parliament, with the greateft unanimity, after it had been made an article in the treaty, that every prince in our alliance fhould be a guarantee of that fucceffion. Nay, I will venture to go one step farther; that, if the negotiators of that peace had been chofen out of the most professed zealots for the interefts of the Hanover family, they could not have bound up the French king, or the Hollanders, more ftrictly than the Queen's plenipotentiaries did in confirming the prefent fucceffion; which was in them fo much a greater mark of virtue and loyalty, because they perfectly well knew, that they should never receive the leaft mark of favour, when the fucceffion had taken place.

ΑΝ

AN

ENQUIRY

Into the BEHAVIOUR of the

QUEEN'S LAST MINISTRY,

With Relation to their

QUARRELS among themselves, and the Defign charged upon them of altering the Succeffion of the Crown.

SINCE

JUNE MDCCXV.

INCE the death of the Queen, it was reasonable enough for me to conclude that I had done with all public affairs and fpeculations: Befides, the scene and ftation I am in have reduced my thoughts into a narrow compass: And being wholly excluded from any view of favour under the present administration, upon that invincible reafon of having been in fome degree of truft and confidence with the former; I have not found the tranfition very difficult into a private life, for which I am better qualified both by nature and education.

The reading and enquiring after news not being one of my diverfions, having al

ways difliked a mixed and general converfation, which, however it fell to my lot, is now in my power to avoid; and being placed by the duties of my function at a great distance from the feat of business; I am altogether ignorant of many common events which happen in the world: Only, from the little I know and hear, it is manifest that the hearts of moft men are filled with doubts, fears, and jealoufies, or else with hatred and rage, to a degree that there feems to be an end of all amicable commerce between people of different parties; and what the confequences of this may be, let those confider who have contributed to the causes; which, I thank God, is no concern of mine.

There are two points, with reference to the conduct of the late Ministry, much insisted on, and little understood by those who write or talk upon that fubject; wherein I am fufficiently qualified to give fatisfaction; and would gladly do it, because I fee very much weight laid upon each, and most mens opinions of perfons and things regulated accordingly.

About two months before the Queen's death, having loft all hopes of any reconcilement between the Treasurer and the reft

of

of the ministry; I retired into the country, to await the iffue of that conflict, which ended, as every one had reason to foresee, in the Earl of Oxford's difgrace; to whom the Lord Bolingbroke immediately succeeded as first minifter: And I was told, that an Earldom and the Garter were intended for him in a fortnight, and the Treasurer's staff against the next session of parliament; of which I can say nothing certain, being then in Berkshire, and receiving this account from fome of his friends; but all these schemes became foon abortive, by the death of the Queen, which happened in three days after the Earl of Oxford's removal.

Upon this great event, I took the first opportunity of withdrawing to my place of refidence; and rejoiced as much as any man for his Majefty's quiet acceffion to the throne, to which I then thought, and it has fince appeared indifputable, that the peace procured by the late ministry had, among other good effects, been highly inftrumental. And, I thank God, I have been ever fince a loyal humble fpectator, during all the changes that have happened, although it were no fecret to any man of common fagacity, that his prefent Majesty's

E 3

Majefty's choice of his fervants, whenever
he should happen to fucceed, would be de-
termined to those who moft opposed the
proceedings during the four last years of
his Predeceffor's reign: And, I think, there
hath not since happened one particular of
any moment, which the minifters did not
often mention at their tables, as what they
certainly expected, from the difpofitions of.
the court at Hanover in conjunction with
the party at home, which, upon all occa-
fions, publicly difapproved their proceed-
ings, excepting only the attainder of the
Duke of Ormond; which, indeed, neither
they nor I, nor, I believe, any one person
in the three kingdoms, did ever pretend
to forefee; and, now it is done, it looks
like a dream to thofe, who will confider
the nobleness of his birth, the great me-
rits of his ancestors, and his own; his long
unfpotted loyalty, his affability, genero-
fity, and fweetness of nature. I knew him
long and well, and, excepting the frailties
of his youth, which had been for fome
years over, and that eafinefs of temper,
which did fometimes lead him to follow
the judgment of those who had, by many
degrees, lefs understanding than himself;
I have not converfed with a more faultlefs