430 Account of Thomas Major's Confinement in the Bastille. {June t, 
fined so many unhappy wretches there) 
is so great, that its name alone is ren- 
dered terrible to them, and their poste- 
gity.* ‘Thisaccount isnot merely matter 
of curiosity, but affurds a very interesting 
and instructive contrast, between the 
horrors of a despotic power, and the mild 
and just administration of a free state ; 
which I hope will ever give me a true 
relish and love for my country. 
“* Here Liberty delightful goddess reigns, 
Gladdens each heart, and gilds the fertile 
plains ; 
Here firmly seated may she ever smile, 
nd shower her blessings on her fav’rite 
she." 
You will here find truth undisguised) » 
and unadorned, by flowers of rhetoric; 
a plain simple narrative of mere matter 
ef fact, related purely as ‘the incidents 
arose. Trifling as they may be, to me 
they became of importance from my 
situation. Those who jest at a scar, 
never felt a wound. Perhaps the sin- 
gularity of this affair, and manner of re- 
Jation, may cause a smile. If it afford 
you any entertainment, I shall think 
myself happy, as my greatest pleasure 
will be to acknowledge with gratitude, 
the honour you do me by your generous 
friendship, and the many civilities which 
TI have received from you. 
I am, dear Sir, 
Your obliged humble servant, 
T. Masor. 
Account of Thomas Major's confinement 
an the Castle of the Bustille, with others 
of his Countrymen, by way of Reprisal 
_ for the Irish Regiment of Fitz-James, 
taken prisoners by his R. H. William 
Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, after , 
* Tt must be remarked and acknowledged, 
frém long experience, that no state can exist, 
et be well governed with safety to the people, 
and security of their property, unless there 
be fit places to confine and check villainy. 
It was not the prison itself that was thus’ 
cdious to the nation, but the cruel and arbi- 
trary use of it, by profligate and corrupt mi- 
nisters of state. ,; 
+ Had this account been written imme- 
diately after my release, the various inci- 
dents, (from the acute feelings of human 
nature,) would have been painted in much 
stronger colours. ‘The remembrance of past 
evils, however, is greatly lessened by time ; 
it now almost appears like a dream, but with 
this satisfaction, that 1 feel a melancholy. 
pleasure in retracing the past, and a gratitude 
to divine Providence fer my deliverance, 
the Defeut of the Rebels at the Battle 
of Culloden, in Scotland, Apri 16, 
1746. ; 
I lett London on the 22a of Qcto- 
ber, 1745, in company with Mr, 
Hubert Gravelot, aa artist, well known 
for his abilities, with whom I had been a 
pupil. We embarked in the packet at 
Harwich, for Helvoet-Sluys, and from 
thence went to the Hague, with a view 
of wbtaining passports trom the French 
ambassador, to proceed to Paris. Uns 
Juckily he had departed from thence, to 
settle some atfairs at his court with the 
Dutch; for at that time the French had 
taken possession of part of Flanders. Ti 
this dilemma we applied to the Eng- 
lish ambassador, Mr. Hampden, (since 
Lord Robert Trevor) but in vain, who 
finding we had left London at so critical 
a juncture. (the rebellion being it Scot< 
land), and having no letter of recommens- 
dation to him, he thought proper to re. 
fuse us a passport. This delayed our 
journey ull letters were dispatched to 
Paris, to get recommendations to Mar. 
shal Saxe; when these arrived, we went to 
Ghent, where the Marshal, very politely, 
(as artists) granted us the protection we 
wanted, and then we proceeded to Paris. 
by the common route, through Lisle, &e, 
and arrived there. the latter end of No. 
vember, 1745. Here I canzot help re. 
marking the strong contrast found be- 
tween the French and the Dutch artists, 
As I was obliged to stay in Holland till 
our passports arrived, I was unwilling to: 
lose my time, and therefere applied to 
Mr. Houbracken, the -celebrated ens 
graver, having a letter of recommenda. 
tion to him from Mr. Paul Knapton, the 
bookseller, of whom he had taken large’ 
sums of money, for engraving the heads 
of the illustrious persons of Great Britain, . 
I shewed him my juvenile performances, 
on which he was pleased to pay me some 
compliments. I offered to work with 
him without pay, purely for the sake 6f 
instruction, and to fill up my time, rather 
than spend it in idle curiosity. He said, - 
he never employed any body in his house, — 
and could be of no assistance to me. 
This was a convincing proof of the nare 
rowness of his mind, and of his close dis- 
position ; even though it were to bis own 
advantage, he was unwilling to forward a 
young man mi his studies, Such was 
Dutch benevolence. In the latter end 
of October, 1746, I was then studying 
under. the celebrated Monsieur I, P. 
Le Bas, and was constantly employed in 
drawing 
