1710. The earl d. of Marl. have deferved a little more confideration. However, for my own part, I most humbly beg leave to affure your majefty, I will never give the leaft obftruction to your "measures, or to any minifters you fhall pleafe to employ. "And I must beg further, to make two humble requetts "to your majefty: the one, that you will allow me to pafs the remainder of my life always out of London, "where I may find moft cafe and quiet. The other, that <6 you would keep this letter, and read it again about next Christmas, and then be pleased to make your own judgment, who hath given you the best and moft faithful " advice." This letter made no impreffion upon the queen, who two days before the received it, being already fixed in her choice, delivered, on the 14th of April, the ftaff and key to the duke of Shrewsbury, who gave the minifters very pofitive affurances, that his principles were the fame they had been during the laft reign, and were in no refpect altered. Upon which he defired to enter into confidences with them; but there was now too much ground given for fufpicion. About the beginning of June, the defign of turning out of Sunder the earl of Sunderland from the poft of secretary of state, land dif- began to be talked of. As foon as this defign reached the miffed. duke of Marlborough, who was then abroad at the head of Cond. of the army, he wrote a very moving letter to the queen, reprefenting the very ill confequences it would neceffarily have upon all affairs abroad, to have his fon-in-law, against whofe fidelity nothing could be objected, and in whom the allies had fo intire a confidence, turned out of her fervice in the middle of a campaign; and begging it as a reward of all his paft fervices, that fhe would at leaft delay her refolution till the campaign was ended. The duchefs of Marlborough was likewife urged by fome friends to try to fay fomething, to divert, if poffible, fuch a ftroke; because it was given out, that the queen would do this chiefly on the duchefs's account, that the might feel the effects of her difpleafure in fo fenfible and tender a point. No confideration, proper to herfelf, could have induced the duchefs to trouble the queen again after that laft converfation: but The was overcome by the confideration of the duke of Marlborough, the earl of Sunderland, and the public intereft, and wrote to the queen, on the 7th of June, 1710, begging, for the duke of Marlborough's fake, that her majefty would would not give him fuch a blow, of which fhe dreaded the confequence; putting her majefty in mind of her letter about the duke, upon the victory at Blenheim; and adding the moft folemn affurances, that he had not so much as a wifh to remove Mrs. Masham; and that all the noise, which had been about an addrefs for that purpose, had been occafioned by the duke of Marlborough's difcontents at that time. To this the queen wrote a very short and harsh anfwer, complaining, that the dutchefs had broke her promife of not faying any thing of politics or of Mrs. Masham, and concluding, that it was plain from this ill ufage, what fhe was to expect for the future. The dutchefs upon this wrote a fecond letter, in which the affured her majefty, that the should not have troubled her with the first, but that fhe had heard it reported, that the perfecution, begun against the duke of Marlborough and his family, was chiefly occafioned by her majesty's difpleasure and averfion to her, as having promoted an addrefs against Mrs. Mafham: that it was only to vindicate herfelf from that afperfion, that the had prefumed to trouble her majefty: that he could not imagine it could be interpreted as an offence, to vindicate herself from what was now made the pretence for turning out the earl of Sunderland, and pufhing the duke of Marlborough to extremities: that fhe had no reason to think, that the affuring her majefty, that he would never have any band in any thing against Mrs. Mafham, could have been conftrued as an ungrateful fpeaking about her, or called a continuation of ill ufage: that the thought this was rather a complying with her majesty's inclination, and faying what fhe could not but approve: that all the politics in her letter was her concern for the duke; making it her laft request, that her majefty would only defer the blow till the end of the campaign. This (fhe added) fhe begged upon her knees, and left her majefty to judge, whether, after fuch an expreffion, it was likely that the should ever enter into any thing that could difpleafe her. Dart 1710. mouth made fe cretary of Whether the dutchefs's interfering in this matter, haf- The lord tened the execution of the defign, is not known; but it is certain, that it did. not retard it, for lord Sunderland was, on the 14th of June, difmiffed the office, and the feals given, the next day, to the lord Dartmouth, one of the lords com- ftate, miffioners of trade and plantations, and fon-in-law to the earl of Nottingham. On this occafion feveral great men, who wifhed well to their country, and who feared that the duke of Marlborough might, in difguft, quit the fervice, VOL. XVII. immediately X 1710. immediately wrote him a joint-letter in the following terms: July 14, 1710. My lord, "We should not have given your grace the trouble of "this joint-letter, but for the great concern and uneafinefs "in which we find you, on account of my lord Sunder"land, by your letter of the 20th to my lord-treasurer, "which he has communicated to us. That letter, as mov❝ing and reasonable as it was, has not hindered the feals "from being taken this morning from my lord Sunder"land. No wonder then, if the utmoft endeavours, which could be used to prevent it, and the ftrong arguments, "which have been made of the ill confequences that must "attend fuch steps, both at home and abroad, have met "with fo little fuccefs. We find ourselves fo much afflicted "with this misfortune, that we cannot but be extremely "fenfible of the great mortification this muft give you at "this critical juncture, when you are every moment ha"zarding your life in the fervice of your country, and whilst "the fate of Europe depends, in fo great a degree, on your "conduct and good fuccefs: but we are alfo as fully con vinced, that it is impoffible for your grace to quit the fervice at this time, without the utmost hazard to the "whole alliance. And we must therefore conjure you, 66 by the glory you have already obtained, by the many fervices you have done your queen and country, by the ex"pectation you have juftly raifed in all Europe, and by "all that is dear and tender to you at home, whose chief "dependence is upon your fuccefs, that you would not leave this great work unfinished, but continue at the head of the army. This we look upon as the most neceffary ftep that can be taken to prevent the diffolution of this parliament. Your grace's compliance with this our earnest requeft would be the greatest obligation to us, " and all that with well to our country. And you may de"pend upon it, that the contrary will be the greateft fatif"faction to your enemies." (f) 66 323 change. HiA. Europe. The high-church party were much pleafed and elated 1710. upon this alteration, which they looked upon as a fure forerunner of greater changes; "extolling the queen for affert- The tories "ing her juft prerogative, and fetting herfelf free from an elated at arbitrary junto, who kept her in an inglorious dependence this "on their will and caprice." And it was faid, the duke of H. of Beaufort, being about this time come to court to pay his respects to her majefty, told her, "That he was extremely "glad he could now falute her queen." On the other The whigs hand, the whigs were the more alarmed, as the best part of alarmed their wealth was lodged in the exchequer and public funds; at it. and, as they rightly confidered, that the removal of the earl of Sunderland was but a step to come at the lord-treafurer, in whose capacity, punctuality, and integrity, the monied men repofed an intire confidence; and they forefaw, that his being laid afide would very much affect the public credit, as it immediately did. Whereupon, Sir Gilbert The Heathcote, governor of the bank of England; Nathaniel bank inGould deputy-governor; Francis Eyles and Sir William terpofe in Scawen, two of the directors, made their application to the favour of duke of Newcastle, lord privy-feal, to whom, having reprefented the dangers likely to attend the change of the miniftry, the duke introduced them to the queen, who told them, That fhe, for fome time before, had refolved to "remove the earl of Sunderland for particular reafons of "ftate; but that she had not yet deter: ined to make any "other changes; and, whenever fheould, she would "take care that the public credit might not be injured "thereby." Upon this it was reported, the queen had declared, the defigned to make no more alterations in the miniftry, which immediately restored the public funds to their former value; but they foon began to fall again, and many foreigners withdrew their effects from England, upon a strong report, that not only the lord- treasurer would be laid afide, but even the parliament diffolved. the mini ftry. The queen's allies, and particularly the emperor and the The em ftates, were very attentive to what paffed in Great-Britain; peror and and being apprehenfive that the duke Marlborough would the states either be removed, or so far difgufted, as to lay down his interpofe command, which might bring a great prejudice to the com- likewife. mon cause, count Gallas, the imperial minifter, and monfieur de Vryberg, the Dutch envoy, were directed, in a most respectful manner, to represent to the queen, what ill influence the changing of the miniftry might have on affairs abroad. In anfwer to their memorials, count Gallas was told, X 2 1710. told, that he might affure the emperor, "whatever changes "the queen defigned to make, fhe had refolved to continue "the duke of Marlborough in his employments; and de"fired prince Eugene and the other imperial generals and "plenipotentiaries might act with him, with the fame con"fidence as before." The answer, which was given to Vryberg, was kept a fecret; however, it was faid, the queen put a favourable construction on the interpofition of the ftates in favour of the miniftry, looking upon it as the effect of their zeal for the common caufe, and the confidence they repofed in the duke of Marlborough's conduct. Thefe interpofitions were reprefented by thofe, who had never been verfed in the negotiations of princes in an alliance, as a bold intruding into the queen's councils; though nothing is more common than for princes to offer mutual advices (g). The The queen had no fooner begun to change her ministry, French in- by difplacing the earl of Sunderland, than the French were fert the attentive how to turn it to their advantage. The earl's reearlof Sun- moval was quickly inferted in the Paris Gazette, with the derland's particular notice, that he was fon-in-law to the duke of removal Marlborough. Their other news-papers were likewise in their Gazette. The earl of Godolphin dif miffed. Cond. D. of Marl. filled with all the domeftic feuds and contefts of the parties in Great-Britain; which were related with an air of triumph, and helped very much to rate the fpirits of the French. On the 8th of guft, the very day after the queen had expreffed her defire to the earl of Godolphin himself, that he would continue in her fervice, the difmiffed him; and her letter of order to him to break his staff, was fent by no worthier a meffenger than a man in a livery, to be left with |