Page:Cassell's Illustrated History of England vol 4.djvu/476

462 down all the more fiercely on the new cabinet. Pulteney defended himself with great warmth, declaring that the arrangements had not originated with him, and that he and his friends had had nothing to do but to accept or reject what was offered them. As to tories, however, he confessed that it would yet require time "to remove suspicions inculcated long, and long credited, with regard to a denomination of men who had formerly been thought not heartily attached to the reigning family." Sandys excused himself on the same ground. When the king offered posts to gentlemen of their party, were they to decline them? If so, the king would have no alternative but to recall the old set.



When the discontented had well blown off their vexation, they began to take a more business view of the matter; and as many good things were yet undisposed of, they more wisely made direct demands for them than wasted their time in complaining.

A meeting was appointed betwixt Pulteney and the rest already in office, and the duke of Argyll, Chesterfield, Cobham, Bathurst, and some others. The prince of Wales was present, and the different claims were discussed. Argyll was satisfied by being made master-general of the ordnance, colonel of his majesty's royal regiment of horse guards, field-marshal and commander-in-chief of all the forces in South Britain. He also obtained, after a stout opposition, a seat at the board of admiralty for his friend Sir John Hynd Cotton, a decided Jacobite. Chesterfield got nothing, professing to wait to see a more thorough change of men before he went amongst them; but Cobham was made a field-marshal, and restored to the command of the grenadier guards, but he could get nothing for his nephews, the fiery oppositionists, Lyttleton and Granville. Lord Harrington was made an earl and president of the council in lieu of Wilmington, who vacated it for the premiership. But what surprised the country most was, that Pulteney, hitherto the head and soul of the party, should have been content to sacrifice himself for the sake of a title. He was made earl of Bath and received a place in the cabinet; but by this change he forfeited the confidence of the country, which had always looked up to him as the most determined and disinterested of patriots. From this moment he sank into insignificance and contempt. Some others of the old officials remained in as well as Newcastle. Sir William Yonge and Pelham, brother of Newcastle, retained their posts, Yonge as secretary of war, and Pelham as paymaster of the forces.

One appointment the king positively refused to confirm, that of Sir John Hynd Cotton. This Cotton had not only been a determined Jacobite, but in the house of commons had attacked and harassed the whig ministry nearly as