The Flesh and the Spirit

Chapter 5

January 5, 1715

Dearest John,

For once I am glad that you are all the way in France. With the imminent arrival of our new German king I fear the worst for the Catholics and Tories, and you, my friend, are both. There is a dark mood that hangs over England. Everyone is worried that the Tories will try to seize power in Parliament. The Whigs will not allow it, of course. They believe that Parliament is the only institution that has the right to decide who will be our next ruler, unlike the Tories who believe in the heredity of blood, and they will not give up their power so easily. I must admit that I am of two minds. Now that Queen Anne is dead the only options left to us are her Catholic half-brother or this unknown Protestant German. I know you are in full support of James, but I believe that England must be ruled by a Protestant. I only wished that our new king was English. What can this King George possibly know of our way of life? Before long we shall all be eating strudels and wearing lederhosen, you'll see.

I know you had no great affection for Queen Anne. You have stated many times that you saw her as nothing more than a fat idiot who was too often pregnant and confined to bed to rule effectively. I, however, will always disagree with you on this. No other monarch has so effectively kept the peace between the English and the Scots. I would have been happy to have a child of hers take the throne, if only any of them had lived. Could a German have brought about a union between England and Scotland? I think not.

Despite the fact that you are now living across the Channel in France of all places, you seem to have a certain understanding of the events that are unfolding here in England. I have received your last two letters and I apologize for not writing back before now, but I must admit that I am a little puzzled, John. We have always been so candid with each other before, but now you are so brief and your writing seems rushed. You hint at something which you do not say. Throughout yourletters, youwrite things like "The German pretender will not sit on the English throne for long" and "The Whigs will be in for surprise if they think they can put a crown on the head of a German dog and think the Tories will say nothing about it". I confess this has me deeply troubled. In your last letter you requested - demanded! - that Mary and I visit you at your new residence in Saint-Germain-en-Laye. You have given out similar invitations before, but they have never been quite so... adamant. Almost as though you were afraid of my safety. But of course there is nothing for me to fear, is there? Or is there something you need to tell me?

Regardless of your reasons behind your invitation, we shall make the journey next month to see you. Mary has been pestering me about the trip since you first extended the offer and I feel obligated to indulge her in this, even if it means incurring the wrath of my employer, Mr. Smith. I'm afraid married life has turned out to be nothing like what the poor girl expected. Although I have been and always will be a good friend to her, I have been no husband. It is selfish of me, I know, but I cannot bring myself to visit her in the marriage bed. I have no love for children myself. I find them to be sticky, irritating nuisances. Why can't they act more like adults? But despite any ill feelings of mine, Mary should not be denied the privilege of being a mother. And yet...

In any event, you can expect the pair of us to arrive at your chateau in late February. I look forward to seeing you.

Your friend,

William Cogsworth