283 [=285]

[283]

[Lett. lxxvii. Letters Historical and Galant.]

"I don't doubt but you'll explain this Enigma with Ease, and I wait for your Solution; you expect without doubt
"as well as I some new piece of Gallantry. This is one that I receivedd, and I now send you. Suonate, Not to give
"you time to be impatient &c. &c."

Observe, Madam, in what manner the Author of the Mercury printed in Holland begins, and the plan of the
Work; I believe I have given you enough of it for this time, and shall send you shreds of it from time to time which
you can put together hereafter. I shall resume in my next Letter the place I left off in this, which I have taken Care to
set a mark upon. But I shlal pass over all the news relating to War; tis old now, and to recapitulate it would be te
dious to us both. I shall be satisfied to take all the little novels, and most remarkable places in the Book. In
short I shall do by you as I would by my self, and hope you'll be pleas'd with it.

I am mtold from the hague that the Abbot de Buquoit gives himself terrible mouvements in that Country
to try to make his Project against Despotick power succeed. I don't know whether he'll find the Secret of persuasion:
This Juncture is not favourable to him, and the unhappy Catastrophe of the Abbot de Guiscard, who had
plaid much such another part in foreign Countries, even running into extreams by his Satirical Libels against
the Court, and who in the End was found Guilty of High Treason in England, greatly diminishes the Confidence
people had for French Refugees, who act the Poor Petitioners every where. Guiscard knew by this means
to procure himself large Pensions and Employments; He seemd the irreconcileable Enemy of Despotick Power:
and at last Letters were found which he sent into France by way of Portugal, by which it appeared he had quite dif-
ferent Sentiments from those he seem'd to shew at first. Not Imagining he was suspected, he gave his Letters him
self to the Countess of Portmore who sent them to Lisbon to the Earl her husband. And this Management had conti-
nued, if the Informations given by some people against Guiscard, had not obliged the Ministry to watch him more
narrowly. His Letters were opened, and enough found in them to make it necessary to secure him. He was arrested
in St. James's Park, and carried before the secretary of State, where, in despair to find himself discovered, and
odious in all parts of the World, he fell like a madman upon one of his Judges, and gave him some Stats which
would have been mortal, if the Penknife, which he used for that purpose had not broke in his hand and help
had not immediately come in. He received some hurts upon this Occasion, and encreas'd them greatly by the res-
istance he made when they would have had him reflect upon his actions, and by refusing to take Nourishment,
and some days after like a true Desperado he dyed in Newgate. The Queen permitted him to be buried privately
in Christ's Church Yard near the Prison. In the mean time as it was expected he would have dyed in a manner
agreeable to the Crime he was accused of; An Epitaph was composed for him, it which the Kind of Punishment
thought to be designed for him was well enough painted. I send it to you here.

Epitaph on the Abbot Guiscard.

[Mr. St. John. after: L. Boling Groke]