and yet conscious that he was secretly caballing to their detriment.

Marlborough, in particular, seems to have been deeply affected by the ingratitude of a minister whom he had cherished and promoted, and so discouraged by the decline of that influence which he had hitherto enjoyed, that he determined to carry into effect the resolution he had already announced, of withdrawing from public life. But as the affair drew to a crisis, Godolphin relapsed into his former hesitation. He appears to have been vanquished by the earnest solicitations of the queen, and fascinated by the professions of Harley; and the last letter which he wrote to his friend is an attempt to weaken the impression which his complaints had previously made.

"Newmarket, Oct. 7-18. -I am to acknowledge from this place the favour of yours of the 8th from Antwerp, by an officer whom I don't know, with the enclosed to the queen, which I delivered to her last night; also that of the 10th from Helchin, and of the 13th from Westrem, with the letters and papers enclosed. I am extremely sorry to find by them that you complain of want of health, at the same time you are to take a great journey, in this ill weather, which is the same with us as with you, and makes the queen very apprehensive of a fit of the gout coming upon her here. I saw her very uneasy last night, but they send me word this morning she is a little better; and if she is able, she designs to go to London on the 10th.

"I am very much troubled to find our letters of the 23d of September did not reach you before you left the Hague, and had settled with them your journey to the Rhine; for it is most certain that must have had a better effect, after you could have been able to have encouraged them from hence; and it is as certain that your coming over in time would have contributed to that encouragement more than any thing else can. It is very true, both the queen and my letters were against your coming for a day or two only, while the armies were in the field; for that could not but have made a great noise, and have exposed all things to great hazard, without allowing time enough here, for your coming to have been of any effect. But when the armies were, or might have been separated, when you had opportunity of giving, at the Hague, the reasons for your coming over, that must needs have been of the greatest use here; and if it had succeeded, would have enabled you to have adjusted every thing on that side, much more to the advantage of the common cause. But there is an end of that now, and it remains only to be considered, whether the parliament can be deferred a fortnight, without doing more hurt than good. I confess I think it puts us under a great deal of difficulty, and I doubt the parliament cannot be put off, without discouraging our friends, retarding all our preparations, and encouraging the opposing party, already grown insolent, from our ill success abroad this year.

"On the other side, nothing is fixed here to make the parliament succeed, nor can I do any thing so shameful as to abandon the queen, but upon a joint measure with Mr. Freeman, who now cannot be here till after that thing comes to bear; and the resolution must be taken, one way or other, upon the whole matter. I can come to no other conclusion, but that it will still be best for you to hasten hither as soon as you can. Accidents may happen to delay the proceedings of the parliament, so that nothing very material may be decided finally before you come.

"In several of your letters to Mrs. Morley, I find you often repeat that the rashness of some people's schemes may prove fatal. But there is really no such thing as a scheme, or any thing like it from any body else; nor has the queen as yet any thought of taking a scheme, but from Mr. Freeman and Mr. Montgomery. The misfortune is, that the queen happens to be entangled in a promise that is extremely inconvenient, and upon which so much weight is laid, and such inferences made, that to effect this promise would be destruction; and at the same time she is uneasy with every body that endeavours to show the consequences which attend it.

"10 at night. This afternoon the queen told me she hoped to write to you herself by this post, but just now she sent me the enclosed †, which I send you, because it is less trouble to me than to write the substance of it by candle-light."

These cabals in the cabinet, and the declining favour of Godolphin and Marlborough, did not escape the penetration of the Dutch government, and increased that desire which the States had already manifested for peace. But no mortifications could damp the zeal of the two friends for the true interest of their country; for we find Godolphin engaged in a correspondence with the leading men in Holland, the object of which was to stimulate them to new exertions and to evince the necessity of prosecuting the war with unabated vigour, and on the same principles on which it was begun. From Lord Godolphin.

“Newmarket, October 9-20.—I have but just time to acknowledge yours of the 11th. I did not want the letter you enclosed from Slingelandt, to know their humour in Holland for peace. I have letters almost every post from Buys. I send you the last, because I have not time to copy it. Pray keep it, and when you see him, if you ask him, I believe he will show you my answer, which is, in short, to repeat, that if they will proceed to settle their state of war they may have such terms as will satisfy and secure their allies; whereas, any other method will create

About the two bishops.

† Unfortunately this and many other letters, between the queen ard the duke, are lost.

jealousies and distinctions among the allies, and oblige all sides to continue their expenses. I need not, therefore, trouble you with any thing. more, to guide you in your behaviour, when you come to the Hague, especially since Mr. Secretary Harley's letter to you upon that point is so plain and so full; I think it was dated 4-15. In a word, after the advantages with which God has blessed the arms of the allies, England will not be satisfied, nor think themselves safe, with less terms than those mentioned in the letter to Buys.

"I cannot say enough to you, nor have I time for your expressions of kindness to myself. I am apt to think that matter* may remain as it is till your coming over, which I wish may be with the soonest, but not much longer

"October 24.-Nov. 4.-The wind being westerly, I must still continue to write, though I long extremely to see you here; for till you come I doubt nothing will go right, whatever it does then. labour as much as

I can, and try every way that can be thought of, to prevent the queen's spoiling every thing. But I am much afraid it will be too late, unless Mr. Freeman helps to make a solemn treaty, from which there is to be no departure upon any terms whatsoever, without which it will be next to impossible for Mr. Montgomery to continue where he is; and the consequences of that I need not enlarge upon to you.

"Mr. Secretary Harley came to town the night before the parliament met. They chose the same speaker yesterday, without any obstruction, and he is to be presented to the queen the 30th, at which time I am afraid there will be a necessity for her to speak, though if it could be without too much murmuring, I would rather her speech were deferred till you come."

To Lord Godolphin.

Hague, Nov. 4. A little after my arrival here last night, I received five packets from England. The convoy is also come, and I am using all the diligence I can, to despatch what of necessity must be done before I leave this place. Count Wratislaw and Quiros being here, with powers from the emperor and the king of Spain, will create so much business, that should I stay a month I should not have one day to myself. I have declared to them, as well as to the States, that I shall be obliged to make use of the first fair wind after this next Tuesday. The wind being now very contrary, I may probably be with you as soon as this letter, which I beg with my duty you will let the queen know is the reason of my not doing myself the honour of answering hers of the 14th.

66

I send you enclosed my letter to the landgrave of Hesse, his answer, and the States' letter to me on that subject. I also send you the letters I have received by two expresses from Turin. You will be pleased to acquaint her majesty with the contents, and such as may be proper, with her leave, may be communicated to the cabinet council. I shall do my utmost to persuade the landgrave's minister that his master's troops may continue one year longer in Italy. I do not see by Prince Eugene's

* Their resignation.

letter that he has any thoughts of going to Italy; and by what I find by Count Wratislaw, I am afraid the court of Vienna are desirous of keeping him in Germany.

"The pensioner has promised me to second my endeavours with Count Wratislaw, that the prince may be sent. He tells me that the king of France has given the necessary orders for an augmentation of threescore thousand men, which I believe is not in his power; however, it has a very ill effect here. I have many things to say, but shall give you no further trouble at this time, being resolved of being with you as soon as possible."

66

Hague, Nov. 8. I had ordered my business so that I might have sailed this day, having sent my servants on board yesterday, and ordered the yacht to Helvoet Sluys, where they are now, with the men of war, so that we might go to sea with the first opportunity. But the wind is not only contrary, but also blows very hard, so that God knows when I shall be able to be with you; but you may be assured that I will not lose one hour, when the wind will allow my going to sea.

"I have this morning had the favour of yours of the 24th, and am much troubled to see that the queen continues making you uneasy. I am afraid you do me too much honour in thinking that my presence is necessary; but you may depend that I shall be governed by you, in doing what you think may do good; but I must confess that by what I see abroad, as well as at home, it looks as if it were resolved by destiny that nothing should go well this winter. My last letter I hear is blown back; and as the wind is, it is impossible for this to go, so that I may be as soon with you as this."

To the Duchess.

"Hague, Nov. 8. I was in hopes not to have writ, but to have been at sea this night, having sent my servants on board the yacht yesterday. But the wind being as contrary as possible, and blowing a storm, I have continued in this place, but shall not send for my servants back, being resolved to make use of the first wind that will allow of my going to sea, having finished what I was to do here, and very desirous of being with you. I am afraid my friends will then see that I am not of much use, but I shall be governed. I am sorry to tell you that the inclinations the Dutch have for peace will occasion their hurting themselves and their friends, as much as our unhappy differences in England. I am to thank you for yours of the 24th, which I received this morning. What you say of Mrs. Masham is very odd; and if you think she is a good weathercock, it is high time to leave off struggling; for believe me, nothing is worth rowing for against wind and tide, at least you will think so when you come to my age. I have been to wait upon Mrs. Burnett, and have ordered her a yacht."

"Hague, Nov. 11.—I find my lord treasurer very desirous of my being with him. I have no opinion of my being able to do any good; but uncertainty is the worst of all conditions, for death itself is easier than the fear of it. If you were truly sensible of the great desire I have of ending my days quietly with you, I flatter myself your good-nature would be contented to bear many inconveniences, and to let the rest of the world

govern itself after its own method. This is the third I have writ since my being here, and the postmaster tells me that not only those, but some of mine from Frankfort, are still on this side; so that I shall not make this longer than by assuring you of my being, with my heart and soul, "Yours."*

CHAP. LXIV. - MINISTERIAL CHANGES.-1707, 1708.

MARLBOROUGH arrived in England on the 7th of November, old style, and had the mortification to find the feuds in the cabinet more dangerous and violent than they had appeared, even in the representations of his friends.

The Whigs, indignant at the disappointment of their hopes, had realised their threats of a separation of interests, and had actually formed, if not a coalition, at least a secret

*It is impossible to close this year of the duke's history without a remark on the paucity of stirring incidents, and the contrast it offers to the glittering throng of achievements that signalised the memorable 1704. It arose, however, from no fault of the duke, but he was mastered by adverse circumstances. France had rallied, as she is wont to do after great reverses, in an extraordinary manner, and presented on every side an undismayed front. One of her best generals she had pitted against Marlborough, and so ably did the Frenchman direct the movements of his troops that he could never be taken unprepared. Vendome was the most skilful in strategy of all the French generals, and managed the disposition of his brigades like a game on the chess-board. The cautious resolves of the Dutch deputies too were in his favour; they had obtained their chief object—a strong frontier against French aggression - and were determined to risk no more hazardous battles. Indeed, the Grand Alliance was in heart already dissolved; it was no longer united for a common object, and each member of the confederacy was (England excepted) intent on some separate and selfish scheme of interest or ambition. Under such altered conditions the reverses and short comings of the year may be easily accounted for, and of which the most signal were the failure of the enterprise against Toulon, and the entire defeat of the Anglo-Spanish army at Almanza. The domestic politics of the year had not been more auspicious to the duke's interests; the court of Queen Anne had been the scene of as signal defections and treacheries as the movements of the allies on the Continent, and the Marlborough influence was rapidly yielding to the wiles of the new favourites, Masham and Harley. ED.