"THE FORTY-FIVE." CHARACTER AND FIRST YEARS OF PRINCE (FROM CHAPTER XXVI. OF THE HISTORY.) CHARLES EDWARD STUART is one of those characters that cannot be portrayed at a single sketch, but have so greatly altered, as to require a new delineation at different periods. View him in his later years, and we behold the ruins of intemperance- as wasted but not as venerable as those of time; we find him in his anticipated age a besotted drunkard, a peevish husband, a tyrannical master his understanding debased, and his temper soured. But not such was the Charles Stuart of 1745! Not such was the gallant Prince full of youth, of hope, of courage, who, landing with seven men in the wilds of Moidart, could rally a kingdom round his banner, and scatter his foes before him at Preston and at Falkirk ! Not such was the gay and courtly host of Holyrood! Not such was he, whose endurance of fatigue and eagerness for battle shone pre-eminent, even amongst Highland chiefs; while fairer critics proclaimed him the most winning in conversation, the most graceful in the dance! Can we think lowly of one who could acquire such unbounded popularity in so few months, and over so noble a nation as the Scots; who could so deeply stamp his image on their hearts that, even thirty or forty years B after his departure, his name, as we are told, always awakened the most ardent praises from all who had known him- the most rugged hearts were seen to melt at his remembrance-and tears to steal down the furrowed cheeks of the veteran? Let us, then, without denying the faults of his character, or extenuating the degradation of his age, do justice to the lustre of his manhood. The person of Charles-(I begin with this for the sake of female readers)—was tall and well-formed; his limbs athletic and active. He excelled in all manly exercises, and was inured to every kind of toil, especially long marches on foot, having applied himself to field sports in Italy, and become an excellent walker.* His face was strikingly handsome, of a perfect oval and a fair complexion; his eyes light blue; his features high and noble. Contrary to the custom of the time, which prescribed perukes, his own fair hair usually fell in long ringlets on his neck. This goodly person was enhanced by his graceful manners: frequently condescending to the most familiar kindness, yet always shielded by a regal dignity, he had a peculiar talent to please and to persuade, and never failed to adapt his conversation to the taste or to the station of those whom he addressed. Yet he owed nothing to his education: it had been entrusted to Sir Thomas Sheridan, an Irish Roman Catholic, who has not escaped the suspicion of being in the pay of the British Government, and at their instigation betraying his duty as a teacher. I am bound to say that I have found no corroboration of so foul a charge. Sheridan appears to me to have lived and died a man of honour; but History can only acquit him of base perfidy by accusing him of gross neglect. He had certainly left his pupil uninstructed in the most common elements of knowledge. Charles's letters, which I have seen amongst the Stuart Papers, are written in a large, rude, rambling hand, like a schoolboy's. In spelling they are still more deficient. With him "humour," for example, becomes UMER; the weapon he knew so well how to wield is a SORD; and, even his own father's name appears under the alias of GEMS. Nor *Boswell's Tour to the Hebrides, p. 231. ed. 1785. 66 PRINCE CHARLES STUART. 3 are these errors confined to a single language: who-to give another instance from his French-would recognize a hunting-knife in COOTO DE CHAS? I can, therefore, readily believe that, as Dr. King assures us, he knew very little of the History or Constitution of England.* But the letters of Charles, while they prove his want of education, no less clearly display his natural powers, great energy of character, and great warmth of heart. Writing confidentially, just before he sailed for Scotland, he says, "I made my devotions on Pentecost Day, recom"mending myself particularly to the Almighty on this "occasion to guide and direct me, and to continue to me "always the same sentiments, which are, rather to suffer any thing than fail in any of my duties." His young brother, Henry of York, is mentioned with the utmost tenderness; and, though on his return from Scotland he conceived that he had reason to complain of Henry's coldness and reserve, the fault is lightly touched upon, and Charles observes that, whatever may be his brother's want of kindness, it shall never diminish his own. To his father, his tone is both affectionate and dutiful: he frequently acknowledges his goodness; and, when at the outset of his great enterprise of 1745, he entreats a blessing from the Pope, surely, the sternest Romanist might forgive him for adding, that he shall think a blessing from his parent more precious and more holy still. § As to his friends and partisans, Prince Charles has been often accused of not being sufficiently moved by their sufferings, or grateful for their services. Bred up amidst monks and bigots, who seemed far less afraid of his remaining excluded from power, than that on gaining he *Anecdotes of his own Time, p. 201. † Second letter of June 12. 1745. See Appendix. Letter to his father, December 19. 1746. S Letter of June 12. 1745. James on his part writes to his son with warm affection, many of his letters beginning with the Italian name of endearment, "My dearest Carluccio."-But my remarks apply no further than July, 1747, when the nomination of Henry as a Cardinal—a measure most injurious to the Stuart cause, and carefully concealed till the last moment from his brother, so as to prevent his remonstrances-produced an almost complete estrangement between Charles and his family. should use it liberally, he had been taught the highest notions of prerogative and hereditary right. From thence he might infer, that those who served him in Scotland did no more than their duty-were merely fulfilling a plain social obligation, and were not, therefore, entitled to any very especial praise and admiration. Yet, on the other hand, we must remember how prone are all exiles to exaggerate their own desert, to think no rewards sufficient for it, and to complain of neglect, even where none really exists; and moreover that, in point of fact, many passages from Charles's most familiar correspondence might be adduced to show a watchful and affectionate care for his adherents. As a very young man, he determined that he would sooner submit to personal privation than embarrass his friends by contracting debts.* On returning from Scotland he told the French Minister, D'Argenson, that he would never ask any thing for himself, but was ready to go down on his knees to obtain favours for his brother exiles.† Once, after lamenting some divisions and misconduct among his servants, he declares that, nevertheless, an honest man is so highly to be prized that, "unless your Majesty orders me, I "should part with them with a sore heart." Nay more, as it appears to me, this warm feeling of Charles for his unfortunate friends survived almost alone, when, in his decline of life, nearly every other noble quality had been dimmed and defaced from his mind. In 1785 Mr. Greathed, a personal friend of Mr. Fox, succeeded in obtaining an interview with him at Rome. Being alone with him for some time, the English traveller studiously led the conversation to his enterprise in Scotland. The Prince showed some reluctance to enter upon the subject, and seemed to suffer much pain at the remembrance; but Mr. Greathed, with more of curiosity than of discretion, still persevered. At length, then, the Prince appeared to shake off the load which oppressed him; his eye brightened, his face assumed unwonted animation; and he * "I never love to owe, but, on the contrary, I will deprive myself "of little conveniences rather than run in debt."-Letter, June 1. 1744. Stuart Papers. † Letter of Dec. 19. 1746. Letter of January 16. 1747. 66 PRINCE CHARLES STUART. 66 5 began the narrative of his Scottish campaigns with a vehement energy of manner, recounting his marches, his battles, his victories, and his defeat, his hair-breadth escapes, and the inviolable and devoted attachment of his Highland followers, and at length proceeding to the dreadful penalties which so many of them had subsequently undergone. But the recital of their sufferings appeared to wound him far more deeply than his own; then, and not till then, his fortitude forsook him, his voice faltered, his eye became fixed, and he fell to the floor in convulsions. At the noise in rushed the Duchess of Albany, his illegitimate daughter, who happened to be in the next apartment. Sir," she exclaimed to Mr. Greathed, "what is this! you must have been speaking 66 to my father about Scotland and the Highlanders! No one dares to mention these subjects in his presence."* Once more, however, let me turn from the last gleams of the expiring flame to the hours of its meridian brightness. In estimating the abilities of Prince Charles, I may first observe that they stood in most direct contrast to his father's. Each excelled in what the other wanted. No man could express himself with more clearness and elegance than James: it has been said of him that he wrote better than any of those whom he employed†; but, on the other hand, his conduct was always deficient in energy and enterprise. Charles, as we have seen, was no penman; while in action-in doing what deserves to be written, and not in merely writing what deserves to be read-he stood far superior. He had some little experience of war, having, when very young, joined the Spanish army at the siege of Gaetat, and distinguished himself on that occasion, and he loved it as the birthright both of a Sobieski and a Stuart. His quick intelligence, his promptness of decision, and his contempt of danger, are recorded on unquestionable testimony. His talents as a leader *Scottish Episcopal Magazine, vol. ii. p. 177.; and Chambers's History of the Rebellion of 1745, vol. ii. p. 321. The right date must be not 1783 but 1785, as Charles was still at Florence in the former year, and not yet joined by his daughter. † See Macpherson's State Papers, vol. ii. p. 225. Muratori, Annal. d'Ital. vol. xii. p. 207. B 3 |