of the Queen's Difpleasure, and where he might remain in Safety, was to be prefcrib'd from England. That this was not fix'd and determin'd till Lord Bolingbroke went into France: And if his Lordship's Inftructions are confider'd, it will be hard to find in them any Thing of that Importance and Secrecy, as to require his going in Perfon to fettle it. His Lordship gives an Account from thence, that the Pretender was to go to Bar, and this is acquiefc'd in here, without the leaft Objection made.

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know

The Miniftry are told by Mr. Prior, That the Court of France hopes, by our Intereft, fuch Paffports would be procur'd as might fecure his Perfon: And in the Paper fent to France from the Duke of Lorrain, it is afferted, That the Queen of Great Britain had already granted her Protection to the Pretender. But November the 6th, 1713, Lord Bolingbroke writes to Mr. Prior, Her Majefty having repeated to the Duke of Lorrain the Inftances which have been fo often made to the Moft Chriftian King, for removing the Pretender to her Crown out of his Dominions, I am directed to acquaint you therewith, that you may speak to the Minifter of Lorrain, and to any other Minifter whom you Shall think proper, and let them know it is abfolutely incon fiftent with the Amity and good Correspondence that is between the Queen and their Mafters, to receive into their Dominions, or to protect a Perfon, who difputes her Majefty's Title, and endeavours to difturb the Peace of her Kingdoms. That you may be able to fhew them that this is the collective Sense of the whole Nation, as well as the Queen's Command to you, I herewith fend you the Addresses of both Houses of Parliament. This can be understood as no more than a bare Compliance with the Addreffes of Parliament. And to fhew

how little Refentment and Indignation was conceiv'd against the Duke of Lorrain for this Indignity offer'd to her Majefty, the Committee infert here a Letter wrote by Lord Bolingbroke to Mr. Prior, within four Days after his laft mention'd Letter upon the Subject of the Pretender, This Letter, fays Lord Bolingbroke to Mr. Prior, will be deliver'd to you by the Baron de Forstner, who has been twice at our Court with the Character of Envoy from the Duke of Lorrain, and who is extremely well with your Friends on this Side of the Water, that I make no doubt but that he will be a welcome Acquaintance to you: I must at the fame Time recommend the Intereft of the Duke of Lorrain his Maßer to your Care. You know, Sir, how little that Prince has yet felt the good Effects of what was ftipulated for him at Ryfwick: You know, Sir, how justly he pretends to an Equivalent from this Emperor for the Montferrat, which was given away from him to the King of Sicily. In a Word, you are enough appriz'd of his Wants, of his Expectations, and of her Majefty's earneft Defire, if by any Means he can, to contribute to the Eafe, and to the Advantage of a Prince, who deferves much better Ufage than he has on many Occafions met with.

There are feveral other Letters that were wrote after the Addrefs of Parliament to prefs the removing of the Pretender from Lorrain; but 'tis needlefs to obferve what little Effect was to be expected from fuch Reprefentations made in the feveral Courts of Europe, which were known to be contrary to the Senfe and Intention of the Court of Great Britain. And if any further Demonftration was wanting to fhew their true Spirit and Inclination, it may be obferv'd, that the Addreffes in Parliament were made in July 1713; and the firft Letter that Lord Bolingbroke wrote in Pursuance of thofe Addreffes, was on the 6th of November, which was four Months after the Addreffes were prefented to the Queen.

The Committee infert here an Extract of a Memorial touching the Demolition of the Sluices of Dunkirk, deliver'd by Monf. de Torcy to Lord Bolingbroke at Paris, in August 1712. It is not our Business now to examine whether the Queen of England, and the English Nation, were in the Right to demand the Demolition of the Fortifications, and the filling up the Harbour of Dunkirk, that is a Thing refolv'd and agreed upon. It may perhaps come to pass in the Course of this Affair, for Reafons easily to be forefeen, that England Shall repent having demanded the Demolition of a Place, the Deftruction of an Harbour, which might be of great Use in Conjunctures which perhaps are not very remote.

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