MEMOIRS OF SOME TRANSACTIONS DURING The late MINISTRY, &c.

VVHEN there is ſuch a general Expectation of ſome great Matter to be made appear againſt the Perſon theſe Sheets relate to; and much Pains is taken to calumniate and miſrepreſent him to the World; it may not be amiſs to give the World ſome true State of his Caſe, that none may be impos'd upon thro' Ignorance, how far ſoever Malice may carry ſome.

[2] The Matter draws towards a Cri⯑ſis; the Queſtion will ſoon be tranſ⯑ferr'd, from between Party and Par⯑ty, to a Bar of Juſtice; and the Blood of an Engliſh Nobleman is to be the Subject of the Pleadings and Defence.

The Earl of Oxford ſeems to reſolve to appear, and to ſtand in his own Defence. I advance one thing with⯑out Doors in Defence of his Caſe in general, before the Particulars come to be enquired into. If it be juſt to ſay of my Lord Bolingbroke, that he knows himſelf to be guilty, why elſe did he fly? It will be as reaſonable to ſay of my Lord of Oxford, he is ſatis⯑fied in his own Innocence, why elſe does he ſtay?

Beſides the Opinion his Lordſhip has of his own Innocence, it muſt be acknowledg'd, his Lordſhip pays the greateſt Honour to the Britiſh Nobility that is poſſible to do, and perhaps more than was ever done before; that however the Turns of [3] the Government ſince his Admini⯑ſtration, may have given Impreſſions of things very different from what were in his Time; and as it might be ſuggeſted, very much to his Diſ⯑advantage; nay, however Intereſt may ſeeem to run, even in a very ſtrong Stream againſt him; yet that he pays ſuch a profound Reſpect to the unſpotted Honour of the Peer⯑age, as to caſt his Life into their Hands, at a Time when Thoughts leſs generous might be apt to en⯑tertain ſome Fears of the Impreſſions, which Party might have made on the Minds of the Nobility, at a Time when it is ſcarce to be ſaid, that any other Sett of Men in the Nation are entirely free.

Either my L. O—muſt have ſome ſurprizing Evidence in himſelf of his own Innocence; and not only ſo, but of his being able to ſet that Innocence in a clear Light to the World; or elſe he makes the great⯑eſt Compliment to the Nobility of Britain that ever Man made. He ſuppoſes their Lordſhips untainted [4] with the Prejudice of the Times; and that nothing can byafs their Minds, nothing artfully prepoſſeſs their Judg⯑ments; that they cannot be blind⯑ed by any humane Infirmities, mov⯑ed by any Paſſions, impoſed upon by the Perſwaſions, or affected by private Views of any kind; that they cannot be hurry'd by popular Winds or Storms, from whatever Corner they may blow, whether of Faction, Tumult, Envy, or Ambi⯑tion: But that they will move in a direct Path of Juſtice, guided by Truth, without the leaſt Deviation or Inclination one Way or other, ei⯑ther from Parties, Perſons, Intereſt, or Power, of any kind whatſoever.

Beſides this, his Lordſhip ſeems to pay a moſt dutiful and honourable Regard to the perſonal Juſtice, Cle⯑mency, and Honour of His Majeſty; declaring, by thus putting himſelf on his Trial, at ſuch a Juncture as this, that he firmly depends upon His Majeſty's Royal Virtue; that nothing will, on the King's Part, be offered or encouraged to byaſs, or lead to [5] awe, or any Way influence the Judg⯑ment that ſhall be given in his Caſe; that ſhall not ſo much as be ima⯑gined, that the Votes of the Peers, one Way or other, ſhall in the leaſt affect them in their Intereſt, or in the Favour of His Majeſty.

It muſt be acknowledged, that in this his Lordſhip acts from a Prin⯑ciple of great Juſtice and Duty, as well to His Majeſty, as to the Houſe of Peers; and no Man can ſay, with⯑out manifeſt Injury to his Majeſty, or to that Honourable Houſe, that he ſo much as believes his Lordſhip will be the worſt treated for that dutiful and generous Behaviour.

Without Doors we cannot ſay it will be the ſame; it were to be wiſhed, the People, who ſhew ſuch a Warmth in their Deſires to bring on the Trial of this Lord, would ſhew the like Diſpoſition to having him fairly acquitted, if his Innocence ſhall appear, as they ſeem to ſhew for his Deſtruction, on a Preſumption of his Guilt.

[6] It is now come to the great Que⯑ſtion: Nothing leſs than his Life, or his Death, is the Caſe. If we were to make a Judgment of him by the Opinions and Tempers of Men without Doors, it would be eaſy to conclude, what ſhould be his Fate; and his Courage muſt be thought greater than his Diſcretion, to put himſelf upon his Tryal; which makes the Honour done to the Ju⯑ſtice and Impartiality of His Majeſty, and the Peers, of which mention is made already, be the greater.

Yet we would hope, that ſeeing it is now brought this length, Men will begin to be more ſerious, and forbear to importune the Juſtice of the Nation, by their Invectives, and indecent Treatment: My Lord has appealed from the Clamours of the People, to the Juſtice and Ho⯑nour of the Peers; and being thus in the Hands of Juſtice, what is there that Men can deſire more? They who occupy their Pens or Tongues, now to blacken, defame, or reproach [7] him, openly challenge the Houſe of Peers, reproach their Juſtice, and villify that Auguſt Aſſembly, as if not diſpoſed to do Juſtice in the Caſe when it comes before them: As his Lordſhip has thrown himſelf upon the Honour and Juſtice of the Peers, and put his Life and Honour into their Lordſhips Hands; ſo ſhould we do, and not either lead or direct them, which would be, in the groſſeſt Manner, to ſuſpect their Proceedings.

The Clamours which have hither⯑to been made on this Account, have been, as the Authors pretended, on⯑ly to have Men impeached; and we have ſeen Writers tell the Govern⯑ment, They expect it: It is now done, we hope they will be ſatisfy'd, and not tell the Houſe of Peers, whether they ſhall acquit or condemn: This muſt be left in their own Breaſts; and there is no Doubt but they will act as Juſtice, and their own Honour, ſhall direct; and of this we muſt all wait the Iſſue.

[8] That we may attend this great Event with leſs Curioſity and Im⯑patience, it may be proper to ſtate the Facts of this noble Lord's Con⯑duct, as they appear at preſent in thoſe very Caſes wherein he is ſo much impugned and attack'd, that when People have cool Thoughts about them, they may be diſpoſed to read them over; perhaps when they have done ſo, they will be the backwarder to blame the Houſe of Peers, if they ſhould not find it as they may expect.

In the latter End of King William's Reign, we found Mr. Harley choſen Speaker of the Houſe of Commons. He was, in the Seſſion before, one of thoſe Members, who ſtood firm to the Reſolution of disbanding the Army; having always an Opinion, that the Security of the Prince was ſufficient⯑ly provided for in the Affection of his faithful Commons; and that all the Dangers, which, as was then pretended, appeared from the grow⯑ing Power of France, were far leſs, [9] and eaſier to be ſtruggled with, in any Incident which might happen, than thoſe which might proceed from a ſtanding Force of Mercenaries, to be kept up in Time of Peace; by which very thing this Kingdom had more than once been in great Dan⯑ger of having her Liberty over⯑whelmed, and the worſt of Slavery entailed upon her; and that there⯑fore the War being over, the Nation ought to take effectual Care of their own Liberties; and to limit the Number of the Forces to ſuch, and no more, as might be thought ſufficient for the publick Safety.

It was not altogether ſo agreeable to His Majeſty's Thoughts at that Time, as could have been wiſh'd; and e⯑ſpecially the Regiment of Dutch Guards were exceedingly deſired by the King; but it could not be: The Members declar'd, That it was not from a Jealouſy or Diſreſpect for the Perſon of His Majeſty, who, they were throughly ſatisfied, would nei⯑ther himſelf, or by his Permiſſion, ever ſuffer an Army to oppreſs them; [10] but that the Precedent would be dangerous to Poſterity, when the Succeſſors of His Majeſty might, perhaps, make a fatal Uſe of that Advantage, of which he would make no Advantage at all.

It was reported at that Time, that Mr. Harley was choſen againſt the Meaſures of the Court; and that the King was diſobliged by him to the laſt Degree, on Account of the aforeſaid breaking of the Forces. But His Majeſty himſelf removed the Scandal of that Rumour, by aſſuring Mr. Harley, that he was very well ſatisfy'd with him; and indeed the Principles upon which the Engliſh Gentlemen went at that Time, were ſo evidently eſſential to the preſerving their Liberties, that the King himſelf, who was a great Patron of Liberty, was perfectly ſatisfy'd with the thing afterwards; and likewiſe with the Perſons, expreſſing a very particular Eſteem for Mr. Harley to the Time of his Death, which happened ſoon after.

[11] At the Acceſſion of the Queen to the Crown, Her Majeſty was pleaſ⯑ed to chuſe Her Miniſtry among a Sett of Men, who, there was ſome Reaſon to have expected other Con⯑duct from them to Her Majeſty, at leaſt the Queen expected it; but they who knew them better, were not ſo much diſappointed in them as Her Majeſty was.

It imports not to record their Fail⯑ings farther than thus; to let Poſte⯑rity know, they began to precipitate the Crown, in many Caſes, to a Degree that muſt, in Time, have been fatal.

In all theſe Caſes Mr. Harley ſig⯑nalized himſelf, by that famous Stand which he made in Behalf of the Li⯑berties of his Country; of which thoſe who ſhared in the Advantage cannot entirely forget the Particu⯑lars. Thoſe who were neareſt the Queen, and moſt faithful to Her In⯑tereſt, finding the Influence he had in the Houſe, was of uſe to them on many Accounts, began, about this [12] Time, to ſee he was a Perſon neceſ⯑ſary to keep a cloſer Correſpondence with; and having found the Queen of the ſame Opinion, he was receiv⯑ed into the Cabinet Meaſures, and the niceſt Affairs communicated to him.

In this Station he obtain'd, upon the Opinion not only of the Perſons who he neceſſarily was embark'd with; as the late E. of Godolphin, the Duke of M—and ſome others; but of the Queen more eſpecially, who, with my L. Godolphin, had a ſingular Eſteem for him.

It was eaſy for Mr. Harley, in this Scituation, to convince Her Majeſty, of the abſolute Neceſſity She was in, of changing Her Meaſures, and of diſmiſſing a furious Faction, who began to be odious to the People, by their puſhing the Government upon ſuch things as tended to embroil Her Majeſty with Her beſt Subjects; and make the War abroad, which was then newly entred into, be either impracticable, or unſucceſsful, by [13] reaſon of the Diſcontents at Home, which were riſing to a great Height among the People, and ſometimes between the Two Houſes of Parlia⯑ment themſelves.

In the Purſuit of this Council, the Advantage whereof the whole King⯑dom feels to this Day, the Queen was pleaſed to diſmiſs Sir Edward Sey⯑mour's Party, ſo they were call'd, and fill up the Houſhold with ſuch a Mi⯑niſtry, as the preſent Age pretends to be very well ſatisfy'd in; the prime Miniſtry, as it is call'd, reſting in the late Lord Treaſurer Godolphin; the Army, in the D. of M—h; and Mr. Harley was made Secretary of State, in the Room of the E. of N—m; Sir Charles Hedges keeping the Seals as the other Secre⯑tary of State, as he was before.

Thus the Introduction of that Miniſtry was the Work of Mr. Har⯑ley; and it was to his Counſels that they ow'd their being eſtabliſhed in the full Adminiſtration of Affairs; which, whilſt they carry'd on with Unanimity of Councils, and without [14] Jealouſy of one another, were admi⯑niſtred with great Satisfaction to Her Majeſty, and all Her People at Home, as well as with glorious Suc⯑ceſſes abroad; during this Time, the Animoſities among the good People began exceedingly to abate; the Remembrances of Occaſional Bills, Tackings, &c. wore much off of the Minds of the People, and the Court generally diſcouraging the Breaches among the Queen's Subjects; an open and free Adminiſtration was carry'd on, by which Room was left for all Her Majeſty's Subjects, of whatever Party, to reſtore themſelves to Her Favour, by their Merit; and to wipe out the Remembrances of any Miſcar⯑riages, by a future dutiful Behaviour. A Method of Government exceedingly agreeable to the Queen, as it would, had it gone on, have been, in Time, healing to the Nation.

But this happy Scheme was not a⯑like pleaſing to all; and ſome, who had Cravings in Nature to ſatisfy, which were not ſo conſiſtent with this diſintereſted Manner of Manage⯑ment, [15] began to be uneaſy at the Apprehenſions of letting in the Mob, as it was call'd, into their Affairs. The Intereſt in Her Majeſty, which, as it was call'd, was not a thing of ſo little Value to be laid open, and Her Favour and Confidence to be made Common to the People: They found that as they had made it a Property, ſo their Succeſs gave them an Advantage above all that went before them, by ſeeming to make themſelves neceſſary to Her Majeſty: This Point was carried on to ſuch an Extremity, the Sweet⯑neſs of governing, even their Sove⯑reign, alluring, that finding Mr. Harley inflexible; and that he would not join in ſuch narrow Meaſures; but deſir'd, that the Queen might Reign for Her ſelf, and all Her Sub⯑jects have Acceſs to Her; that She might be fully apprized of all Her Affairs; and act as well by Know⯑ledge as Advice: Finding this was the Scheme he had laid; and that it was directly oppoſite to their own, and would, in the End, over⯑throw it: They from that Time [16] entred into Meaſures either to ſup⯑plant him in Her Majeſty's Favour, or in his Employment.

The firſt, notwithſtanding many Miſrepreſentations and mean Steps taken, they could not effect; the laſt, they brought to paſs for a Seaſon.

It ſeems that they brought the laſt to paſs with Difficulty; and it was evident to them, as alſo to others, that as her Majeſty parted not with Mr. Harley without great Reluctance; ſo that altho' he was diſmiſs'd from the Office of her principal Secretary, that yet he had acceſs to her Perſon, and had opportunity to communicate ſuch Councils as occaſion offer'd, ha⯑ving the Honour, from that time, of a Confidence with his Sovereign, which thoſe, who had Power to diſplace him, had then no Share in.

This Favour of his Prince was much encreaſed by ſome foul things which had been diſcover'd to her Ma⯑jeſty to have been practiſed upon him, in order to render him ſuſpected to [17] be concern'd in the Treaſon of Mr. Gregg, and more eſpecially by ſome Steps which were privately taken by ſome Perſons, in order, by Fear of Death, or Hope of Mercy, to induce the ſaid Gregg, when under Sentence of Death, to accuſe Mr. Harley; and as her Majeſty receiv'd the Account of thoſe Deſigns with Tokens of great Diſpleaſure, and even of Deteſtation; ſo the Declaration which the Crimi⯑nal gave, even juſt before his Executi⯑on, of the Innocence of Mr. Harley▪ as it was a particular Satisfaction to the Queen, ſo it confirm'd the Opinion her Majeſty had conceived of Mr. Harley, as a Perſon proper to be en⯑truſted, and fit to be employed in her Service.

It might have been uſeful to have deſcended to the Particulars of this Matter, and to the Perſons likewiſe, but another time may be thought more proper; this ſuffices to ſhew, that there was at that time a horrid Conſpiracy againſt the Life of this noble Lord; how far it has been car⯑ried on, or revived ſince▪ and whe⯑ther [18] it be by the ſame Hands or not, will likewiſe appear, the Time being approaching, when there may be reaſon to lay the blackeſt part of this Tranſ⯑action open to the View of the Sun.

Mean time, it is worth notice, that as the Perſons concerned would not have failed to have accepted the E⯑vidence of Mr. Gregg againſt Mr. Harley, if he had either known any thing whereof to accuſe him, or had been prevailed with to have forged any Accuſation, in order to have ſa⯑ved his Life; yet ſome of them were not backward to depretiate the dy⯑ing Words of the ſame Man, when it appeared they tended to clear the Perſon, who they deſired rather ſhould have been accuſed; diſcovering thereby ſuch a Partiality as her Majeſty was pleaſed to take notice of, to be as cri⯑minal in its Degree, as the Deſign aforeſaid againſt his Life. It's ſtrange, ſaid ſhe once upon that Occaſion, that they would not have us believe the Man now he acquits Mr. Harley, when they would have believed him if he had accu⯑ſed him; and that they will not believe the [19] Man's dying Words, when it is evident they would have laid great Weight upon them if he had lived; her Majeſty was pleaſed likewiſe many times, when this Affair was, upon any Occaſion, mention'd to her, to expreſs her Con⯑cern, that any Methods ſo unchriſtian and unjuſt ſhould be taken by Perſons ſo near Her, to deſtroy an innocent Perſon.

Yet could not this put a Stop to the Enemies of Mr. Harley, who, it ſeems, were reſtleſs in their own Scituation, while they obſerved his to be ſo near her Majeſty's Perſon as would, upon all Occaſions, interrupt the farther Deſigns which they had calculated for their own Advantage, in being ſingle and uninterrupted in the Adminiſtra⯑tion; and therefore, tho' they could not impoſe upon her Majeſty in the Caſe above-mention'd of Mr. Gregg, they left not any Stone unturn'd to keep the People of their own Party deceived, and to have it, by Pamphlet-Writings, and private Emiſſaries, ſuggeſted throughout the Kingdom, that Mr. Harley was guilty of Gregg's [20] Treaſon, tho' nothing could be pro⯑ved that ever juſtified ſo much as a Suſpicion. And altho' Gregg himſelf, who could never have been convi⯑cted but by his own Confeſſion, had been induced by Mr. Harley to make that Confeſſion; ſo that Mr. Harley ſeemed that way to have been the very Inſtrument of detecting him more fully, and by conſequence of his Death; a Provocation ſufficient to make any one expect, that if he could have ſaved his Life at Mr. Harley's Expence, he would have made no Difficulty of the Exchange, and not a little the Reaſon of that low Step ſome Perſons (otherwiſe Perſons of Honour) took to bring it to paſs, which it may be believed they would not for their own Sakes have been ſeen in, if they had thought it could have failed of Succeſs.

But Gregg, tho' a Traytor, would not be a Murtherer. Whether they were not ſo, who endeavoured to make him ſo, will be tryed at another Tri⯑bunal.

[21] As theſe things concurr'd to improve that Intereſt which Mr. Harley had in her Majeſty's Favour, ſo it made way for, and not a little contributed to the Breaches which followed, and the Impreſſions they made in her Majeſty, in Prejudice of thoſe Men who were concern'd, were ſuch as were not eaſily wiped out. Her Ma⯑jeſty, who was a Princeſs of exceed⯑ing Piety, believing that Men, who could ſtoop to ſuch wicked, and even bloody Methods, to remove a Perſon out of the Way of their Adminiſtra⯑tion; would ſtick at few things that could occur, and were ill qualify'd to bring about the Bleſſing of Her Reign, in the Felicity of Her Peo⯑ple, which was Her utmoſt Deſire.

But things were not yet brought to Maturity, nor the Grievance of the Adminiſtration come to its Height; and ſeveral things were yet to hap⯑pen, which ſhould concur with the Impreſſions Her Majeſty had re⯑ceived before, to leſſen the Pleaſure She took in the Services of ſome a⯑bout [22] Her; and, conſequently, make Way for their Remove: But as theſe do not concern Mr. Harley, they ſhall be no otherwiſe mentioned, than as they ſerved to introduce the Re⯑volution which followed.

It was in the Year 1708. when Mr. Harley was diſmiſs'd from the Office of Secretary of State; and Mr. Boyle, now Lord Carleton, ſucceeded him in that Place; a modeſt inoffenſive Gentleman, and concerned neither one way or other in the Brigues above⯑mentioned. And now it was thought they who had the Adminiſtration would have gone on in their Buſineſs without any Interruption, that they had none to diſturb them, but that he, who, they pretended, would have ſupplanted them, being laid aſide, they were out of Danger; and it may be ſaid of them, that they were weak enough to think thus themſelves; but they ſoon found themſelves deceived, and that the very Perſons, who had puſh'd them upon the Breach with Mr. Harley, on pretence of ſupplanting them with the Queen, were in a [23] ſtrong Confederacy or Plot to ſup⯑plant them with the People, and by the Conſequence thereof with the Queen; and wanted nothing, but to remove Mr. Harley from them, to make way for the Execution of their Deſign, as the Perſon, whoſe Inter⯑eſt in the Queen, as well as his Capa⯑city to diſappoint them, they, above all other, thought to be dangerous to them.

It is with the more Reaſon that it is ſaid, they thought, by the Conſe⯑quence of ſupplanting the Miniſtry, they ſhould effectually ſupplant them with the Queen; becauſe, having made the Experiment in the Caſe of Mr. Harley, that the Queen might be prevailed on by their new Method of treating her Majeſty to part with Miniſters, tho' She was not diſſatis⯑fied with them; they concluded they might take the ſame Method, and bring her Majeſty to the Neceſſity, ſo they undutifully called it, of part⯑ing with others: And that this is true in Fact, that this was their View at that Time, is proved by a [24] Letter, written by a noble Lord then in the Miniſtry, who, when their Plot broke out, had the Weakneſs, or Want of Decency, to write a Let⯑ter to the D—of R—into Scotland, wherein he treats her Ma⯑jeſty and Miniſtry both in the Words following: ‘'I would not have you be bullied by the Court-Party; for the Queen her ſelf cannot ſupport that Faction long.'’

This was ſtrange Language from a Secretary of State actually in Office, and eminently diſcovered, that the Charge publickly laid againſt Mr. Harley, of a Deſign to ſupplant the Miniſtry, ſhould have been laid on another Hand, who now publickly viewed a Deſign, not only of ſup⯑planting the Miniſtry, who he called a Faction, but of bringing the Queen into ſuch a Condition as not to be able to ſupport them.

It became ſoon evident, that the Perſons, who this noble Lord called a Faction, were no other than the late Earl of Godolphin, and his Grace the [25] D—of M—. The One at that Time at the Head of the Army, the Other of the Treaſury, as by their farther open Declarations in the Ele⯑ction of the next Parliament appear⯑ed, in which the Juncto to the Whig-Noble-Men, embarkt in this Deſign, were called, openly joined with the male-contented Party, ſo the high Church were then; nay, even with the Jacobites againſt the Miniſtry, villifying and expoſing the ſaid Lord and Duke, and eſpecially a certain Dutcheſs, in a Manner far exceeding all that unjuſtifiable Rudeneſs that has been made uſe of ſince that Time.

This however obliged her Majeſty to concern her ſelf in the matter, and to let the Juncto ſee, that She was able to ſupport her Servants, and that She would not be reduced to the Neceſſity they boaſted of; the Con⯑ſequence of this was, that they were effectually diſappointed, and after⯑wards made no Difficulty to make their ſeparate Peace with her Maje⯑ſty and her Miniſtry. To which Tranſaction Fame refers us for an [26] eminent Original of abandoning Al⯑lies, &c. for it was obſervable, that when they made their own Peace, they left all their Confederates to the Diſcretion of the Miniſtry.

But this Matter had another Ef⯑fect, for which Reaſon it is made a neceſſary Part of this Account, (viz.) that in the interval of this Breach, much was diſcovered of the Infirmi⯑ty, to ſay no worſe of it, of both Sides; and while they were villifying one another, to render their Deſigns black in the View of the People, they really, as it often happens in leſſer Caſes, made the Perſons on both Sides look leſs in the Eſteem of the World than they did before; there was much Dirt caſt on both Sides in the Quarrel, and it cannot be ſaid, that it was all wiped off in the Re⯑conciliation, nor did the Breach leave either Side in the ſame Station of her Majeſty's Eſteem as it found them.

Her Majeſty was a ſtrict Obſerver at that Time, of every Article of the Conduct of either Side; and it made [27] no ſmall Impreſſion on her Mind, that She found both Sides were to make a Property of her Authority, and that She was to be reduced to a Neceſſity of acting their Meaſures, which Side ſoever prevailed. From which juſt Obſervation, tho' her Ma⯑jeſty ſound it needful to ſupport the Miniſtry then in her Service, againſt thoſe who ſo openly affronted her Adminiſtration as well as her Perſon, in oppoſing them at that Time; yet from that Time her Majeſty enter⯑tained Thoughts of a general Change in her Meaſures, and reſolved to ſet her ſelf free as ſoon as might be from the unhappy Neceſſity, which, it ſeems, it was ſo eaſie to reduce her to, (viz.) of not being able to ſup⯑port her own Adminiſtration.

This was perfectly agreeable to the Scheme formerly propoſed by Mr. Harley to the Lord Godolphin, and often explain'd to her Majeſty before that Time, (viz.) to reſtore her Majeſty to an entire Freedom of acting; that all her Affairs ſhould be explained to, and laid before her Majeſty; that She [28] ſhould no more wear the Crown without the Scepter; that the Doors ſhould be opened to all Her Subjects, and a free Acceſs to Her Perſon be given to all; that Caſes of Conſe⯑quence might not come cover'd with the Repreſentations of the Miniſters; but every thing be laid fairly before the Queen, that She might act with open Eyes, ſee for Her ſelf, and give to, not receive Commands from, Her Miniſtry. Her Majeſty had, with ſome Regret, received the former Im⯑portunities of ſome about Her, in the Caſe of placing or diſplacing of Per⯑ſons; and eſpecially that unpleaſant, uncomely, as well as undutiful Ex⯑preſſion of, I cannot ſerve Your Ma⯑jeſty, unleſs, &c. and began to be tir'd with ſome Peoples perſonal Conduct, whoſe Services were otherwiſe very acceptable to Her, and their Fidelity entirely unſuſpected.

There were two other things which Her Majeſty could not avoid taking a particular Notice of in this Breach; and the future Conduct of theſe ve⯑ry Perſons make it very much to the [29] preſent Purpoſe to mention it here, viz. (1.) That the ſaid Juncto made no Scruple, in order to diſplace the ſaid Lord and Duke, to bring the moſt known proſeſs'd Jacobites, as well of the Nobility as of the Com⯑mons, as well in Scotland as in Eng⯑land, into their Confederacy, and even to Vote for them in the Election of the Parliament then chuſing, and many of them were actually elected by the Intereſt of the ſaid Whig Juncto; the Names are eaſy to be given. (2.) That they made no Dif⯑ficulty of diſplacing the D. of M—h from the Command of the Army; and thought there would be no Dan⯑ger to the Confederacy in it at all; and Her Majeſty was inform'd, that they went ſo far as to ſound the Dutch, either to ſee how they would approve of a Change, or to prepare them not to be ſurpriz'd at it: The like things having been cenſured in ſuch rude Terms by the ſame Per⯑ſons, who then, for their own private Ends, engag'd in them; Her Maje⯑ſty could not but call to mind the Circumſtances, and look on the Per⯑ſons [30] with ſome Reſentment, when they came to ſpeak of the ſame things as trayterous, ungrateful, perfidious, and the like.

Theſe, and ſuch as theſe, were the things which pav'd the Way for the new Turn, which ſoon after happen⯑ed; in which Mr. Harley acted con⯑ſonant to what he had from the firſt propos'd; laying before Her Majeſty ſuch Meaſures as were calculated for quieting, not diſturbing the Admini⯑ſtration; not propoſing ſuch Change of Parties, and ſuch Turnings out of Perſons, as afterwards happened; no ſuch thing being in View, till the Combinations of certain Perſons in Places, and who acted upon the old Principle of reducing the Queen to the Neceſſity of acting as they de⯑ſired, oblig'd Her Majeſty to do it.

It is not needful to enter into the Detail of the Conduct of others; but this Paſſage cannot be omitted, viz. that the Evening of that Day, when the Treaſurer, the Earl of Go⯑dolphin, was diſplaced, a general Meet⯑ing [31] of the Perſons in that Intereſt, was held at Mr. B—Houſe, where it was laid down as a Maxim, that the new Managers could no Way ſupport the Undertaking; that they could never be able to keep up the publick Credit, raiſe Money, or carry on the War; but would ſoon plunge the Queen in ſuch inextricable Difficulties, as that She would be forc'd to come back to them; and therefore it was their Buſineſs, one and all, to reſolve not to come into the Queen's Meaſures, in order to di⯑ſtreſs Her new Miniſters, and ſo ob⯑lige Her to diſmiſs them.

How openly they purſued this Reſolution, is well known; as alſo how Mr. Harley, now made Chan⯑cellor of the Exchequer, and one of the Commiſſioners of the Treaſury, ſurmounted all the Difficulties which they caſt in the Way, ſupply'd the Money, kept up the Credit, and run into no Plunges, as was ſuggeſted, by which they were no leſs ſurprized than diſappointed; all this is recent and known.

[32] It is named here, to ſhew where began the Miſchief of the Change; this Meeting of the late Managers was neither more or leſs than form⯑ing themſelves into a Faction againſt the Queen, and Her new Meaſures; which, though it did not produce the Neceſſity upon the Queen of changing Her Miniſtry again, as they expected; yet it did put the new Managers upon making uſe of other Hands than they intended; to which Point of Circumſtance, all that has ſince happened, may be traced back, as to its proper and only Original; for had that Faction not been form⯑ed, or had they not, when formed, abſolutely rejected the Queen's Offers of Accommodation, and of keeping them in their Places, nothing is more true, than that all things had gone on in the uſual Courſe of the Admi⯑niſtration, by the ſame Methods, to the ſame Purpoſe, and almoſt by the ſame Perſons as before. But Sathan hindered; and the Conduct of the outed Party was very ſingular on that Occaſion.

[33] It occurr'd to them naturally, that the Parliament in being would take ſome Step in their Favour; and that they ſhould be able to ſpread the Uneaſineſs much farther, if not throughout the Kingdom, and it of⯑fered as a Foundation of forming a new Intereſt in their Favour; this paſs'd a while, and their Friends in the City falling upon the new Mini⯑ſtry with ſome Attempts of another Nature, it was evident, they ſup⯑ported thoſe Attempts, by their De⯑pendance on their Intereſt in the Parliament; and ſo open they were in their Politicks on this Occaſion, that they were not backward to ſay, The Parliament would unravel the new Meaſures, and the Queen could go on no farther than the next Seſ⯑ſion. The Miniſtry were too vigi⯑lant not to ſee the Deſign; nor was Mr. Harley ignorant how far they might probably go to make good their Threats: This made it abſo⯑lutely neceſſary to diſſolve the Parlia⯑ment; the Inclination of the People alſo to the Change, now beginning [34] to appear more than it had done be⯑fore; and the new Elections appear⯑ing to be generally on the Side of the Change, the Reſolutions of the Party mention'd above, began to waver, their Intereſt ſeparate, and, in fine, the new Miniſtry, after this, met with leſs Difficulty and Obſtru⯑ction in their Affairs, though not with leſs ill Treatment from particu⯑lar Perſons, and from the Party in the City eſpecially, where the Fer⯑ment went too high to be ſpoken of in a narrow Compaſs, and where the Meaſures taken to ruin the Pub⯑lick Credit were ſuch, though unſuc⯑ceſsful, as has not been ever pra⯑ctis'd before, and gave Her Majeſty great Cauſe to reſent them, even on the whole Party.

In this Juncture, Mr. Harley was ſnatch'd from the Adminiſtration, by an unparallell'd Attempt upon his Life; at firſt it ſurpriz'd every one, as it began to be thought the Attempt of the aforeſaid Party, or ſome ſet on Work by them; but it ſoon appear'd the ſingle Act of an enrag'd French⯑man, [35] the Marquiſs de Guiſcard, made deſperate by being detected of a Treaſonable Correſpondence with France, who aſſaſſinated Mr. Harley at the Council Table, ſtabbing him into the Breaſt with a Penknife, and repeating the Blow a ſecond Time, not knowing that the Penknife was broke, and the Blade left in the Wound; he gave him a Contuſion with the Handle by the next Blow, more dangerous and painful than the firſt: What mov'd this Scelerat to ſuch an horrid Act, the apprehending him, wounding him, his Impriſonment, and Death in the Priſon of Newgate, are needleſs in this Account; being alſo made publick at that Time by other Writers.

None could be blamed for being of the Opinion, till the Particulars ap⯑pear'd, that this Blow was given by the Procurement of the other Party; becauſe it ſuited ſo exactly with the Language given publickly the Perſon of Mr. Harley at that Time, as well in the City as elſewhere, that it was confeſs'd by themſelves, the Suſpicion [36] was juſt: But the Horror of the Fact ſo touch'd thoſe, who had a Senſe of Humanity, that the Generality, even of the Enemies of the new Miniſtry, could not refrain expreſſing them⯑ſelves with ſome Warmth againſt it, and it aſſiſted for ſome time to the treating him with ſomething leſs In⯑decency than before; and not only ſo, but the Affairs of the Govern⯑ment gaining upon the Oppoſers eve⯑ry Day, the new Meaſures began to be better reliſh'd among the People than before.

Soon after the Recovery of Mr. Harley, and his Conduct in the pub⯑lick Affairs having ſatisfy'd Her Ma⯑jeſty, that his Qualifications for the Employment were equal to the Weight of ſuch an Employ, the Com⯑miſſion for the Treaſury was diſſolv⯑ed, and Mr. Harley was made Lord High Treaſurer of Great Britain; Her Majeſty doing him the Honour to give Him the Staff with Her own Hand, and at the ſame Time to ſign a Patent, creating him Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer, and ſoon [37] after created him alſo Knight of the Garter.

Theſe things are needful to men⯑tion, becauſe they are the Sum of all the Advantages which he can be ſaid to ſhare out for himſelf, having not, his Enemies being Judges, accu⯑mulated Honour or Profits, as has been uſual by Perſons in great Poſts; and this may be ſaid without Boaſt⯑ing, that no perſonal Avarice, no ag⯑grandizing of his Family, no getting of Grants, either to himſelf or to his Family, has been, or with Ju⯑ſtice can be charged on him; though, by the Share he enjoy'd of His Roy⯑al Miſtreſs's Favour, it might be ſup⯑pos'd, that he could not want Op⯑portunity for many things, which might have been as profitable as the moſt craving Temper might be ſatis⯑fy'd with.

The new Parliament being met, the Lower Houſe appeared enclin'd dutifully to oblige Her Majeſty, in e⯑very thing conſiſtent with their Li⯑berties, and with the publick Good; [38] and the Queen never deſiring any thing of them which ſhock'd their Affections to their Country's Safety and Advantage: This mutual Re⯑ctitude of Principle, created a perfect Harmony between Her Majeſty and the Houſe; every thing offered by the Houſe to Her Majeſty, met with a gracious Reception and ready Grant; and every thing laid before them by the Queen, was ſo juſt and ſo clear, that the Houſe, with an entire Confidence, came into Her Majeſty's Meaſures cheerfully, and with the greateſt Alacrity imagi⯑nable.

This Harmony was a great Diſ⯑appointment to the Party, who op⯑poſed the Miniſtry, and was chiefly owing to the exact Adhering to ſuch Meaſures in the Adminiſtration, as could admit no ſubſtantial Ob⯑jection; for it could not be ſaid, that the other People were not vi⯑gilant, to take Hold of every thing that might have given them any juſt Advantage. The Treaſurer, as far as he directed any thing, took [39] Care to keep it within the ordinary Rules of Buſineſs; and, particularly, knowing what Men he had to do with, took Care to have every thing tranſacted in full Council, and to be duly minuted in the Books. He kept to the Principle firſt laid down, of having the Queen ſee with Her own Eyes; and after duly debating things in Her Preſence, to have every thing directed by Her Majeſty, with Con⯑ſent, of Her own Knowledge, that Her Majeſty might have no Occaſion to ſay, as had been too much the Caſe formerly, that She left things to ſuch and ſuch Perſons, and had been ill ſerv'd.

The Treaſurer likewiſe took eſpecial Care to have all Buſineſs tranſacted in the proper Offices, and ſign'd by the Hands whoſe Province it was; thereby reſtoring the Adminiſtration to its natural Courſe, and delivering the Government from the Grievance of a PRIME MINISTER; and this is evident now, even to the Surprize of his Enemies, who hav⯑ing ſuppos'd, that the Treaſurer tranſ⯑acted [40] every thing, as had been the general Belief; and for which all a⯑long the Party loaded him with in⯑finite Aſperſions, find now that he really managed nothing ſeparately; and rather employ'd himſelf to pre⯑ſerve the Oeconomy of the Admini⯑ſtration, and ſee the publick Buſineſs diſtributed into the proper Hands, and then leaving thoſe Hands to diſ⯑charge their Duty, than interpoſing his own Authority, or encroach⯑ing upon the Province of the Mini⯑ſters.

Perhaps this Truth is ſo new, and the contrary has been ſo generally received, that it will not immediate⯑ly meet with that Credit, that ought to be expected to a thing ſo mani⯑feſt; but when it ſhall appear, that, in unravelling the Adminiſtration of thoſe Times, nothing can be found tranſacted by him, but what was the particular Duty of his Office, as Trea⯑ſurer; and that, on the contrary, e⯑very Miniſter of State did the Duty of his Place, and acted to the full what was his particular Province to [41] act; and that conſequently, they can⯑not faſten ſuch things upon the Trea⯑ſurer as it was hoped he might be charged with. I ſay, if this ſhould not be the Caſe, it will be a full Confirmation of what is ſaid here, that he rather directed every Man to his Duty, than acted in their Province himſelf. It was his Complaint, during the Adminiſtration of others, that they engroſſed the Buſineſs into their Hands; that the Secretaries and Privy Council were but Agents, and were made uſe of for Form only; and that the Queen being ſurrounded by them, all Acceſs to her Perſon was cut off; and it was his profeſs'd Inten⯑tion, that it ſhould be otherwiſe in his Adminiſtration; and if this is not made ſufficiently evident to thoſe who are now ſo narrowly inſpecting his Conduct, by the Manner in which they will find all Buſineſs tranſacted, there is another Proof which will oc⯑cur to every Underſtanding, (viz.) the Power the other Miniſters of State, and Men of Intreigue, obtain⯑ed hereby with the Queen; by which they afterwards took upon them to [42] oppoſe his Councils, and at laſt ef⯑fectually ſupplanted him.

If it had been true, that every thing had been done by him, as it was unjuſtly ſaid by his Enemies, it could not have been true, that his Ma⯑nagement was ill approved of by the Queen, and other Men entruſted, di⯑ſtinct from him, and who, when he oppoſed them; appeared to have a greater Intereſt in her Majeſty than he had, till at length they obliged him either to come into their Mea⯑ſures, which, in regard to the Good of his Country, he could not comply with, or to withdraw from them, and quit the Adminiſtration, which he ve⯑ry happily for himſelf choſe to do.

In this Conduct conſiſts ſo much his preſent Safety, that we ſee ſome of his Enemies very much diſappoint⯑ed, in that they cannot find him in ſeveral Parts of the Management of things which they thought were all his own; and it is ſurpriſing to find how far this Opinion of his, being the Fac Totum in all the Adminiſtration, [43] had prevailed; and the Enemies of the Treaſurer are under ſome Confuſion, by their not finding all Buſineſs dire⯑cted by him. It is manifeſt, that they had entertained a Notion, that the Queen was wholly governed by him; that She did nothing her ſelf, and no⯑thing but by his Direction; which is ſo evidently untrue, that it appears her Majeſty not only acted without him, but even contrary to him, in many things, till at laſt She was plea⯑ſed to enter wholly into the Meaſures of other Men; and when he could not be prevailed upon to join in thoſe Meaſures, thought fit to act quite without him▪ This, however unex⯑pected, will ſhew, that what has of⯑ten been ſaid to the Queen her ſelf, is now confirmed, (viz.) that the Trea⯑ſurer bore the Load of many things which he had no concern in; and in⯑deed this was evidently one Reaſon why he drew out of the Adminiſtrati⯑on, of which, and of whoſe Miſtakes, tho' he did not approve, he was ſure to bear the Scandal.

[44] It is not to the Purpoſe to enter here into the Reaſons why the Trea⯑ſurer rejected the Meaſures propoſed to him by theſe new Men; whether they were conſiſtent with the publick Good, or the Queen's Safety and Ho⯑nour, is fitter for them to defend, than for him to enquire into; it ſuffices to ſay, they were ſuch as the Treaſurer thought were not for her Majeſty's Service, and that therefore he declin⯑ed the public Affairs, rather than go on upon thoſe Foundations. It is effe⯑ctually proved by the Circumſtance of his Diſmiſs alſo, that the Admini⯑ſtration conſiſted of ſeveral Parts, and was not engroſſed, as was ſuggeſted, by the Treaſurer, in an arbitrary man⯑ner. The Diſcontents of other Men having been carried to ſuch a Length, as to affront him even in the Execu⯑tion of his Office, and to reject all the Offers of an Accommodation or Re⯑conciliation, which the Treaſurer fre⯑quently made to them, that the pub⯑lic Buſineſs might not be hindred. It is likewiſe to be obſerved, that in theſe Offers of Reconciliation, the Treaſu⯑rer [45] always repreſented the abſolute Neceſſity there was of having every Office do its own Buſineſs, and the Adminiſtration to run in the due Courſe, according to the ordinary Adminiſtration, without any ſuggeſt⯑ing the Superintendency of a prime Miniſter, or ſo much as claiming any Reſerve to himſelf; being willing to confine himſelf to the Sphere of his Office, with more Strictneſs than any of them deſired.

It was not the leaſt Affliction to the Treaſurer, that he found the A⯑varice of ſome Men in Office, and the Ambition of others, to be made great ſooner than ordinary, began early to offer Obſtructions to the public Buſi⯑neſs, and that he was frequently ill uſed by thoſe, who, he thought, had Reaſon to treat him otherwiſe, parti⯑cularly by a certain Eſq that he was not made a Peer ſo ſoon as he was willing to be ſo; as alſo that when he was honoured with the Peerage, it was but a Viſcount; and yet more, that when ſome Garters were diſpo⯑ſed, he was not gratified: This was [46] the more afflicting, becauſe that when this Perſon was at firſt, by the Treaſurer's Intereſt, recommended to her Majeſty, for the Office which he was entruſted with, the Treaſu⯑rer believed he would have acted from Principles of Zeal for her Ma⯑jeſty's Service, and a generous Con⯑cern for the Church and Nation in all he did, without making his private Advancement the Sum of his Deſires, and puſhing that Particular ſo far, as to inſult his Friends for the Delay, however neceſſary that Delay would be to the Queen's Service, who found it neceſſary to make uſe of his Ser⯑vice longer in the Houſe of Commons, and gave him Aſſurances, at the ſame time, that the Delay ſhould be no Detriment to his Rank; ſo that it only affected his Impatience, not his Ambition, which was an exceeding Aggravation of his Miſtake, ſhewing at what rate he eſteemed his Mi⯑ſtreſs's Service, and the Public Good, which, to a Miniſter of State, ſhould always go before his own Advance⯑ment.

[47] The Treaſurer failed not, upon all Occaſions, to repreſent to this Perſon, and to his Friends, the evil Conſe⯑quences of dividing from the Queen's Service, by dividing againſt one ano⯑ther; but was always treated with Diſreſpect, and with much Paſſion. The neceſſary Concerts in publick Matters were much hindred by theſe things, and it was ſcarce poſſible to go on in the Execution of Matters determined in the Council to be done, all Confidence being hereby deſtroy⯑ed, and the Harmony, neceſſary in carrying on ſo much Buſineſs, where ſo much Oppoſition was to be expe⯑cted, being thus broken, it is not to be wondred at, if it gave infinite Ad⯑vantages to thoſe who made that Op⯑poſition, of which the Treaſurer fail⯑ed not in making juſt Repreſentations, as well to the Perſons themſelves, as to her Majeſty likewiſe, who often ſpoke of the ſame with Regret.

But it was all to no Purpoſe, the Treaſurer found the Heat encreaſe, rather than abate; and that it par⯑ticularly [48] bent its Fury at ſuch things which, altho' they were particular to the Province of Treaſurer, he had thought fit to do without communi⯑cating his Schemes to him, tho' at the ſame time they thought fit to carry on the Negotiations and Trea⯑ties abroad, in many Caſes, without communicating their Meaſures to him, and ſometimes hardly to the Queen herſelf. The Treaſurer has been loth to mention the mean Reaſons given for their quarrelling with him about the Scheme for Payment of the great Debt the Nation was engaged in, (viz.) that they ſhould have gotten Money by it; but ſince the ſecret Committee have thought fit to pub⯑liſh that Part of it, which the Trea⯑ſurer formerly laid before her Maje⯑ſty, whereby it is no longer a Secret, it may ſerve to convince Mankind, that the diſintereſted Conduct of the Treaſurer in the Adminiſtration, and his reſolving to make no private Gain out of the Ruins of his Country, was not the leaſt Part of his Manage⯑ment, which thoſe Men diſliked, or [49] the leaſt Reaſon why they behaved ſo uneaſily to him.

But to dwell no longer on this Part, thoſe who knew the Difficulties with which the Treaſurer ſtruggled, in the Matters of Credit, and of Mo⯑ney, and the Oppoſition the Party, whom the Queen had diſmiſs'd, made to every Step that was taken to re⯑ſtore it, could not but wonder that theſe Men, who, at the ſame Time confeſs themſelves unequal to the Work, ſhould not be content to con⯑tribute no Aſſiſtance to it, but ſhould, on the contrary, ſo much obſtruct things, and encourage the Oppoſition of others, as their Breaches one with another were known to do.

The Treaſurer had baffled the De⯑ſigns of thoſe who had endeavoured to prevent his remitting Money to the Army, and the eſtabliſhing the Credit of the Publick; and notwith⯑ſtanding at his Entrance into the Office, he found the Exchequer ex⯑hauſted, the Bank refuſing to advance Money upon ſuch Securities as the [50] Government was able to offer, had the Army at the ſame time in the Field, which ſome People were not aſhamed to own, they expected ſhould mutiny for their Pay, yet he had ma⯑ſtered all theſe Difficulties, and gave good Reaſon to believe that he would have gone thro' every other Obſtru⯑ction; and it was not a little afflicting to him, to find his Oppoſers among thoſe who he had, by his Intereſt and Recommendation, brought into Buſineſs.

Yet as things are now like to go, it is no little Satisfaction to him, that if there has been any criminal Nego⯑tiations ſet on Foot, any favouring the Pretender, any Meaſures entred into, to the Prejudice of the Succeſſion of the Houſe of Hanover, theſe things muſt be found among thoſe Parts of their Conduct which they were plea⯑ſed to tranſact by themſelves, and to which they did not vouchſafe to ad⯑mit the Treaſurer, as not being ſo much at that Time in their Confi⯑dence; and as they acted theſe things by themſelves, ſo they muſt anſwer [51] for them by themſelves, if the preſent Government think fit to call them to Account for it, the Treaſurer having had no Concern in any thing of that Nature, and is perſuaded that no Man had the Aſſurance to make an Offer of any thing of that kind to her Ma⯑jeſty, and that if they had, that the Queen would have reſented it with the utmoſt Indignation.

The Obſtruction theſe things gave to the publick Adminiſtration, had divers other Effects; and particularly it gave Encouragement to the outed Party, in their vigorous Oppoſition of all her Majeſty's Meaſures, which they carried up to ſuch a height, as to expect the Houſe of Peers would be brought to their Side; and tho' the Treaſurer had a firm Satisfaction in the Peers, that they would not be impoſed upon in theſe things, yet ſee⯑ing the Numbers appear'd ſomething equal, and that the Party diſcovered ſome Aſſurance of carrying their Point; Her Majeſty reſolving not to run the Venture, choſe to make a Number of Lords for ballancing his [52] Enemies, a Practice allowed by the Law, and undoubtedly in the Prero⯑gative, however clamoured very much in the preſent Caſe; and not⯑withſtanding which, as was evident by the Sequel, the Treaſurer's Opi⯑nion appear'd to be founded on a right Judgment of things, (viz.) that they were ſafe in the Votes of the Peers who were already in the Houſe, the Queſtion being carried in the Houſe by one Voice more than the Num⯑ber of new Lords then created. The Warmth of thoſe People, who, at this Time, puſhed at the new Miniſters, may be judged of by that other In⯑cident which attended at this Time, (viz.) That the Occaſional-Bill was at this Time brought in by them, which they had always oppoſed be⯑fore, and which, it ſeems, was now ſubmitted to, in Favour of the E. of N—'s Scheme, who declared himſelf againſt the Adminiſtration from this Time, for Reaſons ſo mean, as [...] requires not to be remem⯑bred, and who, however, forgot not to [...] a good Capitulation with thoſe [...] ſurrendred to, and to gain this [53] Point of the Whiggs, which they had always, till now, withſtood; but neither the E of N—inſiſting on ſuch high Terms for ſo mean an Ad⯑vantage, as the beſt Service he could do them, nor the Eaſineſs of the Whiggs at that Time, to part with the Diſſenters on ſuch cheap Terms, were by far, ſo wonderful, as the Satisfaction with which the Diſſen⯑ters ſtood and lookt on while the Fetters and Mannacles of this new Law were faſtened upon them; it cannot be doubted, that ſecret En⯑gagements were entered into between the Parties, to take off this Law a⯑gain by Parliament, when an Occa⯑ſion ſhould offer: When that Occaſi⯑on ſhall be ſaid to offer, Time muſt ſhew. All the Uſe which Her Ma⯑jeſty made of theſe things, was to ſee to what a Length thoſe, who reſolved to oppoſe her Meaſures, were come, and what Sacrifices they would make, to bring about their Schemes; but theſe things moved Her not at all.

[54] It was far more afflicting to her Majeſty, to ſee Her Servants claſh⯑ing with one another, in the Execu⯑tion of Her Commands; and to ſee the Endeavours, uſed by Herſelf, and thoſe who adhered to Her Pleaſure, ineffectual to the putting a Stop to it; yet even theſe Evils, tho' dan⯑gerous to the Adminiſtration, had their Effect for the bringing about the great Event which now came on the Stage, concurring with the Mea⯑ſures of the Whiggs, ſo far as to make it be ſtill more and more Her Ma⯑jeſty's Opinion, that it was abſolutely neceſſary to put an End to the War.

The Treaſurer's Opinion was not material on the Subject of a Peace, the Queen having declared, that it was Her firm Reſolution, if poſſible, to be done upon juſt Conditions, to put an End to the War; but the Treaſurer was more convinced of the Neceſſity, as well as Juſtice of Her Majeſty's ſaid Reſolution, when he ſaw not only the Warmth wherewith the [55] oppoſite Party oppoſed the Miniſtry, even in carrying on the War; but the Diviſions apparently breaking into the Adminiſtration, by the Power of thoſe, who ſet up a new Faction in the Miniſtry, and by the Influence they had, not only upon the Queen, but upon the Members of Parliament, and upon ſome uſeful People in moſt Offices under her Majeſty.

Yet the Treaſurer took no Steps in the Affair of the Peace, till the French, having made Propoſals of Peace to Her Majeſty, it came be⯑fore him to conſider, whether thoſe Propoſals were ſuch as might lay a Foundation for a ſolid Negotiation. The Treaſurer took nothing from them otherwiſe than ad Referendum, neither entered into any ſecret Nego⯑tiation without Her Majeſty's Directi⯑on and Knowledge: What any other Perſon might do, being employed or directed by this new Faction, the Treaſurer accounts not for, any more than he does for many of the Orders and Directions given to the Perſons [56] employed abroad to carry it on, in which he had no Concern.

The Treaſurer cannot but hope, that the preſent Enquiry, which is ma⯑king into theſe things, will ſerve to his Vindication in that Part, where⯑in he ſuffers in the general Scandal of other Mens actings, as if all things had been directed by him; the con⯑trary is evident in many other Caſes beſides that of the Peace, wherein his Part of the Negotiations ſeemed rather to be, to ſet to Rights the Miſtakes made by others; and to put them in the Way of a regular Negotiation, after the moſt remiſs and diſconcerted Conduct had brought them into Confuſion, as was many times the Caſe: If the Treaty ſuffered by thoſe Steps, and if the French were vigilant to make Advan⯑tage of the People, who, they found, acted with leſs Regularity than in a Caſe of ſuch Conſequence they had Reaſon to expect; the Treaſurer has the Satisfaction of ſeeing, that the Advantages ſo made are the leſs, by [57] the Part he acted in that Matter, and not the more.

The Truth of what is ſaid of the Treaſurer not being Maſter of the Meaſures, by which the ſaid new Faction then acted, was evident from their obtaining, without his Conſent or Knowledge, an Order from Her Majeſty, to pay the Sum of Twenty Eight Thouſand Thirty Six Pounds Five Shillings for Arms, &c. on the Account of the Expedition to Cana⯑da; which Sum the Treaſurer ſcru⯑pled to pay, for ſuch Reaſons as are well known to be juſt, among which, one was, that he had Reaſon to be⯑lieve the ſaid Demand was a Fraud, that the Money was to be applyed to private Uſe, and that the greateſt Part, if not all, was not to be em⯑ployed in the Service for which it was pretended to be asked; which Reaſon likewiſe cauſed the Treaſu⯑rer to withdraw himſelf out of that matter, and to refuſe, for ſome time before, to meet with thoſe who tranſ⯑acted it.

[58] Neither will it be of any Force to ſay, that the Breaches did not take Effect till toward the End of that Adminiſtration, and that the Trea⯑ſurer was the ſole Director for the firſt Three Years, as ſome inſinuate, to take off the Force of theſe Re⯑marks; for it is certain, that tho' the open Diſcovery of theſe Diviſions, and their breaking out into a Flame, did not appear without Doors till after the Peace was finiſhed; yet the fatal Influence of them began, even at the Beginning of the Miniſtry; the Intereſt began to divide in Feb. 1710-11, and the Treaſurer refu⯑ſed to meet in ſeveral Congreſ⯑ſes of their Allies; becauſe he found them carrying on criminal Intreagues for the defrauding the Public, and enriching themſelves by the Spoils of their Country.

It would expoſe the new Faction aforeſaid, ſhould it be made publick, how they treated the Treaſurer for refuſing to corrupt his Hands, and ſtain his Integrity, with betray⯑ing his Sovereign to thoſe, who, he [58] foreſaw, would betray all to their voratious Avarice; how he was ne⯑ver to be forgiven the Omiſſion of ſuch a Step; and that they would, by no Means, be thought to have Juſtice from him, if they were hin⯑der'd from making a Prey of their Country.

It is becauſe he ſtrives not to load any Man, much leſs thoſe, who, he fears, have already too much Guilt to anſwer for, that he forbears to en⯑ter into the detecting thoſe Pra⯑ctices, which he then abhorr'd; it is enough to mention what thoſe Men too well know the Truth of, (viz.) That from the Beginning he found their Meaſures too much calculated for private Advantage, without that diſintereſted Aim at the publick Ser⯑vice, which the Duty of Miniſters of State requir'd; and that, according to his Duty, he, with Plainneſs and Sincerity, told them his Thoughts of it, in order to their reforming the Principle from which they acted; told the Queen of it, in order to pre⯑vent Her Majeſty's being impos'd up⯑on; [60] and being able to do no more, withdrew from them in thoſe things which he did not approve; as, in particular, that Affair of the Money demanded for the Expedition to Ca⯑nada.

In which Affair, the Treaſurer has the Satisfaction of making it appear, that he did not come into the Fraud; and that, notwithſtanding the Im⯑portunity of the Perſons, he reſiſted their Demand of the Money, till ſuch repeated Orders were ſent him to comply with it from Her Majeſty, as he had no Power to withſtand; and likewiſe has had the Satisfaction to find, that, ſince theſe things, Her Majeſty had an Opportunity to ſee the Cheat more openly detected by his Means; and to know, that whatever was ſuggeſted by the Treaſurer, of a deſign'd Fraud in that Caſe, was true.

But what was yet more wonder⯑ful, was, that the Perſons concern'd were not aſham'd to vindicate them⯑ſelves in this Practice; and to ſug⯑geſt, [61] that they ought to be allow'd to do ſuch things; ſignifying alſo their great Reſentment at the Trea⯑ſurer, as if they were wrong'd by him, in being reſtrain'd from thoſe things, which no honeſt Man could allow.

The Peace having been effectually ſet on Foot in the Year 1712. met with unexpected Oppoſition at Home; and as it was thought that thoſe of the Allies, who ſeem'd to appear moſt active againſt it Abroad, were mov'd to do ſo, by the Impreſſions which they receiv'd from hence; it was, by Her Majeſty's Command, made his Province to ſet on Foot ſuch Negotiations in ſuch Foreign Courts as were neceſſary, in order to undeceive the Princes and States A⯑broad, as often as they had receiv'd ill Impreſſions of Her Majeſty's Inten⯑tions, and to ſet Her Meaſures in a true Light before them, that no Miſ⯑conſtructions might be made of Her ſincere Deſires to act in Concert with them, and for their Intereſts; and, conſequently, no fatal Miſun⯑derſtandings [62] might happen in, which might ſeparate the Allies one from another, which would be a Means to make the Advantages, which might be obtain'd by an unanimous Treaty, either leſs in themſelves, or difficult to obtain; and it is not to be wonder'd, if the Treaſurer ſhould af⯑terwards, in the Account of theſe things which he laid before Her Ma⯑jeſty in the Year 1714. ſay, That, during the firſt Year of the Peace, his Hands were full of negotiating the Peace in all Courts abroad; ſeeing the Conduct of theſe Men, and the Mi⯑ſtakes they made, made it often dif⯑ficult, as well as troubleſome, to re⯑concile their Meaſures, and to di⯑ſtinguiſh between what they had done, and what Her Majeſty intended to have had them do.

As to what was offer'd at Home againſt the Negotiations of the Peace, Her Majeſty took little Notice of; nor did it make any other Impreſſion on Her, than to convince Her more and more, of the Neceſſity She was under of finiſhing the War, and [63] confirming Her Opinion in the Rea⯑ſonableneſs of Her Negotiations. The Oppoſition made about that Time to the publick Adminiſtration, as well of the Treaſury, as of the military Affairs, gave Her Majeſty ſtill leſs Diſturbance; for the Treaſurer having been ſupported by the needful Funds, which the Parliament, with great Duty and Application, diſpatch'd, to Her Majeſty's Satisfaction, eaſily ſur⯑mounted the Difficulties which ſome endeavour'd to caſt in his Way, in the procuring Money to carry on the publick Affairs, and the Queen's Buſineſs now began to be on a bet⯑ter Foot than ever. The Party, who, from the Beginning, had op⯑pos'd Her Majeſty's Meaſures at Home, and embarraſs'd them Abroad, began to loſe Courage, and to give it over, finding the Queen reſolved to purſue Her juſt Deſigns, and Her Servants in a Capacity to ſupport Her Adminiſtration, which they had been very poſitive, in their Aſſurances to the Foreign Courts in Alliance with the Queen, could not be brought to paſs, and on the Miſcarriage [64] whereof, the Sum of their Affair de⯑pended.

As the ſaid Aſſurances to the Fo⯑reign Courts had created much Dif⯑ficulties to the Miniſters, and had made the Negotiations very preca⯑rious; ſo when the Failure of thoſe Aſſurances appear'd, as it did very evident, by the withdrawing of ſome Perſons from the Kingdom, and by the Submiſſion of ſeveral active Peo⯑ple at Home, and by the dutiful and cheerful Concurrence of the Parlia⯑ment then ſitting; in which all the Difficulties which could be ſtarted by the malecontent Party, were clear'd up, to the full Satisfaction of the ſaid Parliament, who evidently came into the Peace, and even into the Manner, or Terms of it: I ſay, on the Failure of thoſe Aſſurances given from hence to ſome Foreign Courts, and ſuch neceſſary Steps as were taken by the Treaſurer, to aſ⯑ſure thoſe Courts of the Sincerity of Her Majeſty's Intentions: Many of thoſe Courts appear'd ſatisfy'd, and things went on in a free and open [65] Negotiation abroad for a while, with more Succeſs, and leſs Difficulty, than before.

Yet even in this Part, in which they could contribute ſo little, did the Perſons abovementioned give the publick Affairs all imaginable Ob⯑ſtruction, and make the Treaſurer's Work thereby exceedingly difficult, by their frequent breaking in upon Meaſures, acting raſhly, and with⯑out Concert, and perhaps ſometimes without ſufficient Directions, or Or⯑ders, in things of the niceſt Nature; in which the Treaſurer's Intereſt with them was ſo ſmall, as that whatever he could ſay to them on that Head, was to very little Effect; and for that Reaſon, as likewiſe becauſe he was willing to do nothing which ſhould render Her Majeſty uneaſy, or obſtruct Her Service, he gave them as little Obſtruction as poſ⯑ſſible.

But as Men, who agree but ill in the right Management of their Of⯑fice, are likely to agree worſe with [66] themſelves; ſo the Treaſurer had fre⯑quently his Hands full with the leſſer Broils, which they raiſed one among another; and which, either by their own Application, or by Her Maje⯑ſty's Order, it was often made his Province to reconcile.

It would take up much Time to ſpeak of theſe Matters, and eſpecially of the Conduct of the Secretary, then Mr. St. John, before, at, and after his having the Dignity of the Peerage granted him by Her Majeſty; in which many are Witneſſes to the Treatment the Treaſurer receiv'd from the Paſſion of that Gentleman, and his Friends; as it relates to the De⯑lay of his Advancement at firſt, and his being ill ſatisfy'd with the Degree of it, when granted: The Particulars of which, though Her Majeſty's Conduct was ſo juſt, and ſupported with ſuch Reaſons, as could not but be ſubmitted to by all his Friends; yet were receiv'd by him with ſuch Reſentment at the Treaſurer, as it has not been uſual for Men of like Sta⯑tion [67] to meet with, or for Miniſters of State to give to one another.

It cannot be doubted, but this Conduct, as it obſtructed the publick Affairs on one Hand; ſo it expos'd them much on the other; leſſen'd the Eſteem of the Perſons, as well as the Power of Her Majeſty's Servants, and brought the Adminiſtration into Contempt, both at Home and A⯑broad; and, which was ſtill worſe, exceedingly diſturbed Her Majeſty, divided Her Eſteem this Way or that, as Her Majeſty found to Day this Perſon, to Morrow that, acting up to, or below the Duty of their Sta⯑tion; diſtracted the publick Councils, and oftentimes caus'd Her Majeſty to ſhift. Her Service out of one Hand, and into another, which gave much Diſſatisfaction to the Queen in ſeveral things; and Her Majeſty failed not oftentimes to ſignify Her Diſpleaſure at theſe things; which it was much more eaſy for Her Majeſty to do, than to find a Remedy for them.

[68] This caus'd the Treaſurer, after things were brought to a length not to be otherwiſe accommodated, and after he had, in vain, by long Letters, as well as by frequent ſpeaking to the other Perſons, preſt them to a ſtricter and quieter Application to their Duty, to repreſent theſe things to Her Majeſty, in the plaineſt and beſt Terms he could; giving Her Majeſty an Account of the diſtinct Circumſtances She then ſtood in, with reference to the ſaid uneaſy Perſons; as alſo of the Scituation of Her Affairs at that Time; and how Her Adminiſtration then appear'd by their Management, to be encumber'd with Difficulties not eaſy to get through; but yet ending with pro⯑poſing due Remedies for the Evils which attended it.

It is true, one of the beſt Reme⯑dies for the ſaid Evils, had been an Unanimity of Councils, and adjoin⯑ing all the Queen's Servants together in a ſtrict Friendſhip to one another, and a mutual Diſcharge of their Du⯑ty [69] to Her Majeſty, that each acting in their proper Sphere, or particular Province, with a clear and diſinter⯑eſted View to Her Majeſty's Service, might go on in a good Underſtand⯑ing with one another, and a perfect Harmony of Deſires for the publick Good, and a juſt Subſervience to Her Majeſty's Pleaſure.

To this Purpoſe, the Treaſurer, as well in his Letter to the Lord Boling⯑broke, as in ſeveral Papers and Schemes which he gave in by Her Majeſty's Command, to regulate theſe Miſ⯑chiefs, always adher'd to the firſt Opinion which he had profeſs'd in the Time of the former Adminiſtra⯑tion, and of which mention has been made, viz. That every Mi⯑niſter ſhould confine himſelf to his eſpecial Province, concurring therein to the general Intereſt of the Sovereign, and endeavouring always to lay before Her Majeſty a true State of Her Affairs, ſhould then act with Subſervience to Her Commands, and in Concert with one another, for Her Intereſt and Service: This the [70] Treaſurer always back'd with juſt Re⯑preſentations of what was the parti⯑cular Province of the Perſon he wrote to; and not without earneſtly preſ⯑ſing him to enter into juſt Meaſures for the Diſcharge of the Matters im⯑mediately before them, and with Schemes for the carrying on the pub⯑lick Buſineſs ſo, as to make it eaſy to the Queen, and to themſelves.

Inſtead of juſt Returns to theſe, he was continually attack'd with Quarrels and Complaints, new and private Schemes of their own; ſome of which were form'd upon Principles that he could not, in Duty, comply with; and upon his rejecting ſuch Schemes, but eſpecially upon his prevailing with Her Majeſty to enter ſo far into the redreſſing theſe things, as to make a Nomination of Officers, different from their Propoſals, by a Scheme of the Treaſurer's; upon thi [...] Step, I ſay, he was treated ever with Outrage; nor could they be e⯑ver brought to any Rules or Me⯑ſures, in Concert with the whole Miniſtry, ever after; till the Treaſurer, to his great Satisfaction, withdraw [71] out of publick Buſineſs, and obtain'd the Favour of Her Majeſty to be diſ⯑miſs'd from an Adminiſtration, in which he had ſo little Influence, as not to be able to do his Duty; and yet ſo great an Unhappineſs, as to be charged with all the Miſtakes which other Men made,

The Treaſurer cannot but think the timely Diſmiſs he receiv'd, be⯑ing the laſt Favour his Royal Mi⯑ſtreſs liv'd to do him, was the moſt happy Turn from Heaven that be⯑fel him through the whole Courſe of his Life, ſeeing it will teſtify for him, in any Examination which may hereafter be made into theſe things, that the Miſtakes which may have been made in the Time of his Ad⯑miniſtration, have happen'd rather from the Want of Power in him to prevent them, than from his hav⯑ing the governing Influence in the Miniſtry, as has been ſuggeſted; that his Part of the Negotiations a⯑broad, has been rather to rectify what they had done amiſs, than to act by himſelf; and that no irregular [72] Steps have been taken by him, no unwarrantable Practices, no evil Council given by him; and that his only Misfortune, next to his having been ſuppoſed to be the Author of evil Councils, has been, that he has not been able to prevent the Effects of them, or to deliver the Queen from them, whoſe Illneſs, many can⯑not but ſtill believe, receiv'd not a little Encreaſe from the Trouble theſe things gave Her Majeſty, and the Grief of ſeeing the irreconcileable Claſhings of Her Servants.

But to go back to the Peace: It ſeems, in all the Speeches about the Tranſaction of that Affair, the Ob⯑jections lie rather againſt the Me⯑thods taken to bring it to paſs, than againſt the Illegality of the Miniſters being employ'd to bring the War to an End; which, nevertheleſs, ſeems to be the previous Queſtion; and here we find, that the proper En⯑quiry was, as to the Treaſurer, Whe⯑ther he has acted legally, in obeying the Queen's Commands, or not? If any of the Miniſters with, or with⯑out [73] his Knowledge and Conſent, enter'd upon Meaſures, in carrying on the Treaty, unjuſtifiable by the Laws of the Land; their ſeparate Management will, queſtionleſs, ap⯑pear the plainer; and the Treaſurer, when every Man ſhall anſwer for himſelf, will ſtill be the more openly vindicated from the Aſper⯑ſion mention'd above, of having the Direction of the whole Affair in him⯑ſelf.

As Her Majeſty found Reaſons to reſolve to put an End to the War; Her Miniſter, whether ther enter'd into Her Majeſty's Reaſons, or not, would find themſelves oblig'd to en⯑ter into Her Meaſures for the bring⯑ing it to paſs; whether the Reaſons which mov'd Her Majeſty to this Re⯑ſolution, were Her own, or were rais'd from the Counſel given to Her by any Perſon in whom Her Ma⯑jeſty repos'd ſo much Confidence, as to be prevail'd with by their Advice; whether Her Majeſty was mov'd by the Tendency ſo natural to Her, and the Compaſſion mov'd in Her Breaſt, [74] by the Expence of the Blood of Her People; ſome having ſaid, this was the firſt and only Motive; but ſuppoſing it was by the Counſel of Her Servants from other Motives, and be thoſe Motives what they will, it ſeems no Part of the preſent De⯑fence of the late Treaſurer, unleſs there appear'd ſome Ground for a Charge upon him, as being the Perſon who advis'd, counſell'd, or mov'd Her Majeſty to it, or to enter into any Meaſures with France for that Pur⯑poſe; which, on the ſtricteſt View of all that yet appears in publick, does not ſeem to be ſo much as pre⯑tended to.

While then it remains unenquir'd into, who firſt mov'd Her Majeſty to enter into Meaſures for making a Peace; and the Queen's undoubted Prerogative empower'd Her Majeſty to enter into, and finiſh Negotiations to that Purpoſe; It ſeems, that all the Enquiries into the Correſpondence between Her Majeſty's firſt Reſoluti⯑ons, and the ſubſequent Meaſures, will neceſſarily be plac'd to the Ac⯑count [75] of ſuch Intervention of Acci⯑dents, as caus'd Her Majeſty to change Her Thoughts; and that the Mini⯑ſtry cannot juſtly be charged to bring to paſs thoſe Reſolutions, and thoſe Changes, by Way of Intriegue, or with Deſign to carry on the Treaty with the more Diſguiſe; this would be to make the Queen's Servants guilty of betraying the Queen in the moſt infamous Manner, and expoſ⯑ing the Honour of Her Majeſty's Word in a moſt groſs and unjuſtifiable Manner; and if any ſuch thing could be prov'd, the Treaſurer would have no other Work before him, than to publiſh his Deteſtation of ſuch Practices, and waſh his Hands of the Guilt.

On the other Hand, it is humbly conceiv'd, That all ſuch Expreſſions as are inſiſted on by ſome in the Queen's Letters, Meſſages, or Speeches, to the Allies, or their Miniſters, in which Her Majeſty declar'd Her Reſolution to carry on the War; to make no ſeparate Treaty; to procure juſt Satisfaction to Her Allies, &c. [76] are to be expounded by the Grand Alliance; and to be built upon the Suppoſition, That Her Allies acted ac⯑cording to all their Engagements with Her Majeſty in the ſaid Alliance; otherwiſe Her Majeſty would be un⯑derſtood to oblige Herſelf to all that might be contain'd in thoſe Expreſ⯑ſions, whether Her Allies continu'd to diſcharge their Part or no; and, in the Conſequence of ſuch an Opi⯑nion, the Queen might at length be alone in the War, under the literal Obligation of thoſe Letters, Speeches, &c.

But it was the Opinion of the Queen at that Time, and of many of Her Servants, That the Allies, par⯑ticularly the States and the Emperor, had not done their Part in the War; and had not diſcharg'd their Engage⯑ments to Her Majeſty; and even the Parliament themſelves, in the Repre⯑ſentation of the Houſe of Commons to the Queen, (Reference being had thereto) did confirm that Opinion; nay, Her Majeſty found, that no Com⯑plaint from hence had the deſir'd Ef⯑fect, [77] to oblige the ſaid Powers to act in another Manner; but were productive only of Memorials and Letters, extenuating, or juſtifying themſelves; and in theſe things are ſaid more particularly to be form'd Her Majeſty's firſt Reſolutions.

Nor was this a Tranſaction of that Day only; it had been thus before: And this Her Majeſty had long been acquainted with, in the Time of the Earl of Godolphin's Adminiſtration, when, as has been credibly ſaid, his Lordſhip having frequently preſſed thoſe Allies to perform the Conditi⯑ons of the Grand Alliance; and to fur⯑niſh their Quota's and Contingents, as by the ſeveral Conventions and Stipula⯑tions, ſubſequent to the ſaid Treaty of Grand Alliance, they were oblig'd to do; receiv'd for Anſwer more than once, and that to Her Majeſty's great Grief; That their State was empo⯑veriſh'd; that they were able to do no more; and that unleſs his Lordſhip, meaning the then Treaſurer, would ſupply the extraordinary Charge, they could not carry on the War; [78] and muſt make their own Peace on the beſt Conditions they could, or to this Effect. If theſe things then were juſtifiable on the Part of any of Her Majeſty's Allies; they were much more to be defended on the Part of Her Majeſty, and Her Servants; though they were led by theſe things in the Method they were to take with the ſame Allies, even by a natural Re⯑turn.

Likewiſe in the Methods taken by ſome of the Allies, to reject, and render ineffectual the Treaty for a Peace, when it was ſet on Foot at Ʋtrecht; and to put an End to it by the Operations of the Campaign; Her Majeſty thought She ſaw ſo reſolv'd a Combination, not againſt a Peace only, but even againſt a Treaty, without enquiring whether it might have been concluded to Advantage or no; which combination Her Majeſty thought was not only inconſiſtent with, but contrary to, the expreſs Declaration of the States, of their be⯑ing deſirous of Peace; that Her Ma⯑jeſty, and likewiſe Her Servants, were [79] of Opinion, That Her Majeſty was juſtly diſengag'd from all that had been ſaid, promiſed, or ſtipulated be⯑tween them before; and was not at Liberty only, but bound by the ſtricteſt of all the Obligations which a good Prince could be bound by, to provide for the Safety and Eaſe of Her own Subjects, by a Peace, whe⯑ther in Conjunction with, or ſeparate from thoſe Allies; in the mean Time, nevertheleſs, providing as well as poſſible, for the Satisfaction of all Her Allies; if they thought fit to come into Her Meaſures, for their own, and the general Satisfaction.

This may appear more eſpecially from the Inſtructions given to his Grace the Duke of Ormond, when he went over General of Her Majeſty's Forces; wherein his Grace's Orders begin thus:

You are, with all poſſible Diligence, to repair to the Hague; and to acquaint the Penſionary, That, having ap⯑pointed you to command our Army in the Netherlands, we have given you Orders [80] to ſee him before you go to put your ſelf at the Head of the Troops. You are to expreſs to him the Reſolution we are in, of preſſing the War with all poſſible Vigour, until the Enemy ſhall agree to ſuch Terms of Peace, as may be ſafe and honourable for us, and for our Allies.

You are farther to ſay to this Mini⯑ſter, That you are prepar'd to live in a perfect good Correſpondence with all the Generals of the Allies, and particularly with thoſe of the States; and that you hope, you ſhall find the ſame Inclination on their Part, to which his (the Penſio⯑nary) good Offices will extremely con⯑tribute. You are, after this Introducti⯑on, to deſire the Penſionary to inform you what Plan has been agreed upon for the Operations of the Campaign.

The Duke, it ſeem, is of Opini⯑on, that when his Grace came to the Hague, and, purſuant to theſe In⯑ſtructions, communicated the Queen's Pleaſure, as well to the Penſionary, as to the Deputies of the Council of State, they declin'd him; receiv'd the Propoſals in a manner leſs ob⯑liging than Her Majeſty thought She [81] had Reaſon to expect; and it is e⯑vident, that they refus'd to commu⯑nicate their Meaſure to him, but re⯑ferr'd him to the Deputies in their Army; as may be ſeen in the Ac⯑count given to the Publick by his Grace, in his Book, Entitul'd;^* The Couduct of the Duke of Ormond.

This Quotation is needful, in or⯑der to ſtate the Caſe, as it then ap⯑pear'd to Her Majeſty's Servants, at the Time when Propoſals came over from M. de Torcy, in the King of France's Name, in order to ſet on Foot a Negotiation for a Peace; and which, by the Grand Alliance, Her Majeſty was not prohibited receiv⯑ing; and, conſequently, the Miniſters could not be blam'd for receiving it in Her Majeſty's Name; if, in the Purſuit of the Negotiations which have follow'd, they have acted illegally, that muſt appear upon due Examina⯑tion, and muſt lie upon thoſe, who it can be prov'd, by good Evidence, were guilty.

[82] The Treaſurer's Part in theſe things, can lie only in the general Tranſ⯑action, (viz.) The approving of the entring upon the Treaty, the parti⯑cular Negotiation not being his Pro⯑vince; except that his Share above⯑mention'd, which ſeem'd to be rather the Neceſſity he found ſometimes to rectify the Miſtakes which ſome, by their private Diviſions, and their other Practices, had run themſelves into, than that he manag'd any Part of the Treaty: But the whole Affair was tranſacted in the Council; or by the Secretary of State; or by the Queen through them both.

Moreover, it recurs back to what is obſerved before, That ſuch was the growing Breach among the Queen's Servants at this Time, that, not be⯑ing in Terms of Peace with one a⯑nother, they were ill qualify'd to con⯑ſult one another in the Affair of mak⯑ing Peace abroad; it is hop'd, for their Sakes, they have made no Slips; if it ſhould be otherwiſe, their Ene⯑mies will not fail to make their Ad⯑vantage thereof. But as to the Trea⯑ſurer, [83] it is evident, that as it was not his Province to correſpond with the Miniſters abroad; ſo he is not to an⯑ſwer for thoſe that did.

It may ſeem ſtrange, that in car⯑rying on this Account of the Con⯑duct of this Miniſter, who Fame has ſo often ſpoken of, as at the Head of all Affairs, it has not yet occurr'd to ſpeak of the Pretender, or ſo much as once to mention ſuch a Perſon; but that he ſeems to lie out of the Queſtion, as much as if there were no ſuch Perſon in the World; and this is the more wonderful, becauſe of the Pains which has been taken in the World, to load the Treaſurer with the Guilt of this, among the reſt; and even to aſſure the World, that this, among other things, would be prov'd upon him, as clear as the Sun at Noon Day; notwithſtanding which, ſome of his Enemies acknow⯑ledge now, that even in all the Ex⯑aminations into that Matter, that they do not ſee, that one Step, in Favour of the Pretender, can be prov'd upon him; neither do we find yet, that [84] thoſe appointed to examine into it, have charg'd him with any thing of that kind.

The moſt which the Examinations which have been taken of that Mat⯑ter ſeem to import, amount to no more than this; That ſome People in the Miniſtry knew of, or con⯑niv'd at his being permitted to reſide in the Dominions of the Duke of Lorrain: But all of them grant, that in all the Negotiations, they were ſtrictly enjoin'd to inſiſt upon his being oblig'd to quit the Domi⯑nions of France; ſo that they do not pretend to any thing done in the Treaty in his Favour, or of that kind, that could be uſeful to his De⯑ſign; nor is it alledg'd, that the Ob⯑ligations laid on the French King, not any Ways to aid or aſſiſt him, or to admit his Return, are not as full and as pungent, as Words could ex⯑preſs; which Treaty therefore being ſo calculated to remove the Pre⯑tender from the Aſſiſtance of the French, and from his Dominions, ſeem'd to anſwer all the Ends of the [85] moſt fixed and reſolv'd Enemies to his Intereſt, not valuing whether he might think fit to go; ſeeing if the French King kept his Word invio⯑lably, his near Reſidence in Lorrain would be of ſmall Advantage to him; and if otherwiſe, his remoter Reſidence could have been no more Obſtruction to him, than the Diffe⯑rence of a few Days in his Journey, when he ſhould have been recall'd; adding withal, that at the remoter Diſtance of Rome, or Venice, he would, with much greater Eaſe, have re⯑mov'd without Notice, and been able to have paſs'd incognito, when⯑ever he had any Deſign ſo to do, than he can do where he now is.

So that on the whole; As in the Treaty they took effectual Care to tie up the French King, from giving any Aſſiſtance to the Pretender, and put the Neceſſity upon him, of ba⯑niſhing him for ever from his Domi⯑nions, the Queen ſeem'd to have done all that was of Movement to be done; and if any one conniv'd at the Place of his Reſidence, in Fa⯑vour [86] of his pretending to the Crown of Great Britain, ſuch an one was ſo far guilty of a trayterous Confede⯑racy with the Pretender.

It is obſerv'd by ſome, that the Af⯑fair of the Pretender was the Pro⯑vince of the Abbot Gautier, who was a French Miniſter reſiding here dur⯑ing the Negotiations; but it dose not yet appear, or at leaſt we do not find, that any thing was tranſacted for him, but what related to the Place where he ſhould go; and that ſo as he might not be ſurpriz'd by the Emperor; and even this ſeems to have been left undecided; and that the Queen afterwards finding it was the Occaſion of Uneaſineſs among Her People, did earneſtly preſs to have him remov'd; all which can afford but ſmall Ground to ſuggeſt, as is done, That the Miniſtry had a reſerv'd Deſign to make him King of Britain.

This, however, not at all affect⯑ing the Treaſurer, had not been men⯑tion'd in this Place, but to remind [87] the Reader of the Injury the Trea⯑ſurer receiv'd, during the Time of theſe Negotiations, as well as ſince, in being openly reflected on, as in the Intereſt of the Pretender; where⯑as, upon the narroweſt Scrutiny, it is believ'd it will appear, that not one Step has been, at any time, taken by him; or that the leaſt Sha⯑dow of any thing will be found, that looks like favouring that Perſon's Intereſt: On the other Hand, it is apparent, That the Treaſurer has all along been hated and malign'd by the Jacobite Party here, as their greateſt and moſt dangerous Enemy; that they openly rejoic'd when he was diſmiſs'd from the high Station which he acted in before; and that as ſoon as the firſt Diviſion among the Miniſtry appear'd, they eminent⯑ly ſhew'd themſelves againſt the Treaſurer, and in the Intereſt of the other; which was a Teſtimony of the beſt kind, namely, of the Enemy in Behalf of the Treaſurer; and ſignifi⯑ed, that if they had any Hopes of their Intereſt in any Side, it was in thoſe who were now oppoſing the [88] Treaſurer to the utmoſt: Theſe things, if any thing will do it, may open the Eyes of ſome Men, to ſee the In⯑juſtice they have done to the Treaſu⯑rer in theſe things; and how inju⯑riouſly he has been all along treated by them.

The Treaſurer ſtanding in this Po⯑ſture, with reſpect to the Miniſtry at Home, in cannot be ſuppos'd but that many things, in the Tranſaction of the Peace, were actually done, not without his Conſent only, but that he entirely declin'd to inter⯑meddle with thoſe things which he did not approve. It was, no doubt, the Duty of the Plenipotentiaries, to leave ſuch Articles as they could not legally adjuſt, to the Parliament of Great Britain to ratify, or reject; and therefore the VIII and IX Ar⯑ticles of the Treaty of Commerce, which related to the taking off of Duties on ſeveral Merchandizes im⯑ported, could not be finally con⯑cluded, or otherwiſe ſettled, than by referring them to the Parliament, by whom the ſeveral Duties being ap⯑propriated [89] to particular Purpoſes, could alone be taken off: But when theſe things came to be laid before the Parliament, it ſeems, it was Subject of great Complaint againſt the Treaſurer, that he was unwilling, or declin'd to have the Miniſtry eſpouſe the making thoſe Articles effectual; whereas it was the Treaſurer's Opinion, That the Mi⯑niſtry ſhould entirely leave the Mer⯑chants to act as they thought fit; and leave the Houſe to act at the Merchants Requeſts, and as their own Wiſdome ſhould direct them; the Miniſtry ſtanding entirely neuter.

But this likewiſe he was over-rul'd in; and the reſt of the Miniſters thinking themſelves oblig'd to ſupport at Home, what they had tranſacted Abroad, brought in their whole Strength into the Debate, and, making it a Party Affair, loſt it in the Houſe of Commons, by that very Means, and no other: In all which Matter, the Treaſurer remain'd paſſive, and un⯑concern'd; though with this Injuſtice alſo on him, viz. That he ſuffer'd the Reproaches of the Whigs, for e⯑ſpouſing [90] the Bill of Commerce; and of the other Part of the Miniſtry, for not eſpouſing it.

It would be endleſs to go through the Detail of theſe particular Caſes, in which the Province of the Treaſu⯑rer was no other, than to bear infi⯑nite Calumny for thoſe Follies, which he had no Share in, but had not Power to prevent; and this made him frequently ſay, That he was out of Office near a Year before he was out of Place; and indeed, for ſome of the laſt Months that he remain'd in the Place, he had little to do in the pub⯑lick Affairs, but to complain of this injurious Uſage, viz. That he was ob⯑lig'd to ſee things done that he could not approve of; and then to hear them call'd his Doing.

Under theſe Unhappineſſes he be⯑came an humble Petitioner to Her Majeſty, either to deliver him from theſe Men, or to diſmiſs him from the Service: At firſt he prevail'd, to their great Uneaſineſs, to have a new Settlement of Great Officers made; [91] which, as he knew it overthrew the Schemes which the other People had laid; ſo he had Hopes it would, at length, put the Affairs in a Courſe of Ma⯑nagement, as would retrieve the Con⯑fuſion they were at that time in: This was when Her Majeſty appoint⯑ed the Duke of Shrewsbury Lieutenant of Ireland; Lord Finlater, to be Chan⯑cellor of Scotland; the Earl of Marr, third Secretary of State; Lord Dart⯑mouth, Lord Privy Seal; and Mr. Brom⯑ley, Secretary of State, in Lord Dart⯑mouth's Room; Sir William Wyndham, Chancellor of the Exchequer; and the Duke of Ormond, to command in chief in Britain.

It is impoſſible to expreſs the Out⯑rage of the other Perſons, who now own'd they look'd but like a FA⯑CTION in the Miniſtry; but gave out threatning Speeches plentifully, that they would ſoon deſtroy this new Scheme: The Trouble likewiſe which this gave to the Queen Herſelf, cannot be ſpoken of without Grief; eſpecially when it muſt be remember⯑ed, how near it was to that fatal Di⯑ſtemper [92] which remov'd Her Majeſty to a Throne, uncapable of ſuch Per⯑turbation and Diſſatisfaction.

It was not indeed very long e're Her Majeſty perceiv'd that they would never ceaſe attacking Her on theſe Heads, and began ſomething to yield to their Importunities; which the Treaſurer perceiving, renew'd his Applications to Her Majeſty, to the ſame Purpoſe as before: And in this Interval it was, that he receiv'd Her Majeſty's Command, to lay before Her a true State of Her Affairs; which Command he cheerfully obey'd, in Hopes the doing ſo might either for⯑tify Her Majeſty's Reſolutions in the Model of Adminiſtration lately enter'd upon, or replace himſelf in that Re⯑ceſs from Buſineſs, and from the Scan⯑dal of other Mens Miſtakes, which he ſo much deſir'd.

This Account the Treaſurer laid be⯑fore Her Majeſty the 9th of June; the Title whereof was as follows:

Together with this Account, the Trea⯑ſurer ſent Her Majeſty the following Let⯑ter; and, in a few Days after, the Queen did him the Honor of granting his hum⯑ble Petition, (viz.) of laying the Staff at Her Majeſty's Feet: The Letter as follows:

[95] Thus ended a troubleſome Admini⯑ſtration of a few Years; in which the Treaſurer may truly ſay, He enjoy'd the Place, but never could execute the Office; and though it is true, that he had all the Envy, and bore the Weight of all the evil Conduct of o⯑ther Men; yet nothing can be truer, than that they not only influenc'd the publick Affairs, diſtinctly from him; but that they carry'd every thing their own Way, even over the Belly of the Treaſurer; and had the particular Direction of thoſe things, of which he had the Scandal, for all their ill Management lies at his Door, in the Eſteem of his Enemies; and is, to this Hour, improv'd to his Hurt, as much as ſome Men are able.

It was, as has been ſaid, but a ſhort while after this Repreſentation to Her Majeſty, that the Queen thought fit to accept the Treaſurer's Ceſſion of the Staff; a certain Evidence, that their Influence had a prevailing Force with Her Majeſty, who would never elſe have conſented to admit ſuch Men [96] into Her Adminiſtration, who, it had been prov'd, had defrauded the Pub⯑lick of above 20000 Pounds in Mo⯑ney but juſt before; and who had ſo evidently been detected in that Fraud by him, who Her Majeſty ſuffer'd to lay down.

From hence it is argu'd, That the Knowledge of theſe things was one Reaſon, why the Queen, after the Treaſurer was actually diſplaced, had yet ſuch a Prepoſſeſſion againſt thoſe Men, that, to their inexpreſſible Mor⯑tification, Her Majeſty gave the Office of Lord Treaſurer to his Grace the Duke of Shrewsbury; a Perſon in the laſt Scheme of the Treaſurer; and therefore hated mortally by the new Faction, ſo we muſt ſtill call them; and a Perſon, in whoſe Advancement they were more confounded than before.

Had the Queen immediately entred into the Meaſures of thoſe Men, who perſwaded Her to diſmiſs the Treaſu⯑rer, She would certainly have like⯑wiſe receiv'd their Friends into ſuch Places as they had determin'd for [97] them; and then a few Months longer would have diſcover'd what they aim⯑ed at: The Treaſurer, how ill an O⯑pinion ſoever he had of their Capa⯑city, had, nevertheleſs, this Hope, That they would not take any Step in Favour of the Pretender; but always kept himſelf in Readineſs to have de⯑tected them in the firſt Steps they ſhould have made that Way.

But Her Majeſty's Diſtemper and Death intervening, ſurpriz'd them all; put an End to all their projected Schemes at once; and, among the reſt, had this one Unhappineſs, that it prevented the late Treaſurer, and de⯑priv'd him of the Opportunity of convincing Her Majeſty, by the Conſe⯑quences of the fatal Tendency of theſe Councils; and how naturally they would embroil Her Affairs, both at Home and Abroad.

Upon the preſent Enquiries made by the Authority of Parliament into theſe Matters, it ſeems, that ſome of theſe Men have not Confidence enough in the Juſtice of their own Meaſures, [98] to defend them in a Parliamentary Manner; but have retir'd, for the preſent; whether it ſhall be conſtru'd to ſignify, their pleading guilty to the Charge, ſhall not be enter'd into here; but certain it is, that they muſt know the Treaſurer may have ſomething to ſay to them, which they are not very well diſpos'd to hear.

The Treaſurer not doubting the Juſtice of thoſe, who the Laws of this Nation have made Judges of theſe things, APPEARS, and manifeſts thereby his Readineſs to caſt his Life, his Honour, and his Fortunes, upon the Honour and Impartiality of the Peerage of Great Britain; as be⯑ing aſſur'd, that nothing ſhall be there laid upon him, which cannot be fixt by the Teſtimony of good Witneſſes; and that he ſhall not be cenſur'd by their Lordſhips for thoſe Tranſactions, which have been the Work of other Hands; and that he ſhall not only have full Scope given him, for clear⯑ing up his Innocence in all the Points charged againſt him; but likewiſe a [99] Liberty to bring to open View, the Steps which have been taken by his Enemies, not only towards the Ruin of their Country; but alſo towards vindicating themſelves, by laying their own Crimes at his Door; in which Defence, no queſtion, not only all theſe things will be placed in a fuller and clearer Light; but many other things be brought into View, which have hitherto been either concealed, or very ill underſtood.