you
with it;' which she accompanied with a salute in the most gracious
manner. It was a very hard task, sir, to recede from the honour of
such an invitation, given by a princess, who, although married to
the Pretender, deserves so much in regard to her person, her house,
and family. However, we argued the case with the Doctor, and
represented the strict orders we had to the contrary; he replied,
there would be no prohibition to a traveller against music, even at
the ceremonies of the Roman Catholic Church; that if we missed this
occasion of seeing this assembly of the Roman nobility, we might not
recover it while we stayed in Rome; and, that it became persons of
our age and degree to act always the part of gentlemen, without
regard to party humours. These arguments were more forcible than
ours, so we went, and saw a bright assembly of the prime Roman
nobility, the concert composed of the best musicians of Rome, a
plentiful and orderly collation served; but the courteous and
affable manner of our reception was more taking than all the rest.
We had a general invitation given us whilst we stayed in town, and
were desired to use the palace as our house, we were indispensably
obliged to make a visit next day, in order to return thanks for so
many civilities received;--those are things due to a Turk. We were
admitted without ceremony; the Pretender entertained us on the
subject of our families as knowingly as if he had been all his life
in England: he told me some passages of myself and father, and of
his being against the followers of King Charles I. and II., and
added, "that if you, sir, had been of age before my grandfather's
death, to learn his principles, there had been little danger of your
taking party against the rights of a Stuart."

"He then observed how far the prejudices of education and wrong
notions of infancy are apt to carry people from the paths of their
ancestors: he discoursed as pertinently on several of our
neighbouring families as I could do, upon which I told him I was
surprised at his so perfect knowledge of our families in England;
his answer was, that from his infancy he had made it his business to
acquire the knowledge of the laws, customs, and families of his
country, so that he might not be reported a stranger when the
Almighty pleased to call him thither.