Daniel Defoe

“ And this is the real Spirit of Politics that govern'd the French at the Peace of Utrecht.
This kind of Management so disconcerted all the Pretenders Party who then govern'd the Queen, that they flew all in Pieces, astonish'd not to find the French insist upon the Pretender's Right, as they had laid the Design. They inform against one another, and by their unseasonable and discontinued Animosities threw the Queen into an Agony of Fear, which afterwards usher'd in the Agony of Death. ”

“ But King James will always be King James, and Judge every Man Honest, who does but pretend to be so; for pray, gave me leave Sir, will it pass for a seizable Story in future Ages. That Lewis XIV should make War in order to Restore James II and keep above 40000 Men in constant Pay, and never employ any of them that way. ”

“ And yet though the French Court obtain'd their Ends in one Respect, they suffer'd from the Hand of Providence in another. I wou'd not be thought to pry with too much Curiosity into the hidden Paths of Providence, otherwise I should be apt to judge that the Destruction of the French Fleet at the Hague, look'd somewhat like a Judgment from Heaven for amusing an unfortunate Prince with a false Prospect of Happiness, and yet that loss has been sometimes objected to King James, as marr'd upon his Account, so dextrous are the French in turning Things to their own Credit. ”

“ When an Army is not upon Action, the Camp is a tedious Place to spend a Mans time in; but we, who are Subjects of Great Britain, had some additional Circumstances to make our Time lie heavy upon our Hands; For my own part, I always look'd upon my self as a banish'd Man, and my Thoughts always look'd homeward. There are a great many Charms in some sort of Delusions, especially, if they flatter Inclination. It was now almost grown into a settled Opinion with me, that France would never make any farther Attempt to restore King James, than by way of Amusement, to drive on some other Project ”

“ The Hopes of gaining Time to work his Ends upon Spain, will easily account for his forwardness in clapping up a Peace, and giving up more Towns than he had been Master of by the War; for thus like a through pac'd Politician, he humbled himself by little Condescensions to the Feet of the Allies, and sacrifices these Excrescencies of his Glory, in hopes very speedily to make good all such Deficiences by the larger Acquisition of Spain: But nothing will answer the other Part of People's Expectations. ”

“ A general Whining and Pining away for a Trolloping Girl, was to me a very awker'd and inconsistent Piece of Pageantry; however, I had been often told by Persons of Experience, that no Man had so just an Idea of the World, as he that had been well hamper'd and sower'd by a Love Intrigue; for though Women appear to be only Spectators, and to bear no Sway in the Politicks of the World, yet underhand, the Fate of Kingdoms often hung at their Girdles, and the wisest of Princes often hazarded the Repose of his People for an Hours Dalliance with some Coquet and diverting Creature of the fair Sex. ”

“ The Wars of Ireland being at an End, and the Articles of Limerick Sign'd, about 15000 regular Troops were Transported into France, besides several Thousands of others, who all proved as useful to the Monarch of France in his Wars in Italy, Spain, Germany, &c. as they had been in making a Three Years Diversion in Ireland, so happy was France in making a Politick use of King James's Misfortune, that Lewis XIV was much a greater Gainer by his being Banish'd, than if he had remain'd in the quiet Possession of his Throne. ”

“ I don't question but Lewis XIV, as he proposed an End in this Politick Amusement, so it answer'd accordingly; but as for poor King James, I know no Benefit either He or his Friends reap'd from it, besides the Fatigue of a Norman Progress, and having all the Jacobites in England imprison'd, fin'd, and plunder'd; so that to gain a few Acres of Land to France, England must be exasperated to let all the Laws loose upon both Protestants and Roman Catholicks that were Well-wishers to King James. ”

“ There is no extraordinary difference between disposing of another Man's Right, and disposing of his Person. There was a Time when France gloried in the Ostentatious Title of being the Assylum of distress'd Monarchs, and I remember I was once dispos'd to have almost deify'd their Monarch upon that Score; but when I took the Frame of his Politics, and examin'd every Wheel and Spring by which they moved, I rescued my self from the Prejudices I had been nurs'd up in ”

“ I was happy in one thing during my stay here, that I was agreeably surpriz'd with the fight of my only Sister, whose Husband being under some malignant Court Influence, was oblig'd to withdraw with his Family out of Scotland. Paris is a Place like all other great Cities, where Persons of all Conditions and Characters may spend their Time agreeably, if that useful Trifle call'd Money be not wanting. ”

“ So having obtained a Pass from the Allies, under the Quality of two Scotch Merchants we began our Journey. When I came to Amsterdam, I was very much surpriz'd to understand the odd Occasion of my Money being stop'd. It seems a Countryman, of mine who had fish'd out something of my Concerns, and saw me fall at the Battle of Launden, had Counterfeited a Deed in the Nature of a Will, which imported, that all my Effects in Amsterdam were left to him, he being my Brother, and demanding it as his due. ”

“ This undesign'd Affront of King James in preferring C.L. to the Minister's Favourite, lost the Battle of the Boyne, and perhaps all Ireland; for the Chief Minister would neither send Arms nor Money to supply that brave Body of Men, but threw them into the Circumstances of either dying unreveng'd, or saving their Lives by Flight. The History of that Battle has so many Eye Witnesses still alive for me to dwell upon it; I shall only make bold to relate what my Fate was upon that unfortunate Day, and how inglorious France withdrew the sham Succours they sent King James. ”

“ Observe, says he, Child what I say to you, 'tis a Maxim never to be neglected among Politicians to keep up Divisions in an Enemies Country; you may, perhaps, imagine that this will be a short Game that is a playing, but depend upon it my Grey Hairs will not see an end of it. I allow the King of France has declar'd himself a Friend to King James II; He is a very powerful Prince, and if he would turn his Forces this Way, and be upon the Defensive near Home, a few Months would bring the War to a Period. But that Monarch has things in his Head which I must not mention. ”

“ But you Jacobites and English are so ragingly dispos'd, to give every Thing a favourable turn towards King James's Cause, that I have frequently observ'd, there can scare be two Men of War sent out of any Port of France, let it be towards the Indies, Mediterranean, or other Places, but you make a Descent of it. ”

“ London is a Place above my Description, and though I lost no Time the six Months I remain'd there, to view what Curiosities were to be seen, yet 'tis probable many Things worthy of Observation escaped my Diligence. I took a particular care not to make my self Public, but pass'd at my Lodgings under Disguise of a Merchant, yet abroad I acted the Marquess, not to be depriv'd of the Means of introducing my self into the best of Company. I found they were much divided in England as to the French Politicks ”

“ There liv'd in Paris a Collonel's Widow, neither very young, nor very handsome. The intimacy I had with her Husband, who was kill'd in Italy, brought me first acquainted with her. Her discreet Carriage in a great variety of intricate Circumstances had often Charm'd me. There was no Difficulty in a marriage State, but she had struggled with it; a morose Husband, the Death of an only Child, the Gripes of Poverty when her Consort was in the Army and lavish'd away his Income, were great Tryals in which she always Triumph'd, and wore a stoical Constancy without any Reservedness. ”

“ Germains, is but a poor recompence for a ruin'd People, especially when the Origin and Motive of their Misfortunes are look'd into. And the Gasconades and Politick, Promises made both to the Father and the Son of never sheathing the Sword with the Sham Attempts in their Favour, will be recorded in Antiquity, not as Arguments of his Christianity, but strong Lines of Policy how a Prince is to make use of all Occurrences to promote the welfare of his own People, nothing, being more successful in such junctures, than a Pretence of Religion, and assisting Persons in distress. ”

“ Were not 300000 Men driven like Sheep from the Banks of the Boyne for want of Arms, while what wou'd have furnish'd a Million of Men, were Rusting in the Magazines of France? Were not the Highlanders constantly neglected, and fed with nothing but Promises, till they were reduc'd from a Victorious Army to a Troop of Banditti? Have not the Lives and Fortunes of Thousands in England payed very dear for these French Politics, by being encourag'd to rise up and Precipitate themselves into Ruin, by the Motions of Fleets and Armies upon sham Pretences of making Descents. ”

“ And now there were several Speculations, what Method the French King wou'd take to make the World believe he had a Design to reinstall King James. The most direct Means was to attempt a Descent, but this was impracticable by the way of Ireland; for if an Army of 30000 Men cou'd not keep it when they were actually in Possession of it, there was no likelyhood of their succeeding in a Descent, nor was it probable, that France would add more Force to them who had so often refus'd them when they were in Circumstances to receive. ”

“ But as no Man is prosperous at all Times, so it was not long before I found my self engag'd in an Affair which very much troubled my Repose, and which I would willingly have compounded for with my Amsterdam Bank. The Business was this, my Eldest Brother before he went with King James into Ireland, made some stay at Paris and St. Germains, where he was order'd to collect some Recruits of the Three Nations, which he was to conduct over in the Quality of a Route-Captain. ”

“ He had been in that City about two Months, kept a handsome Equipage, was very young, and a well bred Gentleman, of great value among the Ladies, and had he been able to support the Character he bore at first appearance here, it would have convinced the World there is very little difference between a Footman and a Nobleman, where neither Sense nor Money are wanting to carry on the Resemblance. ”

“ All Masters in Politicks look one way and Row another. I own the Preparatives upon the Coast of Normandy look like a Descent, but there are false Attacks upon Kingdoms as well as upon Towns: You are not Ignorant that King William is now at the Head of a powerful Army in Flanders, and that our King is not so well provided there as he expected; Now if King William receives the Reinforcement he expects out of England and Scotland, it will give him that Superiority, that France will not be able to make the last stand on that Quarter ”