Page:Biographia Hibernica volume 2.djvu/381

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LESLIE. 377 Deists, and Socinians; and wrote likewise against the Quakers. In the mean time, however, these writings, and his frequent visits to the courts of St. Germains and Bar le Duc, rendered him obnoxious to the government: but he became more so upon the publication of the “Hereditary Right of the Crown of England asserted;” of which he was the reputed author. Finding himself, on this account, under a necessity of leaving the kingdom, he repaired to the Pretender at Bar le Duc; where he was allowed to officiate, in a private chapel, after the rites of the Church of England; and it is said he took much pains to convert the Pretender to the Protestant religion, but in vain. However, to promote the said Pretender's interest, when some hopes of his restoration were entertained by his party in England, he wrote a letter from Bar le Duc, dated April 23, 1714, which was printed and dispersed among his adherents, in which, after giving a flattering description of the Pretender's person and character, his graceful mien, magnanimity of spirit, devotion free from bigotry, application to business, ready apprehension, sound judgment and affability, so that none conversed with him without being charmed with his good sense and temper; he concludes with a proposal, “on condition of his being restored to his crown, that, for the security of the church of England, as by law established, he would so far wave his prerogative, in the nomination of bishops, deans, and a l l other ecclesiastical preferments i n the gift o f the crown, that five bishops should b e appointed, o f which the Arch bishop o f Canterbury, for the time being, always t o b e one, who, upon any vacancy, might name three persons t o him, from whom h e would chuse.” Many other pro posals o f the like nature were made soon after, and several projects were concerted not only i n England, but a n actual insurrection begun i n Scotland b y his party, i n 1715, a l l which ended i n the crushing and dispersing o f the rebels, and i n the Pretender's being obliged t o leave the French dominions. I n this exigence h e withdrew t o Italy, whither Leslie