Memoirs of Count Grammont | Page 3

the Earl of Sunderland
respecting him, as follows: "I have only this one thing more to trouble
your lordship with at present, concerning Colonel Anthony Hamilton,
to get him a commission to command as colonel, though he is but
lieutenant- colonel to Sir Thomas Newcomen, in regard of the
commands he has had abroad: and I am told it is often done in France,
which makes me hope it will not be counted an unreasonable request. I
would likewise humbly recommend to make Colonel Anthony
Hamilton a privy-councillor here." Lord Clarendon's recommendations
were ultimately successful: Hamilton was made a privy-councillor in
Ireland, and had a pension of L200 a year on the Irish establishment;
and was appointed governor of Limerick, in the room of Sir William
King, notwithstanding he had strongly opposed the new-modelling of
the army by the furious Tyrconnel. In the brief accounts which have
been given of his life, it is said that he had a regiment of infantry; but,
though this is very probable, there is no mention whatever of his
commanding a regiment in the lists published of King James's army,
which are supposed to be very accurate: he is indeed set down among

the general officers. Lord Clarendon, in one of his letters to the
lord-treasurer, states, "That the news of the day was, that Colonel
Russell was to be lieutenant-colonel to the Duke of Ormond's regiment,
and that Colonel Anthony Hamilton was to have Russell's regiment,
and that Mr. Luttrell was to be lieutenant-colonel to Sir Thomas
Newcomen, in the place of Anthony Hamilton." It is not known
whether Anthony was present at the battle of the Boyne, or of Aughrim:
his brother John was killed at the latter; and Richard, who was a
lieutenant-general, led on the cavalry with uncommon gallantry and
spirit at the Boyne it is to be wished that his candour and integrity had
equalled his courage; but, he acted with great duplicity; and King
William's contemptuous echoing back his word to him, when he
declared something on his honour, is well known: He is frequently
mentioned by Lord Clarendon, but by no means with the same
approbation as his brother. After the total overthrow of James's affairs
in Ireland, the two brothers finally quitted these kingdoms, and retired
to France. Richard lived much with the Cardinal de Bouillon, who was
the great protector of the Irish in France, and kept (what must have
been indeed highly consolatory to many an emigrant of condition) a
magnificent table, which has been recorded in the most glowing and
grateful terms, by that gay companion, and celebrated lover of good
cheer, Philippe de Coulanges, who occasionally mentions the "amiable
Richard Hamilton" as one of the cardinal's particular intimates.
Anthony, who was regarded particularly as a man of letters and elegant
talents, resided almost entirely at St. Germain: solitary walks in the
forest of that place occupied his leisure hours in the morning; and
poetical pursuits, or agreeable society, engaged the evening: but much
of his time seems to have rolled heavily along; his sister, Madame de
Grammont, living more at court, or in Paris, than always suited his
inclinations or his convenience. His great resource at St. Germain was
the family of the Duke of Berwick (son of James II.): that nobleman
appears to have been amiable in private life, and his attachment to
Hamilton was steady and sincere. The Duchess of Berwick was also his
friend. It is necessary to mention this lady particularly, as well as her
sisters: they were the daughters of Henry Bulkeley, son to the first
viscount of that name: their father had been master of the household to
Charles: their mother was Lady Sophia Stewart, sister to the beautiful

Duchess of Richmond, so conspicuous in the Grammont Memoirs. The
sisters of the Duchess of Berwick were Charlotte, married to Lord
Clare, Henrietta, and Laura. They all occupy a considerable space in
Hamilton's correspondence, and the two last are the ladies so often
addressed as the Mademoiselles B.; they are almost the constant
subjects of Hamilton's verses; and it is recorded that he was a particular
admirer of Henrietta Bulkeley; but their union would have been that of
hunger and thirst, for both were very poor and very illustrious: their
junction would, of course, have militated against every rule of common
prudence. To the influence of this lady, particularly, we are indebted
for one or two of Hamilton's agreeable novels: she had taste enough to
laugh at the extravagant stories then so much in fashion, "plus arabes
qu'en Arabie,"
[They were wretched imitations of some of the Persian and Arabian
tales, in which everything was distorted, and rendered absurd and
preposterous.]
as Hamilton says; and he, in compliance with her taste, and his own,
soon put the fashionable tales