stroke to the power of the mighty minister came from an English hand-from one of the most singular and striking characters of that or of any age. 66 66 Charles Lord Mordaunt, born in 1658, became in 1689 Earl of Monmouth by creation, and in 1697 Earl of Peterborough by descent. As a military man his character stands deservedly high, as a diplomatist also he possessed great merit; but as a politician it seems scarcely possible to award him any praise. In that department, his splendid genius, was utterly obscured and eclipsed by his wayward temper. Vain, selfish, and ungovernable—always in a quarrel, and on a journey-he was never thoroughly trusted by any party, nor perseveringly active at any place. His conduct in Fenwick's conspiracy appears to have been most unjustifiable, and provoked even the mild and cautious Somers into expressions of undisguised contempt :-" As to my Lord Monmouth, his discourses are so various, and if those were of the same tenor, his "resolutions are so changeable, that what he will do must be left "to chance. His main business is to get out of the Tower, and "in order to that he is ready to do any thing (1)."-But it might not be difficult to confirm the least favourable features of his portrait from the words not of his enemies, but of his personal and political friends: --" I can assure you," writes Bolingbroke to the Ambassador at the Hague, "that all I found by the letters sent by "the courier from Lord Peterhorough, was that his head was ex"tremely hot, and confused with various indigested schemes." And again, “I may tell your Excellency in confidence, that I have a letter of twenty sheets from Lord Peterborough, wherein the "whole world is parcelled out, as if with a FIAT and the breath "of his mouth it could be accomplished (2)." In the same correspondence we find Prior sneering at Lord Peterborough's fondness for Quixotic enterprises :-" I do not question but he will take "Bender on his way home from Vienna (3)." Pope observes" He "has too much wit as well as courage to make a solid general (4).” "I love the hang-dog dearly," is the dubious praise of Swift (5). His friends suffered from his weaknesses and his servants profited by them. On one occasion, when he was abroad, his steward pulled down without his knowledge, a wing of his country house; sold the materials for his own profit; and, not satisfied with this, actually sent my Lord a bill for repairs (6)! Yet sometimes Lord Peterborough showed economy, like every thing else by fits and in extremes. "It is a comical sight," writes a lady from Bath in 66 "1725, to see him with his blue riband and star, and a cabbage "under each arm, or a chicken in his hand, which, after he him"self has purchased at market, he carries home for his dinner (1)." This last of the knights-errant, while wandering in Italy, in 1717, met with an adventure as unpleasant as any of Don Quixote's. He was suddenly arrested at Bologna, by order of the Papal Legate, and conveyed to Fort Urbino, where he was closely imprisoned for a month, and no person allowed to speak with him. It appears that he was suspected of some design against the Pretender's life— a charge of which it is hardly necessary to assert the absolute falsehood (2); and he was set at liberty with every possible civility and reparation. The English Government, however, warmly resented this insult to an English subject, and it was for some time doubtful whether the squadron of Admiral Byng should not be directed to avenge it. In the summer of 1719 Lord Peterborough was at Paris; and though neither employed nor trusted by his government, resolved to play some part in their affairs. He contrived to enter into confidential correspondence with the Duke of Parma, whom it was of great importance to detach from the cause of Alberoni, in order to prevail through the Duke upon his niece, the Queen of Spain. To prevent suspicion, Peterborough refused to proceed in person to the Duke's Court, but undertook to meet an accredited agent from Parma at Novi, in the Piedmontese States (3). There a conference was accordingly held; and there Peterborough, exerting his usual skill and meeting his usual success, obtained that letters should be immediately despatched to Queen Elizabeth Farnese, earnestly pressing for Alberoni's removal. At nearly the same time, Marquis Scotti having been gained by a present of fifty thousand crowns from the Regent, returned to Madrid to counterwork his late employer, and to use his personal influence over the mind of the Queen. All these little rills of intrigue, when they flowed together, produced an irresistible torrent. On the evening of the 4th of December, Alberoni had transacted business as usual with the King, and seen no change in his Majesty; but next morning there was (1) Lady Hervey to Mrs. Howard, June 7. 1725. Suffolk Letters. (2) The conduct of King George's Government, as regards the Pretender's life, was not only above suspicion, but most laudably active. I find, for example, in Boyer's Political State, 1719, vol. ii. p. 344., that Paul Miller, a private trooper in the Horse Grenadiers, having made a proposal "to Mr. Secretary Craggs to go and assassinate "the Pretender, was by Mr. Secretary's warrant "presently taken into custody of Mr. Bill, the "Messenger; and the matter being laid before "the Lords Justices. their Excellencies ordered that he should immediately be discharged out of his Majesty's service, and proceeded against with the utmost severity." (3) Earl of Peterborough to Earl Stanhope, Novi, Nov. 20. 1719. Appendix, vol. ii. According to San Phelipe, Lord Peterborough had been requested by the Regent to begin this negotiation, but it seems, on the contrary, to have proceeded solely from himself. Dubois writes to Stanhope (October 20. 1719, Hardwicke Papers, vol. xxxviii.), My Lord Peterborough est en son avec "toute sorte de gens..... Il peut faire peu de bien "et beaucoup plus de mal. J'y prendrai garde sans l'effaroucher. Je rends très-humbles graces "à V. Exc. de la bonté qu'elle a eu de m'avertir "de ses indiscrétions." put into his hands a Royal Decree dismissing him from all his employments, and commanding him to leave Madrid in eight days and the Spanish territories in twenty-one. All his endeavours to obtain an audience of the King or Queen were in vain; and, though permitted to write, he found his letter unheeded. He was compelled to set out within the time appointed, and had the further mortification of being overtaken at Lerida by an officer sent to search for papers which were missing from the public offices, and which were discovered in the Cardinal's baggage. It was, however, some consolation to him before his departure, to receive the visits and hear the condolences of larger and more splendid levees than had ever flocked around him in the meridian of his power. Many who had hitherto stood aloof, or even opposed him, now forgot his errors, and hastened to acknowledge his services. Such conduct the Cardinal himself calls a riddle (1); but it is familiar to the Spaniards: their noble character seldom bends before the mighty, and never turns aside from the fallen! Cardinal Alberoni pursued his journey to Italy, where he passed the remainder of his long and checkered life; at first in exile and concealment, at length in Papal confidence and favour. He survived till 1752, and I shall hereafter have occasion to mention hìm again as fomenting the discords in the Pretender's family. His attempt against the little republic of San Marino was still more unworthy; and even had it been successful, would have brought no advantage commensurate to its disgrace. But Alberoni could never remain tranquil. It would seem, in fact, as if superior talents were often conjoined by nature with a certain restlessness which compels them to seek out for themselves some employment. Few men who could be useful in action are happy in retirement. It was hoped by the Court of Madrid that the dismissal of Alberoni would appease the Allied Powers, and obtain more favourable terms of peace. In reply to the States-General, Philip still continued to insist on the proposals lately made by his minister, and to refuse his accession to the Quadruple Treaty. Under these circumstances both Stanhope and Dubois saw the necessity of renewed exertions. Stanhope undertook another journey to Paris, and concerted his measures with the French and the Imperial ministers; and on the 19th of January, 1720, was signed by these three statesmen a declaration, binding themselves not to admit any conditions contrary to the Quadruple Alliance. Immediately afterwards Stanhope despatched Schaub, his confidential secretary, to carry a duplicate of this declaration to Madrid (2), while Dubois, on his part, sent directions to Marquis Scotti, Father d'Aubenton, and others in the French interest, to unite their exertions with (1) See his Apology, Hist. Register, 1722. p. 209. (2) This duplicate, with the original signatures, is preserved in the Hardwicke Papers, vol. xxAVÎÏ. Schaub's, and use their influence over Elizabeth. The struggle was arduous, from the difficulty of prevailing with the Queen; but that point once gained, it was more easy for her to prevail with her husband. Some difficulties that could not then be overcome were eluded by referring them to be discussed at a future congress, to be held at Cambray. But on the 26th of January Philip issued a decree, announcing his accession to the Quadruple Alliance, and declaring that he gave peace to Europe at the expense of his rights and possessions. He also renewed his renunciations of the French Crown, and promised to evacuate Sicily and Sardinia within six months a condition which he punctually performed. It is remarkable that the orders to the Marquis De Lede arrived just as the two armies, drawn out in front of Palermo, were in motion against each other, and on the point of engaging in a great and decisive battle. Thus was that unnecessary bloodshed successfully averted; and thus, by the firmness, skill, and union of the French and English Governments, and especially of Stanhope and Dubois, were laid the foundations of a solid and happy peace for Europe, which endured for upwards of twelve years. In the affairs of the North the union of England and France was no less salutary. On the death of the King of Sweden, the new Queen had been glad to conclude a peace with George the First, and to yield to him the duchies of Bremen and Verden. Poland was satisfied with the acknowledgment of King Augustus. Prussia also, after much negotiation, agreed to a suspension of arms, accepting Stettin and some other Swedish territory. But the Czar and the King of Denmark, seeing Sweden drained of men and money, and even of provisions (1), and deprived of her military ruler, were not to be appeased with moderate concessions, and sought for the total ruin of that monarchy. In this state of things, the Cabinet of St. James's combined with that of the Palais-Royal to offer, and if necessary to enforce, their mediation between the warring powers. Lord Carteret, a young statesmen of the highest promise, was sent ambassador to Stockholm; and Sir John Norris, with eleven men-of-war, sailed for the Baltic. Neither the Ambassador nor the Admiral could, at first, prevail. The Russian fleet ravaged the coasts of Sweden with dreadful havoc, burning above a thousand villages, and the town of Nykoping, which, next to Stockholm and Gothenburg, was reckoned the most considerable in the kingdom. Remonstrances and threats were used in vain; and at length Stanhope, then at Hanover, sent orders to Norris to treat the Russian fleet as Byng had the Spanish (2). The Admiral consequently effected his junction with the Swedish men-of-war at Carlscroon, and was proceeding in search of their enemy, when the Czar, alarmed at this combination, and finding the intention serious, hastily recalled his fleet. Still, however, he brooded over future victories, and entertained no thoughts of peace. The Danes, being weaker, appeared more reasonable. They had already taken Marstrand, and threatened Gothenburg, when the interference of England forced them to desist, and to conclude a treaty, accepting a sum of money as an equivalent for their conquests (1). And thus, in 1720, of the five Powers leagued against Sweden, none except the Czar remained in arms. It is not to be supposed that these negotiations, either with Spain or Sweden, were carried on without frequent rubs and jars from the Hanoverian faction. A letter of Craggs at this period lifts up a corner of the veil which the loyalty of the ministers hung over the frailties of the favourites. He inveighs most severely against the undue power and selfish views of Bernsdorf, and the extreme rapacity of all the Germans. "It is incredible," he adds, "what prejudice all these sales of offices do to the King's "service; for, to complete our misfortunes, I have remarked that "there is no distinction of persons or circumstances-Jacobites, "Tories, Papists, at the Exchange or in the Church, by land or by sea, during the session or in the recess; nothing is objected to, 66 provided there is money........... You see that at the rate we are now going on, Lord Stanhope is on the point of resigning every day. "It is possible that his friends may continue in out of pure res66 pect to the King, but without hoping to do the least good (2)." There is certainly much passion and exaggeration in this picture; but still Lord Chesterfield's bitter sarcasm was not quite without some pretext, when he said some years afterwards, "If we have 66 a mind effectually to prevent the Pretender from ever obtain"ing this crown, we should make him Elector of Hanover, for "the people of England will never fetch another King from "thence (3)!" 66 King George arrived in London from his German states on the 14th of November, and opened Parliament in person nine days afterwards. The first and most important measure of the session was the celebrated Peerage Bill, which had already been brought forward in the previous winter; but which I have not noticed till now, in order to present a more clear and connected account of it. The creation of twelve Peers to establish a majority for the Court had been justly reprobated in Lord Oxford's administration, |