instant dismissal of Bolingbroke from all his employments. He quitted London as soon as the state of his affairs would permit him, but was allowed to remain only a short period unmolested. On the arrival of George the First in England, he received a message to attend at the Secretary's office, in order to be present when the Seals should be removed. This summons he excused himself from obeying, affirming that the ceremony might quite as well be performed by one of the under-secretaries: at the same time he solicited the honour of kissing the King's hand-a request which, as he probably anticipated, was refused.

This honour, which was unhesitatingly denied to Bolingbroke, was awarded, though with a bad grace, to the Earl of Oxford. The latter, who had flattered himself that he was to receive the warmest reception from the new King, and had even made some foolish promises to his friends on the strength of this expected favour, had hastened, immediately on the King's landing at Greenwich, to catch the first rays of the rising sun. The reception which he met with was humiliating in the extreme; and we may observe, that though there existed an almost fraternal community of suffering between Bolingbroke and himself; though it was of the utmost importance, not only for their joint interests, but in all probability for the preservation of their lives and fortunes, that they should unite in the same cause, and adopt the same line of defence against the impending attack of their enemies; yet so stedfast was Bolingbroke in his

hatred of his rival, that the signal mortification of Oxford, at Greenwich, appears almost to have made amends to him for his personal misfortunes. Speaking of the discomfiture of his former colleague, he says;-"The King began his reign, in this instance, by punishing the ingratitude, the perfidy, and the insolence which had been shown to his predecessors. Oxford fled from court covered with shame, the object of the derision of the Whigs, and of the indignation of the Tories.” Again, he says, in his letter to Sir William Wyndham," I abhorred Oxford to that degree, that I could not bear to be joined with him in any case." These passages require no comment. They are the last mention we shall have to make of a political quarrel; one of the most important, in its results, of any recorded in modern history.

In the meantime, such documents as had reference to the recent negotiations for peace, were carefully collected by the government; and a committee, consisting of twenty persons, was appointed to select such passages from them, as might best serve as articles of accusation against the late ministry. Not even the private papers of the deceased Queen were held sacred against the rage of party; and it was evident, from this stretch of power, as well as from the fury with which the persecution was conducted, that England was no longer a safe residence for Bolingbroke. He himself informs us:-" In the King's first speech from the throne, all the inflaming hints were given, all the methods of violence

were chalked out to the two Houses.

The first steps in both were perfectly answerable, and to the shame of the peerage be it spoken, I saw at that time several lords concur to condemn in one general vote, all that they had approved of in a former parliament by many particular resolutions. Among several bloody resolutions proposed and agitated at this period, the resolution of impeaching me of high treason was taken." Threatened with this imminent danger; with little likelihood of being allowed a fair field in which to defend himself; and assured that his enemies would unscrupulously pursue him to the scaffold, the only hope of safety remaining to him was flight.

The circumstances of his escape render it not a little interesting. After commenting in all circles on the elaborate defence which it was his intention to make, he appeared publicly, on the night of the 25th of March, 1715, at Drury Lane theatre, and, at the close of the performance,-bespoke a particular play for the ensuing night. From the theatre he proceeded to his own house, where he disguised himself in a large coat and black wig, and in the character of a servant of a M. La Vigne, one of the messengers of the French King, proceeded to Dover, from whence he crossed over in a small vessel to Calais.

One Captain Morgan of the marines, who had been principally instrumental in his flight, was afterwards arrested and examined before the Privy Council; but little was elicited from him beyond

what has already been related. There appeared in print, however, a curious letter, by which it seems that Bolingbroke had a narrow escape from the port officers at Dover, who abruptly entered an apartment in which he was anxiously waiting a change of the tide, without, however, suspecting his identity. "No sooner were the officers gone," says the writer," than they went off in the bay on board the vessel, which was in the road. And now, my lord, whom nobody in the house had seen before, was forced to appear. He had got on a very black wig and a riding-coat, which he buttoned over his wig, and covered the lower part of his face. He carried on his shoulders a pair of leathern bags, and affected a clownish, country air in his walking, though nobody suspected him till he was gone off, and then some of the seamen fancied they knew him. He arrived at Calais about eight o'clock, Sunday night, and there the governor's coach attended him on his arrival, and then the man with the riding-coat and black periwig was known to be the Right Honourable the Lord Bolingbroke. Yesterday, Captain Morgan and the two Galways returned, and finding it was known they had conveyed over my lord, they grew very insolent, and came to poor George Slater, and bullied him, and told him had he not been a common-councilman, they would have whipped him round the market for an informing rogue."

As soon as it was publicly known that Bolingbroke had quitted England, copies of the follow

VOL. II.

K

ing letter, the original of which was said to have been addressed to Lord Lansdowne, were carefully handed about the London coffee-houses and other places. The authenticity of this remarkable document was doubted at the time, but it is now known to have been, unquestionably, the production of Lord Bolingbroke's pen.

"MY LORD,

"Dover, 27th March, 1715,

"I left the town so abruptly, that I had no time to take leave of you or any of my friends. You will excuse me when you know that I had certain and repeated informations, from some who are in the secret of affairs, that a resolution was taken by those who have power to execute it to pursue me to the scaffold. My blood was to have been the cement of a new alliance, nor could my innocence be any security, after it had once been demanded from abroad, and resolved on at home, that it was necessary to cut me off. Had there been the least reason to hope for a fair and open trial, after having been already prejudged unheard by two Houses of Parliament, I should not have declined the strictest examination; I challenge the most inveterate of my enemies, to produce any one instance of a criminal correspondence, or the least corruption of any part of the administration in which I was concerned. If my zeal for the honour and dignity of my royal mistress and the true interests of my country, has anywhere trans