London in the Jacobite times, Volume IDoran, Dr. (John)
History
London in the Jacobite times, Volume I
Doran, Dr. (John)
London (England) -- History -- 18th century
On the 28th of April, two travellers arrived in town from the North,
whose arrival caused considerable sensation. One was the young Duke
of Hamilton and Brandon, under the care of his uncle, the Earl of
Selkirk. ‘He was destined for Eton, in order to perfect him for one of
the Universities.’ This boy was met in the northern suburbs by about
a hundred noblemen and gentlemen on horseback, and many more noble
and gentle ladies, in coaches, who escorted his hopeful grace to his
house in St. James’s Square. The second, Simon Fraser, afterwards known
as Lord Lovat, came more privately. The king received that faithful
person, two days later, with condescending cordiality. In every tavern,
it was soon known that his Majesty had spoken highly of Fraser’s
services, and had promised to give him marks of his royal favour. Simon
Fraser, on that day, kissed the hands of the king and the Prince of
Wales, after which the ‘Duke of Argyle took him in his own carriage to
pay visits to the various ministers.’
Early in the month of May, Bishop Atterbury, who had not been quite
three years in possession of the see of Rochester, gave unmistakable
signs as to the way _he_ was going. A large body of the Dutch troops
who had served in Scotland, had marched back to London. They were
thence sent down to Gravesend, where they were quartered, till they
sailed to their own country.
[Sidenote: _DUTCH SERVICE IN GRAVESEND CHURCH._]
They were supposed to be God-fearing men; and they had an undoubtedly
pious commander. This Dutch Colonel, one Saturday in May, waited upon
the Rev. Mr. Gibbons (a curate who had in his sole charge the religious
welfare of the place), and asked him for the use of the Church at eight
o’clock on the Sunday morning, that his men might have the benefit
of attending Divine Service, conducted by their own chaplains. The
service, the Colonel said, would be over long before the hour for the
regular Church of England one to begin.
Worthy Mr. Gibbons asked if, on the march from Scotland, English
clergymen had granted the use of their churches for Dutch services
on the Sundays on which the soldiers had halted. He was assured that
such had been everywhere the case. The curate no longer hesitated. The
Dutch were the king’s faithful Christian allies, and they should have
the church for the good purpose desired,――the more particularly as the
churchwardens sanctioned the whole proceeding.
The Dutch soldiers marched to the old edifice accordingly; joined in
the prayers with soldierly devotion; sat covered during the sermon;
and marched back to their parade ground, to the admiration of nearly
all who saw them. The whole affair was the talk of the town; and the
‘High-fliers’ were furious.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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