Page:Protestant Exiles from France Agnew vol 1.djvu/425

 troubles, all our sorrows, all our disappointments, and all our pains in this life. The longest, how short to eternity! All these ought to be my own care to improve my weak self, as the fortitude of your mind, experience, and knowledge does to you. . ..

“I am certain of this being a truth that I am faithfully and affectionately yours.

“May 28, 1716. “.”

The statement that Lord Galway spent the last years of his life in Portarlington is a mistake. He left Ireland in 1716, and returned to Rookley. In Lady Russell’s letters we meet with him as formerly. That kind cousin, to amuse the invalid statesman’s mind, wrote a letter in French, which he duly received and praised. The following was the rejoinder:—

“As the fine season continues (for such I esteem a hot one) I slacken in my scribbling. The pure air alone abundantly exceeds my tattle under the roof, though very well meant to you, whether sent in the French or English tongue. But although your Lordship spoke as well as you possibly could do of my French, if you did it to encourage my use of it, you will be under a small disappointment, for I intend to keep my credit and meddle no more (unless unthinking, as I really did then), and occasion no discord between us. Any partiality for that country you have discharged sufficiently long since, and the time is come to do the like to this we at present live in. That there is a more sure abiding one, is the believing Christian’s comfort, and to attain that grace our daily endeavour. * * * *

“June 19 [1717].“I am, my Lord, ever the same, “.”

With similar fondness she writes during that winter:—

“When I scribble to Lord Galway, I consider very little what I put down, as I am secure by God’s grace never to forfeit your love and esteem; and till I lose that, have no fear that I shall lose them; in that point my mind is at ease. I exceedingly desire your body were so; but the providences permitted by Almighty God can never be hurtful to His faithful servants, though painful. Alas! what are days, months, or years (to his elected) to a happy eternity ? In such a thought your soul and heart may rejoice I verily believe; and so believe, as to desire I may find grace, as I believe you will do in the great day when the sentence shall be pronounced.”

The last letter in her published correspondence is to Lord Galway, and concludes thus:—

“To-morrow your health will not be omitted, daughter Devon and Mr. Charlton being to dine here; as I hope to do with yourself at Rookley, and also at old Stratton, where you will be kindly welcome, as I am entirely assured I shall be at your Rookley. God for the good that you do to mankind, grant you some easy years to do good upon earth, before you change for a happy eternity. So does desire and pray Lord Galway’s truly affectionate cousin, and faithfully such, to gratifie to the utmost of her ability,

“February 13, 1718 [new style.] “.”

Threescore and ten of such years as Lord Galway had lived might seem to negative too plainly any such wish as the one expressed in the above letter; but it must be remembered that Lady Russell was twelve years his senior.

His name appeared in the Patent-Rolls for the last time in King George’s Charter incorporating the French Hospital of London, dated 24th July 1718, and nominating as its first Governor, “our right trusty and right wel-beloved cousin, Henry de Massue, Marquis de Ruvigny, Earl of Galloway.” This honour was not only for services, past and completed. Lord Galway continued to take an active interest in “Poor French Protestants and their descendants residing in Great Britain” (for whose benefit this Hospital was founded), and also in his co-religionists in France, especially in those condemned to the galleys.

My readers will remember that, on the intercession of Queen Anne, Louis XIV. released many of those galèriens, but not all. The French king’s anxiety for the Peace of Utrecht led him to give us encouragement to expect that his clemency would gradually be extended to the remainder, nor was the expectation altogether vain. King George considered that King Louis had virtually pledged his honour on the subject, and declined to regard it as a matter to be further negociated. The Earl of Stair went as our ambassador to Paris in January 1715. Louis made some difficulty about carrying out in detail some of the articles of the Utrecht Treaty, and suggested that his release of seme of the galley-slaves might be reckoned as an equivalent for what had been neglected. But Mr. Secretary Stanhope wrote to our ambassador on 17th February 1715, “As to the galley-slaves, charity and humanity engage the king to wish they might be released, and his Majesty will be extremely pleased if any offices of your lordship can procure them ease; but it is not apprehended here that the king is under the least obligation to depart from what hath been yielded in the treaty of peace on account of such indulgence.”

Lord Galway, having authentic lists of all the sufferers, kept up a correspondence