were embarked with
monsieur de Gace, afterwards known by the appellation of the mareschal
de Matignon. The pretender, who had assumed the name of the chevalier
de St. George, was furnished with services of gold and silver plate,
sumptuous tents, rich clothes for his life-guards, splendid liveries,
and all sorts of necessaries even to profusion. Louis at parting
presented him with a sword studded with valuable diamonds, and repeated
what he had formerly said to this adventurer's father: "He hoped he
should never see him again." The pope contributed to the expense of this
expedition, and accommodated him with divers religious inscriptions,
which were wrought upon his colours and standards. Queen Anne being
informed of these preparations, and the design of the French monarch,
communicated to the commons the advices which she had received from
Holland and the Netherlands, touching the destination of the Dunkirk
armament; both houses concurred in an address, assuring her they would
assist her majesty with their lives and fortunes against the pretended
prince of Wales, and all her other enemies. Then they passed a bill,
enacting, that the oath of abjuration should be tendered to all persons,
and such as refused to take it should be in the condition of convicted
recusants. By another, they suspended the _habeas-corpus_ act till
October, with relation to persons apprehended by the government on
suspicion of treasonable practices. The pretender and his adherents were
proclaimed traitors and rebels; and a bill was passed, discharging the
clans of Scotland from all vassalage to those chiefs who should take up
arms against her majesty.

Transports were hired to bring over ten British battalions from Ostend;
a large fleet being equipped with incredible diligence, sailed from Deal
towards Dunkirk, under the conduct of sir John Leake, sir George Byng,
and lord Dursley. The French imagined that Leake had sailed to Lisbon,
and that Britain was unprovided of ships of war; so that they were
amazed and confounded when this fleet appeared off Mardyke: a stop was
immediately put to the embarkation of their troops; frequent expresses
were despatched to Paris; the count de Fourbin represented to the French
king the little probability of succeeding in this enterprise, and the
danger that would attend the attempt; but he received positive orders to
embark the forces, and set sail with the first favourable wind.

The British fleet being forced f