MEMOIRS OF SOME TRANSACTIONS DURING The late MINISTRY OF
Robert
E. of
Oxford.
LONDON:
Printed for
T. Warner,
at the
Black-Boy
in
Pater-Noster-Row.
1717.
Price One Shilling.
MEMOIRS OF SOME TRANSACTIONS DURING The late MINISTRY, &c.
VVHEN there is such a general Expectation of some great Matter to be made appear against the Person these Sheets relate to; and much Pains is taken to calumniate and misrepresent him to the World; it may not be amiss to give the World some true State of his Case, that none may be impos'd upon thro' Ignorance, how far soever Malice may carry some.
The Matter draws towards a Crisis; the Question will soon be transferr'd, from between Party and Party, to a Bar of Justice; and the Blood of an
English
Nobleman is to be the Subject of the Pleadings and Defence.
The Earl of
Oxford
seems to resolve to appear, and to stand in his own Defence. I advance one thing without Doors in Defence of his Case in general, before the Particulars come to be enquired into. If it be just to say of my Lord
Bolingbroke,
that he knows himself to be guilty, why else did he fly? It will be as reasonable to say of my Lord of
Oxford,
he is satisfied in his own Innocence, why else does he stay?
Besides the Opinion his Lordship has of his own Innocence, it must be acknowledg'd, his Lordship pays the greatest Honour to the
British
Nobility that is possible to do, and perhaps more than was ever done before; that however the Turns of the Government since his Administration, may have given Impressions of things very different from what were in his Time; and as it might be suggested, very much to his Disadvantage; nay, however Interest may seeem to run, even in a very strong Stream against him; yet that he pays such a profound Respect to the unspotted Honour of the Peerage, as to cast his Life into their Hands, at a Time when Thoughts less generous might be apt to entertain some Fears of the Impressions, which Party might have made on the Minds of the Nobility, at a Time when it is scarce to be said, that any other Sett of Men in the Nation are entirely free.
Either my L.
O
—must have some surprizing Evidence in himself of his own Innocence; and not only so, but of his being able to set that Innocence in a clear Light to the World; or else he makes the greatest Compliment to the Nobility of
Britain
that ever Man made. He supposes their Lordships untainted with the Prejudice of the Times; and that nothing can byafs their Minds, nothing artfully prepossess their Judgments; that they cannot be blinded by any humane Infirmities, moved by any Passions, imposed upon by the Perswasions, or affected by private Views of any kind; that they cannot be hurry'd by popular Winds or Storms, from whatever Corner they may blow, whether of Faction, Tumult, Envy, or Ambition: But that they will move in a direct Path of Justice, guided by Truth, without the least Deviation or Inclination one Way or other, either from Parties, Persons, Interest, or Power, of any kind whatsoever.
Besides this, his Lordship seems to pay a most dutiful and honourable Regard to the personal Justice, Clemency, and Honour of His Majesty; declaring, by thus putting himself on his Trial, at such a Juncture as this, that he firmly depends upon His Majesty's Royal Virtue; that nothing will, on the King's Part, be offered or encouraged to byass, or lead to awe, or any Way influence the Judgment that shall be given in his Case; that shall not so much as be imagined, that the Votes of the Peers, one Way or other, shall in the least affect them in their Interest, or in the Favour of His Majesty.
It must be acknowledged, that in this his Lordship acts from a Principle of great Justice and Duty, as well to His Majesty, as to the House of Peers; and no Man can say, without manifest Injury to his Majesty, or to that Honourable House, that he so much as believes his Lordship will be the worst treated for that dutiful and generous Behaviour.
Without Doors we cannot say it will be the same; it were to be wished, the People, who shew such a Warmth in their Desires to bring on the Trial of this Lord, would shew the like Disposition to having him fairly acquitted, if his Innocence shall appear, as they seem to shew for his Destruction, on a Presumption of his Guilt.
It is now come to the great Question: Nothing less than his Life, or his Death, is the Case. If we were to make a Judgment of him by the Opinions and Tempers of Men without Doors, it would be easy to conclude, what should be his Fate; and his Courage must be thought greater than his Discretion, to put himself upon his Tryal; which makes the Honour done to the Justice and Impartiality of His Majesty, and the Peers, of which mention is made already, be the greater.
Yet we would hope, that seeing it is now brought this length, Men will begin to be more serious, and forbear to importune the Justice of the Nation, by their Invectives, and indecent Treatment: My Lord has appealed from the Clamours of the People, to the Justice and Honour of the Peers; and being thus in the Hands of Justice, what is there that Men can desire more? They who occupy their Pens or Tongues, now to blacken, defame, or reproach him, openly challenge the House of Peers, reproach their Justice, and villify that August Assembly, as if not disposed to do Justice in the Case when it comes before them: As his Lordship has thrown himself upon the Honour and Justice of the Peers, and put his Life and Honour into their Lordships Hands; so should we do, and not either lead or direct them, which would be, in the grossest Manner, to suspect their Proceedings.
The Clamours which have hitherto been made on this Account, have been, as the Authors pretended, only to have Men impeached; and we have seen Writers tell the Government,
They expect it:
It is now done, we hope they will be satisfy'd, and not tell the House of Peers, whether they shall acquit or condemn: This must be left in their own Breasts; and there is no Doubt but they will act as Justice, and their own Honour, shall direct; and of this we must all wait the Issue.
That we may attend this great Event with less Curiosity and Impatience, it may be proper to state the Facts of this noble Lord's Conduct, as they appear at present in those very Cases wherein he is so much impugned and attack'd, that when People have cool Thoughts about them, they may be disposed to read them over; perhaps when they have done so, they will be the backwarder to blame the House of Peers, if they should not find it as they may expect.
In the latter End of King
William
's Reign, we found Mr.
Harley
chosen Speaker of the House of Commons. He was, in the Session before, one of those Members, who stood firm to the Resolution of disbanding the Army; having always an Opinion, that the Security of the Prince was sufficiently provided for in the Affection of his faithful Commons; and that all the Dangers, which, as was then pretended, appeared from the growing Power of
France,
were far less, and easier to be struggled with, in any Incident which might happen, than those which might proceed from a standing Force of Mercenaries, to be kept up in Time of Peace; by which very thing this Kingdom had more than once been in great Danger of having her Liberty overwhelmed, and the worst of Slavery entailed upon her; and that therefore the War being over, the Nation ought to take effectual Care of their own Liberties; and to limit the Number of the Forces to such, and no more, as might be thought sufficient for the publick Safety.
It was not altogether so agreeable to His Majesty's Thoughts at that Time, as could have been wish'd; and especially the Regiment of
Dutch
Guards were exceedingly desired by the King; but it could not be: The Members declar'd, That it was not from a Jealousy or Disrespect for the Person of His Majesty, who, they were throughly satisfied, would neither himself, or by his Permission, ever suffer an Army to oppress them; but that the Precedent would be dangerous to Posterity, when the Successors of His Majesty might, perhaps, make a fatal Use of that Advantage, of which he would make no Advantage at all.
It was reported at that Time, that Mr.
Harley
was chosen against the Measures of the Court; and that the King was disobliged by him to the last Degree, on Account of the aforesaid breaking of the Forces. But His Majesty himself removed the Scandal of that Rumour, by assuring Mr.
Harley,
that he was very well satisfy'd with him; and indeed the Principles upon which the
English
Gentlemen went at that Time, were so evidently essential to the preserving their Liberties, that the King himself, who was a great Patron of Liberty, was perfectly satisfy'd with the thing afterwards; and likewise with the Persons, expressing a very particular Esteem for Mr.
Harley
to the Time of his Death, which happened soon after.
At the Accession of the Queen to the Crown, Her Majesty was pleased to chuse Her Ministry among a Sett of Men, who, there was some Reason to have expected other Conduct from them to Her Majesty, at least the Queen expected it; but they who knew them better, were not so much disappointed in them as Her Majesty was.
It imports not to record their Failings farther than thus; to let Posterity know, they began to precipitate the Crown, in many Cases, to a Degree that must, in Time, have been fatal.
In all these Cases Mr.
Harley
signalized himself, by that famous Stand which he made in Behalf of the Liberties of his Country; of which those who shared in the Advantage cannot entirely forget the Particulars. Those who were nearest the
Queen,
and most faithful to Her Interest, finding the Influence he had in the House, was of use to them on many Accounts, began, about this Time, to see he was a Person necessary to keep a closer Correspondence with; and having found the
Queen
of the same Opinion, he was received into the Cabinet Measures, and the nicest Affairs communicated to him.
In this Station he obtain'd, upon the Opinion not only of the Persons who he necessarily was embark'd with; as the late E. of
Godolphin,
the Duke of
M
—and some others; but of the
Queen
more especially, who, with my L.
Godolphin,
had a singular Esteem for him.
It was easy for Mr.
Harley,
in this Scituation, to convince Her Majesty, of the absolute Necessity She was in, of changing Her Measures, and of dismissing a furious Faction, who began to be odious to the People, by their pushing the Government upon such things as tended to embroil Her Majesty with Her best Subjects; and make the War abroad, which was then newly entred into, be either impracticable, or unsuccessful, by reason of the Discontents at Home, which were rising to a great Height among the People, and sometimes between the Two Houses of Parliament themselves.
In the Pursuit of this Council, the Advantage whereof the whole Kingdom feels to this Day, the
Queen
was pleased to dismiss Sir
Edward Seymour
's Party, so they were call'd, and fill up the Houshold with such a Ministry, as the present Age pretends to be very well satisfy'd in; the prime Ministry, as it is call'd, resting in the late Lord Treasurer
Godolphin;
the Army, in the D. of
M
—
h;
and Mr.
Harley
was made Secretary of State, in the Room of the E. of
N
—
m;
Sir
Charles Hedges
keeping the Seals as the other Secretary of State, as he was before.
Thus the Introduction of that Ministry was the Work of Mr.
Harley;
and it was to his Counsels that they ow'd their being established in the full Administration of Affairs; which, whilst they carry'd on with Unanimity of Councils, and without Jealousy of one another, were administred with great Satisfaction to Her Majesty, and all Her People at Home, as well as with glorious Successes abroad; during this Time, the Animosities among the good People began exceedingly to abate; the Remembrances of
Occasional Bills, Tackings,
&c. wore much off of the Minds of the People, and the Court generally discouraging the Breaches among the
Queen
's Subjects; an open and free Administration was carry'd on, by which Room was left for all Her Majesty's Subjects, of whatever Party, to restore themselves to Her Favour, by their Merit; and to wipe out the Remembrances of any Miscarriages, by a future dutiful Behaviour. A Method of Government exceedingly agreeable to the
Queen,
as it would, had it gone on, have been, in Time, healing to the Nation.
But this happy Scheme was not alike pleasing to all; and some, who had Cravings in Nature to satisfy, which were not so consistent with this disinterested Manner of Management, began to be uneasy at the Apprehensions of letting in the Mob, as it was call'd, into their Affairs. The Interest in Her Majesty, which, as it was call'd, was not a thing of so little Value to be laid open, and Her Favour and Confidence to be made Common to the People: They found that as they had made it a Property, so their Success gave them an Advantage above all that went before them, by seeming to make themselves necessary to Her Majesty: This Point was carried on to such an Extremity, the Sweetness of governing, even their Sovereign, alluring, that finding Mr.
Harley
inflexible; and that he would not join in such narrow Measures; but desir'd, that the
Queen
might Reign for Her self, and all Her Subjects have Access to Her; that She might be fully apprized of all Her Affairs; and act as well by Knowledge as Advice: Finding this was the Scheme he had laid; and that it was directly opposite to their own, and would, in the End, overthrow it: They from that Time entred into Measures either to supplant him in Her Majesty's Favour, or in his Employment.
The first, notwithstanding many Misrepresentations and mean Steps taken, they could not effect; the last, they brought to pass for a Season.
It seems that they brought the last to pass with Difficulty; and it was evident to them, as also to others, that as her Majesty parted not with Mr.
Harley
without great Reluctance; so that altho' he was dismiss'd from the Office of her principal Secretary, that yet he had access to her Person, and had opportunity to communicate such Councils as occasion offer'd, having the Honour, from that time, of a Confidence with his Sovereign, which those, who had Power to displace him, had then no Share in.
This Favour of his Prince was much encreased by some foul things which had been discover'd to her Majesty to have been practised upon him, in order to render him suspected to be concern'd in the Treason of Mr.
Gregg,
and more especially by some Steps which were privately taken by some Persons, in order, by Fear of Death, or Hope of Mercy, to induce the said
Gregg,
when under Sentence of Death, to accuse Mr.
Harley;
and as her Majesty receiv'd the Account of those Designs with Tokens of great Displeasure, and even of Detestation; so the Declaration which the Criminal gave, even just before his Execution, of the Innocence of Mr.
Harley▪
as it was a particular Satisfaction to the Queen, so it confirm'd the Opinion her Majesty had conceived of Mr.
Harley,
as a Person proper to be entrusted, and fit to be employed in her Service.
It might have been useful to have descended to the Particulars of this Matter, and to the Persons likewise, but another time may be thought more proper; this suffices to shew, that there was at that time a horrid Conspiracy against the Life of this noble Lord; how far it has been carried on, or revived since▪ and whether it be by the same Hands or not, will likewise appear, the Time being approaching, when there may be reason to lay the blackest part of this Transaction open to the View of the Sun.
Mean time, it is worth notice, that as the Persons concerned would not have failed to have accepted the Evidence of Mr.
Gregg
against Mr.
Harley,
if he had either known any thing whereof to accuse him, or had been prevailed with to have forged any Accusation, in order to have saved his Life; yet some of them were not backward to depretiate the dying Words of the same Man, when it appeared they tended to clear the Person, who they desired rather should have been accused; discovering thereby such a Partiality as her Majesty was pleased to take notice of, to be as criminal in its Degree, as the Design aforesaid against his Life.
It's strange,
said she once upon that Occasion,
that they would not have us believe the Man now he acquits Mr.
Harley,
when they would have believed him if he had accused him;
and
that they will not believe the Man's dying Words, when it is evident they would have laid great Weight upon them if he had lived;
her Majesty was pleased likewise many times, when this Affair was, upon any Occasion, mention'd to her, to express her Concern, that any Methods so unchristian and unjust should be taken by Persons so near Her, to destroy an innocent Person.
Yet could not this put a Stop to the Enemies of Mr.
Harley,
who, it seems, were restless in their own Scituation, while they observed his to be so near her Majesty's Person as would, upon all Occasions, interrupt the farther Designs which they had calculated for their own Advantage, in being single and uninterrupted in the Administration; and therefore, tho' they could not impose upon her Majesty in the Case above-mention'd of Mr.
Gregg,
they left not any Stone unturn'd to keep the People of their own Party deceived, and to have it, by Pamphlet-Writings, and private Emissaries, suggested throughout the Kingdom, that Mr.
Harley
was guilty of
Gregg
's Treason, tho' nothing could be proved that ever justified so much as a Suspicion. And altho'
Gregg
himself, who could never have been convicted but by his own Confession, had been induced by Mr.
Harley
to make that Confession; so that Mr.
Harley
seemed that way to have been the very Instrument of detecting him more fully, and by consequence of his Death; a Provocation sufficient to make any one expect, that if he could have saved his Life at Mr.
Harley
's Expence, he would have made no Difficulty of the Exchange, and not a little the Reason of that
low Step
some Persons (otherwise Persons of Honour) took to bring it to pass, which it may be believed they would not for their own Sakes have been seen in, if they had thought it could have failed of Success.
But
Gregg,
tho' a Traytor, would not be a Murtherer. Whether they were not so, who endeavoured to make him so, will be tryed at another Tribunal.
As these things concurr'd to improve that Interest which Mr.
Harley
had in her Majesty's Favour, so it made way for, and not a little contributed to the Breaches which followed, and the Impressions they made in her Majesty, in Prejudice of those Men who were concern'd, were such as were not easily wiped out. Her Majesty, who was a Princess of exceeding Piety, believing that Men, who could stoop to such wicked, and even bloody Methods, to remove a Person out of the Way of their Administration; would stick at few things that could occur, and were ill qualify'd to bring about the Blessing of Her Reign, in the Felicity of Her People, which was Her utmost Desire.
But things were not yet brought to Maturity, nor the Grievance of the Administration come to its Height; and several things were yet to happen, which should concur with the Impressions Her Majesty had received before, to lessen the Pleasure She took in the Services of some about Her; and, consequently, make Way for their Remove: But as these do not concern Mr.
Harley,
they shall be no otherwise mentioned, than as they served to introduce the Revolution which followed.
It was in the Year 1708. when Mr.
Harley
was dismiss'd from the Office of
Secretary of State;
and Mr.
Boyle,
now Lord
Carleton,
succeeded him in that Place; a modest inoffensive Gentleman, and concerned neither one way or other in the Brigues abovementioned. And now it was thought they who had the Administration would have gone on in their Business without any Interruption, that they had none to disturb them, but that he, who, they pretended, would have supplanted them, being laid aside, they were out of Danger; and it may be said of them, that they were weak enough to think thus themselves; but they soon found themselves deceived, and that the very Persons, who had push'd them upon the Breach with Mr.
Harley,
on pretence of supplanting them with the Queen, were in a strong Confederacy or Plot to supplant them with the People, and by the Consequence thereof with the Queen; and wanted nothing, but to remove Mr.
Harley
from them, to make way for the Execution of their Design, as the Person, whose Interest in the Queen, as well as his Capacity to disappoint them, they, above all other, thought to be dangerous to them.
It is with the more Reason that it is said, they thought, by the Consequence of supplanting the Ministry, they should effectually supplant them with the Queen; because, having made the Experiment in the Case of Mr.
Harley,
that the Queen might be prevailed on by their new Method of treating her Majesty to part with Ministers, tho' She was not dissatisfied with them; they concluded they might take the same Method, and bring her Majesty to the Necessity, so they undutifully called it, of parting with others: And that this is true in Fact, that this was their View at that Time, is proved by a Letter, written by a noble Lord then in the Ministry, who, when their Plot broke out, had the Weakness, or Want of Decency, to write a Letter to the D—of
R
—into
Scotland,
wherein he treats her Majesty and Ministry both in the Words following:
'I would not have you be bullied by the Court-Party; for the Queen her self cannot support that Faction long.'
This was strange Language from a Secretary of State actually in Office, and eminently discovered, that the Charge publickly laid against Mr.
Harley,
of a Design to supplant the Ministry, should have been laid on another Hand, who now publickly viewed a Design, not only of supplanting the Ministry, who he called a Faction, but of bringing the Queen into such a Condition as not to be able to support them.
It became soon evident, that the Persons, who this noble Lord called a Faction, were no other than the late Earl of
Godolphin,
and his Grace the D—of
M
—. The One at that Time at the Head of the Army, the Other of the Treasury, as by their farther open Declarations in the Election of the next Parliament appeared, in which the Juncto to the Whig-Noble-Men, embarkt in this Design, were called, openly joined with the male-contented Party, so the high Church were then; nay, even with the Jacobites against the Ministry, villifying and exposing the said Lord and Duke, and especially a certain Dutchess, in a Manner far exceeding all that unjustifiable Rudeness that has been made use of since that Time.
This however obliged her Majesty to concern her self in the matter, and to let the Juncto see, that She was able to support her Servants, and that She would not be reduced to the Necessity they boasted of; the Consequence of this was, that they were effectually disappointed, and afterwards made no Difficulty to make their separate Peace with her Majesty and her Ministry. To which Transaction Fame refers us for an eminent Original of abandoning Allies,
&c.
for it was observable, that when they made their own Peace, they left all their Confederates to the Discretion of the Ministry.
But this Matter had another Effect, for which Reason it is made a necessary Part of this Account, (
viz.
) that in the interval of this Breach, much was discovered of the Infirmity, to say no worse of it, of both Sides; and while they were villifying one another, to render their Designs black in the View of the People, they really, as it often happens in lesser Cases, made the Persons on both Sides look less in the Esteem of the World than they did before; there was much Dirt cast on both Sides in the Quarrel, and it cannot be said, that it was all wiped off in the Reconciliation, nor did the Breach leave either Side in the same Station of her Majesty's Esteem as it found them.
Her Majesty was a strict Observer at that Time, of every Article of the Conduct of either Side; and it made no small Impression on her Mind, that She found both Sides were to make a Property of her Authority, and that She was to be reduced to a Necessity of acting their Measures, which Side soever prevailed. From which just Observation, tho' her Majesty sound it needful to support the Ministry then in her Service, against those who so openly affronted her Administration as well as her Person, in opposing them at that Time; yet from that Time her Majesty entertained Thoughts of a general Change in her Measures, and resolved to set her self free as soon as might be from the unhappy Necessity, which, it seems, it was so easie to reduce her to, (
viz.
) of not being able to support her own Administration.
This was perfectly agreeable to the Scheme formerly proposed by Mr.
Harley
to the Lord
Godolphin,
and often explain'd to her Majesty before that Time, (
viz.
) to restore her Majesty to an entire Freedom of acting; that all her Affairs should be explained to, and laid before her Majesty; that She should no more wear the Crown without the Scepter; that the Doors should be opened to all Her Subjects, and a free Access to Her Person be given to all; that Cases of Consequence might not come cover'd with the Representations of the Ministers; but every thing be laid fairly before the
Queen,
that She might act with open Eyes, see for Her self, and give to, not receive Commands from, Her Ministry. Her Majesty had, with some Regret, received the former Importunities of some about Her, in the Case of placing or displacing of Persons; and especially that unpleasant, uncomely, as well as undutiful Expression of,
I cannot serve Your Majesty, unless,
&c. and began to be tir'd with some Peoples personal Conduct, whose Services were otherwise very acceptable to Her, and their Fidelity entirely unsuspected.
There were two other things which Her Majesty could not avoid taking a particular Notice of in this Breach; and the future Conduct of these very Persons make it very much to the present Purpose to mention it here,
viz.
(1.) That the said
Juncto
made no Scruple, in order to displace the said Lord and Duke, to bring the most known prosess'd
Jacobites,
as well of the Nobility as of the Commons, as well in
Scotland
as in
England,
into their Confederacy, and even to Vote for them in the Election of the Parliament then chusing, and many of them were actually elected by the Interest of the said Whig
Juncto;
the Names are easy to be given. (2.) That they made no Difficulty of displacing the D. of
M
—
h
from the Command of the Army; and thought there would be no Danger to the Confederacy in it at all; and Her Majesty was inform'd, that they went so far as to sound the
Dutch,
either to see how they would approve of a Change, or to prepare them not to be surpriz'd at it: The like things having been censured in such rude Terms by the same Persons, who then, for their own private Ends, engag'd in them; Her Majesty could not but call to mind the Circumstances, and look on the Persons with some Resentment, when they came to speak of the same things as trayterous, ungrateful, perfidious, and the like.
These, and such as these, were the things which pav'd the Way for the new Turn, which soon after happened; in which Mr.
Harley
acted consonant to what he had from the first propos'd; laying before Her Majesty such Measures as were calculated for quieting, not disturbing the Administration; not proposing such Change of Parties, and such Turnings out of Persons, as afterwards happened; no such thing being in View, till the Combinations of certain Persons in Places, and who acted upon the old Principle of reducing the
Queen
to the Necessity of acting as they desired, oblig'd Her Majesty to do it.
It is not needful to enter into the Detail of the Conduct of others; but this Passage cannot be omitted,
viz.
that the Evening of that Day, when the
Treasurer,
the Earl of
Godolphin,
was displaced, a general Meeting of the Persons in that Interest, was held at Mr.
B
—House, where it was laid down as a Maxim, that the new Managers could no Way support the Undertaking; that they could never be able to keep up the publick Credit, raise Money, or carry on the War; but would soon plunge the
Queen
in such inextricable Difficulties, as that She would be forc'd to come back to them; and therefore it was their Business, one and all, to resolve not to come into the
Queen
's Measures, in order to distress Her new Ministers, and so oblige Her to dismiss them.
How openly they pursued this Resolution, is well known; as also how Mr.
Harley,
now made Chancellor of the
Exchequer,
and one of the Commissioners of the
Treasury,
surmounted all the Difficulties which they cast in the Way, supply'd the Money, kept up the Credit, and run into no Plunges, as was suggested, by which they were no less surprized than disappointed; all this is recent and known.
It is named here, to shew where began the Mischief of the Change; this Meeting of the late Managers was neither more or less than forming themselves into a Faction against the
Queen,
and Her new Measures; which, though it did not produce the Necessity upon the
Queen
of changing Her Ministry again, as they expected; yet it did put the new Managers upon making use of other Hands than they intended; to which Point of Circumstance, all that has since happened, may be traced back, as to its proper and only Original; for had that Faction not been formed, or had they not, when formed, absolutely rejected the
Queen
's Offers of Accommodation, and of keeping them in their Places, nothing is more true, than that all things had gone on in the usual Course of the Administration, by the same Methods, to the same Purpose, and almost by the same Persons as before.
But Sathan hindered;
and the Conduct of the outed Party was very singular on that Occasion.
It occurr'd to them naturally, that the Parliament in being would take some Step in their Favour; and that they should be able to spread the Uneasiness much farther, if not throughout the Kingdom, and it offered as a Foundation of forming a new Interest in their Favour; this pass'd a while, and their Friends in the City falling upon the new Ministry with some Attempts of another Nature, it was evident, they supported those Attempts, by their Dependance on their Interest in the Parliament; and so open they were in their Politicks on this Occasion, that they were not backward to say, The Parliament would unravel the new Measures, and the
Queen
could go on no farther than the next Session. The Ministry were too vigilant not to see the Design; nor was Mr.
Harley
ignorant how far they might probably go to make good their Threats: This made it absolutely necessary to dissolve the Parliament; the Inclination of the People also to the Change, now beginning to appear more than it had done before; and the new Elections appearing to be generally on the Side of the Change, the Resolutions of the Party mention'd above, began to waver, their Interest separate, and, in fine, the new Ministry, after this, met with less Difficulty and Obstruction in their Affairs, though not with less ill Treatment from particular Persons, and from the Party in the City especially, where the Ferment went too high to be spoken of in a narrow Compass, and where the Measures taken to ruin the Publick Credit were such, though unsuccessful, as has not been ever practis'd before, and gave Her Majesty great Cause to resent them, even on the whole Party.
In this Juncture, Mr.
Harley
was snatch'd from the Administration, by an unparallell'd Attempt upon his Life; at first it surpriz'd every one, as it began to be thought the Attempt of the aforesaid Party, or some set on Work by them; but it soon appear'd the single Act of an enrag'd
Frenchman,
the
Marquiss de Guiscard,
made desperate by being detected of a Treasonable Correspondence with
France,
who assassinated Mr.
Harley
at the Council Table, stabbing him into the Breast with a Penknife, and repeating the Blow a second Time, not knowing that the Penknife was broke, and the Blade left in the Wound; he gave him a Contusion with the Handle by the next Blow, more dangerous and painful than the first: What mov'd this
Scelerat
to such an horrid Act, the apprehending him, wounding him, his Imprisonment, and Death in the Prison of
Newgate,
are needless in this Account; being also made publick at that Time by other Writers.
None could be blamed for being of the Opinion, till the Particulars appear'd, that this Blow was given by the Procurement of the other Party; because it suited so exactly with the Language given publickly the Person of Mr.
Harley
at that Time, as well in the City as elsewhere, that it was confess'd by themselves, the Suspicion was just: But the Horror of the Fact so touch'd those, who had a Sense of Humanity, that the Generality, even of the Enemies of the new Ministry, could not refrain expressing themselves with some Warmth against it, and it assisted for some time to the treating him with something less Indecency than before; and not only so, but the Affairs of the Government gaining upon the Opposers every Day, the new Measures began to be better relish'd among the People than before.
Soon after the Recovery of Mr.
Harley,
and his Conduct in the publick Affairs having satisfy'd Her Majesty, that his Qualifications for the Employment were equal to the Weight of such an Employ, the Commission for the
Treasury
was dissolved, and Mr.
Harley
was made Lord
High Treasurer
of
Great Britain;
Her Majesty doing him the Honour to give Him the Staff with Her own Hand, and at the same Time to sign a Patent, creating him
Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer,
and soon after created him also
Knight of the Garter.
These things are needful to mention, because they are the Sum of all the Advantages which he can be said to share out for himself, having not, his Enemies being Judges, accumulated Honour or Profits, as has been usual by Persons in great Posts; and this may be said without Boasting, that no personal Avarice, no aggrandizing of his Family, no getting of Grants, either to himself or to his Family, has been, or with Justice can be charged on him; though, by the Share he enjoy'd of His Royal Mistress's Favour, it might be suppos'd, that he could not want Opportunity for many things, which might have been as profitable as the most craving Temper might be satisfy'd with.
The new Parliament being met, the Lower House appeared enclin'd dutifully to oblige Her Majesty, in every thing consistent with their Liberties, and with the publick Good; and the
Queen
never desiring any thing of them which shock'd their Affections to their Country's Safety and Advantage: This mutual Rectitude of Principle, created a perfect Harmony between Her Majesty and the House; every thing offered by the House to Her Majesty, met with a gracious Reception and ready Grant; and every thing laid before them by the
Queen,
was so just and so clear, that the House, with an entire Confidence, came into Her Majesty's Measures cheerfully, and with the greatest Alacrity imaginable.
This Harmony was a great Disappointment to the Party, who opposed the Ministry, and was chiefly owing to the exact Adhering to such Measures in the Administration, as could admit no substantial Objection; for it could not be said, that the other People were not vigilant, to take Hold of every thing that might have given them any just Advantage. The
Treasurer,
as far as he directed any thing, took Care to keep it within the ordinary Rules of Business; and, particularly, knowing what Men he had to do with, took Care to have every thing transacted in full Council, and to be duly minuted in the Books. He kept to the Principle first laid down, of having the
Queen
see with Her own Eyes; and after duly debating things in Her Presence, to have every thing directed by Her Majesty, with Consent, of Her own Knowledge, that Her Majesty might have no Occasion to say, as had been too much the Case formerly, that She left things to such and such Persons, and had been ill serv'd.
The
Treasurer
likewise took especial Care to have all Business transacted in the proper Offices, and sign'd by the Hands whose Province it was; thereby restoring the Administration to its natural Course, and delivering the Government from the Grievance of a
PRIME MINISTER;
and this is evident now, even to the Surprize of his Enemies, who having suppos'd, that the
Treasurer
transacted every thing, as had been the general Belief; and for which all along the Party loaded him with infinite Aspersions, find now that he really managed nothing separately; and rather employ'd himself to preserve the Oeconomy of the Administration, and see the publick Business distributed into the proper Hands, and then leaving those Hands to discharge their Duty, than interposing his own Authority, or encroaching upon the Province of the Ministers.
Perhaps this Truth is so new, and the contrary has been so generally received, that it will not immediately meet with that Credit, that ought to be expected to a thing so manifest; but when it shall appear, that, in unravelling the Administration of those Times, nothing can be found transacted by him, but what was the particular Duty of his Office, as
Treasurer;
and that, on the contrary, every Minister of State did the Duty of his Place, and acted to the full what was his particular Province to act; and that consequently, they cannot fasten such things upon the Treasurer as it was hoped he might be charged with.
I say,
if this should not be the Case, it will be a full Confirmation of what is said here, that he rather directed every Man to his Duty, than acted in their Province himself. It was his Complaint, during the Administration of others, that they engrossed the Business into their Hands; that the Secretaries and Privy Council were but Agents, and were made use of for Form only; and that the
Queen
being surrounded by them, all Access to her Person was cut off; and it was his profess'd Intention, that it should be otherwise in his Administration; and if this is not made sufficiently evident to those who are now so narrowly inspecting his Conduct, by the Manner in which they will find all Business transacted, there is another Proof which will occur to every Understanding, (
viz.
) the Power the other Ministers of State, and Men of Intreigue, obtained hereby with the Queen; by which they afterwards took upon them to oppose his Councils, and at last effectually supplanted him.
If it had been true, that every thing had been done by him, as it was unjustly said by his Enemies, it could not have been true, that his Management was ill approved of by the Queen, and other Men entrusted, distinct from him, and who, when he opposed them; appeared to have a greater Interest in her Majesty than he had, till at length they obliged him either to come into their Measures, which, in regard to the Good of his Country, he could not comply with, or to withdraw from them, and quit the Administration, which he
very happily for himself
chose to do.
In this Conduct consists so much his present Safety, that we see some of his Enemies very much disappointed, in that they cannot find him in several Parts of the Management of things which they thought were all his own; and it is surprising to find how far this Opinion of his, being the
Fac Totum
in all the Administration, had prevailed; and the Enemies of the Treasurer are under some Confusion, by their not finding all Business directed by him. It is manifest, that they had entertained a Notion, that the Queen was wholly governed by him; that She did nothing her self, and nothing but by his Direction; which is so evidently untrue, that it appears her Majesty not only acted without him, but even contrary to him, in many things, till at last She was pleased to enter wholly into the Measures of other Men; and when he could not be prevailed upon to join in those Measures, thought fit to act quite without him▪ This, however unexpected, will shew, that what has often been said to the Queen her self, is now confirmed, (
viz.
) that the Treasurer bore the Load of many things which he had no concern in; and indeed this was evidently one Reason why he drew out of the Administration, of which, and of whose Mistakes, tho' he did not approve, he was sure to bear the Scandal.
It is not to the Purpose to enter here into the Reasons why the Treasurer rejected the Measures proposed to him by these new Men; whether they were consistent with the publick Good, or the Queen's Safety and Honour, is fitter for them to defend, than for him to enquire into; it suffices to say, they were such as the Treasurer thought were not for her Majesty's Service, and that therefore he declined the public Affairs, rather than go on upon those Foundations. It is effectually proved by the Circumstance of his Dismiss also, that the Administration consisted of several Parts, and was not engrossed,
as was suggested,
by the Treasurer, in an arbitrary manner. The Discontents of other Men having been carried to such a Length, as to affront him even in the Execution of his Office, and to reject all the Offers of an Accommodation or Reconciliation, which the Treasurer frequently made to them, that the public Business might not be hindred. It is likewise to be observed, that in these Offers of Reconciliation, the Treasurer always represented the absolute Necessity there was of having every Office do its own Business, and the Administration to run in the due Course, according to the ordinary Administration, without any suggesting the Superintendency of a prime Minister, or so much as claiming any Reserve to himself; being willing to confine himself to the Sphere of his Office, with more Strictness than any of them desired.
It was not the least Affliction to the Treasurer, that he found the Avarice of some Men in Office, and the Ambition of others, to be made great sooner than ordinary, began early to offer Obstructions to the public Business, and that he was frequently ill used by those, who, he thought, had Reason to treat him otherwise, particularly by a certain
Esq
that he was not made a Peer so soon as he was willing to be so; as also that when he was honoured with the Peerage, it was but a Viscount; and yet more, that when some Garters were disposed, he was not gratified: This was the more afflicting, because that when this Person was at first, by the Treasurer's Interest, recommended to her Majesty, for the Office which he was entrusted with, the Treasurer believed he would have acted from Principles of Zeal for her Majesty's Service, and a generous Concern for the Church and Nation in all he did, without making his private Advancement the Sum of his Desires, and pushing that Particular so far, as to insult his Friends for the Delay, however necessary that Delay would be to the Queen's Service, who found it necessary to make use of his Service longer in the House of Commons, and gave him Assurances, at the same time, that the Delay should be no Detriment to his Rank; so that it only affected his Impatience, not his Ambition, which was an exceeding Aggravation of his Mistake, shewing at what rate he esteemed his Mistress's Service, and the Public Good, which, to a Minister of State, should always go before his own Advancement.
The Treasurer failed not, upon all Occasions, to represent to this Person, and to his Friends, the evil Consequences of dividing from the
Queen's
Service, by dividing against one another; but was always treated with Disrespect, and with much Passion. The necessary Concerts in publick Matters were much hindred by these things, and it was scarce possible to go on in the Execution of Matters determined in the Council to be done, all Confidence being hereby destroyed, and the Harmony, necessary in carrying on so much Business, where so much Opposition was to be expected, being thus broken, it is not to be wondred at, if it gave infinite Advantages to those who made that Opposition, of which the Treasurer failed not in making just Representations, as well to the Persons themselves, as to her Majesty likewise, who often spoke of the same with Regret.
But it was all to no Purpose, the Treasurer found the Heat encrease, rather than abate; and that it particularly bent its Fury at such things which, altho' they were particular to the Province of Treasurer, he had thought fit to do without communicating his Schemes to him, tho' at the same time they thought fit to carry on the Negotiations and Treaties abroad, in many Cases, without communicating their Measures to him, and sometimes hardly to the Queen herself. The Treasurer has been loth to mention the mean Reasons given for their quarrelling with him about the Scheme for Payment of the great Debt the Nation was engaged in, (
viz.
) that they should have gotten Money by it; but since the secret Committee have thought fit to publish that Part of it, which the Treasurer formerly laid before her Majesty, whereby it is no longer a Secret, it may serve to convince Mankind, that the disinterested Conduct of the Treasurer in the Administration, and his resolving to make no private Gain out of the Ruins of his Country, was not the least Part of his Management, which those Men disliked, or the least Reason why they behaved so uneasily to him.
But to dwell no longer on this Part, those who knew the Difficulties with which the Treasurer struggled, in the Matters of Credit, and of Money, and the Opposition the Party, whom the Queen had dismiss'd, made to every Step that was taken to restore it, could not but wonder that these Men, who, at the same Time confess themselves unequal to the Work, should not be content to contribute no Assistance to it, but should, on the contrary, so much obstruct things, and encourage the Opposition of others, as their Breaches one with another were known to do.
The Treasurer had baffled the Designs of those who had endeavoured to prevent his remitting Money to the Army, and the establishing the Credit of the Publick; and notwithstanding at his Entrance into the Office, he found the Exchequer exhausted, the Bank refusing to advance Money upon such Securities as the Government was able to offer, had the Army at the same time in the Field, which some People were not ashamed to own, they expected should mutiny for their Pay, yet he had mastered all these Difficulties, and gave good Reason to believe that he would have gone thro' every other Obstruction; and it was not a little afflicting to him, to find his Opposers among those who he had, by his Interest and Recommendation, brought into Business.
Yet as things are now like to go, it is no little Satisfaction to him, that if there has been any criminal Negotiations set on Foot, any favouring the Pretender, any Measures entred into, to the Prejudice of the Succession of the House of
Hanover,
these things must be found among those Parts of their Conduct which they were pleased to transact by themselves, and to which they did not vouchsafe to admit the Treasurer, as not being so much at that Time in their Confidence; and as they acted these things by themselves, so they must answer for them by themselves, if the present Government think fit to call them to Account for it, the Treasurer having had no Concern in any thing of that Nature, and is persuaded that no Man had the Assurance to make an Offer of any thing of that kind to her Majesty, and that if they had, that the
Queen
would have resented it with the utmost Indignation.
The Obstruction these things gave to the publick Administration, had divers other Effects; and particularly it gave Encouragement to the outed Party, in their vigorous Opposition of all her Majesty's Measures, which they carried up to such a height, as to expect the House of Peers would be brought to their Side; and tho' the Treasurer had a firm Satisfaction in the Peers, that they would not be imposed upon in these things, yet seeing the Numbers appear'd something equal, and that the Party discovered some Assurance of carrying their Point; Her Majesty resolving not to run the Venture, chose to make a Number of Lords for ballancing his Enemies, a Practice allowed by the Law, and undoubtedly in the Prerogative, however clamoured very much in the present Case; and notwithstanding which, as was evident by the Sequel, the Treasurer's Opinion appear'd to be founded on a right Judgment of things, (
viz.
) that they were safe in the Votes of the Peers who were already in the House, the Question being carried in the House by one Voice more than the Number of new Lords then created. The Warmth of those People, who, at this Time, pushed at the new Ministers, may be judged of by that other Incident which attended at this Time, (
viz.
) That the Occasional-Bill was at this Time brought in by them, which they had always opposed before, and which, it seems, was now submitted to, in Favour of the E. of
N—'s
Scheme, who declared himself against the Administration from this Time, for Reasons so mean, as
requires not to be remembred, and who, however, forgot not to
a good Capitulation with those
surrendred to, and to gain this Point of the Whiggs, which they had always, till now, withstood; but neither the E of
N
—insisting on such high Terms for so mean an Advantage, as the best Service he could do them, nor the Easiness of the Whiggs at that Time, to part with the Dissenters on such cheap Terms, were by far, so wonderful, as the Satisfaction with which the Dissenters stood and lookt on while the Fetters and Mannacles of this new Law were fastened upon them; it cannot be doubted, that secret Engagements were entered into between the Parties, to take off this Law again by Parliament, when an Occasion should offer: When that Occasion shall be said to offer, Time must shew. All the Use which Her Majesty made of these things, was to see to what a Length those, who resolved to oppose her Measures, were come, and what Sacrifices they would make, to bring about their Schemes; but these things moved Her not at all.
It was far more afflicting to her Majesty, to see Her Servants clashing with one another, in the Execution of Her Commands; and to see the Endeavours, used by Herself, and those who adhered to Her Pleasure, ineffectual to the putting a Stop to it; yet even these Evils, tho' dangerous to the Administration, had their Effect for the bringing about the great Event which now came on the Stage, concurring with the Measures of the Whiggs, so far as to make it be still more and more Her
Majesty's
Opinion, that it was absolutely necessary to put an End to the War.
The Treasurer's Opinion was not material on the Subject of a Peace, the
Queen
having declared, that it was Her firm Resolution, if possible, to be done upon just Conditions, to put an End to the War; but the Treasurer was more convinced of the Necessity, as well as Justice of Her
Majesty's
said Resolution, when he saw not only the Warmth wherewith the opposite Party opposed the
Ministry,
even in carrying on the War; but the Divisions apparently breaking into the Administration, by the Power of those, who set up a new Faction in the Ministry, and by the Influence they had, not only upon the
Queen,
but upon the Members of Parliament, and upon some useful People in most Offices under her
Majesty.
Yet the Treasurer took no Steps in the Affair of the Peace, till the
French,
having made Proposals of Peace to Her Majesty, it came before him to consider, whether those Proposals were such as might lay a Foundation for a solid Negotiation. The Treasurer took nothing from them otherwise than
ad Referendum,
neither entered into any secret Negotiation without Her
Majesty's
Direction and Knowledge: What any other Person might do, being employed or directed by this new Faction, the Treasurer accounts not for, any more than he does for many of the Orders and Directions given to the Persons employed abroad to carry it on,
in which he had no Concern.
The Treasurer cannot but hope, that the present Enquiry, which is making into these things, will serve to his Vindication in that Part, wherein he suffers in the general Scandal of other Mens actings, as if all things had been directed by him; the contrary is evident in many other Cases besides that of the Peace, wherein his Part of the Negotiations seemed rather to be, to set to Rights the Mistakes made by others; and to put them in the Way of a regular Negotiation, after the most remiss and disconcerted Conduct had brought them into Confusion, as was many times the Case: If the Treaty suffered by those Steps, and if the
French
were vigilant to make Advantage of the People, who, they found, acted with less Regularity than in a Case of such Consequence they had Reason to expect; the Treasurer has the Satisfaction of seeing, that the Advantages so made are the less, by the Part he acted in that Matter, and not the more.
The Truth of what is said of the Treasurer not being Master of the Measures, by which the said new Faction then acted, was evident from their obtaining, without his Consent or Knowledge, an Order from Her
Majesty,
to pay the Sum of Twenty Eight Thousand Thirty Six Pounds Five Shillings for Arms,
&c.
on the Account of the Expedition to
Canada;
which Sum the Treasurer scrupled to pay, for such Reasons as are well known to be just, among which, one was, that he had Reason to believe the said Demand was a Fraud, that the Money was to be applyed to private Use, and that the greatest Part, if not all, was not to be employed in the Service for which it was pretended to be asked; which Reason likewise caused the Treasurer to withdraw himself out of that matter, and to refuse, for some time before, to meet with those who transacted it.
Neither will it be of any Force to say, that the Breaches did not take Effect till toward the End of that Administration, and that the Treasurer was the sole Director for the first Three Years, as some insinuate, to take off the Force of these Remarks; for it is certain, that tho' the open Discovery of these Divisions, and their breaking out into a Flame, did not appear without Doors till after the Peace was finished; yet the fatal Influence of them began, even at the Beginning of the
Ministry;
the Interest began to divide in
Feb.
1710-11, and the Treasurer refused to meet in several Congresses of
their Allies;
because he found them carrying on criminal Intreagues for the defrauding the Public, and enriching themselves by the Spoils of their Country.
It would expose the new Faction aforesaid, should it be made publick, how they treated the
Treasurer
for refusing to corrupt his Hands, and stain his Integrity, with betraying his Sovereign to those, who, he foresaw, would betray all to their voratious Avarice; how he was never to be forgiven the Omission of such a Step; and that they would, by no Means, be thought to have Justice from him, if they were hinder'd from making a Prey of their Country.
It is because he strives not to load any Man, much less those, who, he fears, have already too much Guilt to answer for, that he forbears to enter into the detecting those Practices, which he then abhorr'd; it is enough to mention what those Men too well know the Truth of, (
viz.
) That from the Beginning he found their Measures too much calculated for private Advantage, without that disinterested Aim at the publick Service, which the Duty of Ministers of State requir'd; and that, according to his Duty, he, with Plainness and Sincerity,
told them
his Thoughts of it, in order to their reforming the Principle from which they acted;
told the Queen of it,
in order to prevent
Her Majesty's
being impos'd upon; and being able to do no more,
withdrew from them
in those things which he did not approve; as, in particular, that Affair of the Money demanded for the Expedition to
Canada.
In which Affair, the
Treasurer
has the Satisfaction of making it appear, that he did not come into the Fraud; and that, notwithstanding the Importunity of the Persons, he resisted their Demand of the Money, till such repeated Orders were sent him to comply with it from
Her Majesty,
as he had no Power to withstand; and likewise has had the Satisfaction to find, that, since these things,
Her Majesty
had an Opportunity to see the Cheat more openly detected by his Means; and to know, that whatever was suggested by the
Treasurer,
of a design'd Fraud in that Case, was true.
But what was yet more wonderful, was, that the Persons concern'd were not asham'd to vindicate themselves in this Practice; and to suggest, that they ought to be allow'd to do such things; signifying also their great Resentment at the
Treasurer,
as if they were wrong'd by him, in being restrain'd from those things, which no honest Man could allow.
The Peace having been effectually set on Foot in the Year 1712. met with unexpected Opposition at Home; and as it was thought that those of the Allies, who seem'd to appear most active against it Abroad, were mov'd to do so, by the Impressions which they receiv'd from hence; it was, by
Her Majesty
's Command, made his Province to set on Foot such Negotiations in such Foreign Courts as were necessary, in order to undeceive the Princes and States Abroad, as often as they had receiv'd ill Impressions of
Her Majesty
's Intentions, and to set Her Measures in a true Light before them, that no Misconstructions might be made of Her sincere Desires to act in Concert with them, and for their Interests; and, consequently, no fatal Misunderstandings might happen in, which might separate the Allies one from another, which would be a Means to make the Advantages, which might be obtain'd by an unanimous Treaty, either less in themselves, or difficult to obtain; and it is not to be wonder'd, if the
Treasurer
should afterwards, in the Account of these things which he laid before
Her Majesty
in the Year 1714. say, That, during the first Year of the Peace,
his Hands were full of negotiating the Peace in all Courts abroad;
seeing the Conduct of these Men, and the Mistakes they made, made it often difficult, as well as troublesome, to reconcile their Measures, and to distinguish between what they had done, and what
Her Majesty
intended to have had them do.
As to what was offer'd at Home against the Negotiations of the Peace,
Her Majesty
took little Notice of; nor did it make any other Impression on Her, than to convince Her more and more, of the Necessity She was under of finishing the War, and confirming Her Opinion in the Reasonableness of Her Negotiations. The Opposition made about that Time to the publick Administration, as well of the Treasury, as of the military Affairs, gave
Her Majesty
still less Disturbance; for the
Treasurer
having been supported by the needful Funds, which the Parliament, with great Duty and Application, dispatch'd, to
Her Majesty
's Satisfaction, easily surmounted the Difficulties which some endeavour'd to cast in his Way, in the procuring Money to carry on the publick Affairs, and the
Queen
's Business now began to be on a better Foot than ever. The Party, who, from the Beginning, had oppos'd
Her Majesty
's Measures at Home, and embarrass'd them Abroad, began to lose Courage, and to give it over, finding the
Queen
resolved to pursue Her just Designs, and Her Servants in a Capacity to support Her Administration, which they had been very positive, in their Assurances to the Foreign Courts in Alliance with the
Queen,
could not be brought to pass, and on the Miscarriage whereof, the Sum of their Affair depended.
As the said Assurances to the Foreign Courts had created much Difficulties to the Ministers, and had made the Negotiations very precarious; so when the Failure of those Assurances appear'd, as it did very evident, by the withdrawing of some Persons from the Kingdom, and by the Submission of several active People at Home, and by the dutiful and cheerful Concurrence of the Parliament then sitting; in which all the Difficulties which could be started by the malecontent Party, were clear'd up, to the full Satisfaction of the said Parliament, who evidently came into the Peace, and even into the Manner, or Terms of it: I say, on the Failure of those Assurances given from hence to some Foreign Courts, and such necessary Steps as were taken by the
Treasurer,
to assure those Courts of the Sincerity of
Her Majesty
's Intentions: Many of those Courts appear'd satisfy'd, and things went on in a free and open Negotiation abroad for a while, with more Success, and less Difficulty, than before.
Yet even in this Part, in which they could contribute so little, did the Persons abovementioned give the publick Affairs all imaginable Obstruction, and make the
Treasurer
's Work thereby exceedingly difficult, by their frequent breaking in upon Measures, acting rashly, and without Concert, and perhaps sometimes without sufficient Directions, or Orders, in things of the nicest Nature; in which the
Treasurer
's Interest with them was so small, as that whatever he could say to them on that Head, was to very little Effect; and for that Reason, as likewise because he was willing to do nothing which should render Her Majesty uneasy, or obstruct Her Service, he gave them as little Obstruction as posssible.
But as Men, who agree but ill in the right Management of their Office, are likely to agree worse with themselves; so the
Treasurer
had frequently his Hands full with the lesser Broils, which they raised one among another; and which, either by their own Application, or by Her Majesty's Order, it was often made his Province to reconcile.
It would take up much Time to speak of these Matters, and especially of the Conduct of the
Secretary,
then Mr.
St. John,
before, at, and after his having the Dignity of the
Peerage
granted him by Her Majesty; in which many are Witnesses to the Treatment the
Treasurer
receiv'd from the Passion of that Gentleman, and his Friends; as it relates to the Delay of his Advancement at first, and his being ill satisfy'd with the Degree of it, when granted: The Particulars of which, though Her Majesty's Conduct was so just, and supported with such Reasons, as could not but be submitted to by all his Friends; yet were receiv'd by him with such Resentment at the
Treasurer,
as it has not been usual for Men of like Station to meet with, or for Ministers of State to give to one another.
It cannot be doubted, but this Conduct, as it obstructed the publick Affairs on one Hand; so it expos'd them much on the other; lessen'd the Esteem of the Persons, as well as the Power of Her Majesty's Servants, and brought the Administration into Contempt, both at Home and Abroad; and, which was still worse, exceedingly disturbed Her Majesty, divided Her Esteem this Way or that, as Her Majesty found to Day this Person, to Morrow that, acting up to, or below the Duty of their Station; distracted the publick Councils, and oftentimes caus'd Her Majesty to shift. Her Service out of one Hand, and into another, which gave much Dissatisfaction to the
Queen
in several things; and Her Majesty failed not oftentimes to signify Her Displeasure at these things; which it was much more easy for Her Majesty to do, than to find a Remedy for them.
This caus'd the
Treasurer,
after things were brought to a length not to be otherwise accommodated, and after he had, in vain, by long Letters, as well as by frequent speaking to the other Persons, prest them to a stricter and quieter Application to their Duty, to represent these things to Her Majesty, in the plainest and best Terms he could; giving Her Majesty an Account of the distinct Circumstances She then stood in, with reference to the said uneasy Persons; as also of the Scituation of Her Affairs at that Time; and how Her Administration then appear'd by their Management, to be encumber'd with Difficulties not easy to get through; but yet ending with proposing due Remedies for the Evils which attended it.
It is true, one of the best Remedies for the said Evils, had been an Unanimity of Councils, and adjoining all the
Queen
's Servants together in a strict Friendship to one another, and a mutual Discharge of their Duty to Her Majesty, that each acting in their proper Sphere, or particular Province, with a clear and disinterested View to Her Majesty's Service, might go on in a good Understanding with one another, and a perfect Harmony of Desires for the publick Good, and a just Subservience to Her Majesty's Pleasure.
To this Purpose, the
Treasurer,
as well in his Letter to the Lord
Bolingbroke,
as in several Papers and Schemes which he gave in by Her Majesty's Command, to regulate these Mischiefs, always adher'd to the first Opinion which he had profess'd in the Time of the former Administration, and of which mention has been made,
viz.
That every Minister should confine himself to his especial Province, concurring therein to the general Interest of the Sovereign, and endeavouring always to lay before Her Majesty a true State of Her Affairs, should then act with Subservience to Her Commands, and in Concert with one another, for Her Interest and Service: This the
Treasurer
always back'd with just Representations of what was the particular Province of the Person he wrote to; and not without earnestly pressing him to enter into just Measures for the Discharge of the Matters immediately before them, and with Schemes for the carrying on the publick Business so, as to make it easy to the
Queen,
and to themselves.
Instead of just Returns to these, he was continually attack'd with Quarrels and Complaints, new and private Schemes of their own; some of which were form'd upon Principles that he could not, in Duty, comply with; and upon his rejecting such Schemes, but especially upon his prevailing with
Her Majesty
to enter so far into the redressing these things, as to make a Nomination of Officers, different from their Proposals, by a Scheme of the
Treasurer
's; upon thi
Step, I say, he was treated ever with Outrage; nor could they be ever brought to any Rules or Mesures, in Concert with the whole Ministry, ever after; till the
Treasurer,
to his great Satisfaction, withdraw out of publick Business, and obtain'd the Favour of
Her Majesty
to be dismiss'd from an Administration, in which he had so little Influence, as not to be able to do his Duty; and yet so great an Unhappiness, as to be charged with all the Mistakes which other Men made,
The
Treasurer
cannot but think the timely Dismiss he receiv'd, being the last Favour his Royal Mistress liv'd to do him, was the most happy Turn from Heaven that befel him through the whole Course of his Life, seeing it will testify for him, in any Examination which may hereafter be made into these things, that the Mistakes which may have been made in the Time of his Administration, have happen'd rather from the Want of Power in him to prevent them, than from his having the governing Influence in the Ministry, as has been suggested; that his Part of the Negotiations abroad, has been rather to rectify what they had done amiss, than to act by himself; and that no irregular Steps have been taken by him, no unwarrantable Practices, no evil Council given by him; and that his only Misfortune, next to his having been supposed to be the Author of evil Councils, has been, that he has not been able to prevent the Effects of them, or to deliver the
Queen
from them, whose Illness, many cannot but still believe, receiv'd not a little Encrease from the Trouble these things gave
Her Majesty,
and the Grief of seeing the irreconcileable Clashings of Her Servants.
But to go back to the Peace: It seems, in all the Speeches about the Transaction of that Affair, the Objections lie rather against the Methods taken to bring it to pass, than against the Illegality of the Ministers being employ'd to bring the War to an End; which, nevertheless, seems to be the previous Question; and here we find, that the proper Enquiry was, as to the
Treasurer,
Whether he has acted legally, in obeying the
Queen
's Commands, or not? If any of the Ministers with, or without his Knowledge and Consent, enter'd upon Measures, in carrying on the Treaty, unjustifiable by the Laws of the Land; their separate Management will, questionless, appear the plainer; and the
Treasurer,
when every Man shall answer for himself, will still be the more openly vindicated from the Aspersion mention'd above, of having the Direction of the whole Affair in himself.
As
Her Majesty
found Reasons to resolve to put an End to the War; Her Minister, whether ther enter'd into
Her Majesty
's Reasons, or not, would find themselves oblig'd to enter into Her Measures for the bringing it to pass; whether the Reasons which mov'd
Her Majesty
to this Resolution, were Her own, or were rais'd from the Counsel given to Her by any Person in whom
Her Majesty
repos'd so much Confidence, as to be prevail'd with by their Advice; whether
Her Majesty
was mov'd by the Tendency so natural to Her, and the Compassion mov'd in Her Breast, by the Expence of the Blood of Her People; some having said, this was the first and only Motive; but supposing it was by the Counsel of Her Servants from other Motives, and be those Motives what they will, it seems no Part of the present Defence of the late
Treasurer,
unless there appear'd some Ground for a Charge upon him, as being the Person who advis'd, counsell'd, or mov'd
Her Majesty
to it, or to enter into any Measures with
France
for that Purpose; which, on the strictest View of all that yet appears in publick, does not seem to be so much as pretended to.
While then it remains unenquir'd into, who first mov'd
Her Majesty
to enter into Measures for making a Peace; and the
Queen
's undoubted Prerogative empower'd
Her Majesty
to enter into, and finish Negotiations to that Purpose; It seems, that all the Enquiries into the Correspondence between
Her Majesty
's first Resolutions, and the subsequent Measures, will necessarily be plac'd to the Account of such Intervention of Accidents, as caus'd
Her Majesty
to change Her Thoughts; and that the Ministry cannot justly be charged to bring to pass those Resolutions, and those Changes, by Way of Intriegue, or with Design to carry on the Treaty with the more Disguise; this would be to make the
Queen
's Servants guilty of betraying the
Queen
in the most infamous Manner, and exposing the Honour of
Her Majesty
's Word in a most gross and unjustifiable Manner; and if any such thing could be prov'd, the
Treasurer
would have no other Work before him, than to publish his Detestation of such Practices, and wash his Hands of the Guilt.
On the other Hand, it is humbly conceiv'd, That all such Expressions as are insisted on by some in the
Queen
's Letters, Messages, or Speeches, to the Allies, or their Ministers, in which Her Majesty declar'd Her Resolution to carry on the War; to make no separate Treaty; to procure just Satisfaction to Her Allies,
&c.
are to be expounded by the
Grand Alliance;
and to be built upon the Supposition, That Her Allies acted according to all their Engagements with
Her Majesty
in the said Alliance; otherwise
Her Majesty
would be understood to oblige Herself to all that might be contain'd in those Expressions, whether Her Allies continu'd to discharge their Part or no; and, in the Consequence of such an Opinion, the
Queen
might at length be alone in the War, under the literal Obligation of those Letters, Speeches,
&c.
But it was the Opinion of the
Queen
at that Time, and of many of Her Servants, That the Allies, particularly the
States
and the
Emperor,
had not done their Part in the War; and had not discharg'd their Engagements to
Her Majesty;
and even the Parliament themselves, in the Representation of the
House of Commons
to the
Queen,
(Reference being had thereto) did confirm that Opinion; nay,
Her Majesty
found, that no Complaint from hence had the desir'd Effect, to oblige the said Powers to act in another Manner; but were productive only of Memorials and Letters, extenuating, or justifying themselves; and in these things are said more particularly to be form'd
Her Majesty
's first Resolutions.
Nor was this a Transaction of that Day only; it had been thus before: And this
Her Majesty
had long been acquainted with, in the Time of the Earl of
Godolphin
's Administration, when, as has been credibly said, his Lordship having frequently pressed those Allies to perform the Conditions of the
Grand Alliance;
and to furnish their
Quota's
and
Contingents,
as by the several Conventions and Stipulations, subsequent to the said Treaty of
Grand Alliance,
they were oblig'd to do; receiv'd for Answer more than once, and that to
Her Majesty
's great Grief; That their
State
was empoverish'd; that they were able to do no more; and that unless his Lordship, meaning the then
Treasurer,
would supply the extraordinary Charge, they could not carry on the War; and must make their own Peace on the best Conditions they could, or to this Effect. If these things then were justifiable on the Part of any of
Her Majesty
's Allies; they were much more to be defended on the Part of
Her Majesty,
and Her Servants; though they were led by these things in the Method they were to take with the same Allies, even by a natural Return.
Likewise in the Methods taken by some of the Allies, to reject, and render ineffectual the Treaty for a Peace, when it was set on Foot at
Ʋ trecht;
and to put an End to it by the Operations of the Campaign;
Her Majesty
thought She saw so resolv'd a Combination, not against a Peace only, but even against a Treaty, without enquiring whether it might have been concluded to Advantage or no; which combination
Her Majesty
thought was not only inconsistent with, but contrary to, the express Declaration of the
States,
of their being desirous of Peace; that
Her Majesty,
and likewise Her Servants, were of Opinion, That
Her Majesty
was justly disengag'd from all that had been said, promised, or stipulated between them before; and was not at Liberty only, but bound by the strictest of all the Obligations which a good Prince could be bound by, to provide for the Safety and Ease of Her own Subjects, by a Peace, whether in Conjunction with, or separate from those Allies; in the mean Time, nevertheless, providing as well as possible, for the Satisfaction of all Her Allies; if they thought fit to come into Her Measures, for their own, and the general Satisfaction.
This may appear more especially from the Instructions given to his Grace the Duke of
Ormond,
when he went over
General of Her Majesty
's
Forces;
wherein his Grace's Orders begin thus:
You are, with all possible Diligence, to repair to the
Hague;
and to acquaint the
Pensionary,
That, having appointed you to command our Army in the
Netherlands,
we have given you Orders to see him before you go to put your self at the Head of the Troops. You are to express to him the Resolution we are in, of pressing the War with all possible Vigour, until the Enemy shall agree to such Terms of Peace, as may be safe and honourable for us, and for our Allies.
You are farther to say to this Minister, That you are prepar'd to live in a perfect good Correspondence with all the Generals of the Allies, and particularly with those of the
States;
and that you hope, you shall find the same Inclination on their Part, to which his (the
Pensionary
) good Offices will extremely contribute. You are, after this Introduction, to desire the
Pensionary
to inform you what Plan has been agreed upon for the Operations of the Campaign.
The Duke, it seem, is of Opinion, that when his Grace came to the
Hague,
and, pursuant to these Instructions, communicated the
Queen
's Pleasure, as well to the
Pensionary,
as to the
Deputies
of the Council of State, they declin'd him; receiv'd the Proposals in a manner less obliging than
Her Majesty
thought She had Reason to expect; and it is evident, that they refus'd to communicate their Measure to him, but referr'd him to the Deputies in their Army; as may be seen in the Account given to the Publick by his
Grace,
in his Book, Entitul'd;
Vid. pag. 2 or 3.
The Couduct of the Duke of
Ormond.
This Quotation is needful, in order to state the Case, as it then appear'd to
Her Majesty
's Servants, at the Time when Proposals came over from
M. de Torcy,
in the King of
France
's Name, in order to set on Foot a Negotiation for a Peace; and which, by the
Grand Alliance,
Her Majesty was not prohibited receiving; and, consequently, the Ministers could not be blam'd for receiving it in
Her Majesty
's Name; if, in the Pursuit of the Negotiations which have follow'd, they have acted illegally, that must appear upon due Examination, and must lie upon those, who it can be prov'd, by good Evidence, were guilty.
The
Treasurer
's Part in these things, can lie only in the general Transaction, (
viz.
) The approving of the entring upon the Treaty, the particular Negotiation not being his Province; except that his Share abovemention'd, which seem'd to be rather the Necessity he found sometimes to rectify the Mistakes which some, by their private Divisions, and their other Practices, had run themselves into, than that he manag'd any Part of the Treaty: But the whole Affair was transacted in the Council; or by the
Secretary of State;
or by the
Queen
through them both.
Moreover, it recurs back to what is observed before, That such was the growing Breach among the
Queen
's Servants at this Time, that, not being in Terms of Peace with one another, they were ill qualify'd to consult one another in the Affair of making Peace abroad; it is hop'd, for their Sakes, they have made no Slips; if it should be otherwise, their Enemies will not fail to make their Advantage thereof. But as to the
Treasurer,
it is evident, that as it was not his Province to correspond with the
Ministers
abroad; so he is not to answer for those that did.
It may seem strange, that in carrying on this Account of the
Conduct of this Minister,
who Fame has so often spoken of, as at the Head of all Affairs, it has not yet occurr'd to speak of the
Pretender,
or so much as once to mention such a Person; but that he seems to lie out of the Question, as much as if there were no such Person in the World; and this is the more wonderful, because of the Pains which has been taken in the World, to load the
Treasurer
with the Guilt of this, among the rest; and even to assure the World, that this, among other things, would be prov'd upon him, as clear as the Sun at Noon Day; notwithstanding which, some of his Enemies acknowledge now, that even in all the Examinations into that Matter, that they do not see, that one Step, in Favour of the
Pretender,
can be prov'd upon him; neither do we find yet, that those appointed to examine into it, have charg'd him with any thing of that kind.
The most which the Examinations which have been taken of that Matter seem to import, amount to no more than this; That some People in the Ministry knew of, or conniv'd at his being permitted to reside in the Dominions of the Duke of
Lorrain:
But all of them grant, that in all the Negotiations, they were strictly enjoin'd to insist upon his being oblig'd to quit the Dominions of
France;
so that they do not pretend to any thing done in the Treaty in his Favour, or of that kind, that could be useful to his Design; nor is it alledg'd, that the Obligations laid on the
French
King, not any Ways to aid or assist him, or to admit his Return, are not as full and as pungent, as Words could express; which Treaty therefore being so calculated to remove the
Pretender
from the Assistance of the
French,
and from his Dominions, seem'd to answer all the Ends of the most fixed and resolv'd Enemies to his Interest, not valuing whether he might think fit to go; seeing if the
French
King kept his Word inviolably, his near Residence in
Lorrain
would be of small Advantage to him; and if otherwise, his remoter Residence could have been no more Obstruction to him, than the Difference of a few Days in his Journey, when he should have been recall'd; adding withal, that at the remoter Distance of
Rome,
or
Venice,
he would, with much greater Ease, have remov'd without Notice, and been able to have pass'd
incognito,
whenever he had any Design so to do, than he can do where he now is.
So that on the whole; As in the Treaty they took effectual Care to tie up the
French
King, from giving any Assistance to the
Pretender,
and put the Necessity upon him, of banishing him for ever from his Dominions, the
Queen
seem'd to have done all that was of Movement to be done; and if any one conniv'd at the Place of his Residence, in Favour of his pretending to the Crown of
Great Britain,
such an one was so far guilty of a trayterous Confederacy with the
Pretender.
It is observ'd by some, that the Affair of the
Pretender
was the Province of the Abbot
Gautier,
who was a
French
Minister residing here during the Negotiations; but it dose not yet appear, or at least we do not find, that any thing was transacted for him, but what related to the Place where he should go; and that so as he might not be surpriz'd by the
Emperor;
and even this seems to have been left undecided; and that the
Queen
afterwards finding it was the Occasion of Uneasiness among Her People, did earnestly press to have him remov'd; all which can afford but small Ground to suggest, as is done, That the
Ministry
had a reserv'd Design to make him King of
Britain.
This, however, not at all affecting the
Treasurer,
had not been mention'd in this Place, but to remind the Reader of the Injury the
Treasurer
receiv'd, during the Time of these Negotiations, as well as since, in being openly reflected on, as in the Interest of the
Pretender;
whereas, upon the narrowest Scrutiny, it is believ'd it will appear, that not one Step has been, at any time, taken by him; or that the least Shadow of any thing will be found, that looks like favouring that Person's Interest: On the other Hand, it is apparent, That the
Treasurer
has all along been hated and malign'd by the
Jacobite
Party here, as their greatest and most dangerous Enemy; that they openly rejoic'd when he was dismiss'd from the high Station which he acted in before; and that as soon as the first Division among the
Ministry
appear'd, they eminently shew'd themselves against the
Treasurer,
and in the Interest of the other; which was a Testimony of the best kind,
namely, of the Enemy
in Behalf of the
Treasurer;
and signified, that if they had any Hopes of their Interest in any Side, it was in those who were now opposing the
Treasurer
to the utmost: These things, if any thing will do it, may open the Eyes of some Men, to see the Injustice they have done to the
Treasurer
in these things; and how injuriously he has been all along treated by them.
The
Treasurer
standing in this Posture, with respect to the
Ministry
at Home, in cannot be suppos'd but that many things, in the Transaction of the
Peace,
were actually done, not without his Consent only, but that he entirely declin'd to intermeddle with those things which he did not approve. It was, no doubt, the Duty of the
Plenipotentiaries,
to leave such Articles as they could not legally adjust, to the Parliament of
Great Britain
to ratify, or reject; and therefore the VIII and IX Articles of the Treaty of Commerce, which related to the taking off of
Duties
on several
Merchandizes
imported, could not be finally concluded, or otherwise settled, than by referring them to the Parliament, by whom the several
Duties
being appropriated to particular Purposes, could alone be taken off: But when these things came to be laid before the Parliament, it seems, it was Subject of great Complaint against the
Treasurer,
that he was unwilling, or declin'd to have the
Ministry
espouse the making those Articles effectual; whereas it was the
Treasurer
's Opinion, That the
Ministry
should entirely leave the Merchants to act as they thought fit; and leave the House to act at the Merchants Requests, and as their own Wisdome should direct them; the
Ministry
standing entirely neuter.
But this likewise he was over-rul'd in; and the rest of the
Ministers
thinking themselves oblig'd to support at Home, what they had transacted Abroad, brought in their whole Strength into the Debate, and, making it a Party Affair, lost it in the
House of Commons,
by that very Means, and no other: In all which Matter, the
Treasurer
remain'd passive, and unconcern'd; though with this Injustice also on him,
viz.
That he suffer'd the Reproaches of the Whigs, for espousing the
Bill of Commerce;
and of the other Part of the
Ministry,
for not espousing it.
It would be endless to go through the Detail of these particular Cases, in which the Province of the
Treasurer
was no other, than to bear infinite Calumny for those Follies, which he had no Share in, but had not Power to prevent; and this made him frequently say, That
he was out of Office near a Year before he was out of Place;
and indeed, for some of the last Months that he remain'd in the Place, he had little to do in the publick Affairs, but to complain of this injurious Usage,
viz.
That he was oblig'd to see things done that he could not approve of; and then to hear them call'd his Doing.
Under these Unhappinesses he became an humble Petitioner to
Her Majesty,
either to deliver him from these Men, or to dismiss him from the Service: At first he prevail'd, to their great Uneasiness, to have a new Settlement of Great Officers made; which, as he knew it overthrew the Schemes which the other People had laid; so he had Hopes it would, at length, put the Affairs in a Course of Management, as would retrieve the Confusion they were at that time in: This was when
Her Majesty
appointed the Duke of
Shrewsbury
Lieutenant of
Ireland;
Lord
Finlater,
to be Chancellor of
Scotland;
the Earl of
Marr,
third Secretary of State; Lord
Dartmouth,
Lord Privy Seal; and Mr.
Bromley,
Secretary of State, in Lord
Dartmouth
's Room; Sir
William Wyndham,
Chancellor of the
Exchequer;
and the Duke of
Ormond,
to command in chief in
Britain.
It is impossible to express the Outrage of the other Persons, who now own'd they look'd but like a FACTION in the
Ministry;
but gave out threatning Speeches plentifully, that they would soon destroy this new Scheme: The Trouble likewise which this gave to the
Queen
Herself, cannot be spoken of without Grief; especially when it must be remembered, how near it was to that fatal Distemper which remov'd
Her Majesty
to a Throne, uncapable of such Perturbation and Dissatisfaction.
It was not indeed very long e're
Her Majesty
perceiv'd that they would never cease attacking Her on these Heads, and began something to yield to their Importunities; which the
Treasurer
perceiving, renew'd his Applications to
Her Majesty,
to the same Purpose as before: And in this Interval it was, that he receiv'd
Her Majesty
's Command, to lay before Her a true State of Her Affairs; which Command he cheerfully obey'd, in Hopes the doing so might either fortify
Her Majesty
's Resolutions in the Model of Administration lately enter'd upon, or replace himself in that Recess from Business, and from the Scandal of other Mens Mistakes, which he so much desir'd.
This Account the
Treasurer
laid before Her Majesty the
9th
of
June;
the Title whereof was as follows:
A brief Account of publick Affairs since August the 8th, 1710. to this present 8th of June, 1714. To which is added, The State of Affairs Abroad, as they relate to this Kingdom; with some humble Proposals for securing the future Tranquillity of Her Majesty's Reign, and the Safety of Her Kingdoms.
Together with this Account, the
Treasurer
sent
Her Majesty
the following Letter; and, in a few Days after, the
Queen
did him the Honor of granting his humble Petition, (
viz.
) of laying the
Staff
at
Her Majesty
's Feet: The Letter as follows:
May it please Your Majesty,
I Presume, in Obedience to Your Royal Commands, to lay before Your Majesty a State of Your Affairs. Though I have very much contracted it from the Draught I made, and the Vouchers from whence it is taken; yet I find it swell under my Pen in Transcribing, being willing to put every Thing before Your Majesty in the clearest Light my poor Understanding can attain to. It was necessary to lay it before Your Majesty in the Series of Time, from the Beginning to this present Time; and when that is compleatly laid before You, it remains only for me, to beg God to direct Your Majesty.
And as to my self, do with me what You please; place me either as a Figure, or a Cypher; displace me, or replace me, as that best serves Your Majesty's Occasions, You shall ever find me, with the utmost Devotion, and without any Reserve,
MADAM,
Your most Dutiful, most Faithful, most Humble, most Obedient Subject, and Ʋ nworthy Servant,
OXFORD.
Thus ended a troublesome Administration of a few Years; in which the
Treasurer
may truly say, He enjoy'd the Place, but never could execute the Office; and though it is true, that he had all the Envy, and bore the Weight of all the evil Conduct of other Men; yet nothing can be truer, than that they not only influenc'd the publick Affairs, distinctly from him; but that they carry'd every thing their own Way, even over the Belly of the
Treasurer;
and had the particular Direction of those things, of which he had the Scandal, for all their ill Management lies at his Door, in the Esteem of his Enemies; and is, to this Hour, improv'd to his Hurt, as much as some
Men
are able.
It was, as has been said, but a short while after this Representation to
Her Majesty,
that the
Queen
thought fit to accept the
Treasurer
's Cession of the
Staff;
a certain Evidence, that their Influence had a prevailing Force with
Her Majesty,
who would never else have consented to admit such
Men
into Her Administration, who, it had been prov'd, had defrauded the Publick of above 20000 Pounds in Money but just before; and who had so evidently been detected in that Fraud by him, who
Her Majesty
suffer'd to lay down.
From hence it is argu'd, That the Knowledge of these things was one Reason, why the
Queen,
after the
Treasurer
was actually displaced, had yet such a Prepossession against those
Men,
that, to their inexpressible
Mortification, Her Majesty
gave the Office of
Lord Treasurer
to his Grace the Duke of
Shrewsbury;
a Person in the last Scheme of the
Treasurer;
and therefore hated mortally by the new Faction,
so we must still call them;
and a Person, in whose Advancement they were more confounded than before.
Had the
Queen
immediately entred into the
Measures of those Men,
who perswaded Her to dismiss the
Treasurer,
She would certainly have likewise receiv'd their Friends into such Places as they had determin'd for them; and then a few
Months
longer would have discover'd what they aimed at: The
Treasurer,
how ill an Opinion soever he had of their Capacity, had, nevertheless, this Hope, That they would not take any Step in Favour of the
Pretender;
but always kept himself in Readiness to have detected them in the first Steps they should have made that Way.
But
Her Majesty
's Distemper and Death intervening, surpriz'd them all; put an End to all their projected Schemes at once; and, among the rest, had this one Unhappiness, that it prevented the late
Treasurer,
and depriv'd him of the Opportunity of convincing
Her Majesty,
by the Consequences of the fatal Tendency of these Councils; and how naturally they would embroil Her Affairs, both at Home and Abroad.
Upon the present Enquiries made by the Authority of Parliament into these Matters, it seems, that some of these Men have not Confidence enough in the Justice of their own Measures, to defend them in a Parliamentary Manner; but have retir'd, for the present; whether it shall be constru'd to signify, their pleading guilty to the Charge, shall not be enter'd into here; but certain it is, that they must know the
Treasurer
may have something to say to them, which they are not very well dispos'd to hear.
The
Treasurer
not doubting the Justice of those, who the Laws of this Nation have made Judges of these things,
APPEARS,
and manifests thereby his Readiness to cast his Life, his Honour, and his Fortunes, upon the Honour and Impartiality of the Peerage of
Great Britain;
as being assur'd, that nothing shall be there laid upon him, which cannot be fixt by the Testimony of good Witnesses; and that he shall not be censur'd by their Lordships for those Transactions, which have been the Work of other Hands; and that he shall not only have full Scope given him, for clearing up his Innocence in all the Points charged against him; but likewise a Liberty to bring to open View, the Steps which have been taken by his Enemies, not only towards the Ruin of their Country; but also towards vindicating themselves, by laying their own Crimes at his Door; in which Defence, no question, not only all these things will be placed in a fuller and clearer Light; but many other things be brought into View, which have hitherto been either concealed, or very ill understood.
FINIS.