Tory Parliament or Administration, and he was unalterably determin'd never more to imploy in the considerable parts of the Government any of that set of men; but God took him off before he could put this resolution in practice, and so we were left intirely in the hands of the Tories, when the Queen ascended to the throne with a heart entirely English, as she was pleas'd to declare in her first speech to Her Parliament; the true English of which expression was then by all discerning men construed to be an inveterate reflection on her glorious predecessor, and a fix'd resolution in her Majesty and her Ministry to break as soon as possible with his foreign friends and allies, and to give us the Pretender for an English successor.
But the disagreement that soon follow'd between my Lord Marlborough and my Lord Godolphin (who by my Lady Duchesses interest had the entire Government of the Queen), and my Lord Rochester, who was as absolute over the party of the Tories in both houses; and my Lord Marlborough after the success of his first campaign, wherein he took Leige, Huy, and Cambray, having in view great prospects of acquiring riches and honours to himself and his family, wch he found could not otherwise be arrived at but by renewing the Confederacy and continuing the war against France that he might command their armies; but above all, having been disappointed of the pension of £5000 per annum out of the Post Office, wch the Queen then first desired to be enabled by Parliament to settle upon him for her life and his, by means of my Lord Rochester's interest with Sr Christopher Musgrave, Sr Edward Seymour, and the Tory Party in the House of Commons, upon a full debate (in which some Whigs appear'd for him) was refused; the Queen was prevail'd on by her yet beloved favourite to change some hands, tho' not altogether measures, especially in the great points, and my Lord Rochester was removed from being Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, and the D. of Ormond was put in his room; my Lord Notingham transferred from being Secretary of State, and Mr. Harley, tho' then Speaker of the House of Commons, succeeded him; Mr. Mansell, since Lord Mansell, was made Comptrollour instead of Sr Edwd Seymour, Mr. St. John Secretary of War, and Sr Simon Harcourt Attorney-General.
And from this change and no change, commenc'd all the succeeding miseries of Europe; for Harley having by his employment got access to the Queen, and by Mrs. Hill, since Lady Masham, (who was then, upon my Lady Marlborough's losing ground on account of her insolent behaviour to the Queen, a growing favourite with her) having got credit, he soon found the way to make his court was to make (on any terms) a peace with France, and to settle the Succession on
