those that under-took it to effect, (they consisting chiefly of women and children, without any arms, saving one musket,) that no sober man could possibly have been engaged in it. I was desired, that night, to draw the Declaration for his Majesty; which I did, and it was approved-of by all but Mr. Ashburnham, and at last published in his Majesty's Name. After we had staid, on the other side of the water, about three weeks, expecting the King's coming over to us, and began at last to despair of it, I moved to Mr. Ashburnham, Mr. Leg, and Mr. Denham (who was then come to us from London,) that some one might be sent to the Queen from us all; which was consentedto, and I was made choice-of by the rest to go on that business.

VII.

Of Salmonet, and his "Histoire des Troubles d'Angleterre."

In justice to Salmonet, as well as for the sake of Ashburnham, a few brief notices and remarks on the historian and his history must not here be omitted.

Menteith de Salmonet must have been, according to Dr. Johnson's definition," a very sturdy "moralist indeed."* He was a Scotchman; and he knew that Ashburnham had the reputation (as. lord Clarendon asserts) of " detesting the Scotch." This appears from the observation annexed to his translation of a passage in Berkeley's Memoirs. "La lettre d'Ashburnham, outre ces paroles por"toit encore celles-cy, qui pouvoient en vérité "irriter les Ecossois;-qu'il n'exposeroit pas sa "vie et son honneur ni pour l'Ecossois, ny pour "Agitateur. Ces termes estoient esgalement

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impertinens et injurieux; et c'estoit une horrible imprudence en Ashburnham, dans la déplorable

* "A Scotchman must be a very sturdy moralist indeed, "who does not love Scotland better than truth." Tour to the Hebrides.

"conjuncture des affaires du Roy, de vouloir de gayété de cœur choquer toute une nation, qui "estoit seule capable de les remettre dans leur "premier estât."

Menteith de Salmonet was an ecclesiastic of the Romish persuasion; and he had learnt from Berkeley's Memoirs, if he had been otherwise ignorant of it, the fact which he has himself thus stated;-"mais Ashburnham vouloit faire paroitre "son zéle pour la chose, qu'il appelloit l'Eglise "Anglicane." This knowledge of Ashburnham's sentiments and principles was not likely to make a very favourable impression either on the Scotchman, or the Churchman. On the contrary Salmonet very strongly, as naturally, expresses far other feelings.

Finally Menteith de Salmonet was attached to, and patronized by the celebrated Cardinal Retz, to whom he has dedicated his Histoire des Troubles d'Angleterre. Hence there can be no doubt that the information which he obtained of the passing events in England, and of the persons principally engaged in them must have been tinctured with all the partialities and prejudices of the queen and of her court ;* where Ashburnham

* "Mr. Ashburnham having found upon his address to the queen at Paris, on his first arrival, that his abode at some "other place would not be ungrateful to her majesty, removed

had found as little favour, as lord Clarendon could ever have expected to find respect. That such were his intimacies and connections may be fairly inferred from his having been favoured with the communication of Berkeley's Memoirs; which he has very exactly translated. Yet, whenever he discovers sir John departing from truth, he ceases to follow sir John. Thus, where we find in the original, (whether wittingly or not inserted,) that falsity of Col. Whalley's having complained in his letter to the Speaker that " Mr. Ashburnham "had broken his engagement with him, &c." the truth is substituted in the translation. For Salmonet says " Qually avoit escrit à la chambre દહે qu' Ashburnham ayant engagé sa parole à Woo"burne, que S. M. ne quitteroit pas l'armée à son inscu, il l'avoit retiré, par ordre de S. M., quelques jour devant sa retraite : et lui avoit dit "pour raison qu'il voyoit qu'on ne parloit plus ἐσ qu' Ecossois à la cour depuis quelque temps."

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Here then is another strong instance in proof that Salmonet, Scotchman as he was, did not prefer Scotland to truth. But that, which above all shews how conscientiously, scrúpulously, and fearlessly he acted up to the sentiment, which

ἐσ

to Rouen where he had the society of many, who had served "the king in the most eminent qualifications." Clarendon's History, vol. v. p. 448.

the most authentic of all historians only professed, -"Ut nequid falsi dicere audeat, nequid veri

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non audeat," is his reflection after having related the manner, in which the king became Hammond's prisoner.

"Ce n'est pas qu'Ashburnham manquat ni de "tendresse pour la personne du Roi, ni de zéle pour le service de sa Majesté: ayant toujours " été reconnu pour l'un de ses plus fideles et plus passionés serviteurs. Mais il croyoit que les "affaires du Roi seroient entièrement ruinés, s'il

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quittoit le royaume devant de conclure avec les "confédérés d'Ecosse, et de tirer quelques avan"tages des désordres de l'armée. Et comme il ne "voyoit cependant aucune retraite plus assurée

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que dans l'Isle de Wight, il esperoit que le "Gouverneur feroit les choses, qu'on désiroit de lui, de meilleure grace qu'il ne les avoit promises, "et qu'il ny auroit aucune risque à courir pour sa Majesté."

How different is this from lord Clarendon's worse than "most lame and impotent conclusion!" In which he indirectly pronounces Ashburnham not guilty of the charges, which he himself has directly brought against him. It is impossible that they should bow to this hypothetical acquittal raised on an unreal basis of imaginary compul