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had come over to England to be married, was within a few days sent back to his post at the Hague. He was further directed to show to the Ministers of Holland a list, transmitted by the King of France of four towns, at any one of which the King was willing that the conferences should be held. "We have refused" writes St. John "to let the general treaty be carried on in our own country; and we are ready to send our plenipotentiaries to such of these four towns as may be most agreeable to the Dutch States.” 3

These proposals, however skilfully varnished, proved to be most unwelcome at the Hague. The ruling Dutchmen demurred to any negotiation thus conducted, and sent over Buys to urge their remonstrances in London. Buys was courteously received both by Queen and Ministers, but could not make the least impression. St. John said drily, that as England bore by very far the largest share in the burthen of the war, England was entitled to take the leading part in the conclusion of the peace. With great reluctance the States were at last obliged to allow, in practice at least, the truth of St. John's words. They consented to negotiate in the manner that England had proposed; and for the place selected Utrecht the first town named in the French list. There it was settled that the conferences should begin in the first days of January next.

On the Austrian side the resentment at the course of England was even greater, or at least more publicly shown. Count de Gallas, the Imperial Minister in London, received from St. John a copy of the paper in seven articles already transmitted to Holland. The communication was designed in the first instance as

Correspondence, vol. i. p. 249.

private, but De Gallas in his wrath sent it to the newspapers. "It has been rendered as public as the Daily Courant can make it "-so St. John writes. The Count was not content with this single indiscretion. He reviled the English Government in unmeasured terms, not sparing even the Queen herself, and declaring that her Ministers must be fools or worse. Further still it appeared that he was taking an active part in promoting the pamphlets and lampoons which began to swarm against the project of a peace.

It was thought necessary by some decisive step to assert the Royal dignity. On Sunday the 28th of October, Sir Clement Cottrel, Master of the Ceremonies, was ordered to go to the Count de Gallas and forbid him the Court in Her Majesty's name; adding that she no longer looked upon him as a public Minister, nor would receive any further application from him. At the same time, Mr. Watkins, the Secretary of Embassy at the Hague, was directed to proceed to Frankfort, where the newly elected Emperor was expected to arrive in order to be crowned. Mr. Watkins was to deliver to His Majesty a letter in the Queen's own hand, announcing her displeasure with the Count de Gallas and her desire to receive another Austrian Minister.

The pamphlets and lampoons which have been already mentioned grew more and more in numbers and gave much annoyance to the Ministry. There was no lack of good writers to put forth other tracts in answer or retaliation-with arguments as keen or with ribaldry as coarse. But besides these the Government of that day relied on what the Covenanters would have called "the arm of flesh." So early as the 17th of October we find St. John report to the Queen: "I have discovered the author of another scandalous libel, who will be in

custody this afternoon; he will make the thirteenth I have seized and the fifteenth I have found out."

Nor did these libellers confine themselves to prose. As Swift notes a few days later, "The Whig party are furious against a peace; and every day some ballad comes out reflecting on the Ministry on that account." Five years afterwards these effusions received a compliment they little deserve; they were collected and published in a dreary volume entitled "Pills to purge State Melancholy."

It was in the very midst of this political crisis that Marlborough returned to England. He set out from the Hague in company with Baron Bothmar, the Hanoverian Envoy to St. James's; and they landed at Greenwich on the 17th of November. This was the anniversary of Queen Elizabeth's accession to the Crown; when some tumults were apprehended. The apprentices and others of that class in London had been wont for many years to celebrate the day as a triumph to the Protestant cause; marching in nightly procession, and burning at a bonfire effigies of the Devil, the Pope, and the Pretender. This year, as a side-blow to the Tory Ministers-the friends of France as they were called-it was desired to enhance the usual solemnities; and there were it was said Whig subscriptions for that object. An account of the pageant as intended was soon afterwards published. Nothing could well be more offensive to the Roman Catholics in England. We find among the Items for instance: "Two Jackpuddings sprinkling Holy Water "_"Twelve streamerbearers with different devices, representing Sandals, Ropes, Beads, Bald-pates, and pregnant Nuns"-" After these four fat Friars in their habits, Streamers carried over their heads, with these words, EAT AND PRAY”.

"The Pope under a magnificent canopy, with a silver fringe, accompanied by the Chevalier de St. George on the left, and his counsellor the Devil on his right." In the night of

But the Ministers were on the alert. the 16th they sent to seize the effigies prepared, which were deposited in an empty house in Angel Court, Drury Lane. These being carried to the office of the Secretary of State Lord Dartmouth and there secured, the intended-procession was nipped in the bud. Next day moreover the Trained Bands were called out, and regular troops disposed in different places, so that the alarming anniversary passed off in perfect quietness. The result was only an increased exasperation between the political parties. The Tories declared that their adversaries had planned this pageant to profit by the confusion which might ensue and overthrow the government. On the other hand, the Whigs exclaimed that these fears were merely feigned as an excuse for rigorous and re-actionary measures.

Marlborough with his customary prudence stayed at Greenwich the whole night of the 17th, lest if in London he might be accused of countenancing any tumult that arose. Finding all quiet, he passed through the City next morning and went to Hampton Court to pay his respects to the Queen. His wish was at this time to remain neutral, or nearly neutral, in the affair of the Peace to remonstrate in private with Her Majesty on the course proposed-but to take no public part against

• Complete History of Europe, 1711, p. 402. As to the alleged Whig subscriptions, the Journal to Stella fixos the amount at 1,0007., and names one subscriber, Dr. Garth. The Tory papers of the day accuse the Kit-Cat Club,

and give these as the initials of subscribers: G. G. G., S. S. S., W. H. M., by which are meant Godolphin, Grafton, Garth, Somers, Sunderland, Somerset, Walpole, Halifax, and his brother Montague.

it. It was his object, according to Coxe, to obtain from the Queen the warrants for continuing the works at Blenheim. But he soon perceived that his neutrality would not be possible. The Peace would be assailed as soon as Parliament met, and above all in the House of Lords; and he must then declare himself-Content or Not Content.

Under these circumstances the Great Duke took counsel in secret with his friends and former colleagues of the Whig party; and they confided to him a plan which they had formed to defeat the Ministry and themselves return to power.-The majority against them in the Commons was very large. In the Lords on the other hand there was no great preponderance on the side of the Government; and a small band of Tories if won over would suffice to turn the scale. Such a band was now directed by Lord Nottingham. That veteran chief, so conspicuous in former years, had been passed over in all the recent nominations. There was indeed a rumour that he would be appointed Lord President at the death of Rochester. But Lord Oxford was it seems determined not to place him again in office from a dread of his extreme views and overbearing temper. "Mr. Harley would think his power at an end, if that person were taken in -so writes a wellinformed bystander."

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Much incensed at this neglect, Lord Nottingham, as the period of the Session drew near, made overtures for an union with the Whigs. They, seeing that a majority

5 On Marlborough's views at | May 4, 1711. According to Lord this time compare Bolingbroke's Dartmouth moreover "the Queen Correspondence, i. p. 298, with would not hear of Lord Notting. Coxe's Life, vol. vi. p. 130. ham." (Note to Burnet's Hist. vol. vi. p. 9).

6 Letter from Mr. Mainwaring to the Duchess of Marlborough,

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