nation than to behold a miniftry, who came with the advantages I have reprefented, acting ever fince upon the defenfive in the house of lords with a majority on their fide, and inftead of calling others to account, as it was reasonably expected, mifpending their time and lofing many opportunities of doing good, be-caufe a ftruggling faction kept them continually in play. This courage among the adverfaries of the court was infpired into them by various incidents, for every one of which I think the minifters, or, (if that was the cafe) the minifter alone is to anfwer.

For, first, that race of politicians, who in the cant phrafe are called the whimficals*, was never fo numerous, or at leaft fo active, as it hath been fince the great change at court; many of those who pretended wholly to be in with the principles upon which her majesty and her

*Whimsicals, were tories who had been eager for the conclufion of the peace till the treaties were perfected, then they could come up to no d' rect approbation; in the clamour raised about the danger

of the fucceffion they joined the whigs and declared directly againft their party, and affected in most other points a most glorious neutrality. See Bolin. Lett. to Wynd. p. 48, 49.

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new fervants proceeded, either abfenting themselves with the utmost indifference, in those conjunctures whercon the whole caufe depended, or fiding directly with the enemy.

I very well remember, when this miniftry was not above a year old, there. was a little murmuring among such as are called the higher tories or churchmen, that quicker progrefs was not made in removing those of the difcontented party out of employments. I remember likewife, the reafonings upon this matter were various, even among many who were allowed to know a good deal of the infide of the court; fome fuppofed the queen was at first prevailed on to make that great change with no other view, than that of acting for the future upon a moderating Scheme in order to reconcile both parties; and I believe there might poffibly have been some grounds for this fuppofition. Others conceived the em ployments were left undifpofed of, in order to keep alive the hopes of many more impatient candidates than ever could be gratified. This hath fince been looked on

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as a very high strain of politicks, and to have fucceeded accordingly; because it is the opinion of many, that the numerous pretenders to places would never have been kept in order, if all expectation had been cut off. Others were yet

more refined; and thought it neither wife nor fafe wholly to extinguish all oppofition from the other fide; becaufe in the nature of things it was abfolutely neceffary that there fhould be parties in an English parliament; and a faction already odious to the people might be suffered to continue with lefs danger, than any new one that could arife. To confirm this it was faid, that the majority in the house of commons was too great on the fide of the high-church, and began to form themselves into a body (by the name of the October-club) in order to put the miniftry under fubjection. Lastly, the danger of introducing too great a number of unexperienced men at once into office, was urged as an irrefragable reafon for making changes by flow degrees. To difcard an able officer from an employment, or part of a commiffion, where the reve

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nue or trade were concerned, for no other reafon but differing in fome principles of government, might be of terrible confequence.

However it is certain, that none of thefe excufes were able to pafs among men, who argued only from the principles of general reason. For firft, they looked upon all schemes of comprehenfion to be as vifionary and impoffible in the state, as in the church. Secondly, while the spirit raised by the tryal of Dr. Sacheverell continued in motion, men were not fo keen upon coming in themselves, as to fee their enemies out, and deprived of all affiftance to do mifchief: and it is urged further, that this general ambition of hunting after places grew chiefly from feeing them fo long undifpofed of, and from too general an encouragement by promises to all, who were thought capable of doing either good or hurt. Thirdly, the fear of creating another party in cafe the present faction were wholly fubdued, was in the opinion of plain men, and in regard to the fituation of our affairs, too great a facrifice of the nation's

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fafety to the genius of politicks; confidering how much was to be done, and how little time might probably be allowed. Befides, the divifion of a house of commons into court and country parties, which was the evil they feemed to apprehend, could never be dangerous to a good miniftry, who had the true interest and conftitution of their country at heart as for the apprehenfion of too great a majority in the house of commons, it appeared to be so vain, that upon fome points of importance the court was hardly able to procure one. And the October-club, which appeared fo formidable at firft to fome politicians, proved in the fequel to be the chief fupport of those who fufpected them. It was likewife very well known that the greateft part of those men, whom the former ministry left in poffeffion of employments, were loudly charged with infufficiency or corruption, over and above their obnoxious tenets in religion and government; fo that it would have been a matter of fome difficulty to make a worse choice: befides, that plea for keeping men of factious principles in employment

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