many Politick Mazes for these Forty or Fifty Years, that he never lets
any Body know he is doing a Thing till 'tis in a manner done. All
Masters in Politicks look one way and Row another. I own the
Preparatives upon the Coast of _Normandy_ look like a Descent, but there
are false Attacks upon Kingdoms as well as upon Towns: You are not
Ignorant that King _William_ is now at the Head of a powerful Army in
_Flanders_, and that our King is not so well provided there as he
expected; Now if King _William_ receives the Reinforcement he expects
out of _England_ and _Scotland_, it will give him that Superiority, that
_France_ will not be able to make the last stand on that Quarter; so
that 'tis no Secret for us at _Versailles_, that all this Alarm of a
Descent upon _England_, is a meer blind to make a Diversion, and to
hinder the Transportation of the _British_ Forces. But you Jacobites and
_English_ are so ragingly dispos'd, to give every Thing a favourable
turn towards King _James_'s Cause, that I have frequently observ'd,
there can scare be two Men of War sent out of any Port of _France_, let
it be towards the _Indies, Mediterranean_, or other Places, but you make
a Descent of it. But as I insinuated Sir, I am glad I have the
Opportunity to set you to Rights as to this Affair, that you may not
risque a seeming promising Fortune, by catching a Shadow. The Thoughts
of having King _James_ made such a Tool of, would not permit me
immediately to be civil to the Gentleman, and return him Thanks for the
seasonable Advice; however, after I had recollected my self, I did my
Duty in that Respect: But the Idea he gave me of his Masters Politicks
left a Deep Resentment on my Soul. Afterwards, as I return'd to _Paris_,
I ruminated upon this Subject, and I saw a thousand Contradictions and
Improbabilities in the pretended Descent. The Troops design'd for this
Business was very few, and the worst in _France_; the King's own
Subjects were not to be employ'd, unless a few Straglers; besides there
were no Transportships, nor in fine, any Thing that look'd like an