was but one of the cabinet (who I named to him) that knew anything of it, or ever should, upon which he wrote the enclosed letter to the Abbé du Bois-who he calls the Abbé Guibert-which I laid before the Queen, and your lordship has the copies both of his and mine, which I took at that time. The Queen afterwards told me she had received a very satisfactory answer, but understood, the Duke of Orleans thought it safest for himself, that no one person should be entirely master of his secret, and therefore returned his answer by other hands. Whatever bis majesty's measures are, it is fit he should be informed of all the steps that were ever taken in a matter of so universal a concern, therefore beg the favour of your lordship to acquaint him with it. I need not use any arguments to convince your lordship that it will not be proper, it should be known by any other; the ill consequences that may still attend such a discovery being very obvious." Postcript." Your lordship may imagine by the post he was in, the other person to be Lord Bolingbroke, but I do assure you it was not.” LORD TOWNSHEND to [the EARL OF DARTMOUTH]. 1724, May 2. Whitehall.-"I beg ten thousand pardons for not having sooner acknowledged the honour of your lordship's letter, the hurry of business I have had of late and some transactions at court of which you have seen the event in the prints, have, as I may venture to own to a friend, prevented my doing it. This, I am sensible, ought not to be alleged as a justification of my omission. It is upon your goodness and your partiality you have ever shown in my favour, upon which I must wholly rely; but however negligent I have been in this part of my duty, I can assure your lordship I lost no time in laying your letters before the King, who was extremely pleased with this piece of secret history, and commanded me to return your lordship his thanks and to let you know in his name, that he looked upon the part you acted in relation to the subject matter of those letters and your communicating to him at this juncture, as a great instance of your zeal for the true interest of your country and for his service. His Majesty has had the strongest assurances from the new King of Spain, and everything goes on there as well as we can wish. The late King's abdication was certainly the effect of devotion, and the Queen seeing it was not possible to hinder his doing it, came into it, and took Grimaldo, the Secretary of State, with them into their retirement, constituted a council for the young King to her own taste, and by these measures keeps a very strong influence on all that is done at Madrid; so that everything goes in the same channel they did before the abdication, and the new government has as yet scarce the appearance of any authority, the entire power remaining where it was before this great event." The EARL OF DARTMOUTH to [LORD TOWNSHEND]. 1724, May 6. Sandwell.-"I am sorry your Lordship should think there was occasion to make any excuse for not answering mine sooner. I know very well one in your post has not much time to spare, and Wace had acquainted me, that he had delivered my letter into your own hands, which was all I wanted to be satisfied in, and hope your lordship after five and thirty years acquaintance, knows me better than to imagine I impute a failure in ceremony (had it been so) to want of friendship. It is a mark of his majesty's great goodness to take my letter in the sense your lordship says he does, I did not know what use it might be of, for his service, but I knew it was my duty to inform him of a matter of fact, that nobody else could. Had Lord Stanhope been living, I should have thought it a piece of impertinence to have taken notice of anything that had been more immediately his duty, as the King's servant, to have acquainted him with." The EARL OF DARTMOUTH to [LORD TOWNSHEND?] 1724-5, February 22. Sandwell.-"It is now a year since I wrote to your lordship upon the death of the Duke of Orleans and abdication of the King of Spain. What has since happened gives good reason to believe that a storm is gathering notwithstanding the present calm, and should think myself a very bad Englishman if I concealed anything that might give light, where his majesty and the kingdom are so nearly concerned, therefore shall as briefly as I can give your lordship an account of some former transactions that have had and still may have great influence upon the affairs of the world. The last king of France agreed to the renunciation after the death of the two Dauphins and the Duke of Berry with the utmost reluctancy, foreseeing the crown of Spain (much clipt from its former grandeur) might prove the lot of his own posterity, when that of France (greatly increased by his acquisitions) would go to his brothers. This I know gave him great anxiety, from a letter he wrote the Queen in hopes of prevailing that the King of Spain might be allowed to renounce that crown and return to France in case the present king should die without issue. The Queen's answer was that she thought that would leave the world under greater uncertainties than ever, and therefore must insist upon an absolute renunciation, which he seemed to take very unkindly, but concluded with great piety submitting himself and the world to the Creator of all kings. But make no doubt he left the best instructions he was able, to his family, for preventing what he esteemed the greatest of misfortunes, and in my poor apprehension the King of Spain abdicating that kingdom and resuming it again (upon an unforeseen accident) looks more like an effect of those directions, than bigotry or devotion, that a prince of his age with a young Italian queen and a numerous offspring, should quit a crown that has cost so much blood and treasure, without a prospect of greater advantage to himself and family, seems the very reverse of nature. The great party he has in France, the immoderate activity of the present King (with no very strong constitution), the precaution the regent took to hinder his having children in haste, and the little opposition the present Duke of Orleans could make, gives the King of Spain too fair expectations, what obstructions he is like to meet with from the rest of the world, is worth consideration. In the last war after the Emperor was possessed of Naples, Milan, Mantua, and Flanders, he seemed little concerned for Spain. How far the present Emperor carries his views, I know not, but Count Galas told me, the court of Vienna thought they had better pretentions to the Low Countries than any other part of the Spanish monarchy, as having belonged to the House of Austria before they had anything to do with Spain, and that any agreements made while they were in the possession of that crown, could not prejudice a prior right. When the Marquis del Bourgo, was sent to desire the late Queen would propose the Prince of Piedmont, for the eldest of the Emperor Joseph's daughters (which she readily came into, in hopes of diverting another design, the old Electress of Saxony, and the Queen of Poland having given her notice, that a match had been proposed for the Prince of Saxony, upon condition he changed his religion) I was ordered to discourse with Hoffman, the Queen being desirous to know what the success was like to be, before she proposed it in form. He told me it was true the court of Vienna had great obligations to the Duke of Savoy, but much doubted their approbation, for reasons he would tell me as his old acquaintance and friend, though he could say nothing by authority. The world he said, was going to take a new Branle (sic); we had settled the crown of England upon a protestant Elector; Holland by interest and religion would always be united with us; the King of Prussia, the most powerful prince in Germany; the Prince and elector of Saxony, protestant (though the King of Poland professed himself a catholic) the King of Sweden, a Prince of the Empire; Denmark, a near neighbour; the Czar it was plain would have a share in the dance for the future, and the House of Austria had no heirs male: all which put together, had so alarmed the Roman catholics in general, and those of the Empire in particular, that he believed their chief aim would be, how to dispose of the Archduchess, most for the advantage of that interest which hereafter would be their main concern, and gave broad hints that the Prince of Bavaria would be the properest party, but the good success they met with at Dresden obliged him to be content with the younger sister. These are particulars known to nobody now alive, but myself, therefore hope I shall not be thought over officious in begging the favour of your lordship to lay them before the King if the knowledge of them can be of any use to his service, if not, depend upon your lordship's goodness to excuse so long a letter, it proceeding entirely from a dutiful respect to his Majesty's person and sincere affection to my country." The DUKE OF MARLBOROUGH to LADY 1725, September 5.-Has given directions to have the park kept according to the King's last orders, which were to give no keys. Lord Burford has been so unlike the Duke of St. Alban's son and said "he would have a key whether I would or no." Walking in the Park is now just as it was "in the Queen's time and all times, and where anybody has a coach to carry them to the place there can be no trouble I should think,” The EARL OF DARTMOUTH to Mr. SCOTT. 1727, October 26. Blackheath.-Mr. Mander has given him a bill upon Mr. John Price of Lombard Street. Most of his family have been or are dangerously ill. He wishes his daughter Bagot and Sir Walter well out of Wales, for they say the sickness is worse there than anywhere. The EARL OF Strafford to the EARL OF DARTMOUTH. 1727-8, February 5. London.- Asking Lord Dartmouth to be present at the hearing of his appeal in the House of Lords. The EARL OF AYLESFORD to the EARL OF DARTMOUTH. 1729, April 7. Packington.-"The miserable afflicted state of my family, ever since I came down, has been very shocking to me; and now, Sir Clement Fisher lies in the last extremity. I do not believe he can live 24 hours. "My children, Lady Anne and Frances, have both been very dangerously ill, especially the latter, but are now much better. Mrs. Duresore, and two more maids that look after my children, are now in great danger. Other servants have agues, which is the least matter, but, however, they are disabled from assisting us. I have three hired nurses, and God knows, not sufficient. I beg of you not to come into these parts this year. I will get away when my family, or those it shall please God to spare me, are able to travel.” SO. LORD BRUCE to the EARL OF DARTMOUTH. 1732, April 1. Tottenham Park." I have thoughts sooner or later of visiting my father at Brussels. Since the affairs of the Bedwin election, I have not been to any part of the Court, nor do I hereafter intend to do The question is, whether I have any occasion, as a Peer, to ask a formal leave of the Court to live out of England, which, if I am to do, will determine me in staying where I am. Although I have not the least concern in Hampshire, I have had, lately, an accidental opportunity of promoting two good men's being chosen next time for that County. In short Mr. Lisle and Sir Robert Worsley, or some other of the mécontents in opposition to Lord H. Paulet and Lord John Russell, whose engaging with the former, upon his brother's account, I am sorry for. There are endeavours using for to throw out these two Lords, who have already jointly declared for the County. Though your Lordship had not a concern in Hampshire, I should take any occasion of acquainting you with this, but as you are a Hampshire man, you have a right to know it. Mr. Lisle is not acquainted with Lord Carteret, who, as you know, is son-in-law to Sir R. Worsley, and a great friend of Lord Lymington's. I have writ to Lord C[arteret] to propose a coalition, which would, I believe, make the thing sure; but should that not be entered into, Mr. Lisle would be joined by Sir L. Stuart, or some other of his own sort. I wish two such could be, but when one cannot do as one would do, one must do as one can do; your Lordship knows well, that time was, and is not likely to be again, for the putting things upon a reasonable good foot." JONATHAN SWIFT to [the EARL OF DARTMOUTH]. 1732 [-3], February 17th. Dublin.-"I have a good title to the honor of your friendship, although I have never corresponded with you since the great event that scattered us, and banished me for ever to this miserable country. The title I claim is the great favour you have formerly done me, from whence I may boldly challenge any other in your favour. I am now an interceder for the city of Dublin, which hath always used me well, and whose rights I have always contended for. There is an appeal in your House between one Mr. Vernan and the city on occasion of bounds, privileges, limits, and immunities. I shall not trouble you with the case, their agent will have the honor to deliver it you. And you are to grant the small favour of your attending this cause constantly and making your friends do the like. This is the utmost we ask, because we all know that every soul of you is consummate in wisdom and justice. I will order the agent to inquire whether your lordship be as cheerful and healthy as ever. I know little of your domestic affairs for I do not find your name in my friend's letters, upon which I might justly reproach you." LORD BRUCE to the EARL OF DARTMOUTH. It 1733-[4], January 1. Tottenham Park." I remember very particularly the discourse I had the pleasure of having with your lordship at Blackheath, which I have since kept to myself. This summer I have been much employed in several preparatories to elections, and have in every place as much as possible promoted Tories being chosen, such as may be depended upon. In this county and at the boroughs we are either direct courtiers or Tories, and the latter will gain ground considerably, and at Marlborough and Bedwin particularly I am pretty sure to have four friends. In Bedfordshire and Yorkshire it is necessary to deal with the third sort of people. As to the first county I have had a very great deal of argument with Lord Carteret, and we are not at all agreed. is perfectly Mahomet and the mountain; to go to him I most certainly shall not do, and if he comes not to me, I believe he will repent it. The particulars of this affair are too long to trouble your lordship with by letter. As to Yorkshire I went thither in October at the desire of several principal gentlemen; we had a great meeting, and have I believe fixed Sir Myles Stapylton's being chosen with a good prospect of having the two of our own sort another time. By the notion I have of the present situation of affairs in Europe, I imagine that we shall upon the opening of the session, bave under consideration peace or war, and I apprehend that a neutrality is the thing for the good of England, and consequently proper for we Tories to support, without any regard to who is for or against it. By this, England may reap the advantage of the follies of other nations. I send this by a safe hand, and shall be very glad to hear if I have the happiness of agreeing with your lordship. I have discoursed some other friends, who are of my mind. As it seems a time of action, I shall get as many friends as possible to town, and do intend to be there myself on the 15th, and to wait upon your lordship at Blackheath next morning to discourse fully these affairs. Upon second thoughts I will be in town the 14th, if your lordship in the meantime should not hear to the contrary, and wait upon you next morning. I send you some letters and papers as to the Scotch papers. My kinsman is a very honest sensible man, and a Tory entirely. Your lordship knew his father Sir Alexander. I shall be very glad to have your thoughts upon this material affair. My thought is that Lord K. should get all the hands he can of peers by way of petition to our House praying that the election may be by ballot. I am informed that all the non-juring Scotch peers will qualify themselves to vote at the next election. I shall recommend to my cousin getting as many of the 16 like himself as possible. If your lordship writes by the bearer I shall have it a safe way on Sunday morning." 1 CHARLES MONTAGU to LoRd North. 1735, November 24. Bath.-"Your letter, my dear Lord, afforded us more diversion than you intended us, I received it this morning in the coffee-house. I no sooner had read it, but Lady Anne Lumley claps a letter into my hand. Read that, Mr. Montagu,' says she, and let me read yours.' I immediately delivered it her, but gently signified that if she would read it she must be obeyed and have it. You |