had killed the queen's hand, and been knighted, in order 1710. to be made one of the judges of the queen's bench, in the room of Sir Henry Gould, deceased; and Sir Edward Northey was made attorney-general. Dr. Robinfon, dean of Windfor, who of late had grown into great confidence with Mr. Harley, was nominated to fucceed Dr. Hall deceased, in the bishopric of Briftol; and Dr. Byffe to fucceed Dr. Bull, deceafed, in the fee of St. David's. The duke of Hamilton was appointed lord-lieutenant of the county palatine of Lancaster; the earl of Portmore was made commander in chief of her majefty's forces in Portugal, in the room of the earl of Galway; the lord Windsor advanced to the poft of lieutenant-general; and general Webb made governor of the Isle of Wight. So fudden and fo intire a change in the miniftry is fcarce to be found in our hiftory, efpecially where men of great abilities had ferved with fuch zeal and fuccefs, that the adminiftration of all affairs, both at home and abroad, in their hands, was not only without exception, but had raised the admiration of all Europe. All this role purely from the great credit of the new favourites, and the queen's perfonal diftafte to the old ones. The queen was much delighted with all thefe changes, and feemed to think she was freed from the chains, which the old miniftry held her in. She spoke of it to feveral perfons as a captivity, which fhe had been long under. The duke of Somerfet had very much alienated the queen's mind from the old miniftry; but he was fo difpleafed with the diffolution of the parliament, and the new model of the miniftry, that, though he continued fome time mafter of the horfe, he refused to fit any more in council, and complained openly of the artifices, which had been used to make him inftrumental to other people's defigns. London Ón the 28th of September, the queen went to Hampton- The licucourt, having the fame day ordered the feals to be put to a tenancy of commiffion for renewing the lieutenancy of the city of changed, London; in which feveral whigs, who were in the former, were left out, and tories put in their places. This new commiffion was chiefly defigned, both to prevent Sir Gilbert Heathcote, an alderman near the chair, and governor of the bank (who had given offence to the court, by his application to the queen in favour of the late miniftry) from being chofen lord-mayor, and to ftrengthen the intereft of the high-church party in the election of parliament-men for the capital city, which generally has a great influence 1710. influence upon other elections. But that commiffion was opened too late to have the intended effect; for, the election for a lord-mayor coming on the 29th of September, according to custom, the majority appeared for Sir Gilbert Heathcote and Sir Robert Beachcroft; and though a poll was demanded, and great intereft made by the tory-party for Sir Richard Hoare, yet the two firft had the majority of voices; and, being, on the 5th of October, returned by the common-hall, the court of aldermen, on the 11th, chofe Sir Gilbert Heathcote lord-mayor for the year enfuing, but in this point he had but common juftice done him, there having been an agreement, made fome years before between the aldermen of London, to chufe him, who was next the chair, to prevent animofities and difputes. On the 10th of October the queen's commiffion for a new lieutenancy was opened at Guild-Hall, when Sir Samuel Garrard, then lordmayor, Sir Francis Child, Sir John Parfons, Sir Robert Bedingfield, Sir William Withers, and Sir Richard Hoare, were chosen colonels of the fix city-regiments. About a fortnight after the new lieutenancy of London presented an addrefs to the queen, who took that opportunity to defire them, as they had great fortunes of their own, that they "would use their endeavours to fupport the public credit." It was expected, that this recommendation would have had a good effect, and engaged the tory-party in the city, either to advance money to the government, or to use their utmost endeavours to fupport the public funds. But neither of these happened; and fo the bank, Eaft-India, annuities, and other ftocks continued finking, which gave the ministry no fmall uneafinefs; the rather, because fome bills of exchange, drawn from Genoa for remittances into Spain, happend at this juncture to be protefted. Mr. Harley, the new chancellor of the exchequer, fent his agents into the city, who found means to engage feveral rich merchants and bankers, particularly Mr. John Lambert, a French refugee, to supply the urgent neceffities of the government. Oct. 23. 66 By this time the election for parliament-men were over in feveral places; and by the firft returns it appeared, that, amongst the new members, the number of the whigs was near equal with that of the tories; which, as was then. given out, answered the expectation and defires of the new managers. For having gained their chief aim, which was to remove the late lord treasurer and his friends, it was by many believed, that they defigned to carry things even between both parties; and therefore wifhed only for fuch a majority majority of the high-church in the house of commons, as might countenance the new scheme; and whom, on the other hand, they might eafily check by means of their own creatures, if an unfeasonable zeal for the church fhould prompt them to make any motions against the toleration. If this was the real intention of the new ministry, or of Mr. Harley in particular, the chief author of the late changes; it foon appeared, that they were either miftaken in their computation, or disappointed in their wishes; and the new members of the high-church party far out-numbered those of the contrary fide; which, befides the influence of the court, was owing to several other causes. For, in the first place, many of the whig gentlemen, who either could not be induced to believe, that the laft parliament would be diffolved, till the blow was given; or who, in cafe of a difsolution, thought themselves fecure of being re-chofen, had neglected making an intereft; whilft thofe, who defigned to oppose them, had early taken all the neceffary measures to carry their point. Secondly, the ferment, raised by Dr. Sacheverel's trial, was now rather increased than abated, being induftriously fomented and propagated throughout the kingdom, in order to influence elections; which it did effectually, and in a more visible manner, in the cities and boroughs, through which that divine had made his triumphant progress in the fummer. Thirdly, all the inferior clergy, a few excepted, thinking themselves attacked through the fides of Dr. Sacheverel, were more than ordinarily zealous and diligent in promoting the interest of such, as they thought beft affected to the church; not only without any regard to the neceffary qualifications of perfonal merit or eftate in the candidates, but in feveral inftances, in breach of the common duties of gratitude, ftrenuoufly oppofing their very patrons and benefactors. Befides a course, for fome months, of very inflaming fermons, they went about from house to houfe, preffing their people to fhew, on this great occafion, their zeal for the church, and now or never to fave it. They also told them, in what ill hands the queen had been kept, as in captivity; and that it was a charity, as well as their duty, to free her from the power, which the late miniftry exercifed over her. In the laft place, there was a vaft concourfe of rude multitudes brought together, who behaved themselves in fo boisterous a manner, that it was not safe, and in many places not poffible, for those, who had a right to vote, to come and give their votes for a whig. Open violence was used in feveral places. This was fo 1710. 1710. fo general through the whole kingdom, all at the fame time, that it was vifible, that the thing had been concerted for fome time, and the proper methods and tools had been prepared for it. The influence of the mob was, in a particular manner, remarkable in the election for the city of Westminster; where Mr. Medlicot and Mr. Crofs being set up by the high-church party, fome of thofe, who offered to give their voices for their competitors, general Stanhope and Sir Henry Dutton Colt, were knocked down and wounded, which obliged many of their party to return home without polling; fo the two firft candidates had a vast majority. The whigs expected, that the election of the city of London would balance that of Westminster; and indeed, the first day of the poll, their candidates had a confiderable advantage; but fuch induftry was used by the then lord-mayor and the aldermen of the high-church party, in bringing many citizens upon the livery, and engaging their votes, that, upon clofing the books, Sir William Withers, Sir Richard Hoare, Sir George Newland, and Mr. John Cass, all four of that party, having the majority of votes, were declared duly elected. After the poll was ended, there were extraordinary rejoicing throughout the city, by illuminations, bone-fires, ringing of bells, &c. and the tumultuous mob were fo exalted and enraged against thofe, who feemed not to partake in the public joy, that they broke all the windows they faw unlighted, without diftinction; so that many houfes of the church-party were damaged, as well as thofe of the whigs, and in particular that of Sir Richard Hoare, one of the four, for whofe fakes thefe rejoicings were made. Some days before, the mob was guilty of a ftill greater inftance of outrage; for, as Sir Gilbert Heathcote, one of the whig candidates, and lord-mayor elect, was going out of Guild-Hall, they not only infulted him with reproachful language, but one of them spit in his face. Though the tories had boafted, that none of the managers against Dr. Sacheverel would be rechosen members of parliament; yet, notwithstanding the utmoft endeavours, that were used to prevent it, Sir Jofeph Jekyll, Sir Peter King, Mr. Lechmere, and Mr. Walpole, were returned; as was alfo general Stanhope for Cockermouth, though he loft his election at Weftminster: however, there were few whigs returned, against whom petitions were not offered; there were in all about a hundred, and, by the first steps after the meeting of the parliament, the majority made it ap pear, pear, that they intended to clear the houfe of all who were 1710. fufpected to be of that party. As for the elections in Scotland, the fixteen peers returned were the dukes of Hamilton and Athol; the marquis of Annandale; the earls of Marefchal, Eglington, Mar, Loudoun, Hume, Kinoule, Northefke, Orkney, Roleberry, Ilay; the lord vifcount Kelfythe; and the lord Balmerino and Blantyre. And the elections of the commons were much upon an equal foot between whigs and tories. On the 30th of October, Sir Gilbert Heathcote, lordmayor of London, was, according to cuftum, fworn at the exchequer in Weftminster; but the pageantry, and fome other parts of the ufual folemnity, were omitted, as he well knew, he was not acceptable to the common people, fome of whom were fo bold as to infult him in the cavalcade. On the 6th of November, the queen came from HamptonCourt to St. James's palace, where, the next day, fhe kept the general thankfgiving, for the fucceffes of the laft campaign, in her royal chapel. ment. Two days after, a remarkable advertisement, figned Hen- A remarkary St. John, was publifhed in the London Gazette, import- ble adverte ing, "that, fome evil-defigning perfons having unfcrewed "and taken away feveral iron bolts out of the great tim"bers of the weft roof of the cathedral church of St. Paul, her majefty, for the better difcovery of the offenders, was pleafed, to promife her moft gracious pardon, "and a reward of fifty pounds, to any perfon concerned "therein, who fhould difcover his accomplices." This advertisement occafioned the report of a plot to destroy the queen and the court, by the fall of the roof of St. Paul's, on the thanksgiving-day, when it was fuppofed her majesty would have gone thither; which pretended fcrew-plot (as it was afterwards called) many of the tories and emiffaries of the new miniftry were ready enough to charge upon the whigs. But upon enquiry it appeared, that the miffing of the iron pins was owing to the neglect of fome workmen, who thought the timbers fufficiently faftened without them. Great-Bri The parliament being met on the 25th of November, the Third parlicommons, by direction from the throne, proceeded to the ament of choice of a speaker, which, as it was generally expected, tain. fell, without any oppofition, on Mr. Bromley. He had, Pr. H. C. for many years paft, been chofen member for the univerfi- Mr. Bromty of Oxford; was fure of all the votes of the church-par- Speaker. ty, of which he had been one of the most conftant and re folute ley chofen |