THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES I I QftK LETTERS AND CORRESPONDENCE, PUBLIC AND PRIVATE, OF THE RIGHT HONOURABLE HENRY ST. JOHN, LORD 7ISC. BOLINGBROKE ; DURING THE TIME HE WAS SECRETARY OF STATE TO QUEEN ANNE; STATE PAPERS, EXPLANATORY NOTES, AND A TRANSLATION OF THE FOREIGN LETTERS, &V. BY GILBERT PARKE, WADH. COLL. OXON. CHAPLAIN TO HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCE OF WALES. VOL- I. LONDON: PRINTED FOR G. G. AND J. ROBINSON, PATERNOSTER-ROW. , I798- DA 501 134A3 TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE EARL OF HARDWICKE. MY LORD, YOUR noble relative, the late Earl of Hardwicke, who, together with other in- terefling and valuable State Papers, gave the public a fpecimen of Lord Bolingbroke's Official Difpatches, patted fo favourable a judgment upon them, that I was induced to publim the whole of the Secretary's Letters, which, through the kindnefs of a friend, came into my pofleflion ; and your Lordfhip has given me additional encouragement, in permitting me to prefix your name to the work, judging it may add to the {lore of Hiitory. I am rather confident, my Lord, that, with regard to the tranfaclions during the ever-memorable four laft years of the reign of Queen Anne, it will ferve as a faithful a 3 record; 918310 DEDICATION. record ; and it were to be wifhed, that our hiftory in general were founded more upon fuch authorities. I rejoice, my Lord, in the opportunity now afforded me of teftifying my efteem of your character, my veneration of your public conduct, and, particularly, of your zeal to promote the welfare and profperity of the county, which his Majefty has committed to your care ; one remarkable inftance of which, I was, for a long time, almoft a daily wit^ nefs to ; and the fuccefsful exertions of your Lordfhip on that occafion, increafed the at- tachment of your province, and muft endear your name to pofterity. 1 HAVE THE HONOUR TO BE, MY LORD, YOUR LORDSHIP'S VERY OBEDIENT SERVANT, GILBERT PARKE. Lotidon, March I , 1 758. PREFACE. PREFACE. JVlOST readers of the following Papers will be of opinion, that their internal evi- dence is proof fufficient of their authenti- city ; but the Editor thinks it his duty to give to the Public all the information he has received refpeding them. When Bolingbroke was difmifTed from 'his office, and fled to France, his Under- fecretary, Thomas Hare, Efq. who is often mentioned in his Lordfhip's Letters, fecured thefe Papers. At that time, Mr. Hare re- fided in London, and being a younger bro- ther, was poflefTed of a very fmall fortune, befide the place of Chief Clerk, Sole Ex- aminer and Regifter in Chancery, and Clerk of the Crown and Peace in Barbadoes, which offices he held, but whether for life, or dur- a 4 ing Vlll PREFACE. ing pleafure, is not quite certain ; one copy of the appointment, in the hands of the Editor, fpecifying for life, the other during pleafure; the latter is dated June 18, 1714, the former has no date, and, perhaps, was never executed, as the Queen died on the i ft of Auguft following, and it was not pro- bable that the friend of the profcribed Se- cretary would experience any favour from the fucceeding adminiftration. Independent of this place, whatever fortune he poirefTed was loft in the general calamity originating in the South-Sea Scheme. His elder brother dying unmarried, he, in 1732, fucceeded to the noble eftate and feat of his family at Stow-Hall, in Norfolk, and to the Baronetage granted to Sir Ralph Hare, in 1641. Thither he then retired, and the Bolingbroke manufcripts were de- pofited in the E\ idence-houfe belonging to the eftate, where they remained ; and, from 4 the PREFACE. IX the time of his death, in 1760, were little known or noticed. To the prefent worthy poffeflbr of the cftate, -Thomas Hare, Efq. and the defcend- ant of the Under-fecretary, the Editor, then refiding in the neighbourhood of Stow, ex- preffed his wifhes to perufe the Papers, and upon ftating his inclination to publim them, Mr. Hare, in the mod liberal and polite manner, fent him the whole of the Boling- broke Papers in his poffeilion. To this Gentleman he is indebted for many inftances of private friendship ; and whatever information or inftrudtion his countrymen may derive from the prefent work, they will attribute to his ready com- pliance with the wimes of the Editor ; a compliance not more the effecl of friendship than of his conflant defire to be ufeful to his country ; and though, after having de- dicated X PREFACE. dicated his younger years to a&ual fervice, he had retired to enjoy the eafe and afflu- ence left him by his anceftors, and to pro- mote the welfare and happinefs of thofe within his fphere, yet in thefe times of danger, he is employing his ample means in his country's caufe, and at the head of two troops of his aflbciated friends and neighbours, is difplaying an example of that pure patriotifm, fo highly neceflary at the prefent period. Upon an examination of the Manufcripts, many appeared to be autographs, and the remainder in the hand- writing of Sir Tho- mas Hare, or of his colleagues in office. They confifted of four volumes of Letters, and very many detached Papers. The firft volume contained the Public Difpatches to the Earl of Strafford; the fecond, the Public and Private Letters to the Marquis de Torcy, with thofe to and from Mr. Prior ; the PREFACE. XI the other two, his Public and private Letters to Correfpondents in general. The detached Papers confifted of the letters from the Marquis de Torcy, and the entire Corref- pondence with the Duke of Shrewfbury, together with Memorials, &c. The Editor has endeavoured to arrange all thefe in a regular ferics, and to fitpply fuch explanatory Notes as feemed neceflary to render characters and occurrences more familiar to the Reader. A Tranflation of the Foreign Letters was not intended, when the book was ready for the prefs, from a fear of fwelling the work to an inordinate fize; but, at the fuggeftion of a friend, whofe judgment the Editor has ever refpect- ed, he was induced to alter his plan ; and, by printing the work in a fmaller letter than that uled in the other volumes of Boling- broke, and by extending the page of letter- prefs, to give room at the end of each vo- i lume Xll PREFACE. lume for the Tranflation of the preceding Letters. Extracts from the public Letters of the Secretary appeared in the Report of the Se- cret Committee of the Houfe of Commons in 1715, which formed the ground-work of the impeachment of Oxford, Bolingbroke, StrafFord, and Ormond. But thefe feem to be of no farther ufe than as they ferved the purpofe of one party in effecting the over- throw of another ; in their mutilated ftate they are of little fervice to the hiftory of our country, and remain only to record the violence and the prejudice of faction. The late Earl of Hardwicke infer ted in his State Papers four of the official Letters of Lord Bolingbroke and Mr. Prior : thefe, fo far as the Editor has been able to learn,' are all the Papers in the following Collec- tion that have' hitherto appeared in print. The ' PREFACE. Xlll The prefent Publication confifts not only of official, but of private Letters of the Se- cretary ; the general bulinefs of that Admi- niftration, and his particular fentiments on that bufmefs ; the orders and inftruclions of the Minifter, and the confidential commu- nication of the motives for them. In a word, it leems to record the political occur- rences and hiftory of Great Britain, from the time Bolingbroke came into office until his fuperceffion by the Regents ; and the reader is not to learn the importance of that period. Every reader will form his own opinion of thefe tranfaclions, whether confidered feparately, or compared with thofe that went before, or have occurred fince ; it would therefore be of no ufe to detain him longer upon the Chapter of Contents. The Editor will, then, take his leave with ob- ferving, that the unrivalled fame of Boling- broke, XIV PREFACE. broke, as a political writer, is fo eftablifhed, as almoft to enfure a favourable reception ; and as to the mare, which the Editor has had in thefe Volumes, it is of too little confequence to merit animadverfion. ERRATA. VOL. II. Page Line for read 231 i De Monfieur A Monfieur. 291 335 ro 3^ CW. admettant 9 De Monfieur remettant. A Monfieur. 360 13 entredire interdire. 362 30 efpJrance 39 Elles experience. Elk 41 oppofee oppofees. 448 21 pares apres. 492 3 A Monfieur De Monfieur. 505 i ditto ditto. ERRATA. VOL ,111. Page Line for read 13 30 Chretienne Chretien. 47 16^- 23 dele tres Chretienne. '37 1 8 Montieon Monteleon. 161 16 A Monfieur De Monfieur. 169 7 De Monfieur A Monfieur. 187 10 envoyee envoyees. si 'EST avec beaucoup de depiaifir que j'ai re9u, par le canal de Monfieur Drum- rnond, les nouvelles de votre indifpontion ; j'efpere qu'elle fera bientot paflee, et qu'une fante auffi necefTaire a la caufe commune que la votre fera dans peu retablie. Je vous protefte, Monfieur, avec toute la (incerite dont un bon coeur foit capable, qu'en entrant dans Temploi ou j'ai prefente- * William de Buys, penfionary of Amfterdam, and one of the lords of the States-general of the United Provinces ; he was pccafionally appointed envoy-extraordinary to the Britifh court. At the conferences for making the peace at Utrecht, he was one of the plenipotentiaries on the part of the States, and was afterwards ambaflador to the court of France. VOL. I. B ment 2 LETTERS AND ment 1'honneur de fervir fa Majefte, rien ne m'a ete plus agrdable que la confideration des moyens que cette charge me fourniroit de vous marquer TefUme que j'ai con9\ie pour votre perfonne des le terns que je vous ai coiinu a Londres, et que je conferve en- core tres-vivement imprime dans mon ame. J'ai toujoufs envifage Jes interets de nos patries d'une maniere a me faire croire qu'on ne puiife les feparer fans les blefler ; c'efl une regie qui n'a jamais manque depuis le fondement de votre republique, que quand nos princes out fuivi les veritables interets de leurs royaumes, ils ont ete les amis de la Hollande, et nous n'avor^s ete vos ennemis que quand notre cour tramoit des deffeins aufli pernicieux a nous qu'a Meffieurs leg Etats. Voila les maximes fur lefquelles roulera ma conduite, et je veux efperer, qu'avec vos bons avis, je ferai en etat de rendre ces difpofitions, en quelque forte, utiles et avantageufes a 1'une et a Tautre. nation. Vous trouverez bon que je vous ecrive de terns en terns, au moins fur le chapitre de nos affaires domeftiques ; je vous man-* derai la verite toute pure, laquelle a ete de- puis CORRESPONDENCE, Set. 3 plus peu deguifee avec autant de malice que d'artifice. Je fuis, Monfieur, du fond de mon ame. votre, &c. To Mr. Drummond** Sift, Windfor, iyh Ocl. 1710. I HAVE been, fince the arrival of your kind and fatisfadory letters of the i4th and 1 7th inftant, N.S. in fo great a hurry of bulmefs, that I have not had the leifure necefTary to anfvver them as they deferve. You will give me leave, in hafte, to tell yon, that the intelligence which you give, and the accounts which you fend of the French defigns, are what I expected J but there have been fo many pofitive advices of an invafion fent over, that we, who did not believe them, were obliged to aft as if we did f. I have * A native of Great Britain, and a merchant of Amfter- dam. The party in England and Holland who oppolcd the peace, were fo much difpleafed with Mr. Druinmond's exer- tions to promote it, that they confpired to ruin him 3 and in the attempt were too fuccefsful. f *' I have a return from fotne of the perfons I employed '* to get intelligence from Dunkirk ; and it is incumbent *' upon me to aflurc your Majeity, that from the rirft thae *' has not been any the lead reafon for the aiarm which has B been 4 LETTERS AND I have writ and inclofed a letter to Morn fieur de Buys : his conduct in corre6Hng the infolence of the Gazetteers, was very oblig- ing ; and you will be very juft to us in allur- ing him, that thofe wha have the honour to ferve the Queen, will, upon all occaftons, where the reputation of Dutch affairs may be concerned, very readily do the fame *. I will inform myfelf particularly, when I return to London, about the pamphlet you mention ; and neither Monfieur Buys nor you fhall want a true ftate of our affairs, that fo you may prevent thofe evil and falie impreffions, which are given by the reftlefs factious fpirits of men, who would have the fhip founder and go to the bottom, the mo- ment they are removed from the helm. I go to-morrow, by the Queen's leave, to my own houfe, and I fhall not return to Court till the end of next week, having a " been given of an invafion. Either thofe who fhould inform V your Majefty of what is doing among your enemies, are " very little apprized of the matter, or the'y had fome other " reafon for creating fo much noife." St. John's Letter to the Queen, loth October, 1710. * The prefs in Holland was chiefly devoted to the party of the late miniftry, and the Duke of Marlborough, and not very attentive to truth and decorum. county CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 5 county ele&ion ftill on my hands, though that of my borough is over *. Onflow and Scawen have loft it by a great majority in Surrey ; the Duke of So- merfet is defeated at Marlborough, and in SufTex ; my Lord Wharton, in part, in Buckinghamfhire, and wholly at Appleby ; in fhort, the general run of elections is fuitable to the general ftyle of addrefTes ; very different from thofe fentiments which the Chefhire addrefs, printed in your Ga- zette, expreffes -j* f You may venture to aflure every body that credit will be fupported, the war pro- fecuted, the confederacy improved, and the principle in which we engaged purfued as far as poflible. Our friends and enemies both will learn the fame leiTon, that, how- ever we differ about things purely domeftic, yet we are unanimous in thofe great points which concern the prefent and future hap- pinefs of Europe. I thought it might be more eaiy to dif- cover in Holland than here, through what * Upon the change of miniftry, parliament was diflblved> and a new one called, to meet a^th November. f The Chefliire addrefs, difapproving of the change of jniniftry. B 3 channel 6 LETTERS AND channel thofe party-lies are conveyed to your news^writers ; I fancy Buckley, the writer of the Daily Courant, may have fome mare in this correfpondence. Your brother will find me very glad to fhow him all the refpecl, and to do him all the fervjce, in my power : when I return to London, I will endeavour to fee him, J am, Sir, with much truth, &c. 70 Mr. Qadogan *. SIR, Whitehall, O&ober the 24th, 1716, YOU make me a great many acknow- ledgments for a very fmall favour; what- ever efFecl the revolutions of parties have on others, they have none on me, with refpecT: to perfonal friendfhip; and I think what I did was the leaft our acquaintance and in- timacy exacted from me. As to the other point which you write upon, I will endeavour to ferve you in it, * Lieutenant-general Cadogan had been, during the whole war in Flanders, under the Duke of Marlborough, with whom he was in great favour; and though, upon the difgrace of the puke, he ftill kept his fituation abroad, for a (hort time ; yer, in the-end he was, as his patron had been, difmiffed fro.ii ail his employments* and CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 7 and I will do it frankly ; for though mea- fures are to be kept with party, yet friend- fhip may be preferved too ; and there is no need of facrirking to political fchemes aH the duties of private life. You are not very unfortunate in having been out of England for fome time, you would have had the mortification to fee every meaflire prevail which you and I have fo often joined in our deteftation of, and after that you would have feen every confe- quence arrive, which we as often joined in our appreheniions of. J commend you extremely for your firm refolution of adhering to that great man to whom you have fo many obligations; and I dare fay you will ferve him with fober and folid marks of your gratitude ; not with that empty impotent noife by which fome people have rendered themfelves, if poffible, more defpicable than they were before. I am, Sir, lincerely, &c. B 4 LETTERS AND Mr. SIR, Whitehall, O&ober, 27, 1710, I HAVE been fo much out of town, on. account of my own eltclions and thofe of rny friends, that I am got very deep in arrear to all my correfpondents, and to none with more regret than to yourfelf. Several paragraphs of your letters I read to the Queen, and her Majefiy was extremely ratisned with the accounts which they con- tained : indeed, the only tolerable advices we had, concerning the preparations of the enemy, were thofe which you fent. It is fo neceffary an article in public bufmefs, to be informed of what is doing abroad, and it is fo fcandalous to be no better fupplied with intelligence than we generally are, that I mould take it as an additional mark of your friendfhip for me, if you would turn in your thoughts how to fettle fome corref- pondence of moment in France ; could this be done to very good purpofe, I would be far from frarving the caufe. We hope that no time will be loft in fending mips to the Mediterranean, and the advance CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 9 advance which the Eaft-India Company has made to the Admiralties, looks as if you were in earnefh to prefs your armament as fail: as. poffible. Mr. H * fent you, lair, poft, by my directions, fome papers, which, if you have not leen them before, will entertain you; we efteem moil of the examiners to be finely written, and the Country Gentleman's Thoughts is one of the beft pamphlets which this ieafon has produced ; Mr. H. will fend you one by this poft, which is a fequel of another written fome years ago upon the fame thought. I thank you particularly for the ftate which you give me of that intrigue, which produced fo indecent a meiTage -|- to the Queen ; but this matter, having flept fome time, and being almofr, forgot, and fome uncertainties J in the conduct of our own * Thomas Hare, Efq. Under-fecretary of State to Lord Bolingbroke. t The party of the Duke of Marlborough and the late mi- niftry, had prevailed upon the Dutch to direct Monfieur Vry- berg (their Envoy at our court) to dilTuade the Queen from ^ change of adminifhation, which her Majefty coniidered as an interference at once improper and infulting. When the Queen began the change of minifters, fhe firfl difplaced the Marquis of Normanby, in April, and we arc told, fhe then declared that fhe did not at that time intend to make farther changes. Sunderland was removed in June, arjd Godolphiri not till Auguft. court, 10 LETTERS AND court, having, perhaps, contributed to bring it upon us, my prefent thoughts are, that we had better forbear to revive the dif- courfe. The hint you give me concerning Sir J. Leake, I approve, and will confer with our friend the Chancellor upon it $ my appre- henfion is, that Sir John may have dipped himfelf a little too much of late with Orf -d, to be employed in a fervice of this kind; but I am not certain that this fear is well grounded *. In all probability, the fquadron of Toulon is intended for the Weft-Indies, and fome of the mips from Weft-France may proba- bly join with them : the French are wife enough to take care of that part : 'tis from thence they know that they may depend on a compenfation for all the poverty and dif- ftrefs which the war has brought or can bring upon their nation. I wim the fame notions had prevailed more amongft another people of my acquaintance. The letters are, as you defired, inclofed with this. You may be Hire of a religious * Sir John Leake was a Commiffioner of the Admiralty* under the Earl of Orford, but in the new arrangement he Succeeded his Lordfhip as Firft Commiffioner. punctuality CORRESPONDENCE, &C. II punctuality in whatever you defire of me. I fhall be very glad to have the correfpond- ence you mention improved; the gentle^ man's way is a little wild, but fome fa6ls may perhaps be, one time or other, of ufe, which we may gather out of his letters. I did afk colonel Defney to buy me a few things at Brulfels, and when he fends you the fum, I (hall be obliged to you if you give him credit for the money. As to the payment of the man who went to Dunkirk, do it as you mall judge reafon- able, and I mail very thankfully be anfwer- able to you for the money. My letters fwell infenfibly into an exor- bitant length, which I hope you will forgive among the many other troubles which are given you by your ever faithful, &c. A Monjieur de Mallard*. MONSIEUR, De Whitehall, ce yme Nov. 1711. J'AI eu rhoimeur de lire a fa Majefle la lettre que vous avez bien voulu m'ecrire. La * The Marefchal Count de Tallard was taken prifoner at the battle of Blenheim, 1 704, and was efcorted to Nottingham, where 12 LETTERS AND La ReinCj Monfieur, ne peut pas vous re- corder prefentement la pennimon (Taller en France, mais elle me commande.de vous afTurer qu'elle eft fort fenfible a vos mal^ heurs, & que vous la trouverez, une autre .fois, difpofee a vous donner radDuciiTement que vous demandez. J'efpere, Monfieur, que vous me ferez la juftice de croire que j'ai reprefente vos rai- fons de la meilleure maniere dont je fuis capable, & que dans toutes les occafions vous me trouverez pret a vous rend re tous les fervices qui dependent de moi. Je fuis, Monfieur, avec beaucoup de refpecl, votre tres-humble & tres-obeiffant ferviteur, A Monfieur de Robertbon -j-. MONSIEUR, De Whitehall, ce lome Nov. 1710. L'HONNEUR que vous avez bien voulu me faire par votre lettre du ajme du mois where he remained for many years, though not a clofe pri- foner, yet confined to a certain diftrift round that town. He was, upon his rirft arrival in th^; Thames, treated with fome marked indignity ; and no reafon was affigned for refusing him his parole. He had, in the laft reign, been ambafTador from France to this court; and during his captivity, was engaged in communicating intelligence to the French miniftry. * Roberthon, private fecretary to the Eleftor qf Hanover. CORRESPONDENCE, &c. 13 pafTe, meritoit bien qu'on y repondit par la premiere occafion. C'eft un devoir auquel je n'aurois pas manque a fatisfaire, fi je n'avois etc tellement accable d'affaires de- puis deux femaines, qu'il m'a etc* du tout impoffible. Je vous fupplie, Monfieur, de croire que j'embrafle avec tout le plaiiir imaginable^ 1'ofFre que vous me faites d'une correipond- ence qui me doit etre tres-agreable, & peut etre utile a deux cours que nous avons 1'honneur de fervir*. Monfieur le Baron de Bothmar efl attendu ici dans peu, puifque j'ai envoye, il y a deja quelque terns, les ordres de la Reine a Mef- fieurs les CommirTaiues de 1'Amiraute de faire pafTer pour lui un yatch en Hollande. II peut s'afTurer que je ne manquerai pas de lui rendre en toutes chofes mes tres- humbles fervices. C'eft bien la moindre marque que je pourrai donner du refpedt que j'ai toujours porte, & que je ne perdrai jamais pour la cour dont il eft le min litre. Sa Majefte nommera dans peu le miniftre qu'elle doit envoyer aupres de fon Alteffe * When the change in adminiftration took place, Earl Rivers was immediately difpatched to fignify the fame to the Court of Haiiover. Ele6lorale ; 14 LETTERS AND Electorate ; j'efpere que vous eu ferez con- tent, & je ne doute point que vous ne lui accordiez votre prote&ion *. Vous me ferez toujours une grce parti- culiere quand vous me donnerez de vos or- di;es ; c'eft une verite dont je vous prie d'etre perfuade, & en meme-tems qu'on ne peut pas etre plus iincerement que je fuis, avec beaucoup de refpecT:, Monfieur, votre tres- humble et tres-obeiffant ferviteur. To Mr. Drummond. SIR, Whitehall, Nov< 10, 1710* THOUGH it is now almoft eight at night, and I have not removed the pen out of my hand fince morning, yet I cannot- leave off before I have thanked you moil heartily for all your obliging letters, and for all the other fervices which you have done me. I fuppofe Mr. Harley-f- has anfwered yours, and tranfmitted the inclofed again to you, as he allured me that he would not fail to * Earl Rivers was accordingly appointed in December, t Chancellor of the Exchequer, and a Lord-comnufiioner of the Treafury. do. CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 15 erte de vous dire la-deffus mon fentiment, qui eft, que la fituation de ceux qui ont 1'hon- neur de fervir la Reine dependra de leur propre conduite. J'avois deffein de vous parler fur deux autres articles de tres-grande importance, fur lefquels fa Majefte, qui defire dans toutes chofes d'agir de concert, & fans relerve, C 3 avec 22 LETTERS AND avec leurs Hautes PuhTances, a donne fes ordres a Monneur le Due de Marlborough, & a my Lord Townmend, de parler a Mcf- fieurs les Etats, mais comme ma lettre eil deja trop longue, je ne veux plus abufer de votre patience. Je vous demande la continuation de votre amitie & la juftice de me croire, Monneur, avec beaucoup de refpecl & d'eiKme, Votre tres-humble, Et tres-obeiffant ferviteur. To Mr. Drummond. SIR, Whitehall, Nov. lyth, 1719. I RECEIVED your's of i8th inftant, N.S. yefterday, for which I defire you to accept of my humble thanks. I am glad you approve of the opinion I gave concern- ing the Zealander's inclinations to attack Vryberge. That Examiner which you men- tion had feveral remarkable pafTages in it, and fome very proper to arrecl a Dutch- man. Our news from Spain all manner of ways is bad, and promifes being worfe. Portugal did CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 2J did almoft declare againft us, when they rcfufed to do any thing in concert with the King ; and the Emperor has given up that caufe, and left it to England and Holland, as a thing he is no way concerned in, this great while. Holland, however, gains a great barrier, daily extends her dominion, and keeps her trade uncramped by prohi- bitions. I doubt Britain, was this war to conclude to-morrow with the evacuation of Spain and the Indies, would have no par- ticular advantage above the common one, except fuch as would be very precarious, fince it would depend upon Auftrian grati- tude. The election of peers is over for the north part of the ifland ; and you will find by the lift which .is publifhed, that we have every one. Our Parliament will therefore be as entirely in the Queen's intereft as her moft affectionate fervants can delire. I hope we mall be able to reftore our credit, make provifion for our debts, and give the necef- fary fupplies which are wanting for the war. If we bring thefe things to bear, I hope you will mend your opinion of us in Holland. C 4 Adieu, 24 LETTERS AND Adieu, dear Sir, I am ever, with true re~ fpetf, Your obedient, humble fervant. To Mr. Drummond. SIR, Whitehall, Nov. 28th, 1710. I THANK you very heartily for your kind and inftruclive letter of 2d of Decem- ber, N.S. from the Hague. I have con- iidered ferioufly every article in it, and I think I fee plainly what is at the bottom of the great man's heart. If he did in earneft defign to come into the Queen's meafure, his proceeding would be frank and unconftrained. He would not >n that cafe dwell upon generals, but his language would be clear and explicit, both as to men and things. There is, 1 dare fay, no one diiarFecled man in the Queen's dominions, but who will engage to be of no party, to vote as he finds things, juft, to be as hearty as any man where the Queen's ho- nour, or the nation's good is concerned. Thefe are vague and uncertain proportions, which CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 25 which tie him down to nothing, becaufe he is to expound them himfelf. He lays great weight on Mr. Granville's being put into Cardonnel's employment * ; has he forgot Britain enough, t9 imagine that fo little a creature as the latter is ca- pable of filling, at this time of the day, that poft ? The Queen's fervice would become ri- diculous in fuch hands, and I will adventure to affirm, that the ftate of the war could never be carried through the Houfe of Com- mons by his fecretary. Faction, indeed, will fit any man for any rank, and where that prevails, Cardonnel might be Secretary-at- war, and Meredith^ Archbimop of Canter- bury. If he comes home, and difengages himfelf from the Whigs ; if he puts a {top to the rage and fury of his wife ; in fhort, if he aban- * Cardonnel was Secretary to the Duke of Marlborough, and at the fume time Secretary -at-war, the latter office Mr. Ro- bert Walpole managed for him ; and, at the change of the mi- niftry, it was given to Mr. Granville. f Lieutenant-general Meredith, much patronized by the Duke, who had lately procured for him a regiment, againft the Queen's intentions, as it had been promifed to Colonel Hill, the brother of Lady iVJaiham. This conteit became a trial of ftrength between the Duchefs of Marlborough and that Lady. The Duke pretended to be difgufted, and Meredith obtained the regiment. dons 26 LETTERS AND dons all his new, and takes np with his old friends ; by the Queen's favour, and by the remains of regard for him which are pre- ferved in the breafts of feveral people, he may not only ftand his ground, but in my humble opinion, eftablifh himfelf in as lofty a fituation as it becomes a fubjecl to alpire to: but if he imagines that people will any more be caught with general and inconclu- five difcourfe ; if he thinks that people will" any more engage to him whilft he lies under no engagement, nor gives any lecurity to them ; depend upon me, for once, he will find himfelf deceived. We are as fenfible as he or any man can defire us to be of the effort which the Dutch make ; but we hope they will be fo too of the weight which we have taken on ourfelves. Our trade finks, and feveral channels of it, for want of the ufual flux, become choked, and will in time be loft ; whilft, in the mean while, the commerce of Holland extends itfelf, and flourishes to a great degree. I can fee no immediate benefit likely to accrue to this na- tion by the war, let it end how and when it will, befides the general advantages com- mon to all Europe, of reducing the French power ; CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 2/ power; whilft it is moft apparent, that the reil of the confederates have in their own hands already, very great additions of power and dominion obtained by the war, and par- ticularly the States. You know me enough to be afTured that I fpeak this not as being cool in the war, or in any affection to the States ; no man living is warmer for both than myfelf, but I would not willingly h^ve thefe good words abufcd any longer; and, under pretence of carrying on the war, and pleafmg Holland, unnecefTary expences be thrown upon us, rapine and extortion be eftablimed for ever. I had almoft forgot to mention to you an inftance of the admirable temper in which the great man is likely, at his return, to find his wife. Among other extravagancies, me now declares that me will print the Queen's letters to her ; letters writ whilft her Ma- jefty had the good opinion of her, and the fondnefs for her which her infolent beha- viour fince that time has abfolutely eradi- cated. As to my Lord Albemarle, you are bed able to judge how capable he is of feeing into the true ftate of our affairs, in cafe he comes over. 2$ LETTERS AND over. I will only give you this caution, that it will be matter of obfervation who he comes over with. My Lord Rochefter * has more temper than he ever mowed in his life, and I muft dp him the juftice to fay, that I never knew a man more eafy to be lived with ; and Lord M,f muft abate a good deal of the warmth he exprefTed to you, before he will be half ib moderate as the prefident. The Queen yefterday fpoke from the throne; which fpeech, with the lair, examiner, I order Mr. H. to fend you. It is not to be conceived how good an effect: it has ha4 upon the minds of men : the voice of cla- mour and detraction is Hopped, and even the Whigs, in an aukward manner, ap- plaud it. 1 fpoke to the Queen upon feveral parts of your letter, as 1 conftantly do, to her very great fatisfaction ; and me directs me to tell you, as to your Weft-India project, that me is defirous to have it thought of and digefted on your fide, but trufted to as few as pof- * Lord Prefident of the Council, and maternal uncle to the Queen. \ Marlborough; thefe two noblemen were rivals for the Queen's favour, and never upon good terms, fible, CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 29 fible. If you think it feafable or probable, engage in it, give us immediate notice, and we will concur with what flrength you pleafe. To tell you the truth, our admiralty is at prefent in fo unfettled a condition, that no project can be concerted with them ; but this evil will foon be remedied. If this defign is purfued, care fhould be taken to have a better account of the force Du Gaffe goes with, and the time of his departure. The correfpondence of merchants is moil likely to afford this intelligence. It is now late, and I have jufl received the Queen's order to flop the pofl till to- morrow ; by that time, I (hall be able to inform you what the two Houfes fay upon the Queen's fpeech. In the mean time I will acquaint you with what pafTed among the Lords to-day. Scarborough moved to. have thanks fent to Lord Marlborough, Rich- mond feconded, and Wharton thirded the motion. Our people were provoked, but however did not prefs into a warm debate, which gave the Duke of Devon (hire, upon a whifper he had, time to wave the question, fo that it dropped foftly. One would ima- gine, that Scarborough had been hired by jx>mebody 30 LETTERS AND fomebody that wiihes Lord Maryborough ill, to take fo unconcerted and fo ridiculous a meafure. The Lords have this day pre- fented their addreis to the Queen, and the Commons have come to the inclofed reloca- tion, in order to form another. As far as I can judge of the temper of the houfe7 every rlafonable thing may be expected from them ; but I believe they will be forry to fee themfelves, the people they reprefent, and the Queen they have the honour to ferve, impofed upon. I have this morning received the favour O of your's of the 5th of December, N.S. and fhall be glad to hear how your Penlionary and the great man agreed ; but if you had in Holland any man of genius, he would fee how neceflary it is to proceed on a new plan with us, and how feeble the old engines with which they have worked will prove. As to any defign of keeping the Duke on the other fide of the water, I do not conceive why it fhould be fuppofed. What has any one to fear ? the nation is awakened from their golden dreams, and I imagine that fome people want more protection than they can give. Adieu ; CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 3! Adieu ; let me hear from you as foon as you can conveniently. I am ever inviolably, your's, &c. To Mr. Drummond. SIR, Whitehall, Dec. ift, 1710. I WRIT a long letter to you by the lafl poft, which came, I hope, fafely to your hands, fince it was fuch an one as none but a friend mould fee. I have little to fay to you now ; the addrefs of the Commons was this day prefented, and I believe you will think it a very reafonable, and a very prudent one. I believe I omitted to mention a fact to you, which I am willing to apprize you of. The States wrote a letter to the Queen, which Monlieur Vryberge delivered to her at a private audience ; claiming a promife, made the laft year, to have the debt of the thirteen regiments recommended in her Majefty's fpeech to the parliament. I fent him the anfwer inclofed, by the Queen's or- der ; and when he came the next day to me, I began to explain her Alajeftyis intentions, and 32 LETTERS AND and the reafons upon which me proceeded, to him. He received this civility in a very warm and impertinent manner, and ufed fbme expreffions by no means decent. I gave him feme little check, and returned to the point. I mowed him the danger of recommending in fo very particular a man- ner this debt, preferable to fo many others which have been contracted in this war, which are owing to the Queen's fubjeds, and which immediately affecl: our credit. But I acquainted him that her Majefty would make this an article hi the general account, which was to be laid before the Houfe of Commons, of the national debts, in which manner we (hall be able to obtain the pay- ment of it ; and by the other way, we mould have foured men's minds, have failed in this inftance, and have made other matters the more difficult. You fee nakedly the principles on which we go ; and I hope if any falfe reprefenta- tion is given of it, you will fet the thing in a true light. Vryberge dropped, on this occafion, fome words which exprefled a dif- fatisfa&ion in continuing here : I do aflure you he cannot like us worfe than we do 5 him ; CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 33 him ; and if fome fteps, which he has lately made very privately, come to be more known, he will not be endured. My Lord Peterborough will in a few days be going to Vienna ; he has orders to ftop at the Hague, and to communicate to the States his inftrudtions*. We flatter ourfelves that they will look on the difputes between the Emperor and the Duke of Savoy as the Queen does, and refolve to bring that affair to a deciiion this winter. The Queen's in- tentions, and the fpirit of every body here, feem bent to make the greateft effort pof- fible in the war ; but, at the fame time, we mall prefs our allies to a better compli- ance on their parts ; we mall prove, at leafr, as good confederates as ever, and fomething lefs dupes than we ufed to be-j~. I am ever, &c. * The Earl of Peterborough was appointed to go to Vienna, to adjuft the difference between the Emperor and the Duke of Savoy, which had been the caufe of fo many in- active campaigns on the fide of Italy. f All the allies had been deficient !n furnifhing their quota ; particularly the Emperor, with refpeft to a land army, ind the Dutch with regard to ftiips of w^r. VOL. I. D 34 LETTERS ANI> 70 Mr. Drummond. S i R, Whitehall, Dec. 3, 1710. I HAVE received the favour of your let- ter of the 9th irritant, N.S. with the in- clofed for Mr. Harley, which I fent im- mediately to him, and have fince read. One pafTage of that letter of yours I will fay two words upon. My Lord Marl- borough thinks that thofe who advife him tf> continue where he is, confult their own eafe as much as his ; for my part, I own I fee no reafon any man here has to be afraid of his coming over. As his humble fervant, I wifli he may, when he is here, engage heartily with thofe whom the Queen has thought fit to employ, and join in fuch meafures as will be effectual to retrieve the misfortune of precedent management. If he imagines that he mall be able to put him- felf upon an- independent foot, which all his difcourfe tends to, he will, be fatally de- ceived. I agree entirely with you, that we muft never fubmit to make the firft ftep towards peace ; on the contrary, I think that, with- i out CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 35 out any regard to that, the utmofl efforts mould be made in every part, for puthing on the war : but, on the other hand, if ever it mall pleafe God to infufe into the minds of our enemies a iincere intention of ending this cruel war, I hope we in Britain, and our good friends in Holland, /hall be wife enough not to fuffer either O the perfons deputed, or thofe deputing, to be frightened a fecond time out of their fenfes*. The barrier which the States have ob- tained we are perfectly fatisfied with ; we look upon Holland as the frontier of Britain, and upon thefe two nations together as the bulwark of the Proteftant interefts. Suffer no jealoufy of another kind to prevail. What you tell me of my Lord Marl- borough's diiTatisfaclion about my Lord Orrery's promotion, is very furprizing. This gentleman goes over no man's head ; and it would be very hard if one man might not have juftice done him (for Wade was made * This alludes to the negociations with the French tTie year before, and which were renewed the beginning of this year ; but it was fuppofed that the Duke of Marlborough was againft a peace, and that his influence determined the con- ferences. D 2 a brigadier 36 LETTERS AND a brigadier in his wrong) when fo many have had favour mown them, whole pre- tenfions are not better than his, unlefs find- ing fault with the Queen's meafures be a military virtue, and approving them be a- kin to mutiny. I am not at liberty to fay any thing to you concerning one part of your letter juft now, but in a poft or two will write you more clearly ; in the mean time, 1 will tell you, that Sir James Wifhart will very foon be lent into Holland. He will have feveral inftru&ions given him, upon which to treat in naval affairs; and one fecret commirfion * on * " The fecret inftrucYions for Sir James <; . R Wifhart. Given at our Court, at St. James's, 'the i 4 th day of January, 1710-1 i. " You ihall acquaint the Penfioner, in private, that, be- fides the matters contained in your general initructions, you are direfted to propofe to him an enterprize which may, in all probability, redound to the greateft advantage of our king- doms, of their ftate, and of the common caufe. " You are, on this orcafion, to fet forth how prodigious a profit accrues to the French by the trade which they have opened to the South-Sea, how much this trade increafes an- nually, and how great probability there appears to be that it either is, or will very foon be fettled and allowed of, not o/ily by means of the influence of France over the council* of Spain, but alfo by reafon of the conveniency which all the inhabitants of Chili, Peru, and the whole coaft of the South-Sea, find in having European commodities brought to their very doors, which they had no other way formerly of procuring but from the North-Sea. In CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 37 on which he is to difcourfe with you ; but having no cypher, I dare not write about it. Be fo good as to give a favourable im- preflion of him; the Queen will truft him very materially, and it will be very agree- able to her if the States do fo too. Inform me a little how he muft entamer his fecret commimon by the firft poft. Our committee of fupply is open ; we have gone through the eftimate of the navy, and have voted it ; the debt on that head is already before the houfe, as all the others will mortly be ; and, inftead of concealing, we mail afTecl: to lay all things open. What will you fay, if a Secretary of State mould move to go into a committee on the ftate of the nation ? The Houfe feems deter- " In order to prevent thefe mifchiefs, you fhall propofe to the Petitioner to ma'te an agreement that three, or four, or a greater number of fhips if there be occafion, (hall be furnifhecl by the States-General next Cummer, to join with a proportionable number of our {hips, for the difturbing and ruining the enemy's trade in the South-Sea. " You (hall make it your bufinefs, during your ftay in Holland, to inform yourfelf by all polfible means of the rules obferved by the French in their South-Sea voyages, of their manner ot victualling that fervice, and of all other matters which may be of information to us in the carrying on, this fervice, or any other which you fhall think m?y be pro- perly undertaken in thofe parts for the advantage of the com- juon cauie. " A. R." Sir James Wifliart was a Commiffioner of the Admiralty. D 3 mined gg LETTERS AND mined to provide for the current fervice of the year firft, and after that is over, to find a method of providing for the national debts. I defire you to make my humble fervice acceptable to the Penfionary ; and to let him know, that by zeal for the common caufe, by firmnefs, by affiduity, and inde- fatigable induftry, we hope to merit efteem of him and all other honeft men. I am ever, dear Sir, yours. On the 1 4th of November laft, Mr. T. by my order, inclofed to you a letter for one Du Puys, it is of confequence, and I hope it came fafe to your hands. To Mr. Drummond. SIR, Whitehall, Dec. 12, 1710. SINCE my laft, which acknowledged the favours for which I was then indebted to you, no letters have come from you to my hands. The Queen has thought fit to difmifs Mr. Meredyth, Mr. Mackartney, and Mr. Ho- neywood CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 39 neywood from her fervice ; and the reafoii which fhe commands her fervants to give for this ftep is, that me found it abfolutely neceflary to ftop the licentious mfolence which was ufed the laft campaign, both to- wards her, and towards her adminiftration, by thefe examples ; that fhe hopes thefe will iliffice, and that fhe fhall not be obliged to make any more *, Letters of revocation go by this poft to Mr* Cadogan, and your friend, Mr. Hill, is already appointed her Majefty's envoy-ex- traordinary and plenipotentiary to the States, and at BrufTels. Sir James Wifhart will very foon be with you; his public and ge- neral inftructions will be of much the lame nature as thofe which were formerly given to Sir David Mitchell -} ; but he will be * Lieutenant-general Meredith, Major-general Mackart- mey, and Brigadier-general Honeywood ; thefe officers, who had been lately promoted to the command of regiments, at a cpnvivial meeting, had unguardedly exprefled in their toafts, their difapprobation of the change of miniftry, and in terms very indecorous. The Secretary at war fignified to them that the Queen had no farther occafion for their fervices; flie, however, permitted them to fell out. The army, at this time, being commanded by the Duke of Marlborough, was faid to fhow a difpofition of ftanding by their general. f- It wa% ufual for a Lord-commifiioner of the admiralty to repair to Holland, to concert with the States die marine operations. D 4. ordered 40 LETTERS AND ordered to propofe a fervice *, which we here, upon reafonable grounds, and upon very mature deliberation, think practicable, and very promifmg, and which muft be trufted to as few as poffible on their fide; on ours, none are in the fecret, except the Prefident the Chamberlain and the Chancel- lor of the exchequer. As to parliamentary affairs, we mall hafr.en on the fupply, and pafs the land-tax before the recefs at Chriftmas. After that I . be- lieve you muft expecl fome enquiries into former management. For my own part, I do not, I confefs, fee how thofe who are now in the adminiftration, and who have taken fuch a broken mattered game into their hands, can be fafe, and avoid bearing the load of other people's guilt, unlefs they make a plain and obvious diicrimination be- tween their own management, and the na- tural necefTary confequences of that which went before. This will in no fort retard or (Iraiten the fupplies for the public fervice ; * The expedition to the South-Sea, which feems to have been a favourite projeft of Lord Bolingbroke. The editor has two memoirs of a Monlieur Texier, upon the fubjeft, which were delivered to his Lordihip; they relate to the eoafts and harbours, the mode of victualling, and goods proper for South-Sea markets. CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 41 for which reafbn, you in Holland, who look 110 farther than the intereft of the common caufe, will have no occafion of being con- cerned ; and for fuch of our allies as enter into the intereft of a party, it is not very important how they take it. Your acquaintance, the Dean of Chrift Church, is come up to London to die. A fudden and univerfal decay has feized him, and he can languifh, as Radcliffe * pro- nounces, but a little longer. It is happy for the college, and for the common intereft, that he did not die laft year -{-. I have nothing more worth lengthening my letter for. When you fee the penfionary Buys, do me the juftice to let him know- that I am his fervant, and believe me, eternally, and with true friendship, Your's. To Mr. Drummond. Si R, Whitehall, Dec. 20, 1710. I INTENDED to have writ to you laft night, but the Houfe of Commons fit* * Dr, Radcliffe, the phyiician. f Dr. Aldrich. ting 42 LETTERS AND ting till almoft twelve o'clock, I was really io much fpent and tired that it was im- poffible, On Saturday, your three letters of the J5th, igth, and 23d, N.S. came together to my hands ; and I begin anfwering them thus early, becaufe I forefee that I mall have little leifure either to - morrow or Friday. It is not a little furprifing, that the ru- mour of the Marechal de Tallard's having obtained leave to go into France mould prevail fo much, fince it was refufed as foon as afked. Sinzendorf*, as an Imperial mini- fler, is frightened at the leafl remote pro- fpecl: of peace ; and no wonder, {ince they are fure at his court of gaining, and have no chance of being lofers by the war. If there can be any need of fuch offices, pray be lo juft to your friends en this fide, as to ^ allure every body, that though the Queen thinks it perhaps a great hardmip to keep a man as a prifoner of flate, who neither is, nor can be reputed any thing more than a prifoner of war ; yet, purely to avoid giving any handle to thofe whofe * Count Sinzendorf, Imperial ambaflador at the Hague. bufmefs CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 43 bufmefs it is to turn all things wrong, the Marefchal continues ftill at Nottingham. A good peace would be the bell thing which could happen for our common in- tereft ; but we are perfuaded here, that even this bleffing is not to be defired, unlefs our enemy aiks it, and unlefs our good allies, the States, go hand in hand with us from the nrft ftep to the laft. The comments made on the Queen's fpeech are extremely invidious. The true reafons, I believe, why the word indulgence is ufed preferably to toleration are thefe : Firft, becaufe the former is the term in law ; fecondly, becaufe, in truth, difTenters are not tolerated : the penalty of the law is only fufpended, and they, by confequence, only indulged. And, thirdly, becaufe fome have been of late years fo hardy as to afTert, that being tolerated by acl of parliament, amounts to a legal eftablimrhent ; and that therefore they are on as good a foot as the church of England. Since people, barely indulged, are fo ready to contend for a parity, it is much to be feared, that if this point were once yielded to them, they would foon ftruggle for a fuperiority. 44 LETTERS AND fuperiority. On this head, you may afiure yourfelf, and others, that the principle of the prefent miniftry is neither to oppreis the diffenters, under pretence of fecuring the eftablimment, nor to iuifer them, under the ipecious colour of moderation, to gain fpirit and ftrength enough to provoke and infult the church. The other reflection has no better reafon to fupport itfelf than this : we are very far from imagining that the Flanders war fliould be neglected, where fuch great im- preffions have been made on the French ; we feel by experience, how iniupportable an expence it is to carry on a regular war with great armies in Spain ; we lee, be- fides, how little hopes there are of any affift- ance from the good-will of the Spaniards to our caufe ; but fr.il! we think, that the expence which we have been at, well ap- plied, would have been effectual ; we think, that two thoufand horfe and fome battalions of foot more, might this year have enabled us to keep our poft in Caftile ; in fhort, not to enumerate too many particulars, we think, that either there mould have been no war in Spain, or another fort of one. Nous nous bruhns CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 4$ brukns a petit feu ; we exhauft ourfelves iri- fenfibly ; and a million and a half is given to no purpofe by us, when a very fmall ad- dition to this on the part of our allies would perhaps have been decinve. As to the impeachment* which is faid to be threatened by the Houfe of Commons, and which you are told will not turn to any account whenever it is begun ; 1 have only this to fay, that I verily believe no fuch thing is intended ; but that, if it was, neither matter would be wanting, nor the means, with very little management, to carry it through both houfes -j-. I will give you, upon this occasion, one inftance of the good temper of our friends in the Lower Houfe. On Tuefday, the election of Bewdley was tried at the bar ; the whole merits whereof turned upon the validity of a charter granted by the Queen about two years and a half ago. It appeared fo plainly, that this charter was illegal in its own nature, and impofed by force, con- trary to Magna Charta, on the borough, * Probably of the Duke of Marlborough. f Upon an infpeftion of the expenditure of public money, various frauds, to a very large amount, were difcovered, which were afterwards laid before parliament. that 46 LETTERS AND' that no man but Lechmere durft fpeak in defence of it. Nor was the charter only a grievance, as great, if not greater than any of thofe inftances fo much exclaimed againft in King James's time ; but the manner of procuring it was alfo highly aggravating, lince it was made out, that the Queen's warrant directed one thing, and that by- virtue of that very warrant another thing was effected. What was the refult of this ? why the election was fettled, the charter cenfured ; and the Queen addrefled that the town of Bewdley might be reftored to their ancient rights; but nothing perfonal was moved. If the tables had been turned, if the prefent keeper had been at the time Chan- cellor; and if the prefent majority of Tories had been a majority of Whigs; I leave you to judge, by what has happened in the laft parliament, what would have happened in this. December the 22d. LAST night we received letters from Liibon ; the inclofed is an extract of the news which they bring from our army in Caftile ; and by it you will find that the French accounts have impofed very much upon CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 47 iipon us, fince, though the King is gone to Barcelona, yet the troops continue in the ports on the Tagus, and near Madrid ; and befides, his guard is fo fmall, that the com- munication with Arragon and Catalonia mufh needs be open, and without difficulty. I mult explain one paffage in my former letters, which feems to have been a little miflaken. Vryberge did not a fecond time prefs the debts due to the thirteen regiments ; he was impertinent, in the manner I fent you an account of, the firft time I fpoke to him by her Majefty's order on the fubjecl : fmce that time, U a file doux *. I am extremely pleafed to hear that my Lord Albemarle makes fb great a figure, both from his merit, and from his favour. If you have an opportunity of doing it, you will oblige me in making my humble fervice ac- ceptable to him, and in arTuring him that I. mail take any opportunity of mowing my re- fpecl to him as an extraordinary happineis- and honour. I proteft to you, I cannot with patience hear my Lord Marlborongh, /peaking of the Whigs, call them his old friends. Who * He has fubmitted. fupported: 48 LETTERS AND lupported him in the King's time, but we ? -Who gave my Lord Godolphin and him- lelf a party in the beginning of the Queen's reign, but we ? To whom, in Ihort, does he owe the obligation that his friend, Go- dolphin, and he, were not nipped in the bud of their admmifrration, but to thofe peo- ple whom afterwards, if not at the very time, they two betrayed, and have fince perfecuted in the moft cruel manner, for no reafon on earth, but becaufe we would not renounce principle, friendfhip, and what- ever elfe is facred among honeft men ? In good earneft, Sir, I mould be glad to fee my Lord Marlborough engage heartily ifl the true intereft, and forbear to facrifice his country to rapine and to faction ; but I begin to defpair of it : for my own part, I will fteadily purfue the meaiures I am now in, let the confequence be what it will. I have communicated to the Queen the greateft part of your laft letters, and I read the whole to the Duke of Shrewfbury. Her Majefty is very well pleafed with the ac- counts which you give, and very fenfible of the pains you take in her fervice ; the Duke defires you to look upon him as your 4 humble CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 49 humble fervant, and to be aflured that he is ib far from taking umbrage at your be- ing let into the fecret of his correfpondence with my Lord Albemarle, that there is no perfon to whom he would more freely open himlelf than to you. Sir James Wifhart is declared one of the Lords of the admiralty, and I carried him this evening to kifs the Queen's hand. The true rdafon of delaying his journey I will truft you with his fecret inftruclion : and the true reafon of his journey is to endea- vour to concert a Weft-India deiigii for the next year, if the war continues. Now we are defirous to have my Lord Peterborough gone from the Hague, on his way to Vienna, before Sir James arrives there ; becaufe, though my Lord might be a Very proper man to command in fuch an expedition, yet we had rather commit the forming of the plan to another. Sir James Wiihart will have orders to apply himfelf to the Grand Penfionary *, and my Lord Townmend * Anthony Heinfius, Keeper of the Seals, had been, from his youth, engaged in public affairs. He was intimately con- necked with Prince Eugene and the Duke of Marlborough ; and this connection, united with his hatred to France (where, upon a former occaiion, and in a public capacity, he had VOL. I. E been 50 LETTERS AND Townfhend will be directed to introduce him. My Lord will like wife be directed to- affifl in the negociation, as far as relates to the quotas of (hips- for the next year's fervice, but I do not believe the other part will be trufted to him. As to Monfieur Vryberge, I defire you to allure the Peniionary, that I will ever refpecl: him as the miriiiler of the befl and nearer! allies which my miftrefs- has. I have endeavoured to fhow him that no part of his conduct flicks with me, and I believe he has too good an opinion of me to imagine I am ignorant of the little fac- tious intrigues he has been tampering in. Mr. Hill will not be able to undertake the commiffion which the Queen deiigned him for. Since his inftru6tions were drawn, the furgeons and phyficians have, at a con- fultation, declared him incapable of the fervice : he muft be cut for a fevere nftula, arid it is much to be apprehended that he may die in the operation*. I telL you, in been threatened with the Baftille) urged him to be rigorous in the terms of peace. * Richard Hill, appointed (vice General Cadogan) Envoy- extraordinary to the States, and to the Council of State in the Spanifh Netherlands. confidence CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 51 confidence, that Lord Raby will be the ambaflador at the Hague : all this Jit inter nos. I fhall write to you by Mr. Gordon,* who goes from hence in the beginning of next week ; he is one to whom I muft defire your countenance. Forgive the length of this tedious letter ; and believe that I think I do my miftrejfe more fervice by correfponding with you than with any of her miniflers. 1 am, &c< Td Mr. Drummond* SIR, Whitehall, Dec. 2''6 1710. ON Saturday laft I received the favours of your letters of the 2 6th and 3oth of this month, N.S. and this morning the poil brought me that of the 2d of January ; for all which I defire you to accept of my humble thanks. I believe thofe gentlemen who have re- ceived lately the marks of her Majefty's di- pleafure cannot find many advocates. It was high time either to leave off the ftyle E 2 Of 53 LETTERS AN# of Queen, or to aflert the character, and make her authority be felt. The Duke's cxpreffion, mentioned in the firft letter upon this occafion, is very liable to thefe two reflections : that if thefe were limbs which belonged to him, they were gangrened, and amputation of them was the beft office any friend could do him. If thefe are the only perfons he could work with, the work he has to do is very fit to be prevented. The Penfionary's behaviour, certainly, was very becoming his prudence and great capacity ; and when I read that paragraph of your letter to the Queen, Ihe feemed to think fo too. As to the reports of my going over to Holland, and of feveral other matters, there is as little ground for them as there is for many reprefentations which Vryberge, I believe> makes upon the credit of his Whig correfpondents ; not but that I hope, and believe, the Queen will go on to remove thofe from her who preiume to declare againft her. Yeflerday, before the Cabinet-council fat, ' your envoy took me aiide in the Queen's bed-chamber. His bufmefs was to tell me 3 what CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 53 what he had faid> the d!iy before to her Majefly ; which the Queen was pleafed herfelf to give me an account of, fo that I flood in no need of his information. He talked to her extremely of keeping the two nations in the clofeft union ; and .often re- peated that phiafe, agir dc concert. The Queen told him (he always had, and always would do fo. I afTured hjm that I looked upon a good harmony between Britain and Holland as the true intereft of both countries ; and that for this very reaion I was full of indignation againfl thole people who caballed here, not .only to difturb us at home, but to give falfe impreffions of us abroad, and by iuch fac- tious proceedings to create jealoufies between the two nations. I dare fay he underfiopd me. I endeavoured to behave mylelf fua.- viter in mode, farther in rp. Among other things, at this private audi- ence, Mr. Vryberge alked the Queen with whom he was to confer when he mould" have matters of great importance to com- municate ? (he told him, with me. For God's fake, what arifwer did he e^pecl ? Yon would hardly believe him weak enough E 3 to 54 LETTERS AND to tell even this part of his convcrfation to me ; but I fuppofe he thought that if he had not the Queen would, and in this he judged right. I have nothing to fay for or againfl my Lord Townmend *; I hope he ferves the Queen well ; I am fure it is his duty to do fo, preferably to ail considerations of party, The rumour about our allowance of French wine is groundlefs ; though, I muft deal plainly with you, the Dutch would have the worft grace in the world to com- plain in this cafe. Our misfortune in Spain is very great -f ; and we feel the weight the more, becaufe o ' our letters from Portugal had juft before the arrival of thefe, given us hopes that our army would be able to Jceep their pofts in Caftile, and, by confequence, that we had the winter before us to prepare for fupport- ing of them. 1 ipeak my mind always with the laft freedom to you ; and I own that, fince Spain cannot be gained by revo- * The Queen's ambaflador-plenipotentiary, jointly with the Duke of Marlboro ugh, at the Hague. f Staremberg had been defeated at Villa Viciofa, and Stan- hope, with his whole force, furrendered prifoners of war at Bahuaga. Had the Portugal army marched in time, the cam- paign had probably been fuccdjsful. i lutjoa CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 55 'lution (of which error, impofed by the Im- perialifts, and by that run of fuccefs which we once had in Catalonia and Valencia, upon us, we are at lafl fatally undeceived) there is no reafonable, fober man who can entertain a thought of conquering and re- taining that wide continent: however, a good mien is to be put on, and the war there muft be kept alive, and France muft be pumed with the gr.eateft vigour in the mofl fenfible part. It is very unfortunate that the long con- tinuance of the w.efterly winds has hindered -our nine battalions from failing, and your iquadron of mips from coming to join ours. But what mall we fay to the news from Conftantinople *? What a turn to the whole affairs of Europe may this rupture of the Turk with Mufcovy occafion ! I need not trace out to you the confequences -which may too probably follow ; you fee -them better than I do. In fhort, my good friend, there is a certain point to which all 'human affairs may be carried, and no far- * Charles XII, King of Sweden, having loft his army and his kingdom by his defeat at Pultowa, fled to Turkey, where -he contrived to prevail on the Grand Signior to efpoufe his caufV, and to declare war againft the Czar. E 4 ther 56 LETTERS AND ther can they go ; the wife man feels this, and flops in time ; we have wantonly over- loaded Fortune, fhe finks under the burden, and can or will affift fuch prefumptuous people no longer. The Queen writes both to the Emperor and to the States upon this occafion, and prefTes them both to exert themfelves with vigour, as fhe engages to do on her part. As to the affair of the Buenos Aires ? fhips, I muft own myfelf not very perfectly informed of it, my Lord Townmend never having one word ordered him, fince I came to be Secretary of State, of this kind ; nei- ther has he, in any of his letters to me, once mentioned the cafe. To fpeak plainly, I am of opinion, that my Lord Sunderland* is more concerned in thefe inftances than the Queen, and the honour of his counter- figning than of her figning. I have taken occafjon to fpeak of this affair in my dif- patches to the ambaflador ; and upon his anfwer, which I will lay before her Ma- jefty, I will endeavour to procure fuch or- ders as may bring this matter into a reafqn- * Secretary of State in the late adminifrration. He married the daughter of the Duke of Mariborough. able CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 57 able temper, and no longer leave that to. >e ramly purfued which perhaps was ramly begun- D Since the writing thus, far I have been, from my office, at St. James's. I mentioned this affair to the Queen, me direcled me tq enquire of my Lord Townfhend on what foot it flands at preient ; fo that, upon his. anfwer, there will be a fair occafion of giv- ing any reafonable orders in this affair. You may ufe your difcretion in mowing what you thjnk proper of my letters to the Grand Penfionary ; and particularly I deure you to explain to him, in the laft confi- dence, what is faid Concerning the Spanifh war above, as my private fenfe. You may let him know that it is the Queen's too. Could you find a right meafure of found- ing the Penfionary, whether they would be eafy if, having no other way of fupporting pur affairs in Spain or Portugal, we mould take fome Britiih battalions from Flanders ? we have feveral there more than flriclly we are obliged to, and the Dutch have at leaft fix which were brought home after the battle of Almanza, and ought to have been fent back. Adieu. I am, &c. r* j LETTERS AND To Mr. Drummond. SIR, Whitehall, Jan. 5, 1710-11. MR. H. made my excufes to you on Fri- day laft, and you are ib well acquainted with the prodigious hurry of bufmefs which at this time of the year a man muft live in who has any employment to fill, that I dare fay you accepted and allowed of them. Since that time, your letter of the pth of this month, N.S. is alfo come to my hands, I fhall fay little in anfwer to the firft para- graph in it. You fpeak modeftly of yourfelf and of your fervices ; but I muft think that the part which you have been fo generous to aft, has been of more advantage to the Queen's affairs, than all that her minifters have done for her, who are very numerous and very expenfive on your fide of the water. Lechmere, whom we turned out of the houfe very juftly, is brother to the lawyer, whom I fuppofe you mean * ; the patron of * Anthony Lechmere, returned member of parliament for Bewdley, and expelled the Houfe, was brother to Nicholas Lechmere, who was member for Appleby, one of the ma- nagers on Dr. Sacheverall's trial, and patronized by Lord "Wharton, then juft recalled -from the Lord-lieutenancy of Ireland. the CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 59 the latter, deierves no better fortune than you ieem to wiih him, and 1 believe he is under no fmall uneaiineis of mind. His adminiftration in Ireland was in many re- ipecls fcandalous, but his corruption was perhaps greater than any you ever heard of; the facts are known to feveral, and fbme jiave the proofs in their power ; whether, in fhis Seffion, time will be found to worry him or not, I am as yet unable to lay. . We were indeed, as you obfcrve, loon wakened from that golden dream into which the Portugal letters had thrown us. That houfe of Auftria has been the evil genius of Britain. I never think of the conduct of that family, without recollecting the image of a man braiding a rope of hay whilft his afs bites it off at the other end. The expence of the Spanifh war has been exceffive, and yet ib managed as never to turn to account ; I will, when I have an hour of leifure, draw an extract of the fums given, and the debts incurred. I dare fay, before-hand, you will hardly give me credit. In fhort, that was the gulph where treafure was thrown in, and no care taken of the Application of it. The 60 LETTERS AND The Houfe of Commons are entering or* the examination of frauds committed in the victualling, they will proceed afterwards to fome others, and I make no queftion, but that the late applauded adminiftration of the Treafury will appear, before this feffion concludes, to have been the moil loofe, the moft negligent, the moft partial that ever any country fufFered by, I eafily believe that iuch directions as you mention, have been fent to Mr. Vryberge, and he feems by his conduct in fome mea- fure to at accordingly ; but, my good friend, there is not need of any great fagacity to find out that our friends in Holland are not yet clear in their judgment or refolution how to live with us ; there would, in fuch cafe, very ibon be a minister fent hither, in whom we could have fome confidence, in- ftead of this man who has really been the tool of a faction, and has made himfelf as odious as any party-man of our country *. I take it for granted, that your people are made to believe that there are divifions * Notwithftanding his Lordfhip's opinion, Vryberge, the Dutch Envoy, lived ten years in this country much refpefted, and died of a coufumption, at Chelfea, greatly regretted, in the year 1711. amons^ft CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 6l amongft the Queen's fervants, and that this new miniftry is come to no confiflency, and by confequence cannot for any time fupport itielf : but thefe reafbners are deceived, we are built on a better bottom than they ima- gine, and the laft will be made too odious to return again into power. My Lord Marlborough has been here now fome time ; I have been once with him, and he as often with me. It would be too tedious to reca- pitulate all that parTed ; in general I fpoke my mind with all imaginable franknefs to him, and could not forbear mowing him the difference between thofe friends he once had, and thofe whom he had abandoned them for *. He icems more and more de- jected, and I believe finds two thigigs which he did not expect : the firft, that his intereft is quite gone in a certain place ; and, the fecond, that he can make no breach in the church party, becaufe not one individual man amongft them will truft him. My Lord Peterborough's journey is de- layed for a day or two at the deiire of the * The Duke, at the commencement of his political career, had embarked with the Tories. houfe 62 LETTERS AND houfe of Lords, who have this day begun to deliberate upon the affairs of Spain. My Lord Orrery will be fent to BrufTels, and will have likewife credentials for the Hague ; this is known, but not having been declared in form, muft not be faid to come .from me. e As to the other minifter *, I believe there is no alteration can be made, fince I have already acquainted him privately with the Queen's intention. I am, &:c. A Monfieur de Robertbon. MONSIEUR, Whitehall, ce gme Jan. 1710-11, V.S, JE me fens penche de la plus vive re- connoiffance de 1'honneur que fon Altefle Eleclorale a daigne me faire. Je vous fup- plie de lui renouveller mes aflurances qu'on ne peut etre plus devoue a fon fervice, & a celui de fon illuflre maifon, que je le fuis, Dans toutes les fituations d\me' vie aflez agitee, j'ai tache de faire paroitre ces fenti- mens, et fi j'etois" capable de les changer, je me croirois indigne du caradere de bon * Probably Lord Raby. Proteflant, CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 63 Proteftant, bon Anglois, ou fidel ferviteur de la Reine ma mattrefTe. Monfieur de Bothmar * eft a prefent ici. Je ne manquerai pas de vivre avec lui dans une confiance entiere, et il peut compter far tons les fervices que je lui pourrai rendre. J'efpere meme lui avoir montre que c'eft mon deffeiru Je tombe d'accord que pendant le fejour de Monfieur de Bothmar a Londres, il fera fort inutile que vous vous donniez la peine de m'ecrire ; je vous ferai par fon canal mes eomplemens, et je ferai. toujours, avec beau- coup d'eftime, Monfieur, Votre tres-hum- ble, etc. A Monjieur Buys. MONSIEUR, De Whitehall, ce i2me Jan.- 1710-11, V^S. JE fuis ravi de voir que vous etiez con- tent de 1'ouverture de notre parlement ; j'ofe predire que vous ne le ferez pas moins- de fa conclufion. Les perfonnes dont vous parlez meritcnt * Baron de Bothmar, envoy from the court of Hanover. bien 64 LETTERS AND bien ce caraclere de moderees (que^quelques autres fe font attribue avec tres-peu de juf- tice) puifqu'ils ont plus d'une fois an etc la violence de nos partis, et jamais plus.a-pro- pos que dans la revolution de notre miniflere ; en dernier lieu, fans ce coup, nous deve- nions les efclaves d'une faction chez nous, pendant que par dehors nous faiiions les derniers efforts pour la liberte de 1'Europe. II faut efperer qu'avec le terns tous nos amis verront combien ils ont etc trompes par ces gens, qui leur ont voulu perfuader qu'il s'agiifoit de I'interet de la cauie commune, ^quand, dans le fond, il ne s'agilToit que de celui de quelques particuliers. Les pommes de difcorde doivent etre tou- jours ecartees autant qu'il eft poffible. On n'aura rien a nous reprocher fur cet article, mais auffi il ne faut pas que nous oublions que nos parlemens ont ete inftitues, par la fageile de nos ancetres, pour examiner la difiribution des deniers publics, auiii-bieu que les donner. Permettez moi de vous renvoyer a ce que j'ai ecrit a Monfieur Drummond touchant les fonds que nous trouverons pour les fraix de la guerre, et pour le pavement de nos dettes. Let CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 65 Le Due de Marlborough eft prefentement ici ; il a pris le parti de fe foumettre en toutes chofes au bon plaifir de la Reine, et fur ce pied il pourra fefoutenir. Tous ceux qui ont 1'honneur d'etre dans les affaires font prets a le prendre par la main, et a rendre les meilleurs fer vices a fa Majefte et a la caufe commune, dont ils foient capables, de concert avec lui ; mais il faut marcher droit. Je vous tiens la parole que je vous ai donne dans ma premiere lettre, etje vous ecris fans referve. Meffieurs les CommiiTaires de la Tre- forerie ont ce matin reu les ordres de la Reine, de fournir 1' argent neceflaire pour faire une plus grande provifion de fourrage; et par la pofte qui part ce foir, il fe fait une remife de cent dix-mille livres fterling pour le fervice des troupes en general. Ainfi vous voyez, Monfieur, que, bien loin de negli'ger la guerre de Flandre, toutes les mefures font prifes d'un mois ou de cinque femaines plu- tot qu'elles n'ont accoutumees de 1'etre, pour la foutenir de notre cote ; en effet, les preparatifs extraordinaires des ennemis exi- gent cela de nous. VOL. I. F II 66 LETTERS AND II faut efperer, avec la benediction du ciel, de conferver cette fuperiorite que nous avoris gagne, nonobftant tous les facheux contre- tems qui viennent d'arriver. A 1'egard de la paix, je crois eomme vous, qu'il ne faut jamais confentir a une qui foit mechante; il me femble que pour en ob- tenir une bonne, il faut obferver inviolable- ment ces deux maximes : en premier Heu, de ne pas faire les avances ; et en fecond lieu, de ne pas trop fe roidir, et rejeter des propofitions raifonnables *. Je fuis, &c* * Some fhort time before the date of this letter, it had beer* refolved in the cabinet to found ths court of France on the fubject of peace; to this end, the EarL of Jerfcy propofed Gaultier a prieft, who had been chaplain to Tallard when on the embafly to our court, and afterwards to Count de Gallas, the Imperial envoy, a man fufficiently obfcure for the pur- pofe : his inftruftions were not given'by any of the minifters,. were verbal,,and delivered by the Earl of Jerfey ; to this effect : that the Queen's minifters were defirous of peace ; that they could not, from motives of fafety, fet on foot a private ne- gotiation with France; that therefore the king of France muft renew the conferences, and that the Britifh ambafiadors fliould have fuch orders as fhould prevent any impediment on the part of the Dutch. To fhow the inclination of the French court, he required a letter to Lord Jerfe'y, exprefling nothing more than perfonal compliments to his lordfhip. Gaultier ar- rived in France i$tb January, N.S. (Torcy's Memoires). This letter feems to be preparatory to the avowal of negotia- tions which were then commencing. CORRESPONDENCE} &C. 67 70 Mr. Drummond. S i R, Whitehall, Jan. the 1 2th, lyio-ii. YOUR letters of the i3th and i6th in* ftant, N.S. are come to my hands; they give, like all your ethers, very great fatisfaclion ; and I am truly thankful to you for them. I am glad to find the Count de Sinzen-* dorf is pleafed with the conduct of our Court, I wifh I could fay that we are fb with his ; but indeed we are almoft tired of an ally, who expects every thing and does nothing. I will certainly live well with Vryberge; but remember what I wrote to you upon the fubjecT: lately; The Penfionary's opinion, in relation to* the warj agrees very well with that which is entertained here; We think it of the laft confequence to take the field aS early as poffible ; and with at ftrength at lead equal to what we have had in Flanders* We are convinced that ail offeniive war cannot be pumed in Spain, but we deiire to put on all the good coun- tenance on that fide which We can \ and itt F a effect 68 LETTERS ANI> effect to keep our ground in Catalonia. On the Rhine, no effort will ever be made ; but a ftrong diverlion ought, if poffible, to be given from Savoy. On all thefe heads, the Queen is actually doing fo much, that we mall have no reafon to reproach our- felves ; and though we have loft (with the Penfionary's good leave) one glorious oppor- tunity of bringing a peace to bear, yet I make no doubt but we mail be able ftiH to force the enemy to offer us another. I believe, though I have hardly had time to aik him the queftion, that the Chancel- lor of the exchequer writes to you ; if fb, you will have from him a better account of credit, and of the fupplies, than I can pretend to fend you, fince the whole atten- tion of my mind is turned another way ; and I take up thofe things but cafually ; and as it were en paffant : however, thus much I will acquaint you with; the remittance is or- dered to-day for the douceurs as well as pay of the troops in Flanders : and the Queen, in cabinet, directed the Lords of the trea- fury to prepare to anfwer an extraordinary expence, on account of an additional pro- -vifion of forage. The great preparations of the CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 69 the enemy on the Somme, as well as the Maefe and Sambre fide, are known to us, and we have taken the alarm, without ftay- ing till you gave it. I hope thefe meafures in Holland will have their effect ; and thole minifters who do things with fo good a grace, will not be taxed with intending to ftarve the war, where my Lord, Marlborough com- mands. You will obferve, that thefe provifions are made much fooner than in my Lord Go- dolphin's time. In the committee of fupply, a vote has this day paffed to grant a fupply to her Ma- jefty, to enable her to make a contract for anfwering all non-fpecie exchequer-bills ; the contract is fettled with the Bank, and we make no doubt of raifing our credit im- mediately. We mail proceed to the conli- deration of our debts, which amount to near ten millions. Great as they are, we ihall attempt to make, even this feffion, a provi- fion for them ; and Mr Harley tells me, that he is under no apprehenfion of not fuc- ceeding. Pray make our friends in Holland obferve how grofsly they have been impofed upon ; F 3 and 7^ LETTERS AND and how fimple a figure they make when they pretend to judge of our, aftairs, arH tq aft the cenfors fo rafhly as they have lately done. As to the great man you mention, I have wrote a few but plain words to yo,ur pen- fionary. He was not received with the ac- clamations vou heard of; and they are much miftaken who imagine that he can be upon any other bottom than what the Queen pleafes to put him. I dare lay he is con- vinced by this time that he cannot lead either his miftrefs, or any one elfe, as he ufed to do. We mall fend him over a fub- jecT:, take care you do not put royalty into his head again. Adieu, I am, &c. 70 Mr. fcott*. SIR, Whitehall, Jan. i6tli 5 1710-11. IT was great pleafure to me to find by, your letter of the fecond of the lail month, that * James Scott, Britifh Refident at Drefden. the following letter is from this gentleman to the Earl of Peterborough ; then at Frankfort): " My L)id, "Drefden, Sept. zzd, 1711. I was thi. iking to do myfelf the honour to write to your Excellfiuy CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 7! that you ftill preferve a kind remembrance of an old acquaintance ; and that you have all thole favourable thoughts of me, which I am Excellency by the laft poft, but was uncertain whether my let- ters might find you at Frankfort ; they will I believe now, and I hope your Lord (hip will eaiily believe, that I fhall reckon it a very particular nappinefs, if, during your ftay there, I can tranfmit any tiling from this place that may either be for her Majefty's (ervice, or your Lordfliip's emertainment. What I think moft worth your while at prefent is, that the Czar ar- rived here on Sunday laft, about four in the afternoon, and foon after went to fupper at Mr. Vitzdam's, who is grand fau- conier here, and a fort of favourite with his Czarifh majeftv. Yefterday, he diverted himfelf by going to fee what is thought to be worth feeing in the town, and about it ; and at night Mr. Vitzdam gave him another entertainment at his houfe, where the beft company in town of both fexes was invited. I had alfo the honour to be of the party ; and muft own I was not {rry to have that occafion of obierving, fomewhat nearer than I had done before, fo extraordinary a prince. I was fur- prifed to hear him talk with fo muchy2z//g- froid of his late dif- afters ; for he made no difficulty to own, that his men were reduced to the greateft extremity ; and that feveral of .them had died of hunger: he owned alfo, that his cavalry was en- tirely ruined ; in a word, he feemed to laugh in his fleeve, that the Turks had made no greater advantage of his ill circum- ftances, or rather, perhaps, that they had let him go without being well aflured of the execution of the treaty ; for I find his Czanfh majefiy doth not ftand to fay plainly, that he will not give up Afoph till the king of Sweden hath left the Turkim dominions ; and that if the Port gives an efcort to that prince of above 5000 men, he will not think himfelf obliged to grant him iafe paflage. In a little time we fhall know what will happen as to thofe points ; but certainly the king of Sweden cannot wifh for any thing better than that the Czar may not ftand to his treat) ; fince, in that cafe, the Grand Vifier would, in all appearance, fall a facrifice to the Sultan's refentment ; and. new meafures, I believe, would be taken at the Port, more for his Swedi(h Majefty's intereft than what have been taken hitherto. The Czar went this morning for Carlfbadt, and it is thought will come back here again, after having drank the waters. We hear from Pomerania, that F 4 the 72 LETTERS AND J am the more obliged to you for, by how much lefs pretence I can claim to deferve them. All thofe who are concerned in the late turn which has happened here, and truly that is much the largefr. part of the people of Britain, are like wife indebted to you for your hearty good wifhes. Our revolution of minifters made a great noife by the clamour of party emifTaries ; the Swedes having formed a defign of giving their enemy fome diver/ion, by a defcent into Zealand, had made their preparations at Malmoe, which the Danes getting notice of, went with part of their fleet before that place ; and, having thrown in a confiderable quantity of bombs, it is believed they have done great damage to the houfes of the town, and de- ftroyed feveral tranfport-fliips. We natter ourfelves alfo here in the hopes that the northern confederates will foon be matters of the ifland of Rugen ; and that afterwards Strahlfund will not be able to hold out long ; confidering that the ganifon of that place is very numerous, and that the Swedes have the. greateft part of their magazines and provifions in Rugen. The Czar gives alfo, I hear, 7000 men more of his troops to block up Stettin ; and hath ordered clokes to be made for them. They give out here, likewife, that the Polanders, upon an invitation they have had from the Turks to renew their ancient friendftiip and alliance with the Porte, have declared that they will not, unlefs King Auguftus be comprehended, and acknowledged : in a word, appearances, at prefent, feem to be rery much againft his Swedifti Majefty; and if that Prince's expectations be balked at the Porte, as moft people now think they are, his affairs are in a very defperate con- dition, and I fhould think it high time for the allies, in that eafe, to interpofe a little in his behalf. 3 am, my Lord, *' Your Excellency's moft obedient, " Moft humble fervant, " JAS. SCOTT." and CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 73 and it were to be wifhed that ibme of our friends abroad had not taken fo idle an alarm, and fuftered themfejves to be fo grofT- ly impoied upon. Every thing goes on as well as in our cir- cumftances it is poffible to expect, and better than it could have done, if affairs had conti- nued in thofe hands whom Queen and people were tired of, and under the utmofl difTatif- faclion with. I have told my Lord Rivers (who is much your fervant) and Dr. Hutton hkewife, that it will be a very particular fatisfaclion to me to find an opportunity of doing you fer- vice. I repeat thefe profeffions to yourfelf, and you may depend upon me, for I have brought all my country fincerity with me to court, and by the grace of God I will preferve it. I have already fpoke to the Queen in ge- neral about you ; in a proper feafon I will be more particular*. The elector's minifter, Monfieur de Both- mar, has now been here fome time. I hope he is fatisfied with my behaviour towards * Scott was foon after this appointed Envoy to the King of Roland. him, 74 LETTERS AND him, it mall not be my fault if he has not a right information of the true ftate of things in this kingdom, which his prede- ceflbr never had, and, by confequence, was never able to do his mailer any good fervice. I mail be glad to hear often from you, and am, &c. To Mr. Drummond* SIR, Jan. iQth, O.S. 1710-11, AS bury a night as three pofts received at once make this to be, I cannot omit re-> turning you my very hearty thanks for your obliging letters of the 2oth and 26th, N.S. and the latisfadory accounts contained iq them. Since Mr. Gordon works under fo good a director, I make no doubt of his fuccefs. Cadogan is, I hear, coming hither, and his abfence will make the conjuncture more fa- vourable. 1 (hall to-morrow fpeak to my Lord Orrery to haften his departure, which will not, I hope, be long delayed, fince his inftruclions are figned, his warrants pafTed, and all his necefiary difpatches made. You 2 were CORRESPONDENCE, &TC. ?5 were very kind in giving a good character of Jiim to the Peniionary. He is a man of honour and integrity, and I hope that you will be fatisfied with him. As to the other *, I am forry you do not think that he is likely to prove agreeable at the Hague ; fmce that matter has gone too far to be now altered. My Lord Raby writes me word, that he had trailed Mon- iieur d'llgen, the Secretary of State at Ber- lin, with the fecret; and from him, no doubt, the Pruffian Refident at the Hague had his intelligence. I am forry it has got wind abroad, fince I affure you it has not yet been communicated to the cabinet- council here. Nobody can have a truer value for Mr. Watkins -{- than I have. I am fo far from wifhing him any degradation, that I mould 4o few things with greater pleafure than I ihould contribute to his advancement. I have fome thoughts of this kind, which, when they are a little better digefted, I will acquaint you with. * Lord Raby. He had been Envoy-extraordinary to the court of Berlin. f Henry Watkins was chief clerk to Bolingbroke, when Secretary at War, and afterwards was Judge- Advocate. My 76 LETTERS AND My Lord Marlborough brought, laft night, his wife's key to the Queen * ; and if he had begun by making this ftep, it had been better, fince nothing could four the Queen's mind more than the endeavours which he ufed to keep his Duchefs in her places. He promifes very fair ; I believe all the Queen's fervants will behave themfelves fo, as to make his ferving abroad not only practicable but eafy to him. I return you my Lord Albemarle's letter, which gives me a very real value for him. There appears in every line of it great fin- cerity and perfect good fenfe. Be fo jufl to me, as to afTure his Lordfhip of my moil: humble fervice, and of the great refpect which I have for his character. I wi(h I could pretend to deferve that which he is pleafed to beftow on me : but you may afTure him, that I have a heart full of zeal for the fer- vice of the common caufe, and that at leafl my earneft endeavours to do good mall not be wanting. * The Duchefs of Marlborough was Firft Lady of the Bed-chamber, Lady of the Wardrobe, and Privy Purfe to her Majefty, and Ranger of Windfor Parks ; which laft place (he retained, as it had been given to her for a certain number of years. i There CORRESPONDENCE, &C. JJ There are many points in your letters to be anfwered, which I muft defer till next poft ; by which time I will give you a better account in relation to the Spanim mips. Go on, in God's name, to cultivate the harmony between our friends the Dutch and us. It is the beft fervice which any man can do to both nations. Such a turn as we have lately made in our miniftry, is not to be wrought without fome diforders ; but furely fewer never happened upon fuch an occafion ; our circumftances would not admit delaying of it to the end of the war. The diftemper was precipitated, and we mould have been too late to fave ourfelves, if we had not applied an imme- diate cure. Adieu, I am ever, &c. To Mr. Drummond* SIR, January 23, 1710-11. BESIDES your letters of the 2Oth and 26th, which I acknowledged on Tuefday, I have now received yours of the 3oth, N.S. The Queen has been a little troubled with the gout ; and three pofts coming in together almo/r, 78 LETTERS AND almoft, have fo overloaded us with buimefs,; that I have not been able to take her Ma- jefty's pleafure concerning the Spanifh fhips^ or indeed to lay the matter before my Lords of the Council. I will not fail by the very firft opportunity to do both; and I hope to turn that affair to your fatisfadion. As to the great man, I own to you freely^ he acls, in my opinion, a little and an ill- judged part ; I mould be tedious if I de- fcended to particulars, but take this general idea of his prefent condu6t and fituation. The Queen, and thofe who are in her en- tire confidence* are deiirous to pleafe our friends in Holland, and to continue him at the head of the army. In order to this, every thing which, as Duke of Marlborough* or as general, he can expecl, has been and will be complied with. Every thing ne- cefTary to make him eafy in the field is done likewife* by the declaration which thd Queen has made of his loudeft enemy, the Duke of Argyle, to be general of the Britifli troops in Spain*. He has been told by the Duke of Shrewfbury, by Mr. Harley, and * And Ambafiador- extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to' king Charles. CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 79 by your humble fervant, that fince the Queen agrees to his commanding the army, it is our duty, and in the higher! degree our in- tereft, to fupport him, if poffible, better than he ever yet was, and that he may de- pend upon this. He has feen, in other in- flances, that we were able to fee and to purfue that which was right ; why mould he think us capable of judging on this occa- iion fo wrong ? He was told at firfl that he had nothing to reproach us with; that his wife, my Lord Godolphiif, and himfelf, had thrown the Queen's favour away ; and that he ought not to be angry if other people had taken it up. He was told, that his true in- tereft coniifted in getting rid of his wife, who was grown to be irrecoiicileable with the Queen, as foori as he could, and with the beft grace which he could. Inftead of this, he teazed the Queen, and made the utmofl effort to keep this woman in her places.. He never brought the key till he bad ^but three days given him to do it in^ and till he found that a longer delay was not to be hoped for from the Queen's refblution;, however, he now pretends to make a merit of this refignation. He has been told that he mufl oO LETTERS' AND muft draw a line between all that is part, and all that is to come, and that he mufl begin entirely upon a new foot ; that if he looked back to make complaints, he would have more retorted upon him than it was pofnble to anfwer ; that, if he would make his former conduct the rule of his future behaviour, he would render his interefrs incompatible with thole of the Queen. What is the effe6l of all this plain dealing ? he fubmits, he yields, he promifes to comply, but he ftruggles to alleviate Meredyth's difgrace, and to make the Queen make a lefs figure by going back, than me could have done by taking no no- tice at all of the infolence of him and his comrades. He is angry at the Duke of Ar- gyle's being appointed to command in Spain, and would, I fuppofe, have him punimed for acting on a plan which we have all, even the Queen herfelf, been concerned in. In Ihort, to finim this defcription, I doubt he thinks it poffiblc for him to have the fame abfolute power which he was once vefted with, and believes, perhaps, that thofe who ferve the Queen are weak enough not to fee the ufe that he would make of it. Once more, by all the judgment which I can form. CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 8l form, the exterior is a little mended ; but at heart the fame fentiments remain, and thefe heightened and inflamed by what he called provocations. We mail do what we can to fupport him in the command of the army, without betraying our miftrefs ; and unlefs he is infatuated, he will help us in this deiign ; for you muft know, that the mo- ment he leaves the fervice, and lofes the protection of the court, fuch fcenes will open, as no victories can varnim over*. This is an honeft, and I hope a clear account.. Lay your foundation here, and, whatever happens, judge from hence. I think that the beft thing which the Duke can do, is ? to go over as foon as poffible; for which the letter of the States to the Queen gives us a very proper handle. This letter was de- livered to- night to the Queen by Vryberge, and is very diicreet. A-propos to Vryberge, talking to him on Sunday, at the backilairs, of bufmefs, in a * And this accordingly happened towards the end of the year, when the report of the commiflioners of public accounts was made to the Houfe of Commons. Great peculations were diftovered; and though the Duke attempted a juftification, yet it was not conlidered as fatisfaftory. He was difmifled from all his places, and his Secretary, CardonneJ, expelled, the Houfe of Commons. VOL. I. G very 82 LETTERS AND very fober and calm manner, he took occa- fion to interrupt himfelf, and with fome emotion to lay, that as long as he felt that people had a confidence in him, he would have the fame in them ; but that when they had none, he knew how to live with them accordingly, or to that effect: the expreftions were harm, and the manner was harfher. I only anfwered by a fmile, 1 confider him as the minifter of the States ; and in that cha~ racier, and in that alone, will always Ihow him refpect. I intreat you to afTure the Penfionary of my moft fincere refpecls, and to let him know, that whenever he has any commands for me, I will, upon the leaft hint, catch at an opportunity of obeying them. In doing this, I mall have the additional fatifc faction of making my court to the Queen, who has the greater! value imaginable for the Penfionary's confummate wifdom, and in-* flexible integrity *. I do not know whether fome turn may not yet be found to gratify you in a mi- nifter at the Hague, fince the perfon talked * The Penfionary here meant is the Grand Penfionary of Holland, Heinfius,' the firft minifter of the States. Of CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 83 of feems fo little to be approved ; keep this to yourfelf, and leave us to work it. I allow confiderably for miftakes in intel- ligence, and for the afFecled boafts of the French before the opening of the campaign ; and yet I incline to think that they will make, all manner of ways, a great effort this year. I beg of you to be vigilant in get- ting what accounts you can of their naval preparations. The notice fent me in your laft, I have received from other parts of France, with fome other circumftances. Sir James Wifhart will be ordered, if thefe reports come confirmed, to prefs, with the ftronger inftances, that the Dutch mould do more by fea, than of late years they have been ufed to do. Whilft we fpare nothing to pufh the Flanders war, you muft not fufFer us to be ruined in. our trade, and infulted on our coafts. I will give you no farther trouble by this poft, but conclude this long letter by my hearty affurances of being ever, &c. G2 To 84 LETTERS AND To Mr. Drummond. SIR, Feb. gth, 1713-11. YOURS of the loth, N.S. came yef- terday to my hands; and the fatisfaclion which it gave me, contributed not a little to recover me from a feverim indifpofition which 1 have been under feven or eight days, but which is, I hope, entirely over. I hope, my Lord Orrery * will give con- tent on your fide of the water; I am very fure that he will endeavour it: the rule which you lay down for his conduct is very juft, and he (hall not fail to go from hence as well inftrucled as we can poffibly contrive to make him. My Lord Prefident, my Lord Chamber- lain, and Mr. Harley, with your humble fervant, are to wait upon the Queen, on Monday next, in order to hear my Lord Marlborough open the prefent ftate of the Netherlands, and the meafures hitherto * Appointed Envoy-extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the States general, and Council of State in the Nether- lands. taken CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 85 taken for the government of them '*. After this conference, my Lord Orrery's private inftrucliions will be drawn ; and he will be going over fome time in the next week. It will be happy for thofe people that the Queen is at laft let into this fecret, and that her minifter is for the future to a6t by her inductions. My Lord Townfhend has afked his dif- miffion, which I fuppofe he expected would otherwife have been fent him, and his let- ters of revocation will in a few days be ordered. My Lord Raby muft fucceed him. The Queen had promifed to call that minifler to this employment ; and me does not think fit to give him the mortification of a difap- pointment. The warmth which you ap- prehend in him, we will take care to cool; and, upon the whole matter, you will find him to be the beft we could at prefent fend you. The Duke of Marlborough will go over, I believe, about the fame time as my Lord * Marlborough and Cadogan had hitherto been the repre- fentatives of the Queen in the government of the French and Spanifh Netherlands. G 3 Orrery 86 LETTERS ANI> Orrery propofes to go. I flatter myfelf that his Grace will own that I have a&ed a fair and friendly part with refpecl to him. I will give you no farther trouble at this, time, but conclude by aiTuring you, that I am, &c. To Mr. Drummond. Si R, Whitehall, March 2d, 1710-11- YOUR letter of the fecond inftant, N.S* is this moment come with three pofts to my hands ; and though it be extremely late, and my hurry of bufineis very extraordinary,, yet I cannot neglecl to return you my moft humble thanks for the fatisfatory accounts which you are fo kind as to give me. I hope Mr. Decker fcnt you word how heartily we remembered you at my houfe on Monday laft. The bill you drew upon me he may receive when he pleafes^ and I have another article of expence and trouble to employ you in. It is of mighty confe- quence at all times for us to be informed of the preparations of the enemy,, and particu- larly CORRESPONDENCE, &C< 87 Jarly of the naval ones ; but in this feafon of the year, unlefs we have better accounts than ordinary of this kind, it is quite im- poffible to take our meafures for the opera- tions of the fummer with any tolerable cer- tainty. I am therefore to entreat you, that you would find, if poffible, fome perfon to venture to the French ports, to Dunkirk, to Breft, to St. Maloes, and to any other place on the ocean. I would be glad to be in- formed what fhips they have, and what condition they are in ; what {lores they have, what preparations they are making; and, particularly, whether tranfports of any fort are provided. 1 have other perfons em- ployed in this fervice, but the more fpies are ufed, the better judgment, by com- paring one advice with another, will be formed. You once mentioned to me a correfpond- ence at St. Germains ; be fo kind as to re- new and improve that, and to let me hear what fituation that court feems at prefent to be in, and what view there appears to be of the Chevalier's beftowing himfelf this fummer. Lay out what money you think proper on thefe fervices, and it mall be G 4 punctually 88 LETTERS AND punctually anfwered with a thoufand ac- .knowledgments by your humble fervant. Whatever fuccefs Sir James Wifhart has, we are all obliged to you for your kind part towards him, and the commifiion. he is employed upon. I deal freely with you, we do not well digeft the entire neglecl of the fea-fervice, which Holland has, of late efpeeially, run into, whilft we take fo large a mare of that of the land, which certainly is not our natural effort. Agree to our re- trenching on the latter head, and we will readily agree to eafe you of your burden on the former. It js true that my Lord Townfend did defire to be recalled, and it is as true that he would have been io, in a poft or two, if he had not defired it. I am not furpriied that he was a favourite in Holland, he yielded forne points, that if there was not more regard paid to the common intereft and to the prefcnt circumftances than there is to him, he would be called to a fevere ac- count for *. * This probably relates to Lord Townfhend's negociating, the barrier treaty, voted injurious to the trade of Great Britain luffering the States to be deficient in .their quota of fliips and land forces, and to carry on a trade with France, for which he met the cenfure of the Houfe of Commons. I hope CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 89 I hope my Lord Raby will fucceed very well amongft you j for though I enter into the objections made to his character, yet he will find, that to pleafe here, he muft pleafe on your fide, and he is no bad courtier. Some cafes may happen where it will be reafonable and even neceffary for him to take a little more upon him than has ufually been pra&ifed by our minifters at the Hague, but the cafes will be few, and he will have ftricl: and clear orders in them. I am very heartily glad to hear that the Penfionary places that confidence in you, and mows thofe marks of friendmip to you, which your behaviour and common good offices have deferved. They will find every day more and more the accounts which you have given them of this country to be true; and will come, it is to be hoped, at laft, to judge better of our affairs than they have hitherto done. I think, for the prefent, you need {ay no more, unlefs the handle be fairly given you, about Vryberge : when the Queen has any thing of very great importance to commu- nicate to the Penfionary, me will do it through your channel ; and, notwithftand* 93 LETTERS ing your modeft opinion of yourfelf and of your fervices, I allure you that her Majefty has no fervant me would confide fo much in. I muft once more, upon this occanon, entreat you to allure the Penfionary of my moil fmcere efteem, and moft hearty re- fpecl. I am making no fortune, I have no- thing at heart but the good of my country, and I look upon that to confift, eilentially, in a perfect harmony with Holland. I ex- pedt no ceremony from him, but deflre him to look upon me as an honeft man, and a well-wimer to the common caufe, till he finds me otherwife. My Lord Orrery went away, I hope, fully inftrucled in every thing which relates to the fervice, and I queftion not but he will at in fuch a manner as to give all reafon- able perfons fatisfa6tion. The Queen has been fo gracious as to take from her own troops, that douceur, which in the laft and in the prefent war, they have conftantly enjoyed; but I muft tell you, and we delire it may be underftood fo, that we know very well, that Slope- guelt woukl never have been grudged to the troops of Great Britain, if the Spanim Pro- i vinces CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 91 vinces had been governed with common juftice, or treated with common humanity. I am, &c. A Monjieur Petkum *. MONSIEUR, Ce 6me Mars, 1710-11, V.S, J'AI re9u votre lettre du 6-171116 du mois pafse, & j'accepte avec beaucoup de plaifir 1'ofFre de votre correfpondence. Comme Sa Majefte la Reine, n'eft entree dans cette guerre que pour procurer & af- furer la Paix de 1'Europe, vous pouvez etre perfuade qu'elle fera fort aife d'entendre que les Franfois veulent faire des demarches de ce cote-la. Nous favons. tres-bien, Monfieur, les peines que vous avez pris pour I'avancement d'une oeuvre auffi pieufe que celle de la paix, & * Petkum was Refident from the Duke of Holftein-Got- torp, at the Hague. This Minuter in 1709, volunteered a journey to Verfaillrs, as a mediator in the effefting a Peace* which brought about the conferences, and he continued to correfpond with France, after they were broken off. At the date of this Letter, he was. employed by the Grand Penfionary to refume the negotiations by a fecret application to the Court of France. Bolingbroke fomewhere calls him a Peace- Broker, nous 92 LETTERS AND nous ibmmes tres-convaincus qne vous agirez toujours fur un plan convenable aux intercts de tons les allies. Je me recommende, Monfieur, a 1'hon- neur de vos bonnes graces, & fuis, &c. To Lord Raby. MY LORD, March 6th, 1710-11. I GIVE your Excellency the trouble of this private letter to afTure you, that I have omitted nothing I thought might be proper towards preparing the people, with whom you are now to have to do, for all thofe im- preffions of efteem and affection, which I am fure your Excellency's conduct will make upon them, when they are fo happy as to enjoy you amongft them. Your Excellency will give me leave to recommend Mr. Drummond, a merchant of Amfterdam, in a particular manner to your confidence. He is in great friendfhip with many of the moll confiderable men in Holland; the Penfionary puts a juft value upon him, and we have, on this fide, very great obligations to him. Your CORRESPONDENCE, &C. Q3 Your Excellency knows how much mif- chief was done, and how much more at- tempted, by factious correfpondences in Holland, during the changes which the Queen thought fit to make in her miniftry ; no one man contributed ib much to give the Dutch a true notion of our affairs, to quiet their minds, and to refettle a confidence, as this gentleman. He has merited the Queen's good opinion by thefe fcrvices to a great degree; and you may depend, my Lord, upon him as one who will prove a faithful and a ufeful fervant to your Ex- cellency. 1 fee how ftrenuoufly Mynderhufen de- nies his havinsc read a letter which men- O tioned your Excellency's coming to the Hague. Trouble yourfelf, my Lord, I be- feech you, no more about it, but depend upon the information I gave you as true. Will your Excellency pleafe to command with the greateft freedom any lights which you think I may be able to furnifhyou with, from this tide, upon your entering into this new fcene of bufmefs ? I mall take a very particular pleaiure in obeying you, and in approving my {elf, my Lord, &c. 94 LETTERS AND To bis Grace the Duke of Marlborough. MY LORD, March 13, 1710-11. I HAVE had the honour of your Grace's three private letters of loth, i5th, and 1 7th of this month, N.S. which have been laid before her Majefty, and by her order communicated to my Lord Preiident and my Lord Chamberlain. Mr. Harley is out of danger, his fever having this day entirely left him ; but we dare not trouble him with any kind of bufinefs*. Her Majefty commands me to fay, that the regiments of Hill, Clayton, and Kane being, without difpute, proper to be de- tached on the fervice-j- which me intends, her defire was, that two other battalions might be ordered, whofe colonels had not fo high a rank as Mr. Hill, of which there are feveral in your Grace's army. That, in this cafe, there cannot pofllbly be any the leaft ground of complaint ; whereas, according to the method your Grace pro- * Mr. Harley had been flabbed by the Marquis de Guif- card. f The expedition, under Hill aad Walker, to Quebec. pofes, CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 95 pofes, either Mr. Hill muft not command, or a great hardfhip muft be done to officers who have deferved very well ; and the rea- ion of that hardfhip muft be her Majefty's partiality to Mr. Hill. Wynne has dif- putes in Flanders with officers who have ferved there all the war ; this the Queen thinks may be a good reafon againft Hs going over to your Grace's army : but if his regiment was ordered on a fervice where no one could come in competition with him, me thinks it would be no reafon againft his going upon that occarlon. The Dutch Gazettes did, indeed, men- tion Mr. Hamilton's going over with the Duke of Argyle, but there is no manner of ground for the report ; fo that his regiment muft not go upon this fervice, or he muft command, or he muft be laid afide ; ,and the latter the Queen thinks too great a fe- verity to be inflicted on a man who has ferved without reproach. As to Mr. Sut- ton, he did not, indeed, ferve the laft cam- paign, but he was extremely ill ; and your Grace has been often pleafed to difpenfe with the abfence of thofe who had fo un- happy a reafon to plead in their behalf. He is 96 LETTERS AND is now well, his equipage gone or going, and he ready to follow ; by confequence, the fame remark holds good in his cafe which is made in that of Mr. Hamilton. The Queen farther obferves, my Lord, that brigadiers are wanting in your Grace's army, and that if Hamilton and Sutton were taken away, you would not have fufficient to do the duty. She directs me, likewife, to take notice, that the regiments named by your Grace, though they may perhaps be the youngeft of thofe which went laft over, are, how- ever, not the youngeft in the Flanders army ; and befides, that when the detachment was made to Portugal, and upon other occafions, fending of the youngeft corps has been no eftablifhed rule. Upon the whole matter, her Majefty confiders that if (he mould ftay for an anfwer to this letter, the clothing and recruits of all the regiments would be fent away, whereas we are now in time to flop fuch as are neceflary, the confequence whereof might be difappointing utterly the defign me has formed ; and therefore me is pleafed to command me to let youf Grace know, that me will have the regiments of HU1, CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 97 Hill, Wiiidrefs, Clayton, Kane, and Grant, immediately march, fo as to be apporte to embark at O fiend as foon as they ihall be called for ; and that muft be very quickly, the tranfports for them being now ready in the Hope, and the men-of-war rendezvouf* ing in the Downs. Thefe regiments have fome men upon detachment at this time, I fuppofe, which muft neceflarily be ordered back. Windrefs is himfelf here, ready to take Care of what relates to his battalion on this fide of the water, and Grant as well as his lieutenant-colonel are both prifoners. Her Majefty's illnefs, which we hope is now entirely over, has been fome hindrance to the difpatch of bufinefs, and makes me unable to fpeak fo certainly to your Grace as otherwife I mould do upon feveral arti- cles. In general, your Grace may be allured, and you may allure the Penfionary, and the reft of the foreign minifters, that the Queen will not be wanting on her part in any quarter of the fervice ; but the Queen thinks that they ought to be told, that her quota of troops is conftantly in the field, whilft a great, and even an unneceflary proportion, VOL. I. H ef 98 LETTERS AND of that of Holland is thrown into garri- fons*. That if me mould think of re- placing troops which they have no right to afk for, fhe muft and will expecl that they mould bring into the field what me has a right to demand of them for the common caufe. I had not, in truth, read the Examiner which your Grace mentions, but I will take the beft care I can to have honour done you, and no reflection caft upon you. It is a hard matter to keep the minds- of men, when they are thoroughly heated, from puming every fubjecl: too far ; and no man is more heartily forry than I am for thofe occafions which have been given of railing the ferment. Your Grace may be allured of my fervices in every inftance ; and I ihall be glad to fee you (which it is -in your power to be) the fubjecl of univerfal panegyric. I doubt Mr. Harley's wound hurts the public in many refpefts, and particularly in the Treafury. I have ipoke to my Lord * It may be ufeful to obferve here, that, in general, the towns taken in Flanders had Dutch governors and garrifons as foon as taken. Powlet CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 99 Powlet * about the delay of the remittances, 'mentioned in your Grace's letter of the ijth; he fays all poffible care has been taken ; and he promifed me this morning, at St. James's^ to write by this poft to your Grace. Certainly, my Lord, nothing can eafe the War in Fianders, and every where elfe, but an effort by the Duke of Savoy. This is evidently true ; and the Queen is, therefore, Very glad of the care which your Grace has taken in writing and fending to that Prince. But, my Lord, do not think me too jealous, if I prefume to caution you againft French femiflaries in general. I know, in particular, of Saiflan -j~ nothing but good; However, I have already fome * Firft Commiffioner of the Treafury. f- He was a native of France, and a bold, enterprizing (officer. When Tournay was hefieged by the allies, the garri- fon was in want of officers, he endeavoured to get into the town, but failed, and was taken prifoner. He wrote to the French Mirtifrer to be exchanged, and was informed that his fervices were not neceflary. He then applied to the Duke of IMarlborough, who recommended him to King Auguftus^ and that prince made him a Major-general. A diverfion being, in 1709, planneJ to affift the infurredYion of the Cevennois, in the fouth of France, Saiflan had the direction of it; landed at the port of Cctte, near which was his paternal eftate : and though the expedition was not fuccefsful, yet he contrived to keep the Due de Noailles' army employed, and prevented his joining the forces of King Philip ; for this the Queen afterward* rewarded him, and he continued in great favour and eileem with the Duke of Maflboroughu H 2 reafon 100 LETTERS AND reafon to fay, and fhall have more in a little time, that we have fuffered extremely by the ear which has been given to thefe aventuriers both in Holland and England. I have nothing at prefent in command to fay to your Grace on the fubjecT: of the two treaties propofed with the Elector of Bava- ria, more than that the fcheme feems to be very extraordinary; and her Majefty, who has never heard of it till now, would be^ glad to know what judgment the States, who have had it fome time, it feems, under confideration, make thereupon? Your Grace need make no doubt of the Queen's coming into any reafonable proportion of charge, where a real benefit is to accrue to the Qommon caufe ; but (he is defirous to know whereabouts the expence may probably come, and what proportion of it will be expected from her. I cannot conclude this letter without let- ting your Grace know, that when the books were this morning opened for the lottery, it appeared that there had been to the value of 275,000 1. lodged for it more than the million and a half; that 700,000!. were ftill offered to come in ; and that the remit- ters CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 101 ters had 200,000 1. for their mare ready to pay in. I am apt to believe this mighty concurrence of people may occafion a new lottery on the fame model ; this is certain, that we have money and credit ; and though the former cannot increafe, the latter will, in fpite of faction, revive. I hope by Friday to write more particu- larly to your Grace on fome matters which I have not yet very fully the Queen's orders upon : in the mean time, I doubt you will think me tedious ; but I could not, for your Grace's fake and my own, contrive to be fliorter. I cannot have Guifcard's letter copied this pott, fince I do not truft it out of my own hands, except to one clerk ; by the next poft your Grace fhall have it fent you. In the mean while, I believe it will not be amife to let the Penfionary know, that I find, both by intelligence of my own and by that which Count MafFei has communicated to me, that in France they think themfelves very well informed of what pafTes in Holland. I have given the fame caution to Mon- fieur Vryberge. I am, &c. H 3 7> 1 03 JITTERS \ To Mr. Drummond. SIR, March 1 3, 1710-11, MY laft, Sir, began with the ill news of Mr. Harley's being ftabbed ; this ihall begin, with the good tidings of his being out of danger, firice the fever which he had upon him is entirely gone. The Lords of the Council have been twice with Guifcard in Newgate. What" he con- fefies is trifling ; and, to fay truth,, I do not imagine he knows any thing very material. However, I muft not omit to defire you, as I have defired my Lord Marlborough, to let the Pennonary know that I am very well affured the French ministers think their in- telligence, both in Holland and here, very good. I hope we fhall lop off thofe channels of mifchief, and I make no doubt but that the necclTary care will, fee takej.x on your fide. It is impoffible to exprefs to you the firm- liefs and magnanimity which Mr. Haiiey mowed upon this furprifmg occafion : I, who have always admired him, never did it fo much ; the fuddennefs of the blow, the fharpnefs CORRESPONDENCE, &C. fharpnefs of the wound, the confufion which followed, could neither change his counte- nance, nor alter his voice. You will wonder when I tell you that the Whigs in the Houfe of Commons, on this occafion, which demanded the indigna- tion of every man who pretends to common humanity, behaved themfelves {imply $ but when the matter came before the Houfe of Lords, they left their feats ; and fmce they could not hang Mr. Harley, they were re- folved to fhew no refentment to Guifcard for {tabbing him. This morning the fubfcriptions to the lot- tery were to begin ; but 270,000 1. more than the million and half were already lodged, the remitters were difappointed of putting in 200,000!. and other perfbns of 700,000 1. more. You fee, Sir, we have ibme money left; for I am told that the foreign part was lefs this time than it was the laft : and I make no doubt but that our credit will revive. It has iickened by vil- lainy for a time, but the peftilential blafts are over ; and I make no doubt but we fhall fee this fair plant flourim as much as ever. I am to take my mare in the obligation H 4 which 104 LETTERS AND which my Lord Orrery has to you ; and I am very glad his firft appearance amongft you pleafed fo well ; I do not at all doubt but he will grow in your efteem. I hope my Lord Raby will take fuch a. pli as to make himfelf acceptable ; you may be affured that he mail not want frequent admonitions upon this head. We will neglect nothing iq our power, or which is fit for us to do, towards keeping you in good humour; but you muft remember that compliances and good offices are to be mu-r tuaL . I begin to think that Sir James Wifhart will have no fuccefs, for the fquadrons fet down in yours are no more to be reckoned, than our cruizers in the foundings, or our Turkey convoy ; but give me leave $o fay, that as we cou!4 not have juftified ourfelves if we had neglected to prefs the States upon this head, fo they will find it hard to juftify themfelves for being fo extravagantly defici- ent in their marine quota. I mould be extremely glad to hear what certainty there is in the report, which comes almoft in every letter, of the Chevalier's going a progrefs after Eafter, the enemy have CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 105 have many irons at this time in the fire; do they in earneft mean that he {hall take fome part, this fummer, upon him ? Your inclofed letters I have forwarded, finding nothing mifchievous or fufpicious in them ; perhaps this ftep may draw the coiv refpondence into our channel, and fome difcovery may be made; if none is, the trouble is however not great. I do not at all wonder that you find the minifters fo much at a lofs. If I would look back, and give my pen leave to move, I think I could mow the moft egregious marks of folly or knavery that ever appeared in our manner of declining peace, and drag- ging on the war. What I faid about the barrier in a former letter, was in confidence between you and me, whatever the treaty be in its own nature, how little foever ho- nourable or fafe to Britain, fure I am nothing is now to be faid of it. I am forry that my Lord Marlborough gives you fo much trouble ; it is the only- thing he will ever give you. I muft, upon this occafion, take notice to you how very fenlible the Queen is, as well as her mi- njfters, of the pains which you have taken fo J06 LETTERS AND ib ufefully and fo effectually in her fervice, Her Majefty will take an opportunity very foon, of acknowledging it to you. I return you the original letter which you fent me ; I beg of you to make my moft humble fervice acceptable to the writer of it, and aflure you, that I am, &c. 70 Mr. T)rummond. S I R, March i6th, 1710-11. THIS morning, your letter of the 24th inftant, N.S. came to my hands, as all your preceding ones have done, very fafely. I am to return you abundance of thanks for the intelligence you were fo kind to tranf- mit to me ; and I muft entreat your conti- nuance of them : I am fenfible it is very difficult to be rightly informed of what is doing at places fo far within France as Breft is, but I would ftick at no price to have authentic accounts of the enemy's naval preparations. Part of the intelligence con- tained in Guifcard's intercepted packet, re- lated to a defign for which preparations are making here and abroad. It would be therefore CORRESPONDENCE, &C. therefore of great ufe, in order to blind the enemy more effectually, if any way could be found of infinuating that the troops, which are to embark at Oftend, were really defigned to make a defcent upon the coaft of Spain ; and as a farther ftrength to this report, it might be at the fame time hinted, that fome of the Spanifh merchants here have conferred with Lord Dartmouth upon it. As to yourfelf, you mufl give me leave to fay that when the Penfionary has any thing of more than ordinary moment to communicate to the Queen, or thole who may have the honour to be in her miniftry, I know of no man fo proper to do her Ma- jerty the good fervice of tranfmitting it hither as yourfelf. By very good intelligence from France, I am induced to believe that their efforts for carrying on the war this year, are even greater than they promifed themfelves ; and then, the hopes they have raifed of the King of Sweden's entering into Saxony, and giv- ing a great disturbance to the empire, will incline them to fee what turn thefe affairs are likely to take before they hearken to any propofals of peace. It J08 LETTERS AND It is my opinion, that their expectations from the King 'of Sweden are too well grounded ; and that he has a better under- ftanding with France than we feem to ap- prehend, even fince his proteflation againft the neutrality*. We muil acknowledge that the allies are, in thefe refpe&s, in an unhappy iituation ; but I am entirely of your opinion, that no advances towards peace are to be made firft on our part. The claufe which you mention as defired by fome people, to be inferted in our lot- tery, is very furprirmg ; I mould be forry to have it known here that any fuch thought could enter into the mind of any body in Holland. You may afTure yourfelf, that we fhall proceed with fo much caution, as not to give the Dutch any grounds of jealoufy. * This treaty was intended to fecure the peace of the em- pire, and to prevent any impediment from the northern pow- ers to the operations of the grand alliance againft France. The; allies agreed, on their part, to rurnim a guarantee army of 20,000 men, while Ruffia, Poland, Denmark, Pruffia, and Sweden, were to obferve a ftricl neutrality. This was figned 'by the allies, Denmark, and the Lords Regents of Sweden. But Charles XII prote-fted againft it, backed by the Grand Signior. whatever CORRESPONDENCE, &C. whatever reafonable complaints we may have to make of them. It is very poffible, that the reafon which you affign for my Lord Marlborough's not being concerned in the treaty for the barrier, may be the true one, but it is no good one on his Lordfhip's fide. I believe my Lord Orrery will meet with many difficulties before he can fettle the Netherlands in a good method of govern- ment ; he went from hence very well in- ftrucled ; and I hope the extortions which thofe provinces have laboured under, are now at an end ; and by degrees his Lordfhip will be able, with his prudent management, to fettle them in a ftate of tranquillity*. * In the time of the Dukes of Brabant, there was a Council of State who had the management of the treafury, and the taxes parted through their hands. The Spaniards abolished the Council, which was reftored in this war by the allies, at the interceffion of the States of Brabant; but though the Council was reftored, the extortions did not oeafe, and Lord Orrery was fent to relieve that opprefled country. The editor has two papers on this fubjed; the firft is indorfed, " Tranilation of a Letter to her Majefty," without name or date, and charges the Duke of Marlborough and General Cadogan with injuftice, rapacity, and opprellion, and in terms very fevere. The other is figned by the Due d'Arenberg, le Comte d'Urfel, le Comte d'Erps, and le Comte de Lannoy, members of the Council cf State; and is dated Bruflels, 24th February, 171 1. It con- tains articles of complaint and proofs again ft Cadogan; they accufe him of extortion and tyranny, and ftate particular in- llances. This laft memoir was fent in confequence of her Majefty's orders for a fecret enquiry into the conduct of her minifter. 5 As 110 LETTERS AND As to Mr. Watkins, I affure you I (halt be always ready to fhow him any civility^ or do him any fervice in my power : I defire you will found him, and try what inclinations he would have to be fecretary to the embafly at the Hague, if it was offered him, in or- der to his being employed in that ftation at a negociation of peace, and find out how foon he would be willing to be declared, which the fooner it was done the better, to prevent any body elfe putting in. I look upon Mr. Watkins as a man every way equal to the port, and I hope he will like it. A relation of mine is going to be fecretary to Lord Raby at the Hague, fo that there will be imrnediate neceffity of Mr. Watkins' s leav- ing the army, though he mould be declared iecretary. The news of troubles in South France Would be very agreeable to us, fmce the more we confider our prefent circumftances^ the more we are convinced, that nothing but a powerful diverfion, given by the Duke of Savoy, can poffibly prevent the French being fuperior to us in all other parts* which of late years they have never been able to accomplifh. I am> &c. CORRESPONDENCE, &C* ttt To Mr. Drummond. SIR, March 2oth, lyio-iti THE favour of your letter of the 2jth inftant, N.S. came yefterday to my hands. The miferable fellow who ftabbed Mr* Harley, is dead of his wounds and bruifes, ia Newgate. Our friend recovers apace, and will, we hope, in few days be able to return to the head of bufmefs ; his fhort abfence from which fituation is, I do aflure you, verj fenfibly felt. I thank you for all the intelligences which you fend me, particularly for that of the three mips failed from Dunkirk, fince our tranfports are at this time in more thafi ordinary motion between this ifland and Holland, between the Downs and Spithead r as well as in other parts. I have obferved, in fome of the laft print* from Holland, an article, as if the embark- ation, now making, was intended for Nortb America. I take this report to be grounded on Nicolfon's being ordered back to take care of Port-Royal *, which furrendered lafl * In Nova Scotia, and called Annapolis Royal, in compli- ment to the Queen. year nz BETTERS AND year to the Queen's forces. It is, however^ of great confequence to the fervice that the enemy mould be as much as poilible per- plexed about the deftination of this fquadron j and therefore I defire you once more to in- finuate, as artfully as you can, that Nicolfbn goes back fingle (which is likewife true) and carries only a few {pare arms along with him, but that the other preparations are in- tended for the coaft of France or Spain. It is certain that there are three months' pro- vifions put on board, which may be owned, and will be a convincing proof that the Weil-Indies are not in our view. We are not pleafed with the ufage of Sir James Wifhart ; and it is a proportion never to be juftified, that you have but thirteen fhips, exclufive of convoys and cruifers, this year at fea*. Befides, we hear that the jtcheme is formed for throwing twenty-four battalions into garrifon this year more than were the laft, which is fuch a diminution of that quota which Holland ought to keep, in proportion to ours, in the field, as is really intolerable. * The proportion of naval armament to be furniflied by the States fliould have been forty- two fhips of war. I Will CORRESPONDENCE, &CC. 11$ I will not fay any thing of the difficulties which, on account of their commerce, are thrown in the way, with refpecT: to the funds which the States of Brabant are to furnifh for the Imperialifts and Palatines, becaufe I confeis you have fome colour of excufe for oppofmg the new impoiition upon white fait and corn-brandy. The Queen takes indeed from you five re- giments ; but thefe are part of feveii which have ferved in Flanders thefe two years, over and above her quota. You complain, and fhe has already given orders to the Duke of Marlborough to replace them with fo- reigners, or even to do more, if reafonably he can ; befides which, two fquadrons of the nine intended to be fent will go over to you, the reft being flopped for reafons which may eafily be gueffed. 1 mention thefe par- ticulars to you, becaufe I am fure that you do us, upon all occasions, juftice, and be- caufe it is fit that our friends in Holland mould fee on what principles we a6r. I have a large poft to difpatch, and there- fore muft conclude. I will only add, that we yefterday went through the eftimate of extraordinaries in the committee of fupply, VOL. VI. I which 114 LETTEHS AND which is the laft of the public ones for the fervice of the current year. The fums now veted .amount to 6,902,547!. 145. Adieu. I am, &c. To the Duke of Maryborough. MY LORD, March 20, IN my public letter, I fpeak to your Grace on the fubjecl: of the Pruffian troops, and of the Imperialists and Palatines ; in this I am to acquaint your Grace, that the Queen was extremely concerned to find in how great backwardnefs the forage and bread are. Mr. Harley's misfortune, you eafiiy ima- gine, retards every thing which relates to the treafury. However, my Lord Poulet allures me, that the whole arrear, due for former years to the contractors, has been paid, and that care is now taken for the anticipation of this year's contract. I -was not able to fpeak to the Chancellor of the -Exchequer yefterday, he being at reft when I went to wait upon him ; and the Committee, which fat immediately after- wards CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 115 wards, having continued till late at night. I hope to fee him before I clofe this, in which cafe I may perhaps have fomething *o add. I have taken care to have the proper hint given to the Examiner ; and your Grace may be allured that I cannot have a greater plea- fure than to find it in my power to ferve you. As to the treaty with the Eleclor of Bava- ria, I find my Lord Prefident, my Lord Chamberlain, and Mr. Harley, who have only been fpoke to ia it, agree in opinion that the whole turns upon his fincerky. If we fuppofe the two treaties executed, France will have for the field fo many troops the more, as the garrifons of thofe places amount to, which are to be comprehended in the neutrality. We fhall be freed from our apprehennons on the fide of the Maefe, we fhall have in our hands fo much more of the barrier; and we fhall have the Bava- rian and the Elector of Cologn's troops to countervail what the French will be able to make ufe of the more of their own. The Elector will have his Ele&orate, and the Imperial troops in that country may be ap- plied to the war, on the fide of Italy, or eli<> I 2 where Il6 LETTERS AND where. On this fuppofition, the projects may be agreeable enough to the interefts of the common caufe. But if one may fuppofe that this intrigue is really an artifice of France, then the confequences will be bad, and the bargain fatal ; fince, in fuch cafe, we give an opportunity of rekindling that fire in the empire, which your Grace once extinguifhed fo glorioufly to yourfelf, and fo happily to all Europe : and this accident would be the more terrible, becaufe of the juft apprehen- iions which may be entertained of the King of Sweden. It flartles a man to confider this prince in Saxony, the Elector of Bavaria, at the head of an army in his own country, and the French acting ofFenfively on the Rhine. I flate both fides of the queftion, as well as I am able, to your Grace, and have only to add upon this head, that the Queen is come to no definitive judgment in the mat- ter, but waits for farther lights from your Grace, and from the States, before me de- termines her opinion. Guifcard is dead, and though he gave the I^ords of the Council the trouble of going three or four times to Newgate, yet he related little more than coffee-houfe con- 5 verfatiou. CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 1IJ verfation. He pretended that Satffan etoit un Babtilard) and that the beft accounts, or at leaft the firft which he had of his pro- jects were thofe which he pumped out of him himfelf. What other intelligence he had from Holland he had from Chabanetti, as I have had the honour to tell your Grace, and as you will fee by the copies of his letters. I have a thought in my mind, which may be for the advantage of Mr. Watkins, but I would not propole it, neither, I am fure, would he embrace it, without your Grace's approbation firft obtained. There muft be a fecretary to the embafly at the Hague ; and that perfon will naturally be fo to the peace, whenever we mail be ib hap- py as to fee that advance. This poft Mr. Watkins may have, and yet not be obliged to quit his attendance on your Grace during the campaign. Since I have writ thus far, I have been with Mr. Harley, who wifhes himfelf able to contribute to the advancement of the fervice, but fays that Medina * has fome * Sir Solomon de Medina, contra&or for bread t the Bri* tjih forces in Flanders. 1 3 time LETTERS AND time ago received the anticipation for bread in tallies, which were the bell the treafury had to give him, and were really good. Craggs was with me this evening, and I fuppofe will acquaint your Grace with what pafled : as far as he thought proper to open himfelf, I talked very freely to him*. Your Grace may be allured of a mod faithful and obedient fervant in H. St, J, To Mr. Cadogaft. Si R, March 20, I HAVE received both your letters of the 1 7th of March, N.S. and it was a very great fatisfadion to me to find, by your pri- vate one of that date, that you remember an old friend, who never did any thing to be forgot. I hope my Lord Duke is fatisfied that I * Ha; ley, in his " Brief Account of Public Affairs," relates, that about the beginning of February there began to be a di- vifion among thofe called Tories in the Houfe ; and Mr. Se cretary St. John thought it convenient to 1 be lifting a feparate party for himfelf. Thefe conferences with Craggs, the Duke's lecretary as Mailer of the Ordnance, were probably with a view of gaining over the Duke to his party, or, what is more likely, to the fixing him with the new minifters, i have CORRESPONDENCE, &?C. 119- have been uniform in my character, and that as I could not engage in meafures con- trary to my opinion, fo I could not engage m reientments contrary to my profeffions. There is nobody who has more efteem for you than myfelf, and from th firft hour of our acquaintance I have without any in- terruption endeavoured to mow it. As to complaints which may have been made, I cannot be fo infmcere as to fay that Flanders has not been very fruitful of clamour for fome time. I believe it is fHll very prac- ticable to put an end to the applications on this head, which have hitherto been hin- dered from being public, by putting an end to the grievances. No one has it fo much in his power as you to contribute to the eafe of that opprefled country *, and no one therefore can fo eafily purchafe this repu- tation ; which will at the fame time add a new ornament to a thoufand others which adorn your character, and be of very fub- ftantial fervice to my Lord Duke. * The members of the Council of Brabant mention in their memorial an aflertion of Cadoga+i, that though he was no longer Envoy, yet he retained his port of Quarter-mafter- general; meaning that he flill retained a power lufficient to be revenged of his enemies. 1 4 If I2O LETTERS AND If I have been fo happy as to be ufeful to you in the late diforders which have hap- pened here, the only return I defire for it is the continuance of your good opinion and friendfhip to, Sir, &c, To the Earl of Orrery. MY LORD, March 2Oth, 1710-11. DUPUY is very well known to me for a man who has been aclive in the little under- hand workings towards peace ; and accord- ing to the beft accounts I have been able to get of him, he has behaved himielf very honeilly in all his dealings upon this fcore. I think your Lordfhip did extremely well in. giving him the anlwers you mention. He is not gone to Geneva, but direclly to Paris, on fome encouragement which the French minifters have given him. However, I muft own my opinion, that the enemy will, nei- ther through this channel, nor any other, think of conveying terms of peace to the allies, till they fee how we (hall be prepared to oppofe the great effort which they pre^ tend to make, what turn the negociation at Vienna, CORRESPONDENCE, &C. I 21 Vienna * is likely to take, and what diverlion they may expert from their new ally the King of Sweden, and their old one the Turk. You reafon very juftly, my Lord, as to our home-affairs ; I have been long fixed iti the fame opinion, you are my vvitnefs for it. 1 think we mall come to a fettlement on the rifing of the Parliament, and before winter, I hope we mall have a peace, as well as a parliament prepared to give a fandtion to it, I beg of your Lordmip to make my com- pliments to the Count d'Urfel, and to the Count de Milan, whole letters I will do my- felf the honour to anfwer by the firfl poft. I hope we mall be able to inftrucl Lord Raby Ib well, that he will give no jufr. oc- cafion of offence $ and if he proves a little more ftiff" in fome points than his prede- ceflbr ufed to be, I mall not like him the worfe for it. The Duke of Marlborough, I knew, would make thofe advances to you which he does. His friends endeavour to infinuate here how entirely he defires to engage in the prefent meafures, and with the prefent mi- * To fettle the differences between that Court and Savoy. nifters. 122 LETTERS AND nifters. I think both for your eafe, and for the Queen's fervice, you mufl live perfectly \vell together. My Lord, forgive thefondnefs of a friend, if I repeat my earneft defires, I dare fay very unnecefTarily, to you, that you will leave nothing undone towards fettling the country where you are, on a better foot ; and that for the honour of the Queen's fer- vice, and of the nation, you will ftand in the gap againft any violences which may be offered. Your Lordfhip may depend on all the fnpport which the Queen can give you, and of her thanks for this fervice. I am, &c. Forgive this hafty fcrawl, writ when I am quite tired with two days' hard labour. A Monjieur Buys. Ce 23me Mars, 1710-11. JE vousfuis extremement oblige de I'hon- neur que vous m'avez fait par votre lettre du 27me de ce mois, N.S. Monfieur Harley, graces a Dieu, fe porte de CORRESPONDENCE, &C. de jour en jonr beaucotip mienx, & nous efperons qu'en fort peu de terns il fera ert etat de reeommencer fon travail, pour le plus grand avantage des deux nations, & de la caufe commune. Je ne puis pas m'empecher de vous dire, que par ce que les affaires tant domeftiques qu'etrangeres fouffrent du- rant la maladie de ce mini fire, nous fentons evidemment combien grand auroit ete notre perte, en cas que le coup qu'i! rc^iit cut ^te mortel. J'efpere que les difficultes qvfe nous avons eu a combaftre font anlanies. Nous four- nirons pres de fept millions de livres fter- lings aux depenfes de 1'annee courante, & nous trouverons les moyens rieceffaries pour le payement de rios dettes. Je fuis fort aife de voir que le Due de Marlborough eft content de nous : ce qu'il y a de certain c'ert qu'on a ufe a fon egard de toute la bonne foi, & de toute la fincerite poffible. II faut faire bonne mine a mauvais jeu ; vous le faites, nous le faifons, & la France, pour le moins autant qu'aucune autre Puif-- fance. II me femble qu'elle veut voir les fucces de ces intrigues qu'elle trame depuis quelque 124 LETTERS AND quelque terns, avant que de fonger tout etc bon a la Paix. Je fuis Monfieur, avec toute 1'eftime quc vous meritez, Votre, &c. Nous fommes ici fort fenfibles des diffi- cultes qui fe font trouves dans 1'afFaire des deux vaiffeaux, & des obligations que nous vous avons en particulier ; Monfieur Drum- mond eft fort bien inftruit de mes fenti~ rnens fur ce chapitre. Ce me fera un tres-grand plaifir de tra- vailler conjointement avec Monfieur Vry- berge, a faire des reglemens qui puifTent prevenir de telles difputes a 1'avenir, To LordRaby. MY LORD, March 2 3d, 1710-11. IF my former did not, this letter I hope will find your Excellency fafely arrived at the Hague. Unlefs you forbid me to do it, I intend to CORRESPONDENCE, &C. to fend Mr. Harrifon * over to you. His being my kinfman, I do not defire mould be any part of his merit ; but I am confident your Excellency will find him very capable of ferving you, from his own capacity, and from the lights which he will receive in my office, by looking back in the books, and taking the clue of all bufmefs at this time tranfa&ing . in Holland. Mr. Watkins is of great fufficiency in all parts of foreign ne- gociation, and I will be anfwerable, your Excellency may place an entire confidence in him, but he will not, I doubt, be able to attend at the Hague till towards the end of the year, unlefs we mould be io happy as to have a treaty fooner let on foot, and of this I own I fee very little profpecl. Your Excellency will allow me, I know, to write with the utmoft freedom to you, and I mould be backward in doing it per- haps to another. * Thomas Harrifon. Swift fays of him, " A little pretty *' fellow, with a great deal of wit, good fenfe, and good na- " ture; he has nothing to live on but being governor to one *' of the Duke of Queenfbury's fons, for 40!. 9 year." Swift recommended him to St. John, who gave him the appoint- ment of Secretary to Lord Su afford, winch he did not long en- joy ; he~died in February, 1713. No lofs ever grieved Swift fo much. When 126 LETTERS When it was firft whifpered that you .was to fucceed my Lord. Townlhend at the Hague, I found by feveral hints which I received, ad by feveral private accounts which were lent me, that the Dutch were extremely alarmed. They know full well how very deficient they have been and ftill are, i-n almoft every part of the fervice ; they are fenlible that there is on our fide fome latent refentments at the air of fupe- riority which in many inftances they have aifumed, and at the grofs impofitions which they have patted upon us ; they are fenfible that the eafinefs of our minifters gave occa- fion to all this, and that their eafinefs was owing either to the account which Holland made them find on that fide of the water, or to the dictates and orders of a fadion at home, which has fupported itfelf here, among other artifices, by that of being popular there. Your Excellency fees clearly, from this view, the fource of thofe apprehenfions, which the naming of you occafioned in Hol- land, and I muft be of opinion that they were to your honour. The ufe I propofe to make of this ac- count, which I vvifh your Excellency may not CORRESPONDENCE, &C. I2/ siot think tedious, is that you will be pleafed to ufe the minifters you fhall treat with in. the geatleft and fofteft manner poffible, and rather to over-acl: this part than otherwife ; after which, whenever the honour or inte- reft of Britain comes to clam with the mea- fures of the Dutch, your Excellency will ihow a firmnefs which your predeceflbrs never did mow, and be by fo much the more justified, by how much the more tenderly you have indulged them before. Your Excellency was pleafed to men- tion in one of your former letters, as I re- member, your conduct towards the Duke of Marlborough ; upon which I will pre- fume to acquaint you that my opinion is, that you mould live with him in the mod friendly manner, and in the beft concert : He has taken the pli of fubmitting with the utmost refignation to the Queen, and of re* ^ftabliming a confidence with thofe who are now in her fervice. Your Excellency and he will neceffarily act in feveral matters jointly, and her Majefty's fervice will require a conftant correfpondence between you ; after all this, whatever caution is proper to be 128 LETTERS AND be obferved, I am fure your Excellency will not be wanting in. The Queen has not yet determined about your fucceflbr at Berlin, but I hope before the next poft her Majefty's resolution herein will be taken. I join in opinion with your Excellency as to Mr. Whitworth, but fear the other deftination is too public, and is gone too far to be altered*. I am, &c. 70 the Duke of Marlborough. MY LORD, March 27th, 1711. YOUR Grace's letter of the 2ift of this month N.S. together with the poftfcript writ- ten after you had feen Mr. Lumley, I read to the Queen, and it is a great pleafure to me to be able to tell your Grace that I never faw her Majefty better pleafed on any occafion ; me commanded me to let your Grace know that nothing but her illnefs had hindered her from writing to you, that now * Charles Whitworth, had been Envoy-extraordinary to the Czar's court, and was now appointed AmbafiTador-extraor- dinary. From this gentleman, the Secretary of State received an account of Mufcovy, written with judgment and accuracy, which is in the pofleffion of the Editor. fhe CORRESPONDENCE, &C. fne is better you mall very foon hear from her, that flie is obliged to you for your con- cern for her health, and that me defires to be kindly remembered to you. Your Grace, my Lord, has fully anfwered all the Queen's intentions relating to the five regiments, by the orders which you have been pleafed to give ; and I hope that they are by this time embarking at Oftend, the convoy being gone with a fair wind and mild weather. Your Grace- may be aflured of my fincere endeavours to ferve you, and I hope never to fee again the time when I mall be obliged to embark in a feparate intereft from you. Craggs dined with me to day, we were fome time alone, and he will inform you how eafy we think it is to reflore and confirm that confidence which is to be-defired among people who can, and who, for the public good, mould give the law. Mr. Harley does not mend fo faft as his friends wim, and as the public fervice re- quires : the phyficians and furgeons do how- ever give hopes that in ten days' time he will be in a condition to come abroad. J have talked with my Lord Poulet, on VOL. I. K that LETTERS ANI> that part of your Grace's letter which re- lates to the money advanced to the forage, and have by the Queen's order recommend- ed this fervice very earneftly to him : He aflures me that the bills fhall be punctu- ally anfwered, and I hope that the credit will now revive fo faft r and the fupplies- proceed with fo much vigour, that we mall be able to make, at leaft for this year, as good a figure as our friends could wim, and a much, better than our enemies expeded. I writ to your Grace in former letters all that Guifcard faid concerning Saiflan ; the two material ones which Chabanetti fent to the villain *, I have likewife tranfmitted to your Grace ; and I herewith inclofe the papers which we intercepted firft ; fo that * Guifcard was a man of rr.oft profligate principles : he had fled from France, his native country,, and by fome means had got into employment under the laft adminiftration, was made Major-general, and went with Earl Rivers upon an ex~ pedition to the coaft of France, in which not fucceeding, the Earl and the troops went on to Lifbon, and Guifcard returned home to England, where he got a penfion of ool. per ann. This penfion was reduced to 400!. but Guifcard by extra- vagance teeominir involved in debt, and meeting with no encouragement from Oxford or Bolingbroke, he endeavoured to make his peace with France, by giving information of what was going forward here, to the French miniftry. His letters were intercepted, and he was taken into cuftody on a charge of high-treafbn. Some of the publications of that time aflert that he meditated the aflaflination of the Queen. you CORRESPONDENCE, &C. you have now before you all the informa- tion which I can poffibly give you. I have nothing more at prefent to fay to your Grace on the fubjecT: of the treaty with the Elector of Bavaria ; the fentiments of the Queeri in this affair, my other letters ex- plain, and we muft wait for farther accounts* when the perfon employed returns, to fettle Our opinions better* I dare fay, and will anfwer, that your Grace will do your part for the good of the miniftry and of the credit. We yeflerday had an accident in the Committee of Sup- ply, which might have given fome damp to the latter* had it not been retrieved with a high hand to-day ^ They put a negative on the tax upon leather, which is a cer- tain fund for more than 130,000!. a year 5 the matter was taken up with great warmth* This day was appointed to go again into the Committee of Ways and Means; we re- newed the fame rriotion niidef other terms, the rules of the houfe not permitting us to do it under the fame words, and we car- ried the quefUon by a majority of 106. We now think that the remaining three millions will be effeclually provided, on grateful and K 2 fecure 1^2 LETTERS fecure funds, but the a<5t for finking tfye pub- lic debts cannot go forward till Mr. Harley comes abroad. The Queen is very well pleafed to find that the French think of peace again, and her Majefty approves of the anfwer con- certed to be returned to the Duke of Lor- rain *. Your Grace will receive her farther orders herein when you (hall have heard again from the Duke ; in the mean time, (he defires that my Lord Raby may be ac- quainted with what has pafTed or may occur upon this fubjecl, fince, when your Grace fhall have left the Hague, this affair may fr,ill continue on foot. I thank your Grace for the Papers which you fend me, relating to Marfault ; but mult confeis, I look upon him to be a fcoundrel fellow, who deferves no credit. I have taken up Halle mentioned in one of his letters; the man's true name is Charlton. He killed a man in a duel fome time ago, fled from Britain, is now come over to take his trial, and by all circumflances had no acquaint- * This unfortunate Prince offered his mediation to bring about a*peace, in hopes of gaining an intereft with the Allies for the recovery of his territories, which had been feized by France. 3 ancc CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 133 mice with Marfault more than drinking in his company, by accident, the night be- fore he left Rotterdam. Mr. Lumley * will have been able to tell your Grace, how fmcerely I wifh you eftab- lifhed on that bottom which alone fuits the merit and the character of a man like you. I do not believe there is any inclination wanting in the perfons mentioned by your Grace, and confidence will foon be re- ftored. To this happy end my utmoft diligence fhall be employed, and your Grace will find that no one is with more honefty, nor with greater refpecl, my Lord, Your Grace's, &c. To Mr. Drummond. SIR, March 30, 1711. I HAVE received both your letters ; that of the 30th of this month, N.S. was left in my wife's hands by Mr. Decker, that of the * The honourable General Henry Lumleyt KS 4th 134 LETTERS AND 4th of April came to me by the poft. 1 will begin by anf vvering the former. The want of a peace on all fides is evi- dent ; the ill fituation of the enemy's affairs, however difguifed by their artifice, and by that effort which the conflitiition of their government enables them to make, we can enough difcover. The bad condition which we are in is likewise too vifible to be kept as a iecret. Britain, exhaufted by extend- ing the war too wide, and taking upon them- felves the load of other people. Holland Shrinking back from their quotas ; and the government there grown poor, whatever private men may be. The confederates grown to look upon this as the war of the two maritime powers, playing at faft and loofe with us ; and in fhort, the oppor- tunities of making a good peace, whilft the enemies lay {tunned with the ieveral ffcrokes they had received, abiblutely loft. Whoever puts thefe ieveral propofitions to- gether, will eafily conclude that peace will be by fo much the greater bleifing, by how much the fooner it comes. I hope to be able before Tuefday to talk at large with the Prefident, the Chamberlain, and CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 135 and Mr. Harley (though the latter is yet hardly able to rile from his bed) upon the contents of your firfl letter. By that poft therefore you may expect fuch an account of our opinions and difpofitions here, as may be made ufe of. What is faid here, is only from rnyfelf to yourfelf. If you fee Penfionary Buys, you may let him know that . 1 have promifed to write fully to you on this fubjedt on Tuefday, and that the devotions of this week having hindered me from conferring with our minifters, are the reafon of my not doing it now. The queftion which you aik about the re- ilriclions laid by Parliament upon the admi- niftration with regard to peace, is eafily anfwered ; and I thought the addrefs made by both Houfes at their firfh meeting, had put the matter out of all difpute. Care was taken to leave that matter wholly to the Queen, and to prornife to acquiefce in any terms which her Majefty fhould think reafon- able. You may remember that you wrote me word at that time how much notice was taken, and how much ufe was made in Hol- land of thofe expreffions. Sir James Wifhart is ordered to come K 4 immediately 136 LETTERS AND immediately home, fince he muft make a very ill figure if he continue longer in a place where his errand is fo coldly received. I have writ, upon the firft refolution of the States, a letter to Monfieur Vryberge, by the Qupen's order, which is intended rather to fhow that we have done our parts in premng the Dutch, and that we are not im- pofed on by the glofs with which they affedl to coyer their deficiency, than becaufe we expect it fhould produce any farther com- pliance. I thank you for your care and earneft endeavours after intelligence. I found the office very defective upon this account, and would be glad to fettle, if poffible, fome better correfpondence. It would be very well worth while to fettle a man at Breft, at any allowance, if a fafe and expeditious method of receiving his letters might be contrived. We wait for nothing but Mr. Harley's recovery, to put you on fome eftablimment for the Queen's fervice, and I do allure you, tha my Lord Prelident and my Lord Cham- berlain join with me in thinking the Queen has no fervant abroad who defer ves better from CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 137 from her hands. If any thoughts of peace go on, I could wifh you would take the trouble of a journey hither. We can bet- ter talk than write, and you will more fully enter into our fentiments ; befides, we fhall convey to the Dutch minifters, our thoughts through you with much more freedom than we fhall do by any other channel. Pretences for your journey cannot be wanting. You eafily imagine how much all affairs, and particularly thofe of the Treaiury, fuf- fer by Mr. Harley's indifpofition ; but my Lord Poulet allured me laft night, that the Treafury has fettled one remittance of joo,ocol. to go to-night, and two of 50,000!, each, to go by the following ports. 1 am, &c. P.S. I forgot to defire you to explain what Lord Townfhend and Penfionary Buys parted ill about ; I cannot think it a mif- fortune, let it be owing to what it will. Since I writ my letter, I have feen Mr. Harley, who is able to walk about the room, and will, we hope, now be very foon abroad, }ie allures you of his very humble fervice, and 138 LETTERS AND and returns you many thanks for your kind concern for his health, and for the repu- tation of the Treafury. The contractors grumble that the whole advance was not remitted to them, but they forget that they have received two years of Lord Godolphin's arrears. Jo the Duke of Marlborough. MY LORD, April 4th, 1711, I STOPPED the port till this morning, in hopes of being able to go through my difpatches, but I continue {till fo violently afflicted with the head-ach, that the moil I can do will be to get to the end of this let- ter to your Grace. Your Grace knows, by this time parti- cularly, what care has been taken by the Commiflioners of the Treafury about the remittances ; fo that I fhall fay nothing up- on that head to you. The Queen thinks, as your Grace does, concerning the two treaties on foot with the Elector of Bavaria, and wifhes that the Imperial court was as fenfible as we are of CORRESPONDENCE, &C, 139 of the neceility of pufhing the war with vigour. The affeir which Monfieur Mellarede * negociates at Vienna feems to hang, after all the {anguine afTurances ib frequently re- peated. Your Grace, by this means, is likely to have the whole weight of the war on your arms. God grant you your ufual fuc- cels. Sure I am, your ufual zeal for the public good will not be wanting. As to M. de Brioue, and M. de Saiflan, I find nothing to objedt to either of them. It is unfortunate that the former trufted Chabanetti fo much, fince by his means Guifcard gained a good deal of light into thofe matters; and in his fecond letter to Monfieur de Torcy, which he mifled of, he communicated thole accounts to that mi- nifter. I have looked over all the papers which your Grace fent me from Marfault, and the whole ieems to me a fiction. The Queen makes the fame judgment of them. Before I conclude, your Grace will give me leave to fay a word to you in behalf of * Envoy of the Duke of Savoy, and his negotiation was \o obtain a corps of Imperialifts for the war in Italy. Sutton, 140 LETTERS AND Sutton*, who will deliver this letter. He was laft year extremely ill ; but hopes that he is now able to make the campaign. He deiires me to anfwer for him as One full of duty and refpeft to your Grace, and I can very fafely do it. Was he not fo, I am fure I would not recommend him to your Grace's protection and favour, with that earneftuefs which I beg your leave to do. Mr. Watkins has behaved himielf with that true gratitude to your Grace, that I own it adds extremely to the juft value which a great many other good qualities had made me conceive for him. I am very much pleafed to find your Grace approves of my thought with regard to him. I am, &c. To Mr. Drummond. .SIR, April 6th, 1711. I WAS perfectly ftupid with a fevere head-ach, when the laft poll went away, * Brigadier-general Richard Sutton. Such was the effeft of party in thole times, that Sutton was not promoted in his turn to the rank of major-general, and did not get it till 1729, when his Majefty ordered him rank as if he had been pro- moted in his proper turn by King George I. and CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 14! alid I am now very much afflicted with the gravcL However, there is no room for ex- cuie, if I neglect any longer to anfwer your icveral obliging letters. The hril: article in time, and the firft in importance, is the convcrfation which you had with the Penfionary Buys. I have talk- ed fully on this fubjecl with the Prelideut, the Chamberlain, and our friend Mr. Har^ ley, from whom you know the true mea- lure of our Court is at prefent to be taken. Their opinion is, that you mould let Mon- iicur Buys know that you have wrote to thole to whom it was proper in Britain, as he deiired you to doj. and that the anfwer given to your enquiry is, That the minifters of the Queen are deiirous in making peace, as in making war, to have a perfect good underftanding with the States. That the method propofed for carrying on a treaty, in cafe we are obliged to fink below the tefms formerly infifted upon, may be very agreeable, provided the Queen be, from the firfr, let into the whole fecret. That we are freed by the addreffes of this parliament from the reftraints laid by the votes of a former parliament. This tETTERS Atftf This is a full, and I hope will be a fatif- faclory anfwer to Penfionary Buys, or to whoever may be in the fame fecret. You judge undoubtedly right when you take it for granted, that there muft have been on one fide or other more fteps taken towards peace, than the general overture made through the Duke of Lorrain, or elfe that there was little occafiori for the fionary's curiofity. I muft once more repeat my apprehen* fiohs, that we cannot treat advantageoufly, perhaps not fafely with France, until Britain and- Holland know the minds of each other more exactly than it can be yet pretended that they do. Inclofed I return you the original letter which I received from you, and am not in the leafl furprifed at the contents of it. What I did in the cafe of that gentleman laft win- ter I did for my own fake, and his (hame will be the greater. But, Sir, his mafter is not a little more fincere; and the very day on which he made his parting proteftations of reconciliation, and inviolable friendfhip, you may depend on his having fwore to his .refolution of revenge* Thefe things you will 2 keep CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 143 keep in your own breaft. They mall make no alteration in our conduct. We will fe- cure ourlelves againft the malice, and defpife the menace*. We are very fenfible of the prefTures of the Dutch ; and I am glad to find that they are fo of the Queen's difinterefted zeal in the fupport of the war. You will allow me to make, however, one obfervation to you; and that is, as unable as the States pretend to be to furnifh the mips, which in juftice they ought to do, yet they are ready to lend money on the King of Spain's demefnes, the poft-revenue of the Ten Provinces-)- , to have that mortgaged to them for thirty which is fo already for twenty years. The letter directed to M. de la Tour, at Paris, you might have let pafs, the perfon who wrote it being a very honefl man; and if any other fhould come to your hands with the fame fuperfcription, you will' oblige me in forwarding them. * This relates to Cadogan and Marlborongh ; the former had been offended when Lord Orrery fuperfeded him in the Netherlands ; and the latter, by whofe influence he had re- ceived the appointment, began now to fide againft the Queen and her minifters. | The Spanifh Netherlands. My J44 LETTERS AND My fentiment is, that you mould not at leaft at prefent, any public chara&er ; fof whether you come hither on a fee ret com- mirlion, or whether the Queen ufes you in Holland, you will be better able to ferve her as you are, than if declared to be imme- diately in her fervice. With refpec~l to ad- vantage, the cafe will be the fame ; and I am fure her Majefty will make your appoint-' ments begin from the beginning of the year, if not backwarder. Mr. Gordon came to London laffc night, he was here this morning, but I had not time to talk with him. I am, ever, &c. To Lord Rafy< MY LORD, April 6th, 1711. THE treaties at prefent on foot with the Eleclor of Bavaria, and the overture made towards a general one through the Duke of Lorrain, being matters which have not yet been laid before the cabinet, I write to your Excellency of them in my private let- ter. As to the former, it is a very odd ne- gociation. CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 145 gociation. We are to truft a good deal to the Elector's faith, notwithftanding his agree- ment to put his troops into our fervice ; and at the fame time, to keep this faith with us, he is to betray the French. We will, how- ever, reafon no farther on this matter at prefent. When the Duke of Marlborough and your Excellency have met Monfieur de Welderen*, and heard the propofals which the Elector's agent brings at his return, we fhall hear from you upon this fubjecl more fully ; and then the Queen's orders will be given for your conduct in this affair. As to the overture of peace, we are like- wife able to fay little, till we hear from your fide what new meffage the anfwer given to the Baron, de Beque -J- produces. Certain it is, that we miffed the true op- portunity of making peace ; and that we have flayed till we are not able to carry on the war. However, the beft countenance is to be put on, and peace ought not to be meanly courted any more than it ought to be induftrioufly avoided. * Deputy for the province of Guelderland to the States- General. f Minifter of the Duke of Lorrain. VOL. I. LI have 146 LETTERS ANIX I have endeavoured already to ferve Mr, Scott, whom I was formerly acquainted with, and whom I know to be mailer of feveral valuable qualities. Your Excellency will pleafe to aflufe the Ele&orefs*, that I will redouble my efforts to ferve him ; and to fhow how juft a reverence I pay to her commands. As to Mr. Watkins, I muft once more take the liberty to aflure your Excellency, that the Queen has no one man, without any exception, to employ, who is half fo well qualified to fill the poft of her Secretary at the Hague. You may depend entirely on his integrity, whichis equal to his capacity ; and his experience, which is equal to both ; for he has been in the whole fecret of fo- reign bufinefs, ever (ince the Queen's ac- ceffion to the throne. Mr. Lewis -f could not be {pared without maiming Lord Dartmouth's office. Take my opinion, my Lord, in this affair, and judge of me as I judge of this. * Of Saxony. f Erafmus Lewis, Under-fecretary to Lord Dartmouth, and formerly to Mr. Harley, to whom he was foon after the date of this letter, private Secretary. The CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 147 The young man * whom I propofe to fend over to your Excellency, has a good deal of wit and learning. He has, in Latin and Englim, a very fine pen, and French enough to be ufeful. I mail, however, flay till I hear again from your Excellency before I order him away. I hope your Excellency forgives me, if I have, both in this and former letters enter- ed too far into what relates immediately to yourfelf. I have no view but your fervice, nor no motive but my juft efteem for your perfon. I am, &c. To Mr. Drummond. SIR, April the loth, 1711. I HAVE before me to acknowledge your's of the 1 4th, N.S. for which, and for the advice contained in it, I return you many thanks. Our friend at Amfterdam being of the character which you reprefent, it is not * Mr. Harrifon. L 2 ftrange 148 LETTERS AND ftrange that he fhould have thofe for his enemies who are fo to peace, and to all the good confequences of that valuable bleffing, I fhould, however, be extremely lorry if any mifunderflanding was created between the Penfionary and him. The conferences mentioned in your's were, I dare fay, held for no good purpofe ; but furely Monfieur Heinfius will never be fo weak as to lean on a faction, who could not fupport itfelf, with all thofe advantages which the late miniftry had ; and this too at the price of difobliging the Queen, and the beft part of the nation. I fear that your politicians in Holland are apt to reafon upon our affairs from the impreffions given in the time of King Charles II, and ever fince kept up very art- fully by the Whigs. Whereas you, who know from hiftory and converfation, the flate of that Court ; and from your own obfervation, the prefent temper and difpofition of people in this ifland, cannot but be apprized of the mighty difference between the politics before and fince the revolution; and how often he muft be in the wrong who takes his meafures of Whig and Tory now, from 4 what CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 149 what was the conftitution of them at that time. Our letters which arrived to-day, by the way of Oftend, give an account of the Dauphin's death*. Will this event make any alterations in the meafures and councils of France ? I am, &c. To the Duke of ' Mar thorough. MY LORD, April the loth. ON the fubjecl: which I writ to your Grace upon, by M. de SeifTan, I have little more to fay. We are in mortal fears that my Lord Peterborough is gone about con- certing operations for the Duke of Savoy, before enough has been done to make that Prince refolve to ac~t. Orders are therefore fent by this pofl to Mr. Palmes -J- accord- ing to what I writ to your Grace yefter- day ; and my Lord Dartmouth writes to * Louis, only remaining iflue of Louis XIV, and Maria Terefa of Auftria, at the age of fortynine years. f Lieutenant-general Francis Palmes. Envoy-extraordi- nary of Great Britain and the States General, to the Court of Vienna. L 3 my 150 LETTERS AND my Lord Peterborough in much the fame flyle. Maffei * was with me this morning. He feemed under a good deal of concern, and owned to me, when I prefled him on the fubjecl, that the Queen had done fo much for his mafter, that me deferved to have fome facrifice made to her, and efpecially when his m after might have the ftrongefl aflurance, that we would not only fupport, but mend his bargain, whenever we got out pf the prefent difficulties. He faid he had writ in this fenfe ; and that he believed if my Lord Peterborough had carried with him an affurance, under the ^mperor's hand, as to the points remaining in difpute, his maf- ter might be prevailed upon to take the field. I am very glad your Grace approves of what I faid to Mr. Craggs. I fpoke to him with great fmcerity my opinion ; and I dare fay your Grace will find it to be well grounded. This letter will find your Grace, I fup- pofe, drawing near to your army, where J wifh you all imaginable fuccefs, and am, &c. * pount Maffei, Envoy of Savoy to our court. fi CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 15! To Lord Raby. MY LORD, April lyth, 1711. I AM to return my humble thanks to your Excellency for the favours of your pri- vate letters of the i7th, 21 ft, and 24th in- ftant, N.S. I mail avoid faying any thing of bufinefs in this, not having had time to advife with my Lord Prefideiit, rny Lord Chamberlain, and Mr. Harley, who only are in the fecret of the overture made by the Duke of Lor- rain ; and of the treaty on foot with the Elector of Bavaria. As to d'Ayrolle*, the Queen does not think fit to fend him to Geneva, I own I fee no ufe he is of to her at the Hague. I have yet had no opportunity of fpeaking to her Majefty on his fubjecl:. When I have, your Excellency fhall be acquainted with the refiilt. If your Excellency has any in- clination to afford him your protection, that will engage me to ferve him ; otherwife I ihould not be very active for him, fince I * James d'Ayrolle had been fone years Secretary of Great Britain in Holland ; and had been appointed for Geneva or Genoa, in i^iOt L 4 know 152 LETTERS AND know very certainly that he has been very impertinent about Britifh affairs. As I defire your Excellency's friendfhip, fo I muft endeavour to have your good opi- nion, without which the other is neither to be deferved nor obtained. You will there- fore give me leave to aflure you, that if I was too hafty in naming Mr. Watkins, or Mr. Harrifon, it was purely the effect of zeal, perhaps an intemperate and unadvifed one, for your fervice. I did in my confcience believe Watkins the fittefl man in Britain, who could be fpared for that employment, and I thought the other, inftrudted as I in- tend to fend him over, would make a better fecretary than the generality of thofe em- ployed. But to impofe any perfon you might not truft, or would not like, is the laft thing I mould think of attempting. Since your Ex- cellency bids me do fo, I will fend Mr. Har- rifon immediately to you. But I beg, and muft make it a condition that you will not keep hinr on my account an hour. I fhall find other ways of providing for him, if he is not ufeful and agreeable to your Excel- Jency, I am, &c. CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 153 'To Lord Raby. MY LORD, Whitehall, April igth, 1711. I HAVE }aft time to add two words about the Barrier-treaty. Your Excellency muft be of opinion, as we are all here, that this was the meafure of a faction, who made their court to Holland, at the expence of Britain. I will undertake to mow, in almoft every article of it, Ibmething more or lefs fcandalous. Your Excellency will therefore pleafe, with that addrefs which you are mafter of, to incline the Dutch to a competition upon it. The Queen is engaged by her ratifica- tion ; and therefore cannot direclly refufe to make it good ; but there are others who are under no tie of fubmitting to it*. The inftances of thefe you will fupport, and per- fuade the States, for their own fakes, to fome reafonable compofition. It may not improperly be let fall, that we have great grounds to complain of the conduct of the fubjecls of Holland, both * Probably the Parliament of Great Britain and the Com- jnercial Intereft, ta 154 LETTERS AND on the coaft of Africa, and in the Eaft- In- dies ; and that there is no fmall difficulty in keeping our merchants from making very loud remonftrances upon thefe heads ; but if the Barrier-Treaty comes to be publickly known and confidered in parliament, it will be abfolutely impoffible to keep the ferment down, All ranks, all parties of men, will unite in their proteftations againft it. Mr. Harrifon goes away by the nrft packet, by him your Excellency will have without referve my thoughts concerning Lord Marl- borough, and other affairs ; and I beg of you to do me one piece of juftice, till you find reafon to do otherwife, which is, to believe, that after putting myfelf on the foot which I have done with your Excellency, I am not capable of keeping any referve towards you, much lefs of affecting one part, and really acting another. I am ever, my I^ord, &c To Lord Raby, MY LORD, April 20, 1711. THIS letter will be delivered to you by a little relation of mine, who wants neither learning CORRESPONDENCE, &C. learning nor good understanding, and who will, I hope, be an ufeful fervant to you. Whenever your Excellency has any other perfbn in" your eye, who may be more agree- able to you, I deiire that you would without the leafl ceremony let me know it ; and I will throw the young fellow into fome other buiinefs. I never was more truly concerned at any fault I have been guilty of, than at my indifcretion in making fb many iteps in the affair of Mr. Watkins. I take my own load of blame ; but really my Lord, I mutt fet his character in a fair light before you, for he has as much merit as a man can have; and in all the turns which have lately happened, the ftation he was in, which might have betrayed a man into fome miflake very eafily, has only ferved to make his honour and his prudence the more confpicuous. The Chancellor of the Exchequer, as well as your Jiumble fervant, can witnefs this truth. My Lord Marlborough is now gone to the army, well pleaied, I make no doubt, with the anfwer received from France, through the channel of the Duke of Lorrain ; for though peace be a necefTary good to Britain, I do 156 LETTERS AND I do not imagine that he looks upon it as fuch to him. I am not in the leafl furprifed that my Lord Townmend's papers' were fent away, and that his Grace's time was too much taken up to be able to communicate thofe lights to your Excellency, which might be necefiary for her Majefty's fervice. It is natural for fome people to affect fpoiling any game that they ceafe to have the ible di- rection of. But, my Lord, you will loon ftand on ground of your own making ; and I am fanguine enough to affirm, that the Dutch will be better governed by that con- duct, which I dare fay you will keep, than ever they were by that of your predeceffors. Is it wonderful, that the union and good underflanding between the two nations (upon which they value themfelves) have been pre- ferved, whilfl they have acted like deputies of the States, and Britain has fubmitted like 'a province r The Dutch muft have been hard indeed to pleafe, if, upon thofe terms, they had not continued in good humour. The laft and great fale of the Britifh in- tereft was made in the Barrier Treaty ; un- der pretence of rendering Holland fafe, we have CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 157 have done our parts to render it formidable. This is certain, we have given to the Dutch, by that infamous compact, extent of coun- try, the only thing they wanted to enable them to be fuperior to us in trade* This, my Lord, has been the price at which the good harmony has been created and maintained. I believe, and I have reafon for this belief, that they begin to think in Holland we mall no longer prove fo blind as to fufFer the national intereft to be bar- tered by a faction ; and your Excellency will lee, that when we act like good allies, without defcending below the character, the Dutch will efteem us more, and love us juft as well. Upon the head of peace I (hall write more fully to your Excellency, after I have fpoke with my Lord Prefident, my Lord Chamber- lain, arid the Chancellor of the Exchequer. In general, I can tell you now that we muft endeavour to have it, without appearing too fond of it. As to your Excellency's money affairs, I will lay that matter fo fully before the Lords of the Treafury, that you mall be fure of being anfwered to your fatisfaction ; and the Chancellor LETTERS AND Chancellor of the Exchequer, who is jurt come abroad, will, I knowj be particularly proud of doing any thing agreeable to your Excellency. I mall write this evening again to you, fo that, in confcience, I cannot trouble your Excellency any longer by this letter, than to aflure yon that I am, and ever will be, my Lord, &c. To Lord Rafy. MY LORD, April 20th, 1711. I INCLOSE this to let your Excellency know, that the Queen thinks no anfwer from her necelTary on the Duke of Lor- rain's letter, more than that me approves of your conduct in that matter. As to the project with the Elector of Bavaria, it is hard to form a judgment : we take it for granted that he has grown either more in earned to be reconciled with the allies, or more averfe to it, fince the Em- peror's death ; and either of thefe cafes will foon be difcerned. We think that in order to determine whether this Elector's propofl- tion CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 159 tion be fit to be accepted, it is neceflary to know how far the military operations may be affected by the neutrality of Nienport, Namur, Charleroy, and Luxemburg. Peace feems at prefent to be fo far off, and fo many events may happen, one way or other, to x incline her Majefty to one fcheme or another, that I cannot pretend to tell your Excellency what the Queen's pre- fent thoughts are upon that head. In ge- neral, we want a peace, and we wifh it : and I think the right rule to aft and fpeak by is, to give our enemies an opinion that the firft proportion is not true, but that the laft is fo. I mail add nothing more, but my fincere aflurances of being, with the utmoft truth, my Lord, your Excellency's, &c. To Mr. Drummond. S I R, April 20, 1711. I HAVE the letters of the 21 ft,. 24th, and 26th, N.S. to acknowledge, but I have been all this day fo much engaged in bufinefs, that l6o LETTERS AND that I mall not be able to write to you, or #ny other of my correfpondents, fo fully by this port as I intended ; but by that of Tuef- day, I hope to anfwer particularly the fe- veral articles of your letters, which I have read to the Queen, and communicated to iuch of her minifters as I^ufually do. I can- not, in the mean time, omit faying, that the prefent difpofifion of the Penfionary Heinlius, is very agreeable to every body here ; and we wifh, as heartily as he can do, that the Dutch had always judged as well of Britiih affairs as they feem to do now. I inclofe to you a copy of the Queen's mefTage to both Houfcs of Parliament, and their addrefs upon it, which was prefented this night. This ftep, not common in our proceed- ings, mows with what zeal and warmth the Parliament concurs in thofe meafures which the Queen and States thought proper to take upon the contretems of the Emperor's death*. We * On the 1 7th, at night, the exprefs arrived with an ac- count of the Emperor jofeph's death. On the 2oth a mefiage was fent from the Queen to both Houfes, That {he had re- folved to fupport the intercft of the houfe of Auftria, and to endeavour to get the King of Spain to be ele<5led Emperor ; that CORRESPONDENCE, &C. l6l We perfuade ourfelves here, that there is no doubt to be made of King Charles's be- ing elected Emperor ; but the fatisfying the Duke of Savoy on his pretenfions to Spain, feems to be the knot of the whole affair. I cannot forbear adding, that Mr. Buys was too critical in his remark about may and will in the anfwer which I fent you to his enquiries *. The terms I ufed were furely as ftrong as it became us to write* or him to expecl. Depend yourfelf, and continue to make others do the fame, on every reafonable mea- lure from this fide. I am, &c. To Mr. Whitworth. S i R, April 24, 1711. I RECEIVED with great pleafure your letter of the 28th of this month, N.S. and you will, before this can come to your that the States-General concurred with her; and, with the afliftance of Parliament, fhe fliould be enabled to make a happy conclufion of this war in a fafe and honourable peace. An addreis was voted and prefented the fame day. * Vide Letter to Mr. Drummond, 6th April, 1711. VOL. I. M hands, 1 62 LETTERS AND hands, have found that her Majefty has thought fit, in this extraordinary conjunc- ture of affairs, to make ufe of you in Ger- many, in your >way to the Czar's court. You fee, Sir, how much trouble a man draws upon himfelf who has your talents, and who has had the opportunities of ex- erting and mowing them ; but, on the other hand, this trouble becomes a pleafure to thole who, to your capacity, join your ge- nerofity and love of your country. It is very likely that you may foon hear of fome new employment being affigned to you, befides what you are to do at the Court of Berlin. Now I have got you into my province, I will keep you in it as long ,as I can; and I hope you will forgive me if I deprive you for fome time of his Grace of Queenfberry's correipondence *. That I may not alarm you with long letters at hrft, I will take the liberty to refer you to what I write to his Excellency my Lord AmbafTador Raby, on the general ftate of affairs, and will conclude this by the * The office of a third Secretary of State was a new ap- pointment of her Majefty in the February preceding, andj was given to the Duke of Queenfberry and Dover. mofl CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 163 moft fincere affurances of my being, Sir, your Excellency's, &c. To Mr. Drummond. SIR, April 24, 1711. I HAD begun to write to you, upon the contents of your three letters of the 2 1 ft, 24th, and 26th, N.S. two days ago, in hopes of having time to fpeak more fully to you on feveral points which relate to the common intereft of Britain and Holland; but I have been interrupted by buimefs of one kind or other, which is ftill fpringing up, and which your countryman, Queen- iberry, eafes me of no part of. I find a great uneafinefs in my Lord Raby about Harry Watkins being named Secretary to the EmbafTy ; and I have been told that when my name-lake went to wait upon the AmbafTador, he had not fo good a reception as he might have expected, and as the other ought to have given him. Pray write your own thoughts, as well as the judge's, very freely to me upon this fubjecl, becaufe I did not intend to place Mr. Wat- M 2 kins 164 LETTERS AND kins in an imeafy ftation, and becaufe if hr cannot be agreeable at the Hague, I make no doubt but the Queen will fome other way do better for him. Your Penfionary mufr, I dare fay, upon recollection, whatever his firft thoughts might be, have been very well fatisned with the anfwer which I fent to his en- quiries. We could not fay more, unlefs we had refigned ourfelves abfolutely and implicitly to their guidance, and that is not to be expected, at leaft till we know more of one another's minds, with relation to our feveral interefts in a peace. I have given you this hint before, and on this fide of the water we mould be very plain in opening ourfelves on that fubjecl. I hope the Grand Peniionary, upon the account which he gave you of the effect which the reports fpread concerning the ill ftate of our domefHc affairs have had in- France, did not fail to make this plain re- mark, that thofe perfons who had fo much credit very lately in Holland, by their in- duftrioufly propagating falfe reprefentations of our condition, did a double mifchief, as they CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 165 they difheartened our friends, and as they encouraged our enemies. Whenever we come in earned to treat of peace, ways will be eafily found of opening the matter to my Lord Raby, that he fhall have no umbrage of your having been in. the fecret previoufly to him. I wifh the Penfionary's correfpondent may judge right, who thinks that another mi- nifter, now the Dauphin is dead, will be fent into Holland by the French : for my part, I much doubt it. Mr. Harley will to-morrow, for the firft time, appear in the Houfe of Commons, fince his misfortune : the Penfionary's compliments will, I am fure, be very agreeable to him, and I mall not fail to make them. The notice he takes of me I am very thankful to him for, and fhall ftrive to deferve his good opinion, by contributing all I can to the continuance of the good correfpondence between our two countries, upon which our common happinefs undoubtedly depends. My Lord Raby's complaint about money will be over this week, fince half of what is due to him will be ordered. I am, &c. M3 To j66 BETTERS AND To tbe Duke of ' Mar thorough. MY LORD, April 27, 1711. IN my letters to your Grace, and in the copies of thofe which I have writ to my Lord Raby, are her Majefty's fentiments upon the prefent pofhire of affairs, as fully communicated as I am able to explain them. ; As our councils here proceed, and new refolutions are taken, I will not fail to give your Grace a faithful account of them. The circumftances of our affairs are furely very critical, and all thofe clouds which have been gathering for forne time feem ready to break, and to med their evil influence at once upon us, befides the unfortunate in- cident of the Emperor's death, which could not be forefeen. My care can be of no great fervice to your Grace, though you are pleafed to aik it ; but the beft offices in my power you (hall at all times be fure of. With refpecl to the common caufe, you have, my Lord, a hard game to play ; but witl} refpeft to yourfelf, and your own re- putation, CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 167 putation, I think you have not. Every man is fo apprized that the whole ftrength of France is now oppofed to you, that if you Ihotild be able to clo any thing, you would out-go almoft our hopes ; and if you are able to do nothing (which God forbid) I dare lay no blame will be afcribed to you. I have not been, to own the truth to your Grace, this month at the Committee of Lords, which fits at the War-office ; you will eafily guefs my reafon. But I will move the Queen in the affair of the Bri- gadiers, the flate of which, I am fenfible, is as your Grace reprefents it. As to the fubjecl: which Mr. Craggs and I have often talked together upon, there can be no difficulty in it which yourfelf may not remove, and wherein I mall not en- deavour to be inftrumental. I muft, how- ever, deal freely with your Grace, and let you know, that fome things which did pafs between Mr. Craggs and me, and fbme which did not, having been talked of again, makes me a little cautious how I talk pri- vately upon a fubjecl which might even be publickly owned. I am, &c. 168 LETTERS AND To Mr. Drumtnond. April 27, 1711. YOUR letters of the lit of May, N.S, together with the inclofed, I received with the fatisfaction which I read every thing that comes from you. I cannot agree that Lord Orrery is fo much in the wrong, or that there is fo much danger of lofmg the fubiiftence of the Imperial and Palatine troops as Mr. Watkins feems to believe, My Lord has the Queen's pofitive and re- peated orders to infift, in the firft place, that the Spanifti Provinces mould furniih all the expences charged upon them for the fer- vice of the war ; but he Is directed, at the the fame time, to act the part of an advo- cate and a protector, when any unreafbn- able proportion is by other .people preffed upon them. Nay, in liich cafes, the com- mon neceffity will oblige him to yield, and where he knows beforehand that he is to do fo; the Queen will, however, approve his conduct, iF he mows a reluctancy to enter into oppreffive meafures, and if, at the time he confents to load them on one account, he endeavours to eafe them in fome other re- CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 169 fpedt. Thefe unhappy countries have found the government of thofe who pretend to be the afTertors of public liberty ip tyrannical and barbarous, that you know better than I how near they are driven to defpair. The Queen's fervants have, to the reproach of our government and nation, been, in great meafure, the instruments of all thefe vile proceedings. Something, therefore, muft be done to relieve the miterable people, and fomething to redeem the honour of the Britifh name. We have, in anfwer to a refolution of the States, and to a memorial of Monileur Vry- berge's, grounded thereon, fpoke very frankly to this efFecl; but to you I will add this farther, that it is by no means our intereft that Holland mould com pals ?11 they aim at with refpecl: to thefe Provinces. I mail be forry, if my Lord Orrery does not live in a good correipondence (iince it is absolutely neceflary for the public fervice) with the Duke of Marlborough, who did really make great advances, and fuch as could not, with any grace, be declined, be- fore they left this kingdom. J hardly believe ^that the French are Shipping LETTERS AND fhipping any forces at Breft ; but if they fhould, in the opinion and with the defign you mention, I wifti them heartily a good voyage. Your converfation with the Penfionary, I hope, by the firft letters, to have an account of. In the mean time you may a (lure him, that my Lord Peterborough has had no orders to offer the Spanifh Monarchy to the Duke of Savoy ; nay, his journey to Turin is undertaken againil: the Queen's inten- tions, arid even his inftruclions ; fince the latter oblige him to continue at Vienna, till all the points in difpute are fettled to the fatisfaclion of M. de Mellarede ; and you know that he took the refolution of going to the Duke of Savoy, as loon a^ that was adjufted which relates to the Fiefs of the Montferrat, and which is but half of one article out of four. Declaring for the Duke of Savoy's im- mediate fucceffion to Spain, can have but one efFecl, which is to haften the Auflrian minifters to fome compoiition with France. If King Charles is once fecure of the empire, he will think it much more his intereft to unite the Italian territories to it, and to en- joy CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 17* joy the whole with peace, than to continue a war for aggrandizing the Houfe of Savoy at the exoence of having lefs himfelf. We are as cautions upon this fubjecl, and we think it as nice and dangerous a matter to handle, as the Penfionary can do: but give me leave to tell you, that our friends in Hol- land muft not leave this affair to take care of itfelf, as they have done that of the North. The Queen has hitherto not at all inter- pofed, but left the whole management of this laft to the States ; and what a dilemma are we now reduced to ! The king of Sweden has been made neither unwilling nor unable to hurt us. He has had, in a great meafure, the advantage of the a6l of neutrality, and yet is under no obligation to abide by it; and now that he has gained time enough, Jie bids you, in plain terms, declare whether you will make good the guaranty of the treaty of Travendhal* or not, that he may * Between the kings of Denmark and Sweden, then Duke pf Slefwick-Holften-Gottorp, i/oo, by which all former treaties were renewed and confirmed ; no fortifications to be within a league of their refpeftive territories neither power to have more than 6000 men in the duchies of Holftein. Den- mark not to attempt any thing againft Sweden, &c. Great Britain and the States-General guarantees. The king of Denmark took advantage of king Charles's defeat at JPul- towa, and invading the Swedifli territories, broke the treaty of Jravendhal. take 172 LETTERS AND take his meafures accordingly. The fitua- tion of thefe Northern affairs gives the Queen no fmall mare of uneafinefs, Mr, Harley was yeiterday at the Houfe of Commons for the firft time ; the com- pliment which the Speaker made him in the name of the Houfe, and his reply to it, were extremely fine. We fay at Court, that he will be called by another appellation in a few <3ays. I am, &c. To Lord Raby *. MY LORD, Whitehall, April 27, 1711. I SEND your Excellency inclofed, by her Majefty's order, the copy of an overture from France, which came a few days fince to our hands -f . The * Public Letter. f " Comme on ne peut douter que le Roi ne foit en etat de foutenir glorieufement la guerre, on ne peut regarder axifli, comme une marque de foiblefte, que fa Majefte rompe le lilence qu'elle a garde depUis la feparation des conferences de Gertruydenberg, & qu'avant 1'ouverture de la campagne, elle donne encore de- nouvelles preuves du defir qu'elle a tonjours conferve de procurer le retabliffement du repos de I'Europe. Mais aprrs i'exptrience qu'elle a faite des fenti- niens de ccux qui gouvernent prcfentenient la Republique d'Hollande > CORRESPONDENCE, &C. The Queen's pleafure is that your Excel- lency do take the firft opportunity of com- municating it to the Penfionary, and of letting that minifter know, that her Ma- d'Hollande, & de leur induftrie a rendre les negociations infruftueuies, elle veut, pour le bien public, adrefler a la nation Angloife les propofitions qu'elle juge a propos de faire pour terminer la guerre, & pour affurer folidement la tranquillite generate de la Chretiente. C'eft dans cette vue que le Roi offre de trailer la paix, fur le fondement des con- ditions fuivantes : " Premier -ement^ Que les Anglois auront des furetes reellei pour exercer deformais leur commerce en Efpagne, aux Indes T & dans les ports de la Mediterrance. " Secondcment, Le Roi conviendra de former dans les Pays Bas une barriere fuffifante pour la furete de la republique d'Hollande; & cette barriere fera convenable \ 1'Angleterre, & au gre de la nation Angloife ; fa Majefte promettant, ea meme-tems, une entiere libertc & aflurante pour le com- merce des Hollandois. " Troifomement, On cherchera fincerement & de bonne-foi les moyens raifonnables de fatisfaire les allies de 1'Angleterre & de la Hollande. ' " Quatr tenement, Comme^S bon etat des affaires du Roj d'Efpagne fournit de nouveaux expediens pour terminer le ditfcrend fur cette monarchic, & pour le regler au contente- ment des parties intereflees, on travaillera fincerement a furmonter les difficultes nees a cette occallon, & Ton affurera 1'etat, le commerce, & gentralement les interets de toutes les parties engagees dans la prefente guerre. " Civqiiiememeut) Les conferences pour traiter la paix fur le fondement de ces conditions feroht inceflamment ouvertes & les plenipotentiaires que le Roa nommera pour y allifter traiteront avec ceux de 1'Angleterre & de la Hollande, feuls,' ou conjointement avec ceux de leurs allies, au choix de 1'Angletcrre. " Sixiemement, Sa Majefte propofe les villes d'Aix-la-Cha- pelle & de Liege pour ie lieu ou les plenipotentiaires feront affembles; remettant auffi a 1'Angleterre de choifir Tune de ces deux villes pour y traiter la paix genrale. Fait a Marly, le aatne Avril, 1711. 'DE TORCY." jeflv, , ^4 LETTERS jefty, who is refolved in making peace as iri making war, to aft in perfect concert with the States, would not lofe a moment in tranf- mitting to him a paper of this importance* Your Excellency will pleafe to add, that the Queen earneftly denres this fecret may be kept among as few as poffible, and that me hopes the Penfionary will advife upon this occaiion with no perfon whatever, ex- cept fuch as are, by the conftitution of that government, unavoidably neceflary. As foon as the matter has been confidered in Holland, your Excellency will pleafe to difpatch Barlow, who brings you this packet, back, with the. opinion of the Dutch mi- nifters. The terms of the feveral proportions- are, as your Excellency will obferve, very ge- neral ; but, however, they contain an offer to treat ; and though there is an air of corn- plaifance through the whole paper mown to us, and the contrary to thofe among whom you relidc, yet this can have no ill confe- quence, as long as the Queen and the States take care to underftand each other, and to aft with as little referve as becomes two powers fo nearly allied in intereft. Your Excellency CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 175 Excellency may afTure the Petitionary, that this rule mall on our parts be inviolably obferved. The Duke of Marlborough has no com- munication from hence of this affair, I fup- pofe he will have none from the Hague. Your Excellency will pleafe to accept of the moft fmcere afTurances, that I am, with great refpecl, My Lord, your Excellency's Moft obedient, and moft Humble Servant, H. St. JOHN. Not knowing but your Excellency might, on fome occafion or other, 'have a mind to (how my letter to the minifters in Holland, I chofe to throw into another paper what is not proper for them to fee. Ever fince the conferences broke off at Gertruydenberg, the French have affecled to dill ruft the inclination of the Dutch to peace, and to take every occafion of mowing a re- fentment of the ill-treatment which they pretend at that time to have received. Your Excellency, I believe, will think that as foon as the Peniionary reads the Paper fent tj6 LETTERS AND fent by Monfieur de Torcy he will be alarm- ed at the whole frame of it, arid particu- larly at thofe expreffions : " Que les Anglois auront des furetes reelles, & une barriere fuffifante pour la furete de la repubhque d'Hollande ; & cette barriere fera convena- ble a FAngleterre, & au gre de la nation Angloife." /The fear the Dutch will conceive of our obtaining advantageous terms for Britain, will naturally put them on trying under- hand for themfelves, and endeavouring to make us the dupes of the peace, as we have been of the war. Your Excellency will there- fore pleafe to be watchful to difcover any workings of this kind. The French name Aix and Liege for treating the peace, but I may tell your Ex- cellency that they do it for no other reafon but becaufe they will not name any town which belongs to the States. This, however, will break no meafures ; and if we iluck at nothing but the place, that difficulty would be made eafy by the French. The manner of treating, whether with all the allies, or only the maritime powers firfl, is a point of much consideration. I believe CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 177 3 believe your Excellency will defire to have in writing the fentiments of the mi- niflers of Holland, to prevent real miftakes, or pretended ones, in an affair of this mo- ment. I am neither furprized at your Excel- lency's wading through the difficulties which you met with, on your firft entrance upon bufmefs at the Hague, nor at the endeavours of the Duke of Marlborough and my Lord Townmend to expofe you to as many as they could. You have in this, my Lord, met with no other fate than the Queen, our mifirefs, has ; and her administration would never have fupported itfelf againft all the indufr.ry and all the malice which has been put in practice, without that refolu- tion and firmnefs of mind which fhe has mown, and her fervants too by her example. The influence -of thefe factious efforts is, I hope, over ; we gain ftrength every day ; and I hope to fee the Queen's government fettled on that broad and generous principle which only can and only ought to laft. I am ever your Excellency's Moft faithful fervant, H. St. J. VOL. I. N The 178 LETTERS AND The inclofed, for Monfieur de la Garde*, the Queen would have your Excellency take care * L'Abbe Gaultier a Monfieur le Marquis de Torcy : " Monfieur, " J'al eu I'honneur de vous mander, Mardi dernier, que j'avois rendu le memoire dont vou m'aviez charge, le 2.31116 du mois pa(T6 ; on 1'a lu, examine, & on vient de 1'envoyer aux Etats-Generaux ; apres avoir fait ce pas. on croit qu'il eft raifonnable, que vous vous expliquiez paniculierement fur le contenu du premier ardcle, & que vous faffiez connoitre ce que vous entendez par ces paroles, que les Anglais auront des furetts rielles pour exercer deformah leur commerce en Efpagne^ aux Indes, Crf data les ports de la. Mer Medilerranee* *' On m'ordonne de vous ecrire celle-ci aujourd'hui, & je vous fupplie d'avoir la bonte de ni'en envo) er au plutot la -r6ponfe. " Je fuis, &c. " ALondres, 8 me Mai, 1711, N.S. " F. GAULTIER," Mem. This was fealed and inclofed in the following. " ALondres, 8me Mai, 1711, N.S. . <{ |e vous prie, Monfieur, de rendre lenclufe a fon adreffe auffitot que vous 1'aurez regue, & vous m'en enverrez la reponle le plutot qu'il vous fera poffible, &c. " F. G." Directed *' A Monfieur de la Garde, dans la rue Foiianr, proche la place Maubert, a Paris. To this the following was received in anfwer : " A Marli, le 31 Mai, 1711. " JE vous mandai, Monfieur, 1'ordinaire dernier, que j'avois re you muft at laft fubmit to the meafures of the Dutch, even where you are convinced that they are in the wrong, yet the conduct which you have held muft produce a good erfecl: all manner of ways. I enclofe to your Lordfhip two letters, which I have wrote to the Counts d'Urfel and Milan : you know upon what occafion my correfpondence with thofe- gentlemen began, and you will pleafe to judge how far they can be of life to the Queen's affairs, and what encouragement they delerve. I enclofe copies of thofe letters^ in an- fwer to which mine to them are writ, that your Lordfhip may fee what they complain of, in relation to themfelves and to their country. There is in the Count de Milan's letter one very remarkable fact. Adieu, my Lord. ' I am, &c. To fave the trouble of fo much copying,. I fend my letters open. You will pleafe to feal them before they are delivered. CORRESPONDENCE, &c 183 To Mr. Cadogan. SlRj May ift, 1711. I RETURN you many thanks for the favour of your's of the 2 1 ft of this month, N.S. which is come to my hands ; but that which you mention to have writ in anfwer to mine of the aoth of March 1 never re- ceived. The accounts which you fend me are fo ample and clear, that they cannot fail of giving very great fatisfa&ion. The diffi- culties which my Lord Marlborough has this year to encounter are extremely great ; in fome meafure from an unfortunate con- currence of fatal accidents, and in a greater proportion from the defeds and bad con- dudt of feveral of the allies : Britain and Holland feem to make the war alone in Flanders, and Britain feems to make it alone every where elfe. This burden has been long increafing upon us, and is at length, grown infuppor table. I have all the ex- pectation poffible from the Duke of Marl- borough's vigour and zeal, which have often raifed the common caufe from a drooping condition, and I hope will do fo again* N 4 The LETTERS AND The unhappy diftin&ions which you la- ment with fo much reafon, I fhall be heartily glad to fee entirely buried, as I wifh they had never been fomented. Certain it is, that the difcountenance which my Lord Marl- borough mows to thofe that rail, and to thofe that whifper, will effectually cure the evil in the army ; and I am confident the doing fo there, will contribute to affift thofe who make it their endeavour to reftore the fame decency and good order at home. I mould fay nothing of myielf, if your letter did not give me occafion to mention thus much, that I have done my utmoft to purfue the principle which you know I have always profefTed, and from which I have too much firmnefs upon any consideration to depart ; at the fame time, I hope, I have given fome proofs that I am true to private friendlhip. That you may have all imagina- ble fuccefs, and add to the flock of reputa- tion which you have fo defervedly acquired, is the fincerefl wifh of, Sir, Your's, &c. To CORRESPONDENCE, &C, 185 To Lord Raby. MY LORD, May 6th, 1711. THE bufmefs of the laft poft not alldw- ing me to write a private letter to your Ex- cellency, I have now feveral to anfwer ; and I therefore begin thus early, that I may be able to fpeak as fully on the fubjeCts contained in them as their importance de- fer ves. The fatigue, which your Excellency has been obliged to go through fince your ar- rival at the Hague, has, indeed, been great ; and, as the affairs of the weftern world are now conftituted, the Queen's AmbafTador in Holland is almoft her universal minifter. A Secretary to the embafly, who is ac- quainted with bufmefs, and has a genius to render his experience ufeful, will no doubt be very affiftant to your Excellency : I mall not fail to obferve what you defire of me upon this head. As for d'Ayrolle, he is an old woman, whofe talents no time, no oppor- tunities of improvement, can ever raife above the level of a valet-de-chambre, and yet he cofb the Queen twelve hundred pounds a year. * The l86 LETTERS AND The hard circumftances which her Ma- jetty's minifters abroad are expofed to, no man is more feniible of than myfelf ; and it is a great truth, that ever fmce the Queen's goodneis placed me where I have the honour at prefent to ferve, I have, in converfation. and by letter, continually urged the redrefs of this crying grievance, as effential to the honour of the nation and the good of the fervice *. Upon * The Editor found the following paper relating to allow- Dances for Foreign minifters : " Ambafladours-ordinary in France, Spain, and the Em- perour's Court, lool.per week, and 1500!. equipage. " In Portugal, Sweden, Denmark, Poland, Vienna, Hol- land, &c. iol. per diem, and loool. equipage. " Ambafladours-extraordinary to- have every where the fame ordinary allowances the Ambafladours-ordinary have, and to differ only in the equipage money, which is to be determined by his Majefty himfeif according to the occafion. '* Envoys-extraordinary in France, Spain, and the Em* perour's Court, 5!. per diem, and In no danger at prefent of having an at- tempt made by the Chevalier upon any of the Queen's dominions ; however, the alarm of this, and the armament in Weft France, has made it necefTary to collect a fquadron in the Downs, and we mail be ftrangely Ihocked (I deal plainly with you) if the States ihould not, in fuch a conjuncture, fend a fquadron of mips to join our fleet which is aflembling in the Channel. They are the cauie that we are fo weak at home, and that we are forced to ftop our convoys, and call in our cruizers, in order to be able to gather together four or five and twenty men of war. Adieu, I am ever, your's. 202 LETTERS AND To the Duke of Marlborougb. MY LORD, May 8, 1711, THE concern which your Grace exprefles yourfelf to be under in your's of the 7th in- ftant, N.S. muft affect all thofe who think of public affairs, and who wifh well to the common caufe. We are now in one of thofe conjunctures, when we muft watch for tome lucky event to draw ourfelves out of the difficulties which furround us, and take care not to mifs laying hole! of the nrft favourable accident which time produces. One rule may certainly be laid down, and that is, that we cannot be too open nor too zealous in promoting the election of King Charles to the empire, nor, on the other hand, too filent on the fubject of the Spa- nifh fucceffionj nor too induflrious to evade entering on that argument. I wim all the Queen's minifters had been of this mind, but I believe your Grace knows that there is one who has not. I have put Major Leathers memorial into the Secretary at War's hands, and I will not CORRESPONDENCE, &C, 203 not fail to promote the difpatch of it with her Majefty, fince it is a matter which your Grace appears concerned for. Mr. Harley's project for providing a fund of intereft for the national debts, is agreed to with great applaufe, and without the pre- tence of an objection ; and yet I am forry to be able to tell your Grace, that the dif- crediting of it is made a party caufe ; and that there has not been any one point a great while laboured more flrenuoufly than the finking of this and all other parts of credit, which naturally mould rife upon fuch a pro- vifion made for debts, the payment whereof was, I believe, thought very remote when this parliament fat down. I make 110 doubt, however, but thefe artifices will end in the confulion of thofe who devife and promote them. I am, &c. To Mr. Scott. Si R, May the 8th, 1711. IT is fome time fince I fpoke to her Ma- jefty in your behalf, and propofed to employ * you 2D4 LETTERS AND you in the affairs of the north, which are now Flattening to that degree of confufion that I have long expected, and which was unavoidable, after we had once neglected the opportunity of making the King of Sweden our affectionate friend or our im- potent enemy. The Queen inclined to make life of your fervices ; and I believe you would have, fome time fmce, received your letters of credence and infractions, if any one but the Duke of Queenfberry had been to difpatch the former. But as thefe are to be directed to the king of Poland, they mufl come out of his office, although the chief part of your bufinefs will lie in my province. Qn Sunday, her Majefty told me that fhe would give her orders for your difpatches without lofs of more time, fo that I believe, you may expect them in a poft or two; and at the fame time I will begin a regular cor- refpondence with you. In the mean while, you will be taking your meafures both as to your private and as to your public bufmefs. With refpect to the former, Dr. Hutton will be on this your folicitor ; and with re- ipect to the latter, you will have leveral opportunities CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 205 opportunities of picking up informations ne- ceiTarv for your condu<5t where you are. I took occafion to tell the Baron de Both- mar, that the Queen, I thought, intended to make ufe of you in her foreign affairs, that I hoped his Electoral Highnefs* would not difapprove of your accepting fuch a com- mifllon, fince ferving his court and ferving ours was almoft the fame thing, the intereft of the two being fo nearly allied. The Queen has a fecretary called Mac- kenzie, now with the King of Poland. I hear that he is a good honeft man, but in- deed his talents do not feem to be very great. However, you will be able to make tome ufe of him. Mr. Whitworth, who is extremely ca- pable,, is ordered to fufpend his journey into Mufcovy, and to continue in the empire fome part of the fummer, at leaft till the election of the Emperor is over. He will go to Drefden from Berlin, where he now is, but not to continue there any time. I will introduce you to his correfpondence as foon as it is proper. * Of Hanover. I defiire 2O6 LETTERS AND I defire you, Sir, to be perfuaded that I am, with very great truth, &c. To Mr. Drummond* SIR, May 15, 1711. I HAVE the favour of three letters from you, of the ijth and 22d of this month, N.S. with feveral papers inclofed. My Lord AmbafTador Raby is a very good man, but he has the misfortune of be- ing a little too apt to take umbrage, and to be punctilious. I hope, however, that the crofs-accident which you fpeak of {ticks no longer with him ; and you will have feen by a former letter of mine, the reflection I make upon the divulging of that fecret, which certainly came from Penfionary Hein- iius, with what view is palpable enough. As to Harry Watkins, the AmbafTador cxprefies no diflike of his perfon, abflracl:- edly ; but, on other accounts, he ftill ap- pears uneafy at his being appointed Secre- tary of the embafly. I have, therefore, determined to write to his Excellency, that Mr. CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 207 Mr. Watkins was named as the properefl man to ferve the Queen, and to be afliftant to him, and that I mall fall continue to think him fb; but that my friendfhip for him will not fuffer me to let him sro to o any port, where I have not reafon to think he will be welcome, and where a true value will not be fet upon his merit ; that, there- fore, his Excellency is defired to be very plain in this matter, fince if he delires to have the benefit of Mr. Watkins's ex- perience and capacity in bufmefs, the firfr. intention mall be made good; but other- wife, 1 will intreat her Majefty to do fome- what better for this gentleman, and to no- minate another perfon to go to the Hague. This proceeding has a good air, let the event be what it will ; and you may allure the Judge*, that I take myfelf to be much more concerned in the affair than he is. One way or another, he mall find his account in it. I thank you very heartily for your care in procuring me the Bay-trees, and hope you will advertife me in time of their arrival, * Watkins had been Judge-advocate. that 20$ LETTERS AND that I may have one of my gardeners ready to take them out of the mips, and to convey them to Bucklebury. I cannot plunge my- felf fo far into the thoughts of public bufmefs, as to forget the quiet of a country retreat, whither I will go fome time or other, and am always ready to go at an hour's warn- ing. I have fuch frequent occafions of giving you necetfary trouble, that I ought not to detain you long when I have nothing to fay. Believe me to be, with the utmoft fmcerity, Your's, &c. jfo the Duke Marlborough. MY LORD, May 15, 1711. I AM extremely concerned to find by your Grace's private letter of the 1 8th of this month, N.S. that you have been indif- pofed. Your health is of fo much confe- quence to the Queen's fervice and to the interefl of the common caufe, that, befides the apprehenfions of a friend, I muft be allow- ed thofe of a well-wifher to the public upon any accident which happens to your Grace. Mr. CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 209 Mr. Palmes is come over miferably crip- pled with the gout, and I find that the pro- jects he has brought, are verbatim the fame with thofe fent fome time fince by Lord Peterborough. They are vafr., and fuppofe nothing lefs than the reftoring all the troops which belong to the Spanim war, to their eflablimed numbers of 52,000 men, beiides taking 5000 Swifs, and 8000 Imperialifts more into the Queen's pay. You know, my Lord, how little able we are to enter into fuch an increafe of charge, and will therefore eafily believe that thefe papers are already grown dufty on the office-melves. We are undoubtedly expofed to the mif- chiefs mentioned by Moniieur Slingeland *, and I fear that all the fecret inftruclions which he has given to Monfieur Ranck, without any communication to the Queen's minifters, will not fecure us from the ill con- fequences of the King of Sweden's operations in the North. We look upon Lord Peterborough to be now at Barcelona. I pray God the hafte which he is in to bring King Charles into * Secretary to the Council of State in Holland. VOL. I. P the 21 LETTERS AND the Empire, where his prefence is entirely uiinecefFary, do not prove of advantage to the Duke of Anjou, notwithftanding the ar- rival of Jennings * from Britain, and Norris from Italy, as well as of the convoy from Naples. I expecl to hear that the Marquis da Bourg -J- is come to London every mo- ment, fmce by my letters on Friday laft from the Hague, he intended to fail with that boat. The Duke of Savoy's refolving to take the field, and the conclufion of the peace with the Hungarians, are two articles of news which we received with very great fatisfaclion. The Queen has had fome little attack of the cholic in her ftomach, but is much bet- ter, and lies at prefent at Kenfington. I am, &c, * The Admirals Jennings and Norris. t Envoy of Savoy at the Hague. A M&nfieur CORRESPONDENCE* &C. A Monfieur de Tallard. AlONSIEUR, Ce lymeMai, 17 iii J'AI re$u votre lettre du 5me de ce mois auffi bien que celle que votre homme d'affaires m'a rendu. Ce me feroit le plus grand plaifir du monde de pouvoir vous envoyer la permiffion que vous demandez, & je vous prie de vous repofer fur ma parole, que je ne negligerai rien oui depend de moi pour vous la pro- curer. Celui que vous envoyez en France, a etc d'abord expedie ; pour fatisfaire a la regie, j'ai parcouru des lettres que vous avez ecrit au Roi de France, mais je les ai dans 1'in- flant remis au porteur, vous pouvez etre tres-aiTure que je ne dirai a qui que ce (bit ce qu'elles contiennent. Votre parole d'honneur me fuffit, & je n'ai pas voulu cacheter les paquets dont votre homme etoit charge, ni prendre fur cette occafion des precautions accoutumees. Je vous envoie une lettre que le Chevalier Walter m'a prie de vous faire tenir. On ne peut etre plus fenfible a vos mal- P 2 heurs, 212 LETTERS AN0 heurs, on ne peut avoir plus d'eftime pour votre perfonne, ni etre avec plus de re- fpecl: que je le fuis, Mcmfieur, &c. To Lord Raby. MY LORD, May 1 8th, AFTER having writ to you a private letter of fo unconfcionable a length as that of the 8th, I mould be afhamed to trouble your Excellency fo foon with another, were there not fome matter to be fpoke of to you, not proper to be inferted in my other difpatch. Upon confideratioii of what your Ex- eellency fays concerning the treaty with the Elector of Bavaria, her Majefty is of opi- nion that this Prince mould not be abfolute- ly neglected, nor the negociation be quite laid afide, though fhe never looked upon it .as a very promiling fcheme. To admit him to have his part in this election, her Ma- jefty thinks too dangerous an experiment, but me remembers that, by the former ac- counts, he feemed to deiire to have the treaty CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 213 treaty of neutrality firft executed, and the other to be negociated whilil that fub- fifted. Now, if he will flaiid to his' own pro- pofal, the commencement of the feconi treaty might be fixed at a time fubfequent to the election, and, by confequence, any danger of difturbing the Empire be avoided. But even in this cae, the Queen thinks that if he mould not fmifh and execute the fecond treaty within a reafonable time to be agreed on, the" firft fhould then be looked upon as void and of no efFecl. Monfteur du Bourg is come, and 1 have feen him in one viiit of ceremony. He has a great deal of fpirit, and feems to be very adroit. I am to meet him in a day or two, with my Lord Chamberlain and Mr. Har- ley, on the fubjecl of his fecret commiffion, of which I will give your Excellency an account. Iii the mean time, he agrees with me, that the beft thing, even for his mailer's intereft, is to have at prefent all difcourfe of the Spanim monarchy avoided. There is a manner of knowing one another's mind P 3 without 214 LETTERS AND without coming to direct and premature de- clarations*. I may tell your Excellency, in confidence, that I have a letter of twenty iheets from Lord Peterborough, wherein the whole world is parcelled out, as if with a fiat and the breath of his mouth it could be accom- plimed. Warm with thefe ideas, he is gone to Barcelona. We expect impatiently the return of Barlow. I expected that the mef- fage he carried would have "the reception which your Excellency defcribes. As to your private .intereft, I will be a. watchful and a faithful fervant to you ; and it is with pleafure that I allure your Excel- lency, that I have found the Queen rather increafe in her favour to you. Of which, that you may have all the proofs you can defire, is the wifh and mall be the endeavour of your Excellency's, &c f P.S. I had ahnoft forgot to mention an^ other matter to your Excellency, which * The re-inftatement of the Eleftor of Bavaria, and the pretenfions of Savoy to the Crown of Spain, were probably fettled by the miniftry at this time, confidering that France would demand the one, and Savoy require the other. omifficn CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 215 omitlion I mould not have forgiven myfelf; and it is in relation to Mr. Watkins. He was named, my Lord, as iecretary to the em- bafly, for no reafon but this, becaufe he is indifputably the fitted man who can be had for that employment ; and therefore the moil likely to be affiilant to your Excel- lency. However, as in all instances I de- iire to contribute to your Excellency's fatif- faclion, and am not confcious to myfelf of having done the contrary in any, with defign, ifb I mufl own it concerns me a good deal to obferve that you are pleafed to fpeak of this gentleman, as one who is put upon you. For Gocfs fake, my Lord, ufe me like your faithful fervant, and tell me whe- ther you can be reconciled to try him or not ; fince, if your Excellency is determined .againft him, I will apply to her Majefty to -do fomething elfe for Mr. Watkins, and never fend him where he is not likely to be welcome. P 4 2l6 LETTERS AND Tb the Earl of Orrery. MY LORD, May 18, 1711. WHEN you lay your commands upon jne, I deiire you will not imagine that you give me any trouble : I can have no greater pleafure than ferving you ; and if my power was equal to my inclination, your defires would be fatisfied as ibon as fignifled. Do you not remember, my Lord, a cer- tain time lair, fummer, when for feveral weeks I avoided writing to you, although I knew how uneafy the pangs of expecta- tion were to the Duke of Argyle and your- felf, in that crifis of domeftic affairs ? We are now in a ftate not very unlike to that which we were then in. Mr. Harley, fince his recovery, has not appeared at the Council, or at the Treafury at all, and very feldom in the Houfe of Commons. We ? who are reputed to be in his intimacy, have few op- portunities of feeing him, and none of talk- ing freely with him. As he is the only true channel through which the Queen's pleafure is conveyed; fo there is, and muft be a per- CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 217 fed ftagnation till he is pleafed to open bimfelf, and fet the watei 1 flowing*. You remember, my Lord, that a fcene of aclion followed laft year, very quickly after that full flop which feemed to have been put to the meafures then carrying on, I hope the fame will again happen ; and as foon as I difcern the leaft appearance of it, you mail hear from me on the fubjecT:. I fancy the delay will not be long, and that the alterations will begin with the promo^ tion of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, to the Earldom of Oxford, and to the rank of Treafurer. I do not in the leaft wonder that your Lordfliip feems enamoured with the Duke of Shrewfbury. I never knew a man fo formed to pleafe, and to gain upon the affection whilft he challenges the eileem. The poor Mr. Southern complains ex- tremely, I believe, but I hope Mr. Fenton will not be of his mind. The verfes were fo near being admirable, that it would have been pity to have let them go into the world * Harley was always confidered as a very referved man, but at this time began the rupture between him and Boling- >roke ? which was fatal to both. without 2lB LETTERS AND without one ftroke more of the file; I have ventured to make fbme alterations, and to mark other places where I think alterations mall be made; Dr. Robert Friend* agrees with me, and therefore I believe I was right. In fhort, I dare promife, that Mr. Fenton will not have lefs applaufe, though he will have it later than if Mr. Southern had governed. Adieu, my dear Lord, having no bufmeis in command to write to you upon, this is the onty letter which you will have by this poft from Your's, &c. To Mr. Drummond. Si R, May 22, 1711. ALL your letters are very acceptable to me, but none could be more fb than your laft, of the 26th inftant, N.S. fince none coidd contain a more welcome account of the difpontions of that great minifter, the * He was afterwards matter of Weftminfter-fchool. His brother, the phyfician, was a writer of ftie Examiner, and had the office of Phyfician-general. Penfionary. CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 219 Penfionary. He may be allured of meeting on our fide with at lead equal returns of friendfhip ; and you can be a witnefs with how much concern we beheld the ill effect, which the factious endeavours of fome am- bitious men amongfl us, had in Holland. We feel no lefs fatisfaclion in obferving the .change, and I can make no doubt but that the harmony between the Queen's minifters and thole of the States will every day in- creafe, fince it is our mutual interefi and our mutual inclination. I believe my Lord Raby will have the Queen's leave very foon to take a fhort turn hither ; we mall fend him back to you fully infrrucled in all the Queen's intentions ; and J hope meafures may be fallen into as will tie the knot ftill fafter between Britain and Holland. Our union has fupported the war, and by fupporting that has preferred Europe from oppreffion. The fame union muft be fecured in peace; that, whatever incidents happen, thefe nations may continue the {hield of liberty and Proteftantifm. It was with very real pleafure that her Majefty heard me read that paffage in your letter, where you mention that generous warmth 220 LETTERS AND warmth with which the Petitionary etfpreffed himfelf, when he faid, that no little differ- ence of comm'crce mould ever create jea- loufies between England and Holland, if it were in his power to' prevent it. I hope it will be in his power, fince we can never break but to our common ruin, and fince there is no other feed of division .which can probably grow up to any head. I can fee very plainly from what fprings thefe jea- loufies may flow ; you touched upon fome of them. The honeft men of both nations, whofe fouls are above the little fchemes of over-reaching one another, mufr. lend their attention therefore in time to prevent the mifchief. We look on the general flate of affairs with the fame eye as the Penfionary does, but as to Spain I cannot help faying to you, that people reflect how little has been done by Holland even fince the misfortunes of the laft campaign. We have advanced all our fubfidies in great meafure; we have fent eleven battalions from England and Ireland to Portugal and Spain, befides 3000 re- cruits, and 2000 horfe from Italy. The Dutch CORRESPONDENCE, &C. Dutch have fent nothing, that we know of, but a o-eneral. o I do not believe that the enemy intend to play their Prince upon us, and yet their preparation is iuch as makes it necefTary for us to aft as if we did believe it. Give me leave to add, that Holland will have no very good grace, unlefs they (how a readi- neis upon the fame occafion, and that the Queen deferves no lefs at their hands. Is it impoffible to penetrate the real defign of Du Guay's equipment ? Some intelligence WQ have, fays his mips are victualled for eight months*. The poft is come in fince I writ what goes before, and I have in your letter of the 29th, a very full account of the Breft equipment, for which I defire you to accept of my hearty thanks. I am fure you will be glad to hear that I have pafled the warrant for creating Mr. Harley Earl of Oxford and Mortimer. The next news I ihall fend you concerning him will be that the Treafurer's ftaffis put into his hands. * He was deftined for the Portuguefe fetilement of St. Sebaftian, which he made himfelf mafter of. I hope, 222 LETTERS AND I hope, among other good effects of promotion, that it will teach the Dutci po- liticians not to look on a man to be dead becaufe he is out of employment. This you will fay may now be applied to Lord Godolphin ; but there are many material differences between his removal and that of Mr. Harley. There is this, I am fure, that neither his life nor his reputation are fought after, whereas our friend was .attacked in both. I have nothing farther to add, but the fincereft affurances of my being Your's, &c. To the Duke of Marlborough. MY LORD, May 22, 1711, I HAVE read your Grace's private let- ter of the 28th inftant, N.S. which i re- ceived this morning, to the Queen, to the Duke of Shrewfbury, and to Mr. Harley. Your Grace will eafily believe that her Ma- jefty is extremely difpleafed to find the re- giments of foot fo very weak. The necef- i fary CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 12^ fary orders will be given here for quicken- ing any officers belonging to thefe battalions who may be recruiting in Britain. The effectual remedy to this fcandalous neglect, the Queen thinks muft be particular notice and cenfure of thofe who are in fault. This remedy it is in your Grace's power to ufe> and her Majefty's concurrence will infal- libly fupport what you mall think proper ta do upon this occalion. The two memorials inclofed in your laft, as well as that of Mr. Leathes, I will take care very foon to give your Grace an ac- count of. The Queen, my Lord, commands me to recommend another affair, on the fuccefs of which her heart is entirely fet, to your Grace's prudence ; you will find, by my two other letters in French and Englifli, how earneftly her Majefty defires you mould prefs the Prince of Savoy to have the eight thoufand men fent from Hungary, before the end of the campaign, into Italy, and with how much reafon me expects and in- fifts that this reinforcement mould be fur- nifhed by the Court of Vienna on their own account. However, my Lord, that the 24- LETTERS AND the common caufe may not fuffer, if it is poflible to prevent it, by the fatal obftinacy of thofe who are moft concerned in intereft to promote a vigorous war, I have orders to let your Grace know, that if you find, in treating with the Prince of Savoy, no poffi- bility of obtaining thefe eight thoufand men any other way, your Grace may promife him in the Queen's name, that, upon condition they march thefe troops to Italy, the Queen will allow a fum of money towards the maintenance of them. But fhe will be fure of the fervice before fhe puts herfelf to the expence, and trufts to your Grace not to make the offer but in cafe of neceffity. It will be expedient not to have it known at iirft that the Queen has taken this new charge upon herfelf, that fo we may have time tcr endeavour to draw the States into their fhare of it, or at leaft into fbmething elfe, which may be a kind of equivalent. The warrant is patted for creating Mi". Harley Earl of Oxford, of which I fup- pofe you will hear by other hands. May your Grace be fiiccefsful abroad, and return with as much pleafure to Britain as ever you did at the end of your moft prof- 3 perous CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 225 fperous years. Thefe are the fincere wiflies of, my Lord, Yo'ur's, c. To Lord Raby. MY LORD, May the22d, 1711. I THANK your Excellency for your twd private letters of the 26th, and for that of the 29th, N.S. I have kid them before her Majefty, and her directions will be given in a day- or two upon them. What I have at prefent to fay to your Excellency on the chief fubjecl: which they relate to, is, that when- ever a peace is treated, either the Dutch are to truft us, or we them; and therefore they mull: take no umbrage if we fee how far the enemy will come towards a fafe and honourable agreement* I hope all the Pen- fionary's profeffions are true, fome I believe indeed are* The Queen will give your Excellency leave to take a turn hither as fbon as yoii pleafe, and Mr. Harley (for fo I muft call him a day or two longer) thinks that the journey mould not be much longer delayed. VOL. I. But 226 LETTERS AND But your Excellency will judge in this mat- ter better when you can be {pared, than we perhaps can do on this fide. I beg you will give me as early notice as you can of your letting out. Before you leave the Hague, it will be neceflary that you found the Penfionary's mind about the Barrier treaty, fince we would be glad to compound that matter with as little ill-will as poffible. Your Excellency will likewife endeavour to difcover what fort of alliance the Dutch would defire mould fubfift between us in time of peace. There was a project of this kind formed in 1706, by Mr. Harley *. Thofe papers I will try to get into my hands, and be preparing, againft you come over, a iketch of it. The directions which your Excellency gives concerning the letters fhall be ob- lerved. I am, &c. Mr. Harley's warrant has patted through my hands for creating him Earl of Oxford. * Mr. Harley had been appointed Secretary of State in 1 704, and refigned in 1 708, during which period St. John was Secretary at War. I fay CORRESPONDENCE, &C. I fay nothing to your Excellency on your own account. That muft be left to her Ma- jefty, who will receive your Excellency in iuch a manner, I dare fay, as your fervices deferve, and as will give you entire fatif- fadtion. I have omitted two points, which by the next poft I will write to you upon* To Mr. Whltworth. SIR, May 29th, 1711. I HAVE this day the favour of your private letter of the 1 9th, from Berlin ; and I defire you to believe that thofe expreilions, which you fay you read with confufion, were ufed with fmcerity. I ferve with zeal my- felf, I fee others endowed with great ca- pacity ; but I obferve thefe two characters united in fo few inftances, that you mufl not wonder if I appear a little tranfported when I meet them together, as I do, with- out any compliment, very eminently in yourfelf. By the next poft, or by that of Tuefday, you ihall hear from me, and be informed where LETTERS AND where her Majefty's fervice will call upon, you next. In the mean time, I find that Prince Kurakin* is very felicitous to have you at his matter the new bridegroom's court. I cannot tell whether my Lord Peterbo- rough may not be a little uneafy when he finds you come to negociate a matter at Vienna, which has been in his hands already, but he can have no reafon to be fo, fince this affair is of too great importance, and dif- patch is too efiential to the fuccefs of it, to have it trufted to the chance of his being returned in time to Vienna; you will by your addrefs foften any difcontent that may arife in his Lordfhip, whom I make no doubt but you will find extremely zealous in promoting every thing which relates to the public intereft, and this fcheme in a parti- cular manner. I am, &c. * Ambafiador to the court of Great Britain from the Czar, whofe fon had lately married a princefs of Wolfen- buttle. CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 229 To Lord Rafy. MY LORD, May 29, 1711. I HOPE I begin my letter very agree- ably to your Excellency, when I acquaint you, by her Majefty's order, that me would have your Excellency make all poffible hafte to come over, iince her fervice may better difpenfe with your abfence at this point of time, than it will perhaps do at another, and fince we mufl now expect to have very foon upon the tapis many intrigues, concerning which the Queen thinks it expedient that you mould confer with the minifters here, and have your inftrudions, in relation to them, formed with your own affiftance. At the fame time, her Majefty orders me to let your Excellency know, that me intends on your arrival in Britain, to give you that pro- motion in the peerage which you denre. It had almoft flipped me to fay, that one great inducement to her Majefty to deiire to fee your Excellency here as foon as may be, is the meffage of the Marquis du Bourg. Her politics differ upon this fubjedl a good deal, I believe, from thofe of the flate where your 230 LETTERS AND your Excellency refides ; and as the matter is qf a very nice nature, Monfieur du fiourg will be kept till you come over, that the meafures being taken whilft you are both on the fpot, you may aft in the better con- cert when you return to the other fide. Your Excellency will take all occafions of infmuating, as adroitly as you can, that this mnifter's journey hither regards only mili- tary operations, and the Earl of Peter- bor'ough's projects. Your Excellency will pleafe not to com- municate to the Penlionary, or any one elfe on that fide, the errand on which Mr. Whit- worth is fent to Vienna. I have little to, lay, in this letter, upon the feveral points contained in the private one which I am obliged to your Excellency for, fince thofe matters will be one great part of what we /hall have to debate here. Britain has gone fo much too far in weaving her intereft into that of the continent, that it will prove no eaiy tafk to difentangle our affairs, without tearing or rending. I find that the Queen has not a yatch pn your fide of the water, neither can we im- jnediately fend one ever, with a convoy, for CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 23! for your Excellency. I will be preparing both for yon, in cafe you determine to ftay for their arrival ; but as your Excellency's ftay here is likely to be very mort, I fup- pofe you will bring little equipage with you, and therefore may perhaps venture in the packet-boat. I beg your Excellency to believe that I long extremely to have the pleafure of kiffing your hands here, and that no man lives who is more truly, my Lord, your Ex- cellency's, &c. To Sir Hovendon Walker. SIR, May the 29th, 1711. BY letters which we received yefterday from Ireland, we were informed that the Mary tranfport was driven into that king- dom. I have got the Lords of the Admi- ralty to difpatch a frigate with her, and by this opportunity I write a few lines to you. The French fquadron being reported to be at fea when you left the Channel, and all * Commander in chief of the fea forces on the expedition to Canada. the 232 LETTERS AND the cruifers ordered to join Sir J. Leake, 1 find there was ibme difTatisfa6tion at your taking the three Ihips into the lea with you ; but no accident has happened ; and the French, according to our laft advices, were driven back into the ports of Weft France, Ib that you need be under no uneafinefs, but may depend on my fupporting and juftify- ing your condudt. Heaven profper an undertaking fo much to the reputation and to the real benefit of our country. I make no doubt but as we have done our part here in letting you out, fo you will do your's in executing the Queen's commands in North America. The frigate which convoys the Mary, you will keep with you ; and let me delire you to remember to ufe all poffible diligence in giving, as many ways as you can, notice of your fir;ft fuccefs, and other proceedings. I mult entreat that you will prefer Mr. Garrard, and give your advice and inftruc- tions to him where he may want them -, for I am, and have reafon to be, a true friend to his family. There is nothing more which I have to add, CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 233 add, your instructions being very ample and full. I fubfcribe myfelf, Sir, &c. To Brigadier Hill *. S i R, May the 29th, 1711.' YESTERDAY we had advice that the Mary, one of the transports, was driven by ftrefs of weather into Ireland. I have already obtained an order to one of the Queen's frigates which attend that ifland, to haften with the faid tranfport after you, and I hope they may be able to join you be- fore you proceed from Bofton to Canada. Though the true fecret of the expedition continues to be talked of, yet there is no certainty in the rumour ; and I think I may affure you that the enemy are in the dark. God give you fuccefs ; if good wifhes can contribute to it, they are in no degree want- ing. I am fure there is no need of fay- ing any thing to animate you to purfuc with vigour an undertaking, wherein the * Commanding the land forces on the fame expedition ; he was brother to Lady Mafham. honour 234 LETTERS AND honour of our miftrefs, and the moft dura- ble advantage to our country, is concern-* ed ; I (hall, therefore, only renew my vows for your profperity, and the aflurances of my being, Sir, &c. To Mr. Dudley *. SIR, May the 2Qth, 1711, THE Mary tranfport, belonging to the fleet which failed on the 4th of this month, under the command of Sir Hovenden Walker, Rear-admiral of her Majefty's white fquadron, out of the Channel, having been feparated and forced to return to Ireland, the Queen has thought fit to order a frigate to proceed immediately with her to Bofton, in hopes that me may arrive there before the admiral is ready to depart from thence for the river of St. Lawrence. And in cafe the fleet mall be gone from Bofton, upon the intended expedition, before the arrival of the frigate and tranfport, it is her Ma- * Colonel Jofeph Dudley, Governor of New England; and New Hampshire. jefty's CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 235 jetty's pleafure that you ufe yonrutmoft en- deavour to fupply them with any refrelh- ment, irores, or other matter, whereof they may ftarid in need ; and that you do ufe all poflible diipatch in hardening them away, and giving them the proper directions for joining the Admiral, which directions the Commander of the man-of-war is by his infr.ru6rions ordered to oblerve, I am, &c. A Monjieur k Marquis du Bourg. MONSIEUR, Ge 5me Juin, 1711. COMME vous avez demande que je vous communiquafle par ecrit, ce qui vous a ete dit ce matin, par ordre de Sa Majefte, dans la conference que vous avez eu avec les Seigneurs du Confeil, j'aurai 1'honneur de vous faire favoir que la Reine eft non feulement portee par Feflime et par 1'arFec- tion qu'elle a pour la perfonne de Son AltefTe Royale votre Maitre, a contribuer tout ce qui dependra d'elle a Tavancement de fes interets, mais auffi o^u'elle regarde ragrandifTement dq la 236 LETTERS AND la maifbn de Savoye com me un des moyens les plus furs de maintenir cette balance de pouvoir fi efTentielle au repos et au bon- eur de 1'Europe. Que fa Majefte eft refolue de meriter a 1'avenir, comme elle croit avoir fait par le pafle, cette confiance que Son Altefle Royale repofe en elle; et que la Reine entre dans les vues de fa dite Altefle, tant fur le cas d'in- compatibilite, que fur celui de 1'union de 1'Empire avec la Monarchie d'Efpagne. Que Sa Majefte regarde le manage du Prince de Piemont a I'Archiduchefie com- me le moyen le plus fur & le plus equitable pour detourner les dangers auxquels Son Al- tefle Royale fe croit expofee, dans un cas, & pour aflurer fes pretentious dans Fautre. Qu'elle eft prete a propofer ce manage dans le terns & de la maniere que Son Altefle Royale le jugera elle-meme a propos. Mais qu'elle croit, que pour faciliter d'autant plus cet ouvrage, il fera neceflaire que 1'Archi- duchelfe renonce aux pais hereditaires de 1'Empire. Que fa Majefte travaillera imme- diatement a mettre fes Allies dans les memes fentimens, & qu'elle commencera, d'abord que my Lord Raby fera de retour en Hol- la nde, CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 237 lande, a perfuader a Meffieurs les Etats d'agir fur le meme plan. Que la Reine etant ainfi. difpofee a faire, dans cette conjonclure deli- cate, tout ce que Son AlteiTe Royale peut demander d'elle, Meffeigneurs du Confeilfont prets a conferer avec les minhtres de votre maitre, les mefures les plus propres pour faire reuffir fes delTeins. Voila, Monfieur, ce que j'ai eu ordre de vous ecrire, & ce que je vous ai explique plus en detail de vive voix. Je fuis, &c. Je ne vous parle point de la commiffioii que Monfieur Whitworth doit executer a Vienna, touchant le renfort des huit mille hommes, puifque vous etes deja tres-bien inftruit des ordres que fa Majefle a donne fur ce fujet. To the Duke of Marlborougb. MY LORD, June 8, 1711. I THANK your Grace for the honour of your private letters of the 8th of this month, N.S. both which I have read to the Queen, You will allow me to fay, that an air of melancholy 238 LETTERS AND melancholy runs through one of them, which communicated its infection to me. The Committee of Council which fits at the War-office, is in a declining ftate, and will, I believe, very foon expire. This ac- count I hear from thence, for I have not been there myfelf a confiderable time. If the news brought by our Oftend letters prove true, and the French have made a confiderable detachment for Germany, their entrenching; and covering themfelves is ac- O O counted for by this, as well as by the di- verfion which they expect in the North. As to the latter, I begin to hope the King of Sweden will not be able to give us much difturbance this fummer, and we {hall be very much wanting to ourfelves if we do not provide againft another year. Our parliament is at laft ready to rife, and I hope the Queen will be able on Monday to put an end to the Seffion, which has half murdered me, for one. Her Majefty has had the gout in her right arm, but without any great pain or uneafi- nefs. In the main, I thank God, her health is very good. That your Grace's is reflored I very 4 heartily CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 239 heartily congratulate, and hope it will long continue. May you enjoy that happinefs and quiet in an honourable old age, which you have done fo much to procure to Europe for this and for fucceeding generations. I am, &c. T<* the Duke of Ar gyle. MY LORD, June the I2th, 1711. I HAVE always profeiled myielf to be your Grace's iervant, and I will endeavour to convince you that thofe profeilions were iincere, and came from an honeft heart ; but, my Lord, T believe your Grace will agree that it was impoffible to preis your recal from Spain, after her Majefty had been pleafed to declare that me would write herfelf to you upon that fubjecT: *. I own, my Lord, the prefent itate of the war is bad, and the prolpecT: we have be- * The Duke of Argyle had been, during the war, in Flanders, where a jealoufy was excited between him and Marlborough : to make both eafy, the Queen gave the former the command in chief in Spain, and at the fame time ap- pointed him Ambaflador-extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to King Charles ; though his acceptance of the command was for fume time doubtful, affairs in Spain being defperate, after the misfortunes of la;ft year.^ fore 24 LETTERS AND fore us worfe, confidering how impoffiblr it is for Britain to bear any longer the whole load ; and how little inclination thofe pow- ers, who are by intereft molt nearly con- cerned, feem to mow to take upon them what properly belongs to them. In Spain your Grace will, without difpute, have a very difficult part to act ; but the difadvantages you are to lie under muft, in my humble opinion, afford opportunities of increafing, and can by no means be the caufe of lefTenirig, your reputation. I cannot help thinking, that meafures mould be taken for every part of the war, and fupplies fent with no other regard than that of the public intereft, according to the general fcheme framed in the beginning of the year. If the perfon, commanding in any particular place, was to b t e confidered, your Grace has friends here who would pleafe themfelves in making your power as great and extenfive as they could. It depends at this time on the Houfe of Auftria, whether fuch a diversion mail be made, as will effectually give you eafe in Catalonia, and afford us time to reftore our troops, and think of new means for fup- 2 porting CORRESPONDENCE, &C. porting the war in that part. Your Grace will have heard from my Lord Dartmouth what the Queen expeds mould be lent, be- fore the end of the campaign, to reinforce the Duke of Savoy. If thefe troops be given, we make little doubt qf eftabliming our- felves on this lide the Hills *; and Mr. Whit worth is gone to make fuch propofi- tions at Vienna to this purpofe, that we muft look upon a refufal of them as an abfolute defertion of the common caufe. Breton having bought Mr. Waitland's regiment, for which he is principally obliged to yourfelf and Lord Ilay, Gardner and Mid- dleton prefs extremely for his immediate return to Britain, as a point wherein his in- tereft is to the lad degree concerned ; and, indeed, it is with no fmall trouble that I hinder his Grace of Queenfberry from modelling his regiment for him. I dare flatter myfelf that you, my Lord, will be fo kind to him as to order him home ; which I (hall look upon as a new favour conferred on one who is tied to you by a * The Alps. The Duke of Savoy, this year, penetrate* 1 o France as far as the Rhone, which prevented the French reafing their forces oppofed to the Duke of Argyle. VOL I. R great LETTERS AND great many, and who is with the utmoft re- ipeft, my Lord, your Grace's, &c. To the Earl of Orrery, My LORD, June the i2th, 1711. I FIND, with very much concern, by your letter of the 2oth, N,S. that you have been out of order. The fatigue and vexa- tion of mind, to which the diflraded con- dition of the Spanifh Netherlands muil have expofed you . were fufficient mortifications. A fever beiides, was more than fell to one man's (hare. I hope the cavil about the money to be flopped from Mr. Meredyth, is over ; and indeed it is very furprifmg to me that it was fuffered to laft ib long, fince the Queen explained herfelf fufficiently at firfr, and dire6ted that whether the iSooL was paid to Meredyth on account of the government of Tinrrouth, or on account of the debt which incumbered his regiment, it fhould, however, be flopped out of the 3000!, an4 be CORRESPONDENCE, &C. be applied to the latter*. I wifh I had more leifure for butinefs out of my office, you mould not have had a moment of trouble on this fcore. The Pretender is at laft fet out from St. Germain's, according to the intelligence whic'h you have fent me, and the advices which I have othervvays received-)-. Our fleet is off Weft France at this time ; and he would find it a difficult enterprize to pafs to any part of the Queen's dominions; but, for my mare, I believe now, as I have done all along, that he never intended an inva- lion. However, by the rumour, and by the appearances of it, we have had an oppor- tunity of feeing what excellent guarantees of our iucceflion the Dutch are likely to prove ; and how fine a bargain thofe people made, who facrificed the liberty of the Spanifh Netherlands, and that part of the trade of Britain, to the States, under this pretence J. * When Meredyth was permitted to fell out, the price was goool. and Lord Orrery got the regiment. Meredyth, in a letter to St. John, ad May, i/n, complains of the diftrefs of his family, and his hard ulage after twenty-three years fervice. f He went into Dauphiny, on a vifit to tHe Duke of Ber- wick, and returned through Languedoc to St. Germain's. .{ By the Barrier Treaty. R 2 We 244 LETTERS AND We have not, at the hour I write, one fhip of Holland to join the Queen's fleet, though we have folicited, every poft thefe many months, that, a fquadron might be prepared, in purfuance of the moll folemn engage- ment. My Lord Raby is coming hither for fome days. The Queen would be glad to have your Lordfhip contrive to be at the Hague, on account of fettling fome better regula- tion of government for the Low Countries belonging to King Charles, during the time the ambafTador is abfent; fince bufinefs daily may arife which will require the pre- fence of one of you in fo buiy a fcene as the Hague is, and muft be whilft the war continues. Our friend, Mr. Harley, is now Earl of Oxford, and High Treafurer. This great advancement is, what the labour he has gone through, the danger he has run, and the fervices he has performed, feem to deferve. But he frauds on flippery ground, and envy is always near the great, to fling up their heels on the leaft trip which they make. The companions of his evil fortune are moft likely to be the fup- porten CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 245 porters of his good ; and I dare fay he makes this a maxim to himfelf; for though he often wants that grace and opennefs which engages the affection, yet I muit own, I never knew that he wanted either the con- ftancy or the friendfhip which engages the efteem. The Peerage * which you expect, will be declared; and you will have a companion, whom I am confident you cannot but like, my Lord Keeper Harcourt. Many changes have been made at the riling of the parliament, which was this day prorogued to the I oth of July ; and al- though they are fuch as ought to fatisfy our friends, yet the number of the difcontented muft always exceed that of the contented, as the number of pretenders does that of employments. I confefs to you, my Lord, that it made me melancholy to obferve the eagernefs with which places were folicited for ; and though intereft has at all times been the principal fpring of action, yet I never law men fo openly claim their hire, or themfelves to fale. You fee the effects Baron Boyle, of Marfton, in the county of Somerfct. R 3 of 246 LETTERS. of frequent parliaments, and of long wars*, of departing from our old confutation, and from our true interefr... I mutt, before I fend this letter, give your Lordmip an account of a club which I am forming ; and which, as light as the defign. may feem to be, I believe will prove of real fervice *.. We mall begin to meet in a fmall o number, and that will be compofed of fome who have wit and learning to recommend them ; of others who, from their own fitua- t-ions, or from their relations, have power and influence, and of others who, from ac- cidental reafons, may properly be taken in.. The firft regulation propofed, and that which muft be inviolably kept, is decency. None of the extravagance of the kit-cat -f- , none of the drunkennefs of the beef- flake is to be endured. The improvement of friendship,, and the encouragement of letters, are to be * The members were, EsrI of Arran, Lord Harley, Duke of Ormond, Swift, Sir Robert Raymond, Arbuthnot, Duke of Shrewfhury, Lord Duplin, Sir William Wyndham, George Granvilie, Mafham, Earl of Jeriey, Bathurft, Orrery, Colonel Hill, Colonel Defney, Bolingbroke, Duke of Beaufort, Prior, Dr. Friend, &c. Their meetings were firft at their feveral houfes, but afterwards they hired a room near St. James's. J-. This kit-cat was iuitituted in 1699. Congreve, Prior, Sir John Vanburgh, the Earl of Orrery, and Lord Somers were members. the CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 247 the two great ends of our fbciety. A number of .valuable people will be kept in the fame mind, and others will be made converts to their opinions. Mr. Fenton, and thofe who, like him, have genius, will have a corporation of patrons to prote6l and advance them in the world. The folly of our party will be ridi- culed and checked ; the oppofition of an- other will be better refitted ; a multitude of other good ufes will follow, which I am fure do not efcape you ; and I hope in the winter to ballot for the honour of your com- pany amongft us* I am ever, my dear Lord* &c. To Mr. Drummond. SIR, June izth, 1711. I AM to afk your pardon, and do fo very heartily, for being too little punctual in "ac- knowledging the favours of your inftruftive letters. Your laft of the. igth, N.S. came this morning to my hands. The ; Chevalier is gone at laft to make his progrefs; there is fome myftery in his R 4 journey, LETTERS AND journey, or they have at St. Germain's the fecret of affecting that air well ; but an in- vafion of the Queen's dominions is certainly not the fecret. Sir John Leake is at fea, with a fquadron of mips fufficient to baffle any force which France is able to equip; and I am one of thole who never believed that an attempt of this kind was meditated by the enemy. However, the appearances look- ed that way ; and by the little inclination ' which the Dutch have mown at this time to comply with the Queen's demand of mips, to affifl her fleet, it is eafy to judge what zeal thofe guarantees of our fucceflion would exert in a real danger. I dare fay that the prefer vation of a herring- bufs would fway more than that of their good ally Queen Anne. My thoughts are very plainly ex- prefTed, perhaps too much fo, but I had a mind that you mould feel, as we do, the ill treatment which we receive from the States in relation to the naval fervice. Be all this faid to yourfelf. Our parliament is this day prorogued to the i oth of the next month ; and though we met full of refentment for the ill ufage which we had received from the tyranny 4 of CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 49 of the Whigs; though there were various opportunities of attacking particular perfons* who dele rved no better at our hands; and though the majority of our friends in parlia- ment, elecled by as great a majority in the feveral counties, was unexampled ; yet you find a reprefentation of fome of our griev- ances has been the harmefl thing which we have done. No man has been forced from his feat, purely becaufe we did not like him ; no perfon has been impeached ; and, in a word, no Whig-moderation has been mown*. On the other hand, the heft and ampleft funds have been carefully found, and cheer- fully given, the debts of the nation have been provided for, and trade fo long and ib fcandaloufly neglected, has been begun to be thought of. I hope we have fome degree of reputation among our allies, with whom you live. I believe I may engage that they Jhall neither have realon to reproach us for deferting their intereit, nor to laugh at us for neglecling our own. _ * This moderation, however, was greatly againft the opi- nion and wiflies of the violent Tories ; and particularly of thofe compering the Oftober Club, which confifled of more than a hundred members of parliament, and was the reafou why Lord Oxford's adminiftration was not heartily fup- poncd by them. Perluade 250 LETTERS AtfD Perfuade your friends in Holland to allow" us to have fome care of Britain, without prejudice to them, and allure them that we will give no caufe of complaint. But they muft ceafe to be jealous of every meafure which has the leail appearance of being ad- vantageous to this aland. My Lord Raby will receive Mr. Watkins with a very good grace ; and I always knew that, at laft, he would do fo ; but now I will tell you that the Judge fhall not flick long there. My Lord Treafurer has a farther and much better view for him. We expect Lord Raby every day in Bri- tain ; his fray here will be fhort, and he will return with a very fignal mark of the Queen's favour, as his predeceffor has already receiv- ed one of her difpleafure, my Lord Town- fhend's ftaff * being given to Mr. Paget. Shall we not lee you any time this fum- mer in Britain ? I think you would have fome fatisfaclion, which letters cannot give, in feeing with your own eyes thofe friends in power whom you beheld in diftrefs; and that honed caufe in a flourishing condition, which * As Captain of yeomen of the guard. you CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 2JI. you remember very low, opprefled by fac- tion, and infulted by the moft fcandalous part of our nation. Let me hear in your next what is faid in Holland concerning Mr. Hill's expedition, our Company for the South-Sea trade *, my Lord Raby's journey, and the prelent fitua- tion in general. Adieu, dear Sir, believe me to be, &c. A Monjieur le Comte de Wratiflaiv -J-. MONSIEUR, Ce i5me Juin, I7ii. J'AI re$u la Icttre dont il vous a plu charger Monfieur Palmes a fon depart de Vienna, et me fens extremement oblige de Thonneur de votre fouvenir. Le plan, que vous m'avez envoye, efi tout-a-fait beau, mais, dans les conjonclures- prefentes, il nous paroit un peu trop difrlcile a executer. Songeons, en 'premier lieu, a * This was a fcheme of Lord Oxford's, to fatisfy all public debts, and to make good all deficiencies. ( John Winceflaus Comte de Wratiflaw, had been many years Envoy-extraordinary from the Imperial and Spanifh court, and was now Miniiter of State to the Emperor. 3 remettre LETTERS AND remettre nos affaires delabrees en Catalogue,- et a poufler une guerre vive dans les endroits ou elle eft deja allumee ; apres cela il fera terns de commencer de nouvelles attaques. Notre bonne volonte nous a portee juf ques iei a faire plus qu'on auroit du attendre dc nos forces ; et par tout ce que le parlement, qui vient de nnir fes feances, a fait, je ne doute point que vous ne foyez convaincu que cette bonne volonte ne fe ralentira pas. J'efpere que Monfieur Whitworth fera arrive a Vienna, felon Jes ordres qu'il a recu de la Reine, pour executer une commiflion qui nous paroit de la derniere confequence, et dans laquelle il nc manquera pas d'avoir Tapptsi d'un miniiire aufli zele et aufll pru- dent que vous. Je me recommande a Thonneur de vos bonnes graces, et je ferai toujours, avec beaucoup d'effcime, Monfieur, &c. To Mr. Brydges *. DEAR SIR, June 22d, 1711. AS bufy as I am of a poft-night, I can- not omit writing to you upon a fubjed * James Brydges, afterwards Duke of Chandos, and at this time Paymalter-general of the forces abroad. wherein CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 253 wherein I think myfelf particularly con- cerned. Mr. Blake made a very confiderable proviiion of all forts of ftores for the ex- pedition commanded by Brigadier Hill*. As thofe preparations both for land and fea were kept private, and went almoft fmgly through my hands, fo it fell to my mare to contraft on this occafion by the Queen's command. The poor man is, I believe, half broke and difcredited by being kept fo long out of his money, after having extended his credit to the utmoft flretch. My Lord Treafurer has promifed to give difpatch to this affair ; and I am confident will do it even to-morrow morning, if you are fo kind as to demand the money. Mr. Blake is in danger of being arrefted. I am fure I had rather be fo, than be teazed at the rate I have been about this matter. I beg your affiftanre herein; and fhall take it for as great a favour as if I was perfonally concerned in it. I am, &c. ? Harley , \r\ his " Brief Account," &c. aflcrts that he refitted the payment of 28, oool. for this expedition; that at lafl the Queeu ordered it to be paid ; but upon enquiry it turned ou that the public had been d^fraucftd of 20,000!. But it is to |>e obferycd that Harley had then broken with St. John. 254 LETTERS AN& '70 Mr. Drummond. Si R, June 22d, 171 j. I AM to acknowledge your's of the 23d of this month, N.S. and I hope that mine of the 1 2th inflant is come to your hands. The Penfionary judges, I think, very well, in deiiring that you mould defer your journey to Britain, till my Lord AmbafTador Rahy is returned to the Hague. What he will have to lay to the ministers of Holland may very probably furnim them with mat- ter, which they will be glad to have the op^ porturiity of communicating to us, through fo fafe a channel as yourfelf. I am glad that the Penfionary feems pleafed with my Lord Raby's journey hither, which has, with ib little reafon, made ib much noife. We expecled no lei's from the Peniionary's wifdom and experience. Thofe of little genius and narrow fouls are apt to take urnbrage, and to be ftartled at every trifle ; but men of his knowledge in bufinefs and fuperior underilanding are more com- pofed. The little dabblers in politics, both here and CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 255 and abroad, have amufed themfelves and others of their own calibre, with a thoufand fpeculations, firft upon the voyage of the Marquis de Bourg, and next upon that of the Queen's ambaiTador. I may fay to you, that for the former there was no reafon that I can conceive, except Lord Peterborough's inclination to mortify the Count MafFei, whom he looks upon as a [friend to the Duke of Marlborough, fmce du Bourg was charged with no commiffion which we mould not have treated upon with the fame free- dom, if the other had been intruded in - it. For the journey of my Lord Raby, that was owing at this time to the Queen's inten- tion of reftoring to him the title of Strafford, and the promotion of peers coming on, I writ to him to come over. But give me leave to alk, if there really had been any grounds to believe that overtures of peace were made to Britain, what occafion would there have been for fo much jealoufy ? How conftant has the intercourfe been between Holland and France, and how well known the correfpondence upon this very fubjecl: ? Are we become fit for nothing but the bufmefs of afTes, to be loaded, bridled, and guided 256 LETTERS AND guided at the difcretion of others ? You may allure our friends, and we (hall make thofe aflurances good, that the Queen is no more capable of departing from her engage- ments, and from a due regard to her allies, than me is from the common intereft; and however fome may have facrificed all thefe in the war, fhe will neither give up any of them either in war or in peace. The end of the war is heartiJy to be wimed, but, great as this blefiing is, we mall never em- brace it without the concurrence of the States, and the fatisfaction of our confede-; rates. At the fame time you will agree, that whenever a peace is let on foot, there muft be, efpecially in the firft fteps, a truft repof- ed fomewhere ; and we think that can be no where better lodged than in the Queen. God knows what terms any of us may obtain; but a little better care muft be taken of the intereft of Britain, than was in the famous preliminaries; and we fhall not think {hat thofe indulgences which we may have to afk, will be either equal to the part we have had in the war, or to the acquilitions which we have thrown into the hands of Holland. The CORRESPONDENCE, &c. 257 The French fleet is gone at laft from Weft France, and I believe, as you do, to Brazil. That enterprize may very probably fucceed, which it is by no means our in- tereft that it fhould ; but we have too many irons in the fire, to take care of every part of both worlds. The fuppofition of Jbme peo- ple, that Monfieur du Guay was to follow Rear Admiral Walker, I do not look upon to be probable, fince the deftination of our fquadron has been kept very fecret $ and fince that of the enemy is fitted out at the charge of private perfons, who are to look for profit and not for dry blows *. I will not fail to obferve the caution you give me as to Lord Raby, whofe failings I know, as well as his good qualities. I am, &c. *To the Duke of Marlborough. MY LORD, June the 22d, 1711. I THANK your Grace very much for * Du Guay attacked and plundered the Portuguefe fettle- ment of St. Sebaftian on the Rio de Janeiro, but the booty fell far fliort of the expence of the expedition. VOL. I, S te 258 LETTERS AND the two private letters which I received by the laft mails. The Queen muft look upon herfelf to have done much more than could be ex- pected from her, in the affair of the rein- forcement delired for the Duke of Savoy ; and I believe all mankind will join in think- ing the Court of Vienna without excufe, if Mr. Whitworth is able to do nothing in the com million given to him. It is hard to forbear on this occafion making reflec- tions on the unequal foot whereon we ftand in this war ; but your Grace knows this matter, and has, I doubt not, frequently lamented the unhappy fituation which we are in. What ihall we fay of the King of Pruffia* ? Monfieur llgen and his new councellors make him dance on a rope ; for furely he cannot come to extremities-^ with us, but he muft embarrais and expofe himfelf at the fame time. Monfieur du Bourg has had his audience * The King of Pruflia \vonld not permit his troops to leave their winter- quarters until he received full fatisfa due to him, and tor his fucceflicn to the eitates of the late King William, as Prince of Orange. The States- general were obliged to promife payment of the former demand in four months, and the immediate arrangement of the latter. Of CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 259 of leave, and will, I fuppofe, be going very foon away. Moniieur de Bothmar is like- wife returning to Holland, and will be back before the next winter. The court of France will hardly be fb fanguine as their general, nor give him the orders which he defires to execute. Should righting councils prevail, they might per- haps give your Grace another opportunity of adding to your laurels, and of reviving a drooping caufe. I am, &c. To the Duke of Marlborough, MY LORD, June a6th, 1711. I HAD the honour to read your Grace's letter of the 2gth of this month, N.S. to her Majefly, who was extremely furprifed and troubled at the unaccountable proceed- ing of the King of Pruffia. The Queen hopes, as your Grace does, that this will end in a bullying air, and have no farther evil confequence ; but, however, our iitua- tio* is very melancholy, when, upon every S 2 trifling 260 LETTERS ANT) trifling occafion, threats of fuch confequencc are to be ufed. As to the hopes which the enemy may conceive from hence, I do not fee what we are to fear, imlefs the Pruffians mould actually march away. The expectation of this may, perhaps, give them fpirit enough to attempt what may probably be as fatal to them as the battle of Ramillies was ; to venture which, the conduit of the Court of Berlin at the time was no fmall inducement to them *. I have feen intelligence from France, which feems to fay that the French detach from Germany to Dauphine, as well as from Flanders to the Rhine. In this cafe, the meafure of Prince Eugene's leaving your Grace -j- is ftill more unreafonable ; and! we are ilmple enough here to think, that he confults at prefent much more his private intereft, as a good courtier to his new maf- ter, than that of the common caufe. The Duke of Shrewfbury has been, for fome time, confined by an intermitting * The Pruffian troops had no fliare in the battle of Ra- millies. f He had received orders to march with the Imperial and Palatine troops to the Upper Rhine. fever y CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 261 fever, but is now in a fair way of being fooa abroad. The Queen is this evening gone to Wind- for. She has carried extraordinary good health with her, which the aiv of that place, and the exercife ihe propofes to ufe, will, I hope, increafe and confirm. I am, &c. To the Earl of Orrery. MY LORD, June 26th, 1711. A FORMER letter of mine, which you muft have received before now, has, I iup- pofe, made you eafy as to your title ; the promotion of Peers will very foon be made, and you will be of the number. I take it for granted that fome perfon here has your directions about the title, the preamble to your patent, and the care of foliciting it through the feveral offices. Our friend, Tom Harley, is my Lord Treaiurer's fecretary, and I will fpeak to him about the quarter's falary, and which may very well flip out of the Treafurer's S 3 mind LETTERS AND mind, who has fq many and fuch various objects to be intent upon. I cannot imagine why the 1800!. is not flopped; the Queen's orders can neither be more clear nor more pofitive tEan they have been already ; and, in plain terms, Mr. Granville may put an end to the delay whenever he pleafes. As to the perfon whom you propofed to be fent to France, 1 think his demand very extravagant, unlefs he could mow a profpect of giving fome very confiderable advices, not of reports and guefTes, but from the officers of buflnefs in France. If he will agree to go upon lower terms, with a pro- mife of having his demands made good to him when his fervices lhall appear to de- ferve them, I will employ him ; and your Lordihip may pleafe to fettle with him the method of conveying his letters, and of paying him his money. The defertion from our army is fur- priling, and mutt, I believe, be attributed to the long carnpaign and cruel fieges which we have had. I heartily wim your Lordmip entirely recovered from your fever, and in con-r dition CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 263 dition to bear the fatigues of bufinefs and of pleafure. No man living loves you better than Your, c. T0 Mr. Drummond. SIR, June 26th, 17 ir. THIS morning, at the Committee of Council, my Lord Treafurer gave me your letter of the ^oth of this month, N.S. for which I am to return you my hearty thanks. I am glad to hear that his Pruffian Ma- jefty was pleafed to put on fo much good humour; but the declaration made by the Prince of Anhalt* to the Duke of Marl- borough, and to the Deputies of the States, is not of a piece with it. In mort, we have, by feveral falfe meafures, brought ourfelves to that pafs, that a King, who is hardly a freeholder, treats as de haut en has. We muft get out, my good friend, as well as we can ; and not only the prefent generation of Britons, but future ages, will, I dare fay, * Commander in chief of the Pruffian troops. S 4 learn 264 LETTERS AND learn by our example not to plunge them- felves too deep in a war of the continent^ The Dutch are in the right to be fond of their barrier, they fee what a foundation of power that treaty lays for them, and I will afTure you that we fee it too. But they muft not be alarmed, as I believe I told you in a former letter, if we think a little of Britain, which furely has had fome merit in the courfe of this war, whilft they think fo much of Holland. I hope my Lord Raby will be returned out of Yorkmjre, and ready to go over, in a fortnight, after which you muft keep your word with us, and let us fee you here. The better informed you come of the fentiments of Holland, the better fervice you will be able to do both them and us. I am glad to find that whatever guefTes curious people may make, there yet appears no more light into the fecret of Mr. Hill's expedition. As that whole delign was form- ed by me, and the management of it fingly carried on by me, you will eafily imagine that I have a fort of paternal concern for the fuccefs of it. The Dutch have no rea- fpn to argue, from the early care which was taken. CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 265 taken to fend that fquadron abroad, that Sir James Wimart did not proceed candidly with them, when he propoied an adventure to the South-Sea. Of this truth you will be ere long convinced. J am, &c. To the Queen. MADAM, July the 5th, 1711. I HUMBLY prefume to acquaint your Majefty, that a Scotch velfel is arrived at Greenock, from New England ; who met, about the loth of June, a great fleet of fhips, ftanding with a fair wind into the coafts of North America. This could be no other than the fquadron commanded by Sir Hovenden Walker, who, according to this account, muft have had a prolperous voyage, and be about this time, with Briga- dier Hill, putting your Majefty's commands in execution. I am, &c. 266 LETTERS AND To the Duke of Marlborough. MY LORD, July the loth, 1711. AFTER a tedious delay, we received le- veral pofts at laft together from Holland, and by them I had your Grace's private letters of the zd and 9th of this month, N.S. for which I return you my moft humble thanks. The Mufcovites are, without difpute, in greater forwardnefs than the Turks, and the King of Sweden in little condition to fupport that fierte which he put on when he protefted againfl the a6t of neutrality ; fmce this very act may, for ought I know, prove the only fecurity of Pomerania, and the troops under CrafTau, now, as it did the laft year*. But, my Lord, our misfortune is, that we can fupport neither fide in the manner they deiire, without manifefc prejudice to the common intereir, and by a trimming neu- trality we have contrived to difoblige both. Give me leave, on this occafion, to lay, that I fear the event of the northern commo- * After the King of Sweden's defeat at Pultowa, the fmall remains of his army afTembicd and formed under General Craflau. ~ tions CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 267 tions- will mow that we were in the right, who thought laft year that the King of Swe- den mould either have been forced to fubmit to the terms of the neutrality, however par- tial they are to his enemies, or have been, by a vigorous meaiure, put out of condition to annoy or even alarm us. We might, at that time, have tied the northern con- federates down to whatever conditions we pleafed, and have remained maiters of both, whereas thefe are likely to impofe the law upon us now, as the King of Sweden would infallibly do, was he in condition to execute the defign he has formed. But thefe mat- ters have been, by her Majefty, left to the management of the States ; and I only wifli that the Queen's part in thefe engagements was as little as it has been in the direction. Your Grace can beft judge of the enemy's Intentions, as you can beft prevent them. In general, they feem to me to have in view to riik as little as poflible, to fave and nurfe lip their troops, and by little actions of fur- prife to flufh the foldiers, and to raife a fpirit which fo many repeated defeats have cowed, Montgatz being furrendered, I am at a Jofs to imagine what excufe the Court of Vienna 268 LETTERS AND Vienna will find for making no ufe of any part of the troops which they have in Hun- gary. Some, I am confident, their ingenuity will fuggeft to them. We are in daily expectation to hear from Mr. Whitworth upon this head, who is or- dered to proceed direclly from Vienna to the Czar's court, where I believe his prefence muft be neceffary ; and the more fo, fince Balhure* is there very bufy, and very well received. The Duke of Queeniberry died on Friday lafr, and her Majefty has not thought fit to continue a third Secretary, fb that the pro- vinces return to the former partition, except in the cafe of the Spanim Netherlands, which remain under my care. I am, &c. To Mr. Whitworth. SIR, July 12, 1711. I AM to thank you for the two private letters, which I received from you with the public difpatches on Sunday lafl ; one of the * The French Envoy to the Czar. CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 269 ,2 3d of June, from Toplitz ; the other, of the i ft of July, from DrefHen. You will be informed by the office -news, that the Duke of Queenfberry is dead ; and I have the fatisfadlion to tell you, that you will not remove out of my province, though you are to remove out of the Empire. Her Majefty has determined to fink the employ- ment of third Secretary ; and the old divifion of bufinefs is renewed, except as to the Spa- nifh Netherlands, which are to continue un- der my care. Indeed, thefe countries belong at prefent fo much to Holland, and fo little to Spain, that there would be fome confufion occafioned by throwing them into the fouth- ern department. The load was before great enough for moulders as weak as mine, it is now not a little increafed. If I ftagger under it, I will, however, hope not to link ; and the pleafure of continuing to correfpond with you, will, upon my word, be one great article in my fupport. The affairs of the north are haftening to that point of confulion and danger which I have been expecting long ; and which, in my opinion, is the natural, neceffary con- fequence of all the meafures taken, from 2 the 270 LETTERS ANt> the treaty of Alt Ranftadt * to this hotir, by Britain and Holland. The guaranty of that treaty was, in the moft folemn manner, and in the Queen's name, promifed. King Sta- niflaus was, after an aukward manner, ac- knowledged j and our next ftep was, to en- courage Auguftus to violate this very treaty, and, by his return into Poland, to revive the troubles of. the North, and our own dif- ficulties. An act of neutrality is thought neceffary to preferve the peace of the Em- pire ; and in forming this acl, we go out of Germany, de galte de occur , to cover Poland on one fide and Jutland on the other, which >ve were in no fort under an engagement to defend ; whilft we neglect to provide for the fecurity of the Swediih territories, which, by the treaty of Travendhal, we were under very ftrong obligations to do. The King of Sweden receives fome benefit by this acl, but declines to fubmit to it firft, and openly protefts againft it next. We take no mea- fures for obliging him to confent to the * By this treaty, Auguftus, Eleftor of Saxony, furrendered the kingdom of Poland to King Staniflaus. Auguftus was fupported in his pretentions by the Czar, Staniftaus by the King of Sweden, who being defeated at Pultowa, the crown of Poland was again claimed by Auguftus. treaty, CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 27! treaty, or for putting him out of condition to break it ; and by the fpring of the year are frightened at his declarations, and at the apparent danger from Craffau's army on one fide, as well as from his irruption with Turks and Tartars on the other. This fear makes us go bride en main in the execution of the act of neutrality ; and by that time we have fufficiently difobliged the Gzar, the King of Denmark, and King Auguftus, we find that there is more danger of having the neutrality broke by them than by hjm. In mort, the power of England is contemned, and breach of faith objected to us by each fide in its tiirn ; and we, who ought to hold the ba- lance, and give the law, are every day bullied by our penfioners. By fuch conduct we have, with great dexterity and pains, departed from the ancient and true characler of Britain in many in fiances, and have ren.- dered the nation little, whilfl the multitude imagine that we make a glorious figure. But thefe reflections will do little good : and you and I, and every one who ferves the Queen, muft apply ourfelves to get out of the prefent labyrinth, with as few fcratches as we can. On the views which the King of Po- land LETTERS AND land* may have of marrying his fon to an Archduchefs, let me obferve to you, among many other objections, this, that by the treaty of 1703, made with the Duke of Savoy, it is exprefsly ftipulated in that arti- cle, which revives and confirms the will of Philip the Fourth, that no third perfon mall be fuperiodueed to the Spanifh fucceffion after the Houfe of Auftria and before that of Savoy. You fee at once what jealoufy his Royal Highnefs would therefore with reafon con- ceive, if the daughter of the late Emperor was to marry any Prince befides his fon, as others might with equal reafon conceive, if me mould marry his fon, until fome fecurity' was given that the title to the Spanifh do* minions, and that to the Hereditary Coun- tries, mould not, at any time hereafter, unite by this match in the family of Savoy. You was extremely in the right to com- municate the letter which you received from Mr. Afhton ; but I think the tale too ro- mantic to defer ve much attention. Her Majefty defires, if you hear any more of him, that you would inform me of it ; but * Augustus. it CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 273 it is not likely you will, in the country you are now going to. My Lord Peterborough will, in a few days, be declared to go into Germany, and parti- cularly to Frankfort. You will give me leave to recommend Mr. Scott to you, who is appointed Envoy to King Auguflus, as a man whofe corref- pondence you will, I believe, find fatisfaclion in. By this time, I fear, you have found all your endeavours at the court of Vienna fruit- lefs. In mort, there is no poffibility of raiting fuch a heap of dulnefs to any pitch of glory and power. I am, &c. To Mr. Drummond. SIR, July I2th, 1711. ON Sunday we had the fatisfadion of receiving four pofts from your fide ; they brought me your letters of the ^d, yth, loth, and 1 4th inftant, N.S. and yeflerday came to my hands that of the I7th. I wonder that Monfieur de Mellarede's journey mould give birth to any new fpecu- VOL I. T lations, LETTERS AND lations, fince, of all the perfons in Europe^ the Duke of Savoy is moft deeply and nearly concerned in the turn of affairs occafioned by the Emperor's death, and in the terms which are to he capitulated for with his fuc- ceffor. Upon this occafion, it may not be amifs to fay fomething to you concerning our views with regard to this Prince : and you may insinuate the fame to the Petitionary Hein- fius. I do this the rather, becaufe the Dutch ipiniflers, according to what I have obferved, reaTon very differently from thofe of the Queen in this inftance ; and one part of my Lord Raby's inftruftions, will be to bring them over to our fentiments. We think then, that it is the intereft of Britain and Holland, not only to fupport the Duke of Savoy, but even to aggrandize him, as far as we can do it confidently with juftice, a,nd with the prefervation of the prefent con- federacy againfl France. The confederations, on which this opinion is grounded, are too long to be deduced in a letter, and are fq obvious, that I dare fay they do not efcape you. This principle being eftablifhed, we think ought to be purfued at this time very affiduoufly ; CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 275 affiduoufly; and therefore, when the Mar- quis de Bourg founded the Queen's inclina- tion towards the marriage which his Royal Highnefs intends to propofe between the eldefl daughter of the Emperor Jofeph and the Prince of Piedmont, her Majefty made no fcruple to promife that me will ufe her befl endeavours to fupport the Duke of Savoy in this pretenfion, and give orders to her mi- nifters accordingly at the courts of Vienna and Barcelona. You may eafily believe, that the objection of carrying, by this match, a title to the hereditary countries in Germany into the Houie of Savoy, was not omitted ; but the Marquis de Bourg immediately re- moved it, by faying, that his matter was tco reafonable to refufe coming up to any con- ditions, which might be judged neceflary to obviate that apprehenfion. My Lord Raby, or rather Straffbrd, for I think his patent is pafTed, will open the Queen's mind very fully to the Penfionary upon this head ; but as I faid before, it will " not be improper to apprize Monfieur Hein- fius, in fome meafure beforehand, of what paffed between the Queen's minifters and the Marquis du Bourg. T 2 I am 276 LETTERS AND I am furprifed to hear that the Dutch make any complaint, concerning our conduct towards them, in what Sir James Wimart was fent to negociate, fince certainly we have as much to reproach them with upon that fubjecl:, as one ally can well give an- other. Sir James Wifhart propofed in ge^ neral an enterprize to the South Sea ; and if they would have engaged to join with the Queen, he was ready, as he told them, to enter 'into particulars, and to concert the mealures to be taken. This was received coldly, and Sir James was only defired to open to them all we intended, without know*- ing whether they would concur in our de- figns, or traverfe them. Do us juflice upon this head, you know enough of the matter. The affairs of the north are haftening to that point of confufion, where we have long expected them; I am unwilling to look back, and to rip up all the in fiances of mifcondudt which made an ad~l of neutrality firfl ne- cefTary, which afterwards contrived that it fhould be partial, and which have now ren- dered it ufelefs, We mufl get out of this diftrefs in the beft manner we can ; but give me leave to make this reflection, and make 5 * CORRESPONDENCE, &C. it to the Penfionary, if you pleafe : This northern war was alive ; and the confe- quences which, fooner or later, from one fide or other, it muft have on our war againft France, were eafily to be forefeen, at the time when peace offered itfelf, and was re- jected in Holland *. My Lord Raby came over charged with many general and agree- able aflurances from the States ; but I can- not fay that he was fo particularly informed of the denres and views of the three Pen- fionaries, with whom he had his laft con- ference, as we could have wifhed. He will return to you as well inftrucled as we can make him, on every article of the general fyftem of public affairs, and the States will be convinced that nothing mall be wanting on our parts, to render the union of the two nations indiflbluble, and to continue them in a condition of being the bulwarks of the Proteftant religion, and of the common li- berty. Let this fuffice in anfwer to that part of yours of the 7th, where you feem to fufpedl that we have bad impreffions of Hol- land. Depend upon it, and fay it freely, that we muft have a little more regard to * In i 709. T 3 Britain, 278 LETTERS AND Britain, than was paid by our predecefTors in the minifhy, but that we will be as good friends to the Dutch as ever we were ; and indeed felf-prefervation requires no lefs oil both fides. As to the Flanders affairs, I will tell you very freely my thoughts, and 1 have writ the farrie to the Duke of Marlborough. "The moment we determined to detach from our army, when the enemy detached from theirs, I looked upon the fcheme of war to be al- tered, and that air of fuperiority to be given up, which we have fo long maintained. The enemy faved their men laft year, whilft we threw OUT'S prodigally away ; they keep themfelves quiet and fafe now, and by little actions of furprize, they endeavour, little by little, to reftore to their foldiers that fpirit which repeated difgraces had taken from them. Is it not probable that, towards the end of the year, they may think themfelves ripe for fome attempt, and do not the prepa- rations making on their frontier point that way ? I go to-morrow morning to aflift at a committee of council, at London; if any 2 thing CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 279 thing farther occurs to me, I will add to this letter there. July 13. I have nothing to add to you, though I aflifted this morning at a Committee of Council. Would you not fpare a few mips to join with ours in the Baltic, if fuch an expedition fhould appear necefTary? I am, &c. I thank you for the care of my trees. When you come over, let us know what general plan would pleafe in Holland, to fitbfift between us and them, in time of peace. To the Earl of Orrery. MY LORD, July 20, 1711. YOU will, I flatter myfelf, believe that I have no afFedation about me, when I protefl to you, that I have been, and that I ftill continue in fo conftant a hurry of intricate, various, arid important bufinefs, that you ought to excufe me if I am not punctual in anfwering your private letters. We are come now to the point of time T 4 when 280 LETTERS AND when we muft reap, in their full maturity of mifchief, the fruits of all thofe feeds which have been fcattered by the falfe po~ litics of thofe who went before us. There is hardly any cafe applicable to the greatelt cully of the town, which is not true of this unhappy country. Thofe on whom our fortune has been fquandered, owe us no obligation ; as our neceffities increafe, the terms of affiftance are raifed upon us. That which has been gained at our expence turns to the account of others. We have no chance of advantage, and we are undone if we fail, &c. How to get out of this diftrefs, God knows. This I know, that we ought to watch for the firft opportunity, and to feize it. But no more upon fo me- lancholy a iubjedl. The warrant for your title is difpatched, and fhould have been ib fooner could I have taken upon me either tor chufe it, or to prepare your preamble. As to the club, which I fpoke to you of,. I believe you will think it very well chofe, and you may be fure that you will be one of the liriT:. There are about ten or twelve places filled, the remainder, to one and twenty, CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 2$f twenty, lie open for fome of our friends who are abroad, and for fuch others as we fhall in the winter, in full chapter, elecl. Some part of our home management I cannot account for, and the reft it is im- poffible to explain by letter. Lord Not- tingham is difagreeable perfonally to the Queen *; and betides, his relations are fo well provided for, that it is thought he ought to be contented. As to the promo- tion of the perfon you mention to Treafurer of the Navy, I can only fay that he has been fteady and ufeful in the laft feflion, when feveral were very whimfical, and Sir Thomas Hanmer in a very eminent man- ner -)% who has been, however, invited in- to the fervice in a handfome manner, but declined it. I was got thus far in a letter which I defigned mould have been full in anfwer to * Her majefty ufed to attend the debates in the Lords; and upon one of thefe occafions, the Earl of Nottingham moved, that the Electoral Prince of Hanover fliould be in- vited to refide in England. This gave offence to the Queen. -|- The moil violent enemies to the late miniftry, and the Whigs, were the members of the Oiftober Club, which con- fifted of more than a hundred members of parliament ; Sir Thomas Hanmer was one : they wifhed for fevere examples to be made of the Whigs, and the miniftry being inclined to gentler meafures, thefe gentlemen for fome time (bowed a ^(inclination to fupport the minifter. thoffij LETTERS AND thofe I have received from you, but a Dutch poft arrives this moment ; and it being late in the day, I am obliged to refer many par- ticulars to another opportunity. I am, &c* A Monjleur le Marquis du Burg. MONSIEUR, Ce 24me Juillet, 171 i, IL me doit etre tres agreable d'entrer dans un commerce de lettres avec vous, puifque j'ai pour votre perfonne toute Feftime & pour le fucces de vos negociations tout le zele qu'il foit poffible d'avoir. J'avois ecrit a un ami, felon ma promefTe ; peut-etre n'avoit-il pas eu Toccafion d'en- tretenir le Penfionnaire fur le contenu de ma lettre, ou peut-etre ce miniitre ne l'a-t-il pas voulu avouer, pour pouvoir d'autant mieux eviter d'entrer en matiere avec vous. Le Comte de Maffei ne manquera pas de vous rendre un compte exacle de ce qui s'efl pafle a deux conferences, qu'il a eu avec les Seigneurs du Confeil, depuis peu de jours. Le Comte d' Orrery, pour ne pas perdre dtt CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 285 du terns, a ordre de parler au Penfionnaire, non-feulement fur le manage, mais auffi fur les interets de Son Altefle Royale dans les deux cas de compatibilite & d'incompa- tibilite. II ne manquera pas de reprefenter les fen- timens de la Reine, & de preffer la con- currence des Hollandois, d'une telle manierc que nous faurons, par la reponfe, fur quoi nous pouvons compter de la part de Meffieurs les Etats dans cette affaire. Je ne m'etonne pas de la jaloune ouverte que vous avez obferve dans le Penfionnaire, fur les bruits qui courent touchant la paix, ni de celle que le Comte de Sinzendorf a montre avec moiiis de retenu. Mais je dois vous rendre beaucoup de graces de la fage & veritable reponfe qu'il vous a plu faire a Tun & a 1'autre. Si nous n'avons pas foutenu la guerre en habiles politiques, au moms 1'avons- nous fait en gens d'honneur & de coeur, & ce ne fera pas en faifant la paix que nous perdrons cette reputation. Monfieur Whitworth n r a pu obtenir un feul homme pour renforcer Tarmee de Son Altefle Royale ; la commiffion, pour taut, felon moi, ne peut pas etre regardee comme infruclueufe. 284 LETTERS AND infrudhieufe*. Je vous fupplie de croire que je fuis rempli de refped etd'amitie pour vous, ct que je ferai toute ma vie, Monfieur, Votre, &c. A Monfieur k Prince Kurakm. MONSIEUR, Ce 24me Juillet, 1711. LA lettre que vous avez ecrit a Monfieur de Due de Queenfberry etant arrivee apres fa mort ; elle m'a ete remile. Comme les affaires du Nord vont dorenavant pafler par mes mains, j'aurois ete ravi d'avoir eu a negoci'er avec un auffi habile miniftre & un aurli galant homme que vous 1'etes. Quoique nous ayons le malheur de vous perdre, je vous fupplie d'etre perluade pourtant, que vos ordres feront toujours bien-venus aupres de moi, & que je m'employerai avec plaifir dans toutes les occan'ons qui peuvent s'ofFrir, pour entretenir la bonnecorrefpondence des deux nations & pour montrer 1'eftime que j'ai pour votre perfonne. * And the refufal was accordingly made ufe of againft the Imperial court at the fubfequent treaty of peace ; the Emperor had always declared that the troubles in Hungary prevented his completing his contingent, and when thofe troubles ceafed, he (till refu/ed. Celle-ci CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 85 Celle-ci eft accompagnee d'une lettre de la Reine, en reponfe a celle qu'elle reut de fa Majefte Czarienne. La maladie de feu Monfieur le Due de Queenfberry, fa mort, & quelque defordre qui eft inevitable dans des pareilles occafions, ont ete caufes que vous ne 1'avez reu plutot, felon la promeffe qui vous avoit ete faite. Je fuis, &c To Mr. Boyle. SIR, July 25th, 1711. THE Queen is very defirous to have fome letters from Monfieur PlefTen * to the Duke of Queenfberry, which relate to her private affairs in Denmark, and particularly one which came with the treaty not long fent over. The gentlemen who ferved in that office can give me no account of them t farther than that they believe them to be among his Grace's papers. Her Majefty has therefore commanded me to defire that you would take the trouble * Pieflen had been Privy Purfe and Mafter of the Ward- rpbe to Prince George of Denmark. of -286 LETTERS AND of fearching for thefe letters, and of tranf- mitting them to, Sir, &c. the Duke of Marlborough. MY LORD, July the 29th, 1711. THE Earl of Stair has given me your Grace's letter of the 2 6th of this month, N.S. for which I return you my moil: hum- ble thanks. On Monday morning, before my return from Windfor, I had the honour to meet his Lordfhip, with my Lord Treafurer and my Lord Chamberlain, at the lodgings of the latter ; your Grace's prefent fitua- tion, and the views which you have for puming the war on that fide, were opened. When we attend the Queen next, I luppofe her Majefty will come to a refolution. I have fince waited on my Lord Stair in town, and have fpoke with all the opennefs and Sincerity imaginable to him, as I make no doubt but he does me the juftice to in- form your Grace* ^ I am, &c. CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 287 De Monfieur le Marquis de Torcy *. MONSIEUR, A Fontainbleau, le 31716 Aout, 1711. JTAI vu avec beaucoup de plaifir Mon- fieur Priorf- revenir ici apres un intervalle de plufieurs annees, & j'aurois bien fouhaite qu'il cut plus de liberte d'employer les talens qu'il a, & dont je luis perfuade qu'il auroit fait un bon ufage. J'efpere, Monfieur, que Monfieur Mefnager, qu'il mene avec lui, fupplera a ce qu'il n'a pu faire ; & je vous fupplie de croire qu'on ne peut defirer plus veritablement que je fais, les occafions de vous marquer que Je fuis, tres-parfaitement, &c. To Mr. Harrifon. SIR, July 27, 1711. I AM forry that you have any occafion to entertain melancholy thoughts^. My * Secretary of State to Louis XIV, and the fon of the great Colbert. f Prior had been many years a Commiflioner of Trade, and was Secretary to the EmbafTy for the peace of Ryfwick, and when the Earls of Portland and Jerfey were ambafladort at the court of Verfaules. J Harrifon was difpleafed at Mr. Watkins being appointed Secretary to the Embafiy, which he crroneoufly confidered ys a fupercelTioiy friendfhip 288 LETTERS AND friendfhip you could have no doubt concern- ing, fince I have done the little in my power* to mend your fortune, and to put you in a way of improving it. 1 muft delire you to make my compli- ments to Monfieur d'Hervart, and to excufe my not anfwering his letter by this pofL I have been all day without eating, and am now fo tired that he muft forgive- the omiffion ; in the mean time, it may not be amifs to let him know that the Penlionary has expreffed fome uneafmefs, as if he thought that we, through his channel, car- ried on a correfpondence with France. You will enjoin Monfieur d'Hervart, not to appear to have had any fuch advertife- ment, but let him have the more care of hfe letters, and act accordingly. I have neither time nor flrength to add any more, but the affurances of my being, &c. * Bolingbroke had Iit:le in his power; for Oxford en- grofled the patronage to himfelf ; and the former, with fome difficulty, procured a fmall place in the Weft-Indies, for Mr. Hare, his Under-fecretary ; which appointment was to be only daring pleafure. CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 289 To the' Duke of Marlborough. MY LORD, WHAT I have writ in my other letter will not fuffice to exprefs that furprife, and that pleafure which Brigadier Button's ar- rival, and the news he brought, gave me*. The hardeft battles you have fought, and the greateft victories you have won, cannot afford more honourable teftimonies of your Grace's fuperior capacity, a;J of your in* defatigable zeal for the public fervice, than your late fuccefs. For my own mare, I have the joy which every honeft man muft feel when the common enemy receives a blow ; and I have the additional fatisfadion of a faithful friend in thinking that it was your Grace who gave it. My Lord Treafurer tells me, that he writes to your Grace on the project propofed by the Earl of Stair ; and, therefore, I need fay nothing to you upon that head. .What thoughts the ftrength which he is able to * The getting within the formidable lines of the Marefchal de Villars, between the Scarpe and the Canche, which was followed by the firge and furrender of Bouchain. VOL. I. U colleft LETTERS AND collect may put into the Marefchal de Villars, or what orders he may have from his court, I cannot tell ; but I hope, and I make no doubt, that your Grace will fupport what you have fb glorioufly begun ; and give me leave to add, that for many reafons, your actions will have, at this point of time, a very uncommon luftre. I moft ardently de- fire that uninterrupted profperity may attend you, and that you may conclude this cam- paign to your entire fatisfa&ion, in every refper, abroad and at home. I am, &c. To the Duke of Marlborough. MY LORD, Auguft 2d,, 1711, MR. PANTON coming over to folicit his promotion, I took this opportunity of moving her Majefly, that me would graci- oufly pleafe to allow the three commiffions of Brigadiers to ifTue, which were figned fo long ago for your Grace's army. I have obtained the Queen's leave to give them out, and Mr. Panton carries over the commiffion to Mr. Prefton, and that for Mr. Napier, as well as his own. The Queen defires your Grace CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 2QI Grace will pleafe to let fuch officers as may think themfelves aggrieved by this promo- tion, know, that her fervice fufFering for Want of thefe brigadiers in Flanders, fhe has given them their rank, and that the pretenfions of others mall be confidered whenever it may be found neceffary to make another promotion* I am, &c. To Mr. Drummond. SIR, Auguft 3^ 1711. I HAVE now before me your letters of the 28th and 31(1 of July, and that of the 4th of Auguft, N.S. which I think are all at prefent that I am indebted to you for. The proceeding of the King of Sweden is in every part unaccountable. The pre- tence he has fet up to intercept the trade of Britain and Holland to Riga, and fuch other places as during the courfe of the prefent war have been taken from him by the Muf- covite, is groundlefs and intolerable. We conclude that you will not bear fuch treat- ment in the Baltic ; on our fide, it is certain, the Queen will defend her fubjecls cotite qu'il 17 2 LETTERS AND coute ; and I have told the Swedifh minister fo already, by her Ma] city's order. You will oblige me if you pleafe to advife with your minifters and merchants in this affair, and to inform me of their opinions. I dare fay my Lord Ambaffador StrafFord will not be furprized or mocked that Am- fterdam mould truft their Penfionary, or Holland any Dutchman fooner than him, with fecrets of the nature mentioned in yours, wherein the fettlement of their trade and the future welfare of their republic fo much depend: But I muft own to you, it would be matter of very great fatisfaclion here, one way or other, to be better ap- prized than we are of the fentiments of the States, both in relation to their own intereft and to ours, as well as to the plan of a treaty which may fubiift in time of peace between the two nations. Europe can fettle on no bottom fo fecure and fo (table, but that the maritime powers muft remain united, or the whole muft be in danger. This is our fenfe in Britain, and you may aiTure the minifters that we will not only come in readily, but even affectionately to the ftraiteft terms of union. There arc indeed CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 293 indeed fome few feeds of diflention impru- dently fcattered, but franknefs on each fide, and a good difpofition to one another, will fKfle them, and prevent their bearing any fruit. The news you heard of the fuccefs which Mr. Littleton's fquadron in the Weft-Indies met with, is very true*. I am heartily forry that a fhip you was concerned in mould be taken. But in the lofs it is fome degree of confolation to hear that the captain and crew behaved themfelves fo well. As to the conduct of our fea- officers, fure I am, you mail never find me an advocate for them : we have been thefe many years on the land- war fo very intent, that the naval in- tereft has been almoft entirely difregarded. Add to this, that our factions have influ- enced all rewards and punithments fo far, that merit has met with little encourage- ment, and demerit with as little Centura : I am hopeful that we fhall at laft fee our error, and that the lea will, for the future, have a greater mare of our attention applied to it. * Littleton took a Spanifli galleon and a (hip of twenty-fix guns in the Well-Indie s, U 3 The 294 LETTERS AND The expedition of the Britifh mips was gallantly undertaken, and has been prof- peroufly finiflied. I know nothing of this kind, fince Drake and Cavendifh, performed by our nation. The Eaft-lndia Company, upon one fri- volous pretence or other, will endeavour to moleft the owners, but the Queen protects them, and will, I hope, in forne very ex- traordinary manner immortalize the officers and the fervice. The Penfionary's cautions on the fubjecl of Savoy are very becoming his prudence ; but furely it is time to think ferioufly of that matter, and to move fome fecret en- gines, if it may be dangerous to aft openly* The blame which you lay on Prince Eu- gene, for marching to the Rhine, is ex- tremely juft ; you know my opinion by my former letters, and what the Duke of Marl- borough has lately done, fets the matter in ilill a ftronger light. The Prince of Savoy * jufrined his refo : lution by pretending peremptory orders from Vienna, which allowed him no dilcretionary power; but I mull: obferve to you, that when * Meaning Prince Eugene. the CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 295 the Dutch minifters and Mr, Whitworth prefTed to have that General ordered to con- tinue in the Netherlands, the anfwer of the Emprefs Regent was, that no poiitive order could be fent to him, but that he muft be left to adt according to occurrences in fo uncertain a fituation. I fuppofe you are informed of Mr. Whit- forth's commirEon to Vienna, and the fuccefe of it. He was fent by the Queen to that Court to reprefent once more the neceffity of detaching from Hungary ; the reafon which Britain and Holland have to infift on this effort ; and in plain terms to let them know, that the Queen would look on a re- fufal in this cafe, as an abfolute renunciation of their intereft in the war. The Imperial minifters thought themfelves extremely cun- ning in catching hold of the difference be- tween Mr. Whitworth and Monfieur Bruy- ninx* ; the firft afking the detachment for Italy, the latter deliring it for the Upper Rhine ; but they were defeated in- this ex- pedient by our Minifter's agreeing to have the detachment move towards Bavaria, and alluring them that there would be no difpute * Envoy of the States-general to the Court of Vienna. U 4 between 296 LETTERS AND between the Queen and the States about the application of it afterwards. Mr. Whit- worth was impowered to have gone as far as 40,000!. fterling, if lefs could not have obtained the 8000 men defired ; and if mo- ney would have procured them, he told the German minifters that he had directions to, give them very large affirmances towards this work ; and that he would open the particu- lars to them, if they would engage for the immediate march of the troops. But there was no need of his going farther, fince they abfolutely refufed, not on the fcore of mo- ney only, but on account of their apprehen- lions from the Mufcovites, &c. After this, my friend, what mall we fay ? Do we want zeal ? Do the Auftrians want to complete their full meafure of provocation? I look on the progrefs which the Duke of Marlbcrough has lately made, to be really honourable to him, and mortifying to the enemy. The event cannot be afcribed to fuperior numbers, or to any accident. It is owing to genius and to conduct. The preient fitu- ation of the army feems to promife decifive actions. May the arms of the allies have good CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 297 good fuccefs; and may we live once to behold victory followed by peace ; without the latter, the former is of no great ad- vantage. We are defirous to hafr.cn the departure of the Earl of StrafFord, and yet we choofe rather to fend him a little later, and better inftructed, than to diipatch him fooner and worfe informed. , The Eari of Peterborough is ordered back to Germany, he has directions to open him- felf to the Penfionary as he pafles through Holland, and to a6r. in concert with the Count de Rechteren*. I am, &c. To Mr. Drummond. SIR, Auguft yth, 1711. I HAVE yours of the 7th and I2th of Auguft, N.S. and return you my thanks for the p re lent which you make me, and which J hope not to touch till I do it in your com- pany. The account which you have taken the * Deputy of the province of Overyflel to the States- General, trouble 298 LETTERS AND trouble to fend me of the fenfe which the Petitionary exprefTed concerning my Lord Marlborough's declining a battle, fhall be kept inviolably fecret ; but the fad is fo publicly talked of, that I have made no fcru- ple to fpeak on the fubjet, even in my letter to Mr. Cadogan ; and to aik him what our fituation was, and what the enemy's, at the time the Deputies* would have fought, and the Generals would not ? My Ipirit is indeed not damped by this contretems, if fuch it was. I only apprehend, that before the iiege of Bouchain is over, we may be obliged to fight at greater difadvantage than we might have done in the courfe of the late event -f. The Peniionary thinks it a very danger- ous meafure to give into the proposition of a marriage between the Prince of Piedmont and the Archduchefs, eldefl daughter of * The Dutch, during the whole of the war, whether from jealoufy of their allies, or diftruft of their generals, fent de- puties to attend the army, and affift in councils of war. f Marefchal Villar?, after the allied army had penetrated within his lines, endeavoured to retrieve his miirake, and advanced his army as if he intended to attack the Duke, while, in facl, he was fending a ftrong force towards Cambray. The deputies at that period would have hazarded a battle, but as the fitge of Bouchain had been previoufly voted in a council of war, tiie Duke refitted the advice of the deputies. Jofeph \ CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 299 Jofeph; and judges that the maritime powers lie under no neceflity of coming to a de- claration upon this head. The Penfionary's opinion is indeed of that weight here, that upon all occaiions it influences our councils, in many it guides them. However, I muir. tell you, that in the prefent cafe, we can hardly think him in earneft. I will not ejnter into the detail of all which is to be laid, but will confine myfelf to this minifter's argu- ments, as I find them laid down in your letter of the I2th. It will be, he fays, difagreeable to the Auitrian family, whom we ought not to dilbblige, nor give jealoufy to, efpecially at this time, when they have underhand endea- vours for themfelves with the enemy. Why- will it be difagreeable to them, when Eu- rope does not afford their Princefs another more fuitable match ; when, in the cafe of compatibility of tke Spanifh dominions and the empire, nothing elfe can cure the Duke of Savoy of his fears, and obviate his unan- fwerable objections; and when in cafe of the incompatibility, the remote and the -imme- diate titles to Spain will by thefe means, and pan by no- other, be united ? We look on the Houfe LETTERS AND Houfe of Aufrria, whatever you do in Hol- land, as a party who fues for a great eftate in forma fauperis ; and fince they have been at no part of the expence of the law-fuit, it would be very impertinent if they mould cavil with us on the terms of a competition, or on the meafures of carrying it on. But the Houfe of Auftria will not make a peace with France. That is to fay, the bed-rid man whom I carry upon my back, will trip up my heels. I own to you I cannot reply gravely to that argument. I am fure the Penfionary would think worfe of me, than I defire he mould, if I did. The fecond ob- jection is, that the Portugal AmbafTador has declared his matter will break with us, if we fet up any pretenfion in the Savoy fa- mily to the crown of Spain *. We are not for fetting up any new pretenfion, we are only for confirming an old one, grounded on the will of Philip the IVth -fy and on the treaty made by the Emperor Leopold with * Peter II, King of Portugal, was a pretender to the crown 0f Spain ; but his minifter who propnfed it in the Spanifli Council, was difgraced and expelled. f Philip died in 166, ; by his will he left his dominions to his fon Charles II, and to his children: failing them, to the Emp'efs Margaret, his youngeft daughter, expecting the re- nunciation of his eideft 'daughter, the Queen of France. the CORRESPONDENCE, &c. the Duke of Savoy, to which Britain and Holland are guarantees *. Has his Majefty of Portugal any better title to Badajos -J-, and to other places belonging to Spain, which he expects in consideration of the great fer- vice he has rendered the common caufe, than his Royal Highnefs has to a fecurity that no third perfon mall be fuperinduced to the Spanim fucceffion, after the Auftriaii family, before him ? Betides, let it be con- fidered that we have never had any hold on the court of Lifbon, but by their fears, and that hold will fubfift as long as Britain and Holland are matters of the fea, which I hope in God will be as long as the world endures. Objection the, third. The French King has propoied to get King Auguftus, or the Electoral Prince, declared King of the Ro- mans, and therefore we ought to difcouragc any other pretenders to Spain or the Empire, betides King Charles. In the firft place, the overture of the marriage of the Prince of o * This relates to the cefiion of Exilles, and other places adjacent to the dominions of the Duke of Savoy in Italy. f To induce Peter II, King of Portugal, to renounce hii alliance with France, and to acknowledge Charles, the Arch- duke, as King of Spain, 'he Imperial Council agreed to give Ba-iajos and part of Eftramadura to Peter. This treaty was agreed to in 1 703, but never executed. Piedmont, 302 LETTERS AND Piedmont, has no tendency to the fucceflion of the Empire ; and, therefore, thus far the reafon given does only ferve to refute what was never advanced ; and in the next place, the not fecuring Savoy's title to Spain might be a reafonable objection at Turin ; but the fecuring it can be no objection at Drefden. But it is further urged, that the renuncia- tion of any title to the Hereditary countries in Germany, proffered by his Royal High- nefs, in cafe the marriage takes effect, ought not to be regarded; and the example of France is produced, who, by breach of faith in the like inftance, gave ground to the pre- fent war. I will not go back to what pafTed be- tween that great man Jean de Wit, and Monfieur d'Eftrades* ; I will not go about to ihow how the Partition-treaty begot the will of Charles IId-j~ ; and how that will made * De Wit was Penfionary of Amfterdam, d'Eftrades Am- baflador from France at the Hague. The latter entered into a negociation with the Dutch minifters to guarantee Louis XIV, his fucceffion to the crown of Spain; but De Wit re- jected the ptopofal. f Charles IT, King of Spain, was in a declining flate of health, and the right of fucceffion to his crown was equal in the perfons of the King of France, and of the Emperor of Germany : to prevent a war, which would inevitably enfue if that crown were centered, England, France, and the States-general CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 303 made the treachery of France fignincant *. I will content myfelf to fay, that no man ought to reafon from what an independent and fuperior power, like that of France, has done, to what a dependant and precarious power, like that of Savoy, may do. It is with great pleafure we find that the jealoufy in Holland decreafes concerning our views in trade. Aflure the Petitionary, and whom elfe you think fit, that we are deter- mined to (land and fall by them ; that we look on the indifToluble union of the two nations as the real fecurity of both, and of all Europe. But, in plain terms, they muft leave the proiecution of the intereft of Bri- tain to the Queen. They expect in Holland, that the mi- nifters of Britain mould fpeak plainly to them, and that her Majefty mould propofe ! States-general entered into a treaty in 1 700, by which thefe powers parcelled out the dominions of Spain. France was to have Naples, Sicily, and other dependencies on the coaft of Tufcany, the duchies of Lorrain and Bar, in exchange for that of Milan, which was to be given to the Duke of Lorrain. Spain and the Indies were to go to the Archduke Charles. This treaty was to be fecret ; but was fcori know n at Madrid, where in the council of ftate the treaty was rejected ; and Charles's right to difpofe of his dominions was acknow- ledged. Accordingly, by will, he gave his dominions entire to the Duke of Anjou, fecond fon of the Dauphin of France. * France, in this conjuncture, played a deep game, and was the lecr-et director of the councils' of Madrid. a Whatever LETTERS AND Whatever occurs to us, concerning the common interefl, will always be nakedly offered to the confideration of the States; their opinion taken therein, and the mea- fures concerted with their miniflers. What- ever relates to the private interefl of Bri- tain, as far as the concurrence of the Dutch is neceflary or reafonable, will alfo, without any referve, be communicated; and when- ever Holland has any national advantage to purfue, 'which this ifland may one way or other be interefted in, we hope they will with the fame freedom communicate with us ; and give us the opportunity of mowing, how much more prevalent, the prefervation of the union and affection of the two na- tions is, in our minds than any other confi- deration. I think the anfwer which you received about joining the Queen's mips and thofe of the States in the Baltic very cold. Pray take an opportunity of enquiring whether, if the French have taken pofTeffion of Brazil, they would concert meafures with the Queen for driving them out again. You may take my word, when I afliire you, that Monfieur d'Hervart has no cre- dential CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 305 dential from us, nor any authority to fpeak or ac"i either with Holland, France, or any other nation. He is indeed very well known and efteemed here, and I have lived and talked familiarly with him, but that is all. I pafs over the affairs of the north. We fubmit in the management of them en- tirely to the difcretion of Holland ; and the Queen will readily concur in fuch ex- pedients as mall be refolved upon by the States ; fo that when you know their mind, you may be certain as to ours. Forgive the length and freedom of this letter, I write in a heat to you, and have none of thofe checks about me, which ren- der a man ufually ihort, cautious, and cor- lam, &c. o the Duke of ' Mar thorough. MY LORD, Auguft yth, 1711. I HAVE before me your Grace's private letters of the loth and I4th of this month, N.S. The latter came this morning to my VOL. I. X hands i 306 LETTERS AND hands ; and, my Lord Dartmouth attend- ing this week at Windfor, I cannot lay it before her Majefty till Sunday ; but, in the letter which I am to have the honour to write to the Queen this afternoon, I will not fail to execute your Grace's commands. My Lord Stair intends to return in a few days. Mr. Sutton will be, I hope, diipatch- ed about the fame time ; and by one or both of them, your Grace may, I believe, expect the Queen's refolutions concerning the pro- ject for the winter-quarters, which the prc- fent operations of your Grace's army do certainly render ftill more defirable. I am, &c. To Mr. Cadogan. SIR, Auguft 7th, 1711. I CANNOT omit to congratulate with you on the late fuccefs, wherein I am very lenfible how great a mare you muft have had, under the direction of the Duke of Marlborough. No enterprise could be more finely concerted, nor more vigoroufly exe- cuted ; CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 307 cuted ; and at the fame time none could be more advantageous to the common caufe, or more honourable to the arms of the Queen and her allies. Your prefent iituation feems indeed to be very alerte ; and I believe my friend, Mr. Cardonnel, is not the only per- fon among you who is under fome un- eafinefs. For my own part, I depend on the fame conduct to finim, which has ib happily begun the operations of the year ; and as you have outwitted the enemy, I hope you will out- fight them too. Since the oppofition of the French, fince our misfortunes in Spain, fince the want of ftrength or good-will in fome, and a wrong application of force in others, cannot hinder us from penetrating through the firmefl barrier by which France, or perhaps any nation, was ever covered, it is to be hoped that peace will at laft enfue, which is the laft colouring by which victories receive their full perfection of beauty and of value. Let me deiire you, with the freedom of an old acquaintance, to fend me an account of the fituation of the enemy, at the time when the Deputies and fome of the generals X 2 were 308 LETTERS AND were for attacking, and my Lord Duke was againft it. Our letters from Holland _ are full of reafonings on this fubjecl. I fhould be glad to be rightly informed, and I will make a right ufe of my information, I am, Sir, what I always profefTed myfelf, with much efteem an.d truth, Your's, &c. \ A Monfieur d* Her v art *. MONSIEUR, Ce 8me Aout, 1711, VOUS favez afTez bien les affaires que j'ai fur les bras, pour m'excufer fi je ne re% ponds pas a vos lettres avec Fexactitude qu'elles meritent. Je prends tant de part en tout ce qui vous regarde, que la mort de Monfieur votre fils m'a fort fenfiblement touchee. Je ne veux pas vous ennuyer avec mes confolations. Vous etes trop bon Chretien, & trop phi- loibphe, pour en avoir belbin. Les reflexions que vous faites fur les foupcons qui font entres dans Fefprit de * Philibert d'Hervart had been employed by King William as Envoy in Switzerland. Monfieur CORRESPONDENCE, &c. 309 Moniieur le Penflonnaire me paroifTent fort juftes. On a tache de femer des jaloufies, & ici & en Hollande. II eft certain qu'elles ne font pas grande impreflion chez nous ; &: j'efpere que les miniftres de 1'etat ne feront pas plus ombrageux que nous le fommes. La defunion des puiffances maritimes ne peut etre que funefte a Tune & a 1'autre, c'eft une verite inconteftable ; de notre cote rien ne manquera pour cultiver cette har- monie entre les deux nations, L'ofFre que M. de Torcy a fait de ion chef de donner Dunquerque, non-demolie a nous autres, eft fort extraordinaire. On doit 1'envifager comme un tour de miniftre, qui avoit envie de donner 1'alarme aux Hol- landois. J'ai parle plufieurs fois fur votre fujet au. Comte de Stratford, de forte qu'il n'auroit aucun inconvenient s'il venoit a favoir que vous receviez de mes lettres par le canal de fon Secretaire. Je fuis, &c. Xj 310 LETTERS AND To the Queen. MADAM, Auguft 8th, 1711. I HAVE, according to your Majefty's commands, prepared, in the heft manner I was able, a draught of a letter to the Elec- torefs Dowager of Saxony*. I prefume, likewife, to fend an anfwer to the letter which * " A V Electrics Douairiaire di Saxe. " MADAME MA SCEUR, " A Windfor, ce d'Aout, ijio-ft. " Quand j'ai pris la refolution d'envoyer le Comte de Peterborough (i) en Allemagne, une des premieres com- miffions dont j'ai voulu le charger a ete celle de vous voir, d vous faluer de ma part, & de vous renouveller mes afiurances d'une eflime la plus parfaite, & d'une amiti6 la plus tendre. Je me fers de cette occafion, pour exprimer les vives dou- leurs que j'ai fenti, quand le bruit s'eft repandu que le Prince Electoral, mon coufin, alloit changer de religion. A Dieu ne plaife que nous ayons la mortification de voir arriver un aufli grand malheur, que feroit 1'etabliflement du Papifme dans la Maifon de Saxe, qui a eu la gloire d'avoir ete de tout terns, le plus ferme appui des reformcs. J'efpere que vous prend|'ez en bonne part cette franchife avec laquelle je vous expofeles fentimens de mon coeur les plus intimeo, & que vous me croirez, Madame ma foeur, " Votre trcs affei^ionte foeur, * ANNE, R." (i) In expeftation of marrying an Archduchefs who was a Roman Catholic, the Eleftoral Prince of Saxony was about to fet off fcr Rome, to abjure the Proteftant religion. Lord Peter- borough's inftruclions was as follow : " Jnftrutions to our right trufly and right well- ANNF "R beloved coufin and counfellor. Charles, Earl of ' Peterborow and Monmouth : Given at our Court at St. James's, aid of February, 1711-12. " The raking into our ferkms confideration the great endeavours that are ufed to pervert our good coufui, the Electoral Prince of Saxo ny, to the fuperftitious worfhip of the church of Rome, and the infinite prejudice and diflionour the Proteftant intcreft would fuffer, if fo confiderable a Prince, in whofe country the ref<>r- cnatioir CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 3! I which your Majefty received from the Em- prefs Dowager Amelia on the late Em- peror's death. Mr. Whit worth was direct- ed fome time ago to make an excufe for your Majefty's delay in writing. mation firft began, fhould abandon the principles of our moft holy religion, think it a duty incumbent on us to prevent, as far as in ws lies, fo fatal a blow. For that end, we have taken the refolu- tion of fending you to the faid Prince, v/hom you are to join, if pofTible, before his arrival at Rome, yet in fuch a manner, that your falling-in with him may appear merely accidental : but whether you meet him on the road, or find him at Rome, you lhall take a proper opportunity to deliver our letter to him, accompanying it withexpretfions of our friendship, and real concern for his prof- perity. You fhail endeavour to infinuate yourfelf into his- good opinion, and, as occafion offers, urge the ftrongeft argumems you can for keeping him fteady to the Proteflant religion. If you find your reprefentations make any impreffion upon his mind, you lhall then open to him the fubjeft of your commUIion, and declare, that we have difpatched you to him on purpofe to let him know that we have ftili the fame earneft defire of feeing him which we have fo often exprefled ; and that if he perfifts in thofe good refolu- tions he formerly had, to adhere firmly to the religion in which he was educated, he may depend upon a friendly and honourable reception in our Court, in cafe his inclination or the fituationof his affairs bring him this way. If, upon difcourfe with him, you ihall difcover that he apprehends himfelf under a neceffity of ab- juring his religion, to avoid the dangers and difficulties he will otherwise be expofed to, and that he has an inclination to make his efcape, you may concert with him the proper meafures for refcuing him out of the hands he is in, and bringing him fafe to our dominio'ns, or thofe of any other Proteftant Prince or State. "If you fhould happen to be arrived at Turin when thefe our inftruftions are delivered to you, you fhall acquaint the Duke of Savoy, that, in compliance with your requeft, we have given you leave to fee the city of Rome ; for you are by all means to pre- vent any fufpicion of the true intent of your going thither The nature of this fervice in which we now employ you is fuch, that we can neither enjoin you to correfpond with either of our Secretaries of State, nor limit the time of your return ; we therefore leave entirely to your difcretion and prudence to come back to Turin when you foall judge your attendance on the Prince f no further ufe. A. R." X 4 My 312 LETTERS ANI> My Lord Treafurer, going laft night ta Windfor, undertook to acquaint your Ma- jefty with the contents of the laft letters from abroad. I am, with the deepefi refpeft, your Ma- jefty's moft dutiful fubjecl, and moft de- voted, faithful fervant. A Monfieur le Marquis de Tallard. MONSIEUR, Ce gme d' Aout, 1711. J'AI reii votre lettre du i4me de ce mois, N.S. avec le duplicate de celle que vous me fites 1'honneur de m'ecrire, il y a trois femaines. La premiere m'avoit ete rendue a terns, mais je vous avoue ingenuement, que je n'ai pu prendre la refolutioii d'y repondre, jufqu'a ce que je pourrois vous promettre avec certitude d'expedier la permimon que vous demandez de la Reine d'aller eu France. Pardonnez a cette delicatefle fi vous la trouvez mal fondee, & faites-moi la juftice d'etre perfuade que je iuis^ incapable d'avoir neglige CORRESPONDENCE, &C. neglige a vous ecrire par aucune autre raifon. Fiez-vous, pour ce coup, a un homme, qui n'a pas le bonheur d'etre fort connu de vous, mais qui ne trompera perfonne. Je me fait fort d'obtenir dans peu votrc liberte fur votre parole, & je vous aflure que les difficultes qui ont ete oppofees a une de- mande aufll jufte & equitable ne naifTent pas ici *. Je fuis, Monfieur, &c. H. St, JEAN. Que la derniere partie de cette lettre foit, s'il vcus plait, pour vous feulement. To Mr. Drummond. SIR, Whitehall, Aug. I4th, 1711. I HAVE both your letters of the 21 ft, N.S. to acknowledge, which came together to my hands. Our conduft is, it feems, very fufpicious to fome on yOur fide the water ; and the delay in fending over my Lord Strafford * The allies, pnrtkularly the States-General, obje&ed to his enlargement. On the 4th Oftober he was fuffered to go to France for four months, on his parole. ers of war. There is nothing wanting to complete your glory, or the dishonour of your enemy. It will be very extraordinary, if the States, who were a few weeks ago, fo much upon their mettle, mould refufe to enter into the proportions which your Grace has fent them. On the Queen's part, nothing will be neglected, as I hope my. Lord Stair has fatisfied you before this letter can come to your hands. The Queen, my Lord, thinks the appre- henfions of the Elector of Hanover fo well grounded, that his defire ought to be com- plied with. My Lord Treafurer has writ-to this purpofe to his Electoral Highnefs, 1 have done the fame to Monfieur de Both- mar ; and I am directed to let your Grace know that her Majefty refers it to you to fettle the moft proper methods of parting with the horie and dragoons as infenfibly as poffible, left other demands of the fame kind mould come upon us-. I am ever> with refpecl, &c. CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 35-7 To the Queen. MADAM, Whitehall, Sept. i8th, 171?. AT my arrival here, I found a Dutch poft come in, and juft now'we received another. The inclofed extract contains -all the news which the office letters bring. By the Duke of Maryborough's private dif- patch it appears, that the Dutch make great difficulties about executing the project 'for winter quarters, and begin already to infift, that your Majefty mould, in this in- ftance alfo, exceed your own proportion to pay Ibme part of theirs. I am, with the utmoft reipecl:, Madam, your Majefty's, &c. To the Duke of Marlborough. MY LORD, Whitehall, Sept i8th, 1711. AT my return this morning from Wind- for, I received the honour of your Grace's letters of the 21 ft and 24th of this month, N.S. with the two from my Lord Albe- marle to your Grace, and that from your Grace to my Lord, inclofed. A a 3 You* 35? LETTERS AND YCIU may depend that no perfon mall have any knowledge of them befides the Queen, except the Treafurer and the Cham- berlain, who will be confulted on the ap- plication which the Dutch intend to 'make, and who muft therefore be apprized before- hand of the ftate of the affair. Your Grace feems fully to have removed the difficulty arifmg on the uncertainty they pretended there ^ was, whether the foreign corps would furnifh their quotas towards this winter campaign. It is undoubtedly rea- fonable, that all the troops which compofe the army mould have their mare in this fa- tigue, but the States ought to be the lefs rigid upon this head, becaufe they may confider, that although the Queen's troops take the field every year to the laft regiment, yet of theirs a greater and a greater number is each fummer left in garrifon, and as their conqucfts increafe their army leffens. The Queen makes no difficulty of coming into the proportion of expence for forage, which your Grace at firft offered to her Ma- jefty's confideration ; and my Lord Trea- iurer did this day tell me, that when he received a computation of the expence, he would CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 359 would be ready to remit the money : to infift that a farther load mould be laid here, will I doubt, be thought a fevere impofition ; we are to hope that the reafonablenefs of this pretenfion, and your Grace's reprefentations againft it, will have the erFedl which they ought to have. The condition which your Grace men- tions as fit to be made with the Ele6k>r of Hanover, you will have it in your power to make, the Queen having in general agreed to his requeft ; but having left at the fame time the particulars to be adjufted by your Grace. I am, my Lord, &c. A Monfieur d' 'Her -vart. MONSIEUR, De Whitehall, ce i8me Sept. 1711. JE vous dois mes remercimens pour deux de vos lettres, dont la derniere, qui eft du 22me de ce mois, N.S. eft arrivee ce matin. Elles roulent fur deux chefs, 1'envoi de Mon- fieur Buys dans ce pays-ci*, & les bruits qui * Vryberge, the Dutch Ambaflador, died in July, and the States -general had no reprefentative at the Britifh Court, till Buys' arrival, in Odober. A a 4 courent 360 LETTERS AND courent en Hollande (Time negociation de paix entre la Rcine & le Roi de France. Quant au premier pointe, je vous dirai, que tout homme qui paroitra propre aux Hollandois eux-meraes d'etre envoye dans cette conjon&ure aupres de fa Majefte, nous iera bien venu, & Monfieur Buys autant qu'aucun autre. Notre precede fera tou- jours clair & net, & fi Ton ne craigne pas chez vous que nous foyons meilleurs Anglois que nos predecefTeurs dans le miniftere, on n'aura pas la moindre raifon d'apprehender que nous devenions des allies ou moins af- fecYionnes ou moins fidelles. Quant a Tautre pointe, je ne vous puis dire que deux mots, muis je crois que vous les trouverez figniflcatifs ; c'eft, que la Reine ne fera jamais la paix avec la France, comme les Hollandois ont fait a Nimegue, Elle a foutenu cette guerre, auffi bien que la derniere, de concert avec les Etats; elle pretend traiter la paix de meme, elle avan- cera dans 1'une & 1'autre leurs interets autant qu'il lui fera poffible, & elle n'oubliera pas les fiens. Je fuis, rhon cher Monfieur, &c. Depuis que j'ai ecrite cette lettre, j'ai recu CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 30! regu la votre du 27010 de ce mois, N.S. par laquelle je vois que, felon toute ap- parence, Monfieur Buys ne tardera pas a nous rendre vifite. To the Earl of Peter I THE rumour of Mr Prior's-f- journey into France, and of feveral other particu- lars concerning a negociation of peace, has been every where propagated with great jnduftry. Your Lordfhip thinks it neither proper nor poffible to difbwn the facl. I confefs my opinion is, that to take any pains either to deny or to own it, is below the character of the Queen ; and certainly the beft anfwer that any minifter of her's can give, is to fay, that her Majefty, on whom they have all leaned during the whole courfe of the war, may very well be trailed in pre- paring the way for peace, if any fuch treaty be on foot. * Inclofed in a public letter of i8th September 1711. Bo- LINGBROKE. f Prior's authority was very laconic, and confifted of the following words, figned by the Queen : Le Sieur Prior eft pleinement inftruit & autorife de communiquer a la France nos demandes preliminaires, & de nous en rapporter la re- ponfe. A Mojijieur 362 LETTERS AND A Monjieur de Pakotti*, MONSIEUR, De Whitehall, ce 2 ire Sept. 1711, VOUS recevrez avec celle-ci la lettrc que la Majeile a ecrit en votre faveur au Roi Catholique. J'efpere que vous en ref- fentirez tous les efFets que vous devez atten- dre d'un appui auffi puifTant, & d'une recom- mendation aufii forte. Par la pofte qui part ce foir, j'ecrirai au Comte de Peterborough, miniftre de la Reine a Frankfort, iur votrc fujet, comme il eft fort des amis du Due de Shrewsbury, il ne manquera pas de Tern- ployer, avec chaleur a 1'avancement de vos interets, leiquels je vous prie de croire, que j'ai fort a coeur, &: d'etre perfuade que jc ferai toujours avec beaucoup d'eftime, Mon- fieur, votre, &c. To Mr. Harrifon. S i R, Whitehall, Sept. 21, 1711. MR. DRUMMOND has given me your let- ter of the 22d of this month ; and I will * Had been Envoy-extraordinary from the Duke of Guaflella. own, CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 363 own, that in the cafe you mention, you have fome obligation to me, to bring you ac- quainted with Mr. Drummond, and to re- commend you to his confidence was doing you a real fervice. I hear, with great plea- fure, that you have made a very good ufe of this advantage ; for fmge it fell to my fhare to throw you into bufinefs, I think myfelf, to fome degree, concerned about your proficiency in it. I believe that Mr. Hare wrote, by my direction, to you, concerning a Jacobite pam- phlet, which was lent from hence, tranflated into French, and openly fold in Holland*. That old woman d'Ayrolle-j- is ordered to complain in form of this fcandal, but I mould be glad if you could make ufe of your fagacity to difcover, from what quarter here it was conveyed thither. Corticelli is faid to have received and conveyed it to the bookfeller ; if money will fecure the difco- very, I will furnifh that to you. The licence of the prels in Britain, and the licence of the tongue every where, is at * This pamphlet was entitled, An Oath to an Ini-zder, and abjuring the in-itadet\ dif/efied and examined. It was fent to the Secretary o f State by the penny-poft. : | Secretary of the Queen at the Hague. prefent 364 LETTERS AND prefent employed about fuppofed negotiations of peace carried on in this country. I be- lieve you may properly enough fay, when- ever you are talked to on that fubjecl, that it is certain the Queen will never take any meafures contrary to the public intereft, or without the participation of Holland, in matters relating to the common caufe j and that her conducl, throughout the whole courfe of the war, mutt put every one in the wrong who pretends to fufpect the contrary. At the fame time you will do well to infi- nuate, that me is Queen of Britain, and that the interefts of this ifland are not any longer to be deemed the property of other people. Certain it is, that me will ufe Holland as her beft and nearefl ally ; let the Dutch take care to obferve the fame conducl:, and the union of the tv/o nations is indiffoluble. My Lord Strafford is married, honey-moon is, I fuppoie, over, and as a proof of my friendmip to him, I will now endeavour in a few days to fend him back. I am ever your affectionate kinfman and fervant, H. St. J. RS. I CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 365 P.S. I forgot to tell you, that in a letter to Harry Watkins, you will do well to ob- ferve from what I write to you, that the Examiner is iilent, but that my Lord Marl- borough's ftupid Chaplain* continues to fpoil paper. They had beft for their patron's fake, as well as their own, be quiet. I know how to fet them in the pillory, and how to revive fellows that will write them to death. To the Earl of Orrery, MY LORD, Whitehall, Sept. 25, 1711. TO another it would be affeclation, to you I may fay with the freedom of a friend, that I am half murdered with a load of bufmefs, in companion of which all that I ever went through in my life is a trifle -f-. I cannot imagine what ground my Lord Marlborough has of Complaint, in a cafe where, as General of the army, or Ambaf- fador to the States, or Matter of the Ord- * Dr. Hare, Canon Refidentiary of St. Paul's, and after- wards Bifliop of Chichefter. f The bufmefs relating to the negotiations for peace be- longed properly to Lord Dartmouth's department; fo that Bo- lingbroke undertook it extra-provincially. i nance 366 LETTERS AND nance, or Colonel of the Guards, he has no proper authority ; but you muft account rightly for this ftart, which is owing to the people about 1 him, who have been the oc- caiion of his late misfortunes, for the greateft part. To (how you how wifely they a6l in little as well as in greater inftances for him, . there came out, the other day, a pamphlet called Bouchain, writ by his ftupid priefl, Hare, which is one entire panegyric upon his Grace, and an inveftive, I think, againfr. the Queen, and all who ferve her. What has been the confequence of this able per- formance ? Somebody or other has been provoked by it ; an anfwer, full of fpirit, has come out, old fa6ls are revived, new ones told, and whereas the humour was fpent, and his name either not ufed, or not ufed with reipecl, he has been treated, in my opinion, worie than ever he was. Write to me a letter fome time hence, which I may re^d to the Queen, concerning your coming over. Breton is this day arrived from Spain; and 1 was extremely glad to receive a letter from the Duke of Argyle, writ in a milder ftyle than his difpatches have of late been. 2 J cannot CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 367 I cannot forbear faying to you, that he has all this fummer fent fuch letters hither as his friends do neither deferve nor fear, and as no minifters living could bear from any man but one whofe heart is good, and who only errs from too much heat of conftitu- tion *. One fatal error has mifled him, which is, that he has reafoned abftracledly on what he faw in his own fphere, and did not confider, nor indeed know the whole iyftem of the Queen's meafures. My dear Lord, I have always been, I am, and ever will be, your's, &c. Yo'tbe Queen. MADAM, Whitehall, Sept. 2oth, 1711. THE Lords of the Committee of Council met this morning at the Cockpit, and di- rected the Earl of Dartmouth and myfelf to confer with Monfieur Mefnager. We faw him accordingly this evening at Mr. k Prior's houfe, where my Lord Treafurer and my Lord Chamberlain were likewife prefent. * The Duke of Argyle appears to have been a character perfe&ly independent of party confideration. 368 LETTERS AND He has put into our hands the anfwer figned by the King of France, to the demands laft fent over by your Majefty's order, and this anfwer complies with every article, except the 8th, relating to North America. We find, however, that we mall be able to com- pound this point with him, in the manner which your Majefty fome time ago propofed to pafs it in, provided France gave you fa- tisfaclion upon the feventh article, as fhe has now entirely done. The propofals which are to be fent into Holland as the foundation of a general treaty, we have likewife received from him, and that which was thought the moft liable to objection has been very much mended. My Lord Treafurer having, however, propofed fome farther confiderations, in order to make the whole more palatable abroad, and Monfieur Mefnager feeming inclined to agree to them, I am this night to draw them into form, for my Lords of the Council to confider to-morrow morning. Thin, Madam, being the prefent fituation of the treaty, your fervants were unani- moufly of opinion, that the warrant and the full powers, (hould be prepared this night, and CORRESPONDENCE* &C. 369 and tranfmitted to your Majefty, by which means, if it be your pleafure, the latter may pats the great leal to-morrow. It is now fo extremely late, I have {till fo much bufmefs to do, which muft of neceffity be got ready by morning ; that the whole night would not fuffice if I was to engrofs the inftruments in my own hand-writing, I therefore make ufe of a clerk to tranfcribe them ; but it is the fame who has copied all the papers which have paffed in the courfe of this negociation. There comes an exact tranflation of the full powers in this packet, the words of which are very ample and extenfive ; but they are agreeable to the form ufed by your Majefty upon fuch occafions. My Lord Treafurer moved, and all my Lords were of the fame opinion, that Mr* Prior mould be added to thofe who are em- powered to fign ; the reafon for which is, becaufe he having perfonally treated with Monfieur de Torcy, is the beft witnefs we can produce of the fenfe in which the ge- neral preliminary engagements are entered into. Beiides which, as he is the beft verted in matters of trade, of all your Majefly's VOL. I. B b fervants. 37*3 LETTERS AND fervants, who have been trufted in this {ecret, if you fhall think fit to employ him in the future treaty of commerce, it will be of confequence that he has been a party con- cerned in concluding that convention, which muft be the rule of this treaty. The reft of the plenipotentiaries are all thofe who have the honour to fit in your Majefty's Cabinet Council, which my Lords underftood to be your Majefly's pleafure. The Oflend mail, which arrived laft night, brought no news. I am, with the utmofl refpecl, Madam, Sec. To the Queen. MADAM, Whitehall, Sept. 24th, 1711. I HAD prepared another draught of full powers to have fent to your Majefly this evening ; but conferring with the French minifter, I found he had altered his mind, and that he was willing to fign the paper of preliminaries, as conceffions made by his Matter, without any engagement on your Majefty's part. He barely defires, that at the CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 37! the foot of the paper which he figns, a fe- cretary of flate may write, by your Majefty's command, fome acceptance of thefe articles* and fome promife to fet the general treaty on foot. I will not fail to-morrow, when I hope this matter will be finifhed, to give your Majefty an account of all proceedings in it* The paper to be fent into Holland will be at the fame time ready. An Oftend pofl being arrived, I inclofe an extract of the news contained in my letters. I am, with the humbleft refpecl, and ut- moft zeal, Madam, your Majefty's, &c. To the Queen. MADAM, Whitehall, Sept. 25th, 1711. THIS day, and part of the night, has been fpent in getting ready the new form, in which Monfieur Mefnager propofes to fign the preliminary terms on the part of his mafter ; and I now have the honour to tranf- mit, which I hoped to have done fooner, an exacl: copy of the whole inftrument, with the authority annexed for my Lord Dart- B b 2 mouth LETTERS ANI> mouth and myfelf to fign on the part of your Majeity. God forbid that I fhould prefume to fet my hand to any declaration of your Majefty's pleafure, without your leave firft obtained. I afk pardon if any miftake of expreffion in my letter tended that way. On the return of this mefienger, we may be able, I hope, to finifli with Monfieur Mefnager ; and I beg leave to add, that this agreement contains more advantages for your Majefty's kingdoms, than were ever, perhaps, ftipulated for any nation at one time. As foon as I fee when I qan bring this gentleman to Windfor, I will not fail to obey your Majefly's orders, and to give you notice of it. I take the liberty, befides the extract of what our office letters bring, to trouble your Majefty with a private letter from the Duke of Marlborough, and the papers which came incloled in it ; if the project * has been difappointed, it has not been fo by your Majefty, who gave orders for readily en- tering into the neceflary meafures on your * Upon the taking of Boxichain, the Duke of Marlborough propofed the fiege of Quefnoy, to which the States-General objected, on account of the advanced feafon of the year. part* CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 373 part. However, it is of fome ufe to have my Lord Marlborough's confeffion, that we may be difabled from doing any thing the next year, and that the enemy may, per- haps, be in a condition to a6l offenuvely. If your Majefty is pleaied to approve the declaration which I drew to-day, at the Committee of Lords, it will be necefTary that the order to my Lord Dartmouth and myfelf, be figned by your Majefty at top and bottom, in the manner of in fir uclions. I am, with the utmoft refpedt and duty, Madam, Your Majefty's, &c. To the Queen. MADAM, Whitehall, Sept. 261)1, 1711. THE Lords fpent the morning in dif- patching a great many heads of home and other bufmefs. The evening has been em- ployed by them, in conferring with the Earl of StrarFord, upon the heads of his inftruc- tions, who may, I hope, be ready to receive your Majefty's final orders, and to proceed to Holland, in the very beginning of the next week. To-morrow morning, at ten, B b 3 my 374 LETTERS AND my Lord Dartmouth and I mall meet Mon- fieur Memager, to fee him fign the articles, and, purfuant to your MajenVs commands, to fign the declaration ourfelves. The inclofed extract contains all the news which came by the poft we received this morning, except what a man, who is now at Verfailles, writes to me, that the Pope has offered to the French King, a retreat for the Pretender at Rome. I am, &c. To the Queen. MADAM, Whitehall, Sept. 27 th, 1711, I HAVE the pleafure to acquaint your Majefty that the inftuments* were this day figned j and that the paper for Holland is like wife * " Reponfe de la France aux demandes preliminaires pour la Grande Bretagne plus particulierement. " Le Roi etant particulierement informe par le dernier rmmoire, que Jes Miniftres de la Grande Bretagne ont remis au Sieur Mefnager, des difpofitions de cette Couronne a faciliter la paix generale, a la fatisiaction de toutes les parties intereflees dani la prtlente guerre ; & fa Majefte voyant erTeftiverr.ent, ainfi que le pone ce meme memoire, qu'elle ne rifque rien en s'engageant de la maniere qu'il y eft exprime, puifque les articles preliminaires n'auront aucun eifet avant la fignature de la paix generale, def.rant d'ailleurs tres fincerement de faire tout ce qui eft en fon pouvoir pour avancer le retabliflement du repos de 1'Europe, principalemeift par une voic aufli agre- CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 375 likewife fettled in the manner your Majefty defired to have it*. Monfieur able a fa Majefte, que le fera 1'entremife d'une Princefle, que tant de liaifons de fang doivent unir avec elle, & dont les fentimens pour la tranquillite publique ne fauroient etre dout- eux. Sa Majefte, touchee par ces confiderations, a ordonne au Sieur Mefnager, Chevalier de fon ordre de St. Michael, Depute au Confeil de Commerce, de faire par ecrit les re- ponfes fuivantes aux articles contenus dans le memoire qui lui a etc remis, & qui font intitu!6s Demandes Preliminaires pour la Grande Bretagne plus particxilierement. Riponjes du Roi. *' Demandes Pt-eliminaires pour la Grande Bretagne partial- lierement. 11 (i.) La fuccefiion a la couronne de ces royaumes felon 1'etabliflement prefent fera re- < f (i.) Sa Majefte rccon- noitra la Reine de la Grande Bretagne en cette qualite auffi bien que la fucceflion a cette Couronne fuivant 1'etablifTe- ment prefent. *' (a.) Le Roi confent a faire un nouveau traite de commerce avec la Grande Bretagne de la maniere la plus jufte, la plus raifonnable, & la plus avan- tageufe a la France & a la Grande Bretagne. " (3-) Quoique Dunquer- que ait cout6 au Roi des fom- mes tres grandes tant pour 1'acquerir que pour le fortifier ; & qu'il foit neceflaire de faire encore une depenfe tres con- fiderable pour en rafer les ouv- rages, fa Majefte veut bien toutefois s'engager a les faire demolir immediatement apres la conclufion de la paix, a condition qu'il lui fera donne pour les fortifications de cette * This is inferted in a note to the Letter to Lord Strafford, dated i2th Odober, 1711. B b 4 place *' (2.) Un nouveau traite de commerce entre la Grande Bretagne & la France fera fait de la maniere la plus jufte & raifonnable. " (3.) Dunquerque fera demolie. LETTERS AND Monfieur Mefnager will be to-morrow, in the evening, at Windfor, to pay his corn^ pliments to your Alajefty : I will not fail to attend fome hours before him. I am, Madam, &c. place un equivalent conven- able, & dont elle foit con- tente ; & comme 1'Angleterre ne peut fouruir ie dit equiva- lent, la difcuflion enferaremife aux conferences qui fe tien- dront pour la negotiation de la paix generale. " (4.) Le Roi promet au nom du Roi d'Efpagne, fon petit-fils. & fuivantle pourvoir que fa Majefte en a rec.u de ce Prince, que Gibraltat & le port Mahon demeureront entre les mains des Anglois, qui p"bfsedent prefentement 1'un $c 1'autre. " (5.) Lts Anglois aurcnt, apres la paix conclue, le traite de negres de Gninee aux Indes Occi^entales, autrement Ie Pa&e d'Affiento, aux memes conditions que cette conven- tion a etc faite par le Roi d'Efpagne avec les Frar^ois, en forte que la compagnie qui fera etablie pour cet efFet en Angltterre, aura la prero- gative de fa - 're repofer, ven- dre, & dtbiter les negres dans toutes les places & ports de 1'Ameiique, fur la Mer du Nord, dans celui de Buenos Ayres, & gentralement dans toutes les places & ports dont Pentrce etoit permife aux vaif- " (4.) Gibraltar & le port Mahon refteront entre les mains de ceux qui les pofst- dent prefentement. ' (<;.) Le Fade d'Affiento fera fait avec les Anglois de la nieme maniere que les Francois le pofscdent a pre- fent, & telles places dans 1'A- rm'rique Efpagnole feront af- |ignees aux intereflees dans le commerce, pour le rafraichif- fement & vente de leurs negres qui feront trouvees neccflkircs & convenables. CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 377 To the Duke of Marlborough. MY LORD, Windfor Caftle, Sept. sgth, 1711. I KEPT Collins from returning to your Grace till now, that I might be able to take her Majefty's pleasure more exadlly, and to teaux de la compagnie form6e en France fous le nom de 1'Ailiento. " (6.) Le Roi promet poqr lui-meme, & pour ie Roi d'Ef- pagne, fuivant le pouvoir qui eft entre les mains de fa Ma- jefte, que cet article fera ac- corde en cas de la conclufion de la paix, comme les piece- dens, & qu'il fera poncluelle- fpent execute. " (6.) Tons les avantages, droits, & privileges, qui font deja accordes, ou qui pourront etre accordes dorenavant par 1'Efpagne aux fujets de la France, ou de quelque autre nation que ce foit, feront pa- reillement accordes aux fujets de la Grande Bretagrie. " (7.) Et pour mieux pro- teger le commerce dans 1'A- merique Efpagnole, on y met- tra les Anglois en pofjefiion de telles places qui feront nominees dans le traite de paix. La France ayant offert une furete r6elle pour le com- merce des fujets de la Reine de la Grande Bretagne dang 1'Amerique Efpagnole, on n'a jamais doute qu'elle n'entendit par-la des places ; & Ton % te confirm^ dans cette opi- nion, vu qu'elle a propofe Gibraltar comme une furete pour le commerce d'Efpagne & de la Mediterranee, les avnntages & les privileges pfferts par le Sieur Mefnager ne doivent pas etre regardees des furetes reelles, parce LETTERS AND to write more fully to you, on the impor- tant fubjeft of your Grace's two letters, of the parce qu'il fera toujours dans le pouvoir de 1'Efpagne de les reprendre ; c'eft pourquoi Ton croit que la France eft dans 1'obligation, ou de faire ceder a la Grande Bretagne les places demandees dans cet article, ou de lui procurer de nouveaux avantages, tels que I'amour de la paix puifTe faire accepter conime un equiva- lent ; fur quoi on fe trouve oblige d'infifter que ce mi- riftre foit muni d'un pouvoir fuffifant. Et pour marquer d'autant mieux la finceritc avec laquelle on traite, & le defir que fa Majefte de la Grande Bretagne a d'avancer la paix generale, ellc a trouve a pro- pos de declarer que la difficulte furvenue fur cet article pourra etre levee en lui accordant les articles fuivants : t: Quoique le Roi d'Ef- " Que le patfe d'Afiiento pagne, au commencement de foit fait avec la Grande Bre- fon regne, futporte a favorifer tagne pour le terme de trente la nation Franoife, qu'il eut ans. befoin des fecours d'argent, pour fubvenir aux frais d'une guerre imminente ; le Prince nonobftant ces confid^rations n'accorda que pour dix ans aux Fran9ois le privilege de la traite de negres, ce feroit beaucoup faire en faveur des Anglois, que de laifler pendant vingt ans entre les mains de la nation Angloife, une prerogative dont il femble que toutes les nations de 1'Europe voudront jouir chacunc CORRESPONDENCE, SfC. 379 the 28th of September, and of the ift of Oaober, N.S. The chacune a leur tour. Toute- fois ie Roi promet que le Roi, frm petit fils, laiflera aux An- glois, pendant trente anrices confecutives, la traite des ne- gres de Guinee aux Indes Oc- cidentales, autrement le Pacle d'Affiento, aux memes con- ditions, prerogatives, & pri- vileges accordes a la compag- nie Franon in the Daily Courant as foon as he received it. 41O LETTERS AND To the Queen. MADAM, Whitehall, Oaober the iyth, 1711. I PRESUME to acquaint your Majefty, that beiides the two Oftend mails which arrived yefterday, and by which there came nothing to my hands worth your Majefty 's notice, we have this morning received two pofts from Holland. The inclofed extraft contains the advices of our office-letters ; betides which, I beg leave to inform your Majefty of the following particulars : Mr. Whitworth's Valet -de-chambre is come exprefs from his m after, whom he left at Carlbad, on the frontier of Bohemia; his letters are extremely judicious, and he has purfued his orders with great exaclnefs and ability. They are very long, but the fum of them is, that the King of Denmark, King Auguftus, and the Czar, feem determined to purfue their point againft Sweden ; and even that the King of Prnflia and Ele&or of Hanover are entering into meafures to get for themlelves fome of the fpoils of that crown. Thus, the danger fo long appre- hended from the North, feems rather to in- creafe CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 4U creafe than leffen. Mr. Whitvvorth, how- ever, adds that the Czar had in private af- fured him he would regulate his demands in concert with your Majeity, and continued defirous of your mediation, I have fent all thefe papers to my Lord Privy Seal, that he may have time to con- fider them; the Northern bunnefs being what his lyordmip is particularly mafter of*. This moment I received a letter from Lord StrafFord, dated on Tuefday lad. He found Penfionary Buys waiting for a paflage; to whom having opened himfelf a little, the Penfionary feemed very much embarrafled whether he mould come forward, or go back to the Hague, I take it for granted that he did the latter, though my Lord does not fay any thing of it. The Earl Rivers was gone forward, and making the beft of his way to the Eleclorf. I have difcovered the author of another fcandalous libel, who will be in cuflody this * Dr, John Robinfon, Bifhop of Briftol. He had been many years her Majefty's Refident at Stockholm, and the northern courts. He fucceeded the Duke of Newcaftle, as Lord Privy Seal, in 1711, and Dr. Compton, as Bifhop of London, in 1713. f Earl Rivers had been difpatched as Envoy to the court of Hanover, to communicate the fteps taken to promote a nego- tiation for a peace. afternoon ; 4*2 LETTERS AND afternoon; he will make the i3th I have feized, and the i5th I have found out. The Pofl-mafters General give me this minute notice, that Mr. Buys was on board the Eagle packet-boat, and landed, they be- lieve, at Harwich, laft night. I expecl: hourly three pofts more, and will not fail, as foon as they arrive, to commu- nicate to your Majefty what they bring. I am, &c. To the Queen. MADAM, Whitehall, Oaobcr lyth, 1711. THREE other Dutch pofts are now ar- rived, and by them fuch articles of news as are in the extract inclofed. I have a letter from the Earl of StrarFord, writ on Saturdav laft, in which he fays that Mr. Buys was fent for back to the Hague on his arrival. A great confirmation appeared at firft in the Minifters of the States; but they take the pli of acquiefcing to your Majefly's good plea- fure, and Mr. Buys is inftrucled accordingly. I find the fear of loiing the exorbitant barrie; they have obtained, is the greateft, if not the only CORRESPONDENCE^ &C. only check to them, and that will foon be removed when they are apprized of your Maj city's generous conduct, and kind incli- nations towards them. I have advice that Mr. Buys landed lafl night, and that he will be in town to- morrow. I have feveral letters from Lord Marl- borough, one of the i jth mentions the ill ftate of his health, and defires that your Ma- jefty will pleafe to order a convoy and the yatchs for him. Another, of the i9th, is very extraordinary. I had taken notice in a letter, which I knew would be mown him again, of the impertinence of his chaplain, who publifhed libels againft your Majefly's government; he denies that the perfon fuf- pected had wrote the book complained of, and then finds fault with the anfwer to it, forgetting that the fermon preached before himfelf, and fince printed, was ftill worfe and more feditious than the other paper. I am, c. 4*4 LETTERS AND To the Duke of Ar gyle. MY LORD, Whitehall, Oft. 1 8, 1711. HEARING Mr. Killigrew is to fet out to-morrow, with the Earl of Dartmouth's diipatches for your Grace, I cannot negleft the opportunity of giving you a fecond trou- ble by the fame conveyance ; and long as my letter written in the laft month is, you are like to have another from me. The letter which I received by Mr. Breton from your Grace, gives me one pretence, and the new turn which is likely to be given to the affairs of Europe, by the relblutions her Majefty has taken and declared, affords me another. Inclofed, I tranfmit to your Grace, the general offers which France has made to the Queen, and which her Majefty has com- municated to the allies, judging them fuffi- cient inducements for us to open the con- ferences. The Queen would not take up- on her to determine the particular interefts of any one party in the war, and there- fore contented herfelf to oblige France to fign fuch general principles as may include whatever the confederates have to demand. 5 I" CORRESPONDENCE,. &C. 415 In the courfe of the uegociation each ally will advance and manage his own preten-. lions; the Queen will hold fail with them, and fupport them in all their demands, and conclude no peace without their reafonablc fatisfaftion. This the Queen thinks a much fairer method than for two Minifters of one power to treat folely with the enemy, and report what they pleafe to the reft, according to what was pra6Hfed at Gertruydenberg* j and me judges it more honourable to have France engaged by figning preliminaries, and herfelf and her allies free, than for her and them to fign, and the enemy afterwards refule to proceed -f. Your Grace will pleafe to obferve, that the grand alliance is the foundation of the prefent war, and that we are ftriclly en- gaged to carry on the war no longer than till the feveral points mentioned in the eighth article of that can be obtained, every one of which is exprefsly promifed in the * This certainly occurred at Gertruydenberg, where the two Dutch Deputies, Buys and Vanderdufien, contrived to keep the whole negociation to themfelves. f The preliminaries of 1709 were fig ned by the Britifh, Imperial, and Dutch Minifters ; but the French negotiator, De Torcy, refufed his fignature. inclofed LETTERS AND inclofed paper, and room left for any farther demands. The preliminaries of -1709, do, indeed, eftablifh quite another fcheme; but as they are not obligatory upon us, fo thofe may, who do in earner!: intend to make a peace, be very well excufed from purfuing the plan of thofe who only intended to {train for pretences of carrying on the war. The Queen's prefent meafures are founded on certain facls, which are.too evident to be denied, and too important to be neglecled. The war muft be pufhed in one part, with at leaft equal vigour ; in the reft, where it is now carried on, with greater ; and in fome, where it has not yet been thought of, it muft be pumed : without thefe con- ditions it will be inevitable ruin to continue it any longer. The Queen has fo long borne a dilproportionate mare of the burden, that me muft, 'inftead of increafing, leflen her expence ; there is no profpecl that the Dutch can be able to fupply that deficiency, nor that the Imperial Court will be either able or willing to do it : What, therefore, in good logic, is the inference ? The Court of Vienna, who feems to think every CORRESPONDENCE, &C. every thing due to it, and nothing from it who would carry on the war to the end of the world,, fince they are at no expence, and claim almoft the whole advantage your Grace may be allured, begins already to be extremely alarmed ; and as their Mi- nifter has been impertinent in his memorials here, it is not unlikely their General and others may be fo where you are ; for this reafon, I have deduced this affair a little tedioufly, and for the fame I hope you for- give me. Lord Dartmouth writes to your Grace on a fubjecl: which is of the laft importance, cfpecially at this conjuncture, to the Queen's iervice ; and though it may give you fome trouble, and delay your return home for fome fhort time, yet her Majefty is fo per- fuaded of your zeal for her intereft, and for that of Britain, that me is affured your Grace will fet yourfelf with pleafure to the execution of thefe new orders. Port Mahon and Gibraltar mufl riot only be fecured for the prefent, but they mutt be put into liich a condition, and have fuch eftablimments made for them, as may render thefe places abfolutely in the Queen's power VOL. I. E e as LETTERS AND as may fettle the fupplies necefTary for them, notwithftanding their diftance, in a certain method and, in fhort, as may re- medy for the future thofe grofs abufes which, I doubt, have been committed in both. All ordinary means have 1 been tried, all have proved ineffectual ; the Queen therefore de- termined to make ufe of one which (he per- fuades herfelf cannot fail. Your Grace is to go to Port Mahon ; and as Gibraltar is too far out of your way, the Earl of Port- more is to go thither. By your direction,, when you are upon the fpot^ every article which requires immediate difpatch will be provided for ; and by your report, her Ma- jefty will be able, once for all, to eftablifh. thefe fortrefles under a good economy, and reafbnable regulations. I enter into no farther particulars, be- caufe my Lord Dartmouth had ample in- ftrudtions to write to your Grace upon. I fincerely long to embrace you at home r and am, with (incere repect and truth, My Lord, your Grace's, CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 419 To the Queen. MADAM, Whitehall, Odober 1 9th, 1711. I THINK it my duty to acquaint your Majefty, that Penfionary Buys arrived laft night at London, and has been this even- ing with me. It would be too tedious to trouble your Majefty with the whole detail of what palled between us, in a letter. I ihall have the honour to do it to-morrow more conveniently, when I attend at Wind- for. The great point which he is to labour, is to convince your Majefty, that the me- thod which you have taken is wrong, and that there can be no hopes of a good peace, unlefs particular preliminaries be, in the firft place, fettled. His drift is what your Majefty forefaw, to break off the preient negociation, and to fet a new one oh foot, in the fecret of which, from the beginning, his mafters may be, either with, or, which they like better, without your Majefty. He is gone to my Lord Treafurer, from whom your Majefty will, I fuppofe, have a farther account. E e 2 1 have 42O LETTERS AND I have at laft in ray hands the particulars and proofs of great part of the management of the Count de Gallas, fome of which my Lord Treafurer did not long ago difcover, and lay before your Majefty. Nothing can be more infolent and ungrateful to your Majefty, the great proteclrefs of the Auftrian family, more brutal to your fervants, nor more villainous in its own nature, in every part. I hope the fpy he employed is turned upon him, that what was intended to your Majefty's dimonour and prejudice, will have quite the contrary effect. I r am, with the utmoft fubmiffion, Madam, &c. To the Earl of Str afford. - MY LORD, Whitehall, O&ober I9th, 1711. MONSIEUR BUYS arrived in London lafl night, and has been this evening with me, fo that I have little time for my difpatches, and mail confine myfelf to write to your Excellency upon the one great fubjecl, where- in our all confifts. He brought me, in the firft place, a particular letter from the States 3 to CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 421 to tnyfelf ; in the next, he proceeded to aik me rhiftoire de la negotiation. I took an air of franknefs, and gave him the fame detail of the feveral fteps as is contained in your Excellency's inftruclions ; he looked as if he believed me but by halves, and went to his next point, which was, a diftin6lion between matter and method. He owned that the matter contained in the offers of France, was good, and that they do include all which the allies can aik or expect ; but the method, he infifted, could never lead us to a good or fpeedy peace. The enemy, fays he, mean only to divide ; if preliminary articles arc fettled before-hand, that will not be poffiblej if all our interefls are left loofe to a general treaty, it will be eafy. My anfwer, I am fure, was fo : either thefe preliminaries muft be treated by fome particular allies, or by the whole body ; if the firft method is taken, thofe allies, whoever they are, afTume more than they ought, and more than the Queen would do, who furely is as well entitled as the moft confiderable of them ; if the latter courfe is followed, the enemy has as fair an opportunity, and as good a field, to break us in treating preliminaries for a peace, as E e 3 in 422 LETTERS AND in treating the peace itfelf. We went no farther to-night, for I ftarted nothing, and contented myfelf to follow him to-morrow ; before I fet out for Windfor, I am to wait on him at his lodgings. He depends on his rhetoric, and thinks to impofe ; of which imagination he will cer- tainly be the dupe. However, I underftand the Queen's pleafure to be, that no affected delays mould be yielded to. We mall purfue the intent, and uie the terms of her Majefty's inftruclions to your Excellency. You will do the fame on your fide, and, in mort, they muft truft the Queen, and give her leave, once in her reign, to influence their councils. I am ever, &c. P.S. I forgot to mention to your Excel- lency, that I fend you a copy of a letter* which I writ fome time ago to Monfieur d'Hervart, and which I hear, by d'Ayrolle, has been handed about, receives a wrong turn, and makes much noife. It contains nothing that I am amamed to own, neither fhall I have any farther con- cern, now it is in your hands. I could only * 1 8th September, 1711. wifh CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 423 wifh your Excellency would let Mr. Harri- fon drop to d'Hervart that I am informed of the indifcreet ufe he made of my correfpond- ence. 1T0 the Earl of Peterborough^ MY LORD, Whitehall j Oaober iQth, 1711. I AM in daily expectation of writing to you fafely, and therefore nakedly, by a cou- rier who is to carry your Lordfhip's inftruc- tions from the Earl of Dartmouth's office, For this reafon I have forbore, and do ftill forbear with the greater patience., commu- nicating many points of importance to your Lordmip. Mr. Davenant* is arrived; I have read all the papers he was charged with, and have talked fully to him. It is impoffible to exprefs the juftice which your Lordmip has done yourfelf and friends, as well as the fervice which you have done the Queen. Inclofed, your Lordmip will receive a copy of the offers made by France, and com- * Henry Davenant, Britifh Refident at Frankfort. E e 4 municated 424 LETTERS AND municated by the Queen's order both here, and at the Hague, to the Minifters of the Allies. Your Lordfliip will pleafe to obferve that they are general enough to include any demand that any party {hall think fit to make. The Queen would not take upon her to determine the interefts of her confederates, or by accepting particular preliminaries, be reproached for having precluded any preten- fion whatfoever. Her Majefty thinks thefe proportions a fufficient inducement to open conferences for a general treaty, in the courfe of which me declares me will firmly adhere to her confederates, fupport them in all their demands, and confent to no peace which ihall not be to their reafonable fatisfaclion. As this meafure is juft, decent, and no more than the Queen's (hare in the war may give her ground to purfue, io ihe thinks her- felf founded to infill that the allies mould comply with her, and try whether France is as well difpoied as ihey pretend to be. I am ever, my Lord, &c. CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 425 To the Earl of Str -afford. MY LORD, Whitehall, October 236, 1711. MONSIEUR BUYS had a private audi- ence of the Queen on Sunday, at Windfor. His difcourfe was extremely long, but the fubftance of it may be contained in a very fhort paragraph. He comes over, he fays ? inftrucled, by all pofiible means, to cultivate that good under- ilanding which has, fo much to the advan- tage of both, fubfifted between the Queen and the States ; and to endeavour to tie the bands by which the two nations are knit to- gether, frill more clofely. He is ordered, he adds, to defire that her Majefty will join with his matters, in preffing the other allies to increafe their efforts, and to act with greater vigour againft France But the prin- cipal point of his commirTion is, to reprefent the apprehenfions of the States, that if con- ferences are opened, without fpecific preli- minaries firft obtained, the enemy may have too great advantage in the treaty, may draw it out into an immeafurable length, and break the confederates among themielves. Her 426 LETTERS AND Her Majefty heard him with great pati- ence ; and told him, in anfwer to what he had faid, that his perfon was agreeable to her, that her people were fo much overburdened with the war, that it was time to think, in good earnefr, of peace ; that me hoped the States would concur with her in forwarding this work, that her minifters mould confer with him, and make their report, upon which {he would give her anfwer to the reprefenta- tions which he had made. This conference was to have been held to-day, but my Lord Treafurer being very much indifpofed, it has been put off till to- morrow, at one o'clock. On Thurfday, I mail attend the Queen, at Hampton-Court, to lay before her the refult of it ; and on -Friday, Monfieur Buys will receive a pofitive anfwer, in her Majefty's name, which will be communicated to your Excellency by the port, and which will contain the Queen's fixed and ultimate refolution upon this great affair ; I believe your Excellency is not at all at a lofs what this will be. It mould be matter of fome reflection to Monfieur Buys, to find upon his arrival, and upon the report that he comes to retard the i peace, CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 427 peace, the flocks fink from fourteen to fix ; we want a peace, and the fenfe of the nation is for it, whatever noife may be made about London, by thole who find their pri- vate account in the univerfal calamity. We ac~l fairly towards our allies, as well as pru- dently for our own interelt ; and there is no minifter the Queen has, who would not ven- ture his all, if that was the cafe, to fave his country, in this critical and, ihould it be loft, irretrievable conjuncture. I think to fend my next difpatches to your Excellency, by one of the Queen's mefTen- gers, fince they are likely to be of the laft importance, and fince I know very little how far the poft on your fide is to be trufted. I am ever, my Lord, &c. To the Ear I of Sir afford*. MY LORD, Whitehall, 26th Oft. 1711. I HAVE received all your Excellency's letters, both thofe by the poft, and thofe by * A public letter. Barlow, 423 LETTERS AND Barlow, the mefTcnger, to the 31(1 of Odo- her, N.S. They have been all laid before her Ma- jefty, and confidered by my Lords of the Council; and the manner in which your Excellency has conducted yourfelf, together with the points you have iniifted upon, purfuant to your inftruclions, and the argu- ments you have ufed in defence thereof, are all approved. On Sunday, as I acquainted your Excel- lency by a former letter, the Penfionary of Amfterdam had his audience of the Queen, at Windibr ; and on Wedneiday morning, according to her Majefty's appointment, his conference with the Lords at the Cock- pit, which proved extremely long, and was to the following effecl : He began, by fetting forth the defire which his mafters have of maintaining, and by all ppffible means of improving, that good correfpondence, which fubfifts be- tween the two nations, which has been ib advantageous to both, and which has been the great fupport of the common intereft of Europe. In the next place, he fpoke very largely of the great efforts made, in the courfe CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 429 courfe of this war, by the Queen and by the States ; owning at the fame time, how little had been done, and how ill we had been treated by mod: of our confederates : and concluded by an earned defire, that the Queen would concur with his matters, in prefling the feveral allies to ad: with greater vigour for the future. The third head, and that to which the others were indeed only introductory, was the negociation of peace, and the communi- cation given by your Excellency to the States, of the meafures which her Majefty has taken, and of the method which (he propofes to proceed in. After having faid, in fpeaking to this point, that his mailers were as much inclined to peace as the Queen, or any other party concerned could be ; and after having made the fame decla- ration to us, as Penfionary Heinfius made to your Lordfliip, that his country was not able to ftruggle longer under the prefent burden, he came to this point: that the only difpute between her Majefty and the States, was concerning the method of treat- ing ; that if the miniflers of France mould meet thofe of the allies, in a general con- grefs, 430 LETTERS AND grefs, before the eiTential articles were firfl fettled by fpecific preliminaries, the advan- tage would be too great on the enemy's fide, fmce they are but one body, influenced by one council, and directed by one Prince ; whereas, we are a confederacy of feveral powers, whofe interefts are not only dif- tmct, but, in many cafes, contrary to each other; that therefore the French Minifters would have a fair opportunity to divide us, whilfl it would be impoflible for us to break in upon them. He obferved farther, that preliminaries had been fettled before the treaty of Ryf- wick ; and that in all the pour-parlers with France, during the prefent war, there has been no difpute among the allies, whether they fhould infift upon preliminaries, nor any made by the French King whether he fhould grant them. The Penfionary afterwards pulled out a copy of the paper, which your Excellency carried over, and having objected to the articles, as vague and uncertain, which he fuppofed we would not deny, he pretended to inftance fome of them as prejudicial. The firft expreffion he found fault with, was CORRESPONDENCE, &C. was that where it is faid, le commerce fer a retabli ? maintenu deformais, &c. Thefe words, he pretends, are calculated by France for a future ckicane, and in order to deprive the Dutch of the tarif of 1664; becaufe, he pretends to forefee, that the French Plenipotentiaries will expound reta- bli t to fignify no more than the restoration of trade to that condition it was in, imme- diately before the commencement of the prefent war. The next article he objected to as preju- dicial, was that of Dunkirk, which exprefles that the fortifications mall be razed, with- out mentioning the deftruclion of the har- bour ; and grants even this upon condition of an equivalent, the fpecification of which equivalent will, according to Monfieur de Buys, be the occafion of difference be- tween her Majefty and the States : fince Holland will think it hard to have a town the lefs in their barrier, on account of the demolition of Dunkirk ; and iince Britain will be apt to complain, if this thorn mould not be taken out of their fide, for the fake of giving one town the more to the Dutch. The laft mftance which he advanced, to prove 432 tETTERS AND prove the offers of France prejudicial, was that article wherein it is faid, that effeo- tual meafures mall be taken to prevent the crowns of France and Spain from being ever united upon one head ; to accept of this proportion, he affirmed, was to flide over that important point, and to make the ceffion of Spain for nothing. For thefe reafons, he hoped, her Majefty would be pleafed to alter the method which me had taken, and to demand fpecihc offers from the enemy, upon all the eflential points for which we contend. France, he took it for granted, would make fuch offers ; and then he thought it might be proper for the al- Jies to debate, whether they would hazard a negociation or not ? The fourth point of his inftrudlion was, to recommend to her Majefty, that (he would not fuffer herfelf fo far to be amuf- ed by a treaty of peace, as to neglect the ne- ceflary preparations for war ; and that (he would join with his mafters in exhorting the feveral allies to acl: with greater rigour in the common caufe. Y6ur Excellency will fee by the inclofed copy of a letter, which I have writ this CORRESPONDENCE, &c. 333 evening to Monfieur Buys *, the fubftance of that anfvver, which was this morning given him at a conference with the Lords of the Council, by her Majefty's command ; and I am directed to let your Excellency know, that it is the Queen's pleafure that you mould upon the firft article above men- tioned, renew, in the ftrongeft terms, the arTu ranees you have already given of her Majefty's unalterable friendfhip for the States-General, and that you mould appear ready to enter into treaty with them, upon the project of an alliance, to fubfift after the war. Monfieur Buys feemed to-day very delirous to enter into negociation upon this fubjecl: here, but her Majefty, who is Unwilling to give any handle for delay in. the great work of the general peace, or- dered her fervants to refer this matter to the Hague. If we have any farther difcourfe upon it here, I will not fail to inform your Excel- lency particularly thereof; in the mean time, by conferring with the Grand Peh- fionary, and with the other minifters upon it, * The next letter. VOL. I. F f you 434 LETTERS AtfB you will foon difcover what fcheme they may have in view, and perhaps be abls to form fome brouillon, far her Majefty's approba- tion, Your Excellency's difpatches contain fo many unanfwerable arguments, in defence of the method which her Majefty propofes to follow, for obtaining a general peace, that if I mould write any more to you, than what is faid in her Majefty's anfwer to Monfieur Buys, I muft either tranfcribe your own reafons, or fend you worfe. I mall therefore content myfelf to fay to your Excellency, that her Majefty conti- nues to look on all thefe difficulties raifed concerning the method of treating, as en- deavours to wrefl the negociatioii out of her hands. In which cafe, a peace might in- deed follow, but it would be fuch a one as neither the honour nor interefl of Britain would be much confulted in. The objections mentioned above, and all others which may be made to any expref- iions in the preliminary offers of France, receive. one fair andjufl anfwer, which is, that thofe articles are all to be extended and CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 435 and explained in the treaty, to common fatisfaclion. There feems very little reafon for the States to reprefent to the Queen, the ne- ceffity of exerting the greateft vigour againft France, and I believe your Excellency will do very properly upon this occafion, befides what is contained in her Majefty's anfwer, to take notice of Mr. Whitworth's journey to Vienna; of the great confequence which eight thoufand men, out of Hungary, might at that time have been of to the common caufe ; of the Queen's generous resolution in empowering her minifter to offer as far as forty thoufand pounds, for the march of thefe troops, if he found that money could procure them ; and of the ill reception which her Majefty's inftances met. Your Excellency is, I take it for grant- ed, informed of the project which was made to keep a vafi body of troops, and particu- larly horfe, all this winter on the frontier; by which means, not only Picardy, but even the Ifle de France, muft have been expof- ed to our ravages, the enemy would not have been able to erecl their magazines, and their army, next fpring, muft have gone F f 2 a great LETTERS a great way back to be able to aflemble* Her Majefty, at the firft overture, confent- ed to come into her fhare of the extraordi- nary expence of forage for this fervice ; and afterwards was contented to bear a part of the expence of ilables, barracks, fire, can- dles,, and other incidents, which, in their own garrifons, mould in juftice fall entirely upon the Dutch, However, the execution of this defign was. induftrioufiy delayed, till it became too late to make the necefTary preparations. Thus two plans, which, if they had been- purfued, might have given us winter-quar- ters in the two extremities of France, were fupported by the Queen, and failed by the fault of others. I fincerely wifh, that there were no more inftances of the fame kind to be produced. It is impoflible for me to fpeak to your "Excellency, by this opportunity, upon fome other heads of bufinefs, contained in your laft letters ; by Tuefday I will endeavour to. do it. I am, with much refpeel and truth, My Lord, &c. H. St. JOHN. CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 437 To Mr. Penjimary Buys. SIR, Whitehall, Oftober 26th, 1711. I HAVE the honour to fend you her Majefty's anfwer, which was this morning communicated to you by my Lords of the Council, and which you defired in writing. I have chofen to write in Englifh, for fear of committing any miftake in a matter of fo great importance. Firft) Her Majefly commanded my Lords to allure you, in her name, that ihe ftill pre- ferves the fame affedion for the States-Gene- ral, and the fame friendly concern for their intereft, which me has endeavoured to make appear upon all occafions, through the whole courfe of her reign. That fhe defires moft earneftly to have the fame good underfrandins: iubiift between o o the two nations after a peace, which has been fo happily continued during the war. That her Majefty has often fhown her in- clination to enter into a new and ftrid en- gagement to this purpofe ; and that the Earl of Strafford is inftru&ed to treat with the F f 3 Minifters 438 LETTERS AND Minifters in Holland concerning flich an al- liance. Secondly, The Queen commanded my Lords to let you know, that the experience which me has had of proceeding by parti- cular preliminaries towards a general treaty, gives her no encouragement to purfue the fame method. That if a preliminary treaty is to be made, it mufl either be negociated by fome parti- cular allies, or by all. That her Majefty can never fubmit to the firft, fince me will nei- ther take upon her to fettle the interefts of others, nor fuffer that others fhould fettle thofe of her kingdoms. And that as to the fecond, your own objection takes place ; fince it is certain that the Minifters of France will have as fair an opportunity to fow divilion amongft the allies, when they are all alfembled upon a preliminary treaty, as when the conferences are opened for a negociation of peace. My Lords did farther acquaint you upon this head, by her Majefty's order, that if you defire to have the general offers of France rendered more Ipecific, and then debate whether it was proper to hazard the nego- ciation, CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 439 elation, the Queen continues ftill to be of opi- nion, for the reafons which were urged in the conference on Wednefday laft, that this method can have no other effect than to de- lay the treaty, without making thofe advan- tages, which we hope for, and have reafon to expert, more certain, or more eafy to be obtained. That her Majefty is ready and heartily difpofed, even now, as well as during the negociation, to infift on every thing which may be neceflary for the fecurity of the bar- rier and commerce of her good friends and allies, the States-General ; and that me therefore hopes that no farther difficulties may be raifed, but that we may proceed to open the conferences. Thirdly, My Lords acquainted you, in the Queen's name, that her Majefty not only confents, but defires, that a concert be made for carrying on the war for the next cam- paign, and will be ready to do it fo foon as a negociation for peace mall be fet on foot ; and will expect, in that cafe, that the bur- den of the war be laid more equally and more agreeably to the treaties than it has hitherto been. That her Majefty has given F f 4 very 44O LETTERS AND very frem inftance of her defire to profecutc the war with all imaginable vigour, and that fhe will join with the States in preffing the allies to perform their parts, as me has endeavoured to animate them by her ex- ample. This, Sir, is the fubftance of her Majefty's anfwer to your reprefentations, which 1 mall give communication of, by exprefs, to the Earl of StrafFord, that the leaft time poffible may be loft in forwarding a work fo ne- ceflary, and wkich her Majefty hopes, in its conclufion, will prove fo fatisfaclory, to the whole alliance. I have nothing to add, but to afk your pardon for fending this letter to you fo late, and to afllire you that I am, with much refpecl and truth, Sir, your moil humble and obedient fervant, H. St. JOHN. To the Ear I of Sir afford. MY LORD, Whitehall, Goober 26th, 1711. BESIDES the trouble which my other difpatch will give you, I muft add that of this private letter. Moniieur CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 4.4.1 Monfieur Buys was told this morning, that if the Queen had been better informed of the fentiments of the States, with refpecl to their own interefts ; and if they had let her know iboner, what particulars of this kind they defired France might particularly allure them of, that (he would have infifted upon them ; fince though a due regard is to be had to all the allies, yet certainly Britain and Holland, who have had the greateft load by much of the war, may very juftly take upon them to ac~t, in fome meafure, independently in the peace. He was far- ther told, that the Queen would immediately infift with France, that more pofitive and fpeciiic afTu ranees mould be given concern- ing the Dutch barrier and commerce, and that perhaps they might come before the conferences could be opened, at leaft that the enemy would be prepared to expect no coiicefrions from us upon thbfe heads. The reafon why this is not fo fully explained in the letter I write to Buys, is, becaufe your Lordfhip knows, that a written fecret is not long fuch in Holland, and other confederates might perhaps think they had reafon to com- plain. 5 The 44-2 LETTERS AND The Queen will direct me, when I write to Monfieur de Torcy upon this head, to write likewife upon the harrier of Savoy to- wards France ; and I believe we mall be able to manage both thefe points to the latif- faction of the parties concerned. Thelaft there is no need of mentioning to the Dutch ; but your Excellency would do well to give fome hint to del Borgo*, that we are labouring to fecure his mafter's coun- try on the fide of France, as we are defirous to aggrandize him on the fide of Italy ; and therefore that he ought not to expofe a mea- fure, wherein he has ib fair a profpecl of ad- vantage, but rather think of promoting the general conferences ; and in the mean while, cooperate with us for his own fervice at the court of France, where he wants no in- greffion. Your Excellency fees the Queen is deter- mined to go on } and you will therefore pleafe, according to your instructions, to prefs for the choice of the place of treaty, and for the paflports. The Queen's anfwer, which your Excellency may take upon you to fay * Generally called in thefc letters du Bourg ; he was Envoy of Savoy to the Hague. I \ you CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 443 you are fure is final, cuts off all pretence of delay on the account of what Buys was lent to negociate. T muft now take the liberty to tell your Excellency, with that freedom which be- comes a friend, and which you have allowed me to ufe, that you carry your fufpicions by much too far. I really thought that you had carried over with you all the papers which France has figned ; and if the feparate article was omit- ted to be given you, it was pure miftake ; had I deiigned to keep the fecret from you, I mould not have been weak enough to ipeak of it in a letter to you. As to any feparate treaty with France, there is no fuch thing ; the Queen would never think of taking fo difhonourable a meafure. We have indeed let France know, that we would iupport our allies in all their pretenfions, but that where they proved exorbitant, we would flep in to mediate. We will keep, in moft refpe&s, as near the preliminaries as we can ; and where we mall yield, or where we mail be firm, muft be determined by the turn which the nego- ciation, 444 LETTERS AND elation takes, and by accidents which arife in it. For God's fake, my Lord, be perfuaded that I have lefs cunning and more franknefs ; and that of all the people in the world I would not begin by playing tricks with one, whom I have correfponded and lived fo hap- pily with, and in whole bottom I am now embarked, upon the greateft and niceft oc- calion that was perhaps ever to be managed. The letter which Petkum mows about, is fo full of abfurdities, that either Ibme little fellow writ it from Paris, or another little fellow, that is, himfelf, invented it ; and the latter is not unlikely, considering how much he muft be piqued, as well as the reft of the peacebrokers, to fee their game taken out of their hands, and themfelves made ufelefs. I am dead with deep and fatigue. /My clear Lord, adieu ; once more, I conjure you, no jealoufies of a man who will always try to deferve your confidence, and who is, &. The feparate article is out of my hands at prefect, you mall have it next poft. CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 445 To the EartofSfraford*. MY LORD, Hampton Court, 30th Oober, 1711. SINCE my laft to your Excellency of the 26th, I have received the honour of your letter of the 4th November, N.S. I hope your Excellency has found, that I have been as exact as you delired I mould be, in fending you an account of what has pafled with Monfieur Buys fince his arrival here, and of the conferences which he had with the Queen's miniflers. If I have not made fo ample a relation of the feveral an- fivers and arguments, which were made ufe of in the debates with that minifter, it was becaufe your Excellency appeared in your own difpatches, to be very much matter of the ftate of the difpute, and that what was urged here was much to the fame effect: with what your Excellency had infifled on at the Hague. The great noife which is very induftrioufly made every where againft the Queen's mea- fures for procuring a general peace, does not * Public Letter. give 4.46 LETTERS ANO give the leaft fhock to her refolutions, which were taken on very long and very ferious confideration, fince her Majefty always fore- law that every thing would be put in pra&ice that was poffible to hinder the peace being made by her; or if me mould make it, yet at leaft me might not be a free agent in the matter, but find herfelf obliged to act according to the meafures which mould be prefcribed by Holland. If the Dutch will do juftice to themfelves, they muft not be furprized that the Queen does not leave the negociation any more in their hands, where it has mifcarried twice already; the enemy, as their own minifter, Monfieur Buys, owns, being dilpofed to con- clude it on fuch conditions, as it was not worth the life of one common foldier to refufe. Neither ought they to be furprized if her Majefty thinks fit to purfue another method than that which has been hitherto tried, and found to be only a means of elud- ing a peace, and was certainly an invention of thofe who, as your Excellency obferves, made a grimace of carrying on a treaty with- out any intention of concluding. It is like- wife a little extraordinary that fo fmall a weight CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 447 weight mould be laid on the Queen's aflfu- rances of making no peace without their reafonable fatisfaftion ; which engagement, however, her Majefty will not fail to perform very religioufly ; and fhe has infifted, and 4oes at this time infift, not only on fecuring them in refpecl to their barrier, but alfo on procuring them the advantages they delire for their commerce. And there is no room to doubt but that France will give all that can be reaibnably expeded on thofe two heads, rather than run the rifle of another campaign ; fince the difference between what they might propofe to gain by chican- ing and protracting the conclufion of the peace, and what is demanded of them in our prefent circumftances, is not fo conii- derable as to be worth the hazard of break- ing off the negociation by affected delays, and endeavouring to low divifions among the allies. Although, in the laft conference, the Lords gave Monfieur Buys to understand that the anfwer which he had from them in the Queen's name was final, fuch as ha4 been maturely weighed, and from which her Majefty would not depart ; the faid minifter, however. 448 LETTERS AND however, prayed and infifted that their Lordmips would report again to the Queen the fame reprefentations, hoping, as he faid, that her Majefty might change her mind upon reconfideration. I cannot perfuade my- felf that he expeded any effecft from thefe inftances, unlefs it were the gaining of time ; 1 mall, however, at my return from Hamp- ton Court, let him know that the Queen perlifts in her fentiments ; and that it is a vain thing to imagine that the States will be able to make her alter her refolution. It will therefore furely be the opinion of the wifeft and moil reafonable men among them, that they had better concur with a good grace in the Queen's meafures, and cooperate with her for their own intereft, which next to that of Great Britain, is what her Majefty has neareft at heart, than by ihowing fuch an obftinacy in their minifters, and railing fuch a fpirit in their people, to difoblige the Queen perfonally, and to give effectually to the French, by their conduct, that advantage which they are afraid they fhould get by her Majefty's meafures. 1 hope what has been faid here to Count MafFei, with vvhofe behaviour the Queen is CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 449 is very well fatisfied, and what was faid by your Excellency to the Marquis del Borgo at the Hague, will have that effect on his Royal Highnefs's mind, which it ought, and which we expect it ihould have. The Queen had for fome time, with great reafon, fufpected that the Count de Gallas was engaged in practices very difagreeable to his character ; it has at laft happened that fuch authentic proofs thereof are come to her Majefty's knowledge, as made it abfolute- ly necefTary to have a juft refentment mown. The mafter of the ceremonies was there- fore ordered, on Sunday laft, to go to the Count de Gallas, to forbid him the Court, in her Majefty's name, and to declare that me looked no longer upon him as a public Minuter, nor would receive any application from him: but that your Excellency may better be apprifed of this matter, and the reafons which induced her Majefty to take this ftep, 1 fend you the copy of a letter which I writ to Sir Clement Cottrel, and of another which I writ to Monfieur Hoff- man*, by the Queen's command. As * Gallas had been many years Imperial Enroy; but it was, in thofe times of party violence, no uu common occurrence to VOL. G g find 450 LETTERS AND As to the affairs of the North, which your Excellency mentions, I mall be much more able to write upon them, after I have re- ceived inftrudtions for anfwering thofe dif- patches which we had fome time fince by exprefs from Mr. Whitworth. I can only fay at prefeiit, that I think her Majefty de- termined to take fuch meafures this win- ter, as may leave her the leaft that is pof- fible at the mercy of the Northern powers, particularly, as to the Danilh and Saxon troops ; the Queen, I believe, is refolved to be at a certainty very foon, and not to fee herfelf a fecond year expofed to pay for bo- dies half complete, and to be threatened upon every occafion, even with the recall of thefe. In this general view, your Excel- lency may fafely venture to guide your con- duct ; and to this effect: you will pleafe tO' fpeak to the Minifters of the States, who; her Majefty makes no doubt, have the fame fentiments, as they have the fame expe- rience. I am, &c. H. St. JOHN. find the Minifters of foreigr. poweri deeply engaged in thefe cabals: this was his cafe, he was forbid the Court; but Hoff- man, the Imperial Refident, was informed, that communica- tions from Vienna through any other medium than the Counr, wouhi be received as fuai. CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 451 DC Monfieur de Torcy. MONSIEUR, A Verfailles, le aied'O&obre, 1711. LA leclure de la lettre dont vous m'a- vez honore, le i4me de ce mois, m'a fait autant de plailir, que vous en avez eu vous- meme a 1'ecrire. Je ne doute pas des fuites heureufes de la confiance reciproque qui commence a s'etablir; & je puis vous af- furer que le Roi contribuera de tout foil pouvoir a la fortifier. II eft aife a ceux qui trouvent leur interet dans le trouble, d'ex- citer & d'entretenir les defiances, mais il eft facile aufli de les diffiper, lorfque de part & d'autre on defire lincerement la paix & 1'union. J'efpere, Monfieur, que nous ver- rons enfin Theureux erfet de cette fince- rite reciproque ; vous la trouverez toujours dans les eclaircifTemens qu'il vous plaira de me demander, foit prefentement, foit dans la fuite de la negociation. Vous trouverez auffi de la part du Roi, la fermetc que la Reine de la Grande Bretagne peut defirer, pour faire jouir la nation Angloife des avan- tages dont on eft convenu. Je fuis perfuade que de la part de fa Ma- G g 2 jefre 45 3 LETTERS AND jefte Britannique, cette fermete ne fera pa$ moindre pour achever 1'ouvrage de la paix a des conditions avantageufes a la France, & a 1'Angleterre, en forte que deformais les deux nations s'uniifent par des liaifons que rien ne puifife rompre. Je vous fupplie de croire que perfonne ne fouhaite plus que ..moi les occafions de vous faire connoitre que je fuis tres parfaitement, Moniieur, &c. Votre, &c* Le Roi a nornme Monfieur le Marefchal d'Huxelles, Monfieur TAbbe de Polignac*, & Monfieur Mefnager, fes Plenipotentiaire3 aux conferences de la paix. De Monfieur de Torcy. MONSIEUR, A Versailles, le 2me Novembre, 1711". COMME la lituation prefente des affaires demande qu'on agiile d'un parfait conceit pour raccomplifTement de Touvrage com- * Afterwards Cardinal. mence, CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 453 inence, j'ecris au Sieur Gaultier, pour fa- voir quelles mefures la Reine de la Grande Bretagne jugera qu'il y ait a prendre fur le refus que les Hollandois font d'entrer en conference pour la paix. Permettez-moi, Monfieur, en vous addreflant la lettre, de vous alTurer, que je fuis, &c. A Monjleur de Torcy. , MONSIEUR, De Hampton Court, ce 22me O&obre 1711. J'AVOIS repondu a votre lettre du 21 me d'O&obre, N.S. quand celle du 2e Novem- bre fut rendue. Je ne vous repeterai plus les aflurances d'une fincerite parfaite, puifque les paroles deviennent inutiles quand les occafions fe prefentent de la montrer par des effets. Monfieur Gaultier, qui aura 1'honneur de vous rendre cette lettre, vous decrira en meme-tems la fituation prefente des affaires de la paix. II eft aile a ceux qui trouvent leur interet dans le trouble (je me fers, Monfieur, de vos expreffions) d'exciter & d'entretenir les de^. G g 3 fiances. 454- LETTERS AND fiances. Voila a quoi les mal-intentionnes travaillent chez nous, & par-tout ailleurs, Je n'en fuis pas pourtant beaucoup en peine, puifqu'il ne depend que du Roi Tres Chre- tien de rendre tous leurs efforts inutiles, Les eclaircnTemens que vous me pro- mettez, diffiperont tous ces nuages, & vous croirez que nous nous fervirons de ces lu- mieres avec beaucoup de retenue, quand je vous allure que ii le Roi voudroit ofFrir, comme il a fait autrefois, un plan de preli- minaires fpecifiqueb, la Reine ne les le vou- droit jamais communiquer a fes allies, Je finirai en vous affurant que pourvu que 3e Sieur Gaultier retourne avec ces marques de confiance, dont je ne fuis nullement en doute, vous verrez notre parlement, qui va s'aflembler, autant porte a la paix qu'il a ja- mais ete a la guerre. Je fuis, &c. H. St. JEAN. To the Earl of Str afford. MY LORD, Whitehall, October 3Oth, 1711. I AM come from Hampton Court to fi- my difpatches, and mail throw into this CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 455 this pirivate letter, what I have to fay to your Excellency of greateft moment. Inclofed, you will receive a fort of me- morial, which I prepared by the Queen's order, and which has been given to the perfon employed between France and us, in the courfe of the prefent negociation. This man, whofe name is Gaultier, went away this morning, and is fully inftrudted to open the Queen's views to the French, and to mow them how certainly the great difficulties, both here and abroad, are re- moved, if they place that confidence in her Majefty which her conduct deferves from them. In (hort, my Lord, we are on the only bottom which can carry us to a peace. The conferences muft be opened upon the general preliminaries, and the Queen muft be empowered feparately to offer to the allies what may be reafonable for each to accept ; her own interefts being fettled, me muft be mediator for others. I inclofe likewife a copy of a letter to Monfieur de Torcy, fince every paper which pafles on this occa- fion, though never fo trivial, helps to let your Excellency the more into her Majefty's fenfe. Gg 4 My 456 LETTERS AND My Lord Dartmouth has, by the Queen's order, fpoke to the Count de MafFei, and given him communication of the instances made in behalf of his matter's barrier, which it was not to be imagined would be ne- glecled by her Majefty, who has been fo frank in declaring her opinion, and in of- fering her bed offices for his aggrandize- ment. Your Excellency will pleafe to fpeak to the Marquis du Bourg to the fame efFecT:, without telling him in what manner thefe inflances are made. I believe you will think proper to infmuate to this gentleman, as I have done to tha Comte de Maftei, that his Royal Highnefs cannot but be convinc- ed of her Majefty 's fincere concern for him, and for his family, and therefore ; that he will do well to make all the necefTary ad- vances on his fide, and to mow the due re- turns to her Majefly, by co-operating with her, and by obferving the ftrifteft confi- dence with her, in the progreis of thefe ne- gociatiuns. I am not furprifed at the uneafinefs which the Dutch feel, nor at the riotous manner in which they exprefs it. So many years together. CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 457 together has this nation received the law from the influence of their councils, that they are come to think themfelves pofTefTed of a fort of prescriptive right to govern us for ever. But furely the fober and reafon- able men amongft them, will look on the aflurances, fo often repeated by the Queen and her fervants, as a very good reafon for being latisfied themfelves, and for calming the minds of others. We only differ about the method of proceeding, and it will not appear very juftifiable, every thing confider- ed, that the Queen's infifting on that which fhe thinks the beft, fhould occafion fo much clamour in Holland, and run fo far towards breaking the good correlpondence of the two nations. I am fure I need not fay to your Excel- lency, that it will be of great ufe to have fome particular people made fenfible of this, and of the folly of mowing any diftruft of the Queen. Might not people be found to infinuate, that Holland have, more than once, rejected or evaded the beft terms of peace, that wife men could have wished to pbtain ; that it is time to try whether the Queen cannot make the peace which they negle&ed ; 458 LETTERS AND neglected ; and whether another method not fucceed better, worfe it cannot, than the former did ? I have not time to acquaint your Excel- lency with the particulars of the difcovery which induced her Majefty to fhow her re- ientment in fb remarkable a manner to the Count de Gallas. What you will find in my other difpatch is all that the Queen thinks proper fhould yet-a-whjle be faid upon the fubjecl:. By the firft fafe opportunity, I will inform your Excellency more circumftan- tially of the matter ; in the mean time, I cannot forbear telling you, that the whole drift of this Minifter's correfpondence, was to reprefent the Queen's word as not to be relied on, to reprefent her Minifters, in the grofs, as fools, knaves, and, in exprefs terms, as enemies to the common caufe, My letter is grown immoderately long, it is high time to relieve you, and to finim, by aiTuring your Excellency, that I am faith* fully, and, if you will allow the familiarity, affectionately", your's, &c. CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 459 To the Earl of Peterborough. MY LORD, Whitehall, O&ober 30*, 1711, I AM flill in daily expectation of an op^ portunity of writing to you by the courier, who will carry my Lord Dartmouth's dif- patches to your Lordmip ; and indeed till fome fuch conveyance prefents itfelf, I dare not write with freedom, fince the matters at preient in treaty, are of the niceft nature; and fince the methods nfed for difcovering what paries are more refined, and more fcan- dalous than ever, The inclofed papers will mow your Lordmip, in what manner the Queen has thought fit to proceed with the Count de Gallas, and the public reafons which (he gives for her conduct towards him. I mail only add at prefent, that this difcovery gives her Majefty jufl occafion of mowing that me will not fufFer the treatment which me has met with, and of giving warning ta others how they prefume too far upon her goodnefs, and the lenity of her temper. It has proved of great fervice in a critical time, and there is here a due ienfe of the merit of it. Though LETTERS AND Though you muft be impatient to receive her Majefty's farther orders and inftru&ions, yet I hope this interval from the hurry of bufifinefs will have contributed to your Lord- fhip's health, as I make no doubt the good climate, whither you are going, will confirm jt. I am, my Lord, &c. To the Earl of Partmort* MY LORD, Whitehall, O&ober 24, 1711, I TAKE the opportunity of her Majefty difpatching Colonel King to your Lordfhip, to return my humble thanks for the honour of your Lordfhip's letter, which I received by Mr. Conduit, and for that kind remem- brance, and favourable opinion, which you are fo good as to preferve of me. The whole fyftem of the war in Portugal and Catalonia, is fo wrong in every part, that Britain cannot, in the firft place, bear the unequal load, and, if me could, perhaps the expence is not clirecled to the purpofes moft conducive to that end, which we pro- pofe to ourfelves. The Qiieen is fo feniible of thisj that your Lordihip lees ihe begins to change CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 461 change her meafures ; and, I believe, the fears which fome people may have of lofing by this alteration, give rife to many of thofe difficulties which you meet with in carrying the fervice on. The refolution her Majefty is come to, of fending your Lordfhip to Gibraltar, and the Duke of Argyle to Port Mahon *, may feem at nrft a little extraordinary ; but when it is conndered of what importance the preferva- tion and fettlement of thefe places, on a good foot, is to Britain ; when it is confidered what immenfe ilims have been expended upon them, how blind the accounts are which come over of the condition of them, and how many particulars are not accounted for at all ; when all this has been conndered duly, I believe it will appear, that a fervice of fo much moment, requires fupervifors of your rank; and that fuch a fcene of ignorance and knavery, requires an authority equal to yours, to check and to reform it. The perfon fent with this letter, is a * This appears to be a coup d'etat. Portmore and Argyle were both appointed to their commands, in Portugal and Catalonia, by the new miniftry ; both were at this time dif- gufted with their ftations, both folicited to return; the war in both places was given up ; and in order to foften their return ipmpioyments of confiderable importance were ailigned to them] 462 LETTERS AND young man, who has, I think, as much geniits as a fond father would wiih to his favourite fbn ; and befides the theory of his trade, he has all the experience which the campaigns in Flanders of this war, could give him. I took the liberty to recommend him to the Queen, when I found (he was quite diflatif- fied with Mr. Bennet's conduct, and deter- mined to trufl him no more. I mufr. re- commend him like wile to your Lordmip ; and I dare anfwer, that when you have once made experience of him, he will lufficiently recommend himfelf. My Lord Dartmouth writes fo amply to your Lordmip, concerning the particular in- tentions of her Majefty, that it would be fuperfluous and impertinent for me to add any thing; I cannot, however, omit faying, that I hope your Lordfhip will not only put the place in a condition of fafety, but bring her Majefty fuch an account of the ftate of the town, fortifications, ftores, artillery, eco- nomy, government, garriibn, and other cir- cumftances, as may enable her, once for all, to make fuch regulations, and to eftablim fuch a method of fupporting them, that me may be well ferved for the future, where it is CORRESPONDENCE, &c. 463 is of fo great importance that me mould be fo. Colonel King is either to ftay there, or to come back with your L-ordfhip, as you fliall pleafe to determine ; in the laft cafe, I fuppofe he will be ordered to return im- mediately with the Queen's directions upon, your Lordfhip's report. I will end this te-* dious letter, with the repetition of my fin- cere refpedt for your Lordfhip, and of my aflurances that I am, my Lord, c. ! *To Mr. Statnwix *' SIR, Whitehall, 3ift October, 1711. THE Queen having determined to fend the Earl of Portmore to Gibraltar, that he may infpecl: the condition of the place, and bring her Majefty an account of every thing relating to it ; upon which, I hope, fuch an eftablifhment may be fettled, and fuch re- gulations made, as will be for the advantage of the Queen's fervice, and for the eafe of you and all the gentlemen under your com- * Brigadier-general SttAwix, Commander in Chief at jbraltar. - mand ; 464 LETTERS AND mand ; her Majefty has likevvifc thought fie to order Colonel King, upon his return from North America, to proceed to Liibon, that 1 he may attend the Earl of Portmore, and either flay with you, or return hither, as his Lordihip mall judge moil proper. You will give me leave to recommend " this officer to your acquaintance and friend- mip ; as he is matter of a thoufand good qualities, I am fure you will never blame me for taking this liberty. I have faid to my Lord Portmore, and to Colonel King, and I muft fay to you, that I hope the report, which from this fur- vey we (hall receive, will enable the Queen to take her meafures with certainty, hi every refpect. I am, Sir, &c. To the Earl of Strajford *. MY LORD, Whitehall, November 2dj 17 ii; YOUR Excellency will receive in this packet a ftate -j* of the proceedings in Den- mark towards feveral of her Majefty's fub- * Public Letter. -t- Extrafted from Mr. Pulteney's Letter. BOLINGBROKK. 4 je6ts, CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 465 jefts, concerned in, and owners of (hips bought in Sweden, and taken by the Danes in their paffage to Britain. The injuftice is fo very flagrant, that the Queen will not fit down under fuch treat- ment, and the particulars are tranfmitted to your Excellency, that you may be able to fpeak to the Danifh minifter upon the fub- jedt, and that you may fee how much more realbnable and neceflary it is for- us to de- mand new fecurities from Denmark, than for thofe people to infift on new advantages from us. Upon the two lafl difpatches which I had the honour to fend your Excellency, you have, I fuppofe, again prefTed the States to think feriouily, of what you have, in her Majefty's name, communicated to them ; and on the accounts which they have receiv- ed from Monfieur Buys, 'it is to be hoped they have fpoke to you in a more complying flyle, lince he has ferved them very ill, if he has not convinced them of the Queen's tirmnefs, and mown them how little is to be got by attempting to (hake her reiblu- tion, or to alter her meafures. I faw this minifrer yefterday morning, VOL. L H h and 4.66 XETtERS AND and this evening, at my office ; we talked indeed a little, and but a little, on the method of peace-making ; fince the Queen's final anfwer being given, it was vain to ar- gue any longer about the matter. I prefled him upon two other heads : the method of carrying on the war, and the project of an alliance between the two nations. On the firft he has no inftructions, and he feems to entrench himfelf in thefe two holds, that England and Holland have done equally well, fmce both have done their utmoft, and nothing but exhortations can be ufed to prevail on the other allies to act with greater vigour. On the fecond, he has instructions to treat, and to take the matter as it were, ad referendum, but he has no power to con- clude. We cannot agree, that there is that parity between the efforts of England and Hol- land, and we think that as little good effect is to be expected from future exhortations, as has been produced by thofe volumes, which the Dutch have every winter fo li- berally difperfed *. The Queen, indeed, will not finally concert a plan for the profecu- * The Dutch publifhed every winter, a ftate of the war. 4 tion CORRESPONDENCE, &C 467 tion of the war with the States, until they join with her in agreeing to open the con- ferences of peace ; but I have offered Mon- fieur Buys to -go through the fcveral parti- culars with him, and to (how him where we think oUr own burden too heavy, and that of others too light. By thefe confer- ences we fhOuld at leaft underfland each other the better, arid prepare the way for a new fyftem of war. On the head of the alliance a brouitlon has been formed by my Lord Privy SeaL Mr. Buys has read it, and has made fomc alterations in it. It will be again talked over, and then tranfmitted to your Excel-*. Jency to finim* I am^ &c. H. St. fo tbe Earl of Strafford *. MY LORD* Whitehall j November gth, ALTHOUGH we have no boat on this fide of the water, yet her Majefty having directed fome matters which are of mo- * Public Letter. H h 2 ment, 468 LETTERS AND ment, and which require difpatch, I have fent to the Polt-mafters General that they mould hire a veflel to carry over the letter of this night, as well as thofe of Tuefday and Friday laft, which are ftill detained. Whilft Mr. Buys is in expectation of frefh inftructions from his matters, that he might not appear to be entirely idle, he has preffed to proceed upon the projecl of an ofFeniive and defenfive alliance betwixt the two na- tions; he owns himfelf not impowered to iign fuch a treaty, but deiired extremely to fee one formed, and to have the liberty of lending it over, in hopes that his malters might authorize him finally to conclude it, or at leaft to fign it fub fpe rati. The Queen, who has not agreed with him in many other points, was willing enough to indulge him in- this; and accordingly a brouillon having been formed by my Lord Privy Seal, leveral extenfions given to it by Monfieur Buys himfelf, the Lords of the Council met him this morning, in a con- ference, at the Earl of Dartmouth's office. There was no difpute between him and the Lords, except upon two points; the firfl related CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 469 related to thefe words in the preamble, cum pax communi confenfu inita fuerit. My Lords thought that this muft be im- proper to be mentioned, fince, in its full ex- tent, it never can be expecled ; the joint- confent of Britain and Holland to a treaty of peace will, we can make no doubt, be at laft eafily had ; but by the laft claufe in this project of a treaty, the Emperor and other allies are to be invited as parties into it ; and confequently the confent of every one of thefe would, by thefe general words, become neceflkry. Monfieur Buys, in an- fwer to this, obferved, that this treaty pro- pofed is nothing more than a repetition of what has been already, by former treaties, ftipulated ; that it is defigned to mow both our friends and enemies, by a renewal of former engagements, that we intend to con- tinue firmly united together ; and therefore that the expreflions in this ought to be at leafl as ftrong as any precedent alliances, in all which, upon the fame occafion, thefe words, communi confenfu^ are ufed. He did indeed agree, that a peace by univerfal eon- fent was hardly to be expected ; but he perfifted, that admitting of thefe words H h 2 would LETTERS AND would tic Britain and Holland down in a future negociation, no more than the fame had done in that of Ryfwick, where the Emperor diffented from us, and yet the peace was made. The fecond obje&ion made by the Lords to what had been inferted by Monfieur Buys, was to thefe words, eofdem trattatus de. nova confirmare. My Lords were apprehenfive that what went before might not be fo clear, but that this expreffiqn might here- after be conftrued to confirm all the treaties between the Queen and the States, and might make it difficult to alter even fuch par- ticulars of them, as if: may appear realon- able to change. It was infinuated to him, that he himfelf had not been y.ery well able to defend all tjie exceptions to the barrier- treaty ; and befides that, perhaps the bar- rier of Holland might be equally good, though not numerically the fame, as is fpe- cified in their favourite bargain. His anfwer to this was, in ihort, that thefe words could never be underftood tp include the barrier- treaty, but they could refer tp none but of- fenfive and defenfive alliances ; and that they ought either to be left in, or the treaties thereby CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 471 thereby confirmed ought particularly to be mentioned. The whole matter was at laft taken ad referendum ; we report to the Queen, he to the States ; and after having compared his copy of the project and mine together, we parted. The inclofed* is an exaft * Projeft of a treaty with the States-General. " Sereniflima ac Potentiflima Princeps & Domina, Anna, Dei gratia Magnae Britanniae, Fra noise, & Hibernias Regina, Fidei Defenfor, &c. ec Celfi ac Praspotentes Domini Ordincs Generales Foederati Belgii ad rationes tarn belli prefentis, quam pacis obtandce, &Deofavente fecuturz, animum omniftudio advertentes, {if :atoriim qui huic ccrA r entioni accefTerint vires confocientur, e> tal'inu^.e,^ ten a marique ad bibiantur contra yu. ;::<.i..-zque ts.rbato, tat, trout pei icult magnitudo id exigtrit, ufque aur?i parti Ifffee fai j'atu ac pacis et tranquil- litatis publicse rediniegtationi & fecuriU'ti cmnino prof; ^aum ac provifum fnerit. "In quern quideiii finem, ad fir:' am nempe f-lidamque tran- quillitatem c6 plenius perfeftiufMue procurandam, ea -dem^. pojira tuen^ain otnnes et finguli principes ac ftatus Chriftiani, pacem amantts, maxiiric vero Caefarca fua Majtftas et re- Uqui fcderati invitandi erunt, ut in h-sec pafta tranfeant, deque eifdem ampliandis porro~aptandifque ad fcopum phi in, pacincuf.: et falutarem, quern fibi uriice proponunt altcme- TOorati contrahentes, confenfum & opcratn iiiam adhibere vei. r. 14 Qiir.irquam traftatus anno i 701, ititer caefarcam fuam Ma- jeftatcm nuprrunique Mngna? Britannia; regem Gulielmum Tertium gloriofa; memo da: et diftos ordines geneiales con- c!ufu3, aiiufqu'e anno 1703, inter lupradiftam reginam magn Britannice eoidtmq. Ordineb Generales. faftus c6 fatis tendant." f Which are here printed in Italics. hand CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 473 hand to the Emperor, on the fubje6l of the Count de Gallas, has thought, fit to order her Secretary of the embafly at the Hague to proceed to meet his Imperial Majefty, and to deliver her letter to him. Mr. Watkins is at the lame time fully inilrucled in the fe- veral particulars on which the refentmenr, her Majefty thought fit to exprefs againft the Count de Gallas, was grounded, as they are too voluminous to be fent with this letter to your Excellency, you will allow me to refer you to Mr. Watkins for them. The Queen thinks it below her dignity to enter into a formal justification of her conduct; and I believe the beft meafure your Excel- lency can obferve, will be to (peak in gene- ral terms of this matter, without feeming to be inftrufted. 1 fend your Excellency a copy of what I have writ to Monfieur Rofenkrantz, con- cerning the difpute, which- we have at this time with the Danes. There comes like- wife a copy of a report of the Commit fioners of trade, relating to the fame matter. It is hard to conceive a treatment more un-. juft, than what our merchants have met with at Copenhagen, or a proceeding found- e4 LETTERS AND ed on more arbitrary principles, or fupported by more abfurd arguments. I am, &c. H. St. JOHN, De Mon/leur de Torcy. MONSIEUR, A VerfalHes, le i8me Noyembre, 1711, J'AI reu par le Sieur Gaultier la lettre que vous m'avez fait 1'honneur de m'ecrire, Je pme de ce mois, & je crois que vous etes |)ien perfuade, que le roi a vu avec beaucoup de plaifir, les marques nouvelles de la fermete que la Reine de la Grande Bretagne fait paroitre pour le retablifTement d'une bonne & fure paix. J'efpere, Monfieur, que fes intentions finceres & equitables auront tout le fucces qu"on en doit attendre pour le repos de TEurope. Vous verrez aufli, Monfieur, par le memoire que le Sieur Gaultier aura J'honneur de vous remettre, que le Roi n'oublie rien ppur 1'heureux accompliffement d T une negociation auffi bien commencce, & que fa Majefte compte entierement fur le fecret & fur le bon ufage que vous ferez de la confiance entiere qu'elle temoigne a la Reine de la Grande Bretagne. CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 475 Les bonnes difpofitions du parlement pro- chain, acheveront de detruire les efperances de ceux qui yeulent la continuation de la guerre, au depens du bonheur de la nation, &: vous ne lui rendez pas, Moniieur, un me- diocre fervice en travaillant a la concluiion d'une paix, ou el)e trouvera fa gloire & fes ayantages. Je vous fupplie de croire qu'on ne peut etre plus yeritablernent, que jc fuis, Mpnfieur, &c. 7o Mr. Watkins. Whitehall, Ngvembcr gth^ 1711. YOU receive, by the Queen's command, here inclofed, a lettre-de-cachet* from her Majefty to the Emperor, and copies of feve- ral affidavits, relating to the conduct of (he Count de Gallas. The Queen directs th^t you proceed im- mediately to meet his Imperial Majefty, which (he fuppofes you may do about the time he arrives at Frankfort. You are to * This epithet founds, to a Bmifh ear, tinpleafantly, as conveying ideas of the tyrannical ufe of thefe lettres-de-cach'et in France ; t?ut there, as well as in England, the (Imple mean- ing is nothing more than a letter written and fealed by the make 476 LETTERS AND make the proper compliments, and to ac- quaint his Imperial Majefty, that the Queen having an occafion to write to him, in an affair of great importance, and which touches her very nearly, had commanded you to leave your poft at the Hague, and to deliver, with the greateft difpatch, her letter to him. You may likewife infmuate enough to make the Emperor underftand, that you are fufficiently Inftrucled in the particular inftances which prompted her Majefty to take the refolution of forbidding the Count de Gallas the court ; , and when the Minifters prefs you upon the lubjccl, you may fpeak to them, according to fuch informations as the inclofed papers will give you. Whenever you mention Cle- mente*, you will talk of him as a fpy, dif- covered and feized by us, and leave them rather to think his confeflion made after he was taken up, than to imagine that he was gained by us, whilft he was employed by them. A day or two will fuffice for per- forming this fervice, and you are then to return to the Hague with all poffible dili- gence, where her Majefty judges that your * Clemente's conducl was not very praife-worthy, as be &ad betrayed his matter. prefence CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 477 prefence will by that time be abfolutely ne- ceflary, on account of the negotiation of peace, and fuch other matters as immediately belong to thspoft of Secretary, to the em- bafTy, and wherein the Qween makes no doubt of your ferving her with equal capa- city, faithful nefs, and application. I fhould have enclofed a copy of the let- tre-de-cachet, but the Queen forgot to fend it from Hampton Court. Not having time to enter into the detail of the commiffion you are fent upon, in my letter to' the Earl of StrafFord, it will be pro- per to acquaint his Excellency with it, and I have accordingly referred him to this difpatch. I am, Sir, &c. To the Earl of Straff ord. MY LORD, Hampton Court, November lyth, 1711, I CANNOT do any more at prefent, than acknowledge the favours of your Ex- cellency's letters of the 7th, roth, I3th, 1 5th, aoth, and 211!:, N.S. Monfieur Buys will this evening have an audience of the Queen, .and in the beginning of the week, a conference 47$ LETTERS AKD a conference with the Lords; immediately after which, I (hall difpatch a mefTenger to your Excellency. It is impoflible to do better than you have done, my Lord, in every part of this diffi- cult negociation, and I heartily congratulate with your Excellency on the fuccefs of your labours. The Queen commands me to fay, fhe is extremely fatisfied with your Excel- lency's conduct. The perfon I named to you more than a fortnight ago, is returned. The Queen, I think, has it in her power to do every thing that is reafonable for her allies ; and the beft thing they can do for themfelves, is to fubmit to her, inftead of ftruggling againit that power, without whom, they can neither make war or peace to any good effect. I am, my Lord, &c. To the Earl of Str afford. MY LORD, Hampton Court, November 21 ft, 1711. I AM to return my humble thanks for feveral private letters from your Excellency, which I have been honoured with ; the im- portance CORRESPONDENCE, &C. portance of the negociation now on foot, and the villainous endeavours which arc ufed to difappoint or to fpoil it, make it abfolutely necefTary for thofe, who are em- ployed in the conducl of it, to correfpond \vithout refer ve towards each other, and to acl with the utmoft caution towards the reft of mankind. We have had letters from Monlieur de Torcy, and a memorial, in anfwer to that fent ibme time ago into France, wherein the Queen defired particularly to be informed of the intention of that court, as to the barrier and commerce of Holland, and as to the Duke of Savoy's interefts. The paper we have received, is extremely long, and in fome parts not extremely clear ; but, upon, the whole, I dare fay we may depend on every thing reafonable for the States, for his Royal Highnefs, and for all the allies, except the Emperor, at whofe expence this peace is likely to be made, as the war has been at ours. When we have fettled the proportions with Monfieur Buys, and with the Cheva- lier de MarFei, which we mail inlift upon at the future treaty ; I will be fure to in- form 4&0 LETTERS AND form your Excellency of the whole ; and my opinion is, that we mould then frankly let France know, what the terms are to which the principal allies will probably re- duce themfelves, which we mutt join with them in demanding, and which muft be yielded to fecure the peace. I mould add, that we have not yet owned to Buys, the return of the perfoii fent to France. The Duke of Marlborough, I have feen once, but it has been in public, fb that I am very much a flranger to his Grace's fenti- ments. I hear, however, that he will de- cline here meddling in this affair, and that in his converfation with the Queen, he has fpoke againft what we are doing ; in fhort, his fate hangs heavy upon him, and he has of late purfued every council which was the worft for him. There will be mention made in the Queen's fpeech, of the negociation of peace but, I take it for granted, this will only be general, and enough to procure the fandion of both Houfes to our proceedings. Indeed, if the Dutch had been obflinate, it would have been neceflary to have opened more to the CORRESPONDENCE, &C. 481 the parliament, as we mould have wanted more from them. The Queen defires that your Excellency will compliment Mr. Van Lia*, and acquaint him, that her intention always was to have his penfion continued to him, and that Mrs. Mafham has her Majefty's orders to pay it. Since I writ thus far, I have been with the Queen, and I find that my intelligence was true concerning the Duke of Marlbo- rough. His Grace may take what turn he pleafes, but I will venture to affure your Ex- cellency, that the bent of the nation is for peace ; and thofe who talk with the members^ as they arrive from their feveral countries, allure me, that they come up determined to fupport all we are doing ; and that no- thing is more popular than that firmnefs and refolution which has been mown by the Queen's fervants, in carrying on the great work, amidfh fo much oppofition and fo much clamour. Barton, who brings this difpatch, is or- dered to attend your Excellency, and I be- * A perfon of this name was, in King William's reign, Er& yoy from the States. VOL. I. I i licve 482 LETTERS, &C< lieve you will think fit to have either Barlow or him always in waiting. I am, with great truth, my Lord, &e. Breton* will be fhortly fent to Berlin, but it is not yet declared. * Brigadier-general William Breton, TR AN- TRANSLATION O F FOREIGN LETTERS AND PAPERS, To Mr. Penfionary Buys* (Page i.) SIR, Windfor Caftle, O&ober nth, 1710, O.S. T RECEIVED the news of your illnefs, through Mr. * Drummond, with much concern ; I hope it will be of fhort continuance, and that your health, fo neceflary for the welfare of the common caufe, will be fpeedily reftored. I proteft, Sir, with all the fincerity of an honcft heart, that when I entered the office in which I have now the honour to ferve her Majefty, no coniideration was more pleafmg to me than the opportunities I mould then have of mowing how great has been my efteem for you ever fmce 1 knew you in London, and which is Itill warmly impreiTed on my heart. I have alv/ays looked upon the intereft of our countries as infeparable, without injury to both : a principle which has never failed, ever fmce your republic was founded, is, that when our Princes purfued the true intereft of their kingdoms, they were the friends o Holland; and we never were at enmity with you, but while our Courts were forming projects equally as pernicious to us as to the Lords the States- General. There are maxims which fhall go* vern my condu 51 ; and 1 am willing to hope, that, with your good advice, I may be able to make them, in fome meafure, ufefuj and advantageous to botn nations. You will think it right that I fhould occafionally write to you, at lead on the f*bje6l of our home affairs : you I i 2 may jf?4 TRANSLATION OF may depend upon the truth, which of late has been dif- guifed with as much malevolence as artifice. I am, Sec. To MarjbalTallard' (Page n.) SIR, Whitehall, November 7th, 1711. I HAVE had the honour to read to her Majefty the letter you wrote to me : the Queen cannot at prefent grant you leave to go to France, but (he orders me to affure you that fhe is- Terrible of your misfortunes, and that you will, upon a future occafion, find her difpofed to grant the mitigation you requeft. I hope, Sir, you will do me the juftice to believe, that I reprcfented your cafe in the beft manner poffible ; and that, upon all occafions, you will experience a readinefs ta do you every fervice in my power. I am, &c. To Mcnfuitr de Robertbon. (Page 12.} S I R, Whitehall, November toth, 1710. THE honour you have done me by your letter of the 23d October, deferved an anfwer by the firft opportunity; a duty which I fhould not have failed to perform, had' I not been for thefe two weeks pad fo over-burdened with bufinefs as to render it impoflible. I beg you to believe, Sir, that I accept with all imagin- able pleafure the offer you make me of your correfpon- dence ; to me it muft be agreeable, and may be beneficial to the two Courts which we have the honour to ferve. Baron Eothrnar is expe&ed here fhortly : fome time fmce, I difpatched the Queen's orders to the Commiffion- ers of the -Admiralty to fend a yatch to Holland for him. He may be certain ofrny humble fervices on all occafions; that is, indeed, the fmalleft token I can give of the re- fpecl I have always preferved, and ihail ever retain, for the Court whofe Minifter he is. Her Majefty will very foon name her AmbafTador to his Elecloral Highnefs ; i hope you will be fatisfied with him, and I doubt not your granting him your protedtion. You will always' do me a particular favour in com- municating your orders ; a truth, of which I beg you to be convinced: and, in the mean time, no one can be more fincerely, &c. TV FOREIGN LETTEHS AVD PAPERS. 485 To Mr. Penfionary Buys. (Page 19.) S i R, Whitehall, November i-th, 1710, O.S. THE obliging manner in which you received my oftcr of a correfpondence, the advantage of which will be wholly mine, engages me to defer no longer my return of thanks. The maxims you fo much approve of, are thofe which I have ever purfued; they are indelibly graven on my heart, and on thofe of many perfons here, who have pro- bably been reprefented in Holland under a very different character. The Duke of Shrewsbury and Mr. Harley are much your fervants, as are alfo thofe other gentlemen who had the advantage of knowing you during your ftay here. They have continued in the fame opinion with regard to the com- mon caufe, and the interefts of our two nations., as they then profefled ; and if, at this time, they have not the fame connections, nor the fame intimacies and friendftiips as they then had, I can aflure you, the change did not take place through any fault of theirs. We {hall calm the pub- lic mind as much as poflible, and you need not fear that things will be pufhed too far, for that parliament which manifefted more violence than any fince the reign of Charles II, has been difFclved. The allies were alarmed when the Queen thought proper to change her miniftry, and we perfectly well know ths arts practifed to inflame the minds of men- I am willing to hope, that thefe hrft com- motions are over, and dare predict, that what has happened will make known to the world how greatly thofe have been .deceived who imagined, that all our exertions in the com- mon caufe were attributable to three or four perf \ns. Earl Rivers fpoke of you to me with ail the efteem which you merit ; and I can allure you, that he was very well fatished with his converfation with you. If he could not give you a pofitive anfwer upon a certain point, I will nevertheless give you my opinion upon it, which is, that the fituation of thofe who have the honour to ferve the Queen will depend upon their own conduct. I intended to have fpoken to you of two other articles of very great importance, upon which her Majefty, who defires in all things to act in concert with the States, and, without referve, has given her orders to the Duke of Ala, ,- I i 3 borough 486 TRANSLATION OF borough and my Lord Townfhend to fpeak to their High Mightineffes j but as my letter is already too long, I will no longer abufe your patience. I requeft the continuance of your friendship, and the juftice to believe, that I am, &c. To Alonficur de Robert hon. (Page 62.) SIR, Whitehall, January gth, 1710, O.S. I FEEL a lively gratitude for the honour his Electoral Highnefs has condefcended to do me. I beg you will re- peat to him my affurances, that no one can be more de- voted to his fervice, nor to that of his illuftrio.us houfe> than I am. In the various fituations of a life fufEciently bufy, I have endeavoured to exemplify thefe fentiments, and were I capable of change, I fhould confider myfelf un- worthy of the character of a eood Proteftant, a good Eng- lifhman, or a faithful fervant of the Queen, my miftrefs. Barcn Bothmar is now here ; I fhall not rail to live with him in moft perfect confidence ; and he may depend upon all the good offices in my power ; I even hope, that I have already fhown him that fuch is my intention. I agree with you, that during Baron Bothmar's ftay in London, it will beufelefs for me to give you the trouble of writing to me. Through him I will pay my compli- ments to you, and I fhall ever be, &c. ^ To Mr. Penfionary Buys. (Page 63.] SIR, Whitehall, January nth, 1710, O.S. I AM much pleafed to find you fatisfied with the open- ing; of our parliament, I dare foretell you will not be lefs fp^with its clofe. The p^rfons you mention well deferve that epithet of moderate men, which fome others have unjuftly arrogated to themfelves, fince the- have more than once' put a {top to the violence of our parties, and never more opportunely than in the late revolution in the administration ; in the latter inftance, had it not been for this turn of affairs, we ihould have become the flaves of a faction within, whi'e^ without, we were making the utmoft efforts in the caufe of the liberties of Europe. It is to.be hoped that, in time, all 4 :.;.: FOREIGN LETTERS AND PAPERS. 487 ur friends will be fenfible kow much they have beeen im- pofed upon by thofe people who wifhed to perfuade them, that the welfare of the common caufe was at ftake, while, in faft, the intereft of a few individuals was alone con- cerned. Every objecl: of contention fhle ; leaving the choice likewife to Eng- land, of either pf the (aid towns, wherein to treat of a ge- neral peace, Note. (Page 109.) The dbbe Gaultier to the Marquis de Torcy. SIR, London, May 8th, 1711, N.S. I HAD the honour to inform you on Tuefday, that I fiad given in the memorial entrufted to me the 23d ul- timo : it has been read and examined, and it is now tranf- mitted to the States- General. After having proceeded thus far, it is judged reafonable, that you fhould explain your- ielf, particularly on the contents of the firft article, and what; you mean by the words that the Englijh nation jhall have nal fecurities for carrying on their trade in Spain, the In-, dtts, and the ports of the Mediterranean.' I am order sd to write this to-day, and beg you will have the goodnefs to fend me an early anfwer. I am, &c. F. GAULTIER. Gaultier p tie la Qa.rde. London, May ?th, 171 1, N.S. PRAY convey the inciofed to its addrefs as foon as you, Deceive it 5 and fend me the anfwer as early as poflible. The Afarquis de Torcy to the Abbi Gaukier. SlR ? Marli, May 31^, 171 r, BY the laM poft I informed you, that I had received your letter of the '8th, and that I mould immediarely anhver the eiTential parts of its contents. I do this to-day, by giving you the explanation you require, upon the firft article of the r>rojec~t fent to you. In truth, it fhould properly be deferred until the conferences : and you can fcarce require Explanations when we have no auurances ou your pa it, We FOREIGN LETTERS AND PAPERS. 491 We are, however, willing to wave this difficulty, to {how not only the good faith and plain dealing, which you defire, but alfo that confidence which we place in you. You may then affure your employers, that we have received the King of Spain's word for the ceflion of Gibraltar to the Englifh, for the real fecurity of their trade in Spain and the Mediterranean. You will add, that no propofal has hitherto been made to hi? Catholic Majefty, for the fecu- rity of the Indian commerce j becaufe we fhould pre- vioufly know what England may judge proper on that fub- jet. Make enquiry then, and as foon as you (hall have 'informed me, we will make a ftrong application to the Ca- tholic King, that his minifters, at the conferences of peacej be inftru&ed on fo important an article, and which cannot be treated as preliminary. We know in general, that he will be difpofed to favour the Englifh, whenever they con- tribute their endeavours to the reeftablifhmenp of public tranquillity. I ipoke to you upon the pretended negociation of the Duke of Loraine, and 1 told you that Pryice, after hav- ing founded at the Hague, of his own accord had offered his fervices here j nothing has occurred in this bufinefs, fmce the King's anfwer flopped it at the commencement. You may depend upon what is ftated in the preamble to the memorial I gave you, it depends upon England whe- ther the King ever addrefles himfelf again to the Dutch, to treat of peace. There is ftill lefs foundation for the offers pretended to be made by the Duke of Noaiiles to the Archduke, than for the negociation fct on foot by the Duke of Loraine. In a word, the only one now open for peace is that with you. But make a good ufe of the confidence repofed in you, for it would be unjuft that the favourable appearances 'in another quarter fhcujd be loft. Do not confider this as a threat, but reflect how imprudent it would be in you to negledl the means of making peace, while we are not certain of any conceifions on your part. I am, &c. DE TORCY. To Marjhal de Mallard. ( Page 211.) S I R, May itrh, 1711. I RECEIVED your's of the ^th, and alfo that which your agent brought to me. To fend you the leave you reoueft 4.92 TRANSLATION OF requcft would be to me the greateft pleafure in the world, and J entreat you to depend upon my word, that nothing on my part fball be neglected to obtain it for you, The meflTenger you difpatched to France was fent off" im- mediately; in compliance with the ufual forms, 1 ran over your letters to the King, but gave them to the bearer with-r out delay ; and you may be a/lured that J mall mention their contents to no one. Your word of honour is fuffi- cient on that account; I did not fcal up the packets which your man had in charge, nor on this occafion have I taken the ufual precautions. I fend you a letter which Sir Walter has deured me to forward to you. No one is more fenfible of your mif- fortunes than, &c. To the Marquis ait Boi'.rg. (Page 235.) " S IR> June 5th, r?i r. AS you have demanded a communication in writing of what was faid to you this morning, by her Majefty's or- der, at the conference with the Lords of the Council, I have the honour to notify to you that the Queen's erreem and affection for his Royal Highnefs, your mailer, have not been the only inducement to forward his interefl: by every poffible means in her power ; but fiie conhclt-rs the aggrandizement of the Houfe of Savoy as the moil, c method of fupporting that balance of po\ver fo efc-ntial to the repofe and happinefs of Europe. That her i\; jjifv is refolved to merit in future, as ih; believes fhe h.i., hitherto done, the confidence which his Royal Highnefs places :r> her; and that the Queen coincides with his fakl Highncfs in his views, as well in the c^fi; of ir,C'..'rnp.-.tib:!;ry as in that of the union of the Empire with the ^panii': narchy. That her Majefty looks upon the rrurria^? of the Prince of Piedmont with the Archduchcfs as the furefr. and moft equitable method of averting thofe dan- gers to which, his Royal Highnefs conceives himfelf ex- pofed in one cafe, and of fee u ring his pretemions in the other. That (he is ready to propofe this marriage at a tisne, and in a manner, moft agreeable to his Royal High- nefs ; but fhe is of opinion, that, to facilitate this fcheme, it will be neceflary that the Archduchefs fhculd renounce her right to the hereditary countries of the Empire. Thixt 2 ' her FOREIGN LETTERS AND PAPERS. 493. her Majefty will immediately ufe her endeavours to bring her allies into the fame fentiments, and will begin, as foon as Lord Raby returns to Holland, to advife the States- General to adopt the fame plan. That the Queen, in this critical conjuncture, being difpofed to do every thing that his Royal Highnefs can require, the Lords of the Council are ready to confer with your mafter's minifters, upon the meafures moft proper to infure fuccefs to his plans. This is what I was ordered to write to you, and what I explained to you more circumftantially viva voce. I am, &c. I forbear mentioning Mr. W hi t worth's commiilion at the Court of Vienna, concerning the reinforcement of 8,000 men, as you are already apprized of her Majefty's eiders on that fubjecl:. To Count de Wrat'ijlaiv. (Page 251.) SIR, June 1 5th, 1711, I RECEIVED the letter committed to the care of Mr. Palmes at his departure from Vienna, and feel myfelf extremely obliged by the honour of your remembrance. The plan you have fent me is perfectly good, but it ap- pears to us, in our prejent circwnjlances^ a little too diffi- cult of execution. Let it be our firft care to reftore our fhattercd affairs in Catalonia, to prefs a vigorous war in thofe parts where it is already kindled ; after that it will be time enough to commence new enterprifes. Our good nature has hitherto prompted us to do more than could be expcled from our ability, and from what the Parliament (which has juft finifhed its feflion) has done, I doubt not you are convinced that our good nature will not diininifti. I hope Mr. Whitworth is arrived at Vienna, pnrfuant to the Queen's orders, to execute a commiflien which to us appears of the utmoft importance, and in which he will not be without the fupportof a minifterfo zealous ?nd prudent as you are. I recommend myfelf to the honour of your favour, and {hall always be, &e. 494 TRANSLATION OF To the Marquis du Bourg. (Page 282.) S IR>, July 24th, 1711. IT muft be very pleafing to me to commence a corref- pondence with you, fmce I profefs fo much efteem for you, and am as zealous for the fuccefs of your negotiations as it is poflible for man to be. . According to promife, I had written to a friend ; pro- bably he had no opportunity of difcourfing with the Pen- fionary on the concents of my letter, or perhaps that mi- nifter wiflied to avoid acknowledging it, the better to evade entering upon the fubject with you. Count Maffei will not fail giving you an exacl: account of what pafled at his two conferences with the Lords of the Council a few days ago. The Earl of Orrery, to prevent further lofs of time, is ordered to fpeak to the Pen- iionary, not only concerning the marriage, but alfo upon the interefts of his Royal Highnefs in the two cafes of compatibility and incompatibility. He will explain the Queen's fentiments, and urge the concurrence of the Dutch, in fuch a manner as to inform us, by their anfwer, how fat we may depend upon the States in this affair. I am by no means furprized at the open jealoufy which you have obferved in the Penfionary, founded on the cur- jent reports about the peace, nor at that which Count Sin* zendorf manifefts with lefs referve. But I muft return you many thanks for the wife and correct anfwer you gave to both. If we have not fupported the war like able politicians, we have at leaft carried it on like men of ho- nour and perfeverance ; and we ihall not lofe this cha- racter in making the peace. Mr. Whitworth has not been' able to obtain a fmgle man to reinforce his Royal Highnefs's army; his errand, how- ever, in my opinion, will not be without its advantage. I beg you will believe that I am,. &c. To Prince Kurakin. (Page 284.) SIR, July 24th, 1711. YOUR letter to the Duke of Queenfbury, arriving after his death, has been tranfniitted to me. As the affairs of the North will in future pafs through my hands, I ihould FOREIGN LETTERS AND PAPERS. 495 fhould have rejoiced to enter upon a negotiation with fo able a Minifter, and fo accompli med a man as you are. Though it be our misfortune to lofe you, yet I ftill beg of you to be affured, that your orders fhall always be readily received, and that I will with pleafure take every opportu- nity of keeping up the good agreement between the two nations, and of proving my efteem for your pe rfon. This is accompanied by a letter .from the Queen, in anfwer to one {he received from her Majefty the Czarina. The Jllnefs of the late Duke of Queenfbury, his death, and the confufion inevitable upon fuch occafions, have prevented your receiving it before, according to the pro- mife made to you. I am, &c. From the Marquis de Torcy. (Page 287.) S IR, Fontainblean, Anguft }d, 171 I- MR. PRIOR'S return to France, after an interval of many years, has given me great pleafure, and I could have wifhed that the abilities he poflefTes, and of which, I am confident, he would have made a proper ufe, had he been lefs reftridled ; I hope, Sir, that Monfieur Mefnager, who accompanies him back, will effect what he could not ; and jfttreat you to believe that upon all occafions I defire to prove myfelf, &c. To Monfieur (THervarf. (Page 308.) S I R, Aiigufc 8th, 1711. YOU know well enough the bufinefs I have in hand to excufe me if your letters be not anfwered with the punctuality they deferve. I intereft myfelf fo much in every thing that concerns you, that the death of your fon has greatly afflicted me. 1 will not weary you with- my confolations ; you are too much a Chriftian and a philofo- pher to want them. Your reflections on the Penfionary's fufpicions appear to me very juft. Efforts have been made to kindle a jea- loufy both here and in Holland. Certain it is, they made no great impreflion upon us, and I hope the Minifters of the States will not be more diftruftful than we are. That any difagreement between the maritim powers muft be atal to both, is an inconteftable truth e on our part, no- thing 496 TRANSLATION OF thing will be omitted fending to preferve the union of the two nations. The voluntary offer of Monfieur de Torcy, to give up Dunkirk undemoliflied to us, is very extraordinary. One fhould look upon it 4s a minifterial trick, for the purpofe of alarming the Dutch. I have often fpoken of you to the Earl of Strafford, fo that no inconvenience can happen',' fhould he learn that you receive my letters through the channel of his Secretary. I am, &c. From lie ^ueen to the Dowager Eleftrefs of Saxony. (Page 310.) MADAM AND SISTER, Windfor.'Auguft, 1710-11. WHEN I determined upon fending the Earl of Peter- borough to Germany, one of the firft commifnons en- trufted to him was to fee you, to make my compliments to you, and to renew my aflurances of moft perfect efteerri and moft tender friendmip. I avail myfelf of this oppor- tunity to exprefs to you the extreme forrow I felt at the report that the Electoral Prince, my coufin, was about to change his religion: God forbid that we {hould ever ex- perience fuch a misfortune, as to fee the eftablifhment of Popery in the Houfe of Saxony, which has at all times been the firm pillar of the Proteftants. I hope you will take in good part the franknefs with which I lay open the inmoft fentiments of my heart, anc? flat you will believe me to be, Madam and Sifter, Your moft affectionate Sifter, ANNE R. T Marjhalde Tallard. (Page 312.) S IR, Anguft 9th, 1711. I RECEIVED your letter of the i 4 th inft. N.S. together with the duplicate of that which you did me the honour to write three weeks ago. The firft came in due time, but I muft ingenuoufly acknowledge, that I could not fummon refolution to anfwer it, until I could with cer- tainty promife to fend you the Queen's leave to go to France. Excufe this delicacy, though you judge it ill- founded, and do me the jufti'ce to briieve that no other motive FOREIGN LETTERS AND PAPERS. 497 fttiotive could influence me in neglecling to write to you. For once, truft a man who has not the honour of being much known to you, but who will deceive nobody. I am in great hopes of obtaining, in a fhort time, your liberty upon your parole, and I aflure you that the obftacles that have oc- curred to fo juft and equitable a requeft, did not originate here. I am, &c. Pleafe to obferve that the latter part of this letter is folely for yourfelf. To Ear on de Seckingen. (Page 330.) S IR, Whitehall, Auguft iznd, 1711. BARON de Forftner did me great juftice, when he afTured you that I ftill preferve that friendmip for you, which I have always avowed ever fince our firft ac- quaintance at Milan. It is true, I retired to the country for three years ; it is alfo true, that there I pafled my time in ftudy and rural amufements, without ever regrett- ing' the Court, or that fmiling fortune which once flat- tered my ambition. But when it pleafed her Majefty to recal me to her fervice, I returned to bufmefs with a plea- fure equal to that I experienced in my retirement. Such is my hiftory ; and I thought our old friendfhip required this account from me. Preferve your affection for me, .and be aflured that, on my part, I (hall, during life, retain the pleafing remem- brance of thofe happy days we parted together, and (hall ever be, &c. To his Royal Highufs the Duke of Lorain. (Page 331.) MY LORD, Whitehall, Auguft und, 1711. MY humble endeavours to mow my zeal in your High- nefs's fervice do not deferve the honour you have done me by your letter of the 4th of laft month. The Queen has fo much efteem and friendmip for your Highnefs, and is fo convinced of the juftice of your pretenfions, that I muft not aflume a merit that does not belong to me ; any afliftance of mine in this refpedl would be ufelefs with her Majefty. Monlieur de Steinghens is a minifter whom I have long known, and for whom I entertain a high confideration ; VOL. I. K k he 498 TRANSLATION OF he will be always welcome to me, but can never be of much fo, as when he affords me the opportunity of (how- ing with how great refpedt and attachment, I am, &c. TD Baron de Forjlner. (Page 332.) S I R, Whitehall, Auguft zind, 1711. YOU are too obliging, and pay me compliments ill- fuited to the little civilities 1 have been able to fliow you during your ftay in London. To do myfelf juftice, I fhould be afhamed that 1 have not done more to mark the refpeet I have for you, and the character you appeared in, did I not know that the inceffant feries of bufinefs in which I am engaged, would be an excufe with a perfon fo con- fiderate as you are. Moniieur de Steinghens will have only to afford me the means of being ufeful to the Duke of Lorain ; in zeal and good-will i fliall never be defi- cient. The Earl of Peterborough, who is going to watch the intereft of her Msjefty, and of the common caufe in the empire, has, among others, inftru&ions on this fubjeft; he will not fail to infift thereupon, and I hope his conduct will meet your approval. Permit me to renew my afTurances of eternal remem- brance, and of that perfect eileem which will be pre- ferved for you by, &c. To the Marquis de Tony. (Page 341-) S i R, Auguft zgth, 1711. 1 COULD not fuffer M. Gaultier to leave us, without availing myfelf of the opportunity to thank you humbly for the honour of your letter which Mr. Prior delivered, and to afTure you that there is nothing I defire more ardently than the continuance of writing to you, and of receiving your letters. You will allow me to refer to the account you will have from M. Mefnager in writing, and from M. Gaultier viva vscf ; and I allure you that 1 am, with much efteem, &c. Frm FOREIGN LETTERS AND PAPERS. 4Q<) From the Marquis de Torcy. (Page 352.) S I R, Verfailles, September 1 8th, 1711. THE letter you did me the honour to write, and which M. Gaultier conveyed to me, has given me a fenfible pleafure. I entreat you to believe that my wifhes for the ipeedy return of more peaceable and happier times are not lefs warm than your's. I may then ftudy the honour of your friendship, and endeavour to make known to you how perfectly I am, &c. To Baron Bothmar. (Page 354.) Si R, Whitehall, September i4th, 1711. I DID not fail to inform the Queen of the fubftance of your letter of the 8th inftantj and her Majefty judges his Electoral Highnefs's demands and apprehenfions to be fo well founded, that her orders have been fent to the Duke of Marlborough to concert means for withdrawing the cavalry and dragoons as infenfibly, and with as little buftle as poilible ; an object of very great importance, as it has been well forefeen by your Court. I beg you will believe that I feize with plealure every occafion of fup- porting a correfpondence with you ; and that I feel a happi- ftefs whenever I can (how my zeal for the fervice of his Electoral Highnefs. I am, &c. The Lord Treafurer did himfelf the honour of anfwer- ing his Electoral Highnefs's letter by the laft poft. To Monfieur {FHervart. (Page 359.) SIR, Whitehall, September iSth, 1711. I OWE you my acknowledgments for two letters, of which the laft, that of the 22nd, N.S. arrived this morn- ing. They turn upon two points, the miffion of M. Buys to this country, and the reports abroad in Holland of a negociation for peace between the Queen and the King of France. With refpeft to the firft, I will tell you, that any man whom the Dutch themfelves {hall judge proper to be fent, at this juncture, to her Majefty, (hall be welcome, and K k 2 M. Buys 5OO TRANSLATION OF M. Buys as much fo as any other perfon. Our proceeding, will be always plain and clear ; and if they are not afraid that we may be truer Engliflimen than our predeceffors in the miniftry, they will not have the fmalleft reafon to apprehend our becoming kfs affectionate or zealous allies. As to the other point, I can only fay two words ; but I believe you will find them comprehenfive ; that the Queen will never make peace with France, as the Dutch did at Nimegaen ; fhe has fuftained this war, as well as the laft, in concert with the States ; in like manner, fhe defigns to treat of peace ; in both fhe will forward their rntercft as much as lies in her power, and fhe will not be unmind- ful of her own. I am, &c. Since I wrote the above, your's of the 2yth, N.S.^ is come to hand ; by which I find that, in all probability,, M. Buys will not delay his vifit to us. In a Note. (Page 36:.) MR. Prior is fully inftru&ed and authorifed to com- municate our preliminary demands to France, and to re- port the anfwer to us. To Monjieur de Paleotti. (Page 362.^ S I R, Whitehall, September ^ i ft, 1711. WITH this you will receive a letter from her Ma- jefty to the Catholic King, in your favour ; I hope you will experience from it every fuccefs that can be expected from fo powerful a fupport, and fo ftrong a recommenda- tion. By the poft of this evening I fhall write to the Earl of Peterborough, the Queen's minifter at Frank- fort, on your account ; he is in great friendftrip with the Duke of Shrewfbury, and will not fail to employ it afli- duoufly in promoting your intereft, which I defire you will believe I have much at heart ; and that I fhall al* ways be, with much efteem, &c. In a Note. (Page 374.) The Anjwer of France to the Preliminary Demands for Great Britain, more particularly. THE King being particularly informed by the laft memorial which the Britilh Minifter delivered to- M. Mefnager, FOREIGN" LETTERS AND PAPERS. 501 Mefnager, of the difpofitions of that Crown to facilitate a. general peace, to the fatisfaction of all parties concerned in the war : And his Majefty rinding in efFedl, as the faid memorial declares, that he runs no hazard by engaging himfelf in the manner therein declared, fince the preli- minary articles will be of no force until the /igning of the general peace, and being befides flncerely desirous to advance, to the uttnoft of his power, the reeftabliftiment of the repofe of Europe, efpecially by a way fo agreeable to Ms Majefty, as the interpofition of a Princefs, whom fo many ties of blood ought to unite to him, and whofe feijtiments for the public tranquillity cannot be doubted. His Majefty, moved by thefe confiderations, has order- ed M. Mefnager, Knight of his Order of St. Michael, Deputy of the Council of Commerce, to give the follow- ing anfwers, in writing, to the articles contained in the memorial tranfmitted to him, intituled, Preliminary De*- mands of Great Britain, more particularly. of the King, (1) His Majefty will ac- knowledge the King of Great Britain in that qua- lity; as alfo, the fucceflion of that Crown according to the prefent eftablimment. (2) T,he King confents to make a new treaty of commerce with Great Bri- tain, in a manner moft juft, reafonable, and advantageous to both nations, (3) Although Dunkirk has coft his Majefty very large fums, as well in the purchafe of it as in its forti^ fications, and though it be jieceflary ftill to be at a .confiderable charge to de- ilroy the works, the King will nevcrthelefs engage to jdemolifh them immediately after Preliminary Demands for Great Britain, particularly. (i) The fucceffion to the Crown of thefe king- doms, according to the pre- fent eftablimment, mail be acknowledged. fa) A new treaty of com- merce between Great Bri- tain and France (hall be made in the moft juft and reafon- able manner. .(3) Dunkirk fijall be de- molilhed. Kk 3 (4) Gibraltar 502 TRANSLATION OF after the conclufion of a peace, provided that, for the fortifications of this place, he receive a proper equiva- lent ; and as England can- not furnifh that equivalent, the difcuffion of it fhall be deferred to the conferences to be held for the negocia- tion of a general peace. (4) The King promifes, In the name of his grand- fon, the King of Spain, and purfuant to the power which his Majeftv has received from that Prince, that Gi- braltar and Port Mahon {hall remain in the hands of the Englifh, who at prefent poflefs both. (5) After the conclufion of peace, the Englifh (hall have the treaty of Guinea Negroes to the Weft Indies, other wife called the Pate fered a real fecurity for the trade of her Majefty's fub- jecls in Spanifh America, no one doubted that fuch places were intended ; and in confirmation of this opi- nion, France propofed Gib- raltar as a fecurity to the commerce to Spain and the Mediterranean: the advan- tages and privileges offered by M. Mefnager cannot be confidered as real fecurities ; it will always be in the power of Spain to refume them; therefore it is fuppofed that France is under an engage- ment, either to cauie to be ceded to Great Britain the places demanded in that arti- cle, or to procure for that nation fome new advantages, fuch as the love of peace may induce them to look upon as an equivalent ; upon this they cgnfider themfelves as under an obligation to in- fift that die Minifter afore- faid be furnifhed with full powers. And to mark ftilj Though K k 4 plainer TRANSLATION OF Though the King of Spain, at the beginning of his reign, was induced to favour the French nation, when he wanted fupplits of money for the expences of animpending war, that prince noiwithftanding granted the privilege of tranfporting ne- groes to the French, for the term of ten years only ; it would therefore be a great favour to the Englifh to give up to them, for 20 years, a prerogative, of which it feems all European nations would wifh to partake, each in its turn. Neverthelefs his Majefty promifes that the King, his grandfon, fhall grant to the Englifh, dur- ing twenty fucceffive years, the tranfportation of negroes from Guinea to the Weft Indies, otherwife called the Pa&e d'Affiento, with the fame conditions., preroga r tives, and privileges granted to the French company, and which they do or might en- joy from the ift May, 1702, to the prefent time. , The King confents to this article. His plainer- the fincerity with which the treaty is carried on, and the delire of her Britannic Majefty to pro- mote a general peace, fhe judges it expedient to de- clare, that the difficulty which occurs upon that arti- cle maybe removed by grant- ing to her the following : That the Pad>e d'Affiento be made with Great Britain, for the term of 30 years. That the entire Hand of St. Chriftopher be allured to Great Britain. That FOREIGN LETTERS AND PAPERS. His Majefly, in like man- ner, promiies, in the name of the King of Spain, the 3d vantages and exemptions from duties mentioned in that article, and which the Englifh {hall enjoy immedi- ately after the conclufion of the peace, upon the exchange of the ratifications. The general peace being effe&ed, an affignment fhall be made to the Englifh Af- fiento Company of an extent of land on the River de la Plata, where they may not only refrefh their negroes, but keep them in fafety, until they be fold, according to the conditions ftipulated in the agreement to be entered into for the Afliento. And to prevent any abufe of this conceflion, the King of Spain will nominate an officer as faperintendant, to whole in- fpeclion thofe interefted in the company, and, in general, thofe employed in their fer- yice, ftiall be fubjec~r, (8) Thedifcuffionofthis article (ball be deferred to the general conferences for the peace, it being well under- ftood that the right of fifh- jng and drying cod upon the jflantf of Newfoundland be referred to the French. That the advantages and exemptions from duties pro- mifed by M. Mefnager, and which he affirms to amount to 15 per cent, on all mer- chandize of the growth or manufacture of Great Bri- tain, be effe&ually allowed. Great Britain can refrefh the negroes at Jamaica, and there diftribute thofe to be fent to la Vera Cruz, to Por- tobello, and to the other fac- tories in that part of the In- dies. But as on the coaft of the River de la Plata, the Englifh have no colony, it is required that an extent of land be afligned upon this river, where they may not only refrefh their negroes, but keep them in fafety until they be fold to the Spani- ards. And as in this demand no trick is meant, they (hall be in this refpeft fubjecl: to the infpeclion of an officer to be appointed for this pur- pofe by the King of Spain. (8) Newfoundland, Hud- fon's Bay and Straits fhall be completely reftored to the Englifh. Great Britain and France (hall refpedlively keep and poflefs all the coun- tries, domains,and territories in North America, that each nation fhall be in pofleffion of at the time when the rati m iication of this treaty fhall be publifhed in thofe parts pf the world. In 5<>6 TRANSLATION OF In execution of the King's orders, we, the underfigned, Knight of his order of St. Michael, Deputy of the Council of Commerce, have ftated the prefent anfwer to the preli- minary demands for Great Britain, to the amount of eight articles, by virtue of authority from his Majefty, of which we have delivered a copy, figned by us; and we promife, in the name of his faid Majefty, that the faid anfwers fhall be regarded as conditions which he agrees to grant, the articles of which (hall be put into the common form of treaties, and explained in the plaineft and moft intelligible manner, to the common fatisfaction of the crowns of France and Great Britain, and this in cafe of the figning of a treaty for a general peace. In faith of which we have figned and fealed. Done, &c, The Moft Chriftian King having fignified to her Ma- jefty his fmcere defire for the re-eftabljihment of the ge- neral tranquillity of Europe, by a peace, definitive, fure, lafting, and fuitable to the interefts of all the allies, and having expreffed his defire, that the Queen would promote the negociation of fuch a peace, it has been found juft and reafonable that the interests of Great Britain fhould be, in the firft place, adjufted and afccrtained: on this account his Moft Chriftian Majefty having fent over M.Mefnager, JKnt. &c. he has ftated the above eight articles, by au- thority from his Moft Chriftian Majefty ; a copy of which he has given us, figned by him ; of which articles we, the underfigned, declare, by virtue of the exprefs order of her Majefty, her acceptance, as preliminaries, which contain only thoie fecurities and advantages which her Majefty thinks fhe has a right to expect, whoever be the Prince who may acquire the morrarchy of Spain. And thefe arti- cles muft be regarded as condition which his Moft Chriftiau Majefty agrees to grant. Thefe articles to be put into the common form of treaties, &c. &c. Done at London, 2yth September, O.S....8th October, N. 8.1711. DARTMOUTH, H. ST. JOHN. MESNAGER. To the Marquis de Torcy. (Page 386.) SIR, Whitehall, O&ober zd, 1711. THIS letter will be prefented to you by M. Mefnager, who, havinc* difcharged the commifiion entrufted to him by FOREIGN LETTERS AND PAPIfcS. 507 by the King, returns to you, to give an account of his negociation. I doubt not you participate in the pleafure we feel, when we fee thofe difficulties removed which have fo long impeded the re-eftablifhment of public tranquillity. I dare promife you our good faith, and our facility, which, if feconded by the fame difpofition on the part of France, cannot fail to produce the happy confequence we expect 5 but fuch promifes muft be regarded as urmeccflary after thofe given to M. Mefnagner, by her Majefty herfelf. The Earl of Sraffbrd to-morrow fets off for Holland, his propofal to the States, your Minifter is well informed of. I am, &c. In a Note. (Page 403.) Preliminary Articles on the Part of France for the Attain- ment of a General Peace. THE King being willing to contribute all that is in his power to the re-eftablifhment of a general Peace, his. Ma- jefty declares : i ft, That he will acknowledge the Queen of Great Britain in that quality, as well as the fucceflion to the crown according to the prefent fettlement. 2d, 1 hat he will feely, and bonafide^ confent to the tak- ing all juft and reatbnable meafures, to prevent the re-union of the crowns of France and Spain on the head of the fame Prince ; his Majefty being perfuaded that that excefs of power would be contrary to the welfare and peace of Europe. 3d, The King's intention is, that all the parties engaged in the prefent war, without excepting any one, may find their reafonable fatisfaction in the treaty of peace to be made; that commerce may be re-eftabli med and maintained, for the future, to the advantage of Great Britain, of Holland, and of the other nations who have been accuftomed to carry it on. 4th, As the King will alfo ftriclly fupport the obfervance of the peace, when concluded ; and as the object of his Majefty is to fecure the frontiers of his kingdom, without moieftins;, in the fmalleft degree, the neighbouring States ; he promffes to agrfe, by the future treaty of peace, that the Dutch (hall have in their pofleffion the fortreiTes which fhall be named in the Netherlands, to ferve, in future, as their barrier, which may fecure the quiet of the Republic of Holland againft any enterprize from France. th,The O3 TRANSLATION OF 5th, The King confents likewife, that a fecure and con- venient barrier fhould be formed for the empire, and for the Houfe of Auftria. 6th, Though Dunkirk has coft the King large fums, as well in its purchase as in its fortification ; and though it fee neceflary ftill to be at very confiderable expence to raze the works, his Majefty wiil neverthelefs engage to demolifh them, after the conclufion of the peace, on condition that he do receive a proper equivalent for the fortifications of that place ; and-as England cannot provide that equivalent, the difcuffion ihall be deferred to the .conferences to be held i for the negotiation of a peace. yth, When the conferences for the negotiation of the peace fhaU be formed, all the pretenfions ef the Princes and States engaged in the prefent war, (hall be there dif- cufled, bond fide and amicably, and nothing fhall be omitted to regulate and terminate them to the fatisfa&ion of all parties. By virtue of the Kjng's authority, we, &c. MESNAGER. From the Maryms de Torcy. (Page 451.) SIR, Yerfailles, Oftobcrctft, 1711. THE letter you honoured me with the i4th inllant, afforded me as much pleafure in the reading as it gave you in writing it. I have no doubt of the happy confequences of that mutual confidence now eftabliming, and I can afiure you, the King will contribute all in his power to ftrengthen If. It is an eafy talk for thofe who find their intereft in public confufion, to awaken and encourage diftruft J but it Ls likewife as eafy to do it away, when both fides are de- firous of peace and union. I hope, Sir^ wefliall foon expe- rience the happy effect of this reciprocal fmcerity ; yoy. fhall always find it in the explanations you may be pleafed to require of me, whether at prefent, or in the fequel of the negociation. In the King you will alfo find that firm- nefs which the Queen of Great Britain catfdefire, to pro- cure for the Englilh the enjoyment of the ad vantages agreed upon. lam perfuaded that, on the fide of her Britannic Majefty, that firmnefs will not be lefs, to accomplifli the work of peace, upon conditions advantageous to France and Eng- land, FOREIGN LETTERS AND PAPERS. 509 land, fo that, in future, the two nations may be united in 'ndifloluble bonds* I beg you will believe that no one is more defirous than I am of making known to you how much I am, &c. The King has nominated the Marefchal d'Uxelles, the Abbe Polignac, and M. Mefnager, his Plenipotentiaries to the conferences for the peace. From the Marquis de Torcy, (Page 452.) S i R, Verfaines, November zd, 1711. AS the prefent fituation of affairs requires our acting in perfect concert for the accomplii~hment of the work begun, I write to M. Gaultier, to know what meafures the Queen of Great Britain {hall judge proper to be taken> upon the refufal of the Dutch to enter into a conference for peace. Permit me to aflure you, that 1 am, &c. To the Afarquis de Torcy. (Page 453.) S IR, Hampton-Court, O&ober 2;d, 17:1. I HAD anfwered your letter of the 21 ft October, N.S. when that of the ad of November came to hand. I will not repeat aflurances of perfect fmcerity ; profef- fions are ufelefs, when occafions come round to call it to a trial. M. Gaultier, who conveys this letter,, will at the fame time defcribe to you the prefent fituation of the affairs of the peace. It is an eafy tafk for thofe who find their intereft in public confufion (I ufe your expreffion, Sir) to awaken and encourage difrruft ; this is what the difaffedted, here and every where elfe are labouring at. I am, however, under no great apprehenfion on that account, as it only depends upon the Moft Chriftian King to render all their efforts ufelefs. The explanations you promife me, will difpel thefe clouds, and you will believe we fhail ufe thefe lights with great caution, when I affure you, that were the King to offer, as he formerly did, a plan of fpecific preliminaries, the Queen would never communicate them to her allies. I conclude with an afTurance, that provided M. Gaultier re- turn with this proof of your confidence, of which I enter- tain no doubt, you will find our parliament, now about to affcmble, as much inclined to the peace as it has ever been to the war. I am, See. From 51O TRANSLATION, &C. From the Marquis de Torcy. (Page 474.) S I R, Versailles, November iSth, 1711. I HAVE received the honour of your letter, by M. Gaul ier, the 9th inft. and I believe you will be perfuaded, that the King obferves, with much pleasure, thefe frefh inftances of the Queen's firmnefs for the re-eftablifhment of a good and fure peace. I hope, Sir, fuch fmcere and equitable intentions will experience that fuccefs which we have a right to expect, for the quiet of Europe. You will fee by the memorial which M. Gaultier wui have the honour to deliver, that the King is unmindful of nothing, for the happy accom- plifhment of a negociation fo well begun j and that his Ma- jefty depends upon the fecrecy and the proper ufe you will obferve, in this inftance, of entire confidence repofed in the Queen of Great Britain. The favourable inclinations of the approaching feflions of parliament will complete the downfall of their hopes who are for the continuance of the war, at the expence of the welfare of the nation ; and you do your country no ftnall fervice, by your labours, to conclude a peace, wherein fhe will find her glory and her advantage. I beg you to believe, &c. END OF VOL. i. UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY Los Angeles This book is DUE on the last date stamped below. 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