four days after, in the 21st year of his age; and his corps 1711-12. was depofited, without any funeral pomp, in the vault belonging to the dukes of Ormond, in Westminster-Abbey. England. Prince Eugene having delayed his departure as long as Prince Eupoffible, in hopes of fucceeding in his negotiation, had his gene leaves audience of leave the 13th of March. He embarked the' 17th, and, two days after, arrived at the Hague. Bishop Burnet, whilst the prince was in England, was admitted feveral times to much difcourfe with him, and, from what appeared to him, the prince had a most unaffected modesty, and scarcely bore the acknowledgments that all the world paid him he defcended to an eafy equality with those with whom he converfed, and feemed to affume nothing to himfelf, while he reasoned with others. Hift. of Eur. During prince Eugene's ftay in England, upon occafion False report of fome frolicks and diforders committed in the night-time, of Mohocks. either by town-rakes, or drunken foldiers, a report was induftriously spread, That there were great numbers of dif• affected perfons, who, under the name of Mohocks or Hawkubites, had combined together to difturb the public peace; and who, in an inhuman manner, without any • provocation, affaulted and wounded thofe, whom they met with in the streets, flitting or flatting people's nofes • gagging or diftending their mouths with iron inftruments, and committing many other extravagant cruelties.' At the fame time printed lifts were handed about of many perfons, faid to have been taken up and committed to feveral prifons, upon account of these barbarities, amongst whom fome men of figure and titles were infinuated to be; which gained fo ftrong a belief, and ftruck fuch a terror among the vulgar, that, as foon as night drew on, many were deterred from going about on their lawful occafions. Hereupon the matter being laid before the queen, her majefty, by the advice of her privy-council, iffued a proclamation, for the fuppreffing of riots, and the difcovery of fuch as had been guilty of the late barbarities within the cities of London and Westminster, and parts adjacent; charging and commanding, that the offenders be profecuted with the utmost feverity and rigour of the law, and promifing a reward of one hundred pounds for the difcovery and apprehending of any perfon, who, fince the first day of February last, had, without any provocation, wounded, ftabbed, or maimed, or who fhould, before the first day of May, would, stab, or maim, any of her majefty's fubjects.' Though this proclamation at firft confirmed the belief of the barbarities Gg 3 6 and 1712. and ricts, for the fuppreffing of which it was intended; yet the confequence of it fhewed, upon what flight grounds that belief had been entertained. For when people, under fecurity of this proclamation, came to inquire calmly and cooly into the matter, it was found, that no other diforders had happened of late, but such as are usual, and almost unavoidable, in populous cities. But it was remarkable, that Brinfden, the oculift, and other agents of the men in power, were fhrewdly fufpected of having raised and improved the report of this pretended combination of Mohocks and Hawkubites, in order to throw the odium of it upon the whigs, whom, by all poffible means, they endeavoured to render obnoxious to the people. However, to colour these proceedings, two common pick-pockets were tried, found guilty, and feverely fined for form fake, And the lord Hinchinbrooke, then a youth, and an officer of the army, who, at the defire, and in company of a constable, went out one night in queft of the pretended Mohocks, were afterwards Jikewife arraigned and tried, as difturbers of the public peace but, their innocence manifeftly appearing, the notion of Mohocks and Hawkubites was univerfally exploded (m), Petition of the French refugees. The French refugees having presented a petition to the queen for her interpofition at the treaty of Utrecht in favour of their brethren under perfecution in France, and for the reftitution of their eftates in that kingdom, of which they had been so unjustly deprived; the earl of Dartmouth wrote a letter to monfieur Du Bourdieu and Graverole, two French proteftant minifters, agents for the reft; affuring them, that the bishop of Bristol and the earl of Strafford were already under the ftricteft orders to fupport the intereft of the French refugees at the negotiations of peace. Accordingly, the queen appointed Armand de Bourbon, (m) In Torcy's memoirs, the duke of Marlborough is infa. moufly reprefented as propofing to prince Eugene, that a band of ruffians fhould be encouraged to ftrole about the streets by night, and infult people, by which means it would be eafy to affaffinate fuch persons as fhould be thought proper to be difpatched, and throw the blame on that licentious band. marquis marquis de Miremont, nephew to the earl of Feversham, to go to Utrecht, and, in her majefty's name, to take particular care of the intereft of the French refugees. Notwithstanding all this, they foon found that their interefts were either but faintly fupported by Great-Britain, or the court of France fhewed no regard to the queen's interceffion. 1712. grant-bill. The fupplies demanded were given by the commons, in The supplies all about fix millions. There were two lotteries of one granted. million eighteen hundred thousand pounds each, for which a fund was created to pay both principal and intereft in thirty-two years. Among the duties for raifing this sum, was a ftamp-duty at two-pence a sheet on news-papers and pamphlets. A motion was made for a clause to be put into Motion for a one of the lottery-bills, for appointing commiffioners to examine the value and confideration of all the grants made fince the revolution. The minifters apprehending the difficulty of carrying a money-bill, with a tack to it, through the houfe of lords, because of their former refolution againft fuch a practice, and the treasurer promifing fome leading men, that he would use his interest to procure the paffing a grant-bill, fingle, in the house of peers, they prevailed to have it separated from the money-bill, and, when paffed, it was fent up to the lords. Thofe, who continued to pay a respect to the memory of king William, thought it was a very unbecoming return to him, who had delivered the nation from flavery and popery, to caft fo particular an indignity on his grants. The bill made all its steps through the houfe of lords, to the laft, with a small majority of one or two. On the third reading of the bill, a warm debate arofe, in which the duke of Argyle faid, That, if for the ease of the public it was found proper to resume the grants of the crown, he would readily give his vote for it, provided they would go fo far back, as the reftoration of king Charles the fecond. But he could never agree to limit the bill to grants of king William, because such an act would be injurious to the memory of the deliverer of • Great-Britain, and all Europe; which ought to be had in reverence by all honeft men.' The earl of Wharton, the lord Cowper, and lord Halifax spoke, with great force and eloquence, against the partial diftinction between grants fince the revolution, and thofe before it; adding, that fuch a distinction gave too much credit to a miniftry, who by the paffing of the bill would have the means in their hands, to ruin and opprefs thofe, who had not the good luck to Gg 4 please C 1712. please them. The earl of Nottingham, who had been abfent the first two days, spoke on this occafion, and said, 'He always thought thofe grants were too large, and very unfeafonably made, but he thought there ought to be an equal way of proceeding in that matter; they ought either to ❝ refume them all, or to bring all concerned in them to an equal compofition: he therefore could not approve of this bill, which, by a very clear confequence, would put it in the power of a fellow-fubject, to refume or to cover grants, at his pleasure; and fo it would put the perfons, concerned in the grants, into too great a dependance on him.' To this the lord-treasurer anfwered, That no one had reason to be alarmed at the bill, fince the intent of it was only to examine the value of the grants made by king William, • and upon what confiderations they were given; but that, as it was prefumed, thofe, who enjoyed them, had rendered very fignal fervice to their country, fo it was not to be doubted, but the parliament would confirm the fame.' The earl of Wharton replied, That it was alfo to be prefumed, that thofe, who enjoyed the grants of king Charles the fecond, and king James the fecond, might have likewife done important fervice to the nation: wherefore it would be very proper to look into the motives of all thofe grants, in order to confirm them to thofe, who had deferved them.' The earl of Oxford faid, That he had • been informed, that the commons had no defign absolutely to refume the grants of king William, but only to make the poffeffors pay the value of four or five years rent, for which they should have the grants confirmed to them for ever.' To which the earl of Wharton again replied, That he would not call in queftion what a lord of fuch probity and fincerity had advanced; but that the refumption of all the grants of Ireland fufficiently fhewed, that the commons had not been content with a part.' Several other fpeeches, that were made on both fides, prolonged the debate till between fix and feven in the evening, when the queftion being put, that the bill do pafs, it appeared upon the gathering of the votes, that there were seventyeight voices on each fide, fifty-three prefent, and twentyfive proxics for the affirmative; and fifty-two prefent, and twenty-fix proxies for the negative; fo the votes being equal, by the rule of the houfe, the negative carried it, to the great difappointment of the enemies of the revolution. It was obferved, that the lofs of this bill was in a great measure owing to the vigilance of the late duke of Portland. He * being informed, that the lord Colepepper had fent his proxy to the earl of Sunderland, who, by reafon of his indifpofition, could not produce it, immediately dispatched an exprefs to the lord Colepepper, and he sent his proxy to another lord time enough to create part of the negative. On the other hand, many were of opinion, that, had not the duke of Buckingham and the earl of Strafford abfented themfelves from the house, the bill had certainly paffed. The queen three days after came to the house of peers, May 22, and gave the royal affent to the money-bills and others. As the earl of Strafford was now in London, it was expected, the queen would have laid before the parliament a state of the negotiations of peace which had been carrying on at the Hague. But, fome points not being yet fettled between the British and French courts, she did not think fit to make a speech to both houfes. However, the fpeaker, at presenting the lottery-bill, faid, in his compliment to the queen, • Your faithful commons are in hopes, that what they have fo chearfully given, for your majefty's occafions, will ena• ble your majesty to put an end to the prefent war by a fafe and honourable peace.' There being no account come of any peace, as foon as the commons were returned to their houfe, Mr. Benfon, chancellor of the exchequer, afterwards lord Bingley, moved, that the call of the house (which had been feveral times put off) might be adjourned to the 4th of June, when he did not doubt, but the queen would lay before them the refult of the prefent negotiations. Mr. Hampden complained, faying, Notwithstanding all the promifes given from time to time to the commons, we have an unactive and lazy campaign, and a trifling negotiation of peace; fo that we are amufed by our minifters at home, and tricked by our enemies abroad.' Mr. fecretary St. John had too great a fhare in the management of affairs not to resent thefe infinuations; and faid with fome emotion, That they highly reflected on her majesty, and her minifters. But though fome members had been fent to the Tower for lefs offences, and that he, who fpoke laft, might be fond of that honour; yet he hoped the houfe would be of another opinion.' Sir Richard Onflow replied, That to fuppofe her majefty, or her minifters to have any influence on the deliberations of that house, was injurious to her majefty, and a violation of the privileges of that house.' In which he was feconded by Mr. Lechmere. But the debate went no further, in confideration, as the friends of the prevailing party fuggefted, that, the feffion drawing |