The Virginia Gazette Foreign News January 16, 1746

A Genuine intercepted Letter, from Father Patrick Graham, Almoner and Confessor to the Pretender's Son, in Scotland, to Father Benedick Yorke, Titular Bishop of St. David's, at Bath.

May it please your Lordship,

THAT I may execute the Commands you gave me about four Months ago, to write you the Success of our Expedition to Scotland, with my Opinion of our Prince, and those about him; I can now, with the utmost Pleasure, assure you, that we are actually landed in Scotland: that hitherto our Enterprise seems to be guided by the immediate Hand of Providence, and that the Prospect before us seems adequate to all the Successes that has hitherto crowned his R—l H——s's Attempts.

Immediately upon our landing, the Prince of W—— kneel'd down with the utmost Transport, and kiss'd the Earth with great Humility, then lifting up his Eyes to Heaven, he implored the Aid and Blessing of the Mother of God, and St. Winifred, (for whom he has always had a particular Devotion;) after that, he order'd his Standard to be set up; and all his Followers, to the Number of about two Hundred, being round him, he admitted me first, and then the principal Lords and Gentlemen, to the Honour of kissing his Hand.

Since that Time, every Thing has happened as the most sanguine could expect; the Usurper's Forces fly before us, and, in every Skirmish, the Hand of the blessed Virgin is visibly with us; and of Consequence a Success attends us. Which Success, his R—l H——s, and I too, attribute entirely to his wearing constantly about his Neck a small Medal, which his Holiness caused to be struck for the Purpose, and sent him a little while before we embark'd for Scotland: On one Side of which is represented his R—l H——s leading Britannia repentant to kiss the Pope's Toe; his Holiness, from his Throne, extends his open Arms to receive her; round the Margin of that Side is read this Sentence:

Perierat & inventa est.

On the Reverse is the Figure of the Prince of Wales, with a lifted Sword ready to stab Heresy, who lies sprawling at his Feet, with the Cap of Liberty fallen off, on one Side; and the Electoral Cap lying among the Ruins on the other; and round the Margin is read,

Immedicabile Vulnus ense recidendum.

His Holiness has also sent the Die of the Medal, and we intend, as soon as 'tis convenient, to strike Numbers of them, to disperse among the Steady to the old English Constitution.

I can't enough applaud his R—l H——s's Zeal for the Catholick Religion: It is constantly breaking out upon all Occasions, (and indeed sometimes more than I could wish:) But when I reprove him for it in private, he promises to be more upon his Guard. Yet, as his Tongue always speaks the Language of his Heart, the Moment any Occasion offers, he can never omit declaring his Detestation of Heresy; and I question whether the immediate quiet Possession of all his Father's Kingdoms could bring him to sign a Declaration, that had in it even a Promise of a Toleration. If you see any such come out, you may be certain 'tis the forged Word of some of his Protestant Followers, without his Knowledge or Consent.

He has some Heretick Noblemen with him; and 'tis wonderful to hear how his R—l H——s, whenever they talk to him of his Temporal Affairs, makes the Discourse always turn to some religious Point; wherein he never fails to shew them their Errors, and sometimes with Success, for I have already reconciled Lord George Murray, (a young Nobleman of the greatest Honour) and Mr. Cameron, to the Bosom of our Holy Mother.

His R—l H——s's usual Arguments are, that no Man can be a good Subject to his Father, that does not believe in the Queen of Heaven, (for so he always stiles the blessed Virgin:) And that no Person shall ever be of his Councils, that is not of his Communion. He is well furnished with all that can be said for our Faith: His Father has train'd him up to it from his Cradle, and I believe that holy King had rather hear his Son was beheaded upon Tower-hill, than that he had even promised the least Toleration to Protestants. His last Words to him at parting were, (for I was by) Go, fight for your Religion and my Kingdoms, and remember, Charles, there is no Faith to be kept with Hereticks.

Oh, my Lord, what a glorious Scene opens to my View! Shall the Cross once more be erected in Britain? Shall our Altars be again exalted? Shall our Churches be restored to us? Shall our Abbey-Lands revert to their right Owners? Shall the Clergy have their due Honours and Weight? Shall we rush like a Torrent upon the Laity, and make them know they are our People, and the Sheep of our Pasture?

Your Lordship well knows, that all the Rent-rolls and Surveys of our former Possessions (preserved from the Impiety of the Times) are safe, and kept in good Order at Doway and St. Omers, and ready to follow our Successes here. His M—y has constantly allowed a Salary to some of the Reverend Fathers at each Place, to preserve them for better Days.—I have often perused them with Tears, and surely our Church met no where with more dutiful Children, than this apostate Island once produced.—And were we once more Masters, the same Yoke is still in Being, and might soon be made to fit their Necks again.

In this Affair I must do my Royal Master's Zeal ample Justice.—He has often declared to myself in the most solemn Manner, that the great Cause of the Restitution of Abbey-Lands, shall never so much as come into Litigation; but that he will himself, as he is above the Law, take that Business under his own peculiar Cognizance; and that our Evidences and Records shall never be controverted, but that we shall have all the Reparation possible, for our long Depravation and tedious Sufferings. His Royal Word shall declare our Right, and his Royal Power put us into immediate Possession. But whatever Lands are in Catholick Hands, (which they must part with) shall be fully made up to them out of the Estates of the Heretical Rebels. Of this I am commanded to order you to inform all that you dare trust with the important Secret. But I trust in the blessed Virgin that the Time is near at Hand, when all these Kingdoms shall hear the same Thing pronounced from the Throne itself. Before I end this Letter, I can't help acquainting your Lordship, that I am appointed Abbot of Reading; I do it, my Lord, because I think you will be glad to hear that my constant and indefatigable Labours in the Cause are not forgotten. For I will be bold to say, that

your Lordship, and myself, through the Weakness of the Usurpation, have, in our separate Stations, acted as openly and boldly, as ever the most zealous could acquire at our Hands. Your Lordship has, in Defiance of all the pretended Laws, opened a constant Chapel at the Bath; officiated there for Years as publickly as the Heretick Priests in their Churches; made numberless Converts, in Contempt of their Magistracy, and preserved all the Dignities of the Church in the Land of Infidels. Your Progresses, since your Elevation to the Mitre, have been open; you have visited your Flocks, and appeared in as publick a Manner, exercising your Jurisdiction, as the Protestant Prelates themselves. In my lesser Sphere, I have acted with little Eclat, but great Success, and may boast within these five Years, in the Parishes of St. George, St. Anne, and St. James, particularly, to have brought above two Thousand stray'd Sheep back to the Flock: The Remissness of their Pastors gave me great Advantages, and I found the poor Souls miserably ignorant, and consequently proper Objects of our Charity and Instruction. For this I am rewarded. From this I hope my further Well-being both here and hereafter.

One Thing more I am commanded to acquaint your Lordship with, which you are desired also to communicate to all sincere Friends: The vast and oppressive Load of Debts which his Majesty's Subjects have long labour'd under, has always afflicted him very much, for Rebels as they have been, he has always felt a paternal Concern for the undutiful Children: He has thought of many Ways of easing them; but, upon the most mature Consideration, finds none so proper as an absolute Spunge, that will certainly, at once, take off the Load, and yet not lessen the Credit; for as the Debt was contracted by those who had no Power to contract it, it ought not, it should not, it cannot impugn, or shake the Credit of the true Owner. Put the Case in private Life: If a Person, seized of a tortious Possession, should, upon his wrongful Title, raise Money, is the real and true Heir to it, when he comes to enjoy it, obliged to pay such a Debt? No, certainly; and when he has got his Title made clear, will any Man scruple to lend him Money again upon such a Title?

You are also to take Notice of the strict Justice of this Step. For 'tis certain, that this Debt has been wholly contracted by the most violent Enemies and Traitors to the Royal House of Stuart; contracted with the one View of continuing his present and late Majesty in their Exile; contracted to extirpate our holy Religion; in short, contracted to support Usurpation and Heresy, and a Government equally detestable to God and his Church. These are the Arguments you are to use, together with any other that your great Wisdom can suggest.

Most of the Proceedings since the unfortunate Year 1688, are, and have, for some Time, been under Consideration. The numberless Grants of the different Usurpers; the many Peerages, and other Honours, they have pretended to bestow: And as most of these Favours have been showered down upon the Undeserving, the most inveterate Opposers of our Cause, the greatest Supporters of Heresy; most, if not all, will meet with the Fate they deserve.

You will see by the Extracts I herein send you, that our Declarations, Proclamations, Manifestos, &c. (for I send you quite the Marrow of them) are drawn with great Caution, and as little Latitude as possible: And where we offer most, if you examine, you will find the Words are subject to two Meanings, and something more.—For this, we are obliged to the Pen of Father Innys, of the Society of Jesus; who is an excellent Writer, and has, upon all Occasions, been very serviceable to our Cause.

My good Lord, the Die is now cast. Our All is at Stake. 'Tis our dernier Effort.—We are to meet in Triumph or Confusion.——Our Smithfield Fires shall again blaze, or our Enemies are to tread upon our Necks.

Exert yourself then, inflame your Friends with a Zeal to destroy the Enemies of our Church and King, and to extirpate Hereticks and Traitors: Declare to them what they are to do, and what they are to have: Enforce to them their Duty both to God, and to their Sovereign: Point out the Smallness of the Danger, and the Greatness of their Reward: Incite them to repair to the Royal Standard, and swell the righteous Number by their Presence: Let them remember that those who are not with us, are against us, and will be looked upon as such: In short, bid them to come, for the Lord hath need of them.

Thus, my Lord, have I done according to the Royal Command I have received.—I trust, from the Ability and Fidelity of the Messenger, this Letter will arrive safe to your Hands; so begging, upon my Knees, your Lordship's Blessing, I am, my Lord,

Your Lordship's
Most obedient Servant,
And dutiful Son,
Perth, Sept. 1, 1745. O.S.
Patrick Graham.