Vietnam or Thailand ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Updated: May 24, 2025
With the death of Pickle, the shabby romance of the last Jacobite struggle finds its natural close. Of Charles we need say little more. Macallester represents him as hanging about the coasts of England in 1761-1762, looking out for favourable landing-places, or sending his valet, Stuart, to scour Paris in search of Miss Walkinshaw.
Macallester informs us that Sullivan, who had been in Scotland with Charles in 1745, received a command in the French army mustering at Brest. He also tells a long dull story of Charles's incognito in Paris at this time: how he lived over a butcher's shop in the Rue de la Boucherie, seldom went out except at night, and was recognised at Mass by a woman who had attended Miss Walkinshaw's daughter.
In December, Lord Clancarty came hunting for our spy, 'raging like a madman' after Macallester, much to that hero's discomposure, for, being as silly as he was base, he had let out the secret of his 'Clancarty Elegant Extracts. His Lordship, in fact, accused Macallester of showing all his letters to Lord Clare, whom Clancarty hated.
It is probable that Macallester was now engaged in the French secret police. He admits that he acted as a mouton, or prison spy, and gives a dreadful account of the horrors of Galbanon, where men lay in the dark and dirt for half a lifetime.
He then gave Macallester the lie, and next apologised; in fact, he behaved like Sir Francis Clavering. Before publishing his book, Macallester tried to 'blackmail' Clancarty. 'His Lordship is now secretly and fully advertised that this matter is going to the press, and, indeed, it was matter to make the Irish peer uncomfortable in France, where he had consistently reviled the King.
The brave Lochgarry, however, came to dinner, as being unaware of his Lordship's sentiments. Enough of the elegant conversation of this one-eyed, slovenly Irish nobleman, whom we later find passing his Christmas with Prince Charles. Mr. Macallester now made two new friends, the adventurous Dumont and a Mr. Lewis.
D'Argenson notes that it is a fair opportunity to make use of Charles. Now we scrape acquaintance with a new spy, Oliver Macallester, an Irish Jacobite adventurer. Macallester, after a long prelude, tells us that his 'private affairs' brought him to Dunkirk in 1755. Here he abode, on his private business, living much in the company of the ranting Lord Clancarty.
Macallester was now acting as led captain and henchman to the one- eyed Lord Clancarty, who began to rail in good set terms against all and sundry. For his own purposes, 'for just and powerful reasons, Macallester kept a journal of these libellous remarks, obviously for use against Clancarty.
Living at that nobleman's table, Macallester played his favourite part of spy for the mere love of the profession. He writes: 'Tuesday, January 11, 1757.
Word Of The Day
Others Looking