Page:The Wentworth Papers 1715-1739.djvu/48

 32 THE WENTWORTH PAPERS.

Electress when this affair of Schutz happened, which makes such a noise, which I did and writ roundly to her and told her the truth, so much that tho' she did not show Mr. Harley my letter, yet she told him I had set her right on these matters more than any one had done, and this day I received a letter from her all with her own hand, in which she says the Elector knew nothing of it, and Schutz mistook her orders, which was not to ask, but only to inquire, if the Duke of Cambridge should not have his writ as well as other Dukes, &c.

" I know you are timorous, but as it is only for the Queen's own immediate satisfaction, there is nothing you ought not venture to contribute to it, but if you think there is no occa- sion to inform her majesty of this, burn this letter and speak of it to no one ; but if the Queen would see my letter to the Electress and her answer, I am ready to send the original of the Electress's answer and a copy of my letter straight to the Queen, tho' I would not do it to any one else. As this comes to you in my mother's packet, you may be sure it will not be opened, for they must all know my letters to her are not worth that curiosity ; so if you send me an answer do it by the same conveyance. You need put no name if you have any answer from the Queen, and to disguise in case it should be opened, you may always mention the Queen by the title oi our very good Master, which is what few will find out, and the Electress you may call our old Cousin. Don't think by this, dear sister, that I have a mind to draw you into any matters that do not belong to you, or write this but purely out of affection, and for the ease of the best of Queens and mistresses to us both."

Little more than a fortnight before the Queen's death, he writes to Lord Berkeley of Stratton of the notorious disputes between Harley, now Earl of Oxford, and Bolingbroke.

"Hague, i;^th July, 1714. " My Lord, — Tis my misfortune always to write to you in haste as tis your goodness of friendship always to pardon

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