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King James VIII of Scotland & III of Great Britain

The following is thought to be a contemporary copy of a declaration given at Rome on October 10th, 1720.
It is one of four early Jacobite documents acquired recently by Scottish Family Heritage.

Declaratione | By | King James | October 10th 1720

The Cry of the People having reached owr Ears att this | distance wee deem it Incumbent upon us to Declare | in this publict manner our paternall concern for their suffrings

Wee are well satisfied that God hath long since | toutched their hearts and that their affections are with | us Wee now hope the same Almighty power hath opned | their Eyes to shew them as sure and safe way to be | their given deliverers, in uniting in our Restoratione.

Whilst our country remained in any tolerable | condition of prosperity wee were the less sensible of | our own Misfortwnes, but now that so great a calamity | is browght upon it, by the avarice of a few Miscreants | Our tenderness for it's Re:establishment in plenty & pace | Incrases our Impatience to return to our Dominions | and to have the oportunity to shew our self the father | of our people

Wee wish for no other method for this our | mutwall Deliverance but by the repentance and | unanimity of owr oun Subjects, that all past Errors | may be defaced by their futwre behaviour, that such | a Restoratione may be effected as was that of our Royall | Uncle K: C: 2d: withowt the least bloodshed, Domestick | Disturbance, or obligatione to fforreigne assistance that | the King and his people may meet with hearts overflowing | with affectione That trade may again floorish Credité | and publict faith be restored and honest industrie be | Encowraged -- Wee call God to witness, who Inspects and | directs the hearts of Kings that our ambition is not | so much to wear the Crown of our Ancestors as to shew - | we deserve it

But whatsoever fate may attend our own person, | the pregnancy of the Queen at this very time gives us a near prospect by the blessing of God of a Joyfull Increase of | the Royall ffamily in the right Line, how far such -- | blessings may Multiply hereafter, remains in the breast | of providence, But this is Certain that so long as there is | any Heir to the Crown English born Remaining Dispossessed | it's Impossible dissention should dye or that Britain | showld be happy

Wee are unwilling to enter into personall Reflection | upon any Soveraigne prince, Wee disdain to sett so ill ane | Example, but experience may have convinced yow that no -- | people can be happy under the yoke of a fforreigner, Lett | his possessions be what they will, Lett his Intentions be | what they will Yet Innat Love to his Cuntry will always | subsist and be prevalent, and indeed so to doe for what | virtue is either so natwrall to a prince or so commendable | in him as affectione for his own Country and people

As our birth was English so is our heart -- | Intierly English, and altho driven from our Craddle to wander ane Exile in fforraigne Countries, our Educatione also has been | truely English we have made the Constitutione of our Country | our first study and in that search have been delighted to find | that our antient Laws have provided every thing that a just | or reasonable King can desire, either for his fellicity or grandure

It is that antient constitutione wee wish to see restored | and being restored resolve to maintain Wee conjure yow | therefor not to loose the present opportunity of Employing | your thowghts and of Joyning hearts and hands to attain | So Desireable ane end, and wee promise yow upon the | word of a King, that upon our first accessione to the | Crown wee will so referr the state of the nation -- | under all it's ??? heads of grivances to a free parliatt | that yow shall have no body to blaim if the least | article showld be wan ting to your furture security | and happiness   

Given att Rome ye 10th of October 1720 & of our reign ye 19th

James the 3^rd.. the Pretender

By a singular coincidence, since writing the above, and as indirectly bearing upon it, I had put into my hands an original letter, sealed with the royal arms of James, the pretended Prince of Wales, who assumed the style and title of King of England by the name of James the 3^rd.. and who afterwards invaded Scotland in 1715, and occasioned so much mischief among our ancient nobility, of which the following is a copy:-

"Rome, April 13^th.. 1725.

Your compliments to me on the Duke's * birth are, I am sure, too sincere not to have been most acceptable to me. I thank God he is in very good health, as well as the Queen, who writes to yourself. I was extremely pleased to hear your Keith's recovery, as I shall be with whatever may tend to the welfare of a family so sincerely attached to me, and for whom I have so particular a value.

"James, R"

"For the Countess Marischal of Scotland"

* Henry Benedict Maria Clement, afterwards the Cardinal of York, born 21^st.. March, 1725, and died at Rome, in 1807, in the 83^rd.. year of his age.

Extract from the Anecdotes of John Manders : Book No. 9, 1829-1830, pps. 1459-1460

Page last updated on 10 January 2003