1711.

A. C. fully and certainly informed of all fuch Matters belonging to your Charge, as may want your Direction and Redress, or may be fit for Our Royal Cognizance and Interpofition, if need fhall fo require: And We Will, that at all times, as well as your ufual Vifitations, you lay hold of all Opportunities to confirm fuch as are duly qualified.

We do moreover think proper to recommend to you, that before the next Sitting of Convocation, you will carefully confider what Defects there are in the prefent Difcipline of the • Church, and what further Provision may be requifite towards Removing them, that when the Convocation affenibles, fuch Orders and Conftitutions as are wanting, may, upon due Deliberation, be prepared and laid before Us for • Our Confent; which We fhall always readily impart, to whatever We fhall judge may conduce to the Honour of God, the Advancement oi true Religion, and the Welfare of the Eftablifh'd Church. Thefe being the great Ends which we have most at Heart, and by the Promoting of which We chiefly promife. Our felves the Blefling of God upon Us and Our People.

Our Will is, That you forthwith tranfmit Copies of thefe Our Letters to all the Suffragans of your Province; and fo not doubting of your and their ready Concurrence with Us in thefe Our Royal Purposes, We bid you heartily farewell.

Given at Our Caftle of Windfor, the 20th Day of Auguft, 1711. in the Tenth Year of Our Reign.

By Her Majefty's Command,

The Archbishop of Canterbury did thereupon write the following Letter to his Suffragans.

Το

To the Right Reverend the Lord Bifhop

Dear Brother,

of

A. C.

1711.

IN Obedience to Her Majefty's Commands, I here tranfmit to you a true Copy of Her moft Religions The Archbi and Gracious Letter, the Original of which, Id Shop's Letter the Honour to receive on the 21ft of this Inftant to his Suffra Auguft. This Letter contains feveral Matters of gani. very high Importance, and fuch, as I perfwade my Self, you have already at Heart. I doubt not, therefore, of your taking Them into your Confideration, in fuch manner, That Her Majefty's Pious Defires may, as far as in you lies, be brought to good Effect. I am, with great Truth,

Lambeth, August,

1711.

Dear Brother,

Your Affectionate Friend,
and Servant,

CANTERBURY.

made Lord

On the 29th of July the Duke of Kent kif'd D. of Kent the Queen's Hand, as Lord Lieutenant of Bedford- Lieutenant fhire. The next Day, at a Wardmote held at the of BedfordParish Church of St. Giles's Cripplegate, for the thire. Election of an Alderman for that Ward, Sir Mr Steward Francis Child and Sir William Withers Knights chofen Alderand Aldermen, William Stewart Efq; Sheriff Elect man for Grip and William Edmunds Efq; were unanimously plegateward July 31, chofen; and being, the next Day, return'd to the Court of Aldermen, the latter made choice of Mr. Stewart, to fucceed Sir Thomas Stamp decea- Mr. Hams feel, late Alderman for the faid. Ward. About mond apthe fame time Anthony Hammond Efq; was ap-master of the pointed Paypointed Pay-mafter of the Forces in Spain, in the Forces in room of Mr. Mead.

Spain.

Mailbo

rough's paf

On Saturday the 28th of July, about Eight a Brigadier Clock in the Evening Brigadier Sutton arrived at Sutton brings Whitehall, with the News of the Duke of Marl- the News of borough's glorious Success in paffing the French the Duke of Lines, which fill'd the Hearts of all the WellAffected with the greater Joy, becaufe, confider-fing the ing the almoft infuperable Difficulties that feem'd FrenchLines. to attend the Enterprize of pafling those Lines; effectedreject the Generality began to be apprehenfive, that no- as bis Success. thing fhould be done this Year in Flanders. This

his

All the Well

Bouchain,

They endea

the publick Joy, by am plifying his Success.

2

A. C. his Grace's Enemies no less heartily wifh'd for, 1711. than firmly expected: For before the Campaign was open'd, a Perfon in a great Office, did not See a Pam ftick to declare fo much publickly; adding, that phlet call'd, We could there (in Flanders) be only on the De&c. pag. 36. fn five; and that Savoy was all our hopes. And, The Duke's what is more remarkable, this was faid before Enemies con the Emperor's Death, which made fo great an cern'd at it. an Alteration, for the worfe, in the Affairs Abroad. vour to pall On the other hand, it was fhrewdly fuggefted by fome, That this Success of the Duke of Marlborough did not very well fute the present Scheme; and that there having been for a good while a Tampering underhand towards a Peace, had nothing been done this Campaign, it would have serv'd for a good Pretence to justifie these new measures: Whereas this Succefs, which would undoubtedly be attended with further Advantages, was like to turn to their Ruin, who must have a Peace on any Terms. 'Tis certain that his Grace's Enemies were fo furpris'd, and concern'd at their Difappointment, that fome of them bethought themfelves of a Stratagem to pall the Publick Joy, and deprefs his Grace's Rifing Reputation, by amplifying this Succefs far beyond Reality. Finding the Minds of the People ready prepared to believe their Withes, They gave out, on the Sunday Morning, (July 29.) That Major General Evans was arrived at Whitehall, from whence he proceeded to Windfor, with the Particulars of the entire Defeat of the French 6 Army; adding, that Marefchal Villars himfelf was among the Prifoners; and that all his Artillery and Baggage were taken. This Magnificent Piece of News was, in less than two Hours, fpread through the Populous City of London, and Neighbouring Places; and was the more eafily credited, becaufe, by Order from the Government, the great Guns in the Tower and St. James's Park were fired, about Four a Clock in the Afternnon; but the fame Evening many were undeceiv'd by feveral Perfons, who return'd from Windfor with the real News; which was, the next Morning, confirm'd by a Paper, publish'd

published by Authority, to the great difappoint- A. C. ment of the Well-wishers of the Common Caufe, 1711, and the Duke of Marlborough's Friends; and the equal Joy of his Enviers. The Report of Major General Evans's being come over, was occafion'd by the arrival (that very Sunday Morning) of Collonel Killegrew, who, on the 18th of July N.S. fet out from Barcelona, with Difpatches from the Coll. Kille Duke of Argyle, advifing, that he was preparing Expref- from to fet out for the Army; and folliciting for the the Duke of Remittances of Money that were promifed him. Argyle. It is further obfervable, that the Duke of Marlborough's Enemies ftill endeavour'd to leffen the Reputation and Glory of his late Succefs; fome The D. Marle boroug's E faying, He had only removed his Army from a nemies enplentiful to a farving Camp; but that malicious deavour to Suggestion was foon confuted, as well by the fe. Leffen bis Glory quel of that Succefs, as by the Applaufe ail Eu. rope gave to the Conduct of the British General; whilft Marefchal de Villars was publickly reflected on, and lampoon'd in his own Army, and at Paris, and had much ado to keep his Ground at Court. This Paffage fhews how far fome Men are intoxicated by the Spirit of Party and Faction, which clouds their Understandings, and vitiates their Affections to fuch a degree, that they cannot either difcern, or bear the brightest Merit.

Atle occafions

tition at Court

The Vacancy of the Office of Lord Privy Seal The Vacancy by the Death of John Holles, Duke of Newcastle, of the Privy Seal by the which happen'd on the 15th of July, occafion'd Death of the by a Fall from his Horfe as he was a hunting, was D of Newcaattended with a great Competition at Court, which made the Queen paufe, for fome time, and seat Compeconfider on whom She fhould bestow that important Place. It was reported, that a Noble Englif Duke having declin'd the Offer of it, great Intereft was made for the Earl of Nn, the Lord Gy his Brother, the Earl of CN and the Earl of Ferfey: And upon the Death of the The Ear! of laft, which happen'd on Sunday the 26th of Au- Jerly dies. guft, it was given out, that he was to have been declar'd Lord Privy Seal that very Day. Whatever Grounds there were for any of these Re

7,

ports

A. C. ports, Her Majelly, upon mature Deliberation, 1711. refolv'd to fix Her Choice upon a Perfon who had not yet been named among the feveral CandiThe Lord Bi- dates, viz. Dr. John Robinson, Lord Bishop of fhop if Bristol Bristol, Dean of Windfor, and Register of the made Lord moft Noble Order of the Garter. This was pubPrivy Seal. lickly known in London the 30th of Auguft;

ver is gene

racter,

and on Monday the 3d of September his Lordthip was fworn at Windfor, both as Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal, and one of the Lords of Her Majefty's moft Honourable Privy Council; and took his Place at the Board accordingly, Tho' Some great Men difgufted this Choice difgufted fome Great Men, the Efat this Choice, fects of which appear'd not long after, it was at which hawe that Juncture generally applauded; For as, on rally applaus the one hand, it was acknowledg'd, that his Lord. ded. fhip was eminently qualified for that Office, as well by his great Abilities, and confummate ExThe Bishop of Bristol's Cher perience in Affairs of State, of which, for many Years, he had given Signal Proofs in his important Negotiations in Sweden and Germany; fo, on the other Hand, his unblemish'd Integrity, unaffected fincere Piety, and Chriftian Temper, render'd him fo confpicuous, that he was judg'd a most proper Inftrument to allay the prefent Ferment; and, by his Example, to teach over Zealous and Pragmatical Clergy-men, That Modera. tion it the best way to Preferment. Upon thefe Confiderations it was, that the Lord High Treafurer ufed all his Intereft in Favour of that Prelate, whofe Counfels and Affiftance, he thought would make him Amends for the great Lofs he fuftain'd by the Death of the late Duke of Newcaftle, with whom he had contracted an entire Friendship. Moreover, he confider'd, that this Promotion would be grateful to the Moderate Party, whom the Prime Minister never really intended to deprefs too low, and that, at the fame time, it would filence the Clamour and cool the Fury of the oppofite Party; fince the Church, whofe fancied Danger was the Pretence of the late Distractions, feem'd now to triumph by the Advancement of one of the Bifhops to that high Station. Nor was the Lord Treafurer's Conjecture,

as