The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-07-02
A King In Exile,

EVA ScoTT, who Is already known to
English and American readers by her
biography OF Rupert. Prince Palatine, y
the gallant nephew Of Charles l., has written
another interesting book about some Of the
romantic episodes in the history Of the
Stuart dynasty, Tho King in Eli'e (E. p
Dutton 4 Coz This is an account of the
wanderings Of Charles II. from June, 164e to
July, 1851. The exile, OF cour'e, really
lasted until May, 1880. when Charles ii.
landed at Dover as England's accepted
king, but the last six years Of his enforced
absence from his native country were
relatively uneventful The period here
depicted was that in which Charle3's
character, and to some extent the character
Of the England of the Restoration. was
definitely formed In the first days Of his
banishment-it was on June "a, 16a6, that
Charles H.. then Prince of Wales, sailed
for France from Jersey-he found kindly
welcome at the court OF his cousin, Louis
XIV, and for some two years dwelt quietly
at st. Germaine, under the tutelage of his
mother. who, 1t will he remembered, was a
daughter OF Henri w.. and, therefore, an
aunt of the French King. So long as he
was Prince OF Wales Charles was little
more than a tool in his mothers hands,
but when the execution Of his father G649)
made him King in his nineteenth year,
he proceeded at once to shake Off the mater
nal yoke. Then began the difference,
between himself and the Queen mother.
which, gradually widening, brought them
and their respective courts at last to open
and scandalous hostility From that date
also began the real trials and troubles of
the exile. In the eleven years that fol-
lowed, Charles and his personal adherents
experienced strange vicissitudes, suffered
continual humiliation, privation and dis
appointment and found Themselves tossed
necessarily from hope to despair, and
again, from despair to the highest pinnacle
OF hope. From first to last the banished
followers OF the House OF Stuart prose-
cuted political intrigues in England, Scot
land or Ireland; nor did Charles ever cease
from strenuous efforts to gain the active
aid OF the Continental Powers.
Such claim as kinship could give he had.
We have seen that Louis XIV. was his first
cousin. Philip Nv. of Spain was his uncle
by marriage with his mothers sister. Eliza
beth of France. Christian ". of Denmark
was his great uncle, and Frederick I'LL,
who succeeded to the Danish throne III
l84s. was his first cousin once removed.
Finally, William H.. Prince of Orange, and
Sta dtholder of Holland since l647, was
the husband of Charles's eldest sister. Mary.
Relationship counted for something, in
spite Of the reluctance of European states
men to incur the enmity OF Cromwell. Even
the cautious Kings of Denmark supplied
their destitute relative with some small
sums of money. William of Orange suo
cored the exile generously, so far as his
means could afford, and his death in Novem-
Der, 1850, deprived Charles of the best friend
he had on the Continent. France, which
had troubles Of her own, external and in
ternal, maintained the Queen Mother and
her youngest daughter for sixteen years,
and, nominally, at least, Charles himself
enjoyed the protection of the French Gov
eminent for half that period. When France
was forced to make peace with Cromwell,
a condition OF which was the expulsion
Of Charles H.. he sought and found similar
p rejection and maintenance in Spain
More than this he could not secure.