commodating himself, in some measure, to the wild projects of the more violent tories, as well as of flattering the queen's affection for her brother, by seeming to second her designs in favour of that prince. And hence the great line of his political conduct was in direct contradiction to his private opinions.

In this respect, Oxford was exactly in the same predicament with Godolphin, his predecessor in office; who, though a tory and a jacobite, had been obliged, from the circumstances of the times, as we have seen, to place himself at the head of the whigs, and was considered as the leader of that party by the world. But Oxford, without the strong abilities of Godolphin, who was one of the ablest statesmen of any age or nation, had still greater difficulties and more obstinate prejudices to struggle with. Even while using all his efforts against the restoration of the excluded family, and laying himself in the dust at the feet of the legal heirs of the crown, he was believed, not only by his countrymen, but by the court of Hanover itself, to be a firm friend to the pretender. His professions were considered as only so many baits to deceive; yet did he persevere in his principles, and in his endeavours to defeat all attempts to the prejudice of the protestant succession!

The new administration, in England, was introduced with a new parliament; the former having been dissolved, in compliance with the warm addresses of the high-church party. In the election of the members of this parliament, the most unwarrantable methods had been taken to keep out the whigs; and methods, still more unjustifiable, were taken to exclude the small number of that party who had found their way into the house. Petitions were presented against most members supposed to favour the old ministry 23. The tories, however, though now possessed of a decided majority on eve ry motion, and though convinced that peace was equally ne

23. Burnet, book vii.

cessary

cessary to the safe enjoyment of their own power, and to the execution of those designs which they had formed in favour of the excluded family, durst not yet venture to reveal their sentiments to the nation. The new ministry, therefore, resolved to follow, for a time, their predecessors in the line of hostility. The most liberal supplies were accordA. D. 1711. ingly voted for the future support of the war, as well as to make up for past deficiencies: in all to the amount of near fifteen millions24.

This appearance of vigour left the whigs no occasion of murmuring at a change of measures. But their complaints would have broken out on the first symptom of relaxation; and Harley and the tories, in pursuing, contrary to their own inclination, the hostile system of the confederates, while jealously watched by their political enemies, would have found themselves involved in unsurmountable difficulties and embarrassments. Happily for the English ministry, as well as for the house of Bourbon, an unexpected event gave a new turn to the politics of Europe. This was the sudden death of the emperor Joseph, whose reign had been one continued flow of success. He was succeeded, not only in all his hereditary honours and dominions, but also in the Imperial throne by his brother Charles; and as it was contrary to the spirit of the grand alliance, that the same person should possess Spain and the empire, Harley and his associates were no longer afraid to avow their pacific sentiments. The fears of mankind were in a moment changed: the liberties of Europe seemed now to be in more danger from the power of the house of Austria than that of Bourbon. Meanwhile hostilities were carried on in every quarter. Dispositions had been made by the allies, for taking the field early in Flanders; but the rigour of the season, and the unexpected delay of some reinforcements, prevented

24. Journals, 1711. The exact sum, raised and provided for, was £14,573,319 19♪ 1-2.

the

the duke of Marlborough from forming his army before the beginning of May. His plan was, to open the campaign with the siege of Arras and Cambray; the taking of which two important places would have laid Picardy naked to the banks of the Somme. And the army originally destined for the service of the confederates would, in all probability, have been sufficient to enable him to accomplish this great design. But the death of the emperor, at the same time that it opened a prospect of peace, obstructed the operations of war. Prince Eugene being obliged to march toward the banks of the Rhine, with the greater part of the German troops, in order to prevent the French and their partizans, from taking advantage of that event, by disturbing the deliberations of the electors assembled at Frankfort, the duke of Marlborough was under the necessity of limiting his views. But his vigour and activity were not diminished. Though now inferior in numbers to the enemy, he anxiously sought a battle, in hopes of overwhelming his political adversaries, or at least closing his military exploits, with a splendid victory. But the caution of mareschal Villars, who was strongly posted near Arleux, deprived the English commander of an opportunity of acquiring this satisfaction. By the most masterly movements, however, Marlborough eluded the vigilance of that able general, and got within the French lines, without the loss of a man. He sat down before Bouchain, in sight of the enemy; and concluded the campaign with the taking of that important places.

Nothing memorable, in the military line, was transacted in Germany: prince Eugene having defeated the hostile designs of the French, the electors proceeded coolly to the choice of a new chief; and the archduke, who had so long contended for the crown of Spain, and even assumed, as we have seen, the title of Charles III. was unanimously raised to the Imperial dignity, by the name of Charles VI. On 25. Burnet, book vii. State of Europe, 1711.

the

the side of Piedmont, the duke of Berwick, as formerly, successfully defended France against the forces of the duke of Savoy. In Spain, the taking of Gironne, by the duke de Noailles, and the raising of the siege of Cardona, by Starem. berg, in defiance of a greatly superior army, under Vendome, were the only events of any consequence. No action happened at sea, nor any thing worthy of notice, except the failure of an expedition, from Old and New-England, against Quebec, the capital of Canada, or New France. This enterprise miscarried, partly from the late season at which it was undertaken, and partly from an ignorance of the navigation of the river St. Lawrence, where ten transports, and two thousand five hundred men, were lost26.

The general langour of the campaign, together with the elevation of the archduke Charles to the head of the empire, inspired the British ministry and the house of Bourbon with the most sanguine hopes of peace. They had even negociated secretly during the summer: and preliminaries were privately signed at London, on the 27th of September, by Menager, the French agent, and St. John, the English secretary. This insidious transaction, so disgraceful to Great-Britain, being accidentally brought to light, all the other allies were alarmed. They saw themselves ready to be deserted by a power, which had been the chief support of the war. And though not altogether averse against peace, they could place no confidence in the negociations of men capable of such disingenuity; and whose sole object seemed to be the securing to themselves and their adherents the emoluments of office, by putting a speedy end to hostilities, instead of endeavouring to procure for their country and the confederates the fruits of so many glorious victories, acquir ed at an enormous expence of blood and treasure 27. That? says

แ

26. Id. Ibid.

27. This accusation is even, in some measure, admitted by St. John him. self, who was deeply concerned in these secret negociations, "I am afraid,"

says M. de Torcy, speaking of the secret proposals of the English ministry to negociate with France, without the intervention of Holland, "was like asking a sick person, "labouring under a long and dangerous illness, if he would "be cured!"

The preliminaries, when communicated to the ministers of the confederate princes and states, served only to increase their jealousies and fears. The resignation of Philip V. was no longer insisted on. This omission particularly offended the emperor: and count de Galas, the Imperial ambassador at the court of London, in the heat of his zeal for his master's interest, having published a copy of the articles in a newspaper, as an appeal to the public, all England was thrown into a ferment. The people, always jealous of national honour, were filled with indignation at the new ministry, for negociating secretly with France; a power whose ambition had so long disquieted her neighbours, and whose humiliation had been the declared object of the grand alliance They justly suspected the court of sinister designs; especially as the stipulations in the preliminaries fell infinitely below their expectations, after so successful a war. The more moderate tories, ashamed of the meanness, if not the baseness of their leaders, also took part with the offended allies; and the whigs, while they allowed the season for negociating to be arrived, execrated the mode, and attempted to render odious the men by whom the negociation was conducted28.

says he, "that the principal spring of our actions was to have the govern"ment of the state in our hands; that our principal views were the conser"vation of this power, great employments to ourselves, and great oppor"tunities of rewarding those who had helped to raise us; to break the body of the whigs," adds he, "to render their supports (the Dutch and "the other allies) useless to them, and to fill the employments of the "kingdom, down to the meanest, with tories." (Letter to Sir William Wyndham) "Peace," continues he’“ had been judged, with reason, to be "the only solid foundation whereupon we could erect a tory system.” Ibid. 28. Publications of the times.

The