While the treaty of Ryswick was depending, it was strongly contended, on the part of the French negociators, in the name of that princess, that her husband having been deprived, by an act of the British legislature, of all his right as king, and being consequently, as king, dead in law, she was as much entitled to her dowry, from the day that event took place, as if her husband had been naturally dead. The English negociators considered the point as too delicate for their interference, and desired it might be referred to king William personally. The proposal was assented to; and marshal Boufflers had an interview with William on the subject. William did not deny the justice of the claim; and on Boufflers expressing a wish that the concession of the jointure might be confirmed by at least a secret article of the treaty, William said, "What! marshal, will not my word satisfy you?" Boutters bowed, and parted, in the full persuasion that he had obtained sufficient security. But, on the first demand of payment, William insisted that the concession had been made upon a condition which had not been performed; while Boufflers maintain ed the concession to have been unconditional. James II. died in 1701; his widow in 1718. No attempt was made by her heirs at law to recover the arrears of her jointure till 1786; when Charles, the eldest of her grandsons, though he would not act him self, empowered his natural daughter, by Miss Walkinshaw, to act in his name for that purpose. A case was made out, stating the nat and grounds of the claim. Louis XVI. by a petition, which Vergennes presented, was intreated to recommend it, through his ambassador at London, to the attention of the king of Great Britain. Louis answered, “C'est une famille malheureuse; dont je ne veux plus entendre parler." Little thought the king how soon he, and almost every branch of the Bourbon family, were to be in a situation no less unfortunate. On the failure of this attempt, another was made, in a different way, to bring the claim before the king. The late earl of Pembroke, while at Florence, where Charles and his daughter resided for some time, was in the habit of visiting them, and sometimes dined with them. The daughter, on the Earl's leaving Florence, begged he would use what interest he might have with Mr. Pitt, in behalf of her father's claim. The Earl politely offered to do all in his power. As for interest with Mr. Pitt, he said, he had none, nor a claim to any; but he would try what could be done by some of his acquaintance who might have interest with him. Accordingly, on his arrival in Paris, he applied to the late Duke of Dorset, then our ambassador at the court of Versailles, who gave the lady's agent a letter of introduction to Mr. Pitt. He promised, at the same time, to take the first opportunity of recommending the claim to that minister's favour and protection; and he fulfilled his promise. Carryll, the lady's agent, on his arrival in London, with Mr. Pitt's permission, waited on him. But scarcely had he opened the subject, by saying that whatever right there might be, and however well-founded, to the whole arrears, a very moderate part would be gratefully accepted; when Mr. Pitt cut him short, declaring it was a thing not to be mentioned to the king. Carryll then communicated the nature and grounds of the claim to learned counsel, who advised him to bring the matter before the King's Bench, of, feringa attainder of blood was to expire at the death of this last of the Stuart family. The statements in the French papers, concerning cardinal York's bequests to the king of Sardinia, are void of all truth. fering, on condition of receiving a certain proportion of the sum recovered, to carry on the law-suit at their own risk and expence; in full confidence that the decision would be favourable, from the circumstance that the act of parliament settling the jointure had assigned as security for its payment royal demesnes of a yearly income more than equal to the amount. But neither Charles nor Henry (for the proposal was made to each separately) would agree to it. Henry was a studious and well-informed prince, and a sincerely pious prelate. His From Lord Minto to Cardinal York. purse was always open to suffering humanity; and British travellers particularly, whether ruined by misfortune or by imprudence, found in him, on all occasions, a compassionate benefactor. He possessed, before 1798, a very valuable collection of curiosities at his villa, where many scarce tracts and interesting manuscripts concerning the unfortunate house of Stuart were among the ornaments of bis library. In his will, made in January, 1789, he had left the latter to his relation, count Stuarton; but they were all, in 1798, either plundered by the French and Italian jacobins at Rome, or confiscated by French commissaries for the libraries or mu ́seums at Paris. The cardinal of York returned to Rome in 1801, and died the Doyen of the sacred college, after being one of its most virtuous and disinterested members upwards of 60 years. He was also bishop of Ostie and Velletri, vice-chancellor of the holy Roman church, and arch-priest of the basilique patriarchal of St. Peter of the Vatican. Thus has died, at the age of 82 years and some months, the last, in a direct line, of the royal house of Stuart; and his death is of some importance; for, it is understood, an act with respect to Some doubts having been expressed as to the truth of the report of the cardinal having received a considerable pension during the latter years of his life, from our monarch, the following letters on that subject will be found interesting: le "De Vienne, 9 Feb. 1800. "Monseigneur, "J'ai recu les ordres de la majesté, roi de la Grande Bretagne, de faire remettre a votre eminence la somme de deux, mille livres sterling, et d'assurer V. E. qu'en acceptant cette marque de l'interet et de l'estime de S. M. elle lui sera un sensible plaisir. Il m'est en meme tems ordonné de faire part a V. E. des intention de S. M. de lui transmettre une pareille somme de 20001. sterling au mois de Juillet, si les circonstances demeuroient telles que V. E. continuat a la desirer. "J'ai donc l'honneur de la prévenir que la somme de 20001. sterling, est disposée à la maison de Messrs. Coutts et Compagnie, banquiers, a Londres, à la disposition de votre eminence. En executant les ordres du roi mon Maitre, V. E. me rendra la justice de croie que je suis infiniment sensible à l'honneur d'etre l' organe des sentimens nobles et touchans,qui ont dicte á S.M.la dimanche dout elle a daigné me charger, et qui lui ont été inspirés, d'un coté par ses propres vertus et de l'autre tant par les qualities eminantes de la personne auguste auguste qui en est l'objet que par son desir de reparer par tout ou il est possible les desastres dans lesquels le fleau universal de nos jours a paru vouloir entrainer par préférence, tout ce qui est le plus digne de veneration et de respect. "Je prie V. E. d'agreer les assurances de mes hommages respectueux et de la veneration profonde avec laquelle "J'ai l'honneur d'étré "De votre Eminence "Le tres humble et tres "obeissant Serviteur, (Signed) "MINTO. "Env. Ex. & Min. Plen. de S. M. B. "A la Cour de Vienne." From Cardinal York to Sir John all my income, the very funds being Hippesley, Bart. "Your letters fully convince me of the cordial interest you take in all that regards my person, and am happy to acknowledge that principally I owe to your friendly efforts, and to the of your friends, the succour generously granted to relieve the extreme necessities into which I have been driven by the present dismal circumstances. I cannot sufficiently express, how sensible I am to your good heart; and write these few lines in the first place to confess to you these my most sincere and grateful sentiments, and then to inform you, that by means of Mr. Oakley, au English gentleman arrived here last week, I have received a letter from lord Minto from Vienna, advising me that he had orders from his court to remit to me at present the sum of 20001.; and that in the month of July next, I may again draw, if I desired it, for another equal sum. This also destroyed, so that I should otherwise have been reduced for the short remainder of my life, to languish in misery and indigence. "I could not lose a moment's time to apprize you of all this, and am very certain that your experimented good heart will find proper means to make known, in an energetical and proper manner, these sentiments of my grateful acknowledgment. "The signal obligations I am under to Mr. Andrew Stuart for all that he has, with so much cordiality on this occasion, done to assist me, render it for me indispensable to desire, that you may return him my most sincere thanks, assuring him that his health and welfare interest me extremely: and that I have with great pleasure received from gen. Acton the genealogical history of our fa mily, which he was so kind as to send me; I hope that he will, from that gentleman, have already received my thanks thanks for so valuable a proof of his attention for me. "In the last place, if you think proper, and an occasion should offer itself, I beg you make known to the other gentlemen also who have cooperated, my most grateful acknowledgements; with which, my dear sir John, with all my heart, I embrace you. "Your best of Friends, "HENRY, CARDINAL. "Venice, 26th Feb. 1800. "To Sir J. C. Hippesley, Bart. "London." Copy of a Letter from Sir John Cox Hippesley, Bart. to Cardinal York. "Sir,-I trust your Eminence will do me the justice to believe that I was not insensible to the honour of receiving so flattering a proof of your gracious consideration as that which I was favoured with, dated 26th of last month, from the bosom of the Conclave. "The merciless scourge of the present age (as my friend lord Minto has so justly observed) has singled out as the first object of its vengeance, every thing that is most worthy, and best entitled to our veneration and respect.' The Infidels in Religion, but Zealots in Anarchy, whose malignity pursued the sacred remains of Pius the Great even beyond the grave, assuredly would not exempt from their remorseless persecution the venerable person of the cardinal York! Severe as have been your eminence's sufferings, they will, nevertheless, find some alleviation in the general sympathy of the British nation: with all distinction of parties, with all differences of communion, among all conditions of men, but one voice is heard: all breathe one applauding sentiment; all bless the gracious act of the sovereign in favour of his illustrious but unfortunate relation. "Your eminence greatly overvalues the humble part which has fallen to my lot, in common with my worthy friend Mr. Stewart. The cause of suffering humanity never wa supporters in the country with which I know, sir, you feel a generous pride in being connected. The sacred ministers of religion, exiled and driven from their altars, fiud refuge and security in Britain. The unfortunate princes of the house of Bourbon here too found an asylum under the hospitable roof of the Royal Ancestors of cardinal York: and when every dignified virtue that can stamp worth on human nature is outraged in the venerable person of the cardinal York himself against such cruelties, with inward consolations recompensed'-here also an inviolable sanctuary is unfolded in the kindred bosom of our beloved sovereign. "It is incumbent on me to at est, that in the frequent communication Mr. Stuart and myself have had with the king's ministers on this subject, they have uniformly expressed their firm opinion, that his majesty will think himself happy in repeating the same gracious attention to his royal relation, and in the same proportion, as long as his unfortunate circumstances have a claim to them. I can also, with equal confidence, assure your eminence, that your reply to my lord Minto has given as much satisfaction to the king's ministers, as it doubtless has excited in the benevolent mind of his majesty himself. "Mr. Stuart unites with me in every heartfelt wish for your emi nence s 1 nence's health and happiness, equally flattered with myself by your eminence's condescension and gracious acceptance of our humble attentions. "With the most perfect consideration and profound respect, "I have the honour to be, &c. (Signed) "J. C. HIPPESLEY. "Grosvenor street, London, March 31." "I am much obliged to you to have indicated to me the way I may write unto Coutts, the court banker, and shall follow your friendly insinuations. In the mean time, I am very desirous that you should be convinced of my sentiments of sincere esteem and friendship, with which, my dear lord, with all my heart I embrace you. (Signed)" HENRY CARDINAL." From the Cardinal York, to Lord From the Cardinal York to Sir John Minto. "With the arrival of Mr. Oakly, who has been this morning with me, I have received by his discourses, and much more by your letters, so many tokens of your regard, singular con sideration and attention for my person, as obliges me to abandon all sort of ceremony, and to begin abruptly to assure you, my dear lord, that your letters have been most acceptable to me in all shapes and regards. I did not in the least doubt of the noble way of thinking of your generous and beneficent sovereign: but I did not expect to see, in writing, so many and so obliging expressions, that well calculated for the persons who receive them and understand their force, impress in their minds a most lively sense of tenderness and gratitude; which I own to you oblige me more than the generosity spontaneously imparted. I am, in reality, at a loss to express, in writing, all the sentiments of my heart; and, for that reason, leave it entirely to the interests you take in all that regards my person, to make known in an energetical and convenient manner all I fain would say to express my thankfulness, which may easily be by you comprehended, after having perused the contents of this letter. Cox Hippesley, Bart. "Dear Sir John, "I have not words to explain the deep impression your very obliging favour of March 31 made on me.— Your and Mr. Andrew Stuart's most friendly and warm exertions in my behalf, the humane and benevolent conduct of your ministers, your gracious sovereign's noble and spontaneous generosity, the continuance of which you certify me depends upon my need of it, were all ideas which crowded together on my mind, and filled me with the most lively sensations of tenderness and heartfelt gratitude. What return can I make for so many and so signal proofs of disinterested benevolence? Dear sir John, I confess I am at a loss how to express my feelings; I am sure, however, and very happy that your good heart will make you fully conceive the sentiments of mine, and induce you to make known, in an adequate and convenient manner, to all such as you shall think proper, my most sincere acknowledgment. "With pleasure I have presented your compliments to the cardinals and others persons you mention, who all return you their sincere thanks; the canon in particular, now Monsignore, being also a domestic pre late |