THE COMTE DE SERRANT, THE YOUNGER

Borne, Decemher the \Uh, 1766.

Your advancement gives me much satisfaction. The value I so

1 [In English.— Tr.]

82 A KOYALIST FAMILY AND

justly hâve for you and your family cannot but engage me at ail times to wish for opportunities to give you proper marks of my regard and considération. Charles R.

For the Comte de Serrant, the younger.^

MONSIEUR LE COMTE DE SERRANT'

ith April 1767.

I HAVE spoken to you, my dear papa/ of the marriage of Prince Edward.* Nothing could be truer. It was said yesterday that it took place the day before, and that the Duke of Fitz James had been the ' procureur ' (the proxy for the King). That mistake is a proof of the secrecy attached to it. Hère is the truth, the marriage took place at the house of the Duke of Berwick, Friday, the 27th March, at noon. M. de Berwick was the proxy, and Melle. de Stolberg, eldest sister of the Marquise de la Jamaique, was there in person. At 5 o'clock the same day she started, and was to hâve been attended by Melle. Power, of whom you hâve heard, by a German young lady, who missed her by 24 hours, and by M. Ryan, Major in Berwick's Eegt., so that she left with only Melle. Power, and M. Ryan. They were to arrive yesterday at a town of Frioul,* where the Prince will be married. Monsieur de Salm from whom I got thèse détails, and who is cousin-german, and at the house of whose father Princess Stolberg stayed hère (at Paris) a month, and from whence she went off, assured me that the Pope recognised and would treat the Prince as King, and that there were hopes hère as to the j^ension. Milord Harcourt it is said made complaints, which, however, could not, and ought not to embarass a Minister of Foreign affairs such as M. d'Aiguillon.*^ I am going this morning to Versailles with M. de Salm, who takes me. If I learn any other détails I will send you them.

1 Antoine Joseph Walsh, né at Cadiz, 1744, of Albany, married Louise de Stolberg in 1767. oh. at Serrant 1817. He died in 1788.— Tr.]

2 Francoi.s Jaciiuea Walsh, born at St. Malo = The part of Italy in which Udine is iu 1714, oh. 1782. situated.

^ [Letter (in Freuch) from the young '' The Duc d'Aiguillon, Minister of Foreign

Vicomte de Serrant to his father. — Tr.] Afi'.iiis.

* [Charles Edward, known latterly as Count

PRINCE CHAELES EDWARD 83

[No address.] Bouillon, Nov. 23ri, 1769.

Sir, — I beg of you to corne to Paris without waste of time, to let me know tliat you hâve received this letter, the day on whicli you can arrive ar\d where you can be found. It is needless to ask you to keep the object of your joui'ney secret. No one ought to know anything about it. — I am, your good friend, J. Douglas.

MONSIEUR LE COMTE DE SERRANT

Frascati, 9th December 1791.

My deak Walsh, — I had the satisfaction of receiving the 6th of this month the letter which you wrote to me about the Abbé Walsh, your Great-nephew, by his own hands, and I am very well pleased with him. He appears to me to hâve intelligence and good inclinations to profit by the studies adapted to his profession. You can count on the lively interest which I shall take in the good success of this young lad. I shall make him corne to me from time to time, and I shall watch over his conduct, in ordei", in two words, that they may not spoil him. I know you too well not to be sure of your monarchical principles, and I rejoice with you to see you fifth of your family united under the banner of the respectable Princes who are at Coblentce, for whom I form the most ardent prayers that the Lord may bless their opérations and fulfil their desires, which are very surely mine. I profit very willingly by this opportunity to give you the most lively assurances of the sincère aftection which I bear to you personally and to ail your family, and to embrace yovi with ail my heart. Henry R., Cardinal.^

MINUTES OF A LETTER FROM THE COMTE WALSH DE SERRANT TO THE COMTE PERGEN at Vienna

Monsieur le Comte, — A long time ago the Duc de Polignac ^ asked your Excellence for a passport that I might go to Vienna,

' Henry Benoit, Cardinal of York, brother in 1807. of Priace Charles Edward, died at Rome 2 Armand Jules Marie Heraclius, o6. 1847.

where various affairs call me ; I hâve the honour to recal the remembrance of this to your Excellence, by addressing myself directly to you. I cannot for an instant suppose that any difficulties can be found ; for being the first of the faithful Frenchmen who hâve appeared at Vienna since the end of 1789, I am far from considering myself included in the prohibitions established in many places against the generality bearing the French name ; ail the il

administrations, and yours certainly. Monsieur le Comte, know how to make just exceptions of persons of conduct and of character ; they distinguish victims from the guilty, and they can only place among the cosmopolites of the best kind, among the zealous defenders of ail thrones and ail governments, those who like myself hâve, from the 19th July 1789 and before the torrent of émigration, followed the eternal principle of the French monarchy which, when the King is in the hands of the enemy or of the rebels, places the représentation of his authority and of obédience v^here there is the first of the free Princes of his blood.

Of English origin, French by the chances of another révolution in the last century, and by the effects of the same fidelity in opposition to the same crimes, I hold strongly (insist) Monsieur le Comte, on your presenting my demand to His Majesty the Emperor, at whose feet I had the honour of placing myself in 1789 and since at Frankfort.

He will be willing, I dare to hope, to receive again the homages of one who knew how to appreciate the qualities which he already showed for the happiness of his peoples before reigning over the m, and who now admires and foUows with ardent vows his glorlous march to the high destiny of being the benefactor of the world, and the préservation from a total submersion.

I hâve the honour to be, with the most distinguished considération, M. Le Comte, of your Excellency the very humble servant,

Le Comte de Walsh Serrant.

To the Comte de Pergen, Minister of the Emperor of Austria.

MONSIEUR LE COMTE DE SERRANT

Frascati, I9th November 1793.

I CANNOT express to you, my dear Walsh, my great sensé of the zeal and attachment wliich you show me by your letters of the 14th, 22nd, and 25th October, and one of the 15th September which, by I know not what chance, has only now reached me. I hâve had a memoir drawn up which you will find herewith, by which you will know precisely my sentiments to which you can conform yourself as if it was written by my own hand. I hâve written a few words to the Nuncio at Brussels referring to the said memoir which you can communicate to him. Thus there remains nothing for me to add except to assure you of ail my esteem, and of the friendship with which, my dear Walsh, I embrace you with ail my heart.

Henry R., Cardinal.

P. S. — The Duchess Fit James (Fitz- James) knows perfectly the nature of the memoir which has been drawn up hastily. Address yourself to her, to whom I hâve also written two words, and observe with exactness the last article of the said memoir.

MONSIEUR LE COMTE DE SERRANT

Frascati, lOth Decr. 1793.

I HAVE not time, my dear Walsh, to enter into détail as to your letter, which I received the other day at Rome. It will suffice for you to know to what a degree I am sensible of your zeal and attachment to my service, and that the energy you put into ail your opérations assures me of its contiuuance. What is necessary is that you should not lose a moment without informing the Count de Trautmansdorff and the Count de Wallis of my appréciation of the obliging interest which they hâve been so good as to take in me, reserving myself to send them later more fuUy my sentiments of gratitude. Ail the explications possible will be sent to you. Adieu, my dear Walsh, you know already ail the sentiments of esteem and of friendship with which I embrace you with ail my heart.

Henry R., Cardinal.

86 A EOYALIST FAMILY

MONSIEUR LE COMTE DE SERRANT

Frascati, lith Jany. 1794.

I HAVE received, my dear Walsh, your long letter of the 19th Novr., by which I see your zeal for my service in ail its extent. Nothing remains therefore for me to say, as you are well aware of my sentiments, except that I pride myself infinitely on having in ail this affair a person like you on whom I can count as on myself. I see that the Nuncio is very eager to second your views in ail that dépends on him. Signify to him my gratitude, and employ him as the channel through which to send your letters. Adieu, my dear Walsh. — I am entirely yoiirs, Henry K, Cardinal.