distinguished himself in the house of commons for his manly and spirited eloquence.

Of his father, William Pulteney, I find little upon record, except his birth, marriage, and death.

William Pulteney,* the eldest son, was born in 1682, received his education at Westminster school, where he greatly improved in classical literature; and being removed to Christ Church, Oxford, distinguished himself by his talents and industry, and was appointed, by dean Aldrich, to make the congratulatory speech to queen Anne, on her visit to the college.

Having travelled through various parts of Europe, he returned to his native country, with a mind highly improved; and came into parliament for the borough of Heydon, in Yorkshire, by the interest of Mr. Guy, his protector and great benefactor.

Being descended from a Whig family, and educated in revolution principles, the young senator warmly espoused that party, and during the whole reign of queen Anne opposed the measures of the Tories.

He first spoke in the house on the place bill, which he zealously supported, and some amendments being made by the lords, the discussion was, by the intervention of the ministry, postponed for three days; during which interval, means were found to gain over several who had

* I am indebted to the kindness of the bishop of Salisbury (Dr. Douglas) for some of these anecdotes, which relate to the early part of Mr. Pulteney's life.

opposed the bill, and the amendments seemed likely to be carried.

The young senator, indignant at this apostacy, and irritated that several had, in a few days, totally changed their opinions, animadverted in a few words on such political baseness. Alluding to Sir James Montague,* who after having distinguished himself in opposition to the amendments, now voted for them, he observed, "Cerberus has received his sop, and barks no more;" a remark which struck the house as ready and pertinent.

He had formed a just notion, that no young member ought to press into public notice with too much forwardness, and fatigue the house with long orations, until he had acquired the habit of order and precision. He was often heard to declare, that hardly any person ever became a good orator, who began with making a set speech. He conceived that the circumstances. of the moment should impel them to the delivery of sentiments, which should derive their tenor and application from the course of the debate, and not be the result of previous study or invariable arrangement.

Pulteney and his partisans accused Walpole of being" a wretch who could not raise £.100 upon his own security;" in the same manner, the advocates of Walpole accused Pulteney, with equal injustice, of having received favours and bribes from the crown, and of ingratitude in forsaking the minister, to whom he owed great * Afterwards solicitor and attorney general.

obligations. Both accusations were equally devoid of truth. Pulteney inherited from his father a very considerable estate, and had received from Henry Guy, the intimate friend of his grandfather, and guardian of his youth, who had been secretary to the treasury, a legacy of £.40,000, and an estate of £.500 a year. He received also with his wife Anna Maria, daughter of John Gumley of Isleworth, a very large portion, and increased this property, by the most rigid economy, which his enemies called avarice; but which did not prevent him from performing many acts of charity and benefi

cence.

During the whole reign of queen Anne, Pulteney uniformly espoused the side of the Whigs; and supported, both by his eloquence and fortune, the protestant succession in the house of Hanover. On the prosecution of Sacheverel, he ably distinguished himself in the house of commons, in defence of the revolution, against the doctrines of passive obedience and non-resistance. When the Tories came into power, in 1710, he was so obnoxious to them, that his uncle, John Pulteney, was removed from the board of trade. He not only took a principal share in the debates of the four last years of queen Anne, while the Whigs were in opposition, but was also admitted into the most important secrets of his party, at that critical time, when the succession of the Hanover family being supposed to be in danger, its friends thought themselves obliged to engage in very bold enterprises to secure it. He was a liberal subscriber to a very

unprofitable and hazardous loan, then secretly negotiated by the Whig party, for the use of the Emperor, to encourage him to refuse co-operating with the Tory administration, in making the peace of Utrecht.

On the prosecution of Walpole for high breach of trust and corruption, Pulteney warmly vindicated his friend; and on his commitment to the Tower, was amongst those who paid frequent visits to the prisoner, whom he, with the rest of the Whigs, considered as a martyr to their cause.* He also engaged with his friend in defending the Whig administration, and wrote the ironical dedication to the earl of Oxford, prefixed to Walpole's account of the parliament, which I have before taken notice of.

Soon after the death of queen Anne, and before a message had been received from George the First, Pulteney, in answer to those who opposed the clause moved by Horace Walpole, for giving £.100,000, for apprehending the Pretender, should he land, or attempt to land, in any of the king's dominions, observed, "The protestant succession is in danger, as long as there is a popish Pretender, who has many friends both at home and abroad; the late queen was sensible of that danger, when she issued her proclamation against him; and the case is not altered by her demise. The nation will be at no charge if the Pretender does not attempt to land, and if he does, £.100,000 will be well bestowed to apprehend him."

His parliamentary abilities and uniformity of Tindal, vol. 18. p. 298.

* Pulteney's Answer.

conduct gave him a very honourable claim to distinction on the accession of George the First. Accordingly, on the king's arrival, and before a meeting of the new parliament, he was appointed a privy counsellor and secretary at war, even in opposition to the inclination of the duke of Marlborough, who, as commander in chief, thought himself entitled to recommend to that post. He was chosen a member of the committee of secrecy, nominated by the house of commons to report the substance of the papers relating to the negotiation for peace; and on the suppression of the rebellion in Scotland, he moved for the impeachment of lord Widrington, and opposed the motion to address the king, for a proclamation, offering a general pardon to all who were in rebellion in Scotland, who should lay their arms down within a certain time.

He was at this period so much connected with Stanhope and Walpole, that in allusion to the triple alliance between Great Britain, France, and Holland, which was then negotiating by general Stanhope, secretary of state, they were called the three grand allies; and a proverbial saying, was current" are you come into the triple alliance?"t

But when Stanhope and Walpole took different sides on the schism between the Whigs, when Townshend was dismissed, and Walpole retired, Pulteney followed his friends example, and resigned his place of secretary at war.

⚫ Letter to Pulteney, p. 29.

+ Memoirs of the Life and Conduct of William Pulteney, esq. p. 17.