CHAP. X. 1714. 1 Coxe, vi. 310-312. Conduct, 336. 21. Bolingbroke and Lord Godolphin, Cofferer of the Household; the Earl of Bridgewater, Lord-Chamberlain of the Prince of Wales; while Marlborough's fourth son-in-law, the Duke of Montague, received a regiment, and his Duchess was made Lady of the Bed-Chamber to the Princess of Wales. Marlborough himself so far yielded to the solicitations of his friends as to resume his former offices of Commander-in-Chief and Master-General of the Ordnance; but he was not a member of the cabinet, and had little share in political government. He was received by the King with the most flattering distinction at court, who was proud to do honour to the chief under whom he had gained his first honours on the field of Oudenarde.1 One of the first acts of the Whig Government was, in pursuance of an address of the House of Commons Ormond are -which, with the versatility so common at that period, and Oxford was now as thoroughly Hanoverian as it had formerly impeached. been Jacobite in its policy-to prefer impeachments outlawed, against Bolingbroke, Ormond, and Oxford, for their accession to the steps taken to overturn the Act of Settlement, and restore the Stuart family to the throne. The two former made their escape into France, where they soon after hoisted, with honourable consistency, their true colours, by openly taking office at the court of St Germains. Oxford, who was not, like them, conscious of having furthered the views of the Pretender, but, on the contrary, had frustrated them so much, as Berwick informs us in the passage already quoted, as to have led to his dismissal by Queen Anne, remained at home and braved the impeachment. After a long trial he was acquitted by the House of Peers, apparently on very sufficient grounds, as his conduct in bringing about CHAP. X. 1714. the Peace of Utrecht, however culpable as a statesman, was no act of treason against the sovereign; and no overt acts directly favouring the Pretender could be brought home to him. Marlborough attended the House during the trial, and voted for the prosecution so far as the accession to the Treaty of Utrecht was concerned; but, with a commendable delicacy to his old protegé and comrade in office, he did not take vi. 315, 316. any part in the debates.1 1 Parl. Hist. vi. 1275 1292. Coxe, 22. rough's suc position to favouring der, May Although Marlborough took no active part in general politics after his restoration to the office of Commander- Marlboin-Chief, yet occasions were not awanting on which to cessful op evince, in a very effective way, his opposition to mea- measures sures proposed by the Jacobite party in Parliament, the Pretenwith a view to pave the way for a restoration of the 24, 1715. Stuart family. One of them was a clause proposed by the Duke of Buckingham, to be inserted in the Military Bill, confining the military to their fixed stations in every part of Great Britain. As this, in effect, took from the Crown the direction of the armed force, and exposed the nation to the danger of rebellion or invasion in one quarter where there were no troops, while a superfluity chained to their garrisons remained inactive in another, Marlborough combated the proposal with such energy and vigour that it was rejected without a division. The other was a still more insidious attempt to paralyse the Crown, by excluding all foreign officers from the British service. Marlborough combated this proposal with peculiar animation. "Thus to cashier," said he, "officers, whose intrepidity and skill I have 2 Parl. Hist. often experienced-many of whom have served, during vi. 1291twenty-five years, with disinterested zeal and unblem- vi. 315,316. ished fidelity-would be the height of ingratitude,2 and 1293. Coxe, CHAP. X. 1714. take this opportunity to tell you, that I am wholly innocent of this grievance; and, depend upon it, no application shall be wanting on my part to trace out the measures that have been taken to abuse you and me. I am resolved nothing shall divert me from demanding forthwith satisfaction, (wherever it may happen to fall,) and shall think nothing too much, on my part, for your great services. I have ordered you a new set of clothing, such as will be every way becoming his Majesty's first regiment of Foot Guards. I desire you will return, then, and take your old, till such time as the new can be completed, which, I give you my word, shall be as soon as possible. I have had the honour to serve with some of you a great many campaigns, and believe you will do me the justice to tell the world that I never willingly wronged any of you; and if I can be serviceable to any (the least) of you, you may readily command it ; and I shall be glad of any opportunity for that purpose. I hope I shall now leave you good subjects to the best of kings, and every way entirely satisfied." These measures, accompanied by a liberal donation of beer, had the desired effect; and an armed tumult, which had commenced with seditious cries in the Jacobite interest against the Hanoverian family, ended with shouts of "Long live George I.!-Long live the Duke of Marl- 476, 477. borough !" 1 1Coxe, vi. 318, 319. Hist. de Marlb. iii. ment of the in Scotland These events were straws only, but they were straws 24. which showed how the wind set; and it soon appeared Commencethat a pretty stiff breeze was to blow from the North. Rebellion Notwithstanding the evident peril to the religion and in 1715. liberties of this country, which was threatened from the unhappy adherence of the Stuart family to the Romish faith, a very considerable party in the western counties CHAP. X. 1714. of England, and by far the greater part of the nobility and gentry in Scotland, adhered, with a fidelity which must command the respect of the brave and the generous to the end of the world, to the standard of their ancient kings. Some of their leaders, as is usual in all civil conflicts, doubtless had objects of personal ambition in view, and were attracted by the titles and offices in perspective, which, with liberal profusion, were scattered among them by the court of St Germains. But the great majority of their followers were actuated by no such motives, and yielded only to a brave and disinterested, and therefore noble, feeling in favour of their sovereign in misfortune. In vain does worldly prudence condemn, political wisdom lament, convulsions originating in such a feeling; in vain does history point, with real truth, to the ruin which would have overtaken the British empire had the Stuart family, and with it the sway of Romish despotism, been restored in this island. There are impulses in the human heart superior to those of wisdomthere is an interest in a suffering, which is often not to be found in a ruling cause. Success is not always the measure of renown in after times. Leonidas, slain with his three hundred followers, has riveted the attention of the world more than all the annals of Persian conquests; and among the many scenes of interest which the British islands will present to future days, it may already be foreseen that none will be viewed with greater emotion than the green mounds, amidst the dusky heath, which mark the graves of the Highlanders who fell at Culloden. The rigid exclusion of the Tories from all offices under Government, which has always been the ruling principle of Whig administration in civil affairs, augmented the |