his father and the pope to the highest
Italian society, which he fascinated by the frankness of his manner and
the grace and dignity of his bearing. In 1737 James despatched his son
on a tour through the chief Italian cities, that his education as a
prince and man of the world might be completed. The distinction with
which he was received on his journey, the royal honours paid to him in
Venice, and the jealous interference of the English ambassador in regard
to his reception by the grand-duke of Tuscany, show how great was the
respect in which the exiled house was held at this period by foreign
Catholic powers, as well as the watchful policy of England in regard to
its fortunes. The Old Pretender himself calculated upon foreign aid in
his attempts to restore the monarchy of the Stuarts; and the idea of
rebellion unassisted by invasion or by support of any kind from abroad
was one which it was left for Charles Edward to endeavour to realize. Of
all the European nations France was the one on which Jacobite hopes
mainly rested, and the warm sympathy which Cardinal Tencin, who had
succeeded Fleury as French minister, felt for the Old Pretender resulted
in a definite scheme for an invasion of England to be timed
simultaneously with a prearranged Scottish rebellion. Charles was
secretly despatched to Paris in January 1744. A squadron under Admiral
Roquefeuil sailed from the coast of France. Transports containing 7000
troops, to be led by Marshal Saxe, accompanied by the young prince, were
in readiness to set sail for England. A severe storm effected, however,
a complete disaster without any actual engagement taking place.

The loss in ships of the line, in transports, and in lives was a
crushing blow to the hopes of Charles, who remained in France for over a
year in a retirement which he keenly felt. He had at Rome already made
the acquaintance of Lord Elcho and of John Murray of Broughton; at Paris
he had seen many supporters of the Stuart cause; he was aware that in
every European court the Jacobites were represented in earnest intrigue;
and he had now taken a considerable share in correspondence and other
actual work connected with the promotion of his own and his father's
interests. Although dissuaded by all his friends, on the 13th of July
1745 he sailed from Nantes for Scotland on board the small brig "La
Doutelle," which was accompanied by a French man-of-war, the
"Elisabeth," laden with arms and ammunition. The latter