was rearing its head without controul. The doctrines of the true religion were left expofed on every fide, and open to the attacks of the diffenters and Socinians on one part; and of the catholics on the other. The lower orders of clergy fided with the people in these complaints; they pointed out to the miniftry feveral tracts written in favour of Socinianifm and Arianifm. The miniftry not only refused to punish the delinquents, but filenced the clergy themselves, and forbade their future difputations on fuch topics. This injunction answered the immediate purposes of the miniftry; it put a ftop to the clamours of the populace, fomented by the clergy, but it produced a worfe diforder in its train; it produced a negligence in all religious concerns. Nothing can be more impolitic in a ftate, than to hinder the clergy from difputing with each other; they thus become more animated in the cause of religion, and which fide foever they defend, they become wifer and better as they carry on the difpute. To filence argument in the clergy, is to encourage them in floth and neglect; if religion be not kept awake by oppofition, it finks into filence, and no longer continues an object of public concern.

The parliament being diffolved, another was called by a very extraordinary proclamation. In this the king complained of the evil defigns of men difaffected to his fucceffion; and of their having mifreprefented his conduct and principles. He expreffed hopes, that his fubjects would fend up to parliament the fitteft perfons to redrefs the prefent diforders. He entreated that they would elect fuch in particular, as had expreffed a firm attachment to the proteftant fucceffion when it was in danger. It was thus that this monarch was tutored by the faction around him, to look with an cvil eye on fubjects that never oppofed the fuc

ceffion;

ceffion; fubjects that detefted a popish monarch, and whofe only fault was the defire of being governed rather by the authority of a king, than a juato of their fellow-fubjects who affumed his power. In the election of this important parliament, uncommon vigour was exerted on both fides; but by dint of the monied interest that prevailed in corporations, and the activity of the ministry, which will always have weight, a great majority of Whigs was returned both in England and Scotland.

Upon the first meeting of this new parliament, in which the Whigs, with the king at their head, for he took no care to conceal his partialities, were predominant, nothing was expected but the most violent measures against the late miniftry, nor were the expectations of mankind difappointed. The king gave the houfe of commons to understand, that the branches of the revenue, appointed for the fupport of the civil government, were not fufficient for that purpofe. He warned them, that the pretender boafted of the affiftance he expected in England to repair his former disappointments. He intimated alfo, that he expected their affiftance in punishing such as endeavoured to deprive him of that bleffing he most valued, the affection of his people. As the houfes were pre-difpofed to violent measures, this ferved to give them the alarm; and they out-went even the most fanguine expectations of the most vindictive ministry.

The lords, in return to the fpeech, profeffed their hopes that the king would be able to recover the reputation of the kingdom on the continent, the lofs of which they affected to deplore. The commons went much farther: they declared their resolution to trace out thofe measures by which the country was depreffed: they refolved to seek after those abettors on whom the pretender feemed

to

to ground his hopes; and they determined to bring fuch to condign punishment. Mr. fecretary Stanhope openly afferted, that notwithstanding the endeavours which had been used by the late miniftry to prevent a discovery of their hidden transactions, by conveying away feveral papers from the fecretary's office, yet there was ftill fufficient evidence left to prove their corruptions and treafons. He added, that these proofs would foon be laid before the house, when it would appear that the duke of Ormond had acted in concert, if not received orders from the French general.

The house seemed very well inclined to enter into any impeachment; and there was no restraint to the violence of their measures, but the voice of a multitude without doors, intimidated by the refolution of the prefent rulers. It was the artifice, during this and the fucceeding reign, to ftigmatife all those who teftified their difcontent against government, as Papifts, and Jacobites. All who ventured to speak against the violence of their measures, were reproached as defigning to bring in the pretender; and most people were confequently afraid to murmur, fince difcontent was fo near a kin to treason. The people, therefore, beheld the violence of their conduct in filent fright, internally disapproving, yet not daring to avow their deteftation.

In this ferment, the former miniftry could expect neither juftice nor mercy. A part of them kept away from bufinefs. Bolingbroke had hitherto appeared and fpoke in the houfe as ufual. However, his fears now prevailed over his defire to vindicate his character; finding an impeachment was likely to be made, he withdrew to the continent, leaving a letter in which he declared, that if there had been any hopes of a fair and open trial, he would not have declined it; but being already pre-` judged

judged in the minds of the majority, he thought fit, by flight, to consult their honour and his own fafety.

A committee was foon after appointed, confifting of twenty perfons, to infpect all the papers relative to the late negociation for peace; and to pick out fuch of them as might ferve as fubjects of accufation against the late ministry. After fome time spent in this difpofition, Mr. Walpole, as chairman of the committee, declared to the house that a report was drawn up; and in the mean time, moved that a warrant might be iffued for apprehending Mr. Matthew Prior, and Mr. Thomas Harley, who, being in the house, were immediately taken into cuftody. Then he read the report of the committee, in which a number of charges were drawn out against the queen's minifters. The clandeftine negociation with Mr. Menager; the extraordinary meafures purfued to form the congrefs at Utrecht; the trifling of the French plenipotentiaries by the connivance of the British minifters; the duke of Ormond's acting in concert with the French General; Bolingbroke's journey to France to negociate a feparate peace; these and fome other charges were recited against them, and then Walpole impeached lord Bolingbroke of high treafon. This ftruck fome of the members with amazement, as there was nothing in the report th any way amounted to treafon; but they were still more aftonished, when lord Coningsby, rifing up, was heard to fay, " The worthy chair"man has impeached the hand, but I impeach the "head; he has impeached the scholar, and I the "mafter. I impeach Robert earl of Oxford, and "earl of Mortimer, of high treason, and other "crimes and misdemeanors.

When lord Oxford appeared in the house of lords the day following, he was avoided by the

peers

peers as infectious; and he had now an opportunity of difcovering the baseness of mankind. When the articles were read against him in the house of commons, a warm debate arose upon that in which he was charged with having advised the French king of the manner of gaining Tournay from the Dutch. Mr. Walpole alleged that it was treafon. Sir Jofeph Jekyl, a known Whig, faid that he could never be of opinion that it amounted to treason. It was his principle, he faid, to do juftice to all men, to the higheft and the loweft. He hoped he might pretend to fome knowledge of the laws, and would not fcruple to declare upon this part of the queftion in favour of the criminal. To this Walpole anfwered, with great warmth, that there were feveral perfons both in and out of the committee, who did not in the leaft yield to that member in point of honesty, and exceeded him in the knowledge of the laws, and yet were fatisfied that the charge in that article amounted to high treafon. This point being decided against the earl, and the other articles approved by the house, the lord Coningsby, attended by the Whig members, impeached the lord Oxford at the bar of the house of lords, demanding, at the fame time, that he might lose his feat, and be committed to cuftody. When this point came to be debated in the house of lords, a violent altercation enfued. Those who ftill adhered to the depofed minifter maintained the injustice and the danger of such a proceeding. At last the earl himself rose up, and, with great tranquillity, fpoke to the following purpose. After obferving that the whole charge might be reduced to the negociation for, and the conclufion of the peace; "I am accused, fays he, for having made a peace; (6 a peace, which, bad as it is now reprefented, " has been approved by two fucceffive parliaments. "For my own part, I always acted by the im"mediate