politics of Mr. Harley, for the inducing of these people to a peace, to which, God knows, they are but too much inclined,

"I am to thank you for three of yours, which I received this morning. I should be glad to have your second letter of the queen, that I might be the better able to judge of that fatal correspondence with Mr. Harley, which will prove her ruin. I must own to you that I am of the same mind with your friends, that you cannot oblige Mrs. Masham more than by being at a distance from the queen. However, I value your quiet and happiness so much, and being almost persuaded that it is next to impossible to change the inclinations of the queen, I would not have you constrain yourself in any thing. I find by yours, that some friends of mine are angry at my not returning. It is most certain if I had not gone to Hanover we should have begun this campaign without any project. God knows how this will succeed, which we have agreed on; but this pleasure we have, that it gives uneasiness in France. Besides this, I own to you, that if I had come, I should not have been able to have done any good with the queen; for till she suffers by the unreasonable advice of Mrs. Masham and Mr. Harley, it will be not in my power to do her any service; so that unless you will have it otherwise, it is my intention to use my endeavours of making it necessary for my staying abroad this next winter. The account of the behaviour of my brother George is unaccountable. I shall be sure to write to him my mind very freely."

THE state of parties and of the cabinet fully justified the concern which the friends of Marlborough expressed at his unexpected journey to Hanover. The antipathy of the queen to the Whigs in general returning with redoubled force, she withheld her countenance even from those who had rendered her the most essential services. Notwithstanding the merits of Sir George Byng, in defeating the recent invasion, her aversion to his party principles so far overcame her gratitude, that she scarcely deigned to treat him with the attentions due to his rank.

"Sir George Byng," observes Godolphin, in a letter dated April 23d to Marlborough, "is come to town, but has not yet bad that countenance shown him which either his past diligence, or the hopes of his future behaviour in this summer's service, might naturally lead him to expect. Those who have most credit with Mrs. Morley [the queen] do him all the ill offices imaginable. Mr. Montgomery [Godolphin] has taken some pains to change this temper, and to reconcile them; but I am not

certain what will be the effect of it. This I am sure of, that if these prejudices are not to be cured, the advices they occasion will ruin the service, and those that give them. In a word, we must hope you will do miracles abroad, and, afterwards that those may produce yet greater miracles at home."

*

From Lord Godolphin.

"April 19-30. * Mrs. Morley continues so very difficult to do any thing that is for herself, that it puts us into all the distraction and uneasiness imaginable. I really believe this humour proceeds more from her husband than from herself, and in him it is very much kept up by your brother George, who seemed to me as wrong as possible when I spoke to him the other day. I spoke so freely and so fully to him of what we must all expect next winter, and himself in particular, if things were to go on at this rate, that he appeared to be much less resolute after I had talked awhile to him, and thanked me for speaking so freely. If he did not do this out of cunning, I believe your taking notice to him that Mr. Montgomery seemed to fear he put Mrs. Morley upon wrong measures, might possibly have no ill effect; but you are the best judge of this. The vacancies in the prince's council will not be very well filled, and the difficulty of filling the attorney-general's place is as great as that in which you left us, and which still remains as when you left us. I have been to-day, with the queen's leave, to see the duke of Hamilton. Mortifications are of use to some tempers. I found him less unreasonable than I expected, but very desirous, however, to be set at liberty, and to be distinguished from the rest of his countrymen."

The Whigs, on the other hand, discovering that Godolphin was either unwilling or unable to vanquish the repugnance of the queen; and finding that their endeavours to force their chiefs into the principal offices of state were offensive to the moderate of all parties, adroitly changed their mode of attack, and confined their demands to a seat for Lord Somers in the cabinet council, without any official employment. In this pretension they expected the queen would readily acquiesce, to evade their farther importunities. They accordingly endeavoured to surprise her into compliance. The dukes of Newcastle and Devonshire, lord privy seal and lord steward, waited on her without any preparatory communication, respectfully but strongly urged the pretensions of Lord Somers, and concluded by proposing the modified demand, which, it was hoped, would obviate all objections. The queen, though surprised, was but too clear-sighted not to perceive that this expedient was adopted only the more easily to attain the ulterior purpose, and firmly resisted their importunities. Appealing to the treasurer, she was cha

grined to find him an advocate for the proposal, and as a last resource addressed herself to Marlborough. The letters which passed on this occasion will furnish the secret history of the transaction.

From Lord Godolphin.

"April 22.- May 3. - Having this safe way of writing to you by Mr. Durell. I am desirous to tell you that last night the dukes of Newcastle and Devonshire were with Mrs. Morley, again to press her upon the subject of Lord Somers. After she had long defended herself upon the old argument, of not doing a hardship to Lord Pembroke, they proposed to her to call him, for the present, to the cabinet council, without any post at all, which being new to her, and unexpected, she was much at a loss what to say. At last she said she thought it was very unusual, upon which they offered some instances of its being done; and then she said she thought the cabinet council was full enough already, so they took their leave in much discontent; and she was also very uneasy, being sensible of the disadvantage she should be exposed to by this refusal, since her main argument, upon which she had hitherto insisted, was taken away by it.

"This morning she sent for Mr. Montgomery, to give him an account of this visit, and to complain that she saw there was to be no end of her troubles. He told her that the matter was much changed by this proposal, and that he could not but think it entirely for her service to accept of it; that it was a very small condescension, if they would be satisfied with it; that it gained her point absolutely, with regard to Lord Pembroke; that it would make all her affairs easy at once; and that if Mr. Freeman [Marlborough] were in town, he was sure it would be his mind as much as it was Mr. Montgomery's [Godolphin]. She seemed still very uneasy and very unwilling; but she said she would write to Mr. Freeman about it to-night or to-morrow. I hope, therefore, you will make such an answer to her, as this thing may be no longer delayed; for as it stands now, you will give me leave to say the refusal is of much worse consequence, and exposes her much more than as it stood before.

"If Mr. Freeman has no mind to enter into particulars, why might not he answer in general that he begs her to comply with Mr. Montgomery's desires in this affair, who, he is sure, will never propose any thing to her but what shall be as much for her honour as for her advantage? I shall write to you to-morrow by the post if there be any occasion."

66

At the same time the queen's letter reached the duke.

Kensington, April 22.-May 3. The occasion of my writing to you at this time, is to give you an account of a visit I had yesterday from lord privy seal and lord steward, in which they proposed my taking Lord Somers into the cabinet council, without giving him any employment, since I could not be prevailed upon to make him president, laying a great stress on its being necessary for my service. Their arguments did not at all convince me of the reasonableness nor the propriety of the thing. But all the answer I made was that the proposition was a very new thing, and

that I thought there were enough of the cabinet council already; that I depended upon their assistance in carrying on my business, and had no thoughts of employing any but those that served me well in the parliament, and had no leaning to any others, and would countenance all that served me faithfully. This is the sense of what I said to them; and this morning I gave this account to lord treasurer, who had heard nothing of this matter before, but joined in the two dukes' proposal, using a great many arguments to persuade me to comply with it, and, I must own to you, did not convince me any more than what I had heard before on the same subject; though I have a much greater respect for him than for either of the others, looking upon it to be utter destruction to me to bring Lord Somers into my service. And I hope you will not join in soliciting me in this thing, though lord treasurer tells me you will; for it is what I can never consent to.

"You are very happy to be out of the disagreeable and vexatious things that I am more or less continually made uneasy with, which makes me not wonder at your not coming back as you promised. I pray God bless and direct you in every thing, and never let it be in any body's power to do me ill offices with you, but be assured that I am, and will be ever, your faithful servant."

The duke was equally embarrassed and chagrined by this appeal to his arbitration, and communicates his sentiments to Godolphin previous to his reply to the queen.

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May 8. - I have just now received on the road yours of the 22d, by Durell, and 23d, by the post. I have but time to assure you that by the next post I shall follow your directions to Mrs. Morley; for if she be obstinate, I think it is a plain declaration to all the world that you and I have no credit, and that all is governed underhand by Mr. Harley and Mrs. Masham."

"Ghent, May 9.- Having been obliged with my own hand to copy my letter to Mrs. Morley, I have but just time to tell you that I beg that nobody may see the original letter of Mrs. Morley, but Mrs. Freeman, and that you would keep it for me.

"I have enclosed my letter to Mrs. Morley to Mr. Secretary Boyle, so that if she takes no notice, you may let her know that I had writ you word that I had done myself the honour to answer her letter; but I think it would be best not to own the having received a copy. I shall stay here to-morrow, and go the next day to Brussels."

Marlborough to the queen, in reply to her letter of May

3d:

66 Madam,

Ghent, May 9.

"I had this day, on the road, the honour of your majesty's letter, by Durell; and though I have but very little time this post, being obliged to go this evening, I would not defer writing, and begging leave, in a few words, to acquaint you with my thoughts of your affairs abroad, as well as in England.

"I must begin in observing to your majesty that the town of Amsterdam, which has always been the most zealous for the carrying on of this war with vigour, has, as your majesty may have seen by my former letters to lord treasurer, pressed me in two conferences, by their burgomaster and pensioner, for the making steps towards a peace, which I think not for the honour or interest of your character. I have reason to believe this change of theirs does not proceed from the apprehensions they have of France, but from what passed in England last winter, and from the continued intelligences they have of your majesty's being resolved to change hands and parties. They being sensible of the fatal consequences this may have in the next parliament, is the true reason of their being earnest to have propositions of peace made this campaign.

"As for England, I do not doubt but care is taken to incline your majesty to believe that the Tories will have this next parliament a majority in the House of Commons. But I beg your majesty to consider, before it is too late, how that is possible, after the attempt that has been made by France for the Pretender; and that the greatest part of that party is suspected either to have known, or, at least, to have wished success to the attempt. Besides, their continual endeavours to incline the people to a peace, which, in the circumstances we are in, can only tend to the lessening your majesty, and, consequently, the advancement of the Pretender's interest.

"This being the truth, how is it possible, madam, that the honest people of England, who wish well to you, and the carrying on of the war, can be prevailed upon to choose such men as they believe would ruin all that is dear to them? If what I have the honour to write to your majesty be the truth, for God's sake consider what may be the consequences of refusing the request of the dukes of Newcastle and Devonshire; since it will be a demonstration not only to them, but to every body, that lord treasurer and I have no credit with your majesty, but that you are guided by the insinuation of Mr. Harley.

"We are assured that the duke of Burgundy is coming to the head of this army, with the king of France's leave, and orders to venture a battle. I shall be so far from avoiding it, that I shall seek it, thinking it absolutely necessary for your service; so that God only knows whether this may not be the last I may have the honour to write to you, which makes me beg with the same earnestness as if I were sure it were to be my last, that your majesty will let no influence or persuasion hinder you, not only in this, but in all your worldly affairs, to follow the advice and good counsel of lord treasurer, who will never have any thought but what is for your honour and true interest."

To the Duchess.

"Ghent, May 9.-I have sent to the lord treasurer the queen's original letter, which I have desired nobody but yourself may see. In it you will see her positive resolution. Mr. Montgomery will show you what I have writ to her. I wish it may do good, but I fear all is undone; for our affairs here abroad go every day worse. I stay here to-morrow, and the next day go for Brussels, from whence you shall be sure to hear from