Page:Protestant Exiles from France Agnew (1st ed. vol 3).djvu/148

 “The Marshal de Schomberg threatened to bring most of them to their night caps without striking a blow,” says a writer in the “Ellis Correspondence.” No real battle took place. Hearing a rumour that the Ducal Marshal was approaching, James fled from Salisbury. The final result was, that the army of England declared that they would defend the person of the king, but would not fight against the Prince of Orange.

We pass on to the 18th of December, when William, having Schomberg beside him, drove to St James’ Palace, and took up his quarters there. On the iith of February 1689, the Princess Mary arrived; and on the 13th, the crown was accepted from the Estates of the Realm by King William III., and Queen Mary. The year, according to the style then in use, was still 1688; and it was not till the 25th of March that the year 1689 began. The descendants of the French refugees, in arranging chronological notes concerning their ancestors, must remember that the summer, which followed February 1688 (old style), was not 1688 but 16S9, and also that there were only three campaigns in Ireland namely, those of 1689, 1690, and 1691.

Page 97. — On the 3rd of April 1689, Schomberg was made a Knight of the Garter, and was installed on the nth, along with the Earl of Devonshire. On the 18th of April, “Frederic, Comte de Schomberg, Due et Marechal de France,” was made Master-General of the Ordnance. The duties of the Master-Generalship were to be discharged either personally or by deputy: and the office was to be held (habendum, tenendum, gaudendum, occupandum et exercendum) in the same manner as it had been by his predecessor George, Lord Dartmouth. He was naturalized by Act of Parliament, and was made General of all their Majesties’ forces, and a Privy Councillor. He was also elevated to the English Peerage, and received the titles of Baron of Teyes, Earl of Brentford, Marquis of Harwich, and Duke of Schomberg.

Bishop Burnet told him of his plan to leave behind him a history of his own times. “Let me advise you,” said the old soldier, “never to meddle with the relation of military details. Some literary men affect to tell their story in all the terms of war, and commit great errors that expose them to the scorn of all officers, who must despise narratives having blunders in every part of them, and yet pretending to minute accuracy.” The Right Reverend listener remembered the advice, and followed it. Contemporaries preserved the following reminiscences of Schomberg, applicable to this date:— “He was of a middle stature, well proportioned, fair complexioned, a very sound hardy man of his age, and sat a horse the best of any man. As he loved always to be neat in his clothes, so he was ever pleasant in his conversation, of which this repartee is an instance. He was walking in St James’s Park amidst crowds of the young and gay, and being asked what a man of his age had to do with such company, he replied, ‘A good general makes his retreat as late as he can.’”

Page 98. — The Duke was Colonel of the First or Royal Regiment of Foot. But he raised a cavalry regiment composed of French Refugee gentlemen, which was peculiarly his regiment. The aged Marquis de Ruvigny co-operated with him, and also raised three infantry regiments of Huguenot refugees for the campaign in Ireland. Leinster, Munster, and Connaught, still acknowledged James as their king. Ulster was for William and Mary, but was unable to contend with the other provinces, who introduced Popish garrisons into many of its fortresses. Derry shut its gates against the Jacobites, and became the Thermopylae of the North of Ireland. One of the first acts of Schomberg as Commander-in-chief was to send to that glorious town relief under tiie command of Major General Kirke.

At length Schomberg himself was appointed to take the command in Ireland. And about the 15th of July (1689) he paid a memorable visit to the English House of Commons.

Page 102. — Burnet says:— “Schomberg had not the supplies from England that were promised him. Much treachery or ravenousness appeared in many who were employed. And