Hello all. Below his my first TL, which will center around James Scott, Duke of Monmouth, and the effect of a few different decisions on his part. Lacking in primary sources, I will rely upon Macualay's History of England, and another 19th century work called The Life of the Duke of Monmouth by George Roberts. I also have drawn inspiration from Neal Stephenson's Baroque Cycle, which may become apparent in some of my characterizations.
Eventually I would like to move in the direction of mixing live action (Third person omniscient) narration with a few ATL 19th century sources, like some of the best TLs on the site I have read.
I welcome all comments, corrections, and constructive criticism.
Here it goes:
____________
February 21, 1685. The Hague, Republic of the United Netherlands
James Scott, Duke of Monmouth had recovered quickly from the news of his father’s death. He had learnt of the event the night before from the his cousin William III, Prince of Orange, and had been beset by grief. In an instant James had lost not only his father, but also all prospects of returning home to his property and titles. He had wept bitterly that night, lamenting fate and his unfortunate position. By the next morning however, when the Prince of Orange invited him to the Binnenhof [The Prince of Orange's palace], he was composed and ready to discuss business.
The Prince and the Duke exchanged pleasantries. The Prince was his usual stern self, and spoke without much change in his demeanor, indeed he scarcely showed any emotion at all during the best of times. Now, he was, if possible even more grave than usual when he spoke to James. With the death of Charles and the ascension of James II, Monmouth could no longer stay in The Hague. To allow him to do so would imperil the Dutch Reupublic’s relations with England, and that could not be allowed. With so many words James was banished from William sight, effective the next day.
With his return home barred at this time, William recommended that James look east for his fortune. Rather than hazard his life and fortune in an uncertain contest with his uncle that would shed only the blood of his countrymen, he should turn his sword east against the common foe of Christendom, the Ottoman Turks. Reeling from the defeat at the gates of Vienna, the Turks were battling the forces of the Holy Roman Emperor & Archduke of Austria Leopold in eastern Hungary and Serbia. The Emperor sought the services of all Christians, making no distinction between Protestant and Catholic in this war.
William outlined the glory that James could gain from such an enterprise, as well as the more material rewards. He suggested that, after covering himself in glory in the east he would be well positioned to seek in fortune in the Court of Vienna, and that when either his uncle’s heart softened, or when he inevitably died, Monmouth could return to England a hero like his great crusader ancestors Richard and Edward.
Monmouth listened to this advice attentively, though without any obvious enthusiasm. He respectfully promised to quit The Hague as soon as possible, and to weigh the Prince’s advice. He promised to make no move against James in England without consulting his dear cousin, and bade him farewell. The Prince of Orange responded by wishing him well, and promising to earnestly recommend him to the Emperor. He also promised the Duke a gift to defray his expenses when he departed The Hague.
After the Duke left William’s presence he soon returned to his quarters to contemplate his future. On the one hand he had to consider the daily entries of the English exiles, led by that conniving Scot Robert Ferguson, to join their cause and raise a rebellion against his Uncle. They had been pressing him to join them for months, but he had rebuffed them, confident that his father would eventually give in and grant him a full pardon. Now that Charles was dead, their counsel seemed more appealing. His other options were to go east to Vienna and enlist in the Emperor’s forces against the Turks. Alternatively, he could abandon his pursuit of fortune and glory and resign himself to a life of leisure by touring Europe with his beloved mistress Lady Wentworth, starting with a voyage to Stockholm.
As he weighed his options, the Lady Wentworth returned to their quarters. Henrietta Wentworth was his current mistress, the love of his life, and, in his eyes his lawful wife in the sight of God. The Lady had sacrificed a good marriage to abscond with the married Duke, and James had rewarded her with his complete affection, going so far as to almost completely disregard his own wife and their five children. Lady Wentworth had his entire heart, and as a result was a great influence on the mercurial Duke.
When the conversation turned to the Duke’s next course of action, Henrietta at first demurred. But a chance run-in with the Austrian Legate to Holland earlier that day had planted an image in her mind of the sophistication and wealth of the Austrian Hapsburgs. The Freiherr, with his twirling mustachios and jeweled small sword had cut a very fine figure. He had regaled the ladies of the court (in perfect French) with tales of opulent castles and the fine operas that could be enjoyed in and around Vienna. The urbane, witty Austrian stood in sharp contrast to the nearby group of English exiles, poorly dressed, conversing furtively of lost homes and estates. And that just described the exiled men of quality. Far more disturbing were the Republicans in their midst, a collection of Protestant fanatics and former Cromwellian soldiers like the one eyed Richard "Hannibal" Rumbold who prowled around with the restless energy of caged beasts. If Vienna was well represented by the Freiherr, then perhaps Austria was not the war-torn backwater she had always imagined it to be.
Therefore, when the Duke continued question her about her advice for him, she answered that she supposed that the Prince of Orange was correct: Austria, not England was the best course for them at this time.* James Scott was rather surprised at her response. He has always imagined that nothing would please his love more than the prospect of the crown of England.
The Lady’s doubt about the wisdom of returning to England caused the Duke to go over in his mind the advice of his fellow exiles in the Netherlands. The lofty rhetoric of that fiery Scot Ferguson, the optimistic predictions of Lord Grey and the stern confidence of Hannibal Rumbold all counseled him land in England as soon as possible, and to march on London to depose the new Popish King. Both the Lords of the Land and the common man were opposed to the new Catholic monarch, surely they would flock to the banner of the late King’s most prominent son. There was of course the issue of his birth, but the Duke had always believed that his mother, Lucy Walter had entered into a lawful marriage with the King by the time of his birth. His confederates were not too disposed to doubt him. Base rumors about his legitimacy would of course end the moment he set foot in St. Paul’s Cathedral to be crowned the rightful King.
But between the Duke and the crown were formidable political and military obstacles that were quite apparent to James. Monmouth had personally commanded professional English soldiers against foes foreign and domestic. He had held a command at the siege of Maastricht and fought against the French at the battle of great battle of St. Denis. He had a keen understanding of how battles were fought and wars were won on the Continent. But it was his most recent command that was the most pertinent in his mind at this critical juncture: the Battle of Bothswell Bridge in Scotland. Heavily outnumbered, and facing an enthusiastic foe of Scottish Coventers revolting against the Episcopal policies of his father, Monmouth had been able to easily put the rebels to flight and crush their nascent rebellion against King Charles’ rule in Scotland. James had no wish to be on the wrong side in a contest between the rabble and the professional line infantry fielded by the crown.
And the project suggested to him by his fellow Anglo-Scottish exiles left him in great danger of doing just that. Letters were all they could show him as proof of his popular support in England, and how the people despised James II. Gold, arms and men were sorely lacking. A critical eye would see only a few dozen English and Scottish malcontents armed with nothing more formidable than a few thousand pounds sterling and their quill pens. It was true that among these few dozen men were some renowned Cromwellian soldiers, successful generals and Lords temporal from both England and Scotland. But James II, sitting at the Court of St. James could call upon the strength of three kingdoms to aid him, possibly even the support of the great Sun King, Louis XIV, if rumors were to be believed. Thousands of line infantry, hundreds of cannon, and a formidable fleet all answered to James II. Against these forces, James Scott could rely only upon vague, often contradictory popular ideas opposing a Catholic King, the possibility of Absolute Monarchy, as well as the opposition of Nonconformists to the established church which was supported by the monarchy. Radical Protestantism, and crypto-republicanism were other animating forces behind James Scott’s most fervent supporters.Whether James Scott was capable of rallying such diverse dissenters to his side was very much open to question, and his life would very much ride on the answer to that question once he landed in England.
His life would depend on that question because there was simply no possibility that a sufficient force could be raised in the Netherlands to wage war in England. They lacked men, the muskets to arm them with, the ships to transport them in and the money to pay for them all. James Scott and the exiles would land with no more than a few cannons and horses, along with whatever supply of muskets and gunpowder they could scrape together. Their success would be totally dependent upon both a mass popular rising and the defection of at least some of the King's regiments. The later was absolutely critical in Monmouth's mind, since he doubted a thousand English peasants could stand before one hundred line infantry if they had to face more than a single volley.
James Scott had never committed to the cause of the exiles. They refused to acknowledge his unambiguous right to the throne, and they seemed to want him more as a figurehead than a leader in their ill-considered scheme. The added weight of his mistress’s counsel tipped the nearly balanced scales against them in Monmouth's mind. Any course of action was better than throwing his life away as a rebel. He would not go to England. But he would not go touring about Europe either. He would win glory and victory, but in the east...for now.
February 22, 1685. The Hague, Republic of the United Netherlands
The next morning the Duke met with Prince William III for one last time before leaving The Hague. He earnestly informed his cousin that he accepted his advice, and that he wished to make for Vienna with all possible haste. Prince William III had expected such a response from the Duke, even if the Duke did not mean a word of it. He was surprised, however by the Duke’s seeming enthusiasm for the the enterprise, and wished him well. When the Duke left his presence he was handed a fat purse of a thousand guilders to speed him on his way. He met briefly with his cousin Mary on the way out, she seemed rather upset by his decision, and tears sprinkled down her cheeks as he exited the palace.
___
The Prince of Orange smiled as the Duke exited his chambers. If Monmouth was true to his word, then the Prince had disposed of a potential rival quite cheaply. William had little interest in Monmouth rebelling against his uncle. Certainly the prospect of a Protestant England allied with the Netherlands would be quite welcome, but the risk of backing Monmouth was simply too great. His archenemy Louis could intervene to to support his English ally by going to war with the Netherlands, or even intervening directly in England. It was simply too likely that James II could very well triumph over Monmouth, and become the bitter enemy of the Dutch. He had a fair idea of what the English exiles believed would happened in the event of a rebellion, but William’s own military advisers were not optimistic, and his political advisers assured him that all but the most radical Englishmen were at best apathetic to the ascension of James II. Attempting to overthrow his father-in-law at this moment was a fool's errand.
With luck, William thought, he could pry James out of Louis XIV’s orbit and into the emerging alliance against French expansionism. After all, the Pope and the Holy Roman Emperor were opposed to the Sun King and allies of William. The new King’s Catholicism did preclude an alliance with the Protestant Netherlands. Besides, in addition to good foreign policy, an alliance against France would be popular with the English people, and if the new King had an ounce of sense he would go to great lengths to dispel his subject’s belief that he was an agent of France and Popery.
And if James II did not do exactly that, William would take his throne. He was third in line of succession in his own right, but would de facto inherit it when the King died, as his wife Mary was the next in line to the throne. In addition to the prerequisite legitimate blood, he also had at his disposal a well trained army and probably the most powerful navy on earth. He had cultivated relationships with some of the most prominent personages in England, and was known throughout the land as a champion of Protestantism. If James II stood in the way of his destiny of defeating Louis XIV, he would take his kingdom, and if necessary his life.
With that thought, William called for his trusty page Arnold van Keppel.
“Arnold dear boy, inform my royal father-in-law of Monmouth’s departure from The Hague. Assure him that his nephew will depart my country to the court of Emperor Leopold. Remind him that his English and Scottish regiments will always be at his service in the event of any problems, foreign or domestic. And do not forget to congratulate him on his upcoming coronation.”
As he watched his handsome page take down notes to compose a letter from his Prince, William smiled. Not at the sight of his servant’s natural beauty, but rather at how utterly predictable were the members of the House of Stuart, and how easily he would get them to dance to his tune, or knock them off the stage. The choice was theirs, but the outcome would be exactly as he wanted.
______
James Scott smiled as he departed the Binnenhof. The purse he indiscreetly carried with him would ensure a comfortable journey east for him and his entourage. He would fight Turks in the east and earn himself a reputation of a crusader. But the war would not last forever, and he fully intended his journey east to only to defer his eventual return home. In the meantime James II was was welcome to contend with the exiles and unrest in the three kingdoms. The last English Catholic monarch had been Mary I over a century ago. Everyone still remembered how well her reign had been. Eventually he would alienate the wrong men, and face a full blown rebellion like his father before him. The Prince of Orange doubtless believed that the Kingdom would then just fall to him like an overripe fruit.
“William, dear cousin, you are deceived if you think you have rid yourself of me for all times with this purse,” thought Monmouth to himself. “I may fall in battle against the infidel, but as long as I survive I will never forget my birthright. And you will not take it from me.”
______
April 2, 1685. Amsterdam, Republic of the United Netherlands.
James Scott gazed at the busy harbor of Amsterdam from the quarterdeck of the brig he had embarked upon. Dozens of square masted Fluyts and East Indiamen crossed the harbor, waiting to sail for the east, or to return home after long voyages to the East Indies. By his side was his lady Henrietta, who looked back at the city distractedly, doubtless wondering when she might return.
James and about a dozen of his followers were sailing for Cuxhaven. They would disembark at that city briefly before boarding another ship that would taken them down the Elbe to Dresden. From Dresden they would ride to Pressburg [Bratislava, Slovakia] where they would join the Imperial Army under the Duke of Lorraine. Henrietta would remain at Court, while James would take a command benefiting a Oberstleutnant.
Robert Ferguson and the other English exiles had called him a coward and worse when he had announced his resolution. He had not born their insults idly. He had countered that the time was not yet right for him to claim his birthright, but that he would never renounce that which was his.
The Scottish exiles had been the worst. The Earl of Argyll swore that he would never recognize him as King, and that he would only deal with a government more suited to Scotland’s interests. James had tried to reason with him, but the Earl told him that he only cared for action, and that if James wished to assist the real men in deposing his uncle when he sailed for Scotland in June he was welcome to. As stableman shoveling his horse's shit. James would have drawn steel had not one of the more level-headed Scots, Fletcher of Saltoun, restrained him at that instant. James had stormed out of that meeting, and swore that would kill Argyll if he ever laid eyes on him again. That was the last he had seen of any of the Scottish exiles.
The English exiles remained in Amsterdam, making preparations for a landing in in the South of England. Or the West, or the East, or New Jersey for all James cared. It was unlikely their enterprise would amount to much, as they lacked seasoned officers, and adhered to a very vague political program mostly centered around opposition to the twin evils of Tyranny and Popery. It did not appear that their expedition would amount to much more than a diversion to the Scottish expedition which Argyll intended to lead himself without their counsel.
The Scots (with the exception of Ferguson, who was firmly attached to the English exiles) were much more advanced in their preparations. The Earl had already purchased a frigate, and James had heard rumors that he was buying up muskets and gunpowder from anyone who would sell to him. True to his word, the Earl appeared set on landing in Scotland with this followers, and opposing his enemy James II.
To hell with the fools, thought James. There would still be exiles in the Netherlands when he returned, and he would deal with them on his own turns. That arrogant Scot Archibald would meet his maker at the Scottish Maiden in Edinburgh, or in some ambuscade in the highlands. He fancied himself a great general and politician like his illustrious father, but James thought the only thing the two shared in common other than a name would be their place of execution. The power of the clans was in the past, in the modern world power lay in holding cities and trade routes not septs!
The three kingdoms would be his. They would not long remain under the rule of his Papist uncle. Neither his two daughters, nor their Dutch and Danish husbands would have them either. If he returned to his homeland, it would be at the head of a devoted band of followers, well armed and well supplied, not a quarrelsome rabble that would not even acknowledge him as the rightful king!
“To Hell with them all,” said James to no one in particular. “After I have sent enough Turks to hell they will come crawling back to me. The three kingdoms will welcome me with open arms when they have had enough of my uncle’s misrule. And none of his foreign son in laws will stop me.”
To be continued.
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*This is the POD. IOTL the Duke was extremely hesitant to join the exiles in rebelling against James II. Macaulay records that she told Monmouth that she wanted nothing more than to see him King. ITTL a chance run in has caused her to reconsider this advice.
Eventually I would like to move in the direction of mixing live action (Third person omniscient) narration with a few ATL 19th century sources, like some of the best TLs on the site I have read.
I welcome all comments, corrections, and constructive criticism.
Here it goes:
____________
February 21, 1685. The Hague, Republic of the United Netherlands
James Scott, Duke of Monmouth had recovered quickly from the news of his father’s death. He had learnt of the event the night before from the his cousin William III, Prince of Orange, and had been beset by grief. In an instant James had lost not only his father, but also all prospects of returning home to his property and titles. He had wept bitterly that night, lamenting fate and his unfortunate position. By the next morning however, when the Prince of Orange invited him to the Binnenhof [The Prince of Orange's palace], he was composed and ready to discuss business.
The Prince and the Duke exchanged pleasantries. The Prince was his usual stern self, and spoke without much change in his demeanor, indeed he scarcely showed any emotion at all during the best of times. Now, he was, if possible even more grave than usual when he spoke to James. With the death of Charles and the ascension of James II, Monmouth could no longer stay in The Hague. To allow him to do so would imperil the Dutch Reupublic’s relations with England, and that could not be allowed. With so many words James was banished from William sight, effective the next day.
With his return home barred at this time, William recommended that James look east for his fortune. Rather than hazard his life and fortune in an uncertain contest with his uncle that would shed only the blood of his countrymen, he should turn his sword east against the common foe of Christendom, the Ottoman Turks. Reeling from the defeat at the gates of Vienna, the Turks were battling the forces of the Holy Roman Emperor & Archduke of Austria Leopold in eastern Hungary and Serbia. The Emperor sought the services of all Christians, making no distinction between Protestant and Catholic in this war.
William outlined the glory that James could gain from such an enterprise, as well as the more material rewards. He suggested that, after covering himself in glory in the east he would be well positioned to seek in fortune in the Court of Vienna, and that when either his uncle’s heart softened, or when he inevitably died, Monmouth could return to England a hero like his great crusader ancestors Richard and Edward.
Monmouth listened to this advice attentively, though without any obvious enthusiasm. He respectfully promised to quit The Hague as soon as possible, and to weigh the Prince’s advice. He promised to make no move against James in England without consulting his dear cousin, and bade him farewell. The Prince of Orange responded by wishing him well, and promising to earnestly recommend him to the Emperor. He also promised the Duke a gift to defray his expenses when he departed The Hague.
After the Duke left William’s presence he soon returned to his quarters to contemplate his future. On the one hand he had to consider the daily entries of the English exiles, led by that conniving Scot Robert Ferguson, to join their cause and raise a rebellion against his Uncle. They had been pressing him to join them for months, but he had rebuffed them, confident that his father would eventually give in and grant him a full pardon. Now that Charles was dead, their counsel seemed more appealing. His other options were to go east to Vienna and enlist in the Emperor’s forces against the Turks. Alternatively, he could abandon his pursuit of fortune and glory and resign himself to a life of leisure by touring Europe with his beloved mistress Lady Wentworth, starting with a voyage to Stockholm.
As he weighed his options, the Lady Wentworth returned to their quarters. Henrietta Wentworth was his current mistress, the love of his life, and, in his eyes his lawful wife in the sight of God. The Lady had sacrificed a good marriage to abscond with the married Duke, and James had rewarded her with his complete affection, going so far as to almost completely disregard his own wife and their five children. Lady Wentworth had his entire heart, and as a result was a great influence on the mercurial Duke.
When the conversation turned to the Duke’s next course of action, Henrietta at first demurred. But a chance run-in with the Austrian Legate to Holland earlier that day had planted an image in her mind of the sophistication and wealth of the Austrian Hapsburgs. The Freiherr, with his twirling mustachios and jeweled small sword had cut a very fine figure. He had regaled the ladies of the court (in perfect French) with tales of opulent castles and the fine operas that could be enjoyed in and around Vienna. The urbane, witty Austrian stood in sharp contrast to the nearby group of English exiles, poorly dressed, conversing furtively of lost homes and estates. And that just described the exiled men of quality. Far more disturbing were the Republicans in their midst, a collection of Protestant fanatics and former Cromwellian soldiers like the one eyed Richard "Hannibal" Rumbold who prowled around with the restless energy of caged beasts. If Vienna was well represented by the Freiherr, then perhaps Austria was not the war-torn backwater she had always imagined it to be.
Therefore, when the Duke continued question her about her advice for him, she answered that she supposed that the Prince of Orange was correct: Austria, not England was the best course for them at this time.* James Scott was rather surprised at her response. He has always imagined that nothing would please his love more than the prospect of the crown of England.
The Lady’s doubt about the wisdom of returning to England caused the Duke to go over in his mind the advice of his fellow exiles in the Netherlands. The lofty rhetoric of that fiery Scot Ferguson, the optimistic predictions of Lord Grey and the stern confidence of Hannibal Rumbold all counseled him land in England as soon as possible, and to march on London to depose the new Popish King. Both the Lords of the Land and the common man were opposed to the new Catholic monarch, surely they would flock to the banner of the late King’s most prominent son. There was of course the issue of his birth, but the Duke had always believed that his mother, Lucy Walter had entered into a lawful marriage with the King by the time of his birth. His confederates were not too disposed to doubt him. Base rumors about his legitimacy would of course end the moment he set foot in St. Paul’s Cathedral to be crowned the rightful King.
But between the Duke and the crown were formidable political and military obstacles that were quite apparent to James. Monmouth had personally commanded professional English soldiers against foes foreign and domestic. He had held a command at the siege of Maastricht and fought against the French at the battle of great battle of St. Denis. He had a keen understanding of how battles were fought and wars were won on the Continent. But it was his most recent command that was the most pertinent in his mind at this critical juncture: the Battle of Bothswell Bridge in Scotland. Heavily outnumbered, and facing an enthusiastic foe of Scottish Coventers revolting against the Episcopal policies of his father, Monmouth had been able to easily put the rebels to flight and crush their nascent rebellion against King Charles’ rule in Scotland. James had no wish to be on the wrong side in a contest between the rabble and the professional line infantry fielded by the crown.
And the project suggested to him by his fellow Anglo-Scottish exiles left him in great danger of doing just that. Letters were all they could show him as proof of his popular support in England, and how the people despised James II. Gold, arms and men were sorely lacking. A critical eye would see only a few dozen English and Scottish malcontents armed with nothing more formidable than a few thousand pounds sterling and their quill pens. It was true that among these few dozen men were some renowned Cromwellian soldiers, successful generals and Lords temporal from both England and Scotland. But James II, sitting at the Court of St. James could call upon the strength of three kingdoms to aid him, possibly even the support of the great Sun King, Louis XIV, if rumors were to be believed. Thousands of line infantry, hundreds of cannon, and a formidable fleet all answered to James II. Against these forces, James Scott could rely only upon vague, often contradictory popular ideas opposing a Catholic King, the possibility of Absolute Monarchy, as well as the opposition of Nonconformists to the established church which was supported by the monarchy. Radical Protestantism, and crypto-republicanism were other animating forces behind James Scott’s most fervent supporters.Whether James Scott was capable of rallying such diverse dissenters to his side was very much open to question, and his life would very much ride on the answer to that question once he landed in England.
His life would depend on that question because there was simply no possibility that a sufficient force could be raised in the Netherlands to wage war in England. They lacked men, the muskets to arm them with, the ships to transport them in and the money to pay for them all. James Scott and the exiles would land with no more than a few cannons and horses, along with whatever supply of muskets and gunpowder they could scrape together. Their success would be totally dependent upon both a mass popular rising and the defection of at least some of the King's regiments. The later was absolutely critical in Monmouth's mind, since he doubted a thousand English peasants could stand before one hundred line infantry if they had to face more than a single volley.
James Scott had never committed to the cause of the exiles. They refused to acknowledge his unambiguous right to the throne, and they seemed to want him more as a figurehead than a leader in their ill-considered scheme. The added weight of his mistress’s counsel tipped the nearly balanced scales against them in Monmouth's mind. Any course of action was better than throwing his life away as a rebel. He would not go to England. But he would not go touring about Europe either. He would win glory and victory, but in the east...for now.
February 22, 1685. The Hague, Republic of the United Netherlands
The next morning the Duke met with Prince William III for one last time before leaving The Hague. He earnestly informed his cousin that he accepted his advice, and that he wished to make for Vienna with all possible haste. Prince William III had expected such a response from the Duke, even if the Duke did not mean a word of it. He was surprised, however by the Duke’s seeming enthusiasm for the the enterprise, and wished him well. When the Duke left his presence he was handed a fat purse of a thousand guilders to speed him on his way. He met briefly with his cousin Mary on the way out, she seemed rather upset by his decision, and tears sprinkled down her cheeks as he exited the palace.
___
The Prince of Orange smiled as the Duke exited his chambers. If Monmouth was true to his word, then the Prince had disposed of a potential rival quite cheaply. William had little interest in Monmouth rebelling against his uncle. Certainly the prospect of a Protestant England allied with the Netherlands would be quite welcome, but the risk of backing Monmouth was simply too great. His archenemy Louis could intervene to to support his English ally by going to war with the Netherlands, or even intervening directly in England. It was simply too likely that James II could very well triumph over Monmouth, and become the bitter enemy of the Dutch. He had a fair idea of what the English exiles believed would happened in the event of a rebellion, but William’s own military advisers were not optimistic, and his political advisers assured him that all but the most radical Englishmen were at best apathetic to the ascension of James II. Attempting to overthrow his father-in-law at this moment was a fool's errand.
With luck, William thought, he could pry James out of Louis XIV’s orbit and into the emerging alliance against French expansionism. After all, the Pope and the Holy Roman Emperor were opposed to the Sun King and allies of William. The new King’s Catholicism did preclude an alliance with the Protestant Netherlands. Besides, in addition to good foreign policy, an alliance against France would be popular with the English people, and if the new King had an ounce of sense he would go to great lengths to dispel his subject’s belief that he was an agent of France and Popery.
And if James II did not do exactly that, William would take his throne. He was third in line of succession in his own right, but would de facto inherit it when the King died, as his wife Mary was the next in line to the throne. In addition to the prerequisite legitimate blood, he also had at his disposal a well trained army and probably the most powerful navy on earth. He had cultivated relationships with some of the most prominent personages in England, and was known throughout the land as a champion of Protestantism. If James II stood in the way of his destiny of defeating Louis XIV, he would take his kingdom, and if necessary his life.
With that thought, William called for his trusty page Arnold van Keppel.
“Arnold dear boy, inform my royal father-in-law of Monmouth’s departure from The Hague. Assure him that his nephew will depart my country to the court of Emperor Leopold. Remind him that his English and Scottish regiments will always be at his service in the event of any problems, foreign or domestic. And do not forget to congratulate him on his upcoming coronation.”
As he watched his handsome page take down notes to compose a letter from his Prince, William smiled. Not at the sight of his servant’s natural beauty, but rather at how utterly predictable were the members of the House of Stuart, and how easily he would get them to dance to his tune, or knock them off the stage. The choice was theirs, but the outcome would be exactly as he wanted.
______
James Scott smiled as he departed the Binnenhof. The purse he indiscreetly carried with him would ensure a comfortable journey east for him and his entourage. He would fight Turks in the east and earn himself a reputation of a crusader. But the war would not last forever, and he fully intended his journey east to only to defer his eventual return home. In the meantime James II was was welcome to contend with the exiles and unrest in the three kingdoms. The last English Catholic monarch had been Mary I over a century ago. Everyone still remembered how well her reign had been. Eventually he would alienate the wrong men, and face a full blown rebellion like his father before him. The Prince of Orange doubtless believed that the Kingdom would then just fall to him like an overripe fruit.
“William, dear cousin, you are deceived if you think you have rid yourself of me for all times with this purse,” thought Monmouth to himself. “I may fall in battle against the infidel, but as long as I survive I will never forget my birthright. And you will not take it from me.”
______
April 2, 1685. Amsterdam, Republic of the United Netherlands.
James Scott gazed at the busy harbor of Amsterdam from the quarterdeck of the brig he had embarked upon. Dozens of square masted Fluyts and East Indiamen crossed the harbor, waiting to sail for the east, or to return home after long voyages to the East Indies. By his side was his lady Henrietta, who looked back at the city distractedly, doubtless wondering when she might return.
James and about a dozen of his followers were sailing for Cuxhaven. They would disembark at that city briefly before boarding another ship that would taken them down the Elbe to Dresden. From Dresden they would ride to Pressburg [Bratislava, Slovakia] where they would join the Imperial Army under the Duke of Lorraine. Henrietta would remain at Court, while James would take a command benefiting a Oberstleutnant.
Robert Ferguson and the other English exiles had called him a coward and worse when he had announced his resolution. He had not born their insults idly. He had countered that the time was not yet right for him to claim his birthright, but that he would never renounce that which was his.
The Scottish exiles had been the worst. The Earl of Argyll swore that he would never recognize him as King, and that he would only deal with a government more suited to Scotland’s interests. James had tried to reason with him, but the Earl told him that he only cared for action, and that if James wished to assist the real men in deposing his uncle when he sailed for Scotland in June he was welcome to. As stableman shoveling his horse's shit. James would have drawn steel had not one of the more level-headed Scots, Fletcher of Saltoun, restrained him at that instant. James had stormed out of that meeting, and swore that would kill Argyll if he ever laid eyes on him again. That was the last he had seen of any of the Scottish exiles.
The English exiles remained in Amsterdam, making preparations for a landing in in the South of England. Or the West, or the East, or New Jersey for all James cared. It was unlikely their enterprise would amount to much, as they lacked seasoned officers, and adhered to a very vague political program mostly centered around opposition to the twin evils of Tyranny and Popery. It did not appear that their expedition would amount to much more than a diversion to the Scottish expedition which Argyll intended to lead himself without their counsel.
The Scots (with the exception of Ferguson, who was firmly attached to the English exiles) were much more advanced in their preparations. The Earl had already purchased a frigate, and James had heard rumors that he was buying up muskets and gunpowder from anyone who would sell to him. True to his word, the Earl appeared set on landing in Scotland with this followers, and opposing his enemy James II.
To hell with the fools, thought James. There would still be exiles in the Netherlands when he returned, and he would deal with them on his own turns. That arrogant Scot Archibald would meet his maker at the Scottish Maiden in Edinburgh, or in some ambuscade in the highlands. He fancied himself a great general and politician like his illustrious father, but James thought the only thing the two shared in common other than a name would be their place of execution. The power of the clans was in the past, in the modern world power lay in holding cities and trade routes not septs!
The three kingdoms would be his. They would not long remain under the rule of his Papist uncle. Neither his two daughters, nor their Dutch and Danish husbands would have them either. If he returned to his homeland, it would be at the head of a devoted band of followers, well armed and well supplied, not a quarrelsome rabble that would not even acknowledge him as the rightful king!
“To Hell with them all,” said James to no one in particular. “After I have sent enough Turks to hell they will come crawling back to me. The three kingdoms will welcome me with open arms when they have had enough of my uncle’s misrule. And none of his foreign son in laws will stop me.”
To be continued.
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*This is the POD. IOTL the Duke was extremely hesitant to join the exiles in rebelling against James II. Macaulay records that she told Monmouth that she wanted nothing more than to see him King. ITTL a chance run in has caused her to reconsider this advice.
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