a great many People that are feditiously difpos'd; fo I leave you to judge what Tumults they may be able to raife, if they thould have a Pretext to begin a Commotion. I perfwade myfelf therefore, you will never confent that the leaft Thing fhould bedone, that may disturb the Repose of me or my Subjects. Open your felf to me with the fame Freedom I do to you, and propose whatever you think may contribute to the Security of the Succeffion, I will come into it with Zeal, provided that it do not derogate from my Dignity, which I am refolv'd to 'maintain. I am, with a great deal of Affection, Superfcrib'd, To my Sifter and Aunt, Electrefs The Queen's Letter to the (then) Duke of Cambridge, was to this Effect. Coufin, A N Accident which has happen'd in my Lord Paget's Family, having hinder'd him from fetting forward fo icon as he thought to have done, I cannot defer any longer letting you know my Thoughts, with Refpect to the Defign you have of coming into my Kingdoms. As the Opening of this Matter ought to have been first to me, fo I expected you would not have given Ear to it, without knowing my Thoughts about it: However, this is what I owe to my own Dignity, the Friendship I have for you, and the Electoral Houfe to which you belong, and the true Defire I have that it may fucceed to my Kingdoms; and this requires of me that I fhould tell you, that nothing can be more dangerous to the Tranquillity of my Dominions, and the Right of Succeffion in your Line, and confequently more difagreeable to me, me, than fuch a Proceeding at this Juncture. I am, with a great deal of Friendship, St. James's, Your very affectionate Coufin, May 19, 1714. ANNE R. Superfcrib'd, To the Duke of Cambridge. At the fame Time the Lord High Treafurer wrote the following Letter to the (then) Elector of Brunswick. May it pleafe your Royal Highness, THO HO I expect Mr. Harley every Moment in return from your Court, and thereby thall have another Opportunity of doing myself the Honour to prefent your Royal Highnefs with my moft humble Duty, and the Affurance of my utmoft Service; yet I cannot flip this Occafion of the Queen's Meffenger attending your Royal Highness with her Majesty's Letter, to lay myfelf at your Feet. I have no Enemy that knows me, who is not just enough to allow me to be inviolably devoted to your Succeffion, nothing coming into Competition with that, becaufe I know I please the Queen, when I am zealous for the Service of your Serene Houfe. I hope therefore I thall find Credit with your Royal Highness, when I humbly lay my fincere Opinion before you. The Queen is moft heartily for your Succeffion: If there be any Thing which may render it more fecure, which is confiftent with her Majefty's Safety, it will be accomplish'd. It is not the eager Defires of fome, nor what flows from the Advice of others, whose Difcontents, perhaps, animate their Zeal, can balance the Security you have in the Queen's Friendhip, and the dutiful Affection of all her faithful Subjects; for as I am fure your Royal Highness's great Wisdom would not chufe to rule by a Party, fo you will not let their narrow Measures be the Standard of your Government. I doubt not but the Accident that happen'd about the Writ, may be be improv'd to encrease the most perfect Friend fhip between the Queen and your moft ferene Family. I will ftudy to do every Thing to demonftrate the profound Veneration and Refpect wherewith I am, May it please your Royal Highness, Your Royal Highness's Moft dutiful, moft humble, and moft obedient Servant, OXFORD. There was a fourth Letter on the fame Subject, viz. from the Queen to the Elector of Brunswick, which, for Reafons unknown to us, it was never thought fit to publish. Upon the News of the Death of the Princess Sophia, an Order was made at the Council Chamber at Whitehall, for altering in the Book of Common Prayer thefe Words, The Princefs Sophia, into the Words, The Elector of Brunswick. The Queen herfelf furviv'd not the Princess Sophia many Days; for on the 29th of July, 1714, The found herself indifpos'd with a dozing Heavinefs, and a thooting Pain in her Head, upon which her Domeftick Phyfician, Dr. Arbuthnot, having confulted with four others of her Majesty's Phyfificians in ordinary, viz. Dr. Thomas Lawrence, Sir David Hamilton, Dr. Shadwell, and Dr. Sloane, it was judg'd proper that her Majefty should be let Blood by cupping; accordingly Mr. Ayme, Surgeon, being immediately fent for, perform'd his Office, between Twelve and One in the Afternoon, in the Presence of Dr. Arbuthnot, Serjeant-Surgeon Dickens, and the Lady raham, took about eight Ounces and a Half of Blood, which he obferv'd was very thick; and took Notice, at the fame Time, that the Queen's Eyes were dim and glaffy. Her Majefty found herself somewhat better; went to Bed at the ufual Hour; refted pretty well till three aClock in the Morning, being July 30, when the wak d, wak'd, and finding fomething lie heavy on her Stomach, and reaching to vomit, fhe brought up fome Matter, and then compos'd herself to fleep. Towards Seven a-Clock her Majefty wak'd again, and finding herself pretty well, rofe from Bed, and got her Head comb'd. This done, towards eight her Majesty went to look on the Clock, and Mrs. Danvers, one of the Bedchamber Women, taking Notice, that her Majefty fix'd her Eyes a long Time upon it, afk'd her, What the faw in the Clock more than ordinary? The Queen answer'd her only with turning her Head, and a dying Look; at which Mrs. Danvers being frighted, call'd for Help. Dr. Arbuthnot, and fuch other Phyficians in Ordinary as were in waiting, judging that her Majefty was feiz'd with a Fit of an Apoplexy, caus'd her to be let Blood, which Operation Mr. Dickens, SerjeantSurgeon, perform'd, and took about ten Ounces and a Half. Her Majefty came to herfelf again, and was pretty quiet till a little after Nine. Towards ten a-Clock, her Majefty was feiz'd with a fecond Fit of Heavinefs and Dozing, which encreas'd fo much upon her, that for above an Hour fhe was fpeechlefs, motionlefs, and infenfible. Those about her Majefty judging the was either dead, or near expiring, the Dutchefs of Ormond, one of the Ladies of the Bedchamber then in waiting, fent, with all Speed, a Meffenger to her Confort, with this melancholy News; which being brought to the Committee of Council then affembled at the Cockpit, near Whitehall, they immediately broke up, and went to Kensington. In the mean Time, Dr. Arbuthnot, Sir Richard Blackmore, and fuch other Phyficians as happen'd to be at Hand, thought fit to give her Majesty a Vomit, which not having all the defir'd Effect, they adminifter'd another Medicine, propos'd by Dr. Mead; upon which her Majefty recover'd her Speech, and was fenfible. The Dukes of Somerfet and Argyle being inform'd of the defperate Condition the Queen's Life was in, their Graces repair'd with all Speed to Kenfington, and without being fummon'd, went into the Council Council-Chamber, where the Lord Chancellor, the Dukes of Shrewsbury and Ormond, the three Secretaries of State, viz. (the Lord Bolinbroke, Mr. Bromley, and the Earl of Mar) the Bishop of London, and fome others, were affembled in a Committee. The Dukes of Somerset and Argyle having acquainted the Board with the Reafons that brought them thither, the Duke of Shrewlbury return'd them Thanks, for their Readiness to give the Council their Affiftance in that nice Juncture; upon which they took their Places; and then mov'd, that the Queen's Phyficians might be examin'd, and order'd to give an Account in writing of the Queen's Illness, which was done accordingly. After this, one of the Council reprefented, how neceffary it was, in Cafe it pleas'd God to call the Queen to his Mercy, that the Place of Lord. Treasurer thould be fill'd; (for the Earl of Oxford had been obliged to refign the Staff of that high Office on the 27th of July in the Evening.) To which the whole Board affenting, the Duke of Shrewsbury was propos'd, and unanimoufly approv'd, as the fitteft Perfon for that high Truft. Sir Richard Blackmore, Dr. Shadwell, Dr. Mead, and the other Phyficians that were eximin'd, having affur'd the Council that the Queen was fenfible, and might be fpoke to, the Lord Chancellor, with the Duke of Shewbury, and fome other Lords, were order'd to attend her Majefty, and to lay before her the unanimous Opinion of the Council, upon which her Majefty faid, They could not recom mend a Perfon she liked better than the Duke of Shrewsbury; and giving him the Treasurer's Staff, bid him ufe it for the Good of her People. His Grace would have return'd her Majesty the Lord Chamberlain's Staff; but her Majefty defir'd he should keep them both; fo that the fame Nobleman was, at once, poffefs'd of three of the higheft Places of Truft, Honour, and Profit, under the Imperial Crown of Great Britain; being Lord Treafurer, Lord Chamberlain, and Lord Lieutenant of Ireland; as he was, two Days after, doubly one of the Lords Regents of Great Britain, both by his Place |