French ambassador in Rome. By the middle of June, James is reported
by Walton to be full of hope, and to have heard excellent news. But
these expectations were partly founded on a real scheme of Charles,
partly on a strike of colliers at Newcastle. A mob orator there
proclaimed the Prince, and the Jacobites in Rome thought that His
Royal Highness was heading the strike! {65a} In July, the same
illusions were entertained. On August 12, Albemarle, from Paris,
reports the Prince to be dangerously ill, probably not far from the
French capital. He was really preparing to embark for England.
Albemarle, by way of trap, circulated in the English press a forged
news-letter from Nancy in Lorraine, dated August 24, 1750. It
announced Charles's death of pneumonia, in hopes of drawing forth a
Jacobite denial. This stratagem failed. On August 4, James, though
piqued by being kept in the dark, sent Charles a fresh commission of
regency. {65b} Of the Prince's English expedition of September 1750,
the Government of George II. knew nothing. Pickle was in Rome at the
moment, not with Charles; what Pickle knew the English ministers
knew, but there is a difficulty in dating his letters before 1752,
and I am not aware that any despatches of his from Rome are extant.

We have now brought the history to a point (September 1750) where the
Prince, for a moment, emerges from fairyland, and where we are not
left to the perplexing conjectures of diplomatists in Paris, Dresden,
Florence, Hanover, and St. Petersburg. In September 1750, Charles
certainly visited London. There is a point of light. We now give an
account of his actual movements in 1749-1750.



CHAPTER IV--THE PRINCE IN FAIRYLAND. II.--WHAT ACTUALLY OCCURRED