tion, the herself having no share in the councils, by which they were managed. But from this time, I began to be look'd upon as a perfon of confequence, without whose approbation, at least, neither places, nor penfions, nor honours were beftowed by the crown. The intimate friendship, with which the QUEEN was known to honour me, afforded a plaufible foundation for this opinion: And I believe therefore, it will be a furprize to many, to be told, that the first important step, which her MAJESTY took, after her acceffion to the government, was against my wishes and inclination: I mean, her throwing berfelf and her affairs almost entirely into the hands of the tories.

I fhall dwell the longer, and be the more particular upon the subject of my disagreement with her MAJESTY about parties, that I may expofe the injuftice of those whigs, who, after the great change in 1710, accufed me of being the ruin of their cause; a cause, that, in her reign, would have been always too low, to be capable of a fall, but for the zeal and diligence, with which I

feiz'd every opportunity to raife and establish it; which, in the end, proved the ruin of my favour with her MAJESTY.

The QUEEN had from her infancy imbibed the most unconquerable prejudices against the whigs. She had been taught to look upon them all, not only as republicans, who hated the very shadow of regal authority, but as implacable enemies to the church of England. This averfion to the whole party had been confirmed by the ill ufage she had met with from her fifter and king WILLIAM, which though perhaps more owing to lord ROCHESTER, than to any man then living, was now to be all charged to the account of the whigs. And prince GEORGE, her husband, who had also been ill treated, in that reign, threw into the scale his refentments.

On the other hand, the tories had the advantage, not only of the QUEEN's early prepoffeffion in their favour, but of their having affifted her in the late reign, in the affair of her fettlement. It was indeed evident, that they had done this, more in oppofition

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to king WILLIAM, than from any real refpect for the PRINCESS of Denmark. But still they had served her. And the winter before the came to the crown, they had in the fame fpirit of oppofition to the KING, and in profpect of his death, paid her more than usual civilities and attendance.

It is no great wonder therefore, all these things confidered, that as foon as she was feated in the throne, the tories (whom she ufually called by the agreeable name of the church-party) became the distinguished objects of the royal favour...

Dr. SHARP, archbishop of York, was pitched upon by herself to preach her coronation fermon, and to be her chief counsellor in church-matters; and her privy-council was filled with tories. My lord NORMAN BY (foon after duke of BUCKINGHAM) the earls of JERSEY and NOTTINGHAM, Sir EDWARD SEYMOUR, with many others of \the high-fliers, were brought into place; Sir NATHAN WRIGHT was continued in pof

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feffion of the great feal of England, and the earl of ROCHESTER in the lieutenancy of Ireland.

Ireland. These were men, who had all a wonderful zeal for the church; a fort of public merit that eclipfed all other in the eyes of the QUEEN. And I am firmly perfuaded, that notwithstanding her extraordinary affection for me, and the entire devotion which my ford MARLBOROUGH and', my lord GODOLPHIN had for many years shown to her fervice, they would not have' had fo great a fhare of her favour and confidence; if they had not been reckoned in the number of the tories, marve

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The truth is, though both thefe lords had always the real intereft of the nation at heart, and had given proof of this, by their conduct in their feveral employments, in the late reign, they had been educated in the perfuafion, that the high-church party were the best friends to the conftitution, both of church and state; nor were they perfectly undeceived but by experience.

For my own part, I had not the fame prepoffeffions. The word CHURCH had never any charm for me, in the mouths of thofe, who made the most noise with it

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for I could not perceive that they gave any other distinguishing proof of their regard for the thing, than a frequent ufe of the word,. like a spell to enchant weak minds; and a perfecuting zeal against diffenters, and against thofe real friends of the church, who would not admit that perfecution was agreeable to its doctrine. And as to state-affairs, many of these churchmen feemed to me, to have no fixed principles at all, having endeavoured, during the laft reign, to undermine that very government, which they had contributed to establish..

I was heartily forry therefore, that, for the fake of fuch churchmen, others should be removed from their employments, who had been firm to the principles of the Revo-` lution, and whom I thought much more, likely to fupport the QUEEN, and promote the welfare of our country, than the wrong headed politicians that fucceeded them,

I refolved therefore, from the very beginning of the QUEEN's reign, to try whe ther I could not by degrees make impreffions in her mind more favourable to the

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whigs;