Page:Cassell's Illustrated History of England vol 4.djvu/374

 360 Stanhope appears to have done his best to break Townshend’s fall. He represented to the king the high character of that minister, his real services, and the injustice and impolicy of disgracing him; that he might remove him to another office, and thus answer every purpose. He could take the chief direction of affairs out of his hands, even while appearing to promote him.



He therefore advised lord Townshend should, without a word of dismissal or disapprobation, be offered the lord-lieutenancy of Ireland, instead of that of secretary of state, and to this the king consented. Accordingly Stanhope was directed to write to Townshend, and also to secretary Methuen, and he did so on the 14th of December, conveying in most courteous terms the king's desire that he should accept the lord-lieutenancy and that without a syllable of discontent on the part of his majesty. To Robert Walpole, however, by the same post, he more fully opened his mind. He assured him that if he could have a little private talk with him, he could make him sensible how desirable it was that lord Townshend should accept the post offered; how sincerely he had endeavoured to serve him in recommending him to do so. That the king was made more uneasy than he (Stanhope) cared to say, and that through communications which came neither through the hands of himself nor Sunderland; that he was very jealous of the prince's intimacy with Argyll and his brother, the earl of Isla; that he hoped the king's presence in London would dispel these jealousies; that ill offices had been done not only to Townshend at Hanover, but to him (Walpole), and that he and Sunderland had exerted themselves sincerely to remove them; that