SPECTATOR'S LIBRARY.

ARCIVROLOGY.

A Breiffe Narration of the Services done to Three Noble Ladyes. by Gilbert Blak- hal, Preist of the Scots Mission in France, in the Low Countries, and in Scotland, 111.DC.XXXI.-111.DC.XLIX. Spalding Club.

Antos.

The Popular Member, The Wheel of Fortune. &c. By Mrs. Gore, Author of " Mothers and Daughters." "Mrs. Arniytage," &c. &c. In three volumes. Bentley.

Titsvars,

An Aide-de-camp's Recollections of Service in China. a Residence in Hongkong, and Visits to other Islands in the Chinese Seas. By Captain Arthur Cutiyughame, Aide-de-camp to Major-General Lord Saltouu, K.C.B., &c. &c. In two volumes.

Saunders and Otley.

• BREIFFE NARRATION OF THE SERVICES DONE TO THREE NOBLE LADYES BY GILBERT BLAKHAL.

Tars new publication of the Spalding Club is a very curious and amusing book. It no doubt possesses, as the editor remarks, an historical value, for the light it throws upon the condition of the Roman Catholics in Scotland from 1630 to 1643, as well as for its illustrative pictures of the state of society and the manners of the time : to us, however, the main interest of the Brefffe Narration arises from its character, its incidents, and the strongly-marked idiosyncracy of the author as exhibited in his narrative. The book more resembles an autobiographical novel of adventure than any

other class of composition. It is no doubt deficient in the buoy- ancy of style, lightness of touch, and artistical skill by which LE

SAGE and the other masters of the school avoided prosaic de- tail. On the other hand, the national mixture of enthusiasm and prudence in the character of the author, with his training as a Romish priest, give spirit and solidity to his Narration ; which also

possesses a matter-of-fact reality—an authentic truth, in which a fiction must be deficient. A mind or perhaps a vanity wounded by the alleged ingratitude of two of the three "noble ladyes " for the "Services done," has infused sufficient anger into the work to give animation, though it is constrained into measure by Scotch caution, priestly habit, and the formality of the age. The obscurity in which the life of GILBERT BLAKHAL passed is so great that neither the date of his birth nor that of his death are known. From the records of the Scotch College at Rome it ap-

pears that he was admitted into that seminary as a student in 1626, and was ordained priest in 1630. All beyond these scanty par- ticulars must be gleaned from his work. The narrative itself begins in 1631 and ends in 1649, though the more stirring parts of it ter- minate four or five years earlier. The book appears to have been composed, or rather in progress, so late as 1667; for the author copies a letter of the date of 5th August 1642, which he says had "lyen among his papers for the space of fyve-and-twenty yeares." He represents himself as having borne arms at one period of his lifef : but as this was said to a Highland freebooter, whom he was desirous of impressing with an idea of his military science, it was probably not correct. Still it is possible enough. He was evidently a man of action. On all occasions he exhibits a military courage, promptitude, and presence of mind, with a strong feeling for the point of honour ; and sometimes displays habits more becoming a soldier than a priest. Before the place of the dates already quoted, he speaks of himself as having passed "three score and tenne : which would carry back his birth to the sixteenth century ; making him about thirty at the least when he entered the Scotch College at Rome in 1626.

The three" noble ladyes" of the author's title were two daugh- ters and a granddaughter of the Earl of ERROL, Constable of Scot- land, who suffered persecution during the reigns of JAMES and CHARLES for his adherence to the Romish faith : the book con- sists of a narrative of the adventures BLAKHAL underwent in his

endeavours to do the " ladyes" the " services" he speaks of. The

first service was performed for Lady ISABELLE HAY, the Earl's daughter, who had come to France with some intention of taking

vows. For this kind of life she found herself unfit; but refused to return home to her brother Lord Eaaar.'s order, apprehend- ing that he was about to marry her to a " heretick." He, on his part, determined to stop the supplies if she persisted in remain-

ing. To save herself and her maid from having to " earne their bread with their nedles," BLAKHAL, her spiritual adviser, under- took a journey to Brussels; where he luckily and indeed sur- prisingly succeeded in procuring from the Infanta of Spain, then Governess of the Low Countries, a " canonicat " for Lady ISA- BELLE; the foundation being something of the nature of our fellow- ships, enjoya'ble for life or till marriage. This Lady ISABELLE HAY was one of the ungratefuls; but the service BLAKHAL rendered her introduced him to the notice of her sister, the Countess of ABOYNE, widow of that nobleman whose death is celebrated in Scottish family annals as having been burnt in a tower of the Castle of Frendret, by his treacherous host. 'When, a few years afterwards, (1635,) BLAKHAL went to Scotland as a (disguised) Popish priest, Lady ABOYNE invited him to her

house ; and he subsequently became her confessor. This office he filled from 1638 till her Ladyship's death in 1642: but as her affairs

were in confusion, and the times troubled from the preliminary heavings of the Great Rebellion, he added to his ghostly calling the duties of steward, (" in Iogland they are called stuartes, whom we in Scotland cal chamerlaues,") and captaine of the castle. During her last illness— "She contented and received the blessed sacrament every woke in her Nik- ons, preparing herself for an happy end ; and, at the end of every confession,

• Page 117, 118. fPsge85. Page 93.

befor she would rise from her weak knees, she said, her hands joined, Now, Father, I recommend to you my fatherlesse child, going now to be motherless. I pray you continou towards her the charitie you have practised upon me since ever-I was so happye as to have you with me. I know she wil be put to here- ticks to pervert her, and, therfor, do not abandon her among their halides, but visit her, and comfort her, and keepe her in the Catholick religion, and save her soule, for God's sake, if you can. • • • And now, to conclude this sadde discount, I had my hand upon her head, and gave her the last absolution immediately befor her last breath did go out, and the next day blessed earth, and did lay of it under her, and above, and at every syd of her in her chest [coffin) ; and preveinning her publick burial, did bury her privatly in her chest, with Catholick ceremonayes, and so did finish the services that I was able to do her in the quality of a preist."

To fulfil the charge of his dying patroness, BLexam. went again to Paris ; where, after overcoming many obstacles by his confident zeal, be most luckily succeeded in procuring the patronage of ANNE of Austria for Miss GORDON, then a girl of thirteen or four- teen. Armed with royal letters, he returned to Scotland, at the risk of his life ; induced her paternal grandfather, the Marquis of HUNTLY, to permit her to go; and, notwithstanding her (alleged) pride, caprice, and ill-temper, watched over her interests for some years, till she was settled as " Dame d'Atour to Madame." For all this service the lady turned out ungrateful and insolent ; sub- jecting her benefactor, in his own words to her, "to many affrontes at your dore." The lady's excuse appears to have been, that BLAKHAL scandalized her mother by saying that she loved him better than any one. This he denies; having always excepted her daughter, and her nephew, the Earl of Eartor.; whilst he utterly repudiates the equivocal meaning attached to his words. The real cause of offence, he says, was a pension, which Miss GORDON promised him for his services, and then got up the quarrel to escape the payment : he also hints at some spiritual rebuke for misbe- haviour at the French court, which he leaves in obscurity. How- ever, the ingratitude of "Madame DE GORDON" was the cause of his composing this Breiffe Narration; which he appears deter- mined to have published. The cause of its suppression was pro- bably want of money, or death. The style in which he handles the " ladye," after he mentions her, may be judged of from the dedication- " Thinking with myself to whom I could most conveniently offer this spud labour, I did not find any now living who can pretend so great right unto it as your owne selfe. First, because the greatest and most difficile actions men- tioned in it do reguarde you, and were taken foryonr profeit, both spirituel and temporel. Secondly, because you seame not to know that ever I did you any services at all, or to undervalue them very much. Wherfor, Madame, I hum- bly entreat you to bestow two or three houres of the tym that you would spend in your recreation, upon the reading of this narration; which, if you read it with attention, will discover unto you some considerable things, upon which you have asseuredly made but very litle or no reflection at al; which, if they be wel considered, wit I hope dispose your mynd otherwayes toward me then it is at the present; and that is the but that I do aim at in al this treatie ; as

being, Madame, Your Ladyship's most humble and hest affectionat serviteur,

G. Br.srum.x."

Such is the story of the Brezffe Narration, Its scene shifts from Paris to Brussels, and again to France; thence to England and Scotland ; then once more to Paris and the Provinces; next back to Scotland; and finally to France. The incidents are curious and various ; some of them being really of a striking kind. Several times BLAKHAL fell among thieves ; twice they were "cavaliers "— soldiers or gentlemen who eked out their pay or their promised pay by stopping travellers and receiving what might be agreed upon; the others he stigmatizes as " voleurs," who robbed, and murdered if it was thought necessary or more convenient. His adventures as a suitor at the courts of Brussels and Paris have the raciness of those in novels like Gil Bias; and, if deficient in the biting and satiric touches of those works, they possess a sober truth which is wanting in the fiction. The narrative is varied by a storm and all but shipwreck ; from which the priest was only preserved by a special interference, foretold to him in vision, but the means would appear to have been a current setting along the shore on which the wind was blowing. His doings in Scotland exhibit the state of the country, and the risks to which the Itomanists were exposed to preserve their secret ; for the persecution does not appear to have been searching as regards religion, but was excited against the sect as traitors. The persons he introduces are all delineated with graphic power, by a keen and worldly acumen ; and many of his scenes are described with vivid truth, and strikingly bring before us the spirit of the times. Such is the following part of a quarrel between Lady ISABELLE HAY and Mr. FORBES, a Scotchman re- sident in France, to whose charge she had been to some extent re- commended by her family. "He was to advance her moneys, in France, as she should requyr them, to be payed him in Scotland, at the banckiers rate, sixscore for the hundreth." Mr. Forums, however, wished to carry his protection further and marry the lady. This object was defeated by BLAKIIAL'S interference and her own inclinations ; when the defeated lover spoke slightingly of Lady IsAnELLE, which by her confessor's means was brought to her ears. The nature of the remarks may be learned from the final interview that took place between the lover and his lady ; which gives a singular picture of the diction of persons of quality in that age. The scene has the strength of character and plainness of speech of the old comedy. A GENTLEMAN AND LADY circa 1630.

"Meister Forbes, standing upon his points of honor, delayed to go to her, expecting that she would send for him ; which was farre from her mynd. At last, seing his expectation vain, he did go to her, and, entring in her chamber, said, I know not if I be welcome, Madame, but, howsoever, I have taken the bouldnee to come. You are not, said she ; and hot too bould to come to any place wiser you know I am, liming spocken of me so impertinently as yea halm done. No man, said he, dare say in my face that I have said any thing but good of you. Did you not say, mid the, that I was so subject to your dieposition, that you could mak me do what you would, yea, be religiense if it pleased you, or marye if you would ? Doutles you meaned with yourself; but the world is not so destitut of noblemen, that I nede to caste myaelfe away upon you, or any such as you. And did you not say that you would make me come, kneeling on my knees, and kisse your stinking breathe, for to get moneys from you? Were al theis wordes fitte to have bein said of a woman of my quality, or could they proceid from any other mouthe then from the unworthye 13ppe8 of a base detractor ?

"Be, al in fyre, said that he never had spocken such words. And she said, you did speak them, as bandy as you now deny them. No man, said he, darre say, in my presence, that ever I did say them. Yes, said she, I wil find one who wil mantean in your face that you said them. Then he swered a great oath, that be would ryve the bearde from any man who so ever durst say that in his face. You ryve his beard, said she; he will tak you sooner by the beard than you can tak him, and wil put his foot above your neck. You ineane Father Blakhal, said he. Yes, I do, said she; he tould me, and wil manteane it in your face. Accuse him, if you darre. If he were not a priest, said he, I vowe I should cutte his throtte. You cute his throtte, said she ; you may thank your God that he is a preist, otherwayee he had cutted yours or now, as you wel deserve it. Indead, he stayed no longer, but did runne out, as if the house had been burning about his cares, unbidding her adieu ; and they never again did tie one another, nor never had any correspondence."

We will next let Father BLAKHAL exhibit himself as a suitor at Brussels.

" I asked if her Majesty [the Infanta] did speak Italian. Yes, said he, and Prenche and Spanishe, and heighe and low Dutch : if you speak to her in any of theis she will answer you in the same, as indeed she did. I epack to her in Italian, because I did not know the Frenche so wel as it. I was very glad to take that cours to go to herself immediately, to be the sooner dispatched ; but 1 would not precipitat nor speak to her Majesty until I had prepared and wel considered the discoure that I was to say to her, that it should pother be de- fective through the omission of any thing that were fitte to dispose her Majesty to favor the ladye, nor superfluous abusing her Majesties cares and patience, receiting unnecessarye things. I spent a whole week in wreating and disposing my harrangue, and in the mean tym I did go every day to the court, to see and learne the ceremonyes that were used at the audience, which were tbeise same that are used at the court of Rome. In the beginning I did go in very freely, without difficulty, as one of the sueit of Monsieur D'Orleane, who was then ther : but from once the valets of her Majesties chamber did know that I was non of his, but was for some bussines, they did hold me out ; which I seeing, and knowing that I behoved to mak a keye of gould, I scraped againe, and presented a single pistole of gold to him who imediatly had shoot the dore upon my nose. Then he opened the dare large aneugh, and made a civility to me, and promised to serve me with greate affection. I did give as much to every one of three others, who did al not only profer greate kindnes to me, but really performe it; for they did receave me in as if I had been an actual domestith, when they repouffed others much richer than I, but lesse liberals to them."

The following shows him at Paris, at a later period, when he was soliciting for little Miss GORDON. The account is charac- teristic, as showing the stuff of which a suitor should be made, and Curious for its picture of the distressed condition of persons of consideration arising from the disturbed state of France. "I returned to Paris in the beginning of Januarie 1643. I did communicat my bussines to Mr. Letus, then Superieur of the Scots College in Paris, and to Mr. Thomas Chambers, called commonly l'Abbe de Chambers. They both did laugh at myn interpryse, thinking it altogether ridiculous. But I had patience, because my bussines had nede of friends to advance it, and no foes to hinder it. Then, said Mr. Chambers, if the ladye for whom you intend to sollicitat the Queue were alreadie in France, ther might be some hope that her Majesty could be mouved to bestow something upon her ; but to think that she would send to Scotland to call any bodye out of it to bestow her charity upon, seemes to me contrary to common sent, as if she had not in France as many neding charity as the can be able to succour, with at the charity that she can bestow. Wel, said I, heir is aneuch said ; but, to condud, wil you recommend me to any of your frinds at St. Germaine, (for the Court was there,) to get me access to the Queue; or wil you not ? No, said he, for if I should recommend you to any man for that effect, he should think us both foolee, and me the greatest, who should know better then so. I protest to Almighty God, said he, ther be ladies heir in Paris of Lorrain, who haue had in their own conntrie tenne thousand Here, of rent, begging heir, and all thank me when J give them five sole of the almes which the Cardinal de Richelieu did leave to be distributed among the pouer people. Think you, would not the Queue, or should she not, rather bestow her charity upon theis ladyes, whom the French armies have rouined, then send to Scotland for to bring a ladye out of it to bestow her charity upon ? The ladyes of Lorrain are sterling here, and the Queue bath not aneugh to keepe in their lyffee, and you would persuade her to send yet for more strangers to come to her to get charity. I know you think you do wel, and are more wysse then I, because your passion leadeth you so, having no other thing in your mind but that child and how to assist her. But what would you think of another man, who, in the circumstances wherin we are, seeing many ladyes in the country likely to sterve, would propone to her Majestic to -send to other contries for more ? you would even say that he had not common sans. To which I answered, she is but one, and non of her quality, I am as- seared, ar begging heir, much lea sterving; and that which her Majesty wil bestow upon her, being devyded among many, would not give them great re- lieffe, nor the want of it bring them great damage. But, to be short, have I me, or want I sans, 1 will try my fortune, and have, as we say, aither almee at answer from the Queine, who, if she wil give nothing, wil take nothing from as; and, as the proverb says, a dumme man did never winne a fair ladye, ther- for I wil speak, whither I speed or not." As it is useless to refer the reader to a volume printed only for circulation among the members of the Spalding Club, we will draw further upon its pages for some miscellaneous extracts, descriptive of the manners of the age.

TREATMENT OF FAMILY PRIESTS.

Then she [Lady Aboyne] tould me how Father Androw had sent her word that he would come no more at her, and bidde her provyde herself with her French Monsieur [Blakhal] of such things as he had taken away, because they were not hers, but did pertean to their mission. I was indeed astonished; for, although I did know him to be of a beiarre humouer, yet I never would have thought that he would have left such a place of residence ; for although my Ladye of Aboyne had but a small rent in comparison of my Lady Marquise of Huntley or my Ladye Murray, yet she hada more noble and generous hart than any of them, and keeped a good house ; and gave power to her preist to send his man to the hitching and choose upon the spelt what price or peiees he should think would please his mister best, and that price or peices were send to his 'chamber to him when they were meted, oftentymes befor my ladye did dynne or suppe, whieh the preists could not doe in the houses of theis other ladyes, atortn.ao-otber boil= in al Scotland, nor Ingland nether, 1 belive for, in great houses, if the preists eat in their privet chambers, they must stay till the ladye send them from the table, upon trenshers, such pekes as she pleaseth. I have seen this done in Ingland to prelate eating in their chamber ; and Joins Thomson, who served my Ladye Marquise, tould me the Fathers were served,. upon trenshers in her house, and her daughter's my Ladye Murray.

NECESSARIES FOR A COUNTRY HOUSE circa 1640.

Nether was it without a raisonable cause that my ladye used to cal use the captaine of her caste', which would have twin very evil keeped without me ; for, when I did enter in her service, ther was but only two instolets in al the house, and they belonged to Allexander Davidson, a man who keeped ever a pair of pistolets but never in at his lyf did fire one ; so they served to him only for parade, as he avouched to me. Al her servants had swordes of their owne, but theiae armee al alon are too short to defend houses. It is true that her owne personne was a more then sufficient guard for her house and household, in tym of peace ; but when the country became troubled, and divided in factions of Covenanters and Anty-Covenanters, every one had nede of armee, both offensive and defensive. For then every on, for the most part, thought wel purchassed what they could ravish from another; and they who had nothing of their owne to loose, were, or at least faked themselves to be, of a contrary faction to those who had meanes, but wanted force aneugh to defend them ; which I forsieing, and knowing the necessity and greed of our Heilanders, (who carye no respect to ather sex or quality of personnes whom they may oppresse, when justice bath no power to punish malefactors,)did mak provision of armee, to defend the person, house, and tenantes of my ladye ; to wit, eight double muskeats, with bal and poudre and matche conforme, and as many light gunnes, with snape workes, with a long smal fowling gun, and a very wide carrabinne, capable of nynne or tenne pistolet belles at a charg, which I used to Ling at my shoulder when I rode through the country. So we had eighteen peaces of firework, forby four pistolets that I had, and two that Alexander Davidson had, in al four and twentie, and an hundreth pounds of powder.

A PRIESTLY ENTERTAINMENT.

We did sit downe at nynne of the clock, and, after the Dutch fassion, did beginne with butter, but ended with the best theere that the inne could afford us ; for the denner did follow the brakfast, and the four houres or goulte the denner, and the supper the goulte, until midnight. 1 did convoy the Dutch captain lyk a ladye, my hand under his arme, to keepe him from tailing (for he was exceiding drunk) to his owne dare, and his chirurgian did go bak with me to my logis. I invited that night the captain to his brakfast upon the morrow ; which he did not forget, for as drunk as be was at night. So we did al Beaver] mete againe upon the morrow to the bmkfiu3t at eight &clock ; which was no wore then our denner the day befor, and lasted two houres. I did indeed drink as much as any of the company; but the care that I had to keep myself uudiscovered, in that puritanical place, hindered the wyne to work upon me.

HENTLESIEN OF THE ROAD: FLANDERS.

I parted from her, and the rest of her company, very melancholious and in a bade humeur. Alexander Davidson would nedes go convey me out of towne, and drink my Lien sale in the Faubourg. I had hired a good horse. In the mean tyme, that we two and Thomas Lang, the gould smith, were drinking in slow roonse, wher I might see my horse tyed to the does of the taverne, we did see three cavaliers going my way. I did not much love their convoye' wherfor I stayed the longer ther that they might be farre away. When I did go out of the Fauxbourg, as far as the flight of an arrow, I did see them among hillocks waiting upon me. I had two good pistolets at the torre of my sadle. I morced them, and came forward to them. They asked moneyes. I said I had non to give them but such as they had to give me; souldiers money. They said, you must give us hanselle. I said, are you voleurs that you speak so? No, said they, we are soldiers going to mak our provision befor the campaigne, and you wil do wel to give us homed. Wit you then be content of what it wil please me to give you, said I? They said they would. 1 wil give you, said I, each of you a pot of bear, theta to say six soft ; if you, be not content theirof for hansel, I wil be at my defence. We wil be content with it, said they, give it us with good wil. So I rode to him who was nearest me (for I keeped a distance between them and me) and maid him stretch out his hand, and laid it in his hand. They thanked me ; and I, bidding them fair wel, rode my way, and did not rancontre any mar of that sort al the way. I went to Mons, and stayed ther that night.

The history of the manuscripts of which this volume is com- posed is given by the editor : but one of them, if we mistake not, has been examined before, and in part used. The story of BLA31:•• HAL'S affair with the drunken captain and his company, (pp. 104- 110,) we seem to have read, and we think in some work on Scot- tish antiquities published by Messrs. CHAMBERS. That specimen, however, is not a favourable one of the sense and force of Father BLAKHAL'S Breihre Narration; and the work was well worth printing, though probably not a speculation on which a book- seller might have ventured. Like all the other performances of this Society, it is carefully and judiciously edited; the preliminary view of the state and circumstances of Romanism in Scotland from the Reformation to the reign of Queen ANNE, preparing the reader to better apprehend the circumstances under which Rr.arr-. HAL was called upon to act, and offering some singular traits of the times.