the declared favour of the Earl of Albermarle, who is a very young man, have produced the effect

which I have mentioned.

The nation is divided into two parties, under whose name all the others have rallied: one is called the Whigs, and the other the Tories. The first is composed of Presbyterians, and of those who are opposed to arbitrary power and the royal authority. It is they who have placed the crown on the head of the present king. The second is composed of Episcopalians, of those who are in favour of monarchy, and who consider the king at present on the throne as king only de facto, and not king de jure. These two parties divide all England between them. The King has of late passed several times from one party to the other, according to his wants, and has always abandoned, in order to succeed in his object, those who were in office, and who were opposed to the prevailing party. Hence arises the difficulty he has in finding persons whom he can place in office; nobody desires it, and in this respect every thing is in perpetual motion.

Nothing can equal the prodigality and disorder in the finances of England during the whole of the late war. Every thing was done with regularity or system, and without economy; and I confess that nothing has given me so much surprise, as the details which have come to my knowledge on this subject.

No Englishman has any real share in public affairs, except the Lord Chancellor, a man of about

thirty-seven or thirty-eight years of age, whom the King has placed in that office, much attached to that prince-very honest, and much esteemed by all parties. He is, however, employed solely on the home affairs of the kingdom.

The Secretaries of State attend to nothing whatever, except the affairs of the provinces. All the rest passes through the hands either of the King himself, who writes a great deal, or of the Earl of Albemarle. I am persuaded that when the Earl of Portland returns he will find a place, though in this country he is looked upon as ruined.

The King is accused of being idle, at least of not being so laborious as he should be. He dines or sups three times a week with the Earl of Albemarle, and a short time before setting out for Newmarket he one day sat five hours at table.

King James has still friends in this country; and it is certain that if the expedition from La Hogue had succeeded, the greater part of England would have declared in his favour; and it is true that the present king has no solid foundation for the strengthening of his power in this country, except his army, of which he is the master, and the vicinity of the Dutch, who are also at his disposal. He has given the whole weight of Parliament to the House of Commons; the House of Lords has no credit whatever.

Nothing is so different from the manners of former times as the present style of living among the noblemen. They have no intercourse one with another after they quit the House: most of them go to

dine at some tavern, and afterwards they repair to places called coffee-houses, where every body goes without distinction. Of these there is an infinite number in London, and there they remain till they return home.

The persons most esteemed in this country are the Duke of Shrewsbury, who is dying; Lord Godolphin*, who has retired from public life after

any man of because it He had true

* Sidney Godolphin, third son of Sir Francis Godolphin. He was Secretary of State in 1684, and was created a Baron the same year. At the Revolution, he was brought into the treasury, though he had voted for a regency; and was much considered by King William. "He was," says Burnet, "the most silent and modest man that was perhaps ever bred in a Court. He had a clear apprehension, and dispatched business with great method, and with so much temper that he had no personal enemies; but his silence begot a jealousy, which has hung long upon him. His incorrupt and sincere way of managing the concerns of the treasury created in all people a very high esteem for him. He loved gaming the most of business I ever knew, and gave a reason for it delivered him from the obligation to talk much. principles of religion and virtue, and was free from all vanity, and never heaped up wealth; so that all things being led together, he was one of the worthiest and wisest men that has been employed in our time." Having been accused by Fenwick of dealing with St. Germains, he asked leave of the King to resign his post of first commissioner of the treasury, which, says Mr. Vernon, "his Majesty was very easy and kind in granting," (October, 1696). Lord Godolphin had been a constant object of hatred to most of his colleagues in office. Lord Somers, as appears from a letter he wrote at the time, seems to have rejoiced at his resignation; but the principal persons concerned in the endless manœuvres to drive him from the ministry, were the Earl of Sunderland and Lord Monmouth. It must be added that Lord Godolphin had the happiness to be the husband

accumulating great wealth; the Earl of Tankerville, formerly Lord Grey*; Lord Romney, more because he is an honest man, and holds all the great offices of the kingdom, than for any eminent talents†; there is also the Duke of Leeds, who is much. esteemed. I do not speak of the Earl of Sunderland, because he is known to your Majesty: he is considered the most able man in England, and it is believed that he is higher in favour with the King than ever: he will return at the close of Parliament.

The journey which the King intends to make to Holland gives so much uneasiness to this nation, that it is much questioned if he will undertake it, at least such is the report; but perhaps it is only on account of Parliament. So much is certain that

of the accomplished Mrs. Godolphin, whose life by Evelyn has recently been printed.

* Ford, the eldest son of Ralph, Lord Grey of Wark, was a great opposer of King James II., and concerned in the rebellion of the Duke of Monmouth, in whose army he was general of the horse. He compounded for his life upon infamous conditions; for he was a witness for the conviction of others. He got into favour with King William, who created him Earl of Tankerville, and Viscount Grey of Glendale, in 1695.

† At the Revolution, Burnet tells us, "the King's chief personal favour lay between Bentinck and Sidney. He was made Secretary of State, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, and Master of the Ordnance; but he was so set on pleasure, that he was not able to follow business with a due application. A graceful man, and one who had lived long at Court, where he had some adventures that became very public. He was a man of a sweet and caressing temper, had no malice in his heart, but too great a love of pleasure."

the situation of the King is still very precarious, and that the moment which has given repose to all the world, has been but the beginning of troubles to this prince.

WILLIAM III. TO THE EARL OF PORTLAND.

Windsor, May 2—12. 1698.

I did not receive, till this morning, your letter of the 4th of this month. On setting out from Kensington last Friday, I had a long conversation with Count Tallard, and I spoke to him to the same effect, as the letters from the Pensionary, which I had received previously. These I enclose for your information. I owned to him that I had communicated his proposals to the Pensionary, and to no other person in the world, in the view of learning the sentiments of the Republic on so important a matter, for I could never take any measures but in conjunction with it; and I let him know in the course of conversation that this was the reason why I had not sooner given an answer to the proposals which he had made to me at Newmarket, and which were the same that had been made to you, and to which I had replied, and pretty nearly expressed my sentiments; that the desire which I had to contribute all that depended upon me to prevent a war, and to preserve the tranquillity of Europe, led me to think that without entering into any discussion of the rights of