HISTORY OF HARTING. , 1 15 



Gary 11, is dated Boulogne, April 29, 1696. ..." I see 

 no manner of reason for my staying any longer, now 

 that the world must find the decent is laid aside for 

 the present." This apparently refers to some last hope 

 of regaining England, which the next year, 1697, was 

 disposed of by the Peace of Ryswick, wherein Louis 

 XIV. finally surrendered the cause of James II., his 

 cousin, as hopeless. 



The Queen writes from La Trappe (her usual retreat 

 in times of great stress), June 5th, 1696, of the illness 

 of her son the Pretender. ..." If no accident hap- 

 pens of which we have had good store since we left 

 you : the worst has been last night, that by the care- 

 lessness of one of the grooms one of their stables was 

 sett on fire and all burnt with four of my horses. But 

 we shall mak a shift and go back, for all that, on 

 thursday morning as i intended. It was a great mercy 

 the whole convent was not burnt." .... The doctors 

 are not to leave her son (in the smallpox, of which his 

 sister Mary, William the Third's Queen, died in 1694) 

 night or day. " Mrs. Stafford has my child and her 



owne Pray bid her embrace my poor girle for 



me and the King, and keep her from her brother till 



he is quite well We are here in a terrestriall 



Paradise, yett i don't at all forgett my friends, at the 

 head of w*- without wronging any, i putt Mr. Secretary 

 Caryll. Maria R." 



" Fontainebleau, Oct. 15, 1696. I approve intirely 

 all that you have done concerning your niece, you may 

 at all times with safety make use of my name, when it 

 is to do you or yours any good, for you may be sure i 

 shall always be ready to do that. M.R." 



This is followed by a letter from James, who says : 



" Fontainebleau, Oct. 17. I have read the letter 

 you sent me from the fish wife (apparently a plot from 

 England), and had one part translated, and gave it to 

 the king (Louis XIV. of France), out of precaution ; 

 you did very well to informe E. Perth (Duchess of 



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