bethon, infused a jealoufy into him of the Lord Townshend Geo. I. and Mr. Walpole; fo that, on the 11th of December, an 1716. exprefs arrived in England from Hanover, and the next day it was publickly known, that lord Townfhend was removed from his place of fecretary of ftate. This was however foftened with an account, that his lordship was to be advanced to the poft of lord-lieutenant of Ireland; the duke of Grafton, first lord-juftice of that kingdom, being appointed colonel of the royal regiment of horse-guards, lately commanded by the duke of Argyle; and the earl of Galway, the other lord-juftice of Ireland, being to enjoy an honourable penfion during life. Two days after, the duke of Roxburgh was made fecretary of state, and keeper of the king's fignet in Scotland. The lord Poleworth was appointed lord clerk regifter, in the room of the duke of Montrofe, who was made keeper of the great feal of Scotland. The duke of Kingston was appointed keeper of the privy-feal, and the earl of Sunderland fole treasurer of Ireland for life.

In this difpofition things remained till the king's return; and the lord Townshend's removal affected no more for the present than himself; though the divifions in the ministry feemed irreconcileable (d).

(d) The following particulars happened during the king's abfence. Thomas D'Aeth and: Matthew Decker were created baronets. The penfion of 2500l. a year was taken from the earl of Nottingham.

Edward Southwell, James Vernon, and Andrew Carlton, were appointed commiffioners of the privy-feal, in the abfence of the earl of Sunderland.

Mr. Bruce, a Scotch prifoner, changing clothes with his fifter, made his efcape out of Newgate.

In Auguft there blew fo ftrong a wefterly wind (which forced back the tide, and drove for ward the ebbing water) that the Thames lay perfectly dry above and below bridge, except a nar

Du

row channel, about four feet
deep, and twelve feet over.

Several of the fchool-mafters
of the charity-schools in Lon-
don were removed for difaf-
fection to the government; Dr.
Welton, rector of White-Cha-
pel, was deprived alfo for difaf-
fection to the government, and
was fucceeded by Dr. Shippen,
of Brazen nofe-College in Ox-
ford.

Margaret, eldest daughter of the lord Coningsby, was created baronefs and viscountess of Coningby, of Hampton-Court, in Herefordshire, with limitation to her heirs male.

January the 4th, the triple. league between Great Britain, France, and Holland, was figned at the Hague.

Three days after the king's

return

43

Complaints of Spain against the

Geo. I. During these transactions at home, the king was not idle 1716. abroad. One of the principal ends of the king's journey to Hanover, was to provide against any future attempts of the Jacobite party, by endeavouring to make alliances with all thofe powers from whence the pretender might expect any fupport. But this was an impoffible undertaking, in the then fituation of the affairs of Europe. The king of Spain prétending to have numberlefs complaints against the empe for. The evacuation of Catalonia had given great offence, as to the manner of doing it. A tribunal had been erected at Vienna for the affairs of Spain, and the estates of the Flemish, who had ferved king Philip, were confifcated. But thefe were flight grievances in comparison of what was now in agitation. Sicily had been granted to the duke of Savoy, by the Utrecht treaty, on condition of returning to Spain, in had looked upon this cafe of failure of heirs. The He had almoft perfuaded grant with the utmost concern. the duke of Savoy to accept Sardinia in exchange, without the participation of the court of Madrid, and without any regard to the claufe of reverfion. To all thefe occafions of rupture were added the pretenfions of the two courts to the fucceffion of the Tuscan dominions.

emperor.

State of

emperor

As to France, with refpect to Spain, the two nations were King Philip and France and united, but their governors were not so. Spain. the duke of Orleans were ready to contend for the crown of Lewis XV. in cafe death fhould remove him out of the upon that world. Philip had renounced that crown, and alone was founded the duke of Orleans's title. But, befides that, the renunciation was generally confidered in France as of no force; the emperor's conftant refusal to cease styling himself king of Spain, feemed entirely to annul it, as it was not reasonable that one contracting party should be obliged to stand to mutual engagements, to which the other refuses to fubmit. King George therefore could not be attached to France, without offending Spain, nor could he be united to Spain, without giving offence to both the others.

return, January the zad, came
on the famous trial of Francia
the Jew, for correfponding with
the king's enemies. He was
acquitted.

Thirty of the Preston rebels
having been put on board a fhip
to be tranfported, affidavits were

made before the mayor of Liverpool, that they had mastered the fhip's crew, and carried the fhip to France. One hundred of the fame prifoners, who had been confined in the Savoy, were shipped off for the WestIndies.

The

northern

The cafe was much the fame with the northern powers, Geo. I. and its was ftill more difficult for king George to manage 1716. them, fo as to draw none of them upon himself. Denmark and Sweden were at war: The czar had entered into a con- Negotiation federacy, which had taken from the Swede his German do- with the minions: The princes of the empire beheld with regret the princes. Ruffians in their country. It was the business of those who called them in, and made ufe of them, to fend them away. The acquifition of the duchies of Bremen and Verden, which king George had gained as elector of Hanover, had enraged king Charles of Sweden. He durft not, as king of GreatBritain, declare war against him (though he had done it as elector of Hanover) nor could he be reconciled with him, unless he restored the two duchies. The only way therefore was to compel that warlike prince to make peace. In this fituation, it was neceffary for king George to make alliances, and unite with those who could moft annoy him, in case they became his enemies. Being fure of the good difpofition of the regent of France, he trufted to his minifters the negotiation with that prince, and undertook himself the affairs of the north, where, it is plain, he knew fome enterprize was contriving in favour of the pretender.

States,

The negotiation with France fucceeded to his wifh. The WithFrance duke of Orleans, who had ftill more need of a fupport to and the mount the throne, in cafe of a vacancy, than the king had to maintain himself on that of Great-Britain, granted all that was defired, The States-General, who only aimed at peace and fecurity, readily came into a treaty, which embroiled them with no power they were concerned to manage, and which laid upon them fcarce any fresh obligation. General Cadogan, the abbot du Bois, and penfionary Heinfius, negotiated this affair with fo much fecrecy, that the treaty was finifhed almoft before it was known to be in hand.

By this treaty, the pretender, that his near abode might The treaty not encourage commotions in Great-Britain, was to depart with France. immediately from Avignon, and go beyond the Alps; nor was he to be fuffered at any time to come or return thither, or to pass through the French Territories, under pretence of going to Lorrain, or even to fet his foot in any place within the dominions of France, much lefs to ftay there on any pretence whatsoever. This was accompanied with the renewing of the promises made at Utrecht, of abfolutely refufing protection to the chevalier de St. George, and of affifting, him in any manner directly or indirectly. No refuge was to be given to the fubjects of either party, who should be de

clared

Geo. I. clared rebels. All that had been formerly agreed, concern1716. ing Dunkirk, was to be fully executed, and nothing was to be omitted that the king of Great Britain fhould think neceffary for the intire demolition of the harbour, and for the removing all fufpicion that a new harbour was intended to be made on the canal of Mardyke. This treaty referred to a memorial figned at London, in September, by monfieur Iberville, refident of France, and the lord Townshend and Mr. Methuen, fecretaries of ftate, containing the particulars required by king George to make him eafy and cure his fufpicions.

After these preliminaries (which might be confidered as the purchace given by France for this alliance) it was added, that, the true defign of this treaty being to ftrengthen the friendship established by the late treaties at Utrecht, the articles of thofe treaties, as far as they concerned the contracting parties, were confirmed and ratified, particularly, that the fucceffion to the crown of Great Britain in the Proteftant line, and to the crown of France in the family of Orleans, exclufive of the house of Anjou, fhould remain in full force. A mutual guarantee was alfo given for the performance of these, and all the other articles, and for the defence of the dominions poffeffed by the three powers at the time of figning the treaty. Then was fettled the fuccours each fhould give the party attacked, after fair means had been used to induce the aggreffor to defift from his enterprise. France and England were to furnish each eight thousand foot, and two thousand horse; and the States half that number. It was free to demand fhips or money inftead of troops; and, to prevent all occafion of difpute, it was agreed, that a thousand foot should be valued at ten thousand Dutch florins a month, and a thousand horse at 30,000. The fuccours at fea were to be valued in the fame proportion.

The chief end of this treaty being to fupport the fucceffions to the two crowns, that article was very largely explained. It was agreed, that, if the kingdoms, countries, or provinces of any of the allies were disturbed with inteftine divifions, or by rebellions, on account of thefe fucceffions, or any other pretence, the ally fo disturbed should have a right to demand aid, as in cafe of being attacked by a foreign power; that this aid fhould be fent within two months after demand, and the neceffary expences advanced by those of whom it was demanded, and no repayment to be required till a year after the troubles fhould ceafe. In cafe this aid fhould not be fufficient, it was added, the whole forces of

the

the other parties fhould be employed, and if occafion re- Geo. I. quired, war fhould be declared against the aggreffors.

As foon as this treary was made public, it raised great murmurings, especially in France, where it was openly faid, the regent facrificed to his ambitious views the honour and advantage of the nation: The condefcenfion hitherto fhewn for England on account of the chevalier de St. George, had been too great, but the present proceedings were shameful and mean: The demolition of Mardyke would be an eternal monument of the subjection of France to England: Lewis XIV. would never have consented to it, and the unfettled ftate of Great-Britain did not put her in a condition to impofe laws: A prince, who had no other interest but that of his people, would have taken the opportunity to finish a work fo important and neceffary: The expreffions in the treaty, of doing whatever the king of Great-Britain shall judge neceffary to remove his fufpicions,' were of a very high ftrain, and derogatory to the fovereignty of the crown of France.

The king of Spain was highly offended at this alliance, and complained of it bitterly, affirming, it belonged to the ftates of the realm, not to foreigners, especially the English, perpetual enemies of France, to decide pretenfions to the throne, in cafe God fhould, in his anger, call the young king to himself: And from that time he took measures to difconcert this alliance.

1716.

Murmur

ings againft the treaty.

This ftrict alliance with France was found fault with even in England, where it was pretended, that the fucceffion was fufficiently fecured by the treaty of Utrecht, and there was no occafion for fo many foreign troops, which might be called in on pretence of an invafion, and perhaps be used for different purposes. The king and regent difregarded these murmurs, being fatisfied that their mutual intereft would oblige them to an inviolable performance of their engagements. The character of these two princes had a great refemblance in many particulars. They had both great talents for government, and may be faid to have equally had an occafion for them in their respective circumftances, which were much the fame. Alike diflatisfied with the late adminiftration of affairs, they obferved the fame conduct. None of the friends and creatures of Lewis XIV: were in favour with the duke of Orleans; as none of the friends and creatures of queen Anne were in favour with king George. The difference, in their manner of treating them, entirely flowed from the different ufages of the nations they governed.