Copy in an unknown hand. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 185.The Elector to the Duke of Marlborough.
Tranſlation.

"I AM very much obliged to you for the trouble you have taken of informing me, by your letter of the 6th inſtant, of the project which you got approved of at the Hague, for putting King Charles and prince Eugene in a condition to act offenſively the next campaign. It is certain that one cannot imagine any thing more advantageous to the common cauſe, and that the prudence, with which you have formed this project, joined to the care which yon have taken to bring it to a happy [27] concluſion, has added not a little to the great obligations which the pub⯑lic owes you already, and to the glory of the Queen, who continues to give ſuch convincing proofs of her good intentions.

"With regard to the affair of Lubec, you are too well informed not to ſee that it would be as much my intereſt as the intereſt of the reſt of the allies, to ſee it terminated amicably, by an accommodation. But if this cannot be ſoon done, in a manner with which the adminiſtration may be ſatisfied, I leave you to judge if it will be poſſible to control the King of Sweden, and if I can diſpenſe with fulfilling the engagements into which I entered perſonally, concerning the biſhopric of Lubec, and thoſe to which the guarantee of the treaty of Travendahl binds me. Being joined in this guarantee with her Majeſty, and with Holland, I doubt not but in that caſe they will concur with me, in making the houſe of Gottorp ſenſible of its good effects, in an efficacious manner."

"You have, no doubt, been informed already, that the troops have been withdrawn by both parties from the city of Eutin, and from the whole biſhopric; and that the Danes are returned home, after having diſlodged the troops of the adminiſtrator; ſo that the only thing to be done now is, to ſupport that prince in the civil poſſeſſion, and in the adminiſtration of the biſhopric, under the guarantee of the ſame powers who are gua⯑rantees of the treaty of Travendahl. I hope that her Majeſty will not only contribute to this, but alſo, by her influence, determine the States General to join her in ſo ſalutary an undertaking. I beſeech you, Sir, to be ſo good as to give all your attentions to this, as the affair is of im⯑portance enough to deſerve them; and to be perſuaded that I ſhall never neglect an opportunity of ſhowing you how much I am,

Robethon's Draught. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 27.The Elector to Queen Anne.
Tranſlation.

"I Received, with the utmoſt gratitude, the letters with which your Majeſty honoured me, concerning the affair of Lubec. I entreat [28] you to be perſuaded that on this, as on all occaſions which can offer, I ſhall never have any thing more at heart than to conform myſelf to your intentions, and to give you proofs of my zeal for the common cauſe. It was with very great ſatisfaction I was informed, by Mr. Howe, of your Majeſty's favourable ſentiments for the intereſts of the houſe of Gottorp, and the inſtructions you was pleaſed to ſend on that affair to your mini⯑ſter at the Hague. I ſhall concur, on my part, with pleaſure, in the expedients which, without prejudice to the inconteſtible rights of that houſe, may terminate amicably the differences now ſubſiſting. I ſhall even employ myſelf, with all poſſible ardour, to reconcile the King of Sweden and the adminiſtrator to them. I wrote yeſterday to the latter, to diſpoſe him to this, and to repreſent to him that it is very juſt to give your Majeſty and the States the time which is neceſſary for engaging Denmark to reſolve to give their conſent, that the adminiſtrator may be re eſtabliſhed in the poſſeſſion of the biſhopric, without which I aſſure your Majeſty it will be no ways poſſible to control the King of Sweden. I doubt not but your Majeſty, by your great influence at the Imperial court, will prevail with the Emperor to concur with you and with the ſtates, in engaging Denmark to accept of ſuch a reaſonable expe⯑dient. This, in my opinion, is the only means of obtaining the end which your Majeſty has in view; mine ſhall always be to give you proofs of the profound reſpect with which I am, &c.

Robethon's Draught. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 188.The Elector to the Duke of Marlborough.
Tranſlation.

"I AM much obliged to you for the letter which you was at the trou⯑ble of writing to me. You would have heard, after you had written it, that the King of Denmark had accepted of the expedient propoſed. It is but juſt to aſcribe this principally to the ſtrong repre⯑ſentations which the Queen was pleaſed to convey to him. I am over⯑joyed that this affair is in a ſtate which gives room to believe that it will have no conſequence hurtful to the intereſts of the common cauſe."

"It is very diſagreeable that the prince of Baden ſhould be ſilent, when he ought to concert with you the operations of a campaign which [29] is already ſo near. It is to be hoped, that the imperial court, without delay, will take, in that reſpect, the neceſſary meaſures with her Ma⯑jeſty and with the ſtates. Whatever may be the reſult of this, you may aſſure yourſelf, that I ſhall give to lieutenant general Bulau, the orders which you deſire; and that the troops which I have in the Queen's pay will join your army, whether it acts in Brabant or in any part whatever of the empire. And I am inclined to hope at the ſame time, that if the States-general have troops in the army which you ſhall command, you will obtain from them, to have thoſe which I have in their ſervice."

"I do myſelf a very ſenſible pleaſure, in giving on this, as on every other occaſion, marks of the ſtrong deſire I have to conform myſelf to the Queen's intentions, and to ſhow you the eſteem I have for you, and how much I am, &c."

Copy in an unknown hand, Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 189.The duke of Marlborough to the Elector^*.
Tranſlation.

"THE dutcheſs of Marlborough ſhewed me a letter ſhe received from Mrs. Howe, which appears to me to contain an affair of ſo much conſequence, that I think myſelf obliged, as a good Engliſh⯑man, and as a faithful ſervant to your Electoral Highneſs, to commu⯑nicate it to you. It contains, that all that has been done in England this winter, for eſtabliſhing the proteſtant ſucceſſion, and for teſtifying re⯑ſpect and attentions to your electoral family, is, in the opinion of the electreſs, of ſo little conſequence, that ſhe conſiders it, at moſt, as a mere compliment; and that, for that reaſon, it will be more agreeable to her, that the acts of parliament may be ſent to Hannover without any ceremony, and that the garter which the Queen has given to the elec⯑toral prince, may be ſent merely by a herald."

"Theſe ſentiments, concerning what hath been done here, are altogether different from thoſe, which every one in England, who has ever ſhewn [30] any zeal for the proteſtant ſucceſſion, entertains of it. It is for this reaſon, I am not able to reflect upon this affair, without a great deal of uneaſineſs. The parliament have redreſſed ſeveral very eſſential defects in the laws, which regarded a proteſtant ſucceſſion. They have provided againſt all accidents which human prudence could foreſee, and they have put the government, in the time of the ſucceſſor, on the ſame footing which it is at preſent, during the reign of the Queen. Theſe things are conſidered here, as affairs of the laſt importance, and as the moſt real and eſſential marks that could be given of a true zeal for the proteſtant ſucceſſion."

"With regard to the act of naturalization of the electoral family, it has been declared to be abſolutely neceſſary, by the unanimous opinion of all the judges, who are the beſt guides in an affair of that nature. With re⯑gard to the propoſal of inviting the electreſs over to England immedi⯑ately, when it is conſidered, by what fort of men it was made, in what manner, and at what time, there was reaſon to hope, that a propoſal of that nature would not be better received by the electreſs, than it has been in England. There is no one ſo capable of judging of all this affair, as your electoral Highneſs, and you only can ſet it before the electreſs in the proper light. This is what I beſeech you to be pleaſed to do, for the good of England and of the proteſtant ſucceſſion. I can⯑not make a better excuſe for the liberty I have taken, than the true zeal and attachment which I have for your ſervice, being with great reſpect and ſubmiſſion," &c.

Original. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Miſ⯑cell. d'Etat. 2, No. 4.The Earl of Portland to Robethon.
Tranſlation.

"ALTHOUGH it is a long time ſince you heard from me, you muſt hot believe that this proceeds from a forgetfulneſs of what I owe to my old friends. With regard to what concerns the ſervice of the family, I am ſure that the elector does me juſtice. But experience ſhews, that he has ſervants here as faithful as thoſe who affected to give him an invitation, and intended to make a merit of it, after having ſeen that all their oppoſition to the ſucceſſion was uſeleſs. What gives pain [31] to good men here, is a belief that you was miſtaken. Such an opinion would have done great harm if it had continued, at the very time that the Queen and the majority of the parliament gave ſenſible proofs of their ſincere intention to ſecure the ſucceſſion. Yeſterday the Queen ſummoned a chapter of the knights of the order, in which the electoral prince was choſen. I entreat you to believe, that I always am very truly, &c.

Original. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 38.Cowper, the lord-keeper, to the Elector.

WHEN I was firſt, by her Majeſty's great goodneſs, raiſed to the ſtation I am now in, I could not perſuade myſelf, that a ſubject of ſo little importance, would have then excuſed my preſumption in troubling your electoral highneſs in this manner upon that occaſion, though with the ſincereſt aſſurances, that my heart ſhould ever continue moſt firmly devoted to the ſervice of your E. H. and your E. H. ſe⯑rene houſe. But now, ſince I hope it is allowable for me, to expreſs to your E. H. the very great ſatisfaction I have with every good Engliſh⯑man, received from the effectual ſecurities lately provided by the parlia⯑ment, for the proteſtant ſucceſſion to the crown of England; I beg leave humbly to preſent to your E. H. at the ſame time, his moſt faithful pro⯑feſſion of a moſt ardent zeal for your E. H. proſperity, and promiſe never to neglect any thing in my little power, that may poſſibly conduce to it; being fully perſuaded, it is impoſſible to be in the true intereſt of England and not to be a faſt friend to that ſucceſſion, which the ſenſe of the kingdom hath ſo often declared to be its only defence from the moſt deplorable condition a people can be reduced to. I was one of thoſe, who have had the honour, for a long time paſt, conſtantly to have ad⯑hered to that opinion, for excluding a Romiſh ſucceſſor, even while it was unfaſhionable and decried by thoſe that were in authority; and there⯑fore, that the ſame perſons ſhould now continue firm to the ſame, when it is owned by the legiſlative authority and the general bent of the peo⯑ple, can admit, I think, of no queſtion. This I choſe to mention, as an evidence of my ſincerity in what I profeſs, rather than multiply ex⯑preſſions, which are in every one's power to make; not that I am at all apprehenſive of thoſe endeavours which have been uſed to render your E. H. and your E. H. ſerene houſe diſguſted, with thoſe who have the trueſt concern for your ſervice; ſince it is impoſſible, that ſo excellent a judgment as that of your E. H. ſhould ever prefer the ſurprizing ſtarts of a ſudden unaccountable zeal, contrary to known principles, affected merely for popularity, and ſhewing itſelf in one particular only, (while all other means tending to the ſame are neglected) to a ſteady, uninter⯑rupted, [33] and uniform courſe of acting for the proteſtant ſucceſſion, and flowing from principles, that were owned, when moſt diſcountenanced. But theſe endeavours in me to give your E. H. any ſatisfaction of this kind, are perfectly unneceſſary, ſince my lord Halifax, who is ſo able and thoroughly verſed in all the affairs of this kingdom, and ſo acquainted with the inclinations and practices of all men in buſineſs here, is to be for ſome time, in your E. H.'s court, where none can ſo well diſperſe all unfair repreſentations of facts; and when that is done, your E. H. can⯑not but make the wiſeſt concluſion, and ſuch as next, under the bleſſing of God, may beſt tend to make yet more effectual, thoſe prudent pro⯑viſions which the wiſdom of this kingdom hath, on mature deliberation, thought fitteſt to be made for the intereſt and honour of your E. H.'s ſe⯑rene houſe and the public happineſs. I am, &c.

Original. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes, No. 39.Lord Somers to the Elector.

"THE hopes of having my letter preſented to your Electoral High⯑neſs, by my lord Halifax, has encouraged me to the preſumption of writing. I could not hope for a more favourable opportunity of mak⯑ing this humble tender of my duty, than by the hands of one, who has ſo eminently diſtinguiſhed himſelf, upon all occaſions, for the ſettling and eſtabliſhing the ſucceſſion of the crown of England, in your moſt ſerene family, and who will be a witneſs above exception, of my conduct, in every part of that affair. I confeſs I always depended upon it, that my public behaviour ſhould be an abundant teſtimony for me, as to my zeal to the proteſtant ſucceſſion, and for promoting the war, in order to reduce the power of France, which I take to be the moſt effectual ſecurity to that ſucceſſion.

It is with infinite ſatisfaction we hear your Electoral Highneſs has been pleaſed to approve the meaſures taken in our parliament this laſt winter. My lord Halifax is able to give ſo perfect an account of every thing that has been done, and of the ſeveral means uſed to bring them all to bear, that I ſhall not pretend to enter further into that matter, than by ſaying, [34] I hope it will appear, that nothing is now wanting to the eſtabliſhment of the ſucceſſion that can be done by the proviſion of laws; and that the adminiſtration of the government, when the ſucceſſion ſhall take place, will be upon the ſame foot that it is now in the Queen's reign.

It might have a ſtrange appearance, that they, who by a long and ſteady ſeries of acting, had ſhown themſelves, beyond a poſſibility of diſpute, the aſſertors of the ſucceſſion, in the perſon of her Electoral Highneſs, the princeſs Sophia, ſhould in the leaſt heſitate to agree to a propoſition, that it was neceſſary to have the next preſumptive heir to the crown to reſide in England; but I beg leave to ſuggeſt to your Electoral Highneſs's conſideration, that if this had been allowed for a rule, it might poſſibly, in a little time, have preſſed very inconvenient upon your Electoral Highneſs. It was not to be imagined you would leave domi⯑nions, where you were ſovereign, to reſide in England, before you were our king; and yet there would have been an inconveniency in rejecting an invitation of that nature, when the kingdom had before declared ſuch a reſidence to be neceſſary. But the manner of making this propoſal was, above all other things, the ſtrongeſt objection to it. The ſpeech with which it was introduced, is in print, and ſo cannot be miſrepre⯑ſented. The turn of it was to ſhew firſt, that we could go on no far⯑ther with the Dutch, (which was in effect to ſay, we muſt make peace) and next to ſay, the Queen's adminiſtration was hardly ſufficient to help us in peace, at home, unleſs the next heir came over. The Queen was preſent at this diſcourſe, and no one can judge ſo well as your E. H. whether this was a compliment proper to engage her Majeſty, to enter willingly into the invitation; and if it had been aſſented to with reluc⯑tance, whether it might not have given riſe to unkindneſſes, that might in the end have proved very fatal.

They who were afraid of entering into ſuch an invitation, (eſpecially coming as it did from thoſe, who never till then ſhewed any concern for the proteſtant ſucceſſion) thought it proper to lay hold of that favour⯑able conjuncture, to puſh in for thoſe ſolid proviſions, which were evidently wanting, and which we hope are brought to effect, by the act that is to be farther carried on by the negociation entered into for en⯑gaging the allies to become guaranties of our ſucceſſion, and by the treaty [35] between the commiſſioners of England and Scotland, for a union of the two kingdoms, which ſeems to be the way now laid open, for obtaining the declaration of the ſame ſucceſſion in Scotland, which is already effected in England. I believe there is a good diſpoſition in the com⯑miſſioners, on both ſides. I can abſolutely promiſe for one, the meaneſt of them, that as far as my capacity and application can go, nothing ſhall be wanting to bring this treaty to a happy iſſue.

Having already preſumed to take ſo great a liberty, I humbly beg permiſſion of your E. H. to mention another particular, the act of na⯑turalization, which ſome have ſaid was, at leaſt, unneceſſary, if not a diminution to your moſt ſerene family. If this be ſo, not only all our preſent judges, but all the lawyers of former ages have been in the wrong. There are but two ways of making any perſons born out of the allegi⯑ance of the crown of England, capable of enjoying inheritances, honours, or offices in this Kingdom; the one complete and perfect, which is a na⯑turalization, by act of parliament; the other imperfect, which is by letters patent, of denization. That this is ſo, cannot be better proved, than by the inſtance of his highneſs prince Rupert. For when K. C. the Firſt intended to create him D. of Cumberland, to make him capable of that title, it was found neceſſary, previouſly to make him a denizen, by the K.'s grant, under the great ſeal; the differences then ſubſiſting between the King and his parliament, making it impoſſible to procure a naturaliza⯑tion. But the preſent act is attended with all poſſible marks of honour and reſpect, for the Queen and nation. It extends to all the poſterity of her R. H. the princeſs Sophia, born, or hereafter to be born, and where⯑ſoever they are born, which is a privilege that was never yet granted in any caſe, till in this inſtance. It is only from your E. H.'s eminent goodneſs, that I can hope for pardon, for this tedious addreſs. I am, with the moſt profound reſpect, &c.

Original. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 32.The Earl of Sunderland to the Elector, ſent by Lord Halifax.
Sunderland had been ſent laſt year, to compromiſe the differences be⯑tween the Emperor and the Hungarians; and on his return from Vi⯑enna, paſſed through Hannover.
Tranſlation.

"YOUR Electoral Highneſs honoured me with ſo many marks of kindneſs, while I was at Hannover, that I preſume to take the li⯑berty of giving you aſſurances of my duty. Your Electoral Highneſs is undoubtedly acquainted with the character and merit of lord Halifax, whom the Queen ſends upon this occaſion, to your Electoral Highneſs; and I can aſſure you, Sir, that as there is none who has teſtified, on all occaſions, more zeal for eſtabliſhing and confirming the proteſtant ſuc⯑ceſſion in your electoral family, and who has more contributed toward it; ſo there is none who is more in the confidence of all thoſe who are well affected to the proteſtant ſucceſſion, and to the proſperity of Eng⯑land, or who is more capable of informing your E. H. of all the meaſures which have been taken in this affair, and of all thoſe who have uniformly teſtified the trueſt zeal for the ſucceſſion, as well as of thoſe who have conſtantly oppoſed it. I entreat your E. H. to be perſuaded, that I am, with an inviolable attachment, and with the moſt profound reſpect, &c.

Original. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 34.The Duke of Bolton to the Elector, ſent by Lord Halifax.

"I Am glad of this favourable occaſion to write, by this noble lord, to give your Electoral Highneſs an aſſurance of my zeale for your ſerviſe, and the intereſt of your family, which I ſhall always take hold of all opportunity to demonſtrate, whenever I think it may tend to the eſtabliſhing your ſucceſſion to the crown of this kingdome. There is none that can informe you better how all things are here, and who they are that do trewly embrace your intereſt, than my lord Halifax, to [37] whome you may give entire credit, he being very ſincerely, a trew ſervant of your moſt ſerene familey. I depend upon it, that he will aſſure your Electoral Highneſs, that no perſon living can be with greater truth and reſpect than myſelfe, &c.

Robethon's draught. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 190.The Elector to the Duke of Marlborough.
Tranſlation.

"I Am very much obliged to you for the letter which you have taken the trouble of writing to me. I conſider it as a freſh proof of your zeal for the proteſtant ſucceſſion, and for the intereſts of my family. I communicated its contents to the electreſs. She comprehends perfectly well the advantage of the two acts, and what obligations we owe the Queen, for having employed her influence, in getting them paſſed. We are alſo very ſenſible of the honour which ſhe does to the electoral prince, in ſending him the order of the garter. As you know, that I am naturally an enemy to ceremonies and compliments, you are undoubtedly per⯑ſuaded, that it is from that very motive I have wiſhed that Mr. How ſhould be charged with that commiſſion. I entreat you, my lord, to be ſo good, as to aſſure her Majeſty of our ſincere gratitude, and of the at⯑tention which we ſhall always employ, to cultivate the honour of her friendſhip. I flatter myſelf, that it is too ſolidly eſtabliſhed to ſuffer any diminution, from the diſcourſes attributed to the electreſs, which ſhe certainly never held with Mrs. How; and which, having only come to the ears of that lady, at ſecond hand, have been undoubtedly related to her in an unfaithful manner. I depend very much upon your af⯑fection, and upon your attentions, to maintain a friendſhip which is ſo very precious to us as that of the Queen; and I am, very ſincere⯑ly, &c."

Original. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 28.Queen Anne to the Elector.
Tranſlation.

"MY brother and couſin. Knowing the inviolable attachment, which the intendant of my finances, that is to ſay, the auditor of the Exchequer, lord Halifax, has always teſtified for your perſon and your intereſts; I gave him orders to preſent to you authentic copies of three acts, which concern your family. The ſhare which he has had in theſe acts, renders him very fit to explain to you, with what intention they have been formed; and, I doubt not, but you will agree with me, that nothing could more effectually ſecure the ſucceſſion of your family. It is with this view I have given them my aſſent, having nothing in the world ſo much at heart, as to preſerve our religion and the tranquillity of my ſubjects, by leaving theſe kingdoms to the mild dominion of my proteſtant heirs. I have given orders to lord Halifax, to aſſure you, that, on all occaſions, I conſider your intereſt as my own; and, as a ſmall proof of my eſteem and affection for your family, I have made my couſin, the electoral prince, knight of the order of the garter; which is a dignity, that my anceſtors always conferred upon thoſe whom they moſt eſteemed, and of which the greateſt princes in Europe are ambi⯑tious. The earneſtneſs of my above-mentioned miniſter to obey my orders, and his zeal for his country, equally engage him to diſcharge this commiſſion. I beſeech you to be ſo good, as to honour him with your confidence, when he enters upon theſe ſubjects; and when he tells you, with what ſincerity, I am," &c.

Robethon's Draught. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 191.The Elector to the Duke of Marlborough.
Tranſlation.

"I Am much obliged to you, for the letter of the 26th of March, (5th of April, N. S.) which you was at the trouble of writing to me. I received, with the utmoſt gratitude, the communication of the deſign [39] of finiſhing the war in Italy, with which the Queen was pleaſed to honour me. I judge it worthy of her Majeſty's prudence, and of her zeal for the common good. I doubt not but you will execute it, in a manner, which will add a new luſtre to the glory which you have already ac⯑quired, and a freſh obligation to thoſe which the public owe you. I am very ſorry, that the ſtate of my affairs, the ſituation of my country, and the juſt diffidence which I muſt entertain of ſeveral of my neighbours, do not leave me the power to agree to ſend my troops to ſuch a diſtance; and to put them beyond the reach of being of ſervice to me, in caſe of need. You know, my lord, that I expreſsly reſerved it to myſelf, by the treaty, the liberty of bringing them back, when I ſhould find it requi⯑ſite for my own defence; and that the fear of that want has induced me not to renew the treaty, but from year to year, and to ſpecify the places where my troops ſhould act. I doubt not, but before you begin the propoſed march to Italy, you will take care to provide ſufficiently for the ſafety of Holland; ſince a check upon that ſide might occaſion irre⯑parable loſſes to the common cauſe; and your being at ſuch a diſtance, might put it abſolutely out of your power to bring timely relief; and as it is impoſſible to provide for the defence of the frontiers of the re⯑public, but by leaving in them a powerful army, I think the troops, which I have in the Queen's pay, may be allowed to ſerve in ſuch an army. I am much obliged to you, for communicating to me the pro⯑jects of the prince of Baden. I judge of them, in the ſame manner as you do; and I ſee no reaſon, that they ſhould be attended to. I always am, very ſincerely," &c.

Original. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 35.The Earl of Rivers to the Elector, ſent by lord Halifax.
Original.

"THE character of my lord Halifax, who does me the honour to preſent this letter, is ſo well known to your Electoral Highneſs, that I thinck, the beſt method I can take, is to refer myſelf entirely to his juſtice and friendſhip, for the account he will pleaſe to give of mee, to your Electoral Highneſſe. He and I have bin ſo conſtantly united, in every thing that has bin ſet on foot, for promoting and ſecuring the pro⯑teſtant ſucceſſion, in your moſt ſerene family, and in carrying on the war, in order to the reducing the power of France, that he can ſpeake of [40] mee as fully as of himſelf. The Queen has bin pleaſed to command me to ſerve this year; I can never wiſh for more honour and happineſs, then to be capable of performing any thing, that may deſerve your Elec⯑toral Highneſſe's approbation. I am, with all poſſible reſpect, &c.

Original. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Miſ⯑cell. d'Etat. 2. No. 190.Lord Halifax to Robetbon.

"I HAVE received the favour of your letter of the 30th, and ſhould have returned my moſt humble acknowledgments, for the great honour his electoral highneſs and the electoral prince have done me, by the next poſt, had it not gone away earlier than I imagined. I have undertaken this journey, merely to pay my duty and reſpect to their electoral high⯑neſſes. I knew myſelf very unfit for any foreign buſineſs; but I would not refuſe a commiſſion, (though never ſo improper for myſelf) that might put me in a capacity of ſerving them. Sir, I beg the favour of you, that you would preſent my moſt humble duty to their electoral highneſſes, and to the electoral prince, with the utmoſt reſpect; and aſ⯑ſure them, that as I have been always devoted to their intereſt in Eng⯑land, I am now come abroad, only in hopes I may be ſome way uſeful to them. I bring them the greateſt proofs, that the Queen and the na⯑tion can give them, of their affection and zeal, to preſerve and maintain the ſucceſſion in that illuſtrious family: and I hope the negociation, that my lord Marlborough is now carrying on in this place, will add a greater ſtrength to our laws. Mr. Vanburgh is not yet come over; and I came away in ſuch a hurry, that I left ſeveral things to follow me. When they arrive, I will ſet forward for Hannover. I have excuſed myſelf from bringing any young nobleman with me, but my lord Dorſet is left [41] to my care, and I ſhall bring him with me. Monſieur Nariſeau and Mr. Addiſon, two gentlemen of learning and buſineſs, give me their company, and I bring no more ſervants or liveries than I have at London. I am, &c.

"I am overjoyed that I ſhall have again the honour to renew our ac⯑quaintance; and you needed no recommendation to put an entire confi⯑dence in Mr. Robethon."

Original. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes, No. 36.The Duke of Newcaſtle to the Elector.

"IT is with the greateſt ſatisfaction imaginable that I give myſelf the honour of writing to your Electoral Highneſs upon this important occaſion, wherein the ſecurity of the proteſtant religion, the proſperity of England, and the liberties of Europe, (which ſeem to be united to the intereſts of your moſt illuſtrious family^*) are equally provided for by the act paſſed this laſt ſeſſion of parliament. And ſince it has pleaſed the Queen to make choice of my lord Halifax (a perſon of great abi⯑lities, and entirely devoted to your Highneſs's ſervice) to preſent you with that act, who is able, at the ſame time, to give a perfect account of the whole proceedings in this affair; I would not omit aſſuring you, that as I did in this, ſo ſhall I do in all things wherein your Highneſs's intereſt is concerned, teſtify with how much zeal, and profound reſpect, I am, &c.

Robethon's draught. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 47.The Electoral Prince to Lord Raby.
The following letter is in Mr. Robethon's hand. It was afterwards tranſcribed and ſent by his Electoral Highneſs, as a ſpecimen of his own progreſs in the Engliſh language.

"I AM very much obliged to you for your letter, and your kind ex⯑preſſions about my concerns. You do me juſtice to be perſuaded, that I am very ſenſible of the honour the Queen hath been pleaſed to [42] beſtow upon me, in giving me the garter. Your compliment upon that ſubject is infinitely agreeable to me. I wiſh I could deſerve that which you make me upon my progreſs in the Engliſh language, and that I could be ſo great a maſter of it as to expreſs perfectly the conſideration I have for your perſon, and how much I am, &c.

Original. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 193.The Duke of Marlborough to the Elector. The operations of the campaign.
This letter was ſent by lord Halifax.
Tranſlation.

"QUartermaſter general Cadogan gave me the letter which your E. H. did me the honour to write to me the ſecond inſtant; and I am very happy to learn that you entirely approve the project which I had concerted, as the moſt falutary for the common cauſe. But the bad news lately received from the Upper Rhine, has induced the gentlemen here to drop theſe meaſures; yet, ſtill endeavours are uſed to march a corps of ten thouſand men into Italy, with which, it is to be hoped, prince Eugene will be in a condition to re-eſtabliſh his affairs, and to ſave his royal highneſs the duke of Savoy from the danger which threa⯑tens him.

Lord Halifax, who will have the honour of delivering this letter to your E. H. will likewiſe inform you of all that paſſed in England, hav⯑ing been one of the moſt zealous for your intereſts. His great capacity, and his knowledge, will give him alſo, I am ſure, a favourable acceſs to your E. H. All honeſt men, among us, applaud the choice which her Majeſty has made of him. He has been ſo good as to charge himſelf with aſſurances of the attachment, and of the very ſubmiſſive reſpect, with which I ſhall always be, &c.

Original. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 3 [...].Lord Wharton to the Elector.
Tranſlation.

"IT is with confuſion that I preſume to addreſs myſelf to your E. H. having no other merit, but that of having always endeavoured to ſerve my country well, and of having attached myſelf, with great zeal, to the intereſts of your E. H. and of your auguſt family. I doubt not, Sir, but my lord Halifax, who has the honour of being ſent to your E. H. will do me juſtice in that reſpect; and I am confident that you are ſo well informed of all that paſſes in England, that it would be un⯑juſt to you, if I ſhould doubt that your E. H. was not perfectly acquainted with his merit, and with the earneſtneſs which he always teſtified for your ſervice. I am, with the moſt profound reſpect, &c.

Original. Ibid. No. 37.The Earl of Orford to the Elector.

"THE pride and glory I take, to be accounted a very faithful and obedient ſervant to your moſt Serene Highneſs, will, I hope, be an excuſe for this liberty, though it contains nothing, but the aſſurance of the utmoſt of my poore ſeruis for the intereſt of your Highneſs and illuſtious houſe^*. Lord Halifax, who has bin ſo very inſtrumental in bringing this glorious work of the ſucceſſion to the crown of England to a good concluſion, will, I am ſure, give your Highneſs a very full, and, I hope, a ſatisfactory account, of all the ſtepts and difficulties which are now ſo happily overcome; I therefore do not trouble your Highneſs with any particulars, but beg leave, with great ſubmiſſion, to aſſure your Highneſs, that I ſhall never be wanting, on all occaſions, to expreſs my duty and zeal, and that your Highneſs will honour me, in believing I am, with the greateſt reſpect, Sir, &c.

Original. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Strafford.Duke of Buckingham to the Princeſs Sophia.

"AFter receiving thoſe ſeveral copies of letters about ſuch matters of importance, together with all thoſe honours and favours your R. H. has done me; I muſt ſeem ſtrangely negligent in not writing all this time^†, either to yourſelf, or at leaſt to ſome friend at Hannover, if I did not entirely depend on your great prudence, which will eaſily ima⯑gine the good reaſons for it, after thoſe extraordinary ſort of proceedings we have had among us.

The truth is, I, with a great many more (as they have owned in converſation) have been this long while in a conſtant expectation of your appointing ſome perſon, either privately or publickly, to convey letters ſafely, and to be converſed with and confided in upon occaſion; becauſe, though I believe no body ever had a thought on this ſubject of your coming over hither either in the leaſt diſreſpectful to the Queen, or even to the government, or which could juſtly be blamed by either of them, if diſ⯑covered; yet it would be unmannerly to yourſelf, as well as imprudent, to venter letters to ſo great a perſon that are ſo liable to be intercepted as mine are at this time, though, God knows, without my leaſt deſerving it. And therefore, according to this notion, it was thought abſolutely neceſſary long ago to acquaint your R. H. (once for all) with the neceſ⯑ſity of ſuch an agent; but ſince none has come, I muſt conclude the propoſal never came to your hands, though ſent incloſed ſeveral ways; which was a confirmation of the reaſonableneſs of it: which has made me reſolve to give your R. H. this one trouble more now at laſt, in hopes it may have better ſucceſs, though incloſed for once to Mr. Dave⯑nant, but in a private pacquet, who, as devoted as poſſible to the houſe of Hannover, yet is by no means proper to convey a correſpondence of this kind, which, as innocent as it is, muſt needs be expoſed, every pacquet, to the under clerks of an office.

[45] I moſt here moſt humbly take my leave of your R. H. this way, becauſe, beſides the being apprehenſive of giving unneceſſary troubles, I think it better to refer all to that time when you will be pleaſed to ſettle this ſo neceſſary method. I ſhall now only ſay that, in my conſcience, I believe, and dare affirm myſelf ſure, that the perſons in both houſes who appeared for your coming over, and againſt that bill which paſſed, not to preſent it, but as a ſecurity brought in the room of it, did it princi⯑pally for the quiet and ſafety of the government, and more eſpecially of the Queen's ſacred perſon, whom, according to their obligations, they love and reverence above all things: and their next conſideration was for fear that ill-diſpoſed perſons ſhould interpoſe between the time of ſuch a fatal accident of our loſing her, and the proteſtant ſucceſſion eſtabliſhed, and might conſequently wiſh for that ſad day, in order to ſuch their deſign; and this was my own reaſon, which I gave openly in parliament, before herſelf, taking God to witneſs the truth of it. I am, &c.

Original. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 194.The Duke of Marlborough to the Elector.
Tranſlation.

"As ſoon as we underſtood that the enemy, having withdrawn their troops from the fortified places, and collected together all their forces in the Low Countries, had paſſed the Geete at Tirlemont, and encamped between that place and Leane, with a deſign of giving us bat⯑tle, we did not heſitate to advance toward them, placing our confidence in the bleſſing of heaven and the valour of our troops. Sunday laſt, we continued our march, at three o'clock in the morning, to gain the opening between the Mahain and the great Geete. We ſoon underſtood that the enemy were likewiſe in march; but, according to the report of the general officers who were our priſoners, their deſign was not to fight [46] before Monday; not believing that we would venture to come to them. The armies were in fight before noon; and all diligence was uſed on both ſides to arrange the troops in order of battle, and to form the bat⯑teries, which began to play at one. And toward two o'clock, we or⯑dered the village of Ramillies, which covered the right of their infantry, where they had their largeſt battery, with a great force, to be attacked.

The battle became hot, and continued long enough, with great fury; but at laſt, the enemy was obliged to give way. We took their cannon, and made many priſoners; and having continued the fight with the ſame vigour, (the infantry as well as the cavalry) until between four and five o'clock, when the enemy began to withdraw; we purſued them without intermiſſion, fighting them as they retired, until the night was far advanced: ſo that God has given us a complete victory. We have taken forty-three pieces of cannon, the pontons, a great part of their baggage, and at leaſt four thouſand priſoners, beſides their loſs in the battle.

We only halted two hours in the night, and we began our march before day, in order to draw near the Dyle, of which we had determined to attempt the paſſage this morning at day-light: but the enemy ſaved us that trouble, having retired laſt night toward Bruſſels; ſo that we entered Louvain, and all our army paſſed the river without oppoſition. The French burnt their magazines in the town, but the Spaniards left theirs entire.

Your E. H. may eaſily judge, by this, of the loſs of the enemy, and of the conſternation in which they are. We propoſe, to-morrow, to ad⯑vance toward Bruſſels, to take the advantage of this conſternation; and to endeavour to attack them again, or to oblige them to retire further. Nothing could excuſe us for fatiguing the troops ſo much, after ſo ob⯑ſtinate an engagement, but the neceſſity of driving them to the laſt extre⯑mity before the Mariſhal de Marſin joins them, which may happen in four days.

Your E. H. will forgive me for ſo long an account, which, I am ſure, however, will be agreeable to you. You will allow me likewiſe, if you pleaſe, to felicitate you, upon this happy ſucceſs, for the good of the common cauſe. I am, with the utmoſt reſpect, &c.

Robethon's draught. Hannover Papers, vol marked Princes. No. 192.The Elector to the Duke of Marlborough.
Tranſlation.

"I Thought it proper to inform you, by a meſſenger, that the prince of Baden continues to ſolicit lieutenant general Bulau to march to his aſſiſtance, with the corps of troops which I have in the Queen's ſer⯑vice. He wrote to him from Raſtadt, the 19th inſtant, by Mr. D'Ave⯑nant, the moſt preſſing letter imaginable. It is true, I had permitted the lieutenant general to advance, on that ſide, with my troops, when there was any hopes of preventing the enemy from executing their pro⯑ject on the Upper Rhine. But, at preſent, where they have carried their point, when the Marſhal de Marſin returns to the Maeſe with the detach⯑ment which he commands, and when the prince of Baden, having placed himſelf ſafely beyond the Rhine, has aſſembled there a force ſufficient to prevent the paſſage of the French, I ſee no neceſſity of ſending to him my troops. I know, if they once ſhould advance on that ſide, the prince will find means of keeping them all the campaign, which is as contrary to my intentions as it is to the public ſervice. I always reckoned that they were to ſerve in your army; and I don't ſee that there is any neceſſity of employing them elſewhere. You will therefore oblige me much, by ſending them your orders without delay. They will follow them punc⯑tually. But I chuſe to hope, that you will approve the ſtrong reaſons which I have, not to truſt them to the prince of Baden; and that the intereſt of the common cauſe does not demand that I ſhould. You will find means of employing my troops in places where they may ſerve more uſe⯑fully. I ſhall never think them ſo well as under your orders; and I ſhall never be ſo well ſatisfied, as when they ſerve in a manner which will procure them your approbation. I am, very ſincerely, &c."

Robethon's draught. Ibid. No. 197.The Electoral Prince to the Duke of Marlborough.
Tranſlation.

"THE Lord Halifax delivered to me the letter which you gave him for me. You are in the right to believe that I am as ſenſible as I [48] ought to be of the honour which the Queen has been pleaſed to do me, by conferring upon me the order of the garter. I am not ignorant that I am principally obliged for this to your good offices. I entreat you to be perſuaded that I ſhall be grateful for it all my life; and that I receive the order with ſo much the greater pleaſure, that you wear it likewiſe, my lord; and that you honour it, daily, by ſuch brilliant actions. The officer who will deliver you this letter, is the perſon who brought to us the agreeable news of your laſt victory; the conſequences of which have been ſo conſiderable, and the ſucceſs, every one allows, is chiefly to be aſcribed to your conduct and valour. I take a greater ſhare than any one in this addition to your glory; and I would have nothing farther to deſire, in this reſpect, had I been a witneſs of it.

We conſider, as a freſh obligation which we owe to her Majeſty, that ſhe ſent hither a man of lord Halifax's merit. I hope that he will be as well ſatisfied with us as we are with him. I am always, my lord, entirely yours, &c."

Original. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 195.The Duke of Marlborough to the Elector.
Tranſlation.

"I Received the letter which your E. H. did me the honour of writing to me the 26th of the laſt month; and I was informed, from other quarters, of the earneſt repreſentations which the prince of Baden conti⯑nued to make to Monſide Bulau, in order to engage him to march to his aſſiſtance. But there are more than ten days, ſince I ſent poſitive orders to that general to come, with all ſpeed, to the Low Countries; which he will undoubtedly communicate to your E. H. I am very glad to ſee, by this letter, that what I have done in this reſpect, is agreeable to the wiſhes of your E. H. I expect to learn, every moment, that the troops are on their march, having ſent to them a route to come from Co⯑blentz to Liege.

The prince of Baden ſhould adhere to his orders, ſince, as your F. H. remarks, he has troops under his command of which he makes no [49] uſe. But as, according to the intelligence which we receive, the court of France muſt have given orders to Monſieur de Villars to march thirty battalions and forty ſquadrons to this ſide, the prince will be ſoon at liberty to act on his ſide: and I ſlatter myſelf that the court of Vienna will take care, that ſo large a body of troops, Monſieur de Bulau com⯑puting them at forty thouſand men, beſides the Heſſians, ſhall not remain inactive during the campaign.

I did myſelf the honour to communicate to your E. H. on the 25th of the laſt month, the victory which we obtained over the enemy. We have not failed to purſue our blow; and the happy conſequences which that has produced, are beyond whatever we could hope. It has never been heard, that ſo many places of ſtrength, with entire provinces, ſurrendered in ſo ſhort a time, eſpecially as they were provided with garri⯑ſons and magazines for a good defence. Oudenard, where there were three battalions, ſurrendered yeſterday. I have ordered Antwerp and Oftend to be ſummoned, and I expect their anſwers every moment. We cannot take the proper meaſures, until we are maſters of the firſt place. I flatter myſelf that all this will have a good effect elſewhere; and that if our troops upon the Upper Rhine will do their duty properly, the enemy will be even obliged to bring forces from Italy to their aſſiſtance; which will give relief to the duke of Savoy and prince Eugene, and may fruſ⯑trate the deſigns of the enemy upon Turin. I am, with a moſt profound reſpect, &c.

Original. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 40.The Earl of Portland to the Elector.
Tranſlation.

"I AM not diſpoſed to trouble your E. H. with my letters; but I would imagine I failed in my duty, and in my gratitude, if I did not ſhow you my ſenſe of both, upon the ſubject concerning which you gave orders to Monſieur de Robethon to write to me. And as I doubt not but Monſieur Schutz has informed your E. H. of all my conduct, I ſhall only ſay, that your Highneſs may always depend upon my ſincere zeal for your ſervice. The great ſucceſs which God has granted to the arms of the allies, and on which I heartily congratulate your E. H. will [50] contribute not a little to eſtabliſh your intereſts every where. I remain, with the moſt profound reſpect, &c.

Original. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Strafford.The Duke of Buckingham to the Princeſs Sophia.
In the ſame ſtrain with his letter of May 21.

"HAving written ſeveral letters ſince I had the honour of receiving any from Hannover; and ſuch, as though no way prejudicial, were about matters of importance; I muſt therefore beg leave to renew only, at this time, the aſſurance I gave your R. Highneſs in thoſe of the neceſſity, which was thought here, of ſome ſafer way of conveyance, and of ſome perſon from thence to be confided in. For your R. H. in the firſt place, and all thoſe who have the honour of ſuch a correſpon⯑dence, are incapable of thinking, much leſs of writing, the leaſt thing prejudicial to the Queen or the government. I have reaſon to believe all letters, not only opened, but ſtopt alſo, becauſe there has been no⯑thing done in ſo long a time, which was here thought ſo much of conſe⯑quence to your intereſt, and ſo earneſtly propoſed by thoſe who are de⯑voted to it above all things, next the ſervice of the Queen herſelf, and who, we cannot imagine, has any different from yours. This is enough to a perfon ſo prudent.

Copy in Ro⯑bethon's hand. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 30.The Electoral Prince to the Queen.
Tranſlation.

"I Received, with the utmoſt gratitude, the letter which your Ma⯑jeſty was pleaſed to give in charge to my lord Halifax. I am penetrated with the mark of distinction with which you was ſo good as to honour me, by giving me the order of the Garter. I entreat your Majeſty to be perſuaded, that I deſire nothing more ar⯑dently than to ſhew, by my actions, that I am not unworthy of entering into ſo illuſtrious a body. My lord Halifax did not fail to give me the moſt obliging aſſurances of your Majeſty's ſentiments full of goodneſs towards me. I flatter myſelf that, on his return to England, he will [51] make a faithful report of my perfect veneration for your Majeſty, and of the profound reſpect with which I ſhall be, all my lifetime, Madam, &c."

Robethon's draught. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 196.The Elector to the Duke of Marlborough.
Tranſlation.

"I Received the letter which you wrote to me by lord Halifax. His arrival here was very agreeable to me, having given me an oppor⯑tunity of being acquainted with a man, whoſe merit was already well known to me. I am much obliged to you for the letter which you wrote to me from Louvain, the 25th of May; and for the trouble which you took, in the midſt of ſo many important occupations, to give me an account of the victory with which God has bleſſed our arms. All the world agrees, that it is to be aſcribed principally to your good conduct and to your valour. I entreat you, my lord, to be perſuaded, that no one intereſts himſelf more than I do in this addition to your glory, and in the happy conſequences which this great action has already produced, and which may be farther expected from it. I hope it will prevent the ſiege of Turin; and that, with the reinforcement of ten thouſand men, which you mention to me, it will place the duke of Savoy in entire ſecurity.

I have likewiſe received the letter which you wrote to me the fourth inſtant, from the camp of Nevelle; and I am happy to ſee that the or⯑ders which I gave to my troops are agreeable to your intentions.

I wiſh you a continuance of your great ſucceſs; and I always am, very ſincerely, &c."

Robethon's draught. Ibid. No. 29.The Elector to the Queen.
Tranſlation.

My lord Halifax delivered to me the letter which your Majeſty was ſo good as to give him in charge for me. The three acts of par⯑liament which he brought, are convincing proofs of the obliging atten⯑tions [52] which your Majeſty continues to pay to the intereſts of my family. I entreat you to be perſuaded of the gratitude which I ſhall preſerve for this all my lifetime. I am likewiſe ſenſible of the honour which you con⯑ferred on the Electoral Prince, by giving him the order of the Garter. My lord Halifax gave me all poſſible explanations with regard to the three acts: I am much obliged to your Majeſty for the choice you made of a miniſter of ſuch capacity and diſtinction to be the bearer of them. He acquitted himſelf of the commiſſion with great zeal. I deſire no⯑thing more ardently than opportunities of convincing your Majeſty to what degree I am penetrated with your goodneſs, and that I am, with a profound reſpect, Madam, &c.

Hannover Papers.The Princeſs Sophia to the Queen.
Tranſlation.

"THE favour which your Majeſty was pleaſed to do me, by the embaſſy of my lord Halifax, who delivered me the letter with which you was pleaſed to honour me, as well as the acts which you paſſed in my favour, and in favour of my deſcendents, are ſuch evident proofs to me of the honour of your favours, that I cannot ſufficiently expreſs my very humble acknowledgments for them, unleſs your Ma⯑jeſty will condeſcend to furniſh me with opportunities, by honouring me with your commands. In expectation of ſuch an advantage, I entreated my lord Halifax to teſtify to your Majeſty how far the ſubmiſſion and zeal I have for your ſacred perſon extends. He procured to himſelf the general eſteem of every one; and I preſume to entreat your Majeſty moſt humbly to be ſo good as to believe the ſentiments of veneration of which he will give you aſſurances from me, and of the reſpect with which I ſhall be all my lifetime, Madam, &c.

Robethon's draught. Hannover papers, vol. maked Princes. No. 31.The Electoral Princeſs to Queen Anne.
Tranſlation.

"YOUR Majeſty daily ſhews ſo much kindneſs for this family, that it is very juſt that I, having entered into it by my marriage with the Electoral Prince, take the liberty to aſſure you, that I have not [53] a leſs lively and reſpectful gratitude with regard to your Majeſty, than the princes who belong to it. I was very ſenſible of the honour which your Majeſty did the Prince, my huſband, by conferring on him the order of the Garter. I ſhould think I failed in my duty, if I permitted the lord Halifax to depart without offering my humble thanks to your Majeſty, and without recommending myſelf to your kindneſs. I entreat you to believe that it is impoſſible to be, with more reſpect than I am, &c."

Robethon's draught. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 41.The Elector to the Earl of Portland.
Tranſlation.

"I AM much obliged to you for the letter which you was at the trou⯑ble of writing to me, and for the aſſurances which it contains of your zeal for the intereſts of my family. My miniſter at London gave me an exact account of all the meaſures which you took, on different occa⯑ſions, for eſtabliſhing and confirming the proteſtant ſucceſſion. I entreat you to believe, that I lay great ſtreſs upon your affection; that I am very ſenſible of the proofs of it which you have given me; and that I ſhall be always very happy to find opportunities of ſhewing you how much I am, &c."

Robethon's draught. Ibid. No. 42.The Elector to the Earl of Sunderland.
Tranſlation.

"I AM much obliged to you for the letter which the lord Halifax de⯑livered to me from you. There was no neceſſity of being informed by him of what you had done on different occaſions, to eſtabliſh and con⯑firm the proteſtant ſucceſſion. I am as ſenſible, as I ought to be, of theſe marks of your zeal for the intereſt of my family. They are ſo much the more agreeable to me, that they come from a perſon whoſe merit is per⯑fectly known to me; and who, under a Queen ſo well informed as her Majeſty is, cannot fail to attain to the moſt important employments. I am perſuaded that ſhe cannot place them in better hands; and entreat you to believe that I am ſincerely, &c."

Robethon's draught. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 45.The Elector to Lord Somers.
Tranſlation.

"THE lord Halifax delivered to me the letter which you was at the trouble of writing to me. I am much obliged to you for the lights which it gives concerning the affairs of England; but eſpecially for the part which you have had in all that has been done there in favour of my family. The teſtimony of my lord Halifax was not neceſſary to inform me of this. He could give you no other, in this reſpect, but that which is due to you by all good Engliſhmen, who love their reli⯑gion and their country. I am not ignorant of what influence you have among them, nor of the manner in which you have employed it. No⯑thing can give me a better opinion of the Engliſh nation, than the juſtice which they do your merit. My ſentiments concerning the invitation of the ſucceſſor, are entirely conformed to yours; and I put all the value I ought upon the acts which the lord Halifax brought us. He has con⯑vinced us of their importance; and he hath diſcharged his commiſſion as a man equally zealous for the proſperity of England, and for the intereſts of my family. I ſhall always look for opportunities of ſhewing you how much I am, &c."

Robethon's draught. Ibid.The Elector to Cowper, the Lord Keeper.
Tranſlation.

"I AM very much obliged to you for the letter which you was at the trouble of writing to me; and for the aſſurances which it con⯑tains of your affection for me, and of your zeal for the intereſts of my family. I approve, more than any one, of the choice which the Queen made of a man of your merit, for an employment ſo conſiderable as that which ſhe truſted to you. I am already ſufficiently acquainted with your principles, and with the conſtancy with which you followed them in the moſt difficult times, to be perſuaded that her Majeſty could not place that employment in better hands. You are in the right to believe, that it will be always eaſy for me to diſtinguiſh thoſe who are truly zealous for the proteſtant ſucceſſion. I know the rank which you hold among them, and the confidence which they place in you; and I ſhall be always very [55] happy to find opportunities of ſhewing you how much I am, my Lord, &c."

Robethon's draught. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 45.The Elector to the Earl of Orford.
Tranſlation.

"I Have read, with a great deal of pleaſure, the letter which you was at the trouble of writing to me. I am very much obliged to you for the aſſurances which it contains of your zeal for the intereſts of my family. I know the part which you have had in all that hath been done for confirming the ſucceſſion in the proteſtant line; and I am no ſtranger to the influence which you have acquired in the nation, by your merit and by your brilliant actions. The teſtimony which the lord Halifax did himſelf the pleaſure of bearing of you was not neceſſary for me in this reſpect. He will not fail to tell you what are my ſentiments concerning you, and how much I am, my Lord, &c."

Robethon's draught. Ibid.The Elector to the Duke of Newcaſtle, Lord Privy Seal.
Tranſlation.

"I Received, with all poſſible ſatisfaction, the letter which you was at the trouble of writing to me. I entreat you to believe that I am very grateful for all that you have done for the intereſts of my family; and that I conſider, as a great advantage to it, that a perſon of ſo great diſtinction as you, and of a probity ſo generally acknowledged, ſhould give us ſo many marks of his affection. I approved, with all good Eng⯑liſhmen, of the choice which the Queen made of you, for an employ⯑ment ſo conſiderable as that which ſhe truſted to you; and I wiſh nothing ſo much as opportunities of ſhewing you how much I am, my Lord, &c."

Robethon's draught. Ibid.The Elector to the Duke of Bolton.
Tranſlation.

"I Received, with a great deal of ſatisfaction, by the lord Halifax, the letter which you was at the trouble of writing to me. Your good intentions for the intereſts of my family were already known to me, by your paſt conduct. I entreat you to believe that I am as ſenſible of them as I ought to be; and that I am not ignorant neither of the influence [56] which you poſſeſs in England, nor how much you deſerve it. The lord Halifax will not fail to tell you, what are my ſentiments for your perſon, and how much I am, My Lord, &c."

Robethon's Draught. Hannover Papers. vol. marked Princes. No. 45.The Elector to the Earl of Rivers.
Tranſlation.

"I Read, with a great deal of pleaſure, the letter which you was at the trouble of writing to me. I am much obliged to you for all you have done for the intereſts of my family. I was already informed of it, and I was very happy to be confirmed by lord Halifax, in the ſentiments of eſteem and regard which I had already conceived for you. I approved, with all good Engliſhmen, of the choice which the Queen made of you, to ſerve this campaign. I doubt not, but you will acquit yourſelf in your ſtation, in a manner equally uſeful to the common cauſe and glorious for yourſelf. I ſhall always be very much diſpoſed to ſhow you, how much I am, &c."

Robethon's draught. Ibid.The Elector to Lord Wharton.
Tranſlation.

"I Received, with a great deal of pleaſure, by the lord Halifax, the letter which you was at the trouble of writing to me. I am very grateful for all that you have done, on different occaſions, for the intereſt of my family. I was already informed of it; and I was not ignorant, that if you had acquired, by your merit, a great deal of credit in the na⯑tion, you never employed it but for its advantage. I entreat you to believe, that I have for your perſon all poſſible regard, and that I am, My Lord, &c."

Robethon's Draught. Hannover Papers. vol. marked Princes. No. 43.The Elector to Lord Halifax.
Tranſlation.

"I Read with a great deal of ſatisfaction, the letter of the 19th inſtant, which you was at the trouble of writing to me. I am very ſenſible of the attentions which you give, to bring the treaty of Guarantee to a [57] happy concluſion. The manner, in which you write about it to the penſionary, is perfectly agreeable to my intentions, and to the deference which I propoſe to ſhew to the Queen, during the courſe of this nego⯑ciation. I agree with you, that we ought to be ſatisfied with the 6th article, as you have ſent it; and, as I am perſuaded that this affair can never be in better hands than yours, I repoſe myſelf entirely upon you, for all that muſt be done to facilitate its ſucceſs. I ſhall be always very happy to receive your letters. You may aſſure yourſelf, that I ſhall pay them all the attention which they deſerve; and that I ſhall keep them in all poſſible ſecrecy. I ſhall put the electreſs in mind of diſpatching, without further delay, the inſtruments of nomination.

I think that the King of Spain has very well underſtood his inter⯑eſts, in truſting to the duke of Marlborough, the government of the Low Countries. I thank you for having communicated this to me; and I entreat you to believe, that as your merit and your affection for my family are perfectly well known to me, I ſhall always do myſelf a plea⯑ſure, in giving you marks of the regard which I have for your perſon, and of the ſincerity with which I am, &c."

Original. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 48.The Earl of Scarborough to the Elector.

"YOUR Electorall Highnes will, I hope, pardon this liberty I take, by my ſecound ſon, whou having finiſhed his ſtudies, I have or⯑dered to begin his travelling, with paying his earlieſt reſpect and duty to your Electorall Highnes. The favors I have formerly received from your Electorall Highnes, oblidges me to make all my familie ſenſible of your greate goodnes. Mr. Smith, eldeſt ſon to the ſpeaker of the houſe of commons, begins his travells with my ſon, in order to pay his reſpect and duty to your Electorall Highnes. May all proſperity attend your Electorall Highnes and princely familie, which ſhall be the conſtant prayer of your Electorall Highnes

Robethon's Draught. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 198.The Elector to the Duke of Marlborough.
Tranſlation.

"I Am much obliged to you for the letter which you was at the trou⯑ble of writing to me, the 10th inſtant; and for the manner full of affection, in which you ſhew me that you intereſt yourſelf in the marriage of the princeſs, my daughter. After the proofs, which you have given, upon ſo many occaſions, of your attachment and your zeal for my family, I doubt not but you will ſee, with pleaſure, whatever happens agree⯑able or advantageous to it. I entreat you to believe, that I, on my part, intereſt myſelf very particularly in whatever regards you; and, that no one wiſhes you more than I do, a continuation of the great ſucceſs, which adds daily, a new luſtre to the glory you have acquired. I am, very ſincerely, My Lord, &c."

Original.Mr. Addiſon to Mr. Lewis.

"I Thank you for yours of the 2d, which I received at the duke of Marlborough's camp. Mr. Cardonnel will give you a better ac⯑count of all tranſactions here than I can doe. The duke of Marlborough received a letter from prince Eugene, on Saturday laſt, that confirms his paſſing the Adige, and gives very great hopes of further ſucceſſes. He tells his Grace, that the duke of Orleans was arrived in thoſe parts, to command the French army; if he had reſolution enough to enter on ſuch a poſt, when his army was in ſuch a ſituation. The duke of Vendome, they ſay, this morning, is got among the French troups, on this ſide. A trumpet from the enemy ſays, that three lieutenant-generals are bro⯑ken, for miſbehaviour, at Ramellies. Their names are, counts Guiſcard, d'Artagnan, and Monſieur d'Etain. All agree here, that the laſt battle was gained, purely by the conduct of our general. I am, Sir, &c.

Robethon's Draught. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 199.The Electoral Prince to the Duke of Marlborough.
Tranſlation.

"I Received, with a great deal of gratitude, the letter which you was at the trouble to write to me. I am much obliged to you for the compliments which it contains, upon the marriage of my ſiſter, and for the wiſhes, which you add to them, for the happy delivery of the elec⯑toral princeſs. You have given, on ſo many occaſions, proofs of your affection for this family, and of your attachment to its intereſts, that it is impoſſible to doubt, that you ſee with pleaſure, whatever happens to it, either agreeable or advantageous. Accordingly, you may depend upon it, that all the princes, who belong to it, entertain for you, ſenti⯑ments full of eſteem and regard. But I flatter myſelf, that you do me juſtice enough to be perſuaded, that none of them has ſentiments ſo lively as mine, nor intereſts himſelf, in a more diſtinguiſhed manner, in what⯑ever concerns you. I am, very ſincerely, My Lord, &c."

Robethon's Draught. Ibid. No. 50.The Electoral Prince to Mr. Creſſet.
Tranſlation.

"I Received, Sir, with a great deal of ſatisfaction, the obliging letter which you wrote to me, on the ſubject of my ſiſter's marriage. I am very much perſuaded of the ſincerity of your wiſhes, for the happy conſequences from this marriage and from my own. You have given, on ſo many occaſions, ſuch effectual proofs of your affection for this fa⯑mily, that it is not poſſible to doubt, but that the good ſentiments which you entertain for us, proceed from your heart. It is juſt, Sir, that we ſhould entertain ſimilar ſentiments for you. I entreat you to be⯑lieve, that mine are very diſtinguiſhed; and that I ſhall always be very happy to ſhow, that I am, &c."

Robethon's Draught. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 51.The Elector to Mr. Creſſet.
The ſame ſubject.
Tranſlation.

"I Am very ſenſible, Sir, of the manner full of affection, in which you intereſt yourſelf in the marriage of the princeſs, my daughter, I know too well the ſincerity of your affection for me and for my family, not to be perſuaded, that you offer hearty vows for its proſperity; and that you take a very particular part, in whatever of advantage happens to it. Of this, you gave us, on various occaſions, very effectual proofs. You may be aſſured, that I ſhall never forget, and I ſhall do myſelf a real pleaſure, in finding opportunities of ſhewing you, that I am, &c."

Original Hannover Papers, vol. marked Miſ⯑cell. d Etat. 2. No. 190.Lord Halifax to Robetbon.

"AT my return to this place, Monſieur Bothmer gave me your letter of the 23d July, which gave me a great dale of ſatisfaction. I did not underſtand, why the nomination was delayed ſo long; and I am conſident, that it was more proper that it ſhould be diſpatched. I ſhall not fail to write to the archbiſhop and my lord Keeper, and I do not imagine, they will make any difficulty of waiting on Monſieur Schutz, if he is not able to go abroad; but Monſieur Schutz muſt have his cre⯑dentials enrolled in Chancery, before he is capable of acting; if I am in England before the inſtruments are delivered, I will be there, if that ſhall be thought proper; but in my own opinion it is not. When I was at the camp, I ſpoke to the duke of Marlborough about the title, and he is very ready to join in that, or any thing that may be agreeable to the prince. When I come into England, I ſhall not fail to repreſent it to the Queen. I intended to have gone to England by Oſtend, but the penſioner writ to have me come this way, to ſatisfy ſome ſcruples that were raiſed againſt our treaty; all the towns in this province have [61] agreed to it, but Leyden. I have been this morning with Monſieur Van Lewen, their deputy; and I hope he is ſo well ſatisfied, that he will not make any oppoſition longer; if he does, it will not obſtruct above a day or two. I am, &c.

Original. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 53.Lord Halifax to the Elector.
Tranſlation.

"I Found myſelf ſo very deſirous of embracing the opportunity of the convoy, from the Texel, that I was not able to inform your Elec⯑toral Highneſs of the manner in which the province of Holland conſented to the treaty. I ſend now a copy of it to your Electoral Highneſs, in order that I may have the honour of receiving ſuch remarks or inſtruc⯑tions, as your Electoral Highneſs will think proper to communicate to me, on the ſubject. Your Electoral Highneſs will find the guarantee of the ſucceſſion drawn up nearly in the ſame terms, as I mentioned in my laſt letter. But their demands, with regard to the barrier, which they wiſh to have, are ſo extravagant, that I doubt whether they will be con⯑ſented to, as they have projected them. I repreſented this very amply to the miniſters in Holland; and it appears to me, that they have made this propoſal concerning a barrier, altogether like merchants. They know very well, that their demands are exorbitant; but they hope to obtain the better bargain, by lowering a great deal of their pretenſions. The penſionary is ſo convinced of this, that he entreated me to ſend him, in writing, the objections which I made to them. I will not fail to do ſo. Although this method of acting is not juſt, for it will greatly retard the concluſion of the treaty. Several efforts have been made from many places, for breaking off this negociation. But I hope that we ſhall ſur⯑mount all theſe obſtacles.

We have all the reaſon to promiſe ourſelves ſucceſs, in our union with Scotland. All the letters from that country give us great hopes, that it will be accepted by their parliament. This treaty has had its effect in advancing the other; and when the laſt hand is put to the union, [62] and there ſhall be no further means of preventing it, certain gentlemen in Holland, will not ſhow ſo much coldneſs for the treaty of guarantee.

I gave an account to the Queen, of the favourable reception which I met with in Hannover; and her Majeſty is extremely ſatisfied with the friendſhip and eſteem, which your Electoral Highneſs teſtified for her. She has commanded me to renew all the aſſurances which I gave to your Electoral Highneſs, that ſhe will do every thing in her power, for advancing the intereſts of your Electoral Highneſs, and of your family; and I believe you will receive, very ſoon, ſome freſh marks of her zeal for their honour and intereſt, which, as I hope, will be very agreeable to your Electoral Highneſs."

Original. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 200.The Duke of Marlborough to the Elector, after the taking of Menin.
Tranſlation.

"I Do myſelf the honour to congratulate your Electoral Highneſs, upon the great ſucceſs which it hath pleaſed God to give to the arms of the high allies, by the taking of the town of Menin; one of the ſtrongeſt the enemy had in this country. The garriſon was obliged to capitulate yeſterday. This morning we were put in poſſeſſion of one of their gates; and Wedneſday, the garriſon is to march out, and to be con⯑ducted to Douay. Mr. de Bulau will, undoubtedly, have communicated to your Electoral Highneſs, from time to time, all that paſſed at the ſiege; ſo that all that I ſhall have to add, will be to recommend myſelf to your kindneſs, and to allure you of the reſpect, and of the very ſub⯑miſſive attachment, with which I have the honour to be, Sir, &c."

Robethon's Draught. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 201.The Elector to the Duke of Marlborough.
Tranſlation.

"I Am much obliged to you for the trouble you was at of informing me yourſelf, of the freſh ſucceſs which God hath lately granted to the arms of the allies, by the taking of Menin. You are in the right [63] to believe, that I am much intereſted in it; no one having a more lively ſenſe than I have of the Queen's glory and of yours. You could not more effectually crown the great events of ſuch a glorious campaign, than by the conqueſt of ſuch an important place. I heartily wiſh you a con⯑tinuance of your great ſucceſs, and am, entirely, My Lord," &c.

Robethon's Draught. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 49.The Elector to the Earl of Scarborough.
Tranſlation.

"THE letter which you gave your ſon was very agreeable to me. I am much obliged to you for the aſſurances which it contains, of your affection for me and for my family. I ſhall take care, that your ſon and Mr. Smith's will have reaſon to be ſatisfied with their ſtay. Mr. Smith's merit has been long known to me. I know how much he de⯑ſerves the important poſt he fills. I ſhall be very happy, to meet with opportunities of ſhewing you, what eſteem and regard I have for your perſon; and that I am, very ſincerely, My Lord," &c.

Original. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 202.The Duke of Marlborough to the Elector, after the taking of Dendermonde.
Tranſlation.

"YOUR Electoral Highneſs will be pleaſed to approve of the liberty which I take, of congratulating you upon the taking of Termond, the garriſon of which beat the chamade this morning, about 10 o'clock, to aſk leave to march out upon honourable terms; which having been refuſed to them, they were at laſt obliged to ſurrender themſelves pri⯑ſoners of war; and about five of the clock, this evening, they delivered up to us the gate of Mechlin. And, as I am perſuaded that your Elec⯑toral Highneſs will be greatly intereſted in this event, ſo advantageous to the good of the common cauſe, I did not chuſe to delay to communicate it to you; being with the utmoſt reſpect and attachment, Sir, &c."

Original. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Miſ⯑cell. d Etat. 2. No. 190.Lord Halifax to Robethon.

"I Have had ſo much buſineſs, at my arrival here, after a long abſence, that I have too long delayed anſwering yours of the 27th of Auguſt, which I received there. Monſieur Gaugin is out of town with the duke of Somerſet, that I could not ſpeak to him of the ſalvers; but that is all one; if you order me to pay the value of 49 ecus, to Monſieur Schutz here, or any body elſe, it ſhall be done. You will have heard, that the Queen has ſigned the warrant, for making the electoral prince duke of Cambridge; it was done in the beſt manner here, upon the firſt repre⯑ſentation I made; and I hope will be to the ſatisfaction of your court. I am, &c."

Robethon's Draught. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 203.The Elector to the Duke of Marlborough.
Tranſlation.

"I Am very much obliged to you for the trouble which you took, in informing me of the taking of Dendermond. It gave me the greater pleaſure, that I know the importance of that place, and how troubleſome it would have been, that it ſhould have remained in the hands of the enemy. I congratulate you, with all my heart, upon this freſh conqueſt; and I wiſh a ſimilar ſucceſs to all your enterpriſes; being very ſincerely, My Lord, &c."

Original. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 52.Lord Halifax to the Elector.
Tranſlation.

"AS ſoon as I arrived in England, I did myſelf the honour of writing to your Electoral Highneſs; but I learned juſt now, that the packet boat which carried my letter was unfortunately loſt. It is for this reaſon, I take the liberty of ſending a copy of it to your Electoral [65] Highneſs, with the treaty which was incloſed in it, in order to ſhew you,month September. that I did not neglect to give you an account of this negociation, as well as of the manner in which the Queen received it, upon my return from the court of your Electoral Highneſs. Since that time, I had occaſion to know the ſentiments of others, on the propoſal, concerning the barrier; and every one agrees, that nothing can be more extravagant than ſuch a demand. I delayed to write to the penſionary, not knowing but I ought firſt to receive the inſtructions of your Electoral Highneſs upon the ſubject; and being in expectations of receiving news from foreign countrys, which are, at length, happily arrived.

"The ſurpriſing turn, which the affairs of Italy have taken, will redreſs every thing. But before that happened, the Dutch were ſo diſ⯑poſed to liſten to terms of peace, that it was nowiſe proper, to declare one⯑ſelf too openly againſt their extravagant hopes. It is certain, that France has made them as advantageous offers, as they propoſe; which makes it the more delicate and difficult to tell them, that we believe they them⯑ſelves propoſe too much. I can tell your Electoral Highneſs, that the Queen's miniſters have acted as wiſe men and men of honour, with re⯑gard to the offers of France for a peace. They plainly declared to the Dutch, on what terms they could conſent to it, which are ſuch as can⯑not fail to ſatisfy all the allies: and they inſiſted particularly, that we could never believe, that it was honourable to treat of a peace, while one who pretended to be King of England, remained in France. I am, with a profound reſpect, &c."

Robethon's Draught, Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 204.The Elector to the Duke of Marlborough.
Tranſlation.

"I Received the letter which you was at the trouble of writing to me, concerning the entry of the King of Sweden into Saxony. You will undoubtedly know already, that that prince has declared, at Berlin and elſewere, that his deſign was not to diſturb the Empire, nor to cauſe any prejudice to the allies: and as it appears certain, that he has no treaty with the King of France, there is reaſon to hope, that he will not go farther than Saxony; and, that he only propoſes to deprive King Au⯑guſtus [64] [...] [65] [...] [66] guſtus of the ſuccours of men and money,month October. which he hitherto drew from that country. It appears therefore, to me, that the wiſeſt part, is to diſ⯑cover no diffidence of that prince, and to take no meaſures againſt him; for that would be the means of hurrying him into engagements with France, and into deſigns againſt the empire; of which, there is reaſon to believe, he does not think.

As for my part, I ſhall ſpare neither care nor pains, to appeaſe the trou⯑bles of Saxony, and to prevent them from being prejudicial to the intereſts of the common cauſe, and from interrupting the courſe of the glorious ſuc⯑ceſſes, which God continues to grant to the arms of the Queen and of her allies. It is with this view, that I ſent to his Swediſh Majeſty, ba⯑ron D'Oberg, one of my miniſters of ſtate. I informed the Queen and the States-general of his embaſſy; and I ſhall not fail to acquaint them with the anſwer of the King of Sweden, and the diſpoſitions which he will diſcover.

I ſhall do myſelf a pleaſure in ſending to you, my lord, the ſame information; and then it will be eaſier to take proper meaſures. I ſhall always eſteem myſelf very happy, to be able to concur, in whatever will be agreeable to the Queen and uſeful to the good cauſe. You will oblige me, by aſſuring her Majeſty of this, and by believing that I am, very ſincerely, My Lord, &c."

Original.The Duke of Marlborough to the Elector. After the taking of Ath.
Tranſlation.

"THE Almighty continuing to bleſs the arms of the high allies, gives me another opportunity of renewing my very, humble con⯑gratulations to your Electoral Highneſs: it is upon the taking of the fortreſs of Ath, whoſe garriſon, conſiſting of five battalions of infantry, were obliged to ſurrender themſelves priſoners of war: it is much to be regretted, that the bad weather and the advanced ſeaſon, gives no proſpect of undertaking any thing elſe, this campaign; but if there can be any chance, your Electoral Highneſs may be aſſured, that nothing will be neglected for the good of the common cauſe. I entreat your [67] Highneſs likewiſe, to do me the honour to be perſuaded, of the reſpect, and very ſincere attachment, with which I am, &c."

Robethon's Draught. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 205.The Elector to the Duke of Marlborough.
Tranſlation.

"I Am very much obliged to you for the letter of the 29th of the laſt month, which you was at the trouble of writing to me, and for your having communicated to me, that which you received from the King of Pruſſia, concerning a project of a triple alliance. Lieutenant-gene⯑ral Bulau will give you, in this reſpect, all the light which you deſire: he will inform you of the inconveniencies of this project, and that the King of Sweden, far from being the author of it, does not ſhow any eagerneſs to conclude it, having even deſired, that this affair might be negociated, not at Berlin, but at Stockholm.

The moſt eſſential circumſtance in my opinion is, that the allies ſhould not diſcover any diffidence of the King of Sweden. I have reaſon to be thoroughly perſuaded, by the report of the miniſter whom I ſent to him, that he has not entered into any concert with France, and that he only propoſes to finiſh the war of Poland with advantage. You will render, my lord, a very ſignal ſervice to the common cauſe, if you will prevent this prince's being irritated by menaces, which may, beſides, divert King Auguſtus from concurring in an accommodation. I am always, very ſincerely, My Lord, &c."

Robethon's Draught. Ibid. 207.The Elector to the Duke of Marlborough.
Tranſlation.

"I Am very much obliged to you for the trouble you took to inform me of the taking of Ath. You finiſh gloriouſly, by this important conqueſt, a campaign replete with ſuch memorable events, for which all thoſe who intereſt themſelves in the common cauſe, ought to hold to you an eternal obligation. I entreat you to believe, that no one enters [68] deeper into theſe ſentiments than I doe, and that whatever augments your glory, will give me a very ſingular ſatisfaction. I am, very ſincerely, My Lord, &c."

Original. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Strafford.Lord Halifax to the Princeſs Sophia.

"I Have received the honour of your Royal Highneſs's letter of the 12th, and am extremely pleaſed, that my zeal to ſerve your Highneſs and your family, has been ſo well received; and I ſhall make it the buſineſs of my life to merit the continuance of your fa⯑vour. The patent for the title of the electoral prince, is now diſpatched. We were a great while looking for titles, that were anciently in the royal family, for the earldom and the marquiſate; but moſt of the old titles have been ſince given away, eſpecially to the natural ſons of King Charles; and at laſt, it was thought beſt, to create him Marquis and Duke of Cambridge, that if your Royal Highneſs and the Elector pleaſe, the young prince, when he ſhall be born^* may be called marquis of Cambridge. The duke of York his ſons were called ſo, when he was nearer in degree to the crown, and it would certainly pleaſe the Engliſh, if he took that name. I ſend your Royal Highneſs the articles of the Union, as they are printed in Scotland. They have been kept very private, till they were laid before the parliament; by all accounts from thence, there is great reaſon to hope they will be approved; there has been little done hitherto, but the appearances are promiſing; the Jacobites there, are ſo apprehenſive that the Union will be carried, that they are willing to come into the propoſition which the oppoſing party talk of making, which is, to ſettle the ſucceſſion on your Royal Highneſs, with limitations, and a communication of trade; they think this the moſt plauſible way of baf⯑fling the union; but it is ſo well underſtood, that this offer comes too late now, which might willingly have been received ſome months ago. But your Royal Highneſs will give me leave to obſerve, that we have managed the opportunities we have had with ſome ſkill, when things are brought to that paſs, that the very Jacobites are for ſettling the proteſ⯑tant [69] ſucceſſion one way, to avoid eſtabliſhing it more effectually another. And we have this further to ſay, that, if this Union is made, it will be the firſt inſtance in hiſtory of this kind; for there never was, at any time or in any place, an example of two ſovereign kingdoms incorporating themſelves in ſuch a manner."

Original. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Miſ⯑cell d'Etat. 2. No. 190.Lord Halifax to Robethon.

"According to your deſire, I have paid to Mr. Schutz 9 l. 4 s. ſter⯑ling, which I hope you will give to Monſ. Lubieres; 'tis a pretty good rate for looking upon two ſalvers, but 'tis no matter. I can now tell you, very confidently, that the Union will be agreed to in Scotland; we have letters from thence, of the 14th, which ſay, that the oppoſing party have made their effort two ways; they would firſt have put off the conſideration of it for three months, that they might conſult their conſti⯑tuents; but that was carried againſt them, by a great majority: then they propoſed a general faſt, which would have taken up three weeks, but that was waved, becauſe the Aſſembly of the kirk had not aſked it; and when it was moved there, it was rejected, and the aſſembly has di⯑rected the miniſters to offer up prayers for the ſucceſs of the union. And now the clergy have made this ſtep, it cannot fail of ſucceeding. By letters I have from Holland, I have no doubt of the ſucceſs of our treaty there, though there will be ſome difficulty in adjuſting their barrier. I think now, we may be all allowed to boaſt, that nothing was ever better puſhed, than the eſtabliſhment of our ſucceſſion has been, ſince we had a parliament to promote it. And if you can but take care of hindering your northern hero from breaking our meaſures, we will make France own, both the Electorate and the ſucceſſion of the Houſe of Hannover. I am, &c."

Robethon's draught, Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes, No. 55.The Elector to Lord Halifax.
Tranſlation.

"I Am very much obliged to you for the letter of the 20th of Septem⯑ber, which you was at the trouble of writing to me, and for the copy which you joined to it of your letter of the 23d of Auguſt, which [70] was loſt with the packet-boat.month November I have likewiſe reaſon to thank you for your communicating to me the reſolution of the States with regard to the guarantee of the ſucceſſion in the proteſtant line. I am very ſenſible of the attentions which you gave, and which you continue to give, to bring this affair to a happy iſſue. It is to be hoped, that the States General will ſoften their pretenſions, which are ſo extravagant, that they appear to be intended to hinder the concluſion of the buſineſs. You are already informed, my lord, of the ſtrong reaſons which I had for not entering into this treaty as a principal party, and for leaving the entire direction of it to her Majeſty: ſhe has begun ſo well, that there is reaſon to be⯑lieve ſhe will overcome all the obſtacles which ſtill remain. I acknow⯑ledge very gratefully the proofs of kindneſs which ſhe continues to ſhow for me and for my family on all occaſions. You cannot confer a greater obligation upon me, than by teſtifying to her how ſenſible I am of this. I entreat you to believe, that I have all poſſible eſteem and regard for you, and that I am very ſincerely, &c."

Robethon's draught. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes, No 210.The Elector to the Duke of Marlborough.
Tranſlation.

"I Am very much obliged to you for the letter which you was at the trouble of writing to me, the 26th of the laſt month, and for the confidence which you ſhew me, by the communication of the two letters which were incloſed in it. Their contents are ſo important, that it is im⯑poſſible to pay too much attention to them. I conſider, as a great hap⯑pineſs to the allies, that France addreſſes herſelf to a perſon whoſe good intentions are ſo well known, and whoſe underſtanding is proof againſt every artifice.

I agree with you, my lord, that it is neceſſary to be very much on one's guard, and to be diffident of whatever comes from ſuch a ſuſpi⯑cious quarter. It appears to me, that it is to be avoided, above all things, to take any ſtep which may give umbrage to ſuch of the allies to whom France has made no overture; and, as the two letters which you communicated to me bear, that that crown does not chooſe to exclude, from the negociation which it propoſes, any of the powers which are at war with it, nothing, in my opinion, is more natural than to anſwer, [71] That, the Queen and the States being obliged to act in concert with the Emperor and the principal allies in this great affair, it is neceſſary for you to begin, by communicating to them what hath been addreſſed to you, and to know their ſentiments, before you can give any poſitive anſwer.

By this means, you will gain all the time neceſſary for diſcovering if France acts ſincerely, or if ſhe wants to lay ſnares; and you will perſuade, more and more, the Emperor and the other allies of the rectitude with which the Queen and the States act with them. This will ſtrengthen the union of the confederated powers, which ought never to be cloſer, than when it is propoſed to treat of a peace. I order the Baron de Both⯑mar to be thoroughly inſtructed, as well in this affair as in others which are at preſent on the carpet; entreating you to place an intire confidence in him; and to be perſuaded, that I ſhall never uſe any reſerve with re⯑gard to you; and that I am, very ſincerely, &c."

Copy in Ro⯑bethon's hand. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes, No. 209.The Duke of Marlborough to the Elector.
Tranſlation.

"I Did not do myſelf the honour of ſending to your Electoral High⯑neſs the copy of the anſwers which were made to the Elector of Ba⯑varia, upon the propoſitions which he made on the part of the King of France, ſince they were immediately communicated to all the miniſters at the Hague, and Monſ. de Bothmar was ſo good as to take it upon himſelf. But your Electoral Highneſs will find incloſed a project of pre⯑liminaries, which I concerted with ſome members of the States, who were commiſſioned for that purpoſe, without being obliged to make a report of them, or to communicate them to the aſſembly, in order that the ſecret might be ſo much the more effectually kept. And I entreat your Highneſs likewiſe, to be ſo good as to keep it. Theſe commiſſioners entreated me to aſſure the Queen, on my return, that unleſs France chuſes to ſubſcribe to ſuch terms, they will never pay the ſmalleſt atten⯑tion to whatever that court may endeavour to inſinuate to them; ſo that your Electoral Highneſs may depend upon another campaign. And providing the empire likewiſe exerts itſelf upon the Rhine, I flatter my⯑ſelf, that with the bleſſing of Heaven, we ſhall be able, at laſt, to oblige the enemy to accept of reaſonable terms.

[72] We have been agreeably ſurprized, by the treaty concluded between the King of Sweden and King Auguſtus, to which I am perſuaded the good offices of your Electoral Highneſs have greatly contributed. We expect ſoon to hear of its good effects. Monſ. de Bothmar will inform your Electoral Highneſs, that we have renewed the convention for your troops for the next year, and that our treaſurer has paid the 50,000 flo⯑rins which were due for extraordinaries.

I propoſe to embark to-morrow for England, where I entreat your Electoral Highneſs to be ſo good as to honour me with your orders; and to be perſuaded of the very zealous attachment with which I ſhall always be, &c."

Original. Hannover Papers.The Princeſs Sophia to Queen Anne.
Tranſlation.

"IF I did not know that your Majeſty takes pleaſure in obliging and in doing good to thoſe whom you believe worthy of it, I would never have preſumed to take the liberty of recommending to your cle⯑mency a very honeſt gentleman, who has ſerved me for a long time, called Weind, whoſe anceſtors loſt a great deal for having been loyal to the late King Charles the Firſt. Your Majeſty has ſo many places to give without inconvenience, that his parents and he would think them⯑ſelves well recompenſed, if your Majeſty ſhould be pleaſed to give him one; and by that means you would render my mind very eaſy about him, by being able to provide for him in his own country, before death ſhall hinder me from taking care of him in this. This is a favour which I take the liberty of demanding of your Majeſty with all poſſible ſub⯑miſſion, there being none alive who wiſhes more to ſee herſelf honoured with your Majeſty's commands, in order to ſhow by my obedience, that it is impoſſible to be with more reſpect and attachment than I ſhall be all my lifetime, &c."

Robethon's draught. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes, No. 211.The Elector to the Duke of Marlborough.
Tranſlation.

I Received the letter of the 24th of November, which youw as at the trouble of writing to me. I am extremely obliged to you for the [73] confidence which you continue to ſhew me,month December. by the communication of the preliminary articles, on which you agreed with ſome members of the States. You may aſſure yourſelf, that they ſhall be kept inviolably ſecret. If the next campaign, which you reckon you ſhall ſerve, is as ſucceſsful as this, as there is reaſon to hope, there is no doubt but the enemy will be ob⯑liged to accept of a reaſonable peace.

King Auguſtus is expected every moment in Saxony, where affairs will diſcover themſelves wholly after his arrival. I continue to give them all the attention, which the intereſt of the allies requires. Hitherto one ſees nothing, that is contrary to the declarations the King of Sweden has made; that he did not enter Saxony, but to finiſh the war of Poland. And it is certain, that he is not in any concert with France.

Baron de Bothmar ſent me the treaty which he renewed with you. I ſhall diſpatch the ratification of it inſtantly. I have you to thank, for the care which you took of the payment of the 50,000 florins. I wiſh nothing more ardently, than to find opportunities of ſhewing how ſenſible I am of all the marks of affection which you give me, and that I am very ſincerely, &c.

I believe it very material to ſtipulate, in the ſtrongeſt and moſt ſolemn manner, that neither the crown of Spain, nor any of its de⯑pendencies, can ever be poſſeſſed by a prince of the royal family of France; whether elder or younger, whether in a direct or a collateral line: and that all the diſpoſitions which can be made to the contrary hereafter, by will, by contract of marriage, or by any manner whatever, will be abſolutely null: and that in all the caſes which can ariſe, that is to ſay, whether there are any princes of the houſe of Auſtria, whether there are but princeſſes, or whether that houſe ſhall be entirely extinct. For, without this precaution, it may happen, that in caſe the Emperor and King Charles the Third ſhall die without male deſcendants, France may draw a pretext from thence of beginning a new war, and of forming freſh pretenſions to the crown of Spain.

I leave you likewiſe to conſider, my lord, if, in order to take away a pretext from France, ever ready to excite new troubles in the empire, it would not be proper to ſtipulate, with that crown, the recognition of the ninth electorate."

Robethon's draught. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 60.The Electoral Prince to Queen Anne.
Tranſlation.

"AFTER having received ſo many marks of kindneſs from your Majeſty, I ſhould have reaſon to reproach myſelf, if I did not do myſelf the honour of informing you the firſt of the birth of the ſon, which God has been pleaſed to give me. I take the liberty of recommending [89] him,month February. and myſelf, at the ſame time, to your royal protection; and to aſſure your Majeſty, that my greateſt care ſhall be to educate him in the ſentiments of reſpect and gratitude, which all the princes of this family owe to you. I entreat your Majeſty to believe that none of them is, with greater reſpect than I am, Madam, &c."

Original. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. [...]12.The Duke of Marlborough to the Elector.
Tranſlation.

"THE aſſurances which we receive from time to time from your Electoral Highneſs, of the good intentions of the King of Sweden, to engage in no enterpriſe which may be of the ſmalleſt preju⯑dice to the High Allies, give the Queen and the miniſters here all the ſatisfaction which her Majeſty can wiſh, as ſhe relies entirely upon the attentions and zeal of your Electoral Highneſs for the good of the com⯑mon cauſe; yet I ſee, by my letters from Vienna, from Holland, and from other places, that they have not the ſame confidence in that prince, but that on the contrary he makes them very uneaſy. They even inſi⯑nuate to me, that they would be very happy that I ſhould take a tour to Saxony before the opening of the campaign, in order to renew to the King the aſſurances of the Queen's ſincere friendſhip, and of the atten⯑tion which her Majeſty will, at all times, pay to his intereſts, from a belief that this may have a good effect. But I took care to give no attention to this, without being previouſly informed of your Electoral Highneſs's ſentiments concerning it, which I humbly beſeech you to be pleaſed to communicate to me as ſoon as poſſible. If you approve of it, I ſhall undertake the journey with ſo much the greater pleaſure, that it will furniſh me with an opportunity of throwing myſelf at your feet.

Some days ago I begged of Monſieur de Bulau to teſtify to your Elec⯑toral Highneſs, the joy with which I received the news of the ſafe deli⯑very of the princeſs. I beſeech you to believe that no one intereſts him⯑ſelf more warmly in this than I do, or can be with a more ſincere veneration than I am,

May it pleaſe your Highneſs, &c.

Original. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 213.The Duke of Marlborough to the Elector.
Tranſlation.

I Did myſelf the honour of writing to your Electoral Highneſs the 11th inſtant, aſking your opinion of the journey to Saxony, which I am deſired to undertake. If your Highneſs approve of it, I beſeech you to be pleaſed likewiſe to acquaint me what penſion you think I ſhould offer from the Queen to Count Piper and Mr. Harmaline, in order to engage them to enter effectually into the intereſts of the High Allies. I beg pardon, moſt humbly, for this liberty; but I take it, becauſe the ſentiments of your Electoral Highneſs will have ſo much influence with her Majeſty, that I ſhall find leſs difficulty in inducing her to give the ſum which you will propoſe. I am, with all poſſible attachment and reſpect,

May it pleaſe your Highneſs, &c.

Robethon's draught. Ibid. No. 214.The Elector to the Duke of Marlborough.
Tranſlation.

I Received at once your letters of the 11th and of the 14th of Fe⯑bruary. I am always in the hopes, that the King of Sweden will adhere, in preference to every thing, to the proſecution of the war againſt the Czar; and that if her Majeſty and the States General proceed to a recognition of King Staniſlaus, and charge themſelves with the gua⯑rantee of the peace of Saxony, without exacting any condition or decla⯑ration from the King of Sweden: and that, on the other hand, an end is put to the affair of the renunciation of prince Charles, and miniſters are ſent to Hamburgh to regulate there, what is ſtill wanting to the entire execution of the treaty of Travandahl, there will be no apprehen⯑ſions of any trouble.

I doubt not but the journey to the King of Sweden, which is propoſed to you, will produce very good effects; knowing the great regard which he has for the Queen, and his very particular eſteem for you. I ſhall [91] rejoice at it, for my part, becauſe this journey will procure me the plea⯑ſure of ſeeing you again. You will judge better, when you croſs the ſea, if it will be neceſſary for you to undertake it; and if you can do ſo with⯑out any prejudice to the operations of the campaign. I believe it is extremely neceſſary that you ſhould give all your attentions to ſecure Piper and Harmelin. My opinion is, that a penſion of 2000l. ſterling may be offered to the firſt, and of 1000l. to the ſecond; of which the firſt year may be paid to them in advance. And that if you do not go to Saxony, it will, in my opinion, be very proper to give this commiſſion to Mr. Robinſon, while he is at hand, to execute it; for it will be very difficult for him to do ſo, if it is delayed until the King of Sweden marches: beſides that, there is a riſk of being prevented by the new mi⯑niſter from France, who is come to the court of that prince; and who, undoubtedly, has very poſitive orders to make conſiderable offers to the two miniſters in queſtion. I am, my Lord, &c.

Robethon's draught. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 64.The Electoral Prince to Queen Anne.
Tranſlation.

MR. HOW did not fail to deliver to me the letter with which your Majeſty honoured me, with the patent of Duke of Cam⯑bridge, which you was ſo good as to grant me. I humbly entreat your Majeſty to be perſuaded that I received both the one and the other with the utmoſt gratitude, and that it is impoſſible to put a greater value upon this dignity than I do, nor to be more ſenſible than I am, of the obliging manner in which your Majeſty conferred it upon me. I ſhall endeavour to make a ſuitable return to it, by the moſt perfect veneration, and by the moſt zealous and reſpectful ſentiments. I flatter myſelf your Majeſty will not take it amiſs, if I embrace ſo favourable an opportunity of ex⯑preſſing to you the part I take in the great work you have lately accom⯑pliſhed, by putting the finiſhing hand to the union of the two kingdoms. This is ſuch a glorious period of your reign, though it hath been but one continued ſeries of wonders and great events, that it ſeems to have been neceſſary to exhibit, in all its proper lights; the indefatigable attentions with which your Majeſty applies yourſelf to eſtabliſh, upon unſhaken [92] foundations, the happineſs of your ſubjects. Iam with a very profound reſpect, Madam, &c.

Robethon's draught. Hannover Papers, vol marked Princes. No. 66.The Elector to Sir Rowland Gwyne.
Tranſlation.

I Received, Sir, the letter which you wrote to me from Hamburgh.

I know what you did in parliament for eſtabliſhing the proteſtant ſucceſſion; and I am very ſenſible of the marks which you gave, on different occaſions, of your attachment to the intereſt of my family. But I could have wiſhed very much, that when you was at Hannover, you had not meddled in public affairs. I do not think it proper, that you ſhould return again, after the noiſe which your printed letter occaſioned laſt year. I ſhall be very happy to be able to ſhow you, in ſome other manner, the eſteem which I have for you; and that I am, &c."

[...]. Robethon's draught. Hannover Papers, vol. [...] Princes. No. 69.The Elector to Mr. Scot.
Tranſlation.

I Received, Sir, the letter which you wrote to me; and I was ſur⯑priſed, that having no order or commiſſion from me, you meddled in ſuch delicate affairs. I did not, therefore, chooſe to delay to tell you myſelf, that I have a miniſter at London, with whom I am ſatisfied, who is inſtructed in my intentions. It is to him you ought to have referred the perſons who ſpoke to you on theſe ſubjects. With regard to myſelf, I wiſh that you would not meddle, in any reſpect, with whatever may have the leaſt regard to an invitation or to an annual penſion. As to the reſt, if your own buſineſs will oblige you to remain ſtill in England, you may do ſo; but without taking any ſtep whatſoever in my affairs. I am, &c."

Robethon's Draught. Ibid. No. 216.The Elector to the Duke of Marlborough.
He undertakes the Command of the Army of the Empire.
Tranſlation.

"I Thought I ſhould not delay to acquaint you, that I ſent baron Gortz to Metz, and to the army of the empire, in order to make an exact report to me of the ſtate of that army; and that, as ſoon as he ſhall make that report, I may take my final reſolution, with regard to the command which is ſo unanimouſly offered to me; I can aſſure you, that one of the ſtrongeſt reaſons which can determine me to undertake it, is the deſire which her Majeſty, the Queen, ſhows for it, and the perſuaſion in which I am, that you will always contribute, by your great influence, to the meaſures which it will be neceſſary to take in concert, for the good of the common cauſe. I have too many proofs of your zeal for the public and of your affection for me, to be able to doubt of this. It is, therefore, with an entire confidence that I write to you this letter, to inform you, that, by the liſts which the Elector of Metz and the Elector Palatine communicated to me, of the ſtate of the army, and of the reinforcements which it may receive, it appears, that there will be nearly a ſufficient [94] number of infantry,month July. but that cavalry and dragoons will be wanted: ſo that, even though one could be aſſured of the goodneſs of the cavalry which there are, (a thing which does not appear to me) it is certain, that they are not ſufficiently numerous, for attempting to ſhow themſelves, before thoſe of Marſhal de Villars; beſides that, he is within reach of being joined, by the reinforcement which the duke of Vendôſme ſent him.

It is this very apparent neceſſity, which obliges me, my lord, to order, as ſoon as poſſible, Bothmer's regiment of dragoons to march to the Rhine; and to be ſo good as to ſend us beſides, 1000 good cavalry. The reinforcement is ſo much the more indiſpenſable, that it is certain, that the cavalry which King Auguſtus offers, is not in a condition to ſerve this campaign, and that there are no more cavalry remaining in Germany which one can employ. I ſhall be very particularly obliged to you for this; and I entreat you to be perſuaded, that if I undertake the command, I ſhall do myſelf a very great pleaſure, in maintaining an exact correſpondence, and in acting with you in the moſt perfect concert. I am always very ſincerely, &c."

Original. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Miſcell. d' Etat. 2. No. 18 [...]. month September. The Earl of Sunderland to Robethon.
Tranſlation.

"I Have been long in the country, this Summer, for my health, which hindered me from thanking you ſooner for the honour of your letter which I received ſome time ago; but I could not prevail with myſelf not to take this opportunity of congratulating you, on his Electoral High⯑neſs's ſucceſsful beginning on the Rhine, where he no ſooner arrived, than we have had greater ſucceſs, than we have had, for many years, on that ſide. I conſider this as a good omen of what will follow; and I doubt not, but the Elector will recover affairs, which have ſuffered ſo much by the bad ſucceſs of this year.

I am very well pleaſed, that Monſieur Shutts does not leave us, as he propoſed to do; nevertheleſs, if you will honour me, from time to time, with your correſpondence, you will do me a very great pleaſure. I hope you do me the juſtice to believe, that I am, with great eſteem, Sir, &c."

Robethon's draught. Hannover papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 217.The Electoral Prince to the Duke of Marlborough.
Tranſlation.

"I Am much obliged to you for the letter which you was at the trou⯑ble of writing me, the 15th of the laſt month, and for the part which you ſhew me you take in my recovery. It is to me a very great ſatisfaction to learn, that the nation intereſts itſelf in it, ſince, on my part, I ſhall never have any thing more at heart, than to contribute as much as ſhall be in my power, to render them happy.

I cannot blame the French for ſtationing themſelves, all the campaign, in inacceſſible camps. They know what it hath coſt them, not to have had always the ſame prudence.

The princeſs is very ſenſible of the honour of your remembrance; and I entreat you to believe the perfect regard I have for your perſon, and the deſire which I have to be able to give you proofs of it. I am, very ſincerely, my Lord, &c."

Copy in Robethon's hand. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 71. month October. The Elector to Queen Anne.
Tranſlation.

"I Receiv'd with the utmoſt gratitude the letter with which your Majeſty ho⯑noured me: the goodneſs you have to intereſt yourſelf in the misfortunes of the Empire, ſhould give us hopes of a redreſs of them: I venture to aſſure your Majeſty, that I ſhall ſpare neither my pains nor my perſon, in order to contribute to this, and to make a ſuitable return to the obliging ſentiments which you diſcover to me. I entreat your Majeſty to be perſuaded, that I have nothing ſo much at heart, in the command which I have undertaken, as to acquit myſelf in it, in a manner which will merit your approbation, and give you new proofs of my zeal for the good cauſe, and of the profound reſpect with which I am, Ma⯑dam, &c."

Original. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 218. month November. The Duke of Marlborough to the Elector.
Tranſlation.

"ON my arrival at the Hague, I communicated to the grand Pen⯑ſionary all that paſſed at Francfort, and particularly the ſentiments of your Electoral Highneſs, with regard to the operations on the Mo⯑ſelle; whence he immediately comprehended the neceſſity of being, in that caſe, on the defenſive in the Low Countries; and as he was of opinion, that this propoſal may have a bad effect, by diſcouraging the gentlemen here, who will believe themſelves too much expoſed thereby, he adviſed me not to make the propoſal at preſent; ſo that I have not ſpoke of it to any, but to the count de Wrattiſlow and to Monſieur de Bothmar, who are inſtructed in the particulars of all that paſſed, during my ſtay at the Hague. The firſt is to give an exact ac⯑count of it to your Electoral Highneſs, when he will have the honour of ſaluting you at Hannover; as Mr. de Bothmar will do by writing.

I am ſorry, however, to be obliged to tell you, that I do not find the minds of people ſo well diſpoſed for the augmentation of their troops, as in the laſt journey I made to this place: but I continue to do every thing in my power to incline them to it; and I flatter myſelf, that when they will reflect maturely upon the great efforts of France, and upon the new levies which they propoſe to make, they will return to their former ſentiments, and take ſalutary meaſures, according to the neceſſity of the conjuncture.

I have put every thing on board, and I wait only for the firſt fair wind to go over to England, from whence I will do myſelf the honour of wri⯑ting to your Electoral Highneſs, beſeeching you to accept of my very humble acknowledgments, for the kindneſs which you ſhewed me at Francfort; and to be perſuaded of the reſpectful attachment with which I ſhall always be, Sir, your Electoral Highneſs's, &c."

Robethon's Draught. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 74.The Elector to George Murray.
Tranſlation.

"I Received, Sir, the letter which you wrote to me. I ſhall always be well pleaſed to contribute to your advancement; but as the Electreſs has already written in your favour to the Duke of Marlborough, I doubt not, but, if what you demand is practicable, he will pay regard to her recommendation, and that mine will not be neceſſary: beſides, that he might find it ſtrange to be urged, upon the ſame buſineſs, by two ſuc⯑ceſſive letters. I ſhall wait, therefore, for ſome other occaſion, of ſhew⯑ing you the eſteem which I have for you, and a deſire which I have to do you a pleaſure. I am, &c."

Robethon's Draught. Ibid. No. 219.The Elector to the Duke of Marlborough.
Tranſlation.

"I Am very much obliged to you for the trouble you was at in writing to me, from the Hague. I was willing to delay thanking you for it, until I had converſed with the count de Wrattiſlaw. I ſee, by the report which he made to me, and by that of Monſieur de Bothmar, that things are ſtill in a ſtate of uncertainty, with regard to an augmentation of the troops and the operations of the next campaign. I chuſe to hope, my lord, that your preſence in England will produce ſuch effects, that the parliament will give the example to the other allies, by vigorous re⯑ſolutions, and that Holland cannot refuſe to follow it. I wiſh that the empire may do the ſame, on their ſide; and I ſhall neglect nothing that depends upon me, for diſpoſing to this, the minds of men. I entreat you to be perſuaded of this, and of the ſincerity with which I am, My Lord, &c."

Original. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 221. month February. The Duke of Marlborough to the Elector.
Tranſlation.

"YOUR, Electoral Highneſs will have been already informed by Baron Schutz, how much the Queen has the affairs of the Empire at heart; and that her Majeſty wiſhes, that means may be found of fur⯑niſhing [106] the million of crowns for the operations on the Upper Rhine. It is not therefore neceſſary that I ſhould write on that ſubject to your Highneſs.

I do myſelf the honour, now, of writing to you this letter, by major general Palmes, whom the Queen ſends to the duke of Savoy. He is to paſs through Hannover, to converſe with your Electoral Highneſs about the orders with which he is charged; and, at the ſame time, to receive your inſtructions concerning every thing which may contribute to the advancement of the intereſts of the common cauſe, as well at Tu⯑rin as at Vienna, and other courts of Germany through which he is to paſs. I am ſure he will acquit himſelf, in every thing which your Elec⯑toral Highneſs will think proper to give him in charge, with all the zeal and application which you can wiſh. He has likewiſe orders to maintain an exact correſpondence with the perſon whom your Highneſs ſhall ap⯑point; in order that your Electoral Highneſs may be informed, from time to time, and directly, of the ſucceſs of his negociations; being per⯑ſuaded that you will be ſatisfied with his conduct. I am, with great re⯑ſpect, &c."

Original. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 84.Queen Anne to the Elector.
Tranſlation.

"THE public will feel ſuch beneficial conſequences from your pre⯑ſence with the army on the Upper Rhine; and there is ſo much to fear, unleſs you join it ſoon, that I cannot refuſe to join my entreaties to thoſe of ſo many princes and ſtates, who deſire earneſtly that you were upon the ſpot, to exerciſe there with more advantage the neceſſary func⯑tions of your important command. I leave to Mr. Palmes to tell you, more fully, how much I have that at heart. I have nothing to add, but aſſurances that I am, very truly, &c.

Robethon's draught. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 220.The Elector to the Duke of Marlborough.
Tranſlation.

"I Received your obliging letter of the 23d of January, with the me⯑morial of the Emperor's Reſident at London, and the anſwer [107] which was made to it. You know, my Lord, that I wiſhed very much, at Francfort, that a concert for the operations of the next campaign might be agreed upon; that we reaſoned a good deal upon the ſubject, and that Mr. Hartch committed to writing what appeared feaſible to us. I com⯑municated this project to the prince of Savoy, who ſhewed to me, that he believed it was the beſt that could be done.

As you could not make them reliſh that plan at the Hague, I believe, my lord, it will be very difficult to find another, whatever trouble we may give ourſelves to reaſon upon the ſubject; ſo that all the ſatisfaction that would accrue to me from our interview would be that of embra⯑cing you. It appears to me, from the anſwer which you gave to Mr. Hoffman, that it is likewiſe the opinion with you, that the conference would be of no great ſervice. I ſhall, however, be much obliged to you, if you will be ſo good as to take the trouble of informing me of whatever you judge neceſſary to be done the next campaign.

As to the reſt, my lord, you know already, that it is impoſſible to break the reſolution which the imperial court has taken of ſending the count Starenberg into Spain, and that he has received his laſt inſtructions, with orders to ſet out in a few days.

I entreat you, my lord, to be perſuaded, that it is impoſſible to be more ſenſible than I am of the marks of affection and confidence which you give me; and that I ſhall always anſwer them by ſuitable ſentiments, being very ſincerely, &c."

Original. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 222.The Duke of Marlborough to the Elector.
Tranſlation.

"I Received the letter which your Electoral Highneſs did me the ho⯑nour of writing to me the 28th of laſt month. You will have learned, ſince that the prince of Savoy, according to the Emperor's orders, is to repair immediately to the Hague, in order to concert the operations of the campaign. And as his Imperial Majeſty's miniſter has juſt now given us notice, that the prince may arrive there toward the [108] 26th inſtant,month March. the Queen has been pleaſed to permit me to go over, for four or five days. Accordingly, I propoſe to repair thither at the ſame time; and I entreat your Electoral Highneſs to be pleaſed to make M. de Bothmar acquainted with your ſentiments; that I may the better con⯑form myſelf to them. I will not fail likewiſe to give to your Highneſs an ample detail of whatever will be agreed upon for the intereſts of the common cauſe, in order that I may receive your Highneſs's ultimate orders.

We were a little alarmed by the preparations of the enemy at Dun⯑kirk; but as we have, at preſent, a ſuperior force at ſea, we doubt not, with the bleſſing of heaven, to defeat their deſigns very ſoon. I am, with all poſſible reſpect, Sir, &c."

Robethon's draught. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes, No. 223.The Elector to the Duke of Marlborough.
Tranſlation.

"I Received very thankfully the letter which you was at the trouble of writing to me 13/2 inſtant, by which you was ſo good as to in⯑form me of the time fixed for your interview, at the Hague, with the prince of Savoy. I ſhall not fail, on my part, to give inſtructions to the Baron de Bothmar; and I ſhall be very much obliged to you, it you will be ſo good to hear with attention what he will have the honour to tell you, and to ſpeak to him with confidence concerning what will be concerted in that interview; aſſuring you, that it ſhall be kept as ſecret as you could wiſh.

It is with great pleaſure I have ſeen with what diſpatch the Queen has oppoſed a numerous fleet to the French ſquadron, deſtined to tranſport troops to Scotland. It is impoſſible to be more ſincerely intereſted than I am, in all that happens advantageouſly and gloriouſly to her Ma⯑jeſty. I ſlatter myſelf, that ſhe is perſuaded of this, and that you are ſo likewiſe of the diſtinguiſhed ſentiments which I have for you. I am very ſincerely, &c."

Copy in Ro⯑bethon's hand. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 85. And in the Elector's penes. Sir John Dal⯑rymple.The Elector to Queen Anne.
Tranſlation.

"I Received, with the utmoſt gratitude, your Majeſty's letter, which was delivered to me by major general Palmes. I ſee, with great pleaſure, the goodneſs you have, to intereſt yourſelf in what regards the operations on the Rhine. I entreat your Majeſty to be perſuaded, that I neglect nothing of what depends upon me, to put matters there on a proper footing; and that the moment they are ſo, I ſhall not fail to re⯑pair thither, with all poſſible diſpatch; being determined to ſpare neither my pains nor my perſon to ſerve the public, and to merit the appro⯑bation of your Majeſty. I am, with a profound reſpect, Madam, &c.

Robethon's draught. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 224.The Elector to the Duke of Marlborough.
Tranſlation.

"I AM much obliged to you, for your letter of the 14th February, which was delivered to me by major general Palmes. I am very ſenſible of the Queen's goodneſs, in ordering him to paſs through this place; and to ſecond, at the courts to which he is to go, the buſineſs which I negociate there at preſent. I take the liberty to make uſe of the permiſſion which her Majeſty gives me in that reſpect. The corre⯑ſpondence which ſhe chuſes that he ſhould maintain with me, when he is with the duke of Savoy's army, will be very agreeable to me. I ſhall preſerve, all my life time, the utmoſt gratitude for the attention which her Majeſty condeſcends to give to whatever concerns me, and to what⯑ever may contribute to the good of the allies; and to eſtabliſh a perfect concert between the commanders of their armies. I ſhall neglect no⯑thing that depends upon me, for contributing thereto likewiſe, on my part; and for ſhewing you the entire confidence with which I ſhall al⯑ways make the ſuitable returns to the marks of affection which you give me. I am, very ſincerely, my Lord, &c.

Original. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes, No. 88. month April. The Earl of Peterborough to the Elector.
Tranſlation.

"IF the French has given us uneaſineſs, by their very extraordinary enterpriſe, they have alſo given us this pleaſure, that all men of honour are of the ſame opinion, with regard to the only remedy againſt ſuch deſigns.

I ſhall look out for the firſt opportunities of aſſuring you in perſon of my inviolable attachment to your ſervice. It is of importance that your Royal Highneſs ſhould provide for your own intereſt and ours. Matters are upon a very changeable footing with us. This is properly the country of inconſtancy. I hope that your Royal Highneſs's campaign will pro⯑duce happy effects for Europe, and of thoſe who flatter themſelves, one day, with the happineſs of being your ſubjects.

Robethon's Draught. Ibid. 90.The Elector to the Earl of Peterborough.
Tranſlation.

"I Received the letter which you was at the trouble of writing to me; and I read that which you wrote to the Electreſs. I am much obliged to you for the new proofs which you there give me of your at⯑tachment to the intereſts of my family; and of the fear which you ſhew you have had, that the enterpriſes of the French againſt Scotland might be of ſome prejudice to it. As to the reſt, you might have diſcovered, my lord, during your ſtay here, that I have adopted, for a conſtant maxim, to take no ſteps concerning the affairs of Great Britain, but in concert with the Queen and with her miniſtry; being perſuaded that nothing can be more contrary to the deſigns of the diſaffected, than a perfect underſtanding between her Majeſty and my family. I leave you then to judge, my lord, if there would be no reaſon to fear, that, [111] having as much merit as you poſſeſs,month May. the journey which you would make to Hannover, and to the army which I command, would not give um⯑brage, and be a ſubject of ſiniſter interpretations: otherwiſe, I would have a very ſenſible pleaſure in ſeeing you, and in giving you marks of the regard which I have for you. I am, very ſincerely, my Lord, &c.

Robethon's Draught. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 225.The Elector to the Duke of Marlborough.
Tranſlation.

"I Would not permit the Electoral Prince, my ſon, to go to make the campaign with you, without recommending him to you; and with⯑out ſhewing to you the joy which I have in ſeeing him beginning the art of war under ſo great a captain. You will oblige me much, my lord, if you will be ſo good as to give him advice, when he ſhall have oc⯑caſion for it; it being juſt that he ſhould conduct him according to the advice of a perſon ſo well enlightened as you, and ſo well affected to the intereſts of my family. I ſend, along with him, baron d'Eltz, one of my miniſters of ſtate, in whom I entreat you to place an entire confi⯑dence, when he ſhall ſay to you any thing from me, or when you ſhall have any thing to communicate to me, during the courſe of this cam⯑paign. I wiſh it may be as glorious to you as any of the preceding; and I always am, very ſincerely, my Lord, &c.

Original. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Strafford.Lord Halifax to Sophia, Electneſs of Hannover.

"I AM not willing to trouble your Royal Highneſs upon many occaſions; but I cannot forbear congratulating your Royal Highneſs upon the glorious victory in Flanders, and the brave part the Electoral Prince had in it. We know not all the particulars of that great action yet, but lord Stairs, who brought the news, is very full of the praiſes of the Electoral Prince, and the bravery he ſhewed at the head of the Elector's troops. [112] It is with the utmoſt joy and ſatisfaction that we talk of this here,month July. and make a compariſon between the behaviour of his Highneſs and of the Princes of France and the Pretender, who, as we hear, never came into danger, but were ſpectators of their own diſgrace at a diſtance. I hope this laſt ſtroke will finiſh the work, and help us to a good peace and a firm ſettlement of the proteſtant ſucceſſion in a little time: and I hope the defeat of this army will oblige the French to make ſuch great de⯑tachments from the Rhine, that his Electoral Highneſs may make a glo⯑rious campaign.

We were here under great uneaſineſs upon the taking of Ghent and Bruges; but the French have paid very dear for thoſe towns. Since we are ſucceſsful abroad, we have nothing to apprehend at home; for the new parliament is entirely well inclined to the intereſt of the allies and the proteſtant ſucceſſion. I am, &c."

Original Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes, No. 226.The Duke of Marlborough to the Elector. After the taking of Liſle.
Tranſlation.

"I Make uſe of the opportunity offered by Mr. Craggs, who has an ar⯑dent deſire of throwing himſelf at the feet of your Electoral High⯑neſs, to give you the news of, and to congratulate you, at the ſame time, upon, the ſurrender of the important town of Liſle. I have likewiſe opened myſelf to him, upon the preſent ſituation of our affairs here, in order that he may have the honour to inform your Electoral Highneſs of it more amply, by word of mouth, than I dare do by letter. I there⯑fore entreat your Highneſs to approve, that I refer myſelf to what he ſhall tell you from me; and to be perſuaded of the very ſubmiſſive at⯑tachment and reſpect with which I am, Sir, &c."

Robethon's draught. Ibid. No. 227.The Elector to the Duke of Marlborough.
Tranſlation.

"MR. Craggs delivered to me the letter which you was at the trouble of writing to me from the camp at Rouſlear, the 25th of Oc⯑tober; [113] and he did not fail to make me an exact report of the ſtate of affairs,month November. and of every thing with which you judged proper to truſt him. I took a great part in ſuch an important conqueſt as that of Liſle; and I hope for the ſpeedy ſurrender of the citadel. Mr. Craggs will have the honour to give you an account of what I ſaid to him, concerning the pro⯑poſals with which you had charged him. I entreat you, Sir, to approve that I refer myſelf to what he will write to you about them. I wiſh you a happy concluſion to ſuch a glorious campaign; and I always am, very ſincerely, my Lord, &c."

Original Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 228.The Duke of Marlborough to the Elector. After the paſſage of the Schelde and relieving Bruſſels.
Tranſlation.

"MOnſieur de Bulau will inform your Electoral Highneſs, that we have juſt forced the paſſage of the Scheld, notwithſtanding all the menaces of the enemy, who were obliged to retire with loſs. I take the liberty to congratulate your Highneſs on this happy beginning, which, I hope, will prove the way for us to a happy concluſion of the cam⯑paign. To-morrow the prince of Savoy will return, with the troops which he brought, to continue the ſiege of the citadel of Liſle; and we advance, at the ſame time, to relieve Bruſſels; where we hope to arrive Thurſday evening. I am, with a very reſpectful attachment, Sir, &c."

Robethon's draught. Ibid. No. 229.The Elector to the Duke of Marlborough.
Tranſlation.

"I AM very much obliged to you, for the trouble which you was ſo good as to take, the very day you paſſed the Scheld, in communi⯑cating to me an event ſo important to the common cauſe. It was not poſſible to finiſh ſo fine a campaign in a more glorious manner. You ought, by no means, to doubt that I ſhare greatly in it; and that all that heightens your glory, does me a real pleaſure. I am, very ſincerely, my Lord, &c."

Original. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 230. month December. The Duke of Marlborough to the Elector. Upon the ſurrender of the citadel of Liſle.
Tranſlation.

"I AM very happy, that, after waiting ſo long, I can have the ho⯑nour of congratulating your Electoral Highneſs upon the taking of the citadel of Litle. The prince of Savoy, writing to me juſt now, that the Mareſchal de Boufflers is to deliver up to him one of the gates to day; ſo that the ſiege being happily finiſhed, I march to-morrow to draw near to Ghent, which we are determined to attack, notwithſtanding the rigour of the ſeaſon, in the hopes of being able even to retake Bruges before the troops are ſent to quarters; having, for their greater relief, erected magazines of hay and oats, which will be delivered to them, during the reſt of the campaign. I am, with great reſpect, Sir, &c."

Robethon's draught. Ibid. No. 89.The Electoral Princeſs to Queen Anne.
Tranſlation.

"I Would think I failed in the reſpect which I ſhall have all my life for your Majeſty, and in the gratitude which is due to you for all you have done for this family, if I did not take the liberty to ſhew you, that I intereſt myſelf very ſenſibly in the loſs which you have lately ſuffered. That piety of which your Majeſty has given ſo many illuſtrious marks, could not have been put to a more melancholy trial. I pray God, that he himſelf may be the comforter of your Majeſty; and that he may long preſerve a life ſo precious to England, and ſo neceſſary to the good of Europe. I am, with a great deal of reſpect, Madam, &c."

Ibid. No. 231.The Elector to the Duke of Marlborough.
Tranſlation.

"I AM very much obliged to you for the trouble which you took to inform me of the ſurrender of the citadel of Liſle. I ſee that, af⯑ter the happy ſucceſs of this famous ſiege, the advanced ſeaſon does not [115] hinder you from forming new enterpriſes. I doubt not but, under your directions, they will ſucceed as ſpeedily as one ſhould wiſh. It was im⯑poſſible to finiſh more gloriouſly ſo fine a campaign. I entreat you to be perſuaded of the part which I take, in whatever will heighten the luſtre of your glory, and of the ſincerity with which I am, my Lord, &c."

Original. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes, No. 232.The Duke of Marlborough to the Elector. Upon the ſurrender of the town of Ghent.
Tranſlation.

"I DO myſelf the honour to congratulate your Electoral Highneſs up⯑on the recovery of the town of Ghent, the garriſon of which is, according to the capitulation, to go out the day after to-morrow. It is a ſucceſs ſo important, and ſo neceſſary to the ſucceſs of the High Allies, that I flatter myſelf that they will be ſatisfied with the length of the cam⯑paign, which it has occaſioned. Your Electoral Highneſs will permit me to refer myſelf to Monſieur de Bulau, for a detail of what paſſed, and for the ſhare which your troops have had in this enterpriſe. I am, with a very ſubmiſſive reſpect, Sir, &c."

Original. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 234.The Duke of Marlborough to the Elector.
Tranſlation.

"THREE days ago, I did myſelf the honour of communicating to your Electoral Highneſs the capitulation of the town of Ghent. [136] The garriſon went out of it yeſterday; month January. and, on my arrival here, laſt night, I had the pleaſure to learn, that the enemy had left Bruges, the magiſtrates having come to make their ſubmiſſion. I cannot forbear to congratulate, very humbly, your Electoral Highneſs upon this laſt event, which finiſhes our campaign to our wiſhes, and makes ample amends for its length. The troops have orders to ſeparate, and your Electoral High⯑neſs may be aſſured, that I have all poſſible regard and attention to ſa⯑tisfy and preſerve thoſe of your Highneſs. I have the honour to be, with the moſt perfect reſpect and attachment, Sir, &c."

Original Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 95.Sir Rowland Gwyne to the Elector.

"I Beg leave to return my moſt humble thanks for your Electoral Highneſs's moſt gracious letter.

It is the greateſt human ſatisfaction that I can have in this world, to find that your Electoral Highneſs does believe my wiſhes for your hap⯑pineſs moſt ſincere. My whole life ſhall convince your Electoral High⯑neſs of my truth and fidelity; for I will ever maintain the good opinion your Electoral Highneſs is graciouſly pleaſed to have for me. It is, now, more than three years ſince the miniſters of England took an occa⯑ſion to complain in parliament of a letter publiſhed under my name.

If my zeal for ſupporting the intereſt of the Proteſtant ſucceſſion did happen to carry me too far, yet I hope that your Electoral Highneſs will pardon it; it being well meant, and I may be ſuppoſed to know the conſtitution of our government.

But ſince that time, there hath not been the leaſt thing laid to my charge, upon that account, or any other that I know of. And, if I had been guilty of high-treaſon, I muſt have been proſecuted within ſix months, after the fault committed.

I am not guilty of any crime againſt her Majeſty, or the laws of Eng⯑land; and I hope, that my fidelity to your Electoral Highneſs will never be looked upon as ſuch.

If the miniſters of England were then offended with me, without rea⯑ſon, I cannot help it. They have their time, and their power and influ⯑ence will laſt no longer than the Prince's pleaſure upon the throne.

[137] This is my caſe, and I moſt humbly ſubmit it to your Electoral Highneſs; for next to God's, ſubjects ought to depend upon their ſove⯑reign's will and pleaſure.

Your Electoral Highneſs ſees, my lord Somers being made preſident of the Queen's council, though impeached by parliament, that he can be and is employed, in a place of the greateſt truſt. I could give many in⯑ſtances of the ſame nature.

I am content to live in ſolitude and retirement as long as it ſhall pleaſe your Electoral Highneſs that it ſhould be ſo. But I wiſh to live under the protection and warmth of your favour and preſence.

I moſt humbly beg pardon for preſuming to trouble your Electoral Highneſs with ſo long a letter; and am with all duty and fidelity, &c."

Robethon's Draught, Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 233.The Elector to the Duke of Marlborough.
Tranſlation.

"I Am very much obliged to you, for the trouble you was at in in⯑forming me yourſelf of the capitulation of Ghent. It is a place ſo important, that the length of a campaign, the great ſucceſſes of which are ſo gloriouſly crowned by this, ſhould not be complained of. I can aſſure you, that I take all poſſible intereſt in it, as I ſhall always do in whatever may heighten your glory; being very ſincerely, my Lord, &c."

Robethon's Draught. Ibid, 235.The Elector to the Duke of Marlborough.
Tranſlation.

"I Am very much obliged to you for the trouble which you took in informing me of the evacuation of Bruges. It was the only event which remained to be deſired. It ought to be a conſolation for the length of a campaign, which has been ſo ſucceſsful. I take all poſſible intereſt in the glory which you have thereby acquired. I am very ſenſible of the attentions, which you are ſo good as to give to the preſervation of my troops. I am, very ſincerely, my Lord, &c."

Original. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 98. month March. Lord Halifax to the Elector.
He ſends him the parliament's addreſs to the Queen.
Tranſlation.

"YOUR Electoral Highneſs having viſibly ſhewn, as always ap⯑peared to me, that you did not deſire to enter, at preſent, into the particulars of the affairs of Great Britain, I imagined that I con⯑formed myſelf to your inclinations, by depriving myſelf of the honour of informing your Electoral Highneſs of them, as often as I ſhould have wiſhed. But ſince, in the houſe of peers, I had the honour of making a motion, which may become a ſolid foundation for ſecuring, more powerfully, the proteſtant ſucceſſion, in the family of your Electoral Highneſs, I could not deprive myſelf of the ſatisfaction of being among the firſt to ſend you the addreſs, which has been the reſult of this motion, and which has paſſed, unanimouſly, in the two houſes of parliament.

Your Electoral Highneſs may remember, that I employed the time which I paſſed in Holland, and all my attentions to conclude there, with, the States, a treaty which might ſecure our ſucceſſion and their barrier. But they rendered the concluſion of it impracticable for me, by the de⯑mand which they made then of being put in poſſeſſion of Oftend. Since my return, there was little or nothing done in that affair. I hope that the addreſs of to-day will ſet on foot again that negociation, and produce a league, for that effect, between moſt of the high allies. The two houſes concurred ſo unanimouſly in this addreſs; the Queen received it with ſo much ſatisfaction, and it has the public approbation to ſuch a degree; that I do not ſee that the nation can hear a peace mentioned, un⯑til France is humbled, and obliged to admit ſuch terms, that the ſuc⯑ceſſion in the proteſtant line will remain thereby certain and permanent. And, for my part, I have nothing ſo much at heart, as to ſecure to my country ſuch a benefit, which I conſider as a bleſſing of heaven; and to give, on all occaſions, certain proofs of the reſpectful attachment with which I am, Sir, &c."

Robethon's draught. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 100. month April. The Elector to Lord Halifax.
Tranſlation.

"I Am much obliged to you for the letter which you was at the trouble of writing to me. I have read it with a great deal of ſatisfaction as well as the addreſs, preſented to the Queen by the two houſes, and the favourable anſwer which her Majeſty made to it. After all that you have done, my lord, for eſtabliſhing and confirming the proteſtant ſuc⯑ceſſion, it muſt be acknowledged, that you not only know to take the advantage of the opportunities which preſent themſelves for forwarding this great work, but likewiſe, that you are ingenious in producing them. I conceive all the importance of this laſt reſolution of the parliament; and I conceive equally the ſhare, which you have had in it. There is reaſon to expect a ſimilar ſucceſs from all that is propoſed by a miniſter who joins to a ſuperior genius upright and ſincere intentions. I approve, with all the nation, of an addreſs, which they conſider as your work; en⯑treating you to be perſuaded, that I am very ſenſible of the attachment, which you diſcover more and more, for the intereſts of my family; and that I am, very ſincerely, my Lord, &c."

Original. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Miſcell. d'Etat. 2. No. 191.Lord, Halifax to Robethon.

"I AM very glad that I can congratulate you upon a new mark of favour his E. H. has paid to your great merit, at the ſame time that I return you a thouſand thanks for the honour of your letter, and the good opinion you expreſs of me. I ſhould be very falſe to my prin⯑ciples, and very unworthy of the favours and honour I received at Han⯑nover, if I was not inviolably attached to the intereſt of that family, to whoſe ſervice my whole life ſhall be devoted. Lord Townſend is going over to ſettle the guarranty of the ſucceſſion, and the barrier upon con⯑cluding the war; we ſhall procure as great ſecurity for it as human pru⯑dence can provide. I ſhall be highly obliged to you to recommend my ſervices to his E. H. and to let me hear ſometimes from you.

Robethon's draught. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 104. month May. The Elector to Queen Anne.
Tranſlation.

"I Take the liberty of repreſenting to your Majeſty that the late mar⯑quis de la Forreſt, who had the honour of ſerving the late King in quality of lieutenant general, obtained by his interceſſion with the King of France, after the peace of Ryſwick, the permiſſion of entering again into poſſeſſion of all his eſtates in France; and even that of diſpoſing of them, which was granted to him by an arreſt of the council of ſtate, bearing date the tenth of April, 1699. In this there was the leſs diffi⯑culty, that the ſaid marquis de la Forreſt had left the kingdom with the late count de Roy, by an expreſs permiſſion from the King of France, bearing date the tenth of May, 1683. Your Majeſty will be pleaſed to ſee this by the copies incloſed.

In conſequence of this arreſt, the ſaid marquis de la Forreſt enjoyed his eſtates in France, from the peace of Ryſwick to his death. But his eſtates having been ſeized anew, on the commencement of the preſent war, and given to his neareſt relations in France, it appears to me, that, after the concluſion of the future peace, his only ſon has reaſon to de⯑mand the reſtitution of it; and as he is one of the gentlemen of my bed⯑chamber, I could not refuſe him to write in his favour to your Majeſty; and to entreat you to be ſo good as to order your plenipotentiaries at the treaty of peace to demand for him, from thoſe of the King of France, the ſame favour which was granted to his deceaſed father; hoping that the recommendation of your Majeſty will produce, on this occaſion, the ſame effect with that of the King your predeceſſor, and be to me a freſh proof of the valuable friendſhip with which you honour me; which en⯑gages me to be, with great reſpect, Madam, &c."

Original. Hannover papers, vol. marked Princes, No. 108. month Auguſt King Staniſlaus to the Elector. After the battle of Pultowa.
Tranſlation.

"I DO not find a greater relief in my misfortune than by communi⯑cating it to your E. H. being certain that you will enter into my juſt grief, on account of the friendſhip which I know was well eſtabliſh⯑ed between your E. H. and his Majeſty the King of Sweden. That great prince, by his too great courage, has lately drawn on himſelf that misfortune which will be already known to your E. H. and which will be very fatal to the intereſt of his crown and of his allies, if I was not perſuaded that in his abſence, your E. H. will redouble your friendſhip for him, and your attention to his intereſt. God has preſerved his ſacred perſon to render him uſeful to his friends, and grateful to thoſe who will ſhew themſelves, at preſent, in the ſtate in which our affairs are. As for myſelf, I ſhall be very happy to ſee them redreſſed, by your E. H. and to be under obligations to him, of whom I am, with all poſſible eſteem and friendſhip, the affectionate couſin,

Robethon's draught. Ibid. No. 109. month October. The Elector to King Staniſlaus.
Tranſlation.

"I Received the letter of the 15th of Auguſt, with which your Majeſty honoured me. You are in the right to believe, that having always done juſtice to the great qualities of his Majeſty the King of Sweden, I was touched with the misfortune which happened to him. It is of ſuch a nature, that it may be ſaid, the divine providence which choſe to put that prince to ſuch a melancholy trial, can alone apply the remedy to it. I wiſh that the ſituation of the affairs of Europe may take ſuch a turn as may procure him ſome relief, as well as to your Majeſty; aſſuring you, that whatever happens, I ſhall always be with reſpect, &c."

Robethon's draught. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 110. month November. The Electoral Prince to Queen Anne. On the birth of the Princeſs Anne.

"AS, by the bleſſing of God, the Electoral Princeſs, my wife, is hap⯑pily delivered of a daughter the ſecond inſtant, I do myſelf the honour to inform your Majeſty of this, and to entreat you to be pleaſed to be god-mother to the child, and to permit a name to be given to her which your Majeſty has rendered ſo illuſtrious. I ſhall receive, with all poſſible acknowledgments, this new favour, added to ſo many others with which your Majeſty has loaded me. I hope that you will do me the juſtice to be perſuaded that no one makes ſincerer vows than I do, for the preſervation and for the glory of your reign.

I entreat your Majeſty to be ſo good as to give credit to what the ba⯑ron de Schutz, who will have the honour to deliver this letter to your Majeſty, will tell you from me on this occaſion; and to be perſuaded that I am, with profound reſpect, Madam, &c."

Copy. Ibid. No. 236.The Elector to the Duke of Marlborough.
Tranſlation.

"I AM very much obliged to you for the trouble you have taken of informing me of the capitulation of Mons. Such an important conqueſt, made in ſo ſhort a time, and with ſo little loſs, is a glorious period to ſuch a brilliant campaign, and a valuable fruit of your victory. It is very juſt, after ſuch fatigue, to ſend the troops into quarters, where attention may be early given to recruit them. I ſhall, on my part, give all my attention to this. I entreat you to be perſuaded that I ſhare, as much as poſſible, in this addition to your glory; and that I ſhall always be very ſincerely, &c."

Robethon's Draught. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 111.The Elector to Queen Anne.
Tranſlation.

"HAving been obliged to throw up the command of the army onthe Rhine, and having communicated to his Imperial Majeſty the reſolution I took of doing ſo, I did not chooſe to fail in acquitting my⯑ſelf of the ſame duty to your Majeſty; and in aſſuring you, that I was not brought to that reſolution, but by invincible reaſons; and after having made all the efforts, and all the remonſtrances poſſible, for put⯑ting things, on that ſide, in the ſtate which the good of the common cauſe required. I even propoſed effectual means for obliging all thoſe to furniſh their contingent, who had neglected it: but, far from ſucceed⯑ing, that meaſure has only ſerved to draw on me their hatred. Beſides, ſome circles do not chooſe to permit their troops to be commanded but by their own generals. It was not in my power to diſpoſe of the com⯑mand; ſo that ſeeing all ſubordination ruined, and the diſorder carried to ſuch a height, that it was abſolutely without a remedy, I thought I could not continue to command an army ſo ill provided in every thing, without expoſing my reputation; and I declared this early, leſt I ſhould occaſion any diſappointment.

I entreat your Majeſty to be perſuaded, that this will not hinder me from ſhewing always the ſame zeal, as well in exhorting the different members of the Empire to do what they ought for their defence, as in giving them the example. I hope that your Majeſty will approve of my conduct, and that you will do me the juſtice to believe, that your approbation is the principal end which I propoſed to myſelf; and that I am, with great reſpect, Madam, your Majeſty's, &c."

Robethon's draught. Hannover papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 111. month February. The Elector to Queen Anne.
Tranſlation.

I Received, with great gratitude, the letter or the 5th or January, with which your Majeſty honoured me. There is nothing more worthy or your zeal for the good cauſe, than the lively exhortations which you take care to make to all the allies, to induce them to act with more vigour than heretofore, againſt the common enemy; and nothing would be more juſt than to imitate the great example which your Ma⯑jeſty gives in that reſpect. It does not depend upon my repreſentations, that that does not happen in the Empire; but they have been hitherto ſo ineffectual, that I dare not promiſe myſelf a better ſucceſs for the future. This obliged me to diveſt myſelf of the command of the army on the Rhine, as I did myſelf the honour of notifying to your Majeſty, by my former letter. I would imagine, that I encroached upon your time, if I repeated the reaſons which it contains. I flatter myſelf that your Ma⯑jeſty will honour them with your approbation, and that you will ac⯑knowledge, that nothing but an abſolute neceſſiry could induce me to adopt ſuch a meaſure; and that feeing my preſence uſeleſs with the army on the Rhine, and my reputation expoſed, I ought not to render myſelf re⯑ſponſible for the bad conſequences which the diſorders, that I endeavoured ſo ineffectually to redreſs, might have. I ſhall not ſpare, however, either my attentions or my exhortations to put things upon a better footing, and I ſhall give the example, as much as it depends upon me. I entreat your Majeſty to be perſuaded of this; and that I am, with great reſpect, Madam, &c.

Original. Ibid. No. 112.Queen Anne to the Elector.
Tranſlation.

I Could not obſerve, but with great regret, the reſolution which you took of diveſting yourſelf of the command of the army on the Rhine, as you notified to me, in your letter of the 15th of January; and confirmed again by another of the 6th of February. I am very ſorry [180] that you have had ſo many reaſons to induce you to adopt that meaſure; month April. but, as I am perſuaded that your preſence with that army is of the laſt importance, I cannot hinder myſelf from hoping, that matters will run in a better train; and that the ſtates of the Empire, ſeeing that they are to loſe ſuch a leader at the head of their troops, will exert themſelves to remedy the diſorders of which they complain: and for this purpoſe I wrote, ſome time ago, to the princes and circles of the Empire; and I preſſed ſtrongly his Imperial Majeſty to remove the difficulties which may hinder you: and I have reaſon to believe, that my repreſentations have had a good effect; for, I own, that my confidence, with regard to that army, was always in your conduct and in your valour. And you appear to me to be the only one who is able to render it, in ſome mea⯑ſure, uſeful to the common cauſe; and if you abſolutely throw up that command, I ſee nothing that can keep the enemy at bay, on that ſide. The ſeaſon for the campaign advances, and a diverſion on the upper Rhine will have an extraordinary effect to the advantage of the common cauſe. It is for this reaſon I continue to ſhew you ſtill the deſire I have that you may reconcile yourſelf to the command of the army on the Rhine for this year: and I aſſure you, at the ſame time, that there is no one who has your reputation more at heart than I. But I believe it above every thing that can happen on that ſide, where all the world muſt be convinced, that nothing will be wanting of what depends upon you, for rendering the arms of the Empire more uſeful and more glorious than they have been heretofore. I am, with a great deal of affection and eſteem, Brother, your affectionate Siſter,

Original. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Miſcell. d'Etat. 2.The Dutcheſs of Marlborough to Mrs. Howe.

I AM really very much aſhamed, Madam, that this poor gentleman^* has waited ſo long here for ſo inconſiderable a thing; for I hope nobody thinks it my fault. I can think him to blame to refuſe what he did; and ſince he is ſo far from his friends, that he cannot have any help from them, I deſire you will give him this little bill. I have writ to Mr. Walpole ſince I had the favour of your letter; and he ſays, that he hopes, in a very few days, he ſhall be able to provide for this gentle⯑man. [181]

Robetion's draught. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes, No. 113.The Elector to Queen Anne.
Tranſlation.

"I Received, with the utmoſt acknowledgments, the obliging letter with which your Majeſty honoured me. I doubt not but the in⯑telligence which you will have received, after having written that letter, of the ſtate of affairs on the Rhine, have entirely convinced you, that none of the deficiencies of which I complained have been ſupplied; and that the army of the Empire will be leſs in condition than ever to act in the manner which the intereſt of the Allies would require. Ac⯑cordingly his Imperial Majeſty has ſo well comprehended the reaſons which I advanced to him, for quitting the command of that army, that he has entirely acquieſced in them. This he has been ſo good as to no⯑tify to me, by his letter of the 3d inſtant; and to inform me, at the ſame time, that he conferred the command of that army upon prince Eugene of Savoy; and that, without leaving the Low Countries, he would com⯑mand the army of the Empire. I entreat your Majeſty to be perſuaded, that I ſhall do, in other reſpects, whatever depends upon me, for con⯑tributing to the good of the common cauſe, and for giving to your Ma⯑jeſty, in particular, marks of the perfect veneration and reſpect, with which I am, &c."

Original. Ibid. No 114. month June. The Earl of Rocheſter to the Elector.
Tranſlation.

"MR. Murray having told me, upon his arrival here, that he had received orders from your Electoral Highneſs to wait upon me, on your Highneſs's part, gives me the boldneſs to render very humble thanks, for the honour which your Electoral Highneſs was pleaſed to do me on this occaſion. This mark of your Electoral Highneſs's remem⯑brance of a man ſo removed from the world, and deprived of the means [182] of rendering himſelf uſeful to your ſervice, obliges me ſo much the more to be ſenſibly touched with a goodneſs ſo extraordinary. Of this I humbly beſeech you to be entirely perſuaded, and to believe that I wiſh, with ardour, to have opportunities of aſſuring your Electoral Highneſs, that I am, with all ſubmiſſion, Sir, &c."

Original. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 116.The Earl Ilay^† to the Elector.
Tranſlation.

"THE liberty which I take in addreſſing myſelf, after this manner, to your Electoral Highneſs, convinces me how the greateſt of our duties are, ſometimes, incompatible with one another. I had no means, at preſent, of aſſuring your Electoral Highneſs, with what zeal my brother and I are inviolably attached to the intereſts of your illuſtrious family, without being guilty, at the ſame time, of a preſumption which I would be afraid might deſtroy all the little merit I wanted to do myſelf the honour of eſtabliſhing, if I had not too well experienced formerly the goodneſs of your Electoral Highneſs to deſpair of it at this time. Mr. Murray will do himſelf the honour to inform your Electoral Highneſs of the ſtate of our public affairs here; which are, in reality, ſufficiently em⯑broiled; although I doubt not but every thing will ſucceed for the intereſts of the kingdom, by ſecuring more effectually thoſe of your Electoral Highneſs; of whom I am, with all poſſible ſubmiſſion, Sir, &c."

Original. Ibid. No. 115.Lord Howard of Eſcrick to the Elector.

"GIVE me leave, great Sir, who, with ſo much paſſion, am de⯑voted to your intereſt, to congratulate your Electoral Highneſſe upon the account of thoſe addreſſes which at preſent come from all parts of England, with one voice, expreſſing their zeal for her Majeſtyes rights and your moſt illuſtrious family.

Permit me alſo to aſſure your Electoral Highneſſe of my moſt dutyful ſervice, and that I ſhall ever eſteem any opportunity, whereby I may be enabled to ſhew my zeal, the happyeſt part of my life; being moſt ſin⯑cerely, &c."

Original. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 237.The Duke of Marlborough to the Elector. Upon the taking of Douay.
Tranſlation.

"YOUR Electoral Highneſs will be ſo well informed, by Monſieur de Bulau, of what paſſed at the ſiege of Douay, that I did not think it neceſſary to trouble you with my letters on the ſame ſubject. But having, at laſt ſucceeded, by the bleſſing of the Almighty, I could not avoid to make my very humble congratulations to your Electoral High⯑neſs on the event: and to do juſtice, at the ſame time, to ſuch of your troops as had a ſhare in it; and who diſtinguiſhed themſelves on all oc⯑caſions, and contributed greatly to this great ſucceſs, which may be con⯑ſidered as a fort of compenſation for the unjuſt delays of the enemy, in agreeing to a reaſonable peace. I hope, likewiſe, it will not fail to in⯑ſpire France with ſentiments more equitable than thoſe which ſhe has hitherto diſcovered. I have the honour to be, with inviolable attach⯑ment and reſpect, Sir, &c."

Robethon's draught. Ibid. No. 238. month July. The Elector to the Duke of Marlborough.
Tranſlation.

"I AM much obliged to you for the letter which you was at the trouble of writing to me, concerning the taking of Douay. It is a conqueſt ſo important, that it is juſt to expect the conſequences which you hope from it, with regard to a general peace. I greatly rejoiced to hear from yourſelf, that ſuch of my troops as were employed at the ſiege, ſerved there in a manner which merits your approbation. I wiſh you, my lord, during the reſt of the campaign, a continuance of the ſuc⯑ceſs; taking always a part, very ſincerely, in the great things which you do for the common cauſe, and in the glory which accrues to you thereby. I am, very ſincerely, &c."

Robethon's Draught. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 117. month Auguſt. The Elector to the Earl of Rocheſter.
Tranſlation.

"ALthough I did not give any commiſſion to Mr. Murray to wait on you from me, (which I ſhould have done very willingly, if I had known that he had the honour of being acquainted with you) I yet re⯑ceived, with no leſs pleaſure, the letter which you gave him for me. I did not chooſe to delay to thank you for it; and to aſſure you, that I am as ſenſible as I ought to be, of the civilities which it contains. I hope that my lord Cornbury will be ſatisfied with thoſe which he received during his ſtay at Hannover; and I entreat you to believe, that I was very happy to find that opportunity of ſhewing you the regard which I have for you, and for thoſe who belong to you; being ſincerely, &c."

Robethon's draught. Ibid.The Elector to the Earl of Ilay.
Tranſlation.

"MR. Murray delivered to me the letter which you was at the trouble of writing to me; by which I was very happy to hear of you, and of the continuance of your attachment to the intereſts of my fa⯑mily. I read, with great pleaſure, what you add, that the duke of Ar⯑gyle is in the ſame ſentiments. You will oblige me, by thanking him on my part; and by aſſuring him of the regard which I have for him. I entreat you to be perſuaded that I have not forgot you, ſince your de⯑parture from Hannover; and that I am ſincerely, &c."

Robethon's draught. Ibid.The Elector to Lord Howard of Eſcrick.
Tranſlation,

"MR. Murray delivered to me the letter which you was at the trouble of writing to me. I did not chooſe to delay to thank you for it, and to ſhew you that I received, as I ought, the aſſurances which it contains of your attachment to the intereſts of my family. I ſhall [185] be very happy to ſhew you this, on all the occaſions that ſhall preſent themſelves of doing you a pleaſure. I am, &c."

Original. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 124.Queen Anne to the Elector.
This letter was ſent by the Earl of Rivers.
Tranſlation.

"AS it is always my greateſt deſire to ſhew you, by all ſorts of means, the very particular friendſhip and eſteem which I have for you, and for all your family, which is ſo dear to me, and ſo ſtrictly con⯑nected with me; I thought proper to make choice of a man equally di⯑ſtinguiſhed by his abilities and his birth, for carrying to you proofs of this, on the preſent occaſion. It is my couſin and counſellor, the earl of Rivers, whom I have charged with this commiſſion; and as he is fully inſtructed in my ſentiments, I will not enlarge; leaving to him to explain them more at length; and entreating you only to give credit to what he will tell you from me; eſpecially when he will give you aſ⯑ſurances of my attachment to your intereſts, and with how much truth I am, &c.

Original. Ibid. No. 129.The Duke of Shrewſbury to the Elector.
Sent by the Earl of Rivers.
Tranſlation.

"ALthough I have not the honour of being known to your Electoral Highneſs, but as I have that of being called to her Majeſty's council, I hold myſelf obliged to take this opportunity of aſſuring your Electoral Highneſs of my zeal, and of my attachment to your ſervice: and I conſider the intereſts of the Queen, my miſtreſs, ſo united with thoſe of your Highneſs, that, I believe, I cannot ſerve her Majeſty better than by contributing the little that ſhall be in my power, to the conti⯑nuance of the good underſtanding which ſubſiſts between her Majeſty and your Electoral Highneſs; being perſuaded that nothing can more effectually deſtroy the cabals of thoſe who ſeek to diſturb the peace of the [186] one at preſent, and the ſucceſſion of the other hereafter, than that all the world ſhould be convinced, not only that the friendſhip between her Majeſty and your Highneſs is perfect, but that there was an openneſs of heart and of ſentiments, for concerting whatever may be advantageous to both; that is to ſay, of the glory and repoſe of her Majeſty, during her life, and afterwards to the ſecurity of the ſucceſſion in your illuſtrious family.

Your Highneſs will pardon me, if in the firſt letter which I have the honour of writing to you, I expreſs myſelf with ſo much freedom; but my heart is naturally open, and particularly zealous in theſe affairs. But as the earl of Rivers, my relation and my intimate friend, will have the honour to ſpeak more fully upon this ſubject, I ſhall finiſh, with aſ⯑ſuring your Highneſs, that I am, with all imaginable attachment and reſpect for your perſon,

Original. Hannover Papers. vol. marked Princes. No. 127.The Earl of Rocheſter to the Elector.
Sent by the earl of Rivers.
Tranſlation.

"THE earl of Rivers going from the Queen to your Electoral High⯑neſs, gives me a favourable opportunity of preſenting myſelf once more before you; and of ſhewing you, with all ſubmiſſion, the ſhare which I cannot hinder myſelf from taking in this circumſtance, that af⯑fairs, on our ſide, appear to me in a better train for the intereſt of your Electoral Highneſs than heretofore. This gives me a very particular joy and ſatisfaction, as a preſage of the great advantages which an en⯑tire confidence between her Majeſty and the ſerene family of your Elec⯑toral Highneſs ſhould produce to the common cauſe. At the ſame time I take the liberty of returning very humble thanks to your Electoral Highneſs for the honour which you did me, by your letter of the fourth of Auguſt, as well as for the extraordinary marks of your goodneſs to [187] my lord Cornbury, with which he was loaded, (as he wrote to me) dur⯑ing the time he had the honour of being in your ſerene preſence, and at your magnificent court. As to the reſt, I very humbly entreat your Elec⯑toral Highneſs to be entirely perſuaded, that I am, with a perfect ſub⯑miſſion, &c."

Original. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes, No. 239.The Duke of Marlborough to the Elector.
Tranſlation.

"I Am not able to expreſs to your Electoral Highneſs how truly ſen⯑ſible I am of the great marks of confidence which you did me the honour of giving to me by general Bulau. I intreat your Highneſs to be perſuaded that I ſhall endeavour to deſerve them, by an inviolable attachment to your intereſts, with which I conſider thoſe of my country and of Europe as inſeparably connected. I hope there never will be ſound, in England, a conſiderable number of men who can be ſeduced to a degree capable of ruining it, by allowing themſelves to be impoſed upon by the artiſices of Mr. Harley and others, who conduct themſelves, at preſent, in a manner to leave it no longer a doubt, that their views tend to bring back the pretended prince of Wales.

We feel but too much already the effects of their bad intentions, by the change of my lord treaſurer; this ſtep having ruined our cre⯑dit in the kingdom; and having loſt us the confidence of our beſt allies. I deſire, with great impatience, to converſe with the baron de Bothmar; and I flatter myſelf that your Electoral Highneſs does me the juſtice to believe, that I ſhall act, in all things, [188] after the manner which you will judge moſt conducive to your intereſt. I ſhall give to the baron de Bothmar, all the lights and expla⯑nations which I can, to aſſiſt him in the execution of his important com⯑miſſion; in which I ſhall ever co-operate with him, as ſoon as I ſhall re⯑turn to England, whither I ſhall repair, as ſoon as the operations of the campaign will permit me, with any appearance of decency. I hope to be able there to employ uſefully my attentions, my credit, and my friends, for advancing the intereſt of your Electoral Highneſs, and of your ſerene family; and for preventing, at the ſame time, the pernicious deſigns of thoſe men, who want to eſtabliſh principles, and to form ca⯑bals and projects which will infallibly overturn the proteſtant ſucceſſion, and with it, the ſafety and liberty of their country, and of all Europe. I am, with a profound reſpect, &c."

Original. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 241.The Duke of Marlborough to the Elector. Upon the taking of Bethune.
Tranſlation.

"I Very humbly entreat your Electoral Highneſs to accept of the con⯑gratulations which I do myſelf the honour of ſending on the taking of Bethene: the governor of which beat the Chamade on the twenty⯑eighth, at the very time that we were employed in ſiring a feu de joye, for the victory obtained by his Catholic Majeſty in Catalonia; and the gar⯑riſon left it this morning, to be conducted to St. Omers. I preſume to hope, that this freſh ſucceſs of the arms of the high allies, will open the eyes of the enemy, and contribute to render them more tractable, and to reduce within juſt bounds, to the ſatisfaction of your Electoral Highneſs, and of all thoſe who love the public good. I am, with an inviolable reſpect and attachment, &c."

Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes, No. 121. month September. Doctor Hutton to the Elector.
Tranſlation.

"IT is with joy I preſume, once more, with the moſt profound re⯑ſpect imaginable, to addreſs myſelf to your Electoral Highneſs; and to tell you that her Majeſty begins to reign, and that the oligarchy which tyrannized and threatened ſo long the Queen and the Britiſh na⯑tions, begins to vaniſh in this kingdom; where a little cabal made obe⯑dience the duty of the ſovereign, and dominion the prerogative of two or three ſubjects for ſome years." He then tells him, that her Majeſty has placed herſelf on the throne and at the head of her treaſury. That ſhe has ſent bills of exchange to Holland, for paying her troops in Flanders and Portugal; "and ſhe has made ſufficient proviſion for their payment for the next ſix months, notwithſtanding the tricks and chicane of the lord Godolphin and his party."

"The nation in general adores her Majeſty, and commends extremely the conduct of the new miniſtry; who had the courage and loyalty ſo ſeaſonably to preſerve the Queen and the monarchy. It is very certain, that four years ago, the Queen thought of diſmiſſing her treaſurer and her general. But the corruption of the two laſt parliaments always pre⯑vented her." By Mr. Harley's good offices, he ſays, the Queen received the duke of Shrewſbury into her confidence, as well as Mr. Harley him⯑ſelf, "who was always very loyal and active, and religiouſly devoted to the intereſts of her Majeſty and the proteſtant ſucceſſion, in the illuſtrious family of your Electoral Highneſs."

"The Queen cannot avoid ſuſpecting all thoſe, who have a familiar correſpondence with her general, who had already ſet himſelf up as a pro⯑tector; and his creatures had the inſolence, as well as the impudence, during all the laſt winter, to drink to his health under that ſine title." He tells him, that the general and treaſurer, afraid of contributing to the [190] advantage of his Electoral Highneſs, and of reſtoring to the Queen the liberty, of which ſhe had been ſo long deprived, were induced to intrigue with their party in the houſe of commons, to take notice of ſome impru⯑dent expreſſions of the ſpeaker; and, by that means to embarraſs her Majeſty's affairs, and prevent their own fall. When Shrewſbury, he ſays, was put in poſſeſſion of his office, without the knowledge of the treaſurer or the general, his ducheſs, with her uſual inſolence, began to quarrel with her Majeſty. But her Majeſty, wearied of hearing ſo much abuſe from ſuch a peeviſh woman, forbad her to appear in her preſence; ſince which time, her Majeſty has been allowed to tranſact buſineſs in peace.

"At length the earl of Rivers is gone to fulfil the office which Mr. Creſſet^* had to execute. An individual ſhould never pretend to know what the commiſſions of his ſovereign contain, with regard to affairs of ſtate; of which, it is certain, the public is entirely ignorant. The ca⯑bal, and the public miniſters of the foreign potentates, who were always cloſely connected with lord Godolphin, and who were almoſt all ſeduced, or rather charmed and bewitched by him, for very ſtrong reaſons, no doubt, give out in their public walks and converſation, that lord Rivers is ſent by her Majeſty to offer the command of the army to your Elec⯑toral Highneſs; at leaſt, to come over to this country and pay a viſit to her Majeſty, &c. What! ſay they, will a great ſovereign prince, as the Elector of Brunſwick, leave his own dominions and viſit the Queen? or will he chuſe to command an army after a general who has triumphed ſo often, gained ſo many battles, and taken ſo many towns? Theſe wicked men have, for a long time, expoſed your Electoral Highneſs in this manner." He tells his Electoral Highneſs that Charles V. viſited Henry VIII. and that King William viſited the duke of Zell and his Electoral Highneſs. That, ſince her Majeſty has thought proper to diſ⯑miſs her general, he aſks, "if there is any one ſo proper to command the armies of the Queen and the Britiſh nation, as the proteſtant ſuc⯑ceſſor? in which proteſtant ſucceſſor her Majeſty and her people place all their hopes," &c.

[191] He proſeſſes his attachment to the Electoral family, and entreats his Electoral Highneſs to accept of the command of the army. He exclaims againſt the meaſures of the late miniſtry; and ſays, that her Majeſty had juſt reaſon to be offended with them: and he concludes, with praying "God to preſerve the perſon of your Electoral Highneſs, with your illuſ⯑trious family."

Robethen's d [...]ught. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 240.The Elector to the Duke of Marlborough.
Tranſlation.

"I Am very much obliged to you for your letter of the 30th of Auguſt, which was filled with ſuch ſtrong teſtimonies of zeal and attach⯑ment to my intereſts, that I cannot but be very ſenſible of them. I am likewiſe very grateful for your offer of aſſiſting the baron de Bothmar, during his ſtay at London, with your good advices; for which he will have all the deference which is due to a perſon whoſe great underſtanding and good intentions are equally known to me. He will do every thing in his power to have the honour of ſeeing you before he paſſes the ſea; and perhaps he will paſs it along with you, it being very proper that he ſhould remain here, until I am informed of the propoſals which my lord Rivers will have to make to me.

I hope that nothing will be capable of inducing the Queen to take the command of her armies from a general who acquitted himſelf in it with ſo much glory and ſo much ſucceſs, and in whoſe hands I ſhall always ſee it with pleaſure; being very ſincerely, &c."

Robethon's Draught. Ibid. No. 242.The Elector to the Duke of Marlborough.
Tranſlation.

"I Am very much obliged to you for the trouble which you took in notifying to me the taking of Bethune. I wiſh you, with all my heart, a ſimilar ſucceſs in all the enterpriſes which you have determined to form for finiſhing ſo brilliant a campaign. I take a very great part in the glory which ariſes to you from it, and in whatever can happen agree⯑able [192] to you. I rejoice with you at the great news received from Spain; from which there is reaſon to expect very advantageous conſequences; and I always am, very ſincerely, &c."

Robethon's draught. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 125.The Elector to Queen Anne.
Tranſlation.

"IT is with the utmoſt acknowledgment I received, by the earl of Rivers, the letter with which your Majeſty was pleaſed to honour me. I feel, as I ought, the goodneſs which you have had in ſending me a man of the merit and diſtinction of that lord. He could not bring me any thing more agreeable than the aſſurance which he gave me that your Majeſty is ſo good as to continue to me the honour of your kindneſs. I conſider it always as the moſt valuable of all my advantages; and I ſhall never ceaſe to cultivate it with all poſſible attention. This is a duty which the ties of blood impoſe upon me, but to which I am principally diſpoſed by my own inclinations, and by the deſire of meriting, in all my conduct, the approbation of your Majeſty, and of ſhewing you that I am, with great reſpect, &c."

Original. Ibid. No. 126.The Earl of Rivers to Baron Bernſdorff.
Tranſlation.

"I Do not pretend to dictate to you, in what manner I wiſh that his Electoral Highneſs would anſwer the Queen's letter. But I am ſo attached to the intereſts of his Electoral Highneſs, that I take a part in whatever concerns him. It is for this reaſon, that I take the liberty of communicating to you my advice, concerning his anſwer. If his Electoral Highneſs would write in terms ſimilar to theſe.

[193] "It is impoſſible to feel a more lively gratitude than I do,month October. for all the bounty which her Majeſty expreſſes for me. I would eſteem myſelf infinitely happy, if I could find the means of ſhewing her, by effects, the zeal which I have for her ſervice; and the greateſt favour which her Majeſty can do me, is to put me in a condition of being able to be uſeful to her."

If you can contrive that the letter may be ſent to me to-day, you will oblige very much, &c."

Original. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 122.The Duke of Buckingham to the Elector.

"IT is ſo common a practiſe, on theſe occaſions, to make addreſſes of this nature, that, notwithſtanding the honour of writing to ſo great a prince, yet I could never have much ſatisfaction in doing it, if every body had not been a witneſs both of my zealous endeavours in your ſervice, and of my ſuffering alſo ſufficiently on that account, if it can be called ſuffering, to receive the honour of being excluded from the councells of your enemies, and from a miniſtry, ſo little favoring your illuſtrious family. But in what manner I become, for your ſake, the mark of their malice, ſo as to be rendered incapable, either of ſerving the Queen, or of holding any longer correſpondence with her Royal Highneſs, your mother, by letters that were ſure to be intercepted, is not worthy of your attention, at this time; hoping, one day, to have the happyneſs and honour of entertaining your Electoral Highneſs on that ſubject. Yet, upon this occaſion, I am obliged to do juſtice to all the moſt conſiderable of our party, by aſſuring your Electoral Highneſs, that they alſo were ready to lay themſelves at your feet, as zealouſly as their duty to the Queen permitted, if ſome more faithful miniſter had [194] been ſent hither from Hannover, which therefore, I was often deſired by them to requeſt of her Royal Highneſs accordingly. After this, I hope I need ſay no more to aſſure your Electoral Highneſs, that I ſhall make it ſtill my conſtant endeavour, to ſhew my duty, both to the Queen, my miſtreſs, and my country, by all the wayes that are capable of demonſtrating how entirely I am,

Robethon's draught. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 128.The Elector to the Earl of Rocheſter.
Tranſlation.

"I Received, with a great deal of pleaſure, the letter which you wrote to me, by the earl of Rivers. I am very ſenſible of the civilities which it contains. The Queen gave me, till now, ſo many proofs of her good-will, that I have nothing to deſire but the continuance of her kindneſs. I doubt not, but you will be ſo good, as to employ your in⯑fluence with her Majeſty to procure it for me. You can never confer a more ſenſible obligation upon me, ſince I conſider the honour of her friendſhip, as the moſt valuable of all her advantages. I ſhall be very happy to owe that obligation to a perſon of your merit, for whom I have ſo particular a regard.

The honour which my lord Combury has of belonging to you, was ſufficient to procure for him here, a favourable reception. It was no leſs due to his own merit. I am very happy, that both you and he re⯑ceived ſatisfaction from it; and I ſhall have always a great ſatisfaction, when I ſhall find opportunities of ſhewing you, that I am, very ſincere⯑ly, &c.

Robethon's Draught. Ibid No. 130.The Elector to the Duke of Shrewſbury.
Tranſlation.

"I did not chooſe to fail, in thanking you for the letter which you was at the trouble of writing to me, by the earl of Rivers. I am ſo much the more ſenſible of its obliging contents, that they come from a [195] perſon of ſuch diſtinguiſhed merit, and who has given ſo many ſhining proofs, of his good intentions toward the public and for the proteſtant ſucceſſion. It is with great ſatisfaction, I learn that the Queen honours, with her confidence, a miniſter, who ſerved her predeceſſor, of glorious memory, with ſo much loyalty. I doubt not, but you will be ſo good as to exert yourſelf, in confirming more and more, the good under⯑ſtanding which I ſhall always maintain, very carefully, with her Majeſty. You can never do me a greater pleaſure, nor render me a greater ſervice, than by contributing, as much as depends on you, to the continuance of that valuable friendſhip, of which her Majeſty gave me ſo many proofs.

I acknowledge very gratefully the honour which ſhe did me, in ſend⯑ing me a perſon of the merit and diſtinction of my lord Rivers. He acquitted himſelf very worthily, in the commiſſion with which ſhe charged him. Among ſo many qualities which render him eſtimable, it is ſtill a freſh motive for me to know, that he is your relation and your friend. I hope that he will be ſatisfied with the reception that was given him here; and that you will acknowledge, that I embrace with pleaſure, op⯑portunities of ſhewing you, that I am very ſincerely, &c."

Robethon's draught. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 131.The Elector to Queen Anne, ſent by the Earl of Rivers.
Tranſlation.

"I Cannot allow the Earl of Rivers to depart, without doing myſelf the honour of returning my humble thanks to your Majeſty, for the letter which he delivered to me from you, and without expreſſing to you how ſenſible I am of the goodneſs which your Majeſty has had, in ſending to me a man of this diſtinction. He acquitted himſelf very worthily and to my entire ſatisfaction, of the commiſſion which your Majeſty had given him in charge. I doubt not but he will inform you of the grateful acknowledgements, with which I received the aſſurances he gave me, of the kindneſs with which your Majeſty continues to ho⯑nour me. I ſhall endeavour to make a ſuitable return to it, by devoting myſelf entirely to your ſervice; and I ſhall always ſeek, with earneſtneſs, for opportunities of giving you proofs of the reſpect with which I am, &c."

Original. Hannover Papers. vol. marked Princes. No. 132.The Duke of Shrewſbury to the Elector.
Tranſlation.

"HAVING learned that Mr. Creſſet deſigns to go to Hannover, I would not loſe this opportunity of renewing to your Electoral Highneſs, my aſſurances of a faithful and inviolable attachment to your intereſt and to that of your family; wiſhing for nothing more ardently, than for opportunities of ſhewing my zeal for your ſervice. Therefore, I hope it will not be in the power of calumniators (with whom we abound in this iſland) to throw any on this truth, which I am ready to juſtify at the hazard of my life; but which your Electoral Highneſs will have the juſtice to judge by its effects; and I flatter myſelf that your Highneſs will be perſuaded, that I am, with all imaginable ſincerity and veneration, Sir, &c."

OriginalThe Princeſs Sophia to Queen Anne, ſent by the Earl of Rivers.
Tranſlation.

"I Received with all poſſible reſpect, the letter which your Majeſty did me the honour of writing to me, and what was reported to me from you by your couſin and counſellor, the earl of Rivers, a perſon whom I greatly reſpected, both on account of his diſtinguiſhed birth and his own merit. I return very humble thanks to your Majeſty, for the aſſurances you was pleaſed to give me of your good-will, and I am particularly obliged to you, for the ſentiments of affection, which your Majeſty condeſcends to preſerve for my family, and of which I preſume to beg the continuance. I entreated the earl of Rivers, to whom I refer myſelf, to aſſure your Majeſty of my very humble acknowledgments, and of the very reſpectful attachment with which I am, &c."

Robethon's Draught. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 123.The Elector to the Duke of Buckingham.
Tranſlation.

"I Received with pleaſure, the letter of the 29th of the laſt month, which you was at the trouble of writing to me. I am very much [197] obliged to you for the civilities which it contains, and for the aſſurances which you give me in it of your attachment to the intereſts of my family. I am very happy, that having ſuch ſentiments, the Queen has called you to a poſt, where you ſhall have opportunities of ſhewing it. You cannot render me a greater ſervice, than by employing your in⯑fluence with her Majeſty, in preſerving to me that valuable friendſhip with which ſhe honours me; and of which I ſhall conſider the continu⯑ance as the greateſt benefit. I ſhall ſearch for opportunities of ſhew⯑ing you, how great a regard I have for your perſon, and that I am, ſincerely, &c."

Original. Hannover Papers. vol. marked Princes. No. 134. month November. Robert Harley to the Elector.

"I Do myſelf the honor to make this tender of my moſt humble duty to your Electoral Highneſs, by the hands of Mrs. Creſſet; who being my relation, and her affairs calling her into Germany, I was not willing to let her goe, without putting into your Highneſſe's hands this teſtimony of my devotion to your Electoral Highneſſes perſon and your ſerene houſe. I have hitherto choſe, that this ſhould appear rather by my actions, than by bare words; but ſince the Queen has done me the honor to bring me again into her ſervice, I could not be a faithful or acceptable ſervant to her Majeſty, without ſtudying to ſerve your Highneſſes intereſt.

I do not preſume to give your Electoral Highneſs any account of the late changes heer; I doubt not, but that earle Rivers has laid before you the grounds which neceſſitated the Queen to do what ſhe has done; which has alſo given the greater and better part of the nation an oppor⯑tunity to expreſs their duty to your moſt ſerene houſe.

I have taken the liberty to write this in Engliſh, becauſe I know your Electoral Highneſs has an Engliſh heart^§, and that you may be aſ⯑ſured it comes from a heart entirely devoted to your ſervice. I am, with the profoundeſt duty,

Original. Hannover Papers. vol. marked Princes. No. 139The Duke of Leeds to the Elector.

"I Hope your Electoral Highneſs will pardon my acknowledgeing, in this manner, the extraordinary favours, which I underſtand your Highneſs hath beene pleaſed to ſhew to my grandſons, Danby and his brother; and I am ſorry my years will not allow me to go and do it myſelfe.

Whilſt I was able I was an actor, to the beſt of my power, to incompaſs thoſe alterations which were neceſſary for the ſecurity of our religion and laws; and, as thoſe alterations have juſtly brought the ſucceſſion to the crowne of theſe kingdoms into your illuſtrious family, ſo, I doubt not, but they will be preſerved by it, whenever they ſhall come to be under its protection; and although I may not live to pay my perſonal ſervices, I hope I ſhall have a family, both as well principled in loyalty and as dutiful to your perſon and family, as they ought to bee, and with that eſteeme which is due to your Highneſſe from all the world, and par⯑ticularly from, Sir, &c."

Copy in an unknown hand. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Miſ⯑cell. d'Etat. 2. No. 192.Mr. D'Hervart^* to Robetbon.
Tranſlation.

"I Do not know if you will recollect my name, after an interruption of our correſpondence, for ten or twelve years. The different af⯑fairs in which you have been employed, may very naturally have produced ſuch an effect. However, Sir, I embrace, with a real pleaſure, the op⯑portunity which offers, of reſuming a correſpondence; no time having been able to make me forget a man, whom I always highly eſteemed.

After this, Sir, I ſhall tell you, that having a teté à teté with Mr. St. John, the ſecretary of ſtate, laſt night, he aſked me if I knew you,— "Perfectly well, Sir, and you cannot addreſs yourſelf to any one that will tell you more about him than I." He anſwered me, that he was very happy at this; and drawing near to his deſk, "take the trouble of reading this letter. I believe you will find it is written very well."

"Sir, as I was for four years, in a regular courſe of correſpondence with him, I know what he can do." "It is a letter," ſaid he, "which lord Rivers brought to me from him; and he ſaid a great deal to his advantage. I want to write an anſwer to him. Let me know, I pray you, how his titles are to be marked on his letters;" and then immediately he ſaid to me, "ſince you are acquainted with him ſo long, upon the footing of a perfectly honeſt man, I ſhall be very happy to be able to do him a pleaſure, when the opportunity offers; and I wiſh we may be friends." "Do you approve, Sir, that I ſhould let him know the favourable opinion which you have of him."—"I ſhall be much obliged to you."—"Very well, Sir, I ſhall write to him, Friday next." I perform my promiſe, and ſhall tell him ſo this evening.

This, Sir, is hiſtorically, what paſſed between him and me, concerning you, and I repeat it to you word for word, and without any ornament. I ſhall aſſuredly improve the favourable diſpoſitions which this miniſter appears to have towards you; and I ſhall be always happy, to be able to do you a ſervice, on this, and on every other occaſion, I thought it [200] proper to let you know, that Mr. St. John appears to be very much my friend, and that I have very ſolid reaſons to believe ſo."

Original. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Miſcell d'E⯑tat, 2. No. 219.Mr. De la Motte to Robethon.
Tranſlation.

"I Am ſorry, that ſome buſineſs which intervenes hinders me from writing to you at leiſure. The day before yeſterday, I ſaw the new Muſcovite ambaſſador. I imagined, after what you wrote to me about him, I thought it was my duty to pay my reſpects. He received me with a great deal of polite attention, for you and for myſelf, and de⯑ſired me to ſee him ſometimes. The letter which you gave him to me, was ſtill in the bottom of his trunk.

Yeſterday I received a viſit, on your account. Monſieur de Hervart, whom I do not viſit, becauſe I am afraid of new acquaintances and drop the old, came to ſee me. At firſt, he ſpoke to me of you, and of the eſteem he had for you; this ended, in telling me, that as the Whigs gave you ſome private advantages, you might hope for the ſame thing from the new party, (in which he is deeply engaged). I anſwered, that I did not believe the Whigs gave you any ſuch advantages; that, if it had been ſo, I would have perceived ſomething of it, and that you had a maſter, who was alone capable of rewarding your ſervices. "I beg of you," ſays I, "explain to me a little what you mean, that I may under⯑ſtand you the better." He ſaid to me, "what is expected from Monſieur de Robethon is, that he ſhould act in concert with the new party in favour of the family of Hannover." This appeared to me, to have been ſuggeſted to him, by Mr. St. John, the new ſecretary of ſtate, with whom I find he is ſo much connected, that I have little doubt, but he will be ſent back to Switzerland. I replied, that you would always do your beſt, to ſupport the intereſt of the Elector, and to ſhew, that the new party was well thought of at your court. I went to my cloſet for your oſtenſible letter, which I read to him all from the beginning, without giving him a copy of it. This made an impreſſion, and I doubt not, but Mr. St. John was regaled that very evening, with what he had [201] retained of it. This is the ſubſtance of our converſation. Perhaps Monſieur de Hervart informed you of all this in the letter which he wrote you. He told me, that he had likewiſe ſeen your couſin. They do not chooſe to diſoblige you, as you ſee. He aſſured me, that my lord Rivers was very well ſatisfied with you; and what is more, for your court, although the public concludes the contrary, from his returning without a preſent. The baron de Bothmar is expected every day. I wiſh he was already arrived. I foreſee, that both ſides will pay court to him, and that he will have occaſion for all his prudence, &c."

Original. Hannover papers. vol. marked Princes, No. 243.The Duke of Marlborough to the Elector. Upon the ſurrender of Aire.
Tranſlation.

"I Have the honour of informing your Electoral Highneſs, by this letter, that we have, at length, ſurmounted all the obſtacles, as well of the rainy ſeaſon as of other unforeſeen obſtruction, which hin⯑dered us from finiſhing the ſiege of Aire as ſoon as we imagined. The governour aſked, yeſterday, to capitulate, and he is to evacuate the town, as well as fort St. Francis, the day after to-morrow.

I entreat your Electoral Highneſs to accept of my very humble con⯑gratulations on this happy ſucceſs, which rendering us maſters of the greateſt part of Artois, will be of very great importance to us, for the operations of the next campaign. It is very much to be regretted, that the ſeaſon does not permit to make another effort, before the army ſeparates, to endeavour to bring the enemy to reaſon. But it is high time to give ſome eaſe to the troops, after the fatigues which they have endured, during four ſieges ſuffiiciently obſtinate, and to think of the means of putting them in a condition to act, as ſoon as poſſible, next year: to which, I am perſuaded, your Electoral Highneſs will contribute on your ſide, with your uſual zeal and readineſs.

The ſituation of this town obliges us to put it in a ſtate of defence, before we leave it; after which, we will not delay to retire to winter⯑quarters. I very humbly entreat your Electoral Highneſs to be per⯑ſuaded, that wherever I am, I ſhall do myſelf a great honour, in ſhew⯑ing you the inviolable attachment and reſpect with which I am, &c."

Original. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Miſ⯑cell. d'Etat. 2 No. 193.Henry St. John to Robethon.
Tranſlation.

THE honour which you was pleaſed to do me by your letter of the 23d of the laſt month, deſerved to have an anſwer made to it by the firſt opportunity. This is a duty in which I would not have failed, if I had not been ſo oppreſſed with buſineſs theſe two weeks, that it was impoſſible for me to perform it.

I beg of you, Sir, to believe, that I embrace, with all imaginable pleaſure, the offer which you make me of a correſpondence, that muſt be very agreeable to me, and perhaps uſeful to the two courts which we have the honour of ſerving.

The baron de Bothmar is expected here ſhortly, as I have ſent, ſome time ago, the Queen's orders to the commiſſaries of the admiralty, to ſend over a yatch for him to Holland. He may aſſure himſelf, that I ſhall not fail to render him my ſervices in all things. This is the leaſt mark I can give of the reſpect which I always bore, and which I ſhall never loſe for the court, of which he is the miniſter. Her Majeſty will name ſhortly, the miniſter whom ſhe is to ſend to his Electoral High⯑neſs. I hope that you will be pleaſed with him, and I doubt not, but you will grant him your protection.

You will always do me a particular favour, when you give me your orders. This is a truth, of which I beg you to be perſuaded; and, at the ſame time, that it is impoſſible to be more ſincerely than I am, with great reſpect, &c."

Ibid. No. 214.Copy of a Letter from a ſecret Correſpondent, which was ſent from London, in cypbers.
Tranſlation.

"MY lord Halifax and my lord Sunderland beg of you, Sir, to ex⯑plain to your court, that the Whigs are, by no means, for a republic, nor for rendering the crown elective, as they conſider it here⯑ditary in the proteſtant line, and belonging to the neareſt in that line. [203] But it is not poſſible for the Whigs to abandon the Revolution. They advanced the late King to the throne, and they are obliged to defend his title. Now, they advanced him then in preference to the Queen who now reigns, although ſhe was nearer, and a proteſtant. As this could not be done but by the authority of the parliament, it is natural for the Whigs to defend that authority, and the parliamentary right to the crown; for otherwiſe, they would declare themſelves traitors and rebels. And as the eſtabliſhment of the Hannoverian ſucceſſion is a conſequence of the Revolution, and a work of the late King, your court ſhould take it well of the Whigs, that they defend the Revolution, and ſhould excuſe ſome expreſſions in their laſt writings, which appear to carry too far the au⯑thority of the parliament in the affair of the ſucceſſion; and the more ſo, that the maxims of the Tories tending directly to prepare the way for the prince of Wales, and to ſecure his title from being called in queſtion; it is natural for the friends of the Hannoverian ſucceſſion, to maintain a contrary doctrine. The baron de Bothmar is expected impatiently, in order that they may explain themſelves to him more fully upon this ſubject."

Original. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 104.Mr. Blathwait to the Elector.
Tranſlation.

"MY youngeſt ſon, having made the laſt campaign in Flanders, wiſhed for nothing ſo much, as for the honour of paying his reſpects to your ſerene Highneſs, and of offering you all the ſervices, which the time and his duty can exact from a perſon ſo devoted to the ſerene family. If, by throwing himſelf at the feet of your Electoral Highneſs, he can merit ſome marks of your kindneſs, and of that of the Electoral prince, he will think himſelf very happy, as well as he, who profeſſes to be, with a very profound reſpect, &c."

Robethon's Draught. Hannover Papers, vol. marked. Princes. No. 244.The Elector to the Duke of Marlborough.
Tranſlation.

"I Received, with ſo much the greater pleaſure, the letter of the 9th inſtant, which you was at the trouble of writing to me, that I ex⯑pected [204] the taking of Aire with extreme impatience. I congratulate you, upon having finiſhed, by ſo important a conqueſt, ſuch a brilliant campaign. I rejoice, not only for the advantages which reſult from it to the common cauſe, but alſo for the honour which you have acquired thereby; taking always a very great part in whatever concerns you. I ſhall give the neceſſary orders, that my troops may be recruited, with all neceſſary diſpatch, being very happy, on this, as on all other occaſions, to ſhew my zeal for the ſervice of her Majeſty and of the public; and to convince you, in particular, that I am very ſincerely, my Lord, &c."

Robethon's Draught. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 138.The Elector to Mr. Harley.
Tranſlation.

"MRS. Creſſet delivered to me the letter which you took the trouble to write to me. I received, with a great deal of pleaſure, the aſſurances which it contains of your attachment to the intereſt of my family. It is with great joy I learn, that the Queen honours with her confidence, a miniſter, who knows ſo perfectly the true intereſts of Great Britain, and who has always ſhewn ſo much zeal for his country. As I have nothing more at heart, than that friendſhip of which her Majeſty has given me ſo many proofs; you cannot confer a more ſenſible obligation upon me, than by contributing to preſerve it to me. I ſhall cultivate it, on my part, with all poſſible attention; and I ſhall be always very happy to ſhew you the regard which I have for you, and the ſincerity with which I am, &c."

Hannover Papers, vol. marked Miſ⯑cell. d'Etat. No. 194. month December. Robethon^† to Mr. St. John.
Tranſlation.

"I Received while I was at Gohre, (from whence our court returned three days ago) the obliging letter with which you was pleaſed to honour me. His Electoral Highneſs, who read it, has very expreſsly commanded me to thank you, from him, for the proteſtations which it contains of your zeal for the intereſts of his family; and to aſſure you, [205] that he is very ſenſible of this, and has a very great eſteem and regard for you, knowing your capacity, which renders you ſo deſerving of the choice and confidence of the Queen.

His Electoral Highneſs approves much of my having the honour of writing to you, when Mr. Bothmar ſhall be abſent from London, and buſineſs worthy of your attention ſhall offer. But during the reſidence of that miniſter, at her Majeſty's court, you will allow, no doubt, that ſince he has the entire confidence of his Electoral Highneſs, and is per⯑fectly well acquainted with his intentions, my correſpondence would be very uſeleſs; and would but only weary you by the repetition of things, which Mr. Bothmar will not fail to repreſent to you verbally, much bet⯑ter than I can write them. I ſaid ſo to my lord Rivers, and I muſt add now, that they hope here, you will be pleaſed to give Mr. Bothmar ſome ſhare of your confidence; and will judge him deſerving of this when you know him; having great experience in buſineſs, with a great deal of diſcretion, and impartiality, and known probity. I am not afraid of flattering him, in allowing him theſe qualities.

As to the reſt, I am very much ſurpriſed, Sir, that you ſhould demand my protection, for the miniſter whom her Majeſty ſhall ſend here. I am not upon ſuch a footing at this court, as to be able to pro⯑tect any one; and the miniſters of ſo great a Queen, have no need of any other protection here, but their character. But with regard to the ren⯑dering my ſmall ſervices to him who ſhall come here, and the doing ſo cheerfully, with all imaginable care and ſincerity, I can venture to pro⯑miſe this, and I ſhall perform it with pleaſure, as I endeavoured to do, to the late Mr. Creſſet, to my lord Winchelſea, Mr. Poley, and Mr. How.

I received likewiſe, with reſpect and gratitude, the polite things which Mr. D'Hervart wrote to me, by your order. I deſired him to teſtify this to you, and I doubt not, but he has communicated to you the letter which I wrote to him, entreating you to believe, that in all I can do, I ſhall never feel any motive, but that of acquiring the honour of your eſteem, and of being conſidered by you as an honeſt man, a quality without which I would not venture to take the liberty of calling myſelf, with great reſpect, &c."

Robethon's draught, Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes, No. 136.The Elector to Doctor Hutton.
Tranſlation.

"MRS. Creſſet delivered to me the letter which you gave her. I alſo received, in due time, the three letters written in an un⯑known hand. I am very ſenſible of the marks which you give of your attachment to my intereſt. I learn, with pleaſure, the juſtice which has been done you, by chuſing you a member of the preſent parliament. If any thing paſſes there which you ſhall judge proper to communicate to me, you will oblige me by taking that trouble, and by believing that I ſhall be always very glad to have opportunities of doing you a pleaſure. I am, Sir, &c."

Robethon's Draught. Ibid. No. 140.The Elector to the Duke of Leeds.
Tranſlation.

"THE letter which you was at the trouble of writing to me was de⯑livered to me upon my return hither. I did not chooſe to delay to teſtify to you, how ſenſible I am of the aſſurances which you give me in it, of your attachment to my intereſts and to thoſe of my family. What you have done for the good of your country in the laſt revolution is well known; and makes me wiſh for the long continuance of a life, of which you know to make ſo good uſe. The regard, which I always had for your perſon and for your great qualities would have been a ſufficient motive to procure an agreeable reception to my lord Danby and his bro⯑ther; but I can tell you, without flattery, that they deſerved it them⯑ſelves, and that their ſtay at Hannover did me a real pleaſure. I entreat you to believe, that I ſhall always do myſelf a great pleaſure, in finding opportunities in obliging you and yours; and in ſhewing you that I am very ſincerely, &c."

Hannover Papers, Miſ⯑cell d'Etat. 2. No. 139.Extract of a letter from Sir Rowland Gwyne to Robethon.

"IF a prince there is ſo good and wiſe, as to be content to govern ac⯑cording to the conſtitution and laws of the land, he may employ whoever he pleaſeth in his ſervice, without regarding the opinion of [207] others; but with this reſerve, that if they act ill, that he will leave them always to be judged by the laws of the land, and ſuch a declaration would be the beſt means to ſuppreſs inſolence and parties.

But now as to the high-church.

There are 9600 pariſhes in England, and conſequently ſo many parſons; but their number may be at leaſt 2000 more, to ſupply cures and who ſeek preferment.

Ten or fifteen of this number have made it their buſineſs to preach that the church is in danger, though the church enjoys all the privileges that the law does allow them; but the clergymen in England would have the ſame power over the people, that the church of Rome had in the time of its dominion over us.

The Queen and parliament have now declared, that they will maintain the church as eſtabliſhed by law; ſo that they will not gain any thing by their noiſe, only this miniſtry have blown them up to recommend them and their party, to govern the helm, which point they have gained, and the poor ambitious prieſts will be left in the lurch.

The prieſts handle edged tools, which any prince may cut them with, when he pleaſes; for the laws are ſo ſevere againſt their encroachments, that they are in danger of treaſon or premunire upon the leaſt fault; and the civil government hath been ſo jealous of their impertinence, that the convocation of the clergy, cannot do any thing but by commiſſion from the King or Queen, and they cannot debate upon or reſolve any point, but ſuch as are permitted in their commiſſion; and which reſolved, they are not valid, unleſs the Queen approves them.

So that you ſee our church is limited by law. I think it good, in its conſtitution and doctrine; but ſhall never encourage or conſent to the pride, ambition, and dominion of priſts, which hath occaſioned ſo much blood-ſhed in the world in all ages.

Sir, I aſk your pardon for writing you ſo long a letter, but my thought ſuggeſted it to me, with a reſpect and good intention towards you. If any of them may be thought by you ſerviceable to his Electoral High⯑neſs, you may communicate them. I am, &c."

Robethon's original Draught. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 144.The Elector to Mr. Blathwait.
Tranſlation.

"YOUR ſon delivered to me the letter which you was at the trouble of writing to me. I am much obliged to you for the aſſurances which it contains of your attachment to my intereſts and to thoſe of my family. You gave, during the preceding reign, ſeveral proofs of this, which I have not forgot. I hope your ſon will be pleaſed with his ſtay at Hannover, and with the reception he meets with. I wiſh that you may be ſo likewiſe; and that you may be perſuaded, I ſhall be always well pleaſed to find opportunities of ſhewing you that I am, &c."

Original. Ibid. No. 245.The Duke of Marlborough to the Elector.
Tranſlation.

"BEING ready to embark, your Electoral Highneſs will be pleaſed to allow me to thank you, by this letter, for all the attention you have condeſcended to ſhew me, and to aſſure you, that I am firmly reſolved to conform myſelf, in all reſpects, to the excellent advices your Electoral Highneſs has been pleaſed to give me by Monſieur de Bulau. Monſieur de Bothmar, who has been detained by contrary winds till now, will be a witneſs of this, and will have the honour to ſend infor⯑mation, from time to time, of what paſſes. I ſhall apply myſelf to pro⯑mote the Queen's intereſts with the ſame zeal and aſſiduity I always did, in order that I may have nothing to reproach myſelf with, in caſe they ſhall chooſe that I ſhould not continue in the ſervice, and I preſume to hope that your Electoral Highneſs will do me juſtice in that reſpect. I muſt not however conceal from you that my correſpondents write to me, that thoſe who have moſt credit at preſent, are reſolved to embarraſs me, by depriving me of officers and others in whom I place the moſt confi⯑dence. [241] You will be informed by your miniſters here, that it has been reſolved to take all poſſible meaſures for being in the field early next year. For this purpoſe all the troops muſt be complete on the 25th of March, and magazines of forage will be formed on the frontiers. But the principal ſubject of conſideration was how to carry on the war in Spain with the greateſt vigour. Her Majeſty, on her ſide, makes her utmoſt efforts; ſhe takes 2000 more of Imperial cavalry into her pay, and fur⯑niſhes 2500 recruits for the Imperial infantry, at the rate of 20 crowns each; ſhe is at the expence of tranſporting them all to Catalonia, beſides an equal number of recruits for the Engliſh infantry, and five battalions of an augmentation: it is expected that theſe have failed already. This is intended as an example to excite the court of Vienna and the States-general to exert themſelves likewiſe on their ſide. Prince Eugene, at parting, gave reaſon to hope that the Emperor would ſend four battalions to Spain, if the States would do as much. The province of Holland has taken a favourable reſolution in conſequence of this; and it is hoped, the other provinces will ſoon follow the example, eſpecially as count Zinzendorff has ſince declared his Imperial Majeſty's conſent to this augmentation. Theſe troops will be a powerful ſuccour, if they arrive in time, and the greateſt care will be taken that they ſhall; but the bad news we have lately received from that country will oblige both the one and the other to take ſtill more vigorous reſolutions.

I entreat your Electoral Highneſs to continue to honour me with your kindneſs, and to be perſuaded of the inviolable and reſpectful attachment with which I am, &c."

Robethon's original draught. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes, No. 246.The Elector to the Duke of Marlborough.
Tranſlation.

"I Have received the obliging letter which you wrote to me, when you left the Hague. I hope this will find you happily arrived in Eng⯑land, and I wiſh very much, they may render you there, all the juſtice which is due to you. I am much obliged to you for the trouble you are pleaſed to take in imparting your knowledge of affairs to baron Bothmar, and in giving him advices, which cannot fail to be very uſeful to him, [242] as they come from one who is ſo very well informed, and whoſe good intentions are ſo well known. I approve entirely of your plan for tak⯑ing the field early, being perſuaded that the ſucceſs of the laſt campaign was owing to ſuch diſpatch. It is to be hoped that the misfortune which happened in Spain will not be ſo conſiderable, as that the affairs of that country cannot be retrieved by the means of which you wrote to me; eſpecially as her Britannic Majeſty gives ſuch an example in ſupplying them. I wiſh the Imperial court may follow it; but it is to be feared, the uneaſineſs occaſioned by the rupture of the Turk with the Czar may give them other objects of attention. Your preſence in London, in ſuch circumſtances, will be very uſeful to the public, if that deference is paid to your ſentiments which they deſerve. I beſeech you to believe, that I ſhall always have a perfect eſteem for you, and that I ſincerely am, my Lord, &c."

Original. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Miſcell. d'Etat. 2. No. 195.Mr. St. John to Robethon.
Tranſlation.

"I Feel myſelf touched with the moſt lively gratitude for the honour, which his Electoral Highneſs hath condeſcended to do meIn Robe⯑thon's hand. "I had ſent him the com⯑pliments of his Electoral Highneſs.". I en⯑treat you to renew to him aſſurances from me, that it is impoſſible to be more devoted to his ſervice, and to that of his illuſtrious houſe, than I am. In all the ſituations of a life ſufficiently agitated, I endeavoured to diſcover theſe ſentiments, and if I was capable of changing them, I would believe myſelf unworthy of the character of a good proteſtant, a good Engliſhman, or faithful ſervant of the Queen, my miſtreſs.

Monſieur de Bothmar is here at preſent, I will not fail to live in a per⯑fect confidence with him; and he may depend upon all the ſervices which I can render him. I indeed hope, I have already ſhewn him that this is my intention.

I agree with you, that during Monſ. de Bothmar's reſidence in Lon⯑don, it would be unneceſſary to give yourſelf the trouble of writing to me. I ſhall ſend you my compliments by him, and I ſhall always be with great eſteem, &c."

Original. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 151.Mr. Harley to the Elector.

"I Received the great honor of your Electoral Highneſſe's letter of December 15, with that profound reſpect and thankfulneſs which is due to ſo obliging a mark of your conſideration and goodneſs.

I beſeech your Highneſs to accept the aſſurances of my utmoſt fidelity and inviolable attachment to the intereſt of your family, to which I am obliged as well by duty to the Queen, as by the common good of my country. The Queen takes all occaſions to expreſs the great eſteem ſhe has for your Highneſs, and concern for your intereſt; and as a further inſtance of her Majeſty's deſire on all occaſions to improve that good correſpondence which is ſo neceſſary, the Queen commands me to com⯑municate to your Electoral Highneſs a change ſhe has been obliged to make in her court, by removing the dutcheſs of Marlborough. Laſt night the duke brought the gold-key, the enſign of one of his wife's places, the Queen having indulged him his choice, to bring it, or have it ſent for. This is ſo far from hindering the duke from continuing in his poſts, that he ſeems reſolved to accommodate himſelf to the Queen's pleaſure, and go on in her ſervice.

The cauſes of his lady's diſgrace have been ſo public, and of ſo many years continuance, that it will be needleſs to trouble your Electoral High⯑neſſe on that head.

The places will be ſpeedily diſpoſed, and the chiefeſt will fall to the ſhare of the dutcheſs of Somerſet.

I ſhall think myſelf extremely happy, if any occaſion ſhall be ever of⯑fered me to manifeſt the great veneration and duty wherewith I am,

Robethon's original draught. Ibid. No. 146.The Electoral Prince to Lord Halifax.
Tranſlation.

"I Am much obliged to you for your letter of the 26th of December, and for the information which you are pleaſed to give me of my [244] inſtallation at Windſor, at laſt, with the requiſite formalities. I know the trouble you have had to get it done in a manner ſuitable to my rank; and I ſee that I can never place my intereſts in better hands than yours. The oppoſition which you meet with, and which you have the modeſty not to mention to me, increaſe my obligations to you, and I wiſh to have opportunities of ſhowing you how ſenſible I am of them; and that I ſhall always be ſincerely, &c."

Robethon's original draught. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 247. month March. The Elector to the Duke of Marlborough.
Sent by Robethon to the Hague.
Tranſlation.

"HAving judged it neceſſary to ſend the privy counſellor for embaſ⯑ſies, Robethon, to the Hague, and having ordered him to ad⯑dreſs himſelf to you, in order to know your opinion of the delicate con⯑juncture of the affairs of the North, and of the meaſures which the allies ought to take in order to prevent the fatal conſequences which they may have; I muſt beſeech you to be pleaſed, not only to give credit to what he will have the honour to tell you on theſe ſubjects, and eſpecially with regard to the ſyſtem of neutrality, but alſo to be pleaſed to ſpeak to him about them with an entire confidence, and to deſire lord Townſhend to do ſo likewiſe, in order that he may profit by your extenſive knowledge of affairs, in which the allies cannot act too much in concert, nor with too much precaution. I am very ſincerely, &c."

Copy. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 248. month July. The Duke of Marlborough to the Elector.
Tranſlation.

"HAving been informed, that Monſieur de Robethon is preparing to leave his poſt at the Hague, and to return to your Electoral Highneſs, I conſider it to be my duty to embrace this opportunity of thanking you, in the humbleſt manner, for the letter which M. de Ro⯑bethon delivered to me from you, and likewiſe for the freedom and confidence with which your Electoral Highneſs was pleaſed to inſtruct that able miniſter to communicate himſelf to me, while I ſtayed at the Hague. I wiſh your Electoral Highneſs may be as well ſatisfied with the teſtimony which he will give of my attachment and zeal for your [245] ſervice and intereſts,month Auguſt as I am ſure you will be with the account which he will give of his negociations, which he carried on with ſo much addreſs and ability. I entreat your Electoral Highneſs to honour me always with the continuance of your kindneſs; and to accept my aſſurances of the entire veneration and very humble reſpect with which I have the honour to be, &c."

Copy in Robethon's hand. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 249.Heinſius to Baron Bernſdorff.
Tranſlation.

"AS Mr. Robethon is going to return to you, I cannot diſpenſe with teſtifying to you, that he executed his maſter's buſineſs here, and managed the tempers of men in this ſtate ſo well, that his Electoral High⯑neſs could not have ſent a more proper perſon; and that he will be always well-received; as it may happen, ſome time or other, that baron Bothmar may be again employed for ſome time elſewhere, and that you may chooſe to ſend Robethon hither. I am, Sir, &c."

Original. Ibid. No. 250.The Duke of Marlborough to the Elector.
Tranſlation.

"I DID not do myſelf the honour to inform your Electoral Highneſs ſooner of our motions in this country, having had nothing to ſay that deſerved it. I fear this delay may have diminiſhed too much the hopes which were entertained at the opening of the campaign: yet I always did every thing that was poſſible for me, in order to anſwer the deſires of thoſe who wiſh well to the common cauſe; and I have, there⯑fore, the greater pleaſure in informing your Electoral Highneſs that we have at laſt broke through the lines which the enemy, for two years, were at ſo much pains to raiſe for the preſervation of their country. This was done on the 5th of this month, towards Arleux, while the enemy expected us between Arras and Hedin. They took the alarm at firſt, and followed us cloſely; but we were before them likewiſe in paſſing the Scheld, between Cambray and Bouchain, with a deſign of [246] beſieging the laſt; if we can ſucceed, it will give me a new opportunity of aſſuring your Electoral Highneſs of the attachment and perfect regard with which I have the honour to be, &c."

Robethon's original Draught. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 157.The Elector to Doctor Hutton.
Tranſlation.

"I AM much obliged to you, Sir, for your letter of the 13th of June, and for the teſtimonies which you continue to give me, on all oc⯑caſions, of your attachment to the intereſts of my family. Baron Both⯑mar did not fail to inform me of the good offices which you rendered to him, during his reſidence in London; and with what zeal you was em⯑ployed for the good of my ſervice. I ſhall do myſelf a real pleaſure, in teſtifying to you my gratitude for this; and it is a very great ſatisfac⯑tion to me to receive letters from you; I, therefore, by no means, re⯑fuſe your offer of writing to me, whenever things happen, which you think proper to communicate to me. You may be thoroughly perſuaded of the eſteem I have for you, and of the eagerneſs with which I ſhall always do you a pleaſure. I am, &c."

Robethon's original Draught. Ibid. No. 257.The Elector to the Duke of Marlborough.
Tranſlation.

"I AM much obliged to you, for the trouble you have taken in writ⯑ing to me, to inform me of your having forced the enemy's lines. That enterpriſe has been conducted with ſo much ſecrecy and prudence, that nothing can ever do you greater honour. I hope it will be attended with conſequences advantageous to the common cauſe, and glorious to you. This may be expected from what you have already done to faci⯑litate the ſiege of Bouchain, and fruſtrate the meaſures which the Mare⯑ſchal de Villars had taken to obſtruct it. I wiſh you a ſpeedy and ſuc⯑ceſsful iſſue, in this and in all the other projects which you may form; being ſincerely, &c."

Original. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 253.The Duke of Marlborough to the Elector.
Tranſlation.

"SINCE we have paſſed the lines, and been before this place, we have had many difficulties to ſurmount in forming the ſiege; but, God be thanked, we have happily overcome them; and, yeſterday morn⯑ing, our batteries began to play. I have even every reaſon to hope for ſucceſs, in ſo much that, in order to profit by it, it is proper for us to think early of winter-quarters, and of the opening of the next cam⯑paign. It is with this view, that I have drawn up a project, which I have conveyed, in confidence, to the miniſters in England and Holland. Without having communicated it, however, to any of our generals here, I do myſelf the honour to ſend a copy of it to your Electoral Highneſs; and I humbly entreat you, after having well examined it, to acquaint me with your ſentiments, and if you find any thing to be added to it. I ac⯑knowledge to your Electoral Highneſs, that I ſee no other means of pro⯑curing a good peace, but by puſhing the enemy with vigour on this ſide, which cannot be effectuated but by being before them in the field. I am, with a moſt reſpectful attachment, &c."

Robethon's original draught. Ibid. No. 252.The Elector to the Duke of Marlborough.
Tranſlation.

"AS it appears that the Kings of Denmark and of Poland cannot poſſeſs themſelves of any place of ſtrength in Pomerania, the ſeaſon being too far advanced, it is to be preſumed that the troops, after having ravaged the enemy's country, will return to take up their winter-quarters in Mecklenburg, and in other places in the circle of the Lower Saxony; and that his Daniſh Majeſty will chooſe to place troops in the country of Bremen. It is eaſy to conceive, that, by that means, the ſlames of war may extend themſelves farther into the empire, to the great prejudice of the allies; and you know, beſides, Sir, that the ſituation of my domi⯑nions is ſuch, that they cannot be ſafe, if the flames of war communi⯑cate [248] themſelves to the country of Bremen.month September. It is, therefore, very ne⯑ceſſary, either for diverting the court of Denmark from ſuch an in⯑tention, or for giving weight to the negociations which I may ſet on foot with that court concerning this affair, that I ſhould have ſome cavalry and dragoons here next winter; it being impoſſible to be able, with four or five battalions, which are left with me, to provide with any efficacy for the ſafety of my dominions, and of all this neighbourhood. I will, therefore, have a very particular obligation to you, if you employ your influence to obtain permiſſion from the Queen for ſome of the regiments of cavalry and dragoons, which I have in her Majeſty's pay, to come back to my own dominions after the campaign, as the regiment of Haher came back laſt winter, and upon the ſame footing. They may be ab⯑ſent from the Low Countries, during the winter, without any prejudice to the public; and it is preciſely during that ſeaſon that I ſhall have need of them here. I do not foreſce that any thing can hinder me from ſending them back to you at the opening of the next campaign: but by ne⯑glecting this precaution, ſome events may happen, in my neighbourhood, next winter, which will oblige me to recall all the troops I have in the ſervice of the Queen and of the States. I hope you will be pleaſed to exert yourſelf to obtain this favour from the Queen. This new proof of her kindneſs will attach me more and more to her intereſts; and I ſhall retain the greateſt gratitude to you on account of it. I am, very ſincerely, my Lord, your affectionate ſervant."

Robethon's original Draught. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 158.The Elector to the Earl of Oxford.
Tranſlation.

"IT is with an entire conſidence, that I addreſs myſelf to you, as a miniſter who has both the cleareſt views and the beſt intentions, in order to repreſent to you, that the advanced ſeaſon does not permit the princes who are conſederated againſt Sweden to poſſeſs themſelves of any place of ſtrength in Pomerania. It appears certain, that their troops, after having committed ſome ravages, will return to take up their winter-quar⯑ters in different places in the circle of the Lower Saxony, and particularly in Mecklenburg; and that his Daniſh Majeſty will chooſe to place ſome troops in the country of Bremen. It is eaſy to conceive, that this may [249] be the means of carrying the war to this ſide of the Elbe, from whence it may extend itſelf farther into the empire, to the great prejudice of the allies. Beſides, the ſituation of my dominions is ſuch, that they can⯑not be in ſafety if the war ſhould communicate itſelf to the country of Bremen.

I ſhall employ all my attentions to divert the court of Denmark from forming this project. But, my lord, you are too penetrating not to ſee, that having but very few infantry, without any cavalry, in my domi⯑nions, I cannot exert myſelf with efficacy for the ſecurity of this neigh⯑bourhood and of my own territories; and that it is very neceſſary, in order to give weight to the negociations which I deſign to ſet on foot with the enemies of Sweden, and to the propoſals which I may make to them, that I ſhould have ſome cavalry and dragoons here next winter. As the deſign I have in view is the common intereſt of all the allies, and as I ſhall act in perfect concert with the Queen, I hope her Majeſty will permit ſome of the regiments of cavalry and dragoons, which I have in her pay, to return to my dominions, as the regiment of Hahn returned laſt winter, and upon the ſame footing. I will owe you, my lord, a very particular obligation, if you will be pleaſed to employ your influ⯑ence with the Queen, in obtaining this favour from her, by repreſenting to her, that theſe regiments may be abſent from the Low Countries dur⯑ing the winter, without any prejudice to the public, and that I can ſend them back at the opening of the next campaign; whereas, by neglecting this precaution, ſome events may happen next winter in my neighbour⯑hood, which will oblige me to recall all the troops which I have in the ſervice of the Queen and of the States. I wrote on this very ſubject to the duke of Marlborough. It is of ſuch importance, that I cannot doubt but you will intereſt yourſelf in its ſucceſs. I entreat you, my lord, to be perſuaded that I ſhall retain a grateful ſenſe of this, and to allow me, for the future, to teſtify, on all occaſions which may offer, the perfect confidence I have in you, and the diſtinguiſhed eſteem I have for your merit. I am, very ſincerely, &c."

Original.The Earl of Oxford to the Elector.

"TO accept my moſt humble acknowledgment, for the very great honour I receiv'd of your Electoral Highneſs's letter of Sept. 4. I take it as a particular mark of your goodneſs, that you think fit to honor me with your commands; to obey which, I am equally engag'd by duty and inclination. I had the honor to communicate your Elec⯑toral Highneſs letter, yeſterday, to the Queen at Windſor; and I wiſh I were capable of expreſſing the obliging manner wherewith her Majeſty ſpoke of your Electoral Highneſs, and her readineſs to comply with your deſires in that way which would moſt demonſtrate her Majeſty's concerne for you and your moſt ſerene houſe; being wel aſſured that your Elec⯑toral Highneſs will deſire nothing that is inconſiſtent with the good of the common cauſe. You are pleaſed to mention in your letter, that your Highneſs had wrote to the duke of Marlborough upon this ſubject; and the Queen thinks it wil be beſt to leave it to be adjuſted between your Electoral Highneſs's miniſter and the duke of Marlborough, as wel for keeping the ſecret, that others may not aſk the ſame, as alſo he being at the head of the army, is beſt able to ſpeak with your Electoral High⯑neſs's miniſter upon every thing which relates to this affair; to this pur⯑poſe Mr. ſecretary St. John has directions to write by this ordinary, to my lord Marlborough.

I ſhould have given your Electoral Highneſs frequent troble by my letters, but that I was afraid of interrupting your greater affairs; and I flatter myſelf with the belief that your Highneſs is ſo fully perſwaded of my inviolable attachment to your intereſt, that I can add nothing to it by any thing I can write; being reſolved that my actions ſhal demon⯑ſtrate the zeal and devotion wherewith I am, &c."

Original. Ibid. No. 257.The Duke of Marlborough to the Elector. Upon the taking of Bouchain.
Tranſlation.

"SINCE the letter I did myſelf the honour of writing to your Elec⯑toral Highneſs, we have been employed in the ſiege of Bouchain, [251] in order to ſecure a poſt on the other ſide of the Scheld. It will be ima⯑gined, perhaps, conſidering the vigour of the attacks, that the ſiege hath continued too long; indeed the enemy take every method to hinder us from finiſhing it, and the neighbourhood, not to ſay the preſence, of a ſuperior army, always employed in diſtreſſing us, encouraged the be⯑ſieged to be obſtinate. But, at length, we have found means of ſur⯑mounting all obſtacles, and of obliging the garriſon to ſurrender them⯑ſelves priſoners of war. I entreat your Electoral Highneſs to accept of my humble felicitations on the ſucceſs of this enterpriſe, which deſerves to be conſidered as an effect of the bleſſing of Heaven upon the juſt cauſe of the High Allies; ſince neither the number nor the courage of the enemy was able to fruſtrate our deſign. We ſhall be obliged to re⯑main for ſome time yet in this camp, in order to repair the works of the town, and put it out of a condition of being inſulted. But the enemy have taken all the precautions they could, in order to deprive us of ſub⯑ſiſtence; having for ſome days burnt all the forage in the country round it, and likewiſe plundered and burnt the moſt conſiderable towns and vil⯑lages. I am, with the moſt ſubmiſſive attachment and regard, &c."

Robethon's draught. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 256.The Elector to the Duke of Marlborough.
Tranſlation.

"I AM much obliged to you for your letter of the 31ſt of Auguſt, and for your having been pleaſed to communicate to me your plan of operations for the enſuing campaign. I cannot but approve of it, in all reſpects, and I conſider it with you, as the ſureſt means of reducing France to the neceſſity of concurring in a reaſonable peace. But I ima⯑gine you will allow that ſecrecy is the life of this project, and that it is neceſſary to avoid, with all poſſible attention, to give the enemy any room to perceive it; ſince, in that caſe, they will not fail to take the ne⯑ceſſary meaſures for preventing a blow which may be ſo fatal to them, and for forming magazines on their ſide, whatever expence they may coſt them. I leave you, then, Sir, to reflect, if by ſtationing the cavalry on the frontiers, you will not diſcover too clearly to the French, what is ſo [252] neceſſary to conceal from them. It appears to me likewiſe, that my troops, though ſent to more diſtant places, may, by ſpeedy marches, arrive time enough at the place where you will judge proper to aſſemble the army. As to the reſt, I hope that the meaſures which you will take for the execution of your project, will be no obſtacle to the return of the few regiments of cavalry and dragoons which the neceſſity ariſing from the ſtate of affairs obliges me to demand of the Queen for ſome months. It is about the end of autumn or beginning of winter that I ſhall have principally occaſion for them; and I reckon that I ſhall ſend them back to you in time. I refer myſelf to my preceding letter con⯑cerning the reaſons which make me deſirous of having them ſoon in my dominions. They are of ſuch importance for the ſecurity of this neighbourhood, and for the common intereſt of the allies, that I cannot doubt but they will have your approbation, and that you will employ your influence to obtain from the Queen the favour which I demand. I am always very ſincerely, &c."

Original. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes, No. 258.The Duke of Marlborough to the Elector.
Tranſlation.

"MOnſieur de Bulau delivered to me, this morning, the letter which your Electoral Highneſs did me the honour to write to me the 4th inſtant. I have this evening communicated it to the Queen, and you may depend upon it, that I ſhall always concur with pleaſure, as I have aſſured Mr. de Bulau, in whatever your Electoral Highneſs ſhall find conducive to your intereſts; perſuaded as I am, that you will, at the ſame time, have the proper attention to the intereſts of the com⯑mon cauſe. I am, with the moſt profound reſpect, &c."

Original.The Duke of Marlborough to Mr. St. John.

"I AM perſuaded, from your friendſhip, you will have a particular ſatisfaction, in the good news you now receive of the garriſon's be⯑ing made priſoners at war, even in the preſence of Mareſchal Villars. I confeſs we muſt own it as a very great providence, that all his endea⯑vours [253] to obſtruct us have meet with ſo little ſucceſs. As I have not yet received any reply to the anſwer I gave to the reſolution of the counſel of ſtate at the Hague, relating to the project for the winter-quarters, whereof I ſent you a copy the 20th paſt, I have reaſon to apprehend they are not ſo fully convinced as were to be wiſhed of the neceſſity of perſuing it; and, as there is no time to be loſt, I have prevaill'd with lord Albemarle to take a journey to the Hague, to repreſent the great advantages that muſt ac⯑crue to the publick by the meaſures we propoſe. Beſides, the papers where⯑of you have already copies, I have furniſhed his lordſhip with the like, to be incloſed, by which you will ſee the arguments enforced; and how in⯑conſiderable the expence of fforage will be, with reſpect to the great ad⯑vantages we may hope to reap from it. I could not enter into the other articles of the expence, becauſe they are very incertain. Beſides that, it may reaſonably be expect'd the great towns, who will be eaſed, ſhould contribute towards it. As ſoon as his lordſhip returns, I ſhall let you know the ſucceſs of his journey. In the mean time, I hope lord Stair will be with us, that there may be no delay on our ſide. Encloſed I ſend you a letter Mr. Bulau has juſt now delivred to me from the Elector of Hannover. I ſhall defer returning an anſwer, til I receive the Queen's directions upon the contents; which, I pray, may be as ſoon as you can. In the mean time, ſhall give you my opinion, that his Electoral High⯑neſs ſhould not be refuſed his requeſt; but be deſir'd to take from us as few troops as poſſible; and that it might be inſinuated to him, that her Majeſty will expect they ſhould return into this country early in the ſpring. I am, with truth, &c.

Robethon's original draught. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 159.The Elector to the Duke of Marlborough.
Tranſlation.

"I Received the letters of the 13th and 14th inſtant, which you was at the trouble of writing to me. General Bulau had already given me an account of your obliging anſwer, with regard to the regiments which I find myſelf obliged to bring back this winter into my dominions. I am very ſenſible of the diſpatch with which you wrote on this ſubject to the Queen; and I do not doubt of the ſucceſs of the affair, ſince you [254] was pleaſed to ſupport it. I entreat you to be perſuaded that, in this meaſure, to which the conjuncture forces me, I ſhall not loſe ſight of the intereſts of the common cauſe. You have laboured for them, in a man⯑ner as glorious as uſeful, by the conqueſt of the important place which you have lately reduced in the face of the enemy. It may be affirmed, that this ſiege, and the forcing of the lines which opened the way to it, have diſcovered all the qualities of a great general in you, in the moſt diſtinguiſhing manner. I partake more than any one, in the glory which reſults to you from this; and I always am very ſincerely, &c.

Robethon's original Draught. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes, No. 260. month October. The Elector to the Duke of Marlborough.
Tranſlation.

"I Received the letter which you was at the trouble of writing to me the 23d of September. I agree with you as to the utility of the project which you have formed for taking the field early next year: but it appears to me, that it will be ſufficient for the execution of it, to ſtation the Engliſh and Dutch cavalry in the places on the frontiers; where, being under the direction of their own generals, they may be eaſily recruited. This muſt have the leſs difficulty, with regard to the Engliſh cavalry, that they have always had their winter-quarters in places in Flanders which are not far from thoſe now in queſtion. It will be otherwiſe with my troops, which, in ſuch quarters, will be no longer under the inſpection of my generals, and will be too diſtant to receive their recruits with facility; whereas, when my troops are placed in their uſual quarters, I ſhall take particular care that their recruits ſhall be ſent to them early, and that the whole corps ſhall be in condition to march to the rendezvous as ſoon as you ſhall judge proper to aſſemble the army. I hope likewiſe I ſhall ſend back time enough the regiments of cavalry and dragoons which I propoſe to bring this winter into my dominions. In this I deſire you to continue your good offices with the Queen, and to be perſuaded that I ſhall be very grateful for them. I always am very ſincerely, &c."

Original. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 166.The Duke of Shrewſbury to the Elector.
Tranſlation.

"I Could not allow the earl of Rivers to go away, without having the honour of renewing to your Electoral Highneſs aſſurances of my attachment to your ſervice, and to the intereſts of your family. I do not trouble you often with my letters; becauſe I flatter myſelf that you do not doubt of my zeal and of my fidelity, and am convinced you ſhall ſee proofs of them, on every occaſion in which I can ſhow them; and I entreat your Electoral Highneſs to do me the juſtice to believe, that you have not, either in England, or in any other part of the world, any one who is more entirely devoted to you than, &c."

Original. Ibid. No. 261.The Duke of Marlborough to the Elector.
Tranſlation.

"MOnſieur de Bulau delivered to me this morning the letter which your Electoral Highneſs did me the honour to write to me the 25th of the laſt month. I am happy to inform you at preſent, that the laſt poſt brought me the Queen's orders, agreeably to what your Elec⯑toral Highneſs deſires; ſo that I ſhall concert the march with the general, taking the neceſſary precautions, that others may not make the ſame de⯑mand. I humbly beſeech you to be perſuaded of the very reſpectful at⯑tachment with which I ſhall always be, &c.

Original. Ibid. No. 163.The Earl of Oxford to the Elector.

"THE Queen ſending earl Rivers to communicate to your Electoral Highneſs an affair of great conſequence, I preſume to deſire leave, at the ſame time, to make your Highneſs a tender of my moſt humble duty. My lord wil give your Electoral Highneſs the detail of what has paſſed here with relation to a peace, and the care her Majeſty has taken, in the firſt place, of the intereſt of your Highneſs and your family: this [256] the Queen has done without any reciprocal obligation or promiſe from her Majeſty to France. Notwithſtanding the great need we have of peace, and that the nation is exhauſted, yet the Queen would not act without the concurrence of her allies; and, therefore, your Highneſs wil obſerve, that all ſteps taken heer are but proviſional; though it would have been no difficult matter to have adjuſted the intereſts of the ſeveral allys, but that the Queen was reſolved to give none of them any cauſe of jealouſy, and to leave each ſtate to make their own demands at the general treaty, which the Queen propoſes to be opned immediatly.

I did myſelf the honor to acquaint your Electoral Highneſs with the Queen's compliance with your deſires of having ſome of your cavalry returne this winter, for a particular occaſion; and I ſhall ever eſteem it the greateſt felicity of my life, when I have any opportunity to ſhew the inviolable attachment, and great veneration, wherewith I am, &c."

Original. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Strafford.The Earl of Oxford to the Princeſs Sophia.

"I Do myſelf the honor to write to your Royal Highneſs by earl Rivers, who comes from the Queen, with a very important com⯑miſſion, to give your Royal Highneſs the greateſt proofs of her Majeſty's amitie in the care ſhe has taken of your intereſt, and that of your moſt ſerene houſe: notwithſtanding the allys had, by degrees, caſt all the weight of the war upon the Queen and her ſubjects, while one part ſhifted off their own ſhare, and others thought of nothing but eternizing the war; and in the mean time this nation was exhauſted, its burdens daily increaſing, and the ability to bear them decreaſing: yet, in theſe circumſtances, your Royal Highneſs will ſee that the Queen would not give any ear to a treaty for peace, without this preliminary proviſion; ‘"That your Electoral Highneſs and your family's right to the ſucceſſion to the crown ſhould be eſtabliſhed."’ My lord Rivers will give your Royal Highneſs an account, at large, of all that has paſſed upon the ſubject; from him your Electoral Highneſs wil know other particulars, which wil prove her Majeſty's tender care for your intereſt; for when ſome factious perſon in Scotland had revived the memory of a medal, [257] which had been ſtamped about two years ſince, the Queen ordered the perſons concerned to be proſecuted; and becauſe the Lord Advocate, (to whoſe care it did belong) was not very forward in putting the laws in execution upon this occaſion, the Queen has thought fit to remove him, and to place Sir James Stuart in his room, who, I hope, will quickly correct the imprudence of thoſe people. I ſhall only crave leave to deſire you wil permit my lord Rivers to preſent you with the aſſurance that I am, both by inclination and intereſt, as well as duty, &c."

Robethon's original draught. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 160.The Elector to the Earl of Oxford.
Tranſlation.

"I Am much obliged to you for the letter of the 22d of September, which you was at the trouble to write to me; and for the earneſt manner in which you was pleaſed to employ your influence with the Queen, in obtaining from her Majeſty the favour which I aſked. I ſee, by general Bulau's letters, that the duke of Marlborough will adjuſt all this affair with him; and that they will take the neceſſary precautions for keeping it ſecret. I have only now, my lord, to entreat you to make moſt humble acknowledgments to the Queen, for having concurred ſo obligingly with what I took the liberty to demand of her; and to aſſure her, that, neither in this nor in any other occaſion, I ſhall ever take any ſtep contrary to the intereſts of the common cauſe, and that I ſhall always act in perfect concert with her Majeſty.

As to the reſt, I am not ignorant how much your powerful recom⯑mendation has contributed to the ſucceſs of the affair in queſtion. I entreat you to be thoroughly perſuaded of the grateful ſenſe I ſhall always retain of it, and of the pleaſure which I ſhall have in teſ⯑tifying an entire confidence in you, in every buſineſs which will deſerve, by its importance, to have recourſe to your extenſive knowledge, and to your intereſt with the Queen. I am, very ſincerely,

Original. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 167.The Duke of Buckingham to the Elector.

"NOT having received the honour of any commands from your Electoral Highneſs by Monſieur Botemar, I have hitherto re⯑ſtrained myſelf from repeating the offers of that humble and zealous ſer⯑vice, which I am ſure your Electoral Highneſs can have no poſſible cauſe to doubt of, after my conſtant endeavours to ſhew it on all occaſions. But this late tranſaction between Brittain and France, of which the earl of Rivers is ſent to give you exact information, has given occaſion, not only for the Queen herſelf, but for her miniſters alſo, to ſhew their timely care and utmoſt concern for the ſucceſſion in your illuſtrious line; and having myſelf not only an affectionate zeal, but even a jealous re⯑gard to all things relating to that matter, I can, with all aſſurance, give your Electoral Highneſs the ſatisfaction of my being a witneſs, that no part of theſe overtures was ſo much at the heart of every body employed about it, as that which indeed deſerved it moſt, the Proteſtant ſucceſſion: and, therefore, whatever happy occaſion I had ſome few years ago, to be a little remarkable in my concern for her Royal Highneſs, your mother, I could not, at this time, with all my zeal, out-do the faithful ſervice which every lord entruſted has ſhewn in this affair.

The buſineſs of the medal alſo in Scotland, if not immediately proſe⯑cuted, through the remiſſneſs of ſome who have been diſplaced there for that failing, is now to be ſtrictly puniſhed, as I am ſure it ought to have been at firſt.

I had ſome particular reaſon not to put this letter into the hands of my lord Rivers, and hope you will pardon this liberty, in yours, &c."

Robethon's original draught. Ibid No. 262.The Elector to the Duke of Marlborough.
Tranſlation.

"I Am much obliged to you for the letter which you wrote to me on the 4th inſtant, by which you have taken the trouble to inform [259] me, that you have received the Queen's orders for the march of ſome of my regiments. It is juſt that I thank you for the ſucceſs of this affair, ſince you have ſo powerfully contributed to it by your influence, and by the repreſentations which you made to her Majeſty. I entreat you to be perſuaded, that I am very grateful for the manner in which you exerted yourſelf in this affair; and for the care, which you are pleaſed ſtill to take in concerting with general Bulau, the meaſures neceſſary for keep⯑ing it ſecret as long as poſſible. You are not ignorant of the ſtrong reaſons for this precaution. I always am very ſincerely, my Lord,

Your affectionate ſervant.

Original. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 169.The Biſhop of Briſtol to the Elector.
Tranſlation.

"AMong the advantages which the office of keeper of her Majeſty's privy ſeal muſt procure me, I eſteem the gracious approbation of your Electoral Highneſs among the firſt; feeling myſelf greatly encour⯑aged by the favourable opinion which your Electoral Highneſs has been pleaſed to entertain of me, according to the information I lately received from Mr. Robethon.

I obſerve, with joy, the harmony which ſubſiſts between her Majeſty and your Electoral Highneſs; with regard to myſelf, ſhe has been gra⯑ciouſly pleaſed to advance me in her ſervice, and your Electoral Highneſs teſtifies your conſent to her choice. I return my moſt grateful acknow⯑ledgments for this to God, to the Queen, and to your Electoral High⯑neſs; and I entreat you, Sir, to continue this kindneſs to me, and to be perſuaded, that it is always with a zealous attachment for the intereſts of your Electoral Highneſs, I ſhall do my beſt to deſerve it, and to render myſelf worthy of being conſidered as, &c."

Original. Ibid. vol. marked Strafford.The Earl of Strafford to the Princeſs Sophia.

"THE firſt minute of my landing here I ſhould have done myſelf the honour of writing to your Royal Highneſs, but that I could not take upon me to write a letter to a princeſs, for whom I have the [260] greateſt duty and veneration imaginable, without informing her exactly of the contents of my commiſſion to the States General concerning a general peace, ſo much wanted, and ſo neceſſary to all thoſe who have borne the expence of this war, and which was a matter at that time made ſo great noiſe; but as the earl Rivers was diſpatched, at the ſame time, with an ample inſtruction of that matter to your Royal Highneſs, and the Elector your ſon; as I was ſure I could not explain that matter with all the advantage by my writing, as his lordſhip would do himſelf by word of mouth; and finding he was reſolved to make all poſſible haſte to your court, I would not let him, for whom I have a very particular regard, find I had been endeavouring to inform you before hand, with the chiefeſt point in his commiſſion; and, I hope, what he brings with him will ſhow, the Queen begins to make your court, at leaſt, preſents of better things than parchment, which your Royal Highneſs ſaid for⯑merly, merely to tell me, was all you got by the Engliſh ſucceſſion; and I hope this ſmall beginning is only a forerunner of a greater mark of the Queen's conſideration for you, than what has yet been done; for be⯑fore I came from England, I had a diſcourſe with ſome very great peo⯑ple of this preſent miniſtry, and who are extreme good ſervants of your Royal Highneſs, upon a matter ought to have been thought on before, and which, I believe, will make you eaſy, and ſhow you how falſe all thoſe malicious ſtories and inventions, made to raiſe jealouſies, are grown; for you may certainly depend upon it, this preſent miniſtry are more friends to you, to the proteſtant ſucceſſion, than the laſt were; for theſe deſire that you ſhould ſucceed to the crown and royalty, whereas, if the others had been [not] forced to diveſt themſelves of the regency, they had well nigh calculated to keep in their own hand, your ſucceſſion was to depend ſo much upon them, that the name and title of Queen or King might have deſcended to you or your family; but that was plainly all they deſigned you, though, now they are turned out, they and their friends will try to prove the contrary."

Robethon's original draught. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 164. month November. The Elector to Queen Anne.
Tranſlation.

"THE earl of Rivers delivered to me the letter with which your Majeſty was pleaſed to honour me. I received, with the utmoſt gratitude, the communication which you ordered him to make to me, of the overtures of France for a general peace. I conſider the care, which your Majeſty has taken of the intereſts of my family on this occa⯑ſion, as a continuance of that kindneſs of which you have given me ſo many proofs, and which I ſhall always very highly eſteem. After the great things which your Majeſty has done for your allies ſince your ac⯑ceſſion to the throne, they have reaſon to hope that you will continue to act in concert with them, and take the ſame care of their intereſts in the enſuing treaty of peace, which you have taken during the courſe of ſo glorious a war. The merit and rank of the earl of Rivers, and his at⯑tachment to my family, are well known to me; and the confidence which your Majeſty places in him, is a new motive for me to eſteem him in the moſt diſtinguiſhed manner. I doubt not but he will make a faithful report to your Majeſty, of my gratitude for your kindneſs, and of the inviolable reſpect with which I am, &c."

Robethon's original draught. Ibid. No. 161.The Princeſs Sophia to Queen Anne.
Sent by Earl Rivers.
Tranſlation.

"IT would be difficult for me to expreſs to your Majeſty with what reſpect and gratitude I received your Majeſty's precious letter, and ſaw that you condeſcended yourſelf, to communicate to me the care which you have been pleaſed to take of the intereſts of my family. As [262] the earl of Rivers has given me aſſurances of this from your Majeſty, I hope he will aſſiſt me in making you my moſt humble acknowledgments; and in aſſuring your Majeſty from me, that there is none who is more en⯑tirely devoted to you than I am, and who wiſhes more paſſionately, that whatever your Majeſty will undertake, may give ſatisfaction to yourſelf and alſo to your allies, which is likewiſe your Majeſty's deſire. But, Madam, I am ſorry, that it is only by wiſhes, that I can pretend to merit the continuance of your kindneſs, though I ardently deſire it, and alſo to be honoured with your commands, in order to ſhew, by my obedi⯑ence, to what degree I am, &c."

Robethon's original draught. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 162.The Elector to Queen Anne.
Tranſlation.

"AS I am perſuaded, that in this important conjuncture, when France propoſes preliminary articles for a general peace, your Majeſty will be pleaſed to continue to honour me with the confidence, of which you have given me ſo many marks, and to liſten favourably to what I have to repreſent; I judge it neceſſary, to have a perſon of confidence at your court. This induces me to ſend over, without delay, the baron de Bothmar, one of my miniſters of ſtate, and my plenipotentiary, who will have the honour to deliver you this letter. I beſeech your Majeſty to give credit to what he ſhall tell you from me, and to allow, that your miniſters continue to have the ſame confidence in him they formerly had; the principal deſign of his journey being to aſſure your Majeſty of my inviolable attachment to your intereſts, and of the reſpect with which I am, &c."

Robethon's original draught. Ibid. 170.The Elector to the Biſhop of Briſtol.
Tranſlation.

"I Am much obliged to you for the letter which you have been at the trouble of writing to me. The choice which the Queen has [263] made of you, to commit to you the privy ſeal, having been approved, even by thoſe to whom your reputation only is known, you ſhould not be ſurpriſed at the ſatisfaction of this which I teſtify, ſince I am perſonally acquainted with you and with your capacity, and am convinced from my own knowledge, that the Queen could not bring a more moderate pre⯑late into the church, nor a more enlightened miniſter into her cabinet.

I doubt not, my lord, but in the preſent critical conjuncture, you will employ all your credit to terminate, by a glorious peace, a war, which has acquired ſo much glory to her Majeſty and to the Britiſh nation, and to reject ſuch conditions, as will leave with the common enemy, the means of giving laws to Europe, and of diſturbing the wiſe meaſures which the Queen has taken to ſecure the proſperity of her people. I entreat you to be thoroughly perſuaded, that my ſentiments for you are ſuch, as your merit and your attachment to the intereſts of my fa⯑mily command, and that I am very ſincerely, &c."

Robethen's original draught. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 164.The Elector to the Earl of Oxford.
Tranſlation.

"THE earl of Rivers delivered to me the letter which you took the trouble of writing to me. I received, with the moſt lively gratitude, the communication which her Majeſty was pleaſed to make to me, by his lordſhip, of what paſſed with regard to the peace, and am no leſs ſenſible of the care which her Majeſty has taken on this occaſion of the intereſts of my family. What you add in your letter, that her Majeſty will do nothing in this affair, but in concert and jointly with her allies, gives me the greateſt joy. This is a conduct truly worthy of ſo great a Queen, and perfectly ſuitable to all ſhe has done for the com⯑mon intereſt of her allies, during the courſe of ſo glorious a war, and you are too well informed, my lord, not to ſee that all the fruits of it will be loſt, if Spain and the Indies are abandoned to the duke of Anjou, which will put France in a condition of giving laws very ſoon to Europe, and of fruſtrating all the wiſe meaſures which the Queen has taken to ſecure a ſolid and permanent proſperity to her people. I am perſuaded, that [264] you will employ all your credit to prevent ſuch a misfortune. I renew my acknowledgments to you for your good offices, with regard to the regiments, which I wiſhed to have this winter in my dominions. I will not fail to ſend them back, as ſoon as poſſible; well knowing of what im⯑portance it is to have the army early in the field. I am, &c."

Robethon's original draught. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 165.The Elector to the Duke of Shrewſbury.
Tranſlation.

"THE obliging letter which you took the trouble of writing to me, the 3d of October, was delivered to me by the earl of Rivers. I am very ſenſible of the freſh aſſurances which it contains of your at⯑tachment to my intereſts, and am very grateful, that you are pleaſed to give me proofs of this, on all the occaſions which offer. I deſire much to have opportunities which will furniſh me with means of teſtifying the regard I have for your perſon, and of ſhewing you, that I am very ſincerely, &c.

Robethon's original draught. Ibid. No 168.The Elector to the Duke of Buckingham.
Tranſlation.

"IT is with great gratitude I have ſeen, by the letter which you was at the trouble of writing to me, the attachment which you ſhew for the intereſts of my Family, and for the proſecution of the diſaffected in Scotland: but you have too much good ſenſe, my lord, not to allow, that the moſt ſolid foundation, upon which the preſent and future proſperity of Great Britain, and indeed of all Europe, can be eſ⯑tabliſhed, is to humble France, and that the great object of attention ought to be, to terminate the preſent war, by a peace, which deprives that crown of the means of interrupting, for the future, the wiſe meaſures which the Queen has taken to ſecure a durable repoſe to her people. Every one ſees what an addition of power France would receive, if the duke of Anjou ſhould ſupport himſelf on the throne of Spain and the In⯑dies, and you fill too deſervedly the poſt which the Queen has com⯑mitted to you, not to exert yourſelf to prevent ſuch a misfortune. The perfect confidence I have in your good intentions does not allow me to [265] entertain any doubt of this. I entreat you to have no more doubt of the regard which I have for your perſon, and of the ſincerity with which I am, &c."

Robethon's original Draught, Hannover Papers, vol. marked Princes. No. 161.The Electoral Princeſs to Queen Anne.
Tranſlation.

"I Should imagine I failed in my duty, if I allowed the earl of Rivers to go away, without doing myſelf the honour of thanking your Majeſty very humbly, for the preſent which he hath brought from you to the little princeſs, whom you have allowed to be called after your name. I entreat your Majeſty to be perſuaded, that it is impoſſible to be more grateful than the Electoral prince and I are for this freſh proof of your kindneſs. I embrace this opportunity of begging of your Majeſty the continuance of your kindneſs which will be always infinitely precious to me, and of aſſuring you of the reſpect with which I am, &c."

Robethon's original draught. Ibid. No. 171.The Elector to Kreyenberg his reſident at London.

"WE have ſeen by one of your private letters of the 27th of October, that the lord treaſurer told you, that you ought to ſend to Eng⯑land a procuration for ſubſcribing in the funds of the South Sea com⯑pany, the 9375 l. ſterling which are due to us by a warrant of the late King William, and which have been acknowledged as a national debt, in the laſt ſeſſion of parliament. As it does not become us to make this ſubſcription, we ſhall not reſolve upon it, but in caſe of neceſſity, pre⯑ferring, in all reſpects, to be paid this debt in caſh. Our intention, there⯑fore is, that you ſhould make repreſentations to the lord treaſurer to obtain this payment, aſſuring him, that we ſhall be very particularly obliged to the Queen, if her Majeſty would be pleaſed to take, upon her own account, ſtocks of the South Sea company, for the ſum which is due to us, and pay to us that ſum, as it is very juſt we ſhould receive it com⯑plete, after having waited for it ſo long.

If this expedient is not practicable, it will be neceſſary to ſubſcribe to the company, and you will find incloſed, the procuration which is ne⯑ceſſary to authoriſe you to do ſo, on our account. But you are not to uſe it but a few days before the 25th of December, the day on which [266] the books are cloſed; ſince it is likely, that before that day, the baron de Bothmar, our plenipotentiary, may arrive in London; he having orders to go over with the earl of Rivers; and we wiſh the baron de Bothmar may have time again to make repreſentations to the lord trea⯑ſurer, for obtaining payment of this money▪ You are to prepare the treaſurer for this, and to aſk him, if the ſtocks being only at 80, and it being unjuſt to give us but 80 l. ſterling to pay us for 100, they could not give us ſtock for the 20 per cent. remaining, which upon the whole ſum, would be an augmentation of 1900 l. ſterling.

We leave the names blank in the procuration, in order, that if the baron de Bothmar judges it more proper to fill it up with his own, he may do it, if not, it muſt be filled up with ours."

Robethon's Draught. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Strafford.The Princeſs Sophia to the Earl of Strafford.
Tranſlation.

"I Conſider, as a continuation of the friendſhip which you always teſti⯑fied for me, that you have been pleaſed to communicate to me the commiſſion which the Queen gave you, to treat of a peace, in concur⯑rence with the States-general. It is true, that the Earl of Rivers likewiſe has had orders, to communicate to the Elector, my ſon, and to me, her Majeſty's laudable intentions; but he did not enlarge upon the ſubject, as you have been at the trouble to do. He has alſo brought a preſent to the Queen's god-daughter, as an honourable mark of her favours, which are infinitely eſteemed. I would not, however, give my parchment for it: ſince it will be an everlaſting monument in the archives of Han⯑nover; and the preſent of the little princeſs will go, when ſhe is grown up, into another family. As for the reſt, I will not combat all the rea⯑ſons which you produce, to make me acquainted with thoſe which the Queen has to be diſſatisfied with her allies; but as her Majeſty entered into this war, for the good of her crown, and to hinder France from be⯑coming too powerful; and as her Majeſty's arms have been always vic⯑torious; as my lord Rivers, laſt year, ſpoke of nothing but war, which the Queen was determined to continue with the utmoſt vigour; and as all [267] thoſe things of which you ſpeak, were then already paſt; you muſt not be ſurpriſed, if ſo ſudden a change creates aſtoniſhment, eſpecially if a peace is to be concluded upon ſuch terms as are printed in the Engliſh Gazettes. If you had been willing to accept peace on thoſe terms, a great deal of blood, and a great deal of the money of England and Hol⯑land might have been ſaved, and no one is ignorant of the ſtate of the Emperor's finances, which indeed England has generouſly and bountifully ſupplied. As her Majeſty finds now, the burden of this too heavy for her people, it is not ſurpriſing that ſhe looks out for a remedy, which I heartily wiſh may contibute to her glory, and to the good of her kingdoms, and of her allies. But hitherto, it was always believed, that the too great power of France would be prejudicial to them all, and eſpecially to England. But you know this, undoubtedly, better than I, who do not pretend to underſtand affairs of ſtate. With regard to thoſe which are private, they will always incline me to be, with great eſteem for you, &c."

Original. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Strafford.The Earl of Strafford to the Princeſs Sophia.

"I Have, from poſt to poſt, put off writing to your Royal Highneſs; ſtill hoping for ſomething agreeable to fill my letter, and make it worth your reading. At laſt, I imagined the opening of the parliament would have furniſhed me with ſomething I might have enlarged upon; but the violence of their proceedings, on one ſide and t'other, makes a man, as your Royal Highneſs knows me to be, not partial of either party, not well know what to write, eſpecially ſince they write me from London, that Monſ. Bothmar has now declared himſelf of the Whig-party; ſo that my finding fault on that ſide, would be oppoſing the ſentiments of your court; and when one has not the liberty to find fault on both ſides, when they give occaſion, one can't, with half the pleaſure, turn one's pen, when it is confined only againſt one ſide. One is not at liber⯑ty, they tell me now, to remember the villany of a party, who cut off your royal anceſtor's head^* nor to remember, amongſt others, their actions, that, when they were in power, they acted contrary to your illuſtrious houſe; and when the heads of them were preſſed, by well-wiſhers to it, to ſettle ſome diſtinguiſhing allowance on your next ſucceſſor, they re⯑jected it, with an inſolence unbecoming them; nor when it was thought [345] by an act, they ſhould have made proviſion for their ſpeedy coming after the demiſe of the Queen, they found out, on the contrary, an expedient to lay the foundation of a republic, by inveſting, by act of parliament, the ſovereign power in certain places of which they were themſelves maſters, and by their behaviour thought to have kept for life; all this inſtead of making it high-treaſon for any one to do any act of ſovereignty between the demiſe of the Queen and the coming over of the ſucceſſor, as was propoſed by ſome of the Tory party, who, to my knowledge, and as I'm an honeſt man and a Chriſtian, deſigned to have voted an allowance fit for the preſent maintainance of a ſucceſſor, and told me when I was in England, they were ſure of the Queen's conſent. I believe I mentioned this before to you; but matters are ſince changed. I cannot tell what to ſay. Is it permitted me, Madam, to remind your Royal Highnes of the diſcourſe I have formerly had the honour to have with you on this ſub⯑ject, when you uſed to blame extremely the conduct of poor Monſ. Shuts, for declaring ſo violently of one party? Did your Royal High⯑nes not uſe to tell me, that a prince ſhould ſtrive to be a prince of his people, and not by eſpouſing a faction give diſtaſte to two thirds of his ſubjects; eſpecially a ſucceſſor, who is called in to the ſucceſſion, by both parties, whoſe ſucceſſion both parties were to maintain, and whoſe ſuc⯑ceſſion always meets with the greateſt oppoſition from thoſe who have now the folly to range themſelves on t'other ſide? You were pleaſed, Madam, ſometimes, to tell me, that you ſaw the nation eſtabliſhed in the proteſtant ſucceſſion for the good of itſelf and poſterity, and not out of affection to your perſons, who the greateſt part of the nation knew not; that you were ſure that very reaſon alone would ſupport your ſuc⯑ceſſion, and to meddle in intrigues and parties could only create perſonal and party diſtaſte, and make oppoſition to your ſucceſſion, which elſe could never happen, as long as the reaſon and motive, which induced the nation to ſettle the ſucceſſion on your family, ſubſiſted. But I hope theſe idle ſto⯑ries, the public hear of Bothmar's ſiding with the faction, are falſe like many others; for I know inpartiality temper is the character of the Elec⯑tor; and I muſt do Monſ. Bothmar that juſtice, that here I found him extremely impartial and temporate. I knew upon the firſt bringing over the general points, he objected the words The Proteſtant, had been better than The Preſent Eſtabliſhment. I told him, that certainly [346] the laſt expreſſion was the ſame as the firſt; for the preſent eſtabliſhment of the ſucceſſion was that in the Elector's family. I told him, I believed they didn't juſt hold to the old beaten words, being they would have theſe preliminaries appear entirely general, in every point, that none could take it amiſs, and that it might not appear as reſtrained as the for⯑mer were; and, therefore, they avoided the ſame words. That, if he had nothing elſe to aſſure him of the ſincerity of the intentions of the miniſtry in favour of the proteſtant ſucceſſion, though all their lives and actions have ſhewn, that is their firſt principle, yet they would not have choſen the biſhop and me, being they knew both our principles, and that we had both the honour to be perfectly known to your court, eſpe⯑cially myſelf. Bothmar ſeemed ſatisfied with the diſcourſe and aſſurances he had from me, whilſt I had the honour of ſeeing him alone; though, after the duke of Marlborough came hither, he was ſo often taken up in his Grace's company, I had not the ſame opportunity of converſing with him, which I was ſorry for, being Monſ. Bothmar is one I had always a perfect eſteem for; and ſhould have been glad of his aſſiſtance to have advanced in my negociations the intereſt of your moſt illuſtrious family."

Robethon's Draught. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Strafford.The Princeſs Sophia's anſwer to the Earl of Strafford.
Tranſlation.

"I Have no reaſon to complain of your ſilence, ſince you have been pleaſed to make amends, by the long obliging letter, which I have ſo much pleaſure in reading; although I was very much ſurpriſed, that you ſay to me, that they have written to you from London, that Mr. Bothmar has declared for the Whigs. But, as you ſay, towards the end of your letter, that the rumour may be falſe, I ſhall have no difficulty to convince you, that it is; and you will ſee, by the memorial, which he has given on the part of the Elector, that neither Whigs nor Tories are mentioned in that affair. But as the Queen did the honour to my ſon, the Elector, to demand, by my lord Rivers, his opinion of the prelimi⯑naries of peace, he thought it was his duty to give it, which he would not have done, if her Majeſty had not commanded him; and it was nei⯑ther [347] by his order nor by the order of Bothmar, that the memorial has been printed. But it's ſaid, her Majeſty has not been diſſatisfied with it. You ſay, likewiſe, that you are of no party; yet if that party, who be⯑headed the King, my uncle, ſubſiſted ſtill, as you ſay they do, there could be now nothing laid to their charge. I imagined, however, that that party was long ſince extinct; yet we have clearly ſeen, in theſe lat⯑ter times, that the parliament have done what they pleaſed, in diſpoſing of the crown.

The favourable ſentiments, which you ſay they entertained towards me, have had no effect; therefore, I am obliged to them only for their good intention; and as I know none of them but you, I alſo believe, that it is to you alone I owe thanks. The good-natured lord Rivers told me, he clearly perceived I was of the duke of Marlborough's party. I an⯑ſwered, that, if the Queen had made an ape her general, and that he had gained ſo many battles and towns, I would be equally for him: and I ſee that you have forgot how little I was obliged to his wife; and as for himſelf, he never ſpoke to me of any thing which had any concern with the advantages of this houſe. His expreſſion, in ſpeaking of the Queen, was always, that ſhe was a very good fort of a woman^* He repeated this frequently, and it appeared to us too low a commendation for ſo great a princeſs. But I have not the talent of reaſoning ſo well, by letter, as you have. I can only aſſure you, that I have always the ſame ſentiments, which you knew me to have had; and that I ſhall always be, my Lord, &c."

Original. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Strafford.The Earl of Strafford to the Princeſs Sophia.

"I Can't ſay any one of your Royal Highneſſe's letters are mor agree⯑able or better writt than another. But they are every one ſo very agreeable, that always the laſt I think the fineſt and moſt agreeable. I have now, Madam, before me that your Royal Highnes honoured me with of the 8th inſtant, which is mixed with ſo much goodneſs, and yet giving me ſome agreeable rubbs, that I ought to ſtill this letter rather [348] with excuſes for my former, than to preſume again to juſtify any thing in it; but as contradiction is the life of converſation, as I have often heard the late Queen of Pruſſia, your daughter, ſay, ſo I hope your Royal Highnes will not take it ill, if in anſwer to what you are pleaſed to write, I juſtify a little my former arguments, and ſay, that I believe it is not to be doubted, but the ſons and grandſons of thoſe live, who were of the party who did that barbarous murder on the King your Royal uncle, and all thoſe are ranged in the party of the preſent Whigs; and certainly the ſame diſcourſe is now held, and has been ſince time held among them, as was in thoſe former unhappy times; therefore, one has reaſon to apprehend from the ſame race, and ſame principles, the ſame facts; and I believe no true Whig will, in his conſcience, where he is put to it, and has any conſcience, ſay that he loves monarchy better than de⯑mocracy. Now the danger thoſe princes run, that make uſe of a party, whoſe principle and conſcience is againſt them, is obvious to all the world: and I yet, I ſay again, naturally I am of neither party, but was for moderation, till I ſaw it ſo abuſed, that it only put the government in danger; then, out of love to my country, and not till then, I put my⯑ſelf and intereſt entirely into the other party; not that I am perſonally angry with any one man of the party, but really the buſineſs of party is ſo confounded, that even a native of our country can hardly diſtinguiſh them; and how much leſs could Mr. Bothmar, who has not been, in all his lifetime, in England not above five or ſix months at moſt, and there⯑fore very, very unfit to meddle in ſuch nice matters, eſpecially he not ſpeaking the language; and not only to draw himſelf into a matter he could not underſtand, but alſo the Elector his maſter, whoſe apparent intereſt it was not to have meddled to have ſet any one of either party againſt him. I may almoſt venter to ſay in confidence to your R. H. who has always ſhown a particular indulgence for me, that I knew from whence the ſpring of that memorial came, and the violence of thoſe people, I fear, will do great prejudice at your court; and pray be⯑lieve me, Madam, the Queen and all her preſent miniſters are entirely well diſpoſed for the ſucceſſion of the crown in your family, and nothing can turn that diſpoſition; no, not even the unkind way of remonſtrating and blaming their intentions and proceedings in print, by way of memo⯑rial: and pardon me, Madam, if I ſay, that, if the Queen had made an [349] overture of her intentions,month February. and aſked the Elector's ſentiments, by lord Rivers; was it not by that lord, and in the ſame ſecret manner, the Elector ought to have ſent the Queen his anſwer, and have told her his ſentiments? Was my lord Rivers, whoſe eſtate and quality is ſo great in England, not fit to be truſted with them? And is that a way to an⯑ſwer the Queen's confidence in the Elector; to give ſo general an anſwer to lord Rivers, and to print ſo particular a one at ſuch a conjuncture?"

Robethon's draught. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Strafford.Extracts from the Electreſs's anſwer to the Earl of Strafford.
Tranſlation.

"I Am very well pleaſed to ſee, that my letters give you pleaſure, and that you have obſerved in them the favourable ſentiments which I entertain of you; and that you have not forgot that the Queen of Pruſ⯑ſia found, that contradiction ſupported converſation. But I will not con⯑tradict you any longer about the whigs; for you know them better than I do, and the intrigues of England better than the baron de Bothmar, who has not been ſent there to reform them. But the Elector only gave him in charge to teſtify his reſpect to the Queen, and to addreſs himſelf to thoſe of council, to whom he gave the memorial, and who may have printed it; for it was not printed by order of the Elector, nor of baron de Bothmar. I ſuppoſe your multiplicity of buſineſs has prevented you from reading it; or, that they have, perhaps, falſified it. For this rea⯑ſon, I ſend it to you, that you may ſee it correſponds, word for word, with the anſwer which the Elector gave to my lord Rivers; and when that Lord was aſked, in order to have his opinion, if he would not chooſe to read it, he anſwered, that that was not neceſſary, and put it up in his little coffer.—He (the Elector) is very grateful, that the Queen has been pleaſed to make the ſucceſſion the firſt article of the peace, after the acknowledgment of her Majeſty. I imagine, theſe will be the ar⯑ticles the moſt eaſily granted, by France; having formerly acknowledged King William and the Pretender, at the ſame time. I wiſh the point of leaving Spain and the Indies to the Emperor, was as eaſy; and that you may obtain, as you do not doubt, a good peace, which is ſo much wiſhed for."

Hannover Papers.The Princeſs Sophia to Queen Anne.
Tranſlation.

"I Received, with a reſpectful gratitude, the honour which your Ma⯑jeſty was pleaſed to confer upon me, by the gracious letter which your Majeſty condeſcended to give in charge to Mr. Harley. You could not give ſo agreeable a commiſſion to any who had more merit, and was better qualified to obey your orders: he has gained the eſteem of [352] all thoſe who have ſeen him,month May. and I ſhall have ſtill greater reaſon to be better ſatisfied with him, if he acquaints your Majeſty, as he promiſes, how entirely I am devoted to your intereſts, and how much I wiſh to be honoured with your commands, in order to ſhew, by my obedience, to what degree I am, &c."

Original. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Strafford. month June. The Earl of Strafford to the Princeſs Sophia.

"I Waited for this great deciſion, before I would venter to do myſelf the honour of writing to your Royal Highneſs, from hence, and now the ſudden depart of the currier only allows me time, in all humility, to wiſh your Royal Highneſs joy of the proves, both the Queen, the houſe of lords, and houſe of commons, have given you, Madam, and the whole world, of the ſincere intentions they have to ſupport the ſucceſſion of you and your deſcendants to the crown of theſe kingdoms; and al⯑low me, Madam, with your uſual goodneſs, to aſſure you, it is not a weak envious faction can ſupport your intereſt, if the voice of the nation is not for you; and though I am ſure you never believed me otherwiſe, than ſincerely and faithfully in your intereſt, yet I have heard, that the malice of thoſe who had eſpouſed, very much mal-à propos, another party, had ſtrove even to miſrepreſent my ſincere attachment to the intereſt of your Royal Highneſs and your illuſtrious houſe; but believe me, Ma⯑dam, that the miniſtry as well as myſelf are entirely in your intereſt, and thoſe that adviſe oppoſing them, are certainly in the wrong, as your Highneſs will ſee by the Queen's ſpeech and this addreſs of the houſe of lords, which was carried by 81 againſt 36; ſo you fee, that without the new lords, by what majority this was carried, and how much the lords have loſt of the Whig faction, ſince the beginning of the ſeſſions; if I am not a true and faithful ſervant to your Royal Highneſs, no man in England is; for I proteſt, I am with the utmoſt duty and moſt profound reſpect, &c."

Original. draught. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Strafford. month July. The Princeſs Sophia's Anſwer to the Earl of Strafford.
Tranſlation.

"I Find it difficult to expreſs to you, to my own ſatisfaction, with what gratitude I have juſt now received the new marks you give me of your friendſhip, by concerning yourſelf ſo much in the honour which the Queen has been pleaſed to confer on my family, by inſerting its ſucceſ⯑ſion to the crown of Great Britain, in the treaty of peace. As this family is already entirely devoted to her Majeſty, I can only add my wiſhes, that her laudable deſign of concluding a good peace, may be accompliſhed with advantage to her crown and to her allies; as her Majeſty herſelf ſeems to wiſh. You wrote to me, however, in your letter of the 26th of May, in theſe terms; "for ſince it's thought ſo dangerous to have Philip on the throne of Spain, there may be means found to remove him." But it ſeems they have not been found. I don't know who could be ſo ma⯑licious as to deſign to ſet us at variance, by perſuading you, that I had received wrong reports of you; for I have no ſecret correſpondence with either Whigs or Tories, and you would be in the wrong to believe that any party could give me bad impreſſions of you, ſince I paſſionately wiſh to find opportunities of teſtifying to you how much I am, &c.

Original. Hannover Papers, vol. marked Strafford.The Earl of Oxford to the Princeſs Sophia.
Without a date; but written when Mr. Thomas Harley went the ſecond time to Hannover.

"YOUR Royal Highneſs's goodneſs to Mr. Harley has encouraged her Majeſty to employ him again to your Royal Highneſs, with [356] her Majeſty's utmoſt aſſurances of her reſolution to ſupport your ſuc⯑ceſſion; and to do every thing which may quiet the minds of thoſe who are in earneſt for it.