bearing hard on the coaft, the Swedes were unwilling to attack them a fecond time; and, on the 7th of October in the morning, weighed anchor, and failed towards the eaft fea. The Danes purfued them, but at fuch a diftance, as fhewed they had no mind to another engagement. 1710. The imperial arms were this year attended with great fuc- Campaign in ceffes in Hungary, where they reduced feveral important: towns. Some of the chief of the malecontents confidering, that their affairs were defperate, inclined to confult their fafety, by making their fubmiffion to the emperor. But, upon the Turks declaring war against the Mufcovites, prince Ragotski encouraged them to ftand out to the laft, by giving them hopes, that the Turks would affift them with men, and the French with engineers and money. The imperial court perfifting in their refolution not to grant the exercise of the proteftant religion in Silefia, upon pretence, that they were not included either in the treaty of Weft-Phalia, or in the convention of Alt-Ranftadt; the queen of Great-Britain ordered lieutenant-general Palmes, her envoy extraordinary to the emperor, to make new instances in their favour. And the ftates-general ordered the fieur Bruyninx, their envoy, to ufe his good offices, in concert with the British minifters. They prefented a jointmemorial to the emperor, which, however, had but little effect; though, at this time, the imperial court had more reason than ever to keep meafures with the proteftant powers. These were the tranfactions abroad this campaign, during which great changes had happened in England. different The trial of Dr. Sacheverel had given, as was obferved, Addreffes of great advantages to the tory party, who fet on foot addreffes file. from all parts of the nation, in which the abfolute power of Burnet. our princes was afferted, and all refiftance was condemned, under the defignation of anti-monarchical and republican principles; the queen's hereditary right was acknowledged; and yet a zeal for the proteftant fucceffion was likewife pretended, to make thofe addreffes pafs the more eafily with the unthinking multitude. Most of these concluded with an intimation of their hopes, that the queen would diffolve the prefent parliament, giving affurances, that in a new election they would chufe none, but fuch as fhould be faithful to the crown, and zealous for the church. These were at first more coldly received; for the queen either made no answer at all, or made them in very general words. Addreffes were brought up on the other hand, magnifying the conduct of the parliament, U 3 1710. parliament, and expreffing a zeal for maintaining the revolution and the proteftant succeffion. The queen duke of But the queen's resolution of changing her miniftry had fends to the begun to appear very early this year; for in the beginning of January 1709-10, upon the death of the earl of Effex, Marlbo- fhe writ to the duke of Marlborough to give his regiment a regiment to Mr. Hill, a man, who had been extremely ungreateful to Mr. Hill to the duchefs of Marlborough, and whofe fifter, Mrs. rough to give Cond. of d. of Marl. Mafham, the duke well knew, was at this time undermining the interest of himself, his family and friends. The fcheme of the queen's new counsellors to make her minifters quit her fervice, or engage her to discard them, now fhewed itself without difguife. They durft not tell her at once all they defigned; but, propofing to her only one thing at a time, led her, by infenfible degrees, to the accomplishment of the whole. They began, as has been related, with engaging her to nominate persons to bishoprics, without confulting her minifters. And now they prevailed with her to appoint military officers, without advising with her general. And nothing could be more to their purpose, than this choice of Mr. Hill for lord Effex's regiment, because they knew, that nothing could be more disagreeable to the duke of Marlborough, or would tend more to leffen his weight and authority in the army, and confequently at home too. The new counsellors faw, that, if the duke readily yielded in this matter, it would fow difcontent among the officers; and that a door would be opened for his enemies to come into the army, and infult him. And, on the other hand, if the duke fhould not comply, or fhould fhew any reluctance in complying, this would furnish an excellent pretence for grievous complaints, that the queen was but a cypher, and would do nothing. Upon the queen's letter, the duke waited on her, and with all humility reprefented to her, what a prejudice it would be to her fervice, to have fo young an officer preferred before fo many others of higher rank and longer fervice; befides, that the fhewing fo extraordinary and partial favour to Mrs. Mafham's brother could be intérpreted no otherwife, than as a declaring against all thofe, who had fo much reason to be uneafy with her; and that, indeed, it would be setting up a banner for all the discontented perfons in the army to repair to. In fhort, the duke faid every thing he could think of, and with all the moving concern, that the nature of the affair created in him, to engage her to change her resolution. But all feemed to no purpofe. He could not draw one kind expref fion from her, nor obtain any anfwer, but "that he would 1710. "do well to advise with his friends." His 1 Marlb. re The earl of Godolphin spoke often to her upon the fame The duke of fubject, representing to her the duke's long, great, and faith- tires to ful fervices, and the very bad influence, which her intended Windfor. favour to Mr. Hill muft neceffarily have in the army. But neither had this fo much effect as to engage her to say one favourable word about the duke. Wherefore, on the 15th of January, he left the town, and went to Windfor in great difcontent. It was council-day. The queen did not afk where he was, nor take the leaft notice of his absence. withdrawing himself made a great deal of noise in the town. Many of the nobility spoke with earneftness to the queen of the very ill confequences of mortifying a man, who had done her fo long and important fervices. She answered, that his services were still fresh in her memory, and that she had as much kindness for him as ever fhe had. The noife, however, ftill continued and increased, and their was great difcourse, not without probability, that fome notice would be taken of the matter in the house of commons, and fome votes paffed difagreeable to the queen and her new counfellors. This defign was laid to the duchefs of Marlborough's charge; but she said enough to the queen to vindicate herfelf. And indeed it was owing to the duke's particular friends in the house, that no fuch notice was taken. her recommendation. The new counfellors being alarmed with apprehenfions The queen of what the parliament might do, and believing, that they defifts from fhould be able, at a proper season, to make better ufe of the queen's yielding up the point, than of her infifting upon it, gave her advice accordingly; fo that, on the 20th of January, the ordered the earl of Godolphin to write to the duke, “that he might dispose of the regiment, as he him"felf thought fit ;" and to defire him to come to town. But, before this reached the duke, he had written the following letter to the queen: Madam, "By what I hear from London, I find your majesty is pleased to think, that, when I have reflected, I must be "of opinion, that you are in the right in giving Mr. Hill "the earl of Effex's regiment. I beg your majefty will be "fo juft to me, as not to think I can be fo unreasonable, as "to be mortified to the degree, that I am, if it proceeded ❝ only from this one thing; for I fhall always be ready and U 4 glad 66 1710. "glad to do every thing that is agreeable to you, after I "have reprefented what may be a prejudice to your fervice. "But this is only one of a great many mortifications that I "have met with. And, as I may not have many oppor"tunities of writing to you, let me beg of your majesty to "reflect what your own people, and the reft of the world, "must think, who have been witneffes of the love, zeal, “and duty, with which I have ferved you, when they shall "fee, that, after all I have done, it has not been able to "protect me against the malice of a bed-chamber woman. "Your majefty will allow me on this occafion to remind "you of what I writ to you the laft campaign of the cer"tain knowledge I had of Mrs. Masham's having assured "Mr. Harley, that I fhould receive fuch conftant mortifi"cations, as fhould make it impoffible for me to continue in <6 your fervice. God Almighty and the whole world are my "witneffes, with what care and pains I have ferved you for "more than twenty years; and was refolved, if poffible, "to have struggled with the difficulties to the end of this But the many inftances I have had of 66 war. 66 your majefty's great change to me has fo broke my fpirits, that I "muft beg, as the greatest and laft favour, that you will "approve of my retiring, fo that I may employ the little "time I have to live, in making my juft acknowledgments 66 to God, for the protection he has been pleased to give 66 me. And your majesty may be affured, that my zeal for 66 you and my country is fo great, that in my retirement I 'fhall daily pray for your profperity, and that thofe, who "fhall ferve you as faithfully as I have done, may never "feel the hard return, that I have met with." The queen wrote the duke an answer, expreffing fome concern at feveral parts of his letter, affuring him, without entering into particulars, that he had no ground for suspi cions, and defiring him to come to town. But fearing, at the fame time, that fome motion might be made in parliament against Mr. Mafham, which might be attended with very difagrecable confequences, fhe fent about in much concern to many perfons to ftand by her, as if fome great attack was going to be made upon her. This application, and the clofeting fome perfons, who were known enemies to the revolution, gave encouragement to the jacobites; feveral of whom where now observed running to court with faces full of bufinefs and fatisfaction, as if they were going to get the government into their hands. And this being reprefented prefented to the queen, as a kind of victory gained by her over the Marlborough family, was doubtless one means of hindering all thoughts of a real accommodation. 66 In about a month after this it was, that both houfes of parliament addreffed the queen, to order the duke of Marlborough over into Holland, to attend to the great affair of a peace, and, in cafe that project did not take effect, to prepare for an early opening the campaign. In her anfwer to this addrefs (as hath been faid) she used these words: “I am very glad to find, that you concur with me in a juft "fense of the duke of Marlborough's eminent services." But, notwithstanding this, he had not been long gone, before she gave a fignal proof, how much his declared enemies were in her favour, by granting Mr. Hill a penfion of one thousand pounds a year; and, in fome time, fhe made both him and Mr. Mafham, men of little or no fervice, general officers over the heads of many brave men, who had frequently hazarded their lives in her fervice, and had gone through the toils and hardships of a tedious war. In the mean time the duchefs of Marlborough learnt, that the queen was made to believe, that fhe often spoke of her in company difrefpectfully; upon which fhe defired an audience, in order to justify herself, which fhe obtained on the 6th of April; but could make no impreffion upon the queen, whom she never faw afterwards, nor ever had any correspondence with her majefty, except on two occafions relating to the public (e). However, notwithstanding this thorough 1710. |