In the Irish Brigade | Page 9

a king should
also be a general. Did anyone think any the worse of Dutch William,
that he was able to command his army, personally? None of us can
believe that King James will ever succeed to the inheritance of his
fathers, without fighting; and it would be well, indeed, that he should
not appear as a puppet, but as one qualified to command. It was the
fault, or rather the misfortune, of his father, that he was unfit to lead his
troops in the field. Had he been able to do so, he would, in all
probability, have died King of England, instead of as a fugitive and a
pensioner of King Louis. In one way, it grieves me to see that the
young king feels his position acutely; but, on the other hand, I am
rejoiced to see that he is in no way lacking in spirit, and that he longs to
be out of his cage, and to try his wings for himself.
"Well, gentlemen, having had my say, I will take my leave of you, as
duty calls me back to my regiment. I trust that the frankness with which
I have spoken will not be misunderstood."
So saying, with a bow to the courtiers he left the room, followed by
Kennedy.
"They mean well," he said, after they had mounted, and ridden off at a
gallop; "but it is a pity that these gentlemen, all loyal and honourable
men as they are, should surround the young king. They suited, well
enough, to the mood of his father, who was always wanting in spirit,
and was broken down, not only by the loss of his kingdom, but by the
conduct of his daughters; and, what with that, and his devotion to
religion, he was rather a monk than a monarch. He believed--but most
mistakenly--that he had a genius for politics, and was constantly
intriguing with his adherents at home, notably Marlborough and other
lords, from whom he obtained fair words and promises of support, but
nothing else. But though he could plan, he did not possess a spark of
energy, and was one of the most undecided of men, though, like most

undecided men, he could be extremely obstinate; and, unfortunately,
the more wrong he was, the more obstinately he held to his course.
"However, all this can make no difference in our devotion to the Stuart
cause. But I hail, with satisfaction, the prospect that, in his son, we may
have one to whom we may feel personally loyal; for there can be no
doubt that men will fight with more vigour, for a person to whom they
are attached, than for an abstract idea."
"I have heard Father O'Leary say the same, sir. His opinion was that,
had the late king possessed the qualities that commanded the personal
admiration and fidelity of his followers, and excited something like
enthusiasm among the people at large, he would never have lost his
throne; nor, could he have led his armies, as did Gustavus or Charles
the 12th of Sweden, would William of Orange ever have ventured to
cross to England."
"It was a bad business, altogether, lad. His cause was practically lost,
from the day that William set foot upon English soil. He had, in reality,
no personal friends; and those who would have remained faithful to the
cause, were paralysed by his indecision and feebleness. Charles the
Martyr made many mistakes, but he had the passionate adherence of his
followers. His personality, and his noble appearance, did as much for
him as the goodness of his cause; while his son, James, repelled rather
than attracted personal devotion. I trust that his grandson will inherit
some of his qualities. His outburst, today, gave me hope that he will do
so; but one must not build too much on that. It may have been only the
pettishness of a young man, sick of the constant tutelage to which he is
subjected, and the ennui of the life he leads, rather than the earnestness
of a noble spirit.
"Of course, Kennedy, I need not tell you that it would be well to make
no mention, to anyone, of the scene that you have witnessed."
"I shall certainly make no mention of it to anyone, sir. I am sorry,
indeed, for the young king. His life must be a dreadful one, conscious
of the impossibility of breaking the bonds in which he is held, and
knowing that his every word and action will be reported, by spies, to

the King of France."
For three months, Desmond Kennedy worked hard at drill and sword
exercise. He became a general favourite in the regiment, owing to his
good temper, high spirits, and readiness to join in everything that was
going on.
He went