succeeded in conciliating the wayward monarch. At his request, Grumbkow was sent to the Hague. In his conferences with this confidential agent, he learnt that the king had not discontinued his secret negotiations with France, and that there were strong grounds for apprehension, lest his resentment against the States, who positively refused to satisfy his demands, should induce a prince of so choleric and suspicious a temper to secede from the alliance. As a means, therefore, of preventing the loss of so useful an ally, a sketch of a letter, containing new promises and offers, calculated to gratify the king, was drawn up by Grumbkow, and transmitted by Marlborough to the treasurer. A transcript of this letter, in her majesty's own hand, was remitted, and Grumbkow was charged with the delivery, accompanied with assurances of a similar tendency. This expedient succeeded in securing the continuance of the king of Prussia's co-operation and assistance.*

CHAP. LXXXV. - INFLUENCE OF THE WHIGS. 1709. WHILE Marlborough was conducting his military operations, he was again annoyed with the political feuds in the cabinet. We have already referred to the resolution adopted by the Whig leaders to place the earl of Orford at the head of the

* The little truth and faith at this period in European diplomacy has been remarked on in Appendix, note F., p. 493. Public ministers and ambassadors were mostly in the pay of foreigners, and either openly betrayed or insidiously influenced their respective governments. The text affords a pertinent example of this diplomatic cozenage. Grumbkow, aware, from confidential intercourse, of the private inclinations of his master, clandestinely communicates them to Marlborough, who instructs the English prime minister, and the latter prepares a letter in conformity therewith, which Queen Anne copies and transmits in autograph, and as her own spontaneous offers, to the king of Prussia. The bait is taken, and the beguiled monarch remains steadfast to the Grand Alliance. A similar contrivance was frequently resorted to by the triumvirs in the government of the queen herself. If Anne demurred to any favourite project, the draught of a letter most likely to influence the queen, and the joint production of the duchess and Godolphin, was transmitted to Marlborough ; this the duke copied and transmitted to her majesty as his own unbiassed opinion of the pending juncture in public affairs. The reader must have observed several instances of this management, and which was mostly successful in influencing the uneen's determination.- ED.

Admiralty. Relying on their services to government, and powerful ascendency in parliament, they made strong solicitations for his promotion. But the treasurer eluded their application, in consequence of the queen's reluctance to admit another Whig into the only department from which that party had been hitherto excluded. They were, however, too conscious of their drength to regard such difficulties, and again stated to the ministers that their demands must be either immediately complied with, or the government must forego their farther support.

In the course of the summer, the same struggle took place as on the preceding occasions; the same jealousies against the two ministers revived, and the queen once more strongly appealed to Marlborough against this fresh attempt of the Whigs to monopolise the power of the state, expressing her indignation against them for repeatedly insulting her feelings, as well as for attempting to usurp her prerogative. Godolphin acted with his usual lukewarmness and timidity, and, unfortunately, Marlborough fostered no less dislike to Orford than to Halifax. Accordingly, in his letters to the duchess, he gave vent to the most splenetic effusions against this nobleman; but he was no sooner apprised that the Whigs were determined to extort his appointment, than he smothered his aversion, and promoted their demands. Meanwhile, the duchess had reconciled herself to Sunderland, and, with her characteristic ardour, resuming her predilections for the Whigs, wearied the duke with importunities to exert his influence over the queen, in order to accomplish the proposed change. As in the former contest for the promotion of Somers, Marlborough was again accused of lukewarmness by the duchess and Godolphin, and again importuned to enforce the demands of the Whigs in a tone and language which he did not approve. He was still actuated by respect for the queen, and gratitude for past benefits; and it was not till he found the necessity of compliance, that he acceded to their importunities. Apprehensive, however, that his language might be misconstrued, and considered as not sufficiently energetic, he again sent his draughts to be corrected, and finally wrote to the queen in a style which they deliberately approved.

At length the queen could no longer resist the accumulated representations of all her ministers, and reluctantly consented to the appointment of Orford. This difficulty was no sooner overcome than another arose on the formation of the board; for she objected to the admission of Sir George Byng and Sir John Jennings, whom the Whigs were equally anxious to introduce. This refusal led to new cabals and negotiations. Marlborough again became the mediator between the contending parties, and acted with equal firmness and discretion. He strongly supported the representations of Godolphin and the Whigs, though he acknowledged, with regret, that his application would be attended with little effect.

"I should be glad," he writes to the duchess (Nov. 1.), " to hear in your next that the queen had approved of such a commission [of the Admiralty] as you would think would make every thing easy; for though I am very fond of retirement. yet I am sensible that it will be a great pleasure to hear that every thing goes well. I am of opinion that my letter will make no alteration in the queen; nowever, I assure you that I am very well pleased that I have made her acquainted with my mind. I believe her easiness to Lord Sunderland proceeds from her being told that she can't do other than go on with the Whigs; but be assured that Mrs. Masham and Mr. Harley will, underhand, do every thing that can make the business uneasy, and particularly to you, the lord treasurer, and me; for they know very well that if we were removed, every thing would be in their power. This is what they labour for, believing it would make them both great and happy; but I am very well persuaded it would be their destruction. I shall leave this place to-morrow, and be at the Hague on Sunday, where I hope to find a letter from you."

All the letters which passed between Marlborough and the queen, on this occasion, are unfortunately missing, except one from the latter, which expresses the acuteness of her feelings, and will serve to show the embarrassments of the duke:

"Windsor, Oct. 29. The illness in my eyes has hindered me so long from writing to you, that I have now four of your letters to answer, of the 7th and 16th of September, and the 12th of this month, which I shall do in their order.

"The first is upon a matter of very great consequence, which in a little time will be put in another method, of which I don't doubt but you have had an account from other hands; but as yet I can give you none, not having heard what propositions are to be made to me on that subject; and I must own to you I am in a good deal of uneasiness to find in three conversations I have had with lord treasurer, since he came from New

market, he has not mentioned the business of the Admiralty to me, fearing by that he intends to offer people he thinks will be disagreeable to me; and, therefore, out of good nature, defers it as long as 'tis possible. Whoever he proposes for this commission, it is a thing of that great consequence to the public, and particularly to myself, that I must consider it very well before I can come to any resolution. By the conclusion of this letter of yours, that I have in short answered, I flattered myself that you would have made me easy in every thing; but I find by yours of the 12th of this month that your mind is altered, which I am very sorry for. I am very willing to comply with yours of the 16th, concerning the duke of Argyle, thinking his behaviour in this campaign deserves it; but I desire you will not say any thing of it to him, till I have the satisfaction of seeing you, for a reason that is not proper to trust in a letter, but what I am sure you must think reasonable when you know it.

"Your letter of the 10th of this month requires a longer and more particular answer than I have now time to give it, but I shall take the first opportunity to tell you my thoughts, very freely, on what you say.

"I return you my thanks for yours of the 26th, which brought me the good news of the surrender of Mons, for which I congratulate you with all my heart, nobody, I am sure, doing it more sincerely than your humble servant. "" #

On the very day in which Marlborough landed in England this political feud was terminated. The Whigs were gratified by the appointment of Lord Orford at the head of the Admiralty, in the place of the earl of Pembroke, who was recompensed with a pension of 3000l. a year, and of Sir George Byng and Sir John Leake, as two of the commissioners. The queen on her part was pleased with the exclusion of Sir John Jennings, against whom she fostered a peculiar and personal antipathy.†

This new party contest for the appointment of the Admiralty board, served, as before, to inflame the spirit of discord which reigned between the queen and the duchess. Since the departure of the duke, their interviews were less frequent; but their correspondence was continued in the usual strain of perpetual altercation. The duchess did not spare her bitter invectives against the secret influence of Harley, the fondness of the queen for Mrs. Masham, and her reluctance to gratify those to whose zeal she was indebted for the glory of her reign. The replies of the queen were equally sarcastic and reproachful. Many of these were communicated

Copy in the hand-writing of the duchess.

The four other commissioners were Dodington (afterwards Lord Melcombe), Paul Methuen, Sir Wm. Drake, and Aislabie.

to the duke, and increased his chagrin. His letters to the duchess are filled with expressions of concern for this fatal disagreement; and he strongly advises his wife to abstain from a correspondence which he justly considered as not calculated to have any other effect than to increase the misunderstanding.

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Aug. 19. I shall say very little to you concerning the queen's letter, which was by no means obliging; but if you can't regain her affections, that matter will continue as it now is. I would go upon all-four to make it easy between you; but for credit, I am satisfied that I have none; so that I would willingly not expose myself, but meddle as little as possible."

"Aug. 22. Since my last I have had yours by Mr. Carte, who came to the army last night. I see by it that the queen continues her cold and unkind proceedings towards you. That must be so, as long as Mrs. Masham has the opportunities of being daily with her; I agree with you that ill-nature and forgetfulness give just reason to those I am most concerned for, not to trouble themselves any further than what may concern the public good. It is impossible for me, by writing, to give you all the reasons that I have for the method I have prescribed to myself, as soon as there shall be peace, and which I hope you will approve of, since it is the only method in which I can enjoy any happiness. Be obliging and kind to all your friends, and avoid entering into cabals; and whatever I have in this world, if that can give you any satisfaction, you shall always be mistress of, and have the disposing of that and me."

"Aug. 26. I received yours of the 5th so very late, that it was impossible for me to make you any answer by that post. I must own to you, that the queen's letter is very far from having any thing that looks like the least tenderness: it helps to confirm me in the resolut on I have taken; and I am very confident, when I have an opportunity of giving you and the queen my reasons, that both of you will agree to the method of my future behaviour. The letter you were advised to write is very reasonable; but since the queen has not the consideration she formerly had for you and ine, what good effect can you expect from it? It has always been my observation in disputes, especially in that of kindness and friendship, that all reproaches, though ever so reasonable, do serve to no other end but the making the breach wider. I can't hinder being of opinion, how insignificant soever we may be, that there is a power above which puts a period to our happiness or unhappiness; otherwise, should any body eight years ago have told me, after the success I have had, and the twenty-seven years' faithful services of yourself, that we should be obliged, even in the lifetime of the queen, to seek happiness in a retired life, I should have thought it impossible."

Unfortunately, the duchess was of too irritable a temper to follow this prudent advice in her demeanour to the queen, and a trifling incident will show the height to which their mutual resentment was carried. On the death of Mr. Howe.