Page:Cassell's Illustrated History of England vol 4.djvu/344

330 ease. He was guilty, and knew it, and he was all this time meditating his retreat. These brags of himself and his shadow, Swift, were only the camp-fires left burning whilst the retreat was made. He was informed that Prior, who had been recalled from Paris, was induced to disclose all he knew; and though this proved false, it quickened his movements. He attended Drury Lane theatre on the 26th of March, and at the close of the play ordered another for the next night, as was the custom with great men at that time.



He then disguised himself as a servant of La Vigne, a messenger of the king of France, and got safe to Paris, where he soon after engaged himself wholly in the pretender's service as his secretary of state. It was the first time for many years that he had occupied an honest position. He was now an avowed enemy of the Hanoverian house; before he had been busy ruining and disgracing his country under the guise of its minister.

As for the duke of Ormonde, he carried his parade of defiance still farther. He kept a sort of opposition court at Richmond, where he seemed to vie with royalty itself in the splendour of his establishment and of his entertainment. He allowed his name to be tossed about in the riots with the words "high church," and openly allied himself with the Jacobites. Yet the ministry had no such bitterness of resentment against him as they had against Oxford and Bolingbroke; and, as he had a strong body of friends, would, it is evident, have been willing to let him pass without further notice, but for his daring them, as it were, to do their worst. It was suggested to Marlborough whether some means might not be found of bringing him over, and inducing him to own that he had been misled; in which case the ministers appeared disposed to waive any prosecution in his case.

On the 9th of April secretary Stanhope laid before the house the papers, instructions, memorials, &c., connected with the withdrawing from the allies and the peace of Utrecht.