Page:Cassell's Illustrated History of England vol 4.djvu/415

A.D. 1724.] confusion at being forced to be obliged to one whom he hated and envied, the first morsel he put into his mouth was near choking him, and he was reduced to rise from table and leave the room for some minutes." He was never seen there again.

In his chagrin, Bolingbroke endeavoured to create a new species of opposition in parliament. He retained his influence with the duchess of Kendal, and cultivated that of the ultra tories. Still more, he soon discovered that William Pulteney, the most eloquent man in the house, had grown disgusted with Walpole, who could never bear any man of pre-eminent ability near the throne except himself. Pulteney had been one of the steadiest friends of the late queen's government, and of the protestant succession. Under George he had been made secretary at war. He had adhered to Walpole when he was sent to the Tower for corruption, and in the great schism of 1717. Yet Walpole had carefully excluded him from any high post in the cabinet, and had endeavoured to veil his jealousy of him by offering to procure him a peerage, by which he would have removed him from the active sphere of the house of commons. Pulteney saw the object, and rejected the specious favour. Instead of conferring on Pulteney some office worthy of his talents, Walpole then put him into that of cofferer of the household. In the state of indignation which this paltry appointment raised in him Bolingbroke found him, and soon induced him to put himself at the head of a large body of oppositionists, under the title of "Patriots." In this character he made some smart attacks on Walpole and his heavy drafts on the civil list for his friends, for which he was dismissed, and joined Bolingbroke in a bold attempt to write down the minister. Betwixt them the celebrated paper "The Craftsman" was planned and established, and they became the bitterest and most persevering assailants of Walpole.

The session continuing into 1725, did not close without an attempt to curb the free action of the common council of London. A bill was brought in and carried, giving a veto to the lord mayor and aldermen on the proceedings of the council. It was intended to punish and restrain the opposition of the council to government measures, not unfrequently shown; but it raised such an outcry that it lay dormant for fourteen years.

Soon after the close of the session in June, the king proceeded to Hanover, accompanied, as usual, by Townshend and the duchess of Kendal. The state of his foreign relations demanded the utmost attention, and very soon underwent the most extraordinary changes. In the early part of the preceding year the sickly king of Spain had resolved to imitate the emperor Charles V., and retire from the throne. He announced to his council his intention of abdicating in favour of his son, Don Louis. He declared that his son was of age, married, and capable of governing justly and wisely; whilst for himself, the twenty-three years of wars, infirmities, and troubles had convinced him of the vanity of this life, and of the desirableness of cultivating in quiet the service of God and the preparations for a future life, in which seclusion his queen had cordially agreed to bear him company. The act of abdication was accordingly prepared, and, on the 15th of January, Don Louis accepted the crown, expressing his astonishment at his royal father's self-denial, and praying God that, after treading awhile in his steps, he might also arrive at the same conviction of the vain greatness of the world.

The whole was well got up, and the act of abdication provided that in case of the death of the new king Louis, the other sons of Philip should succeed in their order. But it was more than suspected that Philip, so far from abandoning the vanities of earthly thrones, was only looking the more earnestly towards that of France. Louis XV. of France was in very critical health, and in case of his death Philip still hoped to ascend the throne. But the union of the kingdoms of France and Spain under one crown was a circumstance which Europe was not likely to tolerate, and therefore Philip, by divesting himself of the diadem of Spain, hoped to get rid of that objection. At the same time, his abdication was little more than in appearance. He and his queen had retired to the country palace of St. Ildefonso, whence they continued to direct affairs pretty much as they had done at Madrid. Philip's prime minister, Grimaldo, was still at the head of affairs, and still prosecuted with the same ardour the favourite scheme of the old queen to secure a considerable part of Italy for her son Don Carlos. Don Louis, the new king, was only seventeen years of age, and was married to the third daughter of the duke of Orleans, regent of France. The new queen was said to be of a dissolute character, and to be disliked by her husband to such a degree that he meant to divorce her. His death prevented this, and on his death Philip again ascended the throne, having in the meantime become doubtful of ever reaching that of France, Louis X.V. having recovered his health. He might have children, and the only reason why he might not have legitimate issue soon, was that he was affianced to the infanta, Mary Ann, Philip's daughter, then a mere child. Should he not have children, the young duke of Orleans, the son of the late regent, would succeed him. To prevent this contingency, the duke of Bourbon, now at the head of affairs, who had a violent hatred of Orleans, prevailed on Louis to dismiss the infanta, and choose as queen some princess of mature age. He turned his eye for this purpose on the princess Anne of England, but George declined the alliance, because the queen of France was bound to become catholic. The princess Mary of Leczinska was next fixed upon, daughter of the exiled Stanislaus of Poland, and the duke of Bourbon then sent back to Spain the infanta.

This insult roused the fiery blood of Spain. The king and queen were excited to paroxysms of rage, and the queen said in her wrath to the French envoy, "All the Bourbons are a race of devils!" but suddenly recollecting that her husband was of that house, she turned to him and said, "except your majesty." They declared that they would never forgive the insult till the duke of Bourbon came to their court and implored pardon on his knees. They told Mr. William Stanhope that, in future, they would put confidence in no prince except his master, nor admit any one else to mediate for them in their negotiations. But George refused to break with France on their account, and ventured to remind Philip that he himself stood greatly in need of the alliance with France. Blinded, however, by their wounded pride, the king and queen of