always had been, and always should be, in conscience and opinion for the Repeal of the Test Act abstractedly considered, yet he had always too been so strongly of opinion that the Prince should not be set up in opposition to the King, that he thought it would be buying even the Repeal of the Test Act too dear, to make the King's distress in a family quarrel the price of it; and would therefore give no encouragement to it upon that foot, but declare to the Prince, as he had done on several other occasions, and particularly that of his Royal Highness making his son, Mr. Hoadley,' his chaplain, that no new obligations whatever should make him at any time forget those he had to the King in putting him where he was. Sir Robert Walpole was so pleased with the Bishop of Winchester's behaviour in this conference, that he told Lord Hervey, "You know I have not ever disguised to you my being dissatisfied with your friend, nor do I now say it to flatter you, that, upon my word, it was impossible for any man to behave better than he did to me yesterday at Chelsea; and you will find by the King and Queen, that I do not deceive you, in saying I have done him ample justice there, and given him all the merit you or he could wish though I need not tell you that neither I nor you can ever make them love him."

Among many other things that were said to make this new-born Princess a favourite of the public, it was remarked by some of the Prince's Court, that if ever she came to the Crown, what had been so much.

1 John, who published his father's works, and died in 1774-" the last of his name," which, though generally, and by Lord Hervey always, spelled Hoadley, they wrote Hoadly.

wished ever since the Hanover family came to the throne, by every one who understood and wished the interest of England, must happen; which was, the disjoining the Electorate of Hanover from the Crown of England. It was certainly a great omission in the Act of Succession, that a renunciation of that Electorate was not made one of the original conditions in the Act of Settlement; and as it was to be wished that oversight, or neglect, might be retrieved by some Act in present, yet with a male heir apparent it was thought impossible. When the Queen told Lord Hervey it was a thing the King had once resolved to go about, not to be done in present, but to mortify his eldest son, and provide for his second; Lord Hervey had done all he could to forward the scheme, being delighted to have such an opportunity at once to gratify his hatred and resentment against the Prince, and lend his aid and assistance to so public a benefit. But though the King was very willing to put this project

2 George I., in his enmity to George II., entertained some idea of separating the sovereignty of England and Hanover (Core's Walpole, p. 132); and we find from Lord Chancellor King's Diary,' under the date of June, 1725, "a negotiation had been lately on foot in relation to the two young Princes, Frederick and William. The Prince (George II.) and his wife were for excluding Prince Frederick, but that after the King and the Prince he should be Elector of Hanover, and Prince William King of Great Britain; but that the King said it would be unjust to do it without Prince Frederick's consent, who was now of an age to judge for himself, and so the matter now stood" (Campbell's ' Chancellors,' iv. 318). Sir Robert Walpole, who communicated this to the Chancellor, added that he had told George I. that "if he did not bring Prince Frederick over in his life-time, he would never set his foot on English ground." This early enmity of his parents to Frederick Lord Campbell cannot explain: "but the Prince had his revenge by perpetually disturbing the government of his father till, in 1751, the joyful exclamation was uttered, Fritz is dead!"—ib.

in execution, the Queen, either from fearing the vengeance of the Prince, or from a qualm of conscience, which she said was her reason, demurred in giving her consent, saying, notwithstanding the behaviour of the Prince, she could not bring herself to think it just to deprive him of what he was born to. Lord Hervey, hearing at this time a slight report that the friends of the Prince had persuaded him to make the offer in Parliament of giving up the succession of the Electorate of Hanover to his brother, on condition he might have his 100,000l. a year in present, told the Queen what was said. The Queen said there were few marks of folly she did not believe her son capable of giving, but this was too extravagant to find credit with her. Lord Hervey said that he knew the Prince so capable of being persuaded to anything by those who had the present possession of him, though that possession was so precarious, that he did not think it at all impossible the Prince might now have such intentions, though he might not pursue them. The way Lord Hervey came to know there was such a talk in the Prince's Court was by one Dr. Clark, a clergyman, to whom Mr. Oglethorpe,' a member of Parliament, had told it, assuring him, at the same time, that he had been consulted about it, and that the pulse of other members of Parliament, to his knowledge, had been felt upon the subject, to try how such a proposal would be relished. The Queen asked Lord Hervey how he could believe there

3

3 Dr. Alured Clark, at this time Deputy-Clerk of the Closet, and soon after Dean of Exeter. He was a friend of Lady Sundon's.

4 The celebrated long-lived General Oglethorpe. See Boswell's Johnson, p. 35.

was any foundation for such a report, and what inducement it was possible the Prince could have to make such a voluntary abdication; telling Lord Hervey, at the same time, that she was sure the Prince looked upon Hanover as a retreat in case the Jacobites in England ever got the better; and that the Prince, the Excise year, had told her that Sir Robert Walpole had managed matters so, that his Royal Highness believed the whole family would be driven out of the kingdom, and that, for his part, he would be one of the first to run to Hanover, as if the devil was at his heels. Lord Hervey replied, that the Prince had at present so high a notion of his own popularity here, that how disagreeable soever his father might be, or how likely soever to be sent out of the kingdom, his Royal Highness thought himself in no such situation, and in no danger of incurring the same fate. In the next place, said Lord Hervey, your Majesty knows how much he is set upon making himself popular; the people about him tell him nothing can so effectually gratify that desire as this step; that what he gives up is at best a reversionary, remote, uncertain possession, and that what he will get for it will double his present income; and that, as things now stand, this is the only chance he has to obtain this augmentation, the principal object of his present wishes.

"The mean fool (interrupted the Queen)—the poorspirited beast! I remember you laughed at me when I told you once, this avaricious and sordid monster was so little able to resist taking a guinea on any terms, if he saw it before his nose, that if the Pretender offered him 500,000l. for the reversion of this Crown,

'Give me the money.' What do you

he would say, think now?" "I think (replied Lord Hervey) just as I did, Madam, upon that question-because it would not be enough: but I think the present a very different case." "Well (said the Queen), I thought it cruel and unjust to pull out his eyes; but if he likes to pull one of them out himself, and give it my dear William, I am satisfied; I am sure I shall not hinder him, I shall jump at it: for though, between you and I, I had as lief go and live upon a dunghill myself, as go to Hanover, yet for William it will be a very good morsel; and, for the 50,000l. a year, I dare say the King will be very glad to give it; and, if the silly beast insists upon it, I will give him 25,000l. more, the half of my revenue, and live as I can, upon shillings and pennies."

The Queen then bade Lord Hervey tell Sir Robert Walpole what he had heard; but to both of them Lord Hervey refused to tell how he had heard it.

Sir Robert Walpole told Lord Hervey he did not think it at all unlikely for the Prince to make this bargain, if it was proposed to him; or to offer to make it, if he was advised so to do: but that he did not see what interest his present counsellors could have in advising it. Lord Hervey replied, that their interest and view was, showing the people of England they could, even out of power, do this country more good than the Ministers could do, or, at least, had done, in power. "But their interest, whilst in opposition (said Sir Robert Walpole), is not to do anything to end the dispute, and make up the quarrel between the King and the Prince." "Nor will this measure have that