Descendants of the Stuarts

APPENDIX. 335
expended in increasing the naval forces it would have made
the nation impregnable^ not only against France, but all the
world besides." * Jesse says that " James loved and was proud
of his country, and probably no one of our monarchs ever had
its honour and glory more deeply at heart/' f
James III. — Handsome, affable, witty, accomplished, pious,
and amiable, but vacillating, weak, and wanting in fixed
determination of character. The Duchess of Orleans, no
flatterer of royalty, observes that " James was one of the
pleasantest men with whom she had ever met." J
Charles III. — Brave, chivalrous, noble-minded, patient,
energetic, generous, and courteous. His addi-ess was so cap-
tivating, and his manners so winning, that his memory is still
beloved by those who must have been its best judges, —
the true-hearted Scots whom he gladdened by his presence.
Charles was martial- looking, handsome, and elegant. §
Henry IX. — This Prince's sweet and amiable character is
unchallenged by historians.
Mary II. — Politic, talented, moral, and liberal, but unfeel-
ing, selfish, stolid, cold-hearted, vindictive, " a stranger to the
feelings of natural affection, she seems to have imbibed the cold
disposition and apathy of her husband." — (Smollett, Vol. I.
p. 234.) There is reason to believe her piety was fallacious,
or her conduct seared. " There are grounds," says Sir
James Mackintosh, "for suspecting that a false lustre has
been shed upon Mary's character. ' Mild and pious' are
* Life of James II., written by himself, edited by the Rev. Stanier
Clarke, vol. ii. p. 611.
t Hume, Sir J. Mackintosh, Strickland, Jesse.
j This character of James is compiled from so many authorities, several
of whose names we cannot even now recall, that it would be impossible to
enumerate them. "We shall only observe that Lords Mahon and Boling-
broke, Miss Strickland, and Jesse, besides French historians, are among the
authorities we have consulted.
§ This character of Charles harmonises with the almost universal testi-
mony of historians.