fuch are the only obftruction to their engaging in her fervice. They have given us no caufe, from any part of their public conduct, in time past, to believe they are eafily to be scared from their duty, when fairly called to it. We have feen the terror of that confcioufnefs, which will make a thousand fly before one, drive a Favourite from the height of his vain ambition, almost when none purfued. But men who have nothing in themselves to fear, whofe fhield is their own virtue, do not run from their arms, in the field, where they have before fought with honour. Something is to be trufted to the courage, and fomething is alfo due to the wifdom and difcretion, as well as to the integrity and good intentions of thofe, who have had the magnanimity to quit great ftations, when no longer to be held to any purpose, but to fanctify measures they could not approve, or to load themfelves with the errors of mifconduct they could not prevent and in a private fituation have fet their face against the fierceft refentment of incenfed power, and the most violent profcriptions of an inflamed court, ftirred up to fury by art and in

vention.

Such men will ferve their country when they can do it, with the fame fortitude with which they fuffered with her. It is even to be expected from them, if ever they are minifters again, that they will be heroic enough to combat the pretenfions of popularity, if thefe fhould at any time interfere with rectitude of principle: and that is as hard a ftruggle as any. But withal, it would be doing them injuftice to look for that fort of ftoutnefs in them, which poffeffes none but the ignorant and unwary. Blind men only walk, without concern, to the edge of a precipice. Leaving therefore the ill-judged, if not ill-defigned cenfure of the Letter before me to futurity for further reproof; I fhall to conclude, join with the Writer of it in the with he profeffes (which is the only thing in which I can agree with him) that all may turn out for the beft.

I am, &c.

The Hiftory of the Session of Parliament which began Jan. 10, 1765; being the fourth Seffion of the Twelfth Parliament of Great Britain; with an Account of all the material Queflions therein determined, and of the political Dif putes thereby occafioned without Doors. Continued from p. 590.

ARCH 12th, as foon as the house

Mhad agreed to the refolutions that

day reported from the committee of ways and means (fee p. 525.) it was ordered that a bill be brought in upon the faid refolutions, and the gentlemen who had prepared the laft mentioned bill were, with Mr. Paterfon, ordered to prepare and bring in the fame: On the first of April, they were by inftruction impowered to make provision in faid bill for amending, explaining, and enforcing, feveral provifions in the acts of parliament relating to the revenue of the general letter-office or poft-office, and office commonly called the penny poft-office; and accordingly, on the 4th, Mr. Jenkinfon prefented to the house, a bill to alter so much of an act made in the 9th year of the reign of Queen Anne, as relates to the charges for the conveyance of letters and packets, between London and the British dominions in America, and within the faid dominions, &c. when the bill was read a firft time, and ordered to be read a fecond time, which was on the 22d, and afterwards paffed through both houfes in common course, so that it was ready for, and received the royal affent on the 15th of May, being then intitled, An act to alter certain rates of poftage, and to amend, explain, and enlarge feveral provifions in an act made in the 9th year of the reign of Queen Anne, and in other acts relating to the revenue of the post-office.

Of this act the reader may fee an abftract in our Magazine for May last, p. 315..

In order to give the history of the next fupply bill, I muft premife an account of what happened in this feffion relating to the African trade, for which purpose I fhall obferve, that on the 28th of January Mr. Weiket (from the committee of the company of merchants, trading to Africa) attended, and being called in, he prefented to the house, purfuant to the direction

i

direction of an act of parliament, a paper intitled, Anno 1763, the account of the committee of the company of merchants trading to Africa, diftinguishing every article of expence under its proper title. Which was paper then ordered to lie upon the table, to be perufed by the members; and on the 8th of February Dr.Hay (from the board of admiralty) prefented to the houfe, pursuant to the fame directions, feveral papers and accounts relating to the state and condition of our forts and fettlements on the coast of Africa; which were ordered to lie upon the table for the fame purpose.

On the 28th of February, a petition of the committee of the faid company, being offered to be prefented to the houfe, Mr. Chancellor of the exchequer, by his majey's command, acquainted the houfe, that his majesty having been informed of the contents of the faid petition, recommended it to the confideration of the house, after which being brought up and read, it fet forth, that the petitioners had laid before the house, an account of the fum granted for 1763; and invefted the money granted in 1764, in goods, ftores, and neceffaries, for the fupport of the feveral forts upon the faid coafts; that being fenfible of the great regard fhewn by the house, for the British forts and fettlements upon the coaft of Africa, they humbly prayed the house to grant fuch a fum for the neceffary fupport thereof for the enfuing year, as would feem meet.

This petition was referred to the committee of fupply, and on the 19th the above mentioned first and third refolutions of March the 14th, and alfo the aforefaid eftimates prefented on the 29th, were likewife referred to the fame committee, where they were the caufe of the refolutions of that committee agreed to by the houfe on the 20th, (fee p. 525.) And on the 26th the faid bill for repealing,&c. was prefented to the houfe by Mr. Bacon, when it was read a first time; prefently after which an addrefs was ordered, that his majesty would be pleased to give directions for laying before the houfe copies of fuch memorials, petitions, or other papers as had been prefented or laid before his majesty in council, or the commiflioners for trade and plantations, by Mr. George Glafs, relative to the difcovery of a harbour upon the coaft of Africa, together with copies of the feveral reprefenNovember, 1765.

tations made to his majesty upon the faid memorials, by the faid commiffioners, and the orders of his majelty in council thereupon; and his majesty having given directions accordingly, a number of papers were, in purfuance thereof, laid before the houfe on the 2d and 3d of May, which were then ordered to lie upon the table; aud the faid bill having on the 1ft, been read a second time, and committed to a committee of the whole house, the houfe on the eighth, in a committee, made a progrefs, and then resolved to proceed further on the 10th, which order being put off to the 13th, on that day, as foon as this order was read all the laft mentioned papers were referred to the faid committee, and then the house having refolved itfelf into the fame, went through the bill with feveral amendments, and next day upon the report ordered it to be ingroffed; after which it passed thro' both houfes in common courie, and received the royal affent at the end of the feffions.

[To be continued in our next.]

An Enquiry into the Behaviour of Queen

ANNE'S LAST MINISTRY, with Relation to their Quarrels among themfelves, and the Defign charged upon them of altering the Succeffion of the Crown. June 1715.

(Continued from p. 598.)

BUT, when the confequences of this

vote were calmly reprefented to her, that the limitation specified therein had wholly tied up her bands, in cafe the recovery of Spain fhould be found impoffible, as it was frequently allowed and owned by many of the principal leaders of the oppofite party, and had, hitherto, been vainly endeavoured, either by treaty or war: That the kingdom was not in a condition to bear any longer it's burthen and charge, efpecially with annual additions: That other expedients might poffibly be found for preventing France and Spain from being united under the fame king, according to the intent and letter of the grand alliance: That the design of this vote was to put her Majefty under the neceflity of diffolving the parliament, beginning all things anew, and placing the adminiftration in the hands of those whom fhe had thought fit to lay afide, and this by facrificing her prefent fervants to the PPPP

rage

rage and vengeance of the former; with many other obvious confiderations, not very proper at this time to be repeated: Her Majelty, who was earnestly bent upon giving peace to her people, confented to fall upon the fole expedient, that her own coldness, or the Treasurer's thrift, and want or contempt of artifice, had left her which was to create a number of peers, fufficient to turn the balance in the Houfe of Lords. I confefs that in my history of those times, where this matter, among others, is treated with a great deal more liberty, and confequently very unfit for prefent perufal, I have refined fo far as to conjecture, that, if this were the Treasurer's counfel, he might poffibly have given it upon fome further views than that of avoiding the consequences of my Lord Nottingham's vote. And what thofe were, I fuppofe, may offer with out offence. It is known enough, that, from the time of the Revolution, to the period I am now speaking of, the favour of the court was almoft perpetually turned towards thofe who, in the party term, are called Whigs, or the Low-church; and this was a space of above twenty years, wherein great additions were made to the peerage; and the Bishops-bench almoft wholly renewed. But the majority of landed men, ftill retaining the old churchprinciples in religion and government, notwithstanding all endeavours to convert them, the late king was under many infuperable difficulties during his reign; elections feldom fucceeding fo well, as to leave the court-fide without ftrenuous oppofition, fufficient to carry many points against him, which he had much at heart. Upon the late Queen's fucceeding to the crown, the church-party, who feemed to have grown more numerous, under all difcouragements, began to conceive hopes, that her Majefty, who had always profeffed to favour their principles, would make use of their fervice. And, indeed, upon that foot, things food for fome time: But, a new war being refolved on, three perfons, who had molt credit with her Majefty, and who were then looked upon to be, at least, as high principled as could poffibly confift with the proteftant fucceffion, having confulted their friends, began to conceive that the military fpirit was much more vigorous in the other party,who appeared more keen agamit France, more fanguine upon the power and wealth of England, and better versed in

the arts of finding out funds, to which they had been fo long ufed. There were fome other motives for this tranfition of minifters at that time, wich are more proper for the Hiftory above-mentioned, where they are faithfully recorded. But, thus the Queen was brought to govern by what they call a Low-church miniftry, which continued for feveral years: "Till at length, grown weary of the war, altho carried on with great glory and fuccefs; and the nation rifing into a flame, (whether justly or no) upon the trial of Dr. Sacheverel, which, in effect, was a geneneral mufter of both parties; her Majesty, following her own inclinations and thofe of her people, refolved to make some changes in the miniftry, and take Mr. Harley into her councils. This was brought about, as the charge against that minilter fays, by the bafeft infinuations; upon which, being a determination of parliament, I fhall not difpute: Although I confefs to have received a very different account of that matter from a most excellent Lady, upon whofe veracity I entirely depend; and who, being then in chief confidence with her mistress, must needs know a particular fact wherein she was immediately concerned and trufted, better than any one man or number of men, except the majority of a House of Com

mons.

When the new parliament met, whose elections were left entirely to the people, without the leaft influence from the court, it plainly appeared how far the church party in the nation out-numberd the other, and especially in the feveral counties. But, in the House of Lords, even after fome management, there was but a weak and crazy majority: Nor even could this have been expected, if feveral great Lords, who were always reputed of the other party, had not only complied, but been highly inftrumental in the change; as the Dukes of Shrewsbury and Argyle, the Earls of Peterborough, Rivers, and fome others, who certainly came into the Queen's measures upon other motives than that of party. Now, fince the government of England cannot go on while the two Houfes of Parliament are in oppofition to each other; and that the people, whenever they acted freely, would infallibly return a majority of Church-men: One of thefe two things was of neceflity to be done: either, firft, to diffolve that parlia

ment

ment, and call another of the whig-ftamp, by force of a prodigious expence, which would be neither decent nor fafe, and perhaps, at that time, hardly feasible: Or elfe, to turn the balance in the Houfe of Lords, which, after the fuccefs of Lord Nottingham's vote, was not otherwife to be done, than by creating a fufficient number of peers, in order at once, to make the Queen and her people eafy upon that article for the rest of her reign. And this I fhould be willing to think was the Treasurer's meaning, when he advised thofe advancements; which, however, I confefs, I did very much diflike.

But if, after all I have faid, my conjecture fhould happen to be wrong; yet I do not fee how the Treasurer can justly be blamed for preferving his caufe, his friends, and himself, from unavoidable ruin, by an expedient allowed on all hands to be lawful: Perhaps, he was brought under that neceffity by the want of proper management; but when that neceflity appeared, he could not act otherwife, without unraveling whatever had been done; which, in the language of thofe times, would have been called, delivering the Queen and kingdom back into the hands of a faction they had fo lately got rid of. And, I believe, no minifter of any party would, in his circumftances, have fcrupled to make the fame ftep, when the fumma rerum was at stake.

Altho' the Queen was brought into this measure by no other motive than her earneft defire of a peace; yet the Treasurer's friends began to prefs him anew for further changes in employments; concluding from what was paft, that his credit was great enough to compafs whatever he pleafed. But this proved to be ill reafoning; for the Queen had no diflike at all to the other party, (whatever perfonal piques the might bear to fome among them) further than as the conceived they were bent upon continuing the war, to which her Majefty refolved to put as fpeedy an end as fhe could with honour and fafety to her kingdoms; and therefore fell, with readiness enough, into the methods propofed to her for advancing that great work. But, in difpenfing her favours, he was extremely cautious and flow; and, after the ufual mittake of those who think they have been often impofed on, became fo very fufpicious, that the overhot the mark, and erred in the other extreme. When a perfon happened

to be recommended as ufeful for her fervice, or proper to be obliged, perhaps, after a long delay, fhe would confent; but, if the Treasurer offered, at the fam.e time, a warrant, or other inftrument to her already prepared in order to be figned, because he prefumed to reckon upon her confent beforehand, fhe would not; and thus the affair would fometimes lie for feveral months together, altho' the thing were ever fo reasonable, or that even the public fuffered by the delay. So that this minifter had no other remedy but to let her majesty take her own time, which never failed to be the very longest that the nature of the thing could fuffer her to defer it.

ex

When this promotion was made, Mr. Secretary St. John, whofe merits and pretenfions, as things then flood, were far fuperior to any, was purpofely left out, becaufe the court had need of his great abilities, the following feffion, in the Houfe of Commons; and the peace, being then upon the anvil, he was beft able to plain and justify the feveral steps towards it; which he accordingly did with invincible reafon and universal applaufe. When the feflion was over, the Queen thought fit to give him a title; and, that he might not lofe his rank, created him Vifcount. There had been an Earldom in his name and family, lately extinct; (though a Barony fell to a collateral branch in the perfon of an infant) and the Secretary, being of the fame houfe, expected and defired the fame degree, For he reafoned, that, making him a Viscount, would be but rigorous justice, and he hoped he might pretend to fore mark of favour. But the Queen could not be prevailed with; becaule, to fay the truth, he was not much, at that time, in her good graces; fome woman about. the court having infufed an opinion into her, that he was not fo regular in his life as he ought to be. The Secretary laid the whole blame of this difappointment upon the Earl of Oxford, and freely told me, that he would never depend upon the Earl's friendship as long as he lived, nor have any further commerce with him, than what was neceffary for carrying on the public fervice. And although I have good reafon to be affured that the Treafurer was wholly innocent in this point, as both himself and Lady Mallam then Pppp 2

protested

protested to me, yet my Lord Bolingbroke thought the appearances were fo Itrong, that I was never able to bring him over to my opinion.

The divifions between these two great men began to fplit the court into parties; Harcourt, Lord Chancellor, the Dukes of Shrewsbury and Argyle, Sir William Windham, and one or two more, adhered to the Secretary; the rest were either neuters or inclined to the Treasurer, whether from policy or gratitude, although they all agreed to blame and lament his myfterious and procraftinating manner in acting; which the ftate of affairs, at that time, could very ill admit, and must have rendered the Earl of Oxford inexcufable, if the Queen's obftinate temper had not put him under the neceffity of exerting thofe talents wherewith, it must be confefled, his nature was already too well provided.

This minifter had ftronger paffions than the Secretary, but kept them under ftricter government: My Lord Bolingbroke was of a nature frank and open; and, as men of great genius are fuperior to common rules, he seldom gave himself the trouble of difguifing, or fubduing his refentments, altho' he was ready enough to forget them. In matters of state, as the Earl was too reserved, so, perhaps, the other was too free; not from any incontinency of talk, but from the mere contempt of multiplying fecrets; altho' the graver counsellors imputed this liberty of Speech to vanity, or lightness. And, upon the whole, no two men could differ more in their diverfions, their ftudies, their ways of transacting bufinefs, their choice of company, or manner of converfation.

The Queen, who was well informed of thefe animofities among her fervants, of which her own dubious management had been the original caufe, began to find and lament the ill confequences of them in her affairs, both at home and abroad; and to lay the blame upon her Treasurer, whofe greateft fault, in his own miniftry, was too much compliance with his Miftrefs, by which his neafures were often difconcerted, and himself brought under fufpicion by his friends.

I am very confident that this alteration in the Queen's temper, towards the Earl of Oxford, could never have appeared, if he had not thought fit to make one step in politics which I have not been able to apprehend. When the Queen fit

thought of making a change among her fervants, after Dr. Sacheverel's trial, my Lady Mafham was very much heard and trusted upon that point, and it was by her intervention Mr.Harley was admitted into her Majesty's prefence. That Lady was then in high favour with her Mistress, which, I believe, the Earl was not so very fedulous to cultivate or preserve, as if he had it much at heart, nor was altogether forry, when he saw it under fome degree of declination. The reafons for this must be drawn from the common nature of mankind, and the incompatibility of power: But the juncture was not favourable for fuch a refinement, because it was early known to all, who had but looked into the court, that this lady must have a fucceffor, who, upon pique and principle, would do all in her power to obftruct his proceedings. My Lady Mafham was a perfon of plain found underftanding, of great truth and fincerity, without the leaft mixture of falsehood or difguife; of an honest boldness and courage, fuperior to her sex; firm and difinterested in her friendship, and full of love, duty, and veneration for the Queen, her Miftrefs. Talents as feldom found, or fought for in a court, as unlikely to thrive while they are there: So that nothing could be more unfortunate to the public than a coldness between this lady and the first minifter; nor a greater mistake in the latter, than to fuffer or connive, at the leffening of her credit, which he quickly faw removed very difadvantage. oufly to another object, and wanted the effects of, when his own was funk in the only domeftic affair for which I ever knew him under any concern.

While the Queen's favour to the Earl was thus gradually leffening, the breaches between him and his friends grew every day wider, which he looked upon with great indifference, and feemed to have his thoughts only turned upon finding out fome proper opportunity for delivering up his ftaff: But this her majesty would not then admit; because, indeed, it was not eafy to determine who fhould fucceed him.

In the midst of thefe difpofitions at court, the Queen fell dangerously fick at Windfor, about christmas, 1713. It was confidently reported in town, that the

The Dutchefs of Somerfet.