A MATTER OF PRECEDENCE.

Northern Advocate, 9 January 1920, Page 1

A MATTER OF PRECEDENCE.

ANCIENT BRITISH CUSTOM

LEADS TO BLOODSHED

THE BATTLE OF LONDON,

(By Frederick Whelen.)

Strange events happened in London on September 30, 1661. French, men and Spaniards, on horse and on foot, armed with pistols, carbines musquetoons, the fuzees to the number of over 200, fought in London streets. Several were killed and over forty were wounded. This extraordinary episode nearly led to a European war.

But the. story is worth telling. The modern world has its 'troubles but we are spared some of the troubles of our ancestors. In those days it was the custom, when a new Ambassador was to be received, for the resident Ambassadors to send their coaches to swell the cortege. In those day s of the Dynasties questions of precedence assumed tremendous importance. Whose coach was to come next after the Royal coach and the coach of the new Ambassador? That question was the cause of all the trouble. France was the rising Power, and its King, Louis XIV., was rapidly becoming the most powerful monarch in Europe. The power of the King of Spain was declining, and he was clinging to his ancient pride of place. Naturally, their respective Ambassadors were in continual rivalry, and this rivalry was the cause of the remarkable scenes in London when a new Swedish Ambassador came to Charles 11.

The Swedish Ambassador was met at the wharf on the Thames 'by the King's own coach, and the French and the Spaniards were each determined that their particular coach should have pride of place immediately following it. The procession was about to start from Tower Wharf, and the Spanish Ambassador sent his coach there with his Chaplain "some of his gentlemen," attended by a train of about forty armed servants. When they reached the wharf they found the French Ambassador's coach had already arrived. In the French coach was the Ambassador's son, with "some of his gentlemen," escorted by a train of 150, of whom 40 were horsemen carrying firearms.

The Swedish Ambassador landed, took hi s seat in the Royal coach, and then the trouble began.

The French tried to go next, and the Spanish coach tried to do the same. The Frenchmen promptly fell upon the Spaniards with drawn swords and poured in shot upon them. Then "a bold and dextrous fellow, stooping under the bellies of the French Ambassador's horses, cut the hamstring of two of them and wounded a third." The coachman was dragged from his seat, and the postilion mortally wounded, fell into the arms of an Englishman ,who tried to help him, but the unfortunate Englishman was "by a Spaniard pierced through the thigh,"

A "second brisk assault, both of horse and of foot, then took place"; the French were beaten off, and the bulk of them "wheeled off towards St. Katherine's," This was not the end however, The French coach could not move, so the Spaniards in their coach triumphantly secured the first place iji the procession. But for some time they had to fight a rearguard action. There were many more casualties, until "the Spanish Ambassador's coach, having gained and passed the chain which leads to Crotched Friars, they desisted and gave them over."

The affray naturally caused intense excitement, Samuel Pepys was early on the spot. That morning, he tells in his diary, he rose at 5 o'clock, "by moon-shine," tp keep an appointment in Whitehall, and heard rumours of expected trouble. It wa3 said that the King had given orders that no Englishmen were "to meddle in the business, but let them do what they would." He also heard that all the soldier s in the town were under arms, as well as some of the trainbands in the City. Of course, Pepys "took oares to Westminster Palace" to see what was happening. Then "having been very much daubeld with dirt, I got a coach and home.''

King Charles wa s greatly troubled ovei" the affair and instructed John Evelyn "to draw up the matter of fact happening at the bloudy encounter." He gave him the most particular instructions as to what must be included in the statement "to take off the reports which went about of his Majesy's partiality in the affair." The King saw he statement the neixt day, added some clause, sent it to be copied, then sent for it again, "fearing it might be too sharp," and finally it was sent off to the British Ambassador in Paris.

When Louis XIV. heard of the affray he was furiously angry, and immediately ordered the Spanish Ambassador in Paris to quit the kingdom. Then he sent an envoy to Madrid to demand redress. He insisted on the recall of the Spanish Ambassador from London, and an undertaking that in future Spanish Ambassadors should give the precedence to French Ambassadors at all foreign courts, If the Spanish king refused these demands the envoy was to declare war. ,

Fortunately the King of Spain was anxious to avoid a rupture. His Ambassador was at once recalled from London, and an Ambassador Extraordinary was sent to Pari s to disavow the offenders' conduct.