A Fragment of a Memoir of Field-Marshal James Keith

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Spalding Club, 1843 - Autobiographies - 124 pages
 

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Page 36 - Sicily, and entirly ruined it, which so exasperated the Cardinal Alberoni, who then governed Spain with the title of first Minister, that he resolv'd to assist King James, and so revenge himself on the Whigs, who had been the occasion of the breach of faith he complained of. To concert the proper methods for this he wrote to the Duke of Ormonde, who was then in Paris, inviting him to come to Madrid...
Page 35 - Paris ; and though shame and my friends forced me to take some steps towards it, yet I managed it so slowly that I set out only in the end of that year ; and had not my mistress and I quarrelled...
Page 3 - He was a man of a very easy temper, and of an ordinary understanding, so diffident of himself that he often followed the advice of those who had a smaller share of sense than himself; he was as irresolute and timorous in affairs as he was brave in his person, and was apt to lose good opportunities by waiting to remove difficulties which naturally attend great designs, and of which a part must always be left to fortune in the execution ; he was a man of entire honour, a good friend, and a strict observer...
Page 45 - From thence we stood for Cape Clear and the west coast of Ireland, and after favourable but blowing weather, arrived the 4 of April, NS in the isle of Lewis, where we enquired if no ship had touched there lately from Spain, or if there was no particular news in the country ; but finding them ignorant of any thing that cou'd give us light into what we wanted to be informed of, we remain'd there some days, and at last had accounts that two frigats were come to an anchor on the other side of the island,...
Page 52 - ... provisions nor ammunition, that the few troops they had had behaved in a manner not to give great encouragement to try a second action, it was resolved, that the Spaniards shou'd surrender, and the Highlanders disperse. Don Nicolas Bolano, who commanded the detachement of the regiment of Gallicia, offer'd to attack the enemy once more ; but the general officers judging the attempt in vain, the first resolution was followed, and accordingly next morning the Spaniards surrender'd on condition their...
Page 43 - To obviate this difficulty I made use of another person, who not being suspected, asked horses for himself and one servant to go to Paris, and as such I set out with him, and the 3d of March arrived at Orleans, where I found the Marquess of Tullibardine, who according to my orders I carried along with me to Paris next day. Howsoon I got there, I advertised the Marquess of Seafort, who immediatly came to the house where I was, and brought along with him a brother of Lord Duffus's, and some whille...
Page 52 - ... ship, I embarked at Peterhead, and four days after landed in Holland at the Texel, and from thence, with the Earl Marischal, went to the Hague, to know if the Marquis Beretti Landi, then the king's minister at that Court, had any orders for us ; and his advice being that we should return with all haste to Spain, we set out next day by the way of Liege, to shun the Imperial Netherlands, and enter France by Sedan, judging that route to be the least suspected.
Page iii - THE EARL OF ABERDEEN, KT THE DUKE OF RICHMOND, KG THE DUKE OF SUTHERLAND, KG THE EARL OF ERROLL, KT THE EARL OF MORAY, KT THE VISCOUNT ARBUTHNOTT.
Page 52 - I was forced to lurk some months in the mountains; and in the beginning of September, having got a ship, I embarked at Peterhead, and four days after landed in Holland at the Texel, and from thence, with the Earl Marischal, went to the Hague...
Page 42 - Sebastian, where I deliver'd 12,000 crowns to the Prince [of] Campo Florido for the equipement of the frigats destin'd for Scotland, and with the little money which remained, enter'd France privatly. I . . - . pass'd without any difficulty, and got to Bourdeaux in the end of February, where I mett General Gordon, Brigadeer Campbell, and some others, to whom I deliver'd my message, and left them some money to hire ships to transport themselves to Scotland ; only Brigadeer Campbell went to Spain to...