110 A JACOBITE EXILE

their meat on wooden platters on their knees, and with
mugs of wine beside them, Captain Jervoise by the king’s
orders taking his seat beside him. During the meal he
asked him many questions as to his reasons for leaving
England and taking service with him.

“So you have meddled in politics, eh?” the king
laughed, when he heard a brief account of Captain Jer-
voise’s reason for leaving home. “Your quarrels in
England and Scotland have added many a thousand good
soldiers to the armies of France and Sweden, and I may
say of every country in Europe. I believe there are some
of your compatriots, or at any rate Scotchmen, in the
czar’s camp. I suppose that at William’s death these
troubles will cease.”

“T do not know, sir. Anne was James’ favourite
daughter, and it may be she will resign in favour of her
brother, the lawful king. If she does so there is an end
of trouble; but should she mount the throne she would be
ausurper, as Mary was up to her death in’94. As Anne
has been on good terms with William since her sister’s
death, I fear she will act as unnatural a part as Mary did,
and in that case assuredly we shall not recognize her as our
queen.”

“You have heard the news, I suppose, of the action of
the parliament last month?”

“No, sir, we have heard nothing for some weeks of what
is doing in England.”

“They have been making an Act of Settlement of the
succession. Anne is to succeed William, and as she has
no children by George of Denmark, the succession is to
pass from her to the Elector of Hanover, in right of his
wife Sophia, as the rest of the childen of the Elector of the
Palatinate have abjured Protestantism, and are therefore ex-
cluded. How will that meet the views of the English and
Scotch Jacobites?”