you stand in your regiment, and we hear nothing but good of you.
You are much liked by your comrades, pay the greatest attention to
your military exercises, and are regarded as one who will, some
day, do much credit to the regiment; and we feel that, in most
respects, your influence could not but be advantageous to the
young king; but the good that this might do him would be more than
balanced, were you to render him still more impatient than he is
for action. You may well suppose that we, exiles as we have been
for so many years from our country, are not less impatient than he
for the day of action; but we know that such action must depend
upon the King of France, and not upon ourselves. We would gladly
risk all, in an effort to place him on the throne of England, to
repair past injustices and cruel wrongs; but, were we to move
without the assistance of Louis, instead of achieving that object
we might only bring fresh ruin, confiscations, and death upon the
royalists of England, Scotland, and Ireland. Are you of our
opinion?"

"Completely so, sir. Of course, I know but little of what is
passing, save in the neighbourhood where I have been brought up;
but I know that there, even among the king's most devoted
adherents, there is a feeling that nothing can possibly be done
until France lends her aid, in earnest. The English army is far
stronger than it was when we were last in arms, and when William
had to rely, almost entirely, upon his Dutch troops and Dutch
generals; while the friends of the Stuarts are almost without
arms, without leaders, and without organization."

"That is good, Mr. Kennedy; and, if we were to sanction King
James's forming an intimacy with you, can I understand that we