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A CONSTANT READER.

SIR, Whitehall, July 13, 1714. THE Queen has commanded me to

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In a MS. of the Earl's own-hand writing he thus alludes to this transaction:

"Account of the violent and unjust Proceedings of the House of Commons against me in the year 1702. "Wednesday, November 11, 1702: Mr. Bromley, from the Commissioners for taking the Public Accounts, presented to the House a Narrative, or representation, of their proceedings, in relation to my Accounts as Paymaster of the Forces; which he read in his place, and afterwards delivered in at the table. Ordered, that I should have a copy of the sand Narrative. Resolved, that the House will, upon Friday se'nnight, take the said Narrative into consideration.

Thursday, November 19, 1702: Ordered, that I should have time till this day se'nnight to give in my Answer to the said Narrative.

transmit to you the enclosed Petition of Alexander Charles, complaining that King Augustus has made a grant of the goods of Robert Gordon, deceased, in prejudice of him, who, as next heir, has a right to inberit. You are particularly to inform yourself of her Majesty's subjects settled in Poland, whether, upon the death of British merchants, the persons next of kin, if there was no testamentary disposition, have not always enjoyed their estates; and if so, whether such claim be founded upon any treaty that can be produced, or upon usage only. If you find you have good ground to interpose in favour of the present Petitioner, her Majesty thinks fit you should do it in the strongest manner; for it is not his case only, but that of the rest of her Majesty's subjects established in that country, who, II presented the House my Answer to

I am,

am told, are very numerous.
Sir, your most humble servant,
Mr. Scot.
H. BROMLEY.

Mr. URBAN, Chelsea, Sept. 14. IN the year 1702 the Earl of Ranelagh, Paymaster-General of the Army, was expelled the House of Commons, for having misapplied the public money. This event is thus mentioned in the second volume of Smollett's History of England:

"No object ingrossed more time, or produced more violent debates, than did the inquiry into the public accounts. The commissioners, appointed for this purpose, pretended to have made great discoveries. They charged the Earl of GENT. MAG. Qetober, 1812.

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Thursday, November 26, 1702: The Speaker acquainted the House, that he had received that morning a letter from me, that I could not bring in my Auswer until Monday following, and therefore I desired time till then. Ordered, that I bring in my Answer on that day.

"Monday, November 30, 1702:

the said Narrative, and it was read. Ordered, that the Commissioners of Accounts have a copy of it; and that, upon the desire of said Commissioners, Thursday next be appointed to deliver in their Reply,

"Thursday, December 3, 1702: Sir Godfrey Copley, from the Commissioners, acquainted the House that he had their Reply to my Answer, which he read in his place, and afterwards delivered it; whereupon, Resolved, that day, that the Commissioners have power to examine the Accounts of the Paymaster-General of the Army; although his Accounts have been delivered to former Commissioners, or that they have

been

been passed by the Auditor of the Imprest. Resolved, also, that the House will proceed, to-morrow morning, to receive the proofs of the Commissioners to the several articles of their Narrative, and of my answers to the same.

66 Friday, December 4, 1702: The House proceeded according to the said Order, and Resolved, that it appears to this House that the Paymaster-General of the Army hath given great and unnecessary delays, in his proceedings before the Commissioners for taking the Public Accounts. Resolved, also, that this House will, to-morrow morning, proceed to receive the proofs of the Commissioners to the several articles of their Narrative, and of my Answers 'to the same.

66 Saturday, December 5, 1702: The House proceeded accordingly, and several Articles of the Commissioners were read, and my Answers to the same; and, after a long debate thereupon, Resolved, that the House will proceed farther, upon Monday morning next, upon the remaining articles of the Commissioners' Narrative and of my Answers.

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Monday, December 7, 1702: The House proceeded accordingly on that day; and the remaining articles, and my answers thereunto, being read and debated;

"Resolved, that it appears to this House that the said Commissioners had very good grounds for making their observations, laid before this House:

"Resolved, that all moneys issued to the Paymaster-General of the Army ought to be applied to the use of the Army and Forces only, and to no other use or purpose whatsoever :

"Resolved, that all Privy Seals, Orders of the Treasury, or other warrants, to the Paymaster-General of the Army, to apply the money in his hands to other than the use of the Army and Forces, are illegal and void:

66

Resolved, that all Privy Seals or warrants to the Auditors of the Imprest, to pass accounts without proper vouchers, or to make any allowances other than according to the law and course of Exchequer, are illegal and void :

"Resolved, that the Commissioners have made good the allegations in their Narrative laid before this House.

"A motion being made, and the question being put, that the House do now adjourn; it passed in the Negative:

Resolved, that it appears to this House that the Paymaster-General of the Army hath misapplied several sums of the public money.

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Monday, January 18, 1703: Mr. St. John, from the Commissioners, presented to the House a General State of Receipts and Issues of the Public Revenue, between Michaelmas 1700 and Michaelmas 1701, and between Michaelmas 1701 and Michaelmas 1702, with some observations thereupon; and the titles thereof were read. Resolved, that this House will, upon Friday morning next, take the said States into consideration.

"Friday, January 22, 1703: Ordered, that the consideration of that part of the observations in the said State, which related to me, should be adjourned till Monday following; but, other business intervening, the House did not proceed upon any thing relating to me till Friday, January 29, 1703; and the last observation being read, and a debate arising there upon, it was adjourned till Monday following.

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Monday, February 1, 1703: The House resumed the adjourned debate upon the said last observation of the Commissioners; and the Resolutions of the 4th and 7th of December last relating to me being read: Resolved, that Richard Earl of Ranelagh, late Paymaster of the Forces, is guilty of a high crime and misdemeanour, in misapplying several sums of the public money: Resolved, that Richard Earl of Ranelagh, for his said offences, be expelled the House." Yours, &c.

Mr. URBAN,

UPON

T. FAULKNER.

Old Town, Stratford upon-Avon, Sept. 1. PON the Monument of George Carew, Earl of Totness, in Devon, and Baron of Clopton in this parish, erected by his Countess in Stratfordupon-Avon Collegiate Church, is the following inscription for Sir Thomas Stafford

"Thomas Staffordus, strenuus militum ductor in Hibernia, et merito suo eques auratus, serenissimis Magnæ Britaniæ Regibus Jacobo et Carolo, eorumq; conjugibus Anna et Henriettæ-Mariæ,

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This Sir Thomas Stafford, who is said to have been an illegitimate son of the Earl of Totness, was secretary to that nobleman when President of Munster, in the reign of Elizabeth; and the Earl having compiled a History of the Rebellion in Ireland, which he had so successfully appeased, bequeathed by his will (remaining at Doctors' Commons, dated 30 Nov. 1625) all his books and MSS. to Sir Thomas; who, in 1633, published the Earl's history, under the title of "Hibernia Pacata," in folio, which he dedicated to Charles I. " to whom nothing could pass through the publisher's hands which was not justly due, both by common allegiance and particular service." To Sir Thomas the Earl also gave his lease of an annuity or pension of 5007. received from the Alienation Office; and if Sir Thomas survived him, he wished his Countess to convey unto him all his estates of Woodgrove in Essex, at Salcombe, Abberton, and Lanceston, or elsewhere, in Devon and Cornwall. This nobleman died without issue 27 March, 1629; and it appears that Sir Thomas survived both him and his Countess; the latter of whom died 14 Jan. 1636-7; and by her will, (in the Commons, dated 9 June 1636) she desires her trusty and good friend and chaplain, Richard Wright, Clerk, dwelling in Warwickshire, and Rich ard Wootton, of Fleet-street, London, gent. to peruse all her deeds and evidences, and deliver unto Sir Thomas Stafford such as belonged to him.

Sir Thomas was Gentleman Usher to the Queen, and married the widow of Sir Robert Killigrew, who was father of Sir William Killigrew. It appears in Birch's Life of Sir Robert Boyle, p. 34, that towards the end of the Summer [about 1638], the kingdom having attained a seeming settlement by the king's pacification with the Scots, Sir Thomas Stafford,

with his lady, visited their old friend the Earl of Čorke, at his seat at Stalbridge, in Dorsetshire, with whom, before their departure, they concluded a match between his son, Mr. Francis Boyle, afterwards Lord Shannon, and Elizabeth Killigrew, then a maid of honour, both young and handsome, daughter to my Lady Stafford by her

former husband. To make his addresses to this lady, Mr. Francis was sent before, accompanied by Philare tus his brother [Robert Boyle, who wrote a sketch of his memoirs under this title] to London; whither, in a few weeks, they were followed by the Earl and his family, of which a great part lived at (Lady Stafford's house) the Savoy; the rest, for his family was much increased by the accession of his daughters, the Countess of Barrimore and Lady Ranelagh, with their Lords and children, were lodged in the adjacent houses; but took their meals in the Savoy, where the old Earl kept a plentiful table. Mr. Francis Boyle's addresses to his Mistress being soon successful, he was, in the presence of the King and Queen, publicly married at Court, with all that solemnity which generally attended matches with Maids of Honour.

The Earl of Corke appears to have retained a great regard for Sir Tho mas Stafford; and by his Will (24th Nov. 1642, 18 Car. 1.) "gives to this his true and faithful friend, if he survived him, his diamond hatband, for which he paid 2007.; and if his son Francis survived him, to bestow it upon him at his death." [Collins' Peerage, vol. V. p. 258. 3d edit.1756.]

It does not appear that Stafford was buried at Stratford in the family vault with his friends the Earl and Countess, as he desired; for the blanks in the inscription (which was probably, as well as the other for the Earl and Countess on the same monument, composed by himself) were never supplied; and there is no entry of his burial in our Register.

This is my whole information regarding Sir Thomas Stafford, of whom I am very desirous of obtaining further particulars: the communica tions, therefore, of any of your numerous and intelligent Correspondents will be gratifying and serviceable.

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