Autograph letter from Charles D'Iberville to "Monseigneur" (a high ranking official), reporting contacts with Jacobites in England and their activities at court and in Scotland, and relaying varied diplomatic information, dated September 19, 1715.

D'Iberville, Charles, marquis de La Bonde (1653–1723)

September 19, 1715

1 sheet folded (4 pages)

Manuscript Jacobite Intelligence Letter dated Sept 19 1715.
Part of a group of three intelligence letters.

Archival & Special Collections, University of Guelph Library, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.

PDF derived from master file, which was scanned from the original book in 24-bit color at 600 dpi in TIFF format using an Epson Expression 10000XL scanner.

French and encoded

In the public domain; For high quality reproductions, contact Archival & Special Collections, University of Guelph. libaspc@uoguelph.ca, 519-824-4120, Ext. 53413

Autograph letter

19th September 1715
A gentleman, who held one of the highest positions in the court of the late Queen, and who is a zealous Jacobite, has assured me positively that three months ago, M. de Marlborough held a secret correspondence with the Pretender. He confirmed this to me this morning and when I affected doubt, he repeated it several times in the affirmative to the point of telling me through which channels the letters passed and which he received. He added finally that he had run a great risk of being sent to the Tower in the beginnings of the Pretender's campaign.
He came to ask me whether the friends of the Pretender could count on the assistance of M. le Duc d'Orleans. I tried to content them with my answer. With regard to similar questions, know that I do not have any instructions on this matter, and thus could not produce anything but my own ideas. I would deserve to be chastised if I gave to the Jacobites without an express order, any hopes, which although trivial, would be capable of bringing discord between the King of England and the King, and on the other hand the only pity I have for them compells me to spare them the disappointment into which I would hurl them in destroying the hopes with which they flatter themselves.
I often feel, Monseigneur, the trouble there is in keeping up with the different persons as I am obliged to do in speaking successively to Whigs, Torys, Jacobites, ladies, priests and other people of whom the larger part would be capable of misusing that of which I speak, some through infidelity, others through indiscretions.
If the Scottish stand firm and if the leaders of the party who are distributed throughout England, ready to lift their disguises, receive the news that the Pretender is determined to risk everything and comes to put himself to their test, there is every indication that fires will alight all of a sudden in diverse parts of England and throughout the court, little served by the fidelity of troops, will find itself quite at a loss for means to make peace in so many places at once.
I will carry out, Monseigneur, with the punctuality which it deserves, the order you give me on the part of M. le Duc d'Orleans to continue to separate in these letters the matters which require the most secrecy.

Manuscript