Under the year 1712 we find a specimen of his instructions to the Ambassadors of his Court. He writes to Baron De Grote on his way to London in November:— “Monsieur De Bothmar having given some poor lords reason to expect small pensions, our master will never hear of it; therefore your Excellency is in the right not to give a present even of one crown without orders. If the House will enable you to make donations when you judge proper, or obtain the permission of his Electoral Highness, let them do so. For my share, I am a mere cypher, when it is necessary to ask a penny, and I cannot at all meddle in the affair.” To the same he writes again, 16th December 1712:— “It is proper to take care that the captain of the yacht has not secret orders to delay your departure [from Holland]. When once he has your baggage on board, your passage will depend upon him, and he may lose a fair wind on frivolous pretexts. The pacquet would have been less convenient, but more expeditious.”
The last alarm of the Court of Hanover was a letter from Monsieur Martines, the Hessian Envoy at Paris, of date 23d March 1714, reporting that the Pretender was going to place himself formally under instruction, with a view to becoming a Protestant. The Electress Sophia died on the 8th June, the Elector succeeding to her rights. On the 30th of July, Mr. Craggs was despatched by the Privy Council of England to the Elector, “to acquaint him with the extreme danger the Queen’s life was in, and the measures they had taken to secure his peaceable accession; and to desire his Electoral Highness to repair with all speed to Holland, where a squadron of British men-of-war would attend to bring him over, in case the Queen died.” Mr. Craggs delivered his message, and returned with a letter from King George, to the effect that he was hastening towards Britain. Queen Anne died on the 1st of August. Craggs was surprised to find the Tories converted into Hanoverians, and wrote to Robethon, on August 17, warning him against such politicians — “three months ago,” says Craggs, “they treated us as seditious on account of the zeal which we showed for the succession I own I distrust such a sudden change.”
The Earl of Stair wrote to Robethon, London, 24th August, thanking him for having designed him for the command of the troops in Scotland. Addison, as a Secretary of State, addressed a letter to Robethon, which is worth quoting:—
“St. James’s, 4th September 1714. — Sir, I have been obliged to so close an attendance on the Lords Justices, and have had so little time at my own disposal during my absence from their Excellencies, that I could not do myself the honour before now to assure you of my respects, and to beg the continuance of that friendship which you honoured me with at Hanover. I cannot but extremely rejoice at the occasion which will give me an opportunity of waiting upon you in England, where you will find a whole nation in the highest joy, and thoroughly sensible of the great blessings which they promise themselves from his Majesty’s accession to the throne. I take the liberty to send you enclosed a poem written on this occasion by one of our most eminent hands, which is indeed a masterpiece in its kind, and (though very short) has touched upon all the topics that are most popular among us. I have likewise transmitted to you a copy of the preamble of the Prince of Wales’s patent, which was a very grateful task imposed upon me by the Lords Justices. Their Excellencies have ordered that the Lords and others who meet his Majesty be out of mourning that day, as also their coaches, but all servants, except those of the city magistrates, to be in mourning. The shortness of the time, which would not be sufficient for the making of new liveries, occasioned this last order. The removal of the Lord Bolingbroke has put a seasonable check to an interest that was making in many places for members in the new parliament, and was very much relished by the people, who ascribed to him in a great measure the decay of trade and public credit. You will do me a very great honour if you can find terms submissive enough to make the humble offers of my duty acceptable to his Majesty. May God Almighty preserve his person, and continue him for many years the blessing of these kingdoms. — I am, with great esteem and respect, sir, your most obedient and most humble servant,
“J. Addison.”
Robethon came with the King to England, and took up his abode in London, having apartments granted to him in St. James’s Palace. He was accompanied by his family. Madame Robethon survived him, and he mentions in his will one son, George (his only son, and still a boy), and a son-in-law, Captain Maxwell. The continued influence of Robethon is proved by the nickname of “the foreign ministry,” given to Bernstorff, Bothmar, and himself. Mr. Toland, in one of his publications, expressed an anxiety that some way could be found to reward the public services of “the equally able and indefatigable Monsieur Robethon.” This proved the occasion of a paper war on “The impolicy of ennobling foreigners.” I have a pamphlet before me with the title, “An Argument proving that the design of employing and ennobling foreigners is a treasonable conspiracy against the Constitution, dangerous
