and conduct were called in queftion. To mortify the duke ftill more, the thanks of the house of commons were voted to the earl of Peterborough for his fervices in Spain, when they were refufed to the duke for thofe in Flanders; and the lord keeper, who delivered themrto Peterborough, took occafion to drop fome reflections against the mercenary difpofition of his rival.

In this ebullition of party refentment, Harley, who firft raised the ferment, ftill kept the appearance of moderation; and even became fufpected by his more violent affociates as a lukewarm friend to the caufe. An accident encreafed his confidence with his own party, and fixed him for a time fecurely in the queen's favour. One Guifcard, a French officer, who had made fome ufeful informations relative to the affairs of France, thought himfelf ill rewarded for his fervices to the crown by a precarious penfion of four hundred pounds a year. He had often endeavoured to get to the fpeech of the queen, but was ftill repulfed, either by Harley or St. John. Enraged at thefe difappointments, he attempted to make his peace with the court of France, and offered his fervices in a letter to one Moreau, a banker in Paris. His letters, however, were intercepted, and a warrant iffued out to apprehend him for high treafon. Confcious of his guilt, and knowing that the charge could be proved against him, he did not decline his fate, but refolved to fweeten his death by vengeance. Being conveyed before the council, convened at a place called the Cockpit, he perceived a penknife lying upon the table, and took it up, without being obferved by any of the attendants. When questioned before the members of the council, he endeavoured to evade his examination, and entreated to fpeak with Mr. fecretary St. John in private. His request, however, being refused, he

faid, "That's hard! not one word!" Upon which, as St. John was out of reach, he ftept up to Mr. Harley, and crying out," Have at thee then!" he ftabbed him in the breaft with the penknife which he had concealed. The blade of the knife broke upon the rib, without entering the cavity of the breast nevertheless he repeated the blow with fuch violence that Harley fell to the ground. St. John perceiving what had happened, inftantly drew his fword, and feveral others following his example, Guifcard was wounded in feveral places. He ftill, however, continued to ftrike and defend himself, till at last he was overpowered by the meffengers and fervants, and conveyed from the council chamber, which he had filled with terror and confufion. His wounds, though dangerous, were not mortal; but he died of a gangrene, occafioned by the bruifes which he had fuftained. This unfuccefsful attempt, ftill more ferved to establish the credit of Harley; and as he appeared the enemy of France, no doubt was made but that he must be the friend of England.

This accident ferved to demonftrate the politi cal rectitude of the miniftry, with refpect to the ftate. A bill which they brought in, and paffed through both houses, ferved to affure the nation of their fidelity to the church. This was an act for building fifty new churches in the city and fuburbs of London, and a duty on coals was appropriated for this purpose.

Nothing now, therefore remained of the Whig fyftem, upon which this reign was begun, but the war which continued to rage as fierce as ever, and which encreafed in expence every year as it went on. It was the refolution of the prefent miniftry to put an end to it at any rate, as it had involved the nation in debt almoft to bankruptcy; and as it promifed, inftead of humbling the enemy, only to

become

become habitual to the conftitution. However, it was a very delicate point for the miniftry at prefent, to ftem the tide of popular prejudice in favour of its continuance. The nation had been intoxicated with a childish idea of military glory; and panted for triumphs, which they neither faw nor felt the benefit of. The pleasure of talking at their entertainments and meetings of their diftant conques, and of extolling the bravery of their acquaintance, was all the return they were likely to receive for a diminished people, and an exhaufted exchequer. The firft doubts, therefore, of the expediency of continuing the war, were introduced into the houfe of commons. The members made a remonftrance to the queen, in which they complained loudly of the former adminiftration. They faid that in tracing the caufes of the national debt, they had discovered great frauds and embezzlements of the public money. They affirmed, that irreparable mifchief would have enfued, in cafe the former minifters had been continued in office, and they thanked the queen for their difmiffion.

Having thus prepared the nation, it only now remained to remove the duke of Marlborough from his poít, as he would endeavour to traverse all their negotiations. But here again a difficulty ftarted, this step could not be taken without giving offence to the Dutch, who placed entire confidence in him; they were obliged, therefore, to wait for fome convenient occafion. But in the mean time, the duke headed his army in Flanders, and led on his forces against marshal Villars, who seemed refolved to hazard a battle. His laft attempt in the field, it is faid, by thofe who understand the art of war, to have excelled every former exploit. He contrived his meafures fo, that he induced the enemy, by marching and countermarching, to quit a

strong

Arong line of entrenchments 'without ftriking at blow, which he came and unexpectedly took poffeffion of. The capture of Bouchain followed this enterprize, which capitulated after a fiege of twenty days; and this was the laft military expcdition that the duke of Marlborough ever performmed. And now by a continuance of conduct and fuccefs, by ever advancing, and never lofing an advantage, by gaining the enemies pofts without fighting, and the confidence of his own foldiers without generofity, the duke of Marlborough ended his campaigns, by leaving the allies in poffeffion of a valt tract of country. They had reduced, under their command, Spanish Guelderland, Limbourg, Brabant, Flanders, and Hainault; they were masters of the Scarpe, and the capture of Bouchain had opened them a way into the very bowels of France. Upon his return from this campaign, he was accufed of having taken a bribe of fix thousand pounds a year from a Jew, whe contracted to fupply the army with bread; and the queen thought proper to difiifs him from all his employments.

This was the pretext made use of, though his fall had been predetermined; and though his receiving fuch a bribe was not the real cause of his removal, yet candour must confefs that it ought to have been fo. The defire of accumulating money, was a paffion that attended this general in all his triumphs; and by this he threw a ftain upon his character, which all his great abilities have not been able to remove. He not only received this gratuity, of fix thousand a year, from Medina the Jew, but he was alfo allowed ten thousand pounds a year from the queen; to this he added a deduction of two and a half per cent. from the pay of the foreign troops maintained by England, and all this over and above his ordinary pay as a general of

the

the British forces. Many excufes might have been given for his acceptance of these fums; but a great: character ought not to ftand in need of any ex« cufe.

CHAP.

A NN E.

WAR

XLIL

(Continued.)

TAR feems, in general, more adapted to the temper and the courage of the Whigs than the Tories. The former, reftlefs, active, and ungovernable, seem to delight in the struggle the latter, fubmiffive, temperate, and weak, more willingly cultivate the arts of peace, and are content in profperity. Through the courfe of the English hiftory, France feems to have been the peculiar object of the hatred of the Whigs; and a conftitutional war with that country, feems to have been their aim On the contrary, the Tories have been found to regard that nation with no fuch oppofition of principle; and a peace with France has generally been the refult of a Tory administration. For fome time, therefore, before the difmiffion of Marlborough, a negotiation for peace had been carried on between the court of France and the new miniftry. They had a double aim in bringing this about. It would serve to mortify the Whigs, and it would free their country. from a ruinous and unneceffary war.

The motives of every political meafure, where faction enters, are partly good, and partly evil. The prefent minifters were without doubt, actuated as well by hatred on one hand, as impelled by a love of their country on the other. They hoped to obtain fome advantages in point of commerce for the fubjects of Great Britain, as would filence

all