Page:Protestant Exiles from France Agnew (1st ed. vol 3).djvu/145

 widow, and that her husband had just been killed at the Battle of Prague, the only fight that the Elector made for the throne of Bohemia. This opinion is demolished by the facts, and along with it the fine sentence written by Miss Benger (Memoirs of Elizabeth Stuart, Queen of Bohemia, Vol. II., page 93. London, 1825):— “Of the ladies, Elizabeth alone retained self-possession; her bosom friend Anne Dudley was overwhelmed with the fate of her husband who had fallen in the fatal conflict [the Battle of Prague.”]

In the summer of 1685 he was m his seventieth year; this must be remembered throughout the remaining years of his life as the key to a series of corrigenda.

Page 93. — His correspondence with Pasteur Du Bosc exhibits Schomberg as he was, and as he felt, at the Revocation Period. The Pasteur being about to retire as a refugee, Schomberg, in a letter dated 19th July, 1685, recommended him to settle in Copenhagen rather than in Rotterdam; he concluded thus:— “The court being resident at Copenhagen, and the Queen being of La Religion, you will find better support and more rational conversation, even among the Lutherans. To the latter (and this is a point more worthy of consideration), through the grace of God, and the understanding which he has given you, you can supply explanations, which will make them less bigoted in their religion, and will inspire them with gentleness towards ours. This is an important service which you might render to such a persecuted religion as ours is in France. But you are better able to judge than I am — so I conclude by assuring you, Sir, that no one can honour you more perfectly, and be more truly yours than I am.”

On the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes in October, Schomberg “steadfastly refused to purchase the royal favour by apostacy.” “The man,” says Macaulay, “whose genius and valour had saved the Portuguese monarchy at the field of Montesclaros, earned a still higher glory by resigning the truncheon of a Marshal of France for the sake of his religion.” Lady Russell wrote on the 15th January 1686, “Marshal Schomberg and his wife are commanded to be prisoners in their house, in some remote part of France appointed them.” Louis XIV. had rejected his request for permission to retire to Germany, but at last allowed him to seek a refuge in Portugal.

Page 94. — He sailed for Lisbon in the spring of 1866, accompanied by his wife (who, according to French usage, had the title of La Maréchalle), and with a few attendants. His departure was generally regretted. All lovers of their country esteemed him as one of their best generals. Sourches says, “There was great regret throughout France, because they lost in him the best and most experienced of the generals.” Another authority assures us “that the Grand Condé placed Schomberg on the same level as Turenne, and perceived in him rather more liveliness, presence of mind, and promptitude than in Turenne, when it was necessary to prepare for action on very short notice.” The Sieur D’Ablancourt enumerates as his characteristics “indefatigable diligence, presence of mind in fight, moderation in victory, and sweet and obliging carriage to every one.”

“On his voyage to Lisbon,” says Luzancy, “a storm raged for two days and two nights. He knew well whence the blow came, and how to apply himself to divert it. He caused continual prayers in the ship to be made to Him who commands the waves to be still. And so all in the ship were preserved.”

“All the favour he could obtain,” writes Burnet, “was leave to go to Portugal. And so cruel is the spirit of Popery that, though he had preserved that kingdom from falling under the yoke of Castile, yet now that he came thither for refuge, the Inquisition represented the matter of giving harbour to a heretic so odiously to the King, that he was forced to send him away.” 