"Yesterday was sent me a narrative printed, with all the cir"cumstances of Mr. Harley's stabbing. I had not time to do it "myself: so I sent my hints to the author of the Atalantis*; "and she has cooked it into a sixpenny pamphlet, in her own "style; only the first page is left as I was beginning it. But "I am afraid of disobliging Mr. Harley or Mr. St. John in one "critical point about it, and so would not do it myself. It is "worth your reading, for the circumstances ARE ALL TRUE." Journal to Stella, April 16, 1711.-The facts in this narrative are confirmed by several other passages in the dean's works; particularly in the Examiner, No. XXXII, (in the third volume of this collection); and the share he had in it is acknowledged in Memoirs relating to the Change in the Queen's Ministry, vol. IV; and in the Journal to Stella, Nov. 3, 1711.

* Mrs. Manley was also employed by Dr. Swift, in "A Learned Com"ment upon Dr. Hare's excellent Sermon, preached before the Duke of "Marlborough, on the Surrender of Bouchain;" and in "A true Relation "of the several Tracts and Circumstances of the intended Riots and Tu"mults on Q. Elizabeth's Birthday;" and wrote "The Duke of Marl"borough's Vindication, &c. ;" See Journal to Stella, Nov. 3, 1711. Beside these three tracts (which are all inserted in this volume), she was supposed to have written "A Letter to the Examiner, concerning the Barrier "Treaty Vindicated [by Dr. Hare];" "A modest Inquiry into the Rea64 sons of the Joy expressed by a certain Set of People, upon the spreading

46

a Report of her Majesty's Death;" and, "An Answer to Baron Both"mar's Memorial;" from hints suggested by the dean.

A TRUE

A

TRUE NARRATIVE, ETC.

THERE is nothing received with more pleasure in history, than the minute passages and circumstances of such facts as are extraordinary and surprising. We often lament to see an important accident nakedly told, stripped of those particularities which are most entertaining and instructive in such relations. This defect is frequent in all historians, not through their own fault, but for want of information. For while facts are fresh in memory, nobody takes care to record them, as thinking it idle to inform the world in what they know already; and by this means the accounts we have of them are only traditional, the circumstances forgotten, and perhaps supplied with false ones, or formed upon probabilities, according

to the genius of the writer.

But, beside the informing posterity on such occasions, there is something due to the present age. People at distance are curious and concerned to know the particulars of great events, as well as those in the metropolis; and so are the neighbouring nations. And the relations they receive are usually either very imperfect, or misrepresented on purpose by the prejudice of party in the relators.

I shall endeavour to avoid both these errours, in the fact I am going to relate; and, having made use

6

of some good opportunities, to be informed from the first hands of several passages not generally known, I hope it will be in my power to give some satisfaction to the publick.

About six years ago there came into England a French papist, the younger brother of a noble family in that kingdom, called Antoine de Guiscard, abbot de Borly, near the Cevennes in France. And as it is the usual custom for cadets of quality there to betake themselves to the army or the church; Guiscard chose the latter, and had an abbey given him of a considerable revenue; but, being of a vicious and profligate nature, he fell into the most horrible crimes that a man can commit. Among other instances, it is said, that he seduced a nun. It is likewise reported, that he and his younger brother, suspecting their receiver had cheated, got the poor man to their house, and put him to the torture to force a discovery from him. rail in his abbey, when he together from his revenue, his custom was, to go to Tholouse, and lavish it in all sorts of excesses. young lady of a good family was so unhappy to be prevailed on, to her dishonour, by his brother. Monsieur de Guiscard was afterward employed to steal her from her father; but, falling in love with her himself, he carried her off from his rival into Switzerland. Satiety not long after succeeding, he was so inhuman to poison the poor unfortunate lady. After his flight, he was hanged in effigy by the magistrates at the principal town in Rouergue, for his intended rebellion. It is agreed on all hands, that, upon account of his many enormities (but, as

Beside keeping a serused to receive a sum

A

himself

himself terms them in his Memoirs *, " private do"mestick concerns, and the crying injustice done "his family,") he withdrew to his own lands in the province of Rouergue, contiguous to that part of Languedoc called The Cevennes; where he endeavoured to raise insurrections among the discontented people, of which he has published a very foolish account: but, having neither credit nor ability for such an undertaking, his success was answerable. He was forced to fly into Switzerland, without taking any measures for the safety of those poor wretches involved with him, and who had been so unhappy to be wrought by his insinuations. Thirty of the roman catholick persuasion (seduced by Guiscard into the design of rebelling for liberty, not religion) fell under the sentence of the magistrate, and were broken upon the wheel; though it is said, if monsieur de Guiscard, upon whom they depended for intelligence, had but delayed his flight only so long as to send notice to those gentlemen of the danger impending, they might all, or at least the greater number of them, have escaped as well as himself.

The marquis de Guiscard had an early, an undoubted, propensity to mischief and villany, but without those fine parts useful in the cabinet; he had not capacity to conduct a design, though he might have brain enough to form one; was wholly unacquainted with war, had never been in the army, a

* Published in 1707, under the following title: "Authentick "Memoirs, being Secret Transactions in the Southern Provinces of "France, to rescue that Nation from Slavery. Dedicated to the "Queen of Great Britain. By the Marquis de Guiscard, Lieute"nant General of the Forces gone upon the present Descent." The Dedication is dated, Hague, May 10, 1705.

profligate abbot, who knew nothing of the soldier, Yet this man we find immediately made a colonel of a regiment of horse, and lieutenant general, with a pension, as it is said, from Holland, as well as from us. To do all this for one wholly ignorant of a camp, was foolish as well as scandalous.

Nor had adversity made any impression upon his manners. His behaviour here was expensive, luxurious, vicious; lavishing at play, and upon women, what was given him for his own support. Beside his continual good fortune with other ladies, he kept two in constant pay, upon whom he made a profuse and regular expense: one of those creatures was married; whom that he might possess with the greater ease, he procured her husband to be pressed; and sent away into the service: a transcript of that state cunning sometimes practised by great politicians (when they would disencumber themselves of an incommode) in affairs of the like emergency.

At first there was none more caressed than our foreign favourite. A late minister seldom saw a levee without him; though we admit that is not always proof of being a favourite of those to whom they make their court. There are who crowd themselves where they have done the most sensible injuries, and against whom they have been guilty of the highest offence: but want of shame is one part of an ill man's character: as another branch is, that he can submit to the meanest things.

Monsieur de Guiscard had the misfortune to sink under his character, even to those great men who at first had most indulged him. His parts were too mean to balance or uphold him against a just contempt: he was found a useless villain, whose infe

riour