me, than fuch a Proceeding at this Juncture. Iam, 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 Treasurer wrote the following Letter to the (then) Elector of Brunswick. May it please your Royal Highness, T HOI expect Mr. Harley every Moment in return from your Court, and thereby fhall have another Opportunity of doing myfelf the Honour to present 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 Mcffenger attending your Royal Highness with her Majefty's Letter, to lay myself 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, because I know I please the Queen, when I am zealous for the Service of your Serene Houfe. I hope therefore I fhall 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, whofe Difcontents, perhaps, animate their Zeal, can balance the Security you have in the Queen's Friendfhip, 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 moft perfect Friendship between the Queen and your moft ferene Family. I will study to do every Thing to demonftrate the profound Veneration and Refpect wherewith I am, May it please your Royal Highness, 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 Reasons 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 herself furviv'd not the Princefs Sophia many Days; for on the 29th of July, 1714, the found herself indifpos'd with a dozing Heavinefs, and a fhooting Pain in her Head, upon which her Domestick Phyfician, Dr. Arbuthnot, having confulted with four others of her Majefty's Phyfificians in ordinary, viz. Dr. Thomas Lawrence, Sir David Hamilton, Dr. Shadwell, and Dr. Sloane, it was judg'd proper that her Majefty fhould 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 Prefence of Dr. Arbuthnot, Serjeant-Surgeon Dickens, and the Lady Mafham, 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 Majefty 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 anfwer'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 herself 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 she was speechlefs, motionlefs, and infenfible. Those about her Majefty judging fhe was either dead, or near expiring, the Dutchess 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 Kenfington. 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 Majefty 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 Secre taries 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 Somerfet and Argyle having acquainted the Board with the Reasons that brought them thither, the Duke of Shrewjbury return'd them Thanks, for their Readiness to give the Council their Af fiftance 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 Treafurer thould be fill'd; (for the Earl of Oxford had been oblig'd 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 unanimoufy approv'd, as the fittest Perfon for that high Truft. Sir Richard Blackmore, Dr. Shadwell, Dr. Mead, and the other Physicians that were examin'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 he 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 Majefty the Lord Chamberlain's Staff; but her Majesty defir'd he fhould 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 2 Place of Lord Treafurer, and by the King's Nomination: A Circumftance hardly to be parallell'd in our Hiftory. About three a-Clock in the Afternoon, the Queen relapfed into a kind of Lethargick or Apoplectick Fit, out of which the was hardly recover'd by the Application of the Spirit of Sal Armoniack to her Noftrils. Hereupon her Phyficians thought fit to apply Blifters to five or fix Parts of her Body; and in order to that, to get her Head fhav'd; and at the fame Time acquainted the Council, that her Majefty's Life was in the utmoft Danger, and entirely depended on the Effect of this laft Remedy. We may here take Notice, that the Duke of Ormond had, in all Hafte, fent Mr. Lowman, with one of the Queen's Coaches, to fetch Dr. Ratcliffe; but whether that celebrated Phyfician thought he could do no Good, or expected to be call'd by an exprefs Order from Council, he excus'd himself, upon Account of his having taken Phyfick that very Day. In the mean Time, the Privy Council, which fat from One till about Four, and met again at Six in the Afternoon, took into Confideration the State of the Kingdom; and fome fevere Reflections were made on the late Adminiftration, for leaving the Maritime Places, particularly the important Town of Portsmouth, unprovided both with Men and warlike Stores, and confequently uncapable to make any Defence in Cafe of a fudden Invafion, which might be reafonably apprehended, in Cafe of her Majefty's Demife. But the prelent Bufinefs not being to inquire into, but to mend Faults, the Council provided for the Security of the Cities of London and Westminster, in the first Place, afterwards of the Maritime Towns, and laft of all of Scotland and Ireland. The Duke of Ormond difpatch'd his Orders to the commanding Officers at Whitehall, for doubling the Horfe and Foot-Guards; and at the fame Time, two hundred Men were order'd to march, to reinforce the Gurrifon of the Tower. The Privy Council wrote a B Letter |