sion to resign office on the plea of ill health and incapacity. The king refused to allow so valuable a servant to retire at that juncture; but on the formation of a tory administration, Shrewsbury fairly threw up the seals, and flung himself into the ranks of the opposition.

William soon perceived the error he had committed in throwing himself into the arms of a party that never could regard him but with secret disaffection, and the first means by which he tried to retrace his steps was his taking the seals of secretary of state from Nottingham and offering them to Shrewsbury. The latter, however, declined to accept of them, and retired to one of his country seats. At last, after a great deal of urging, he was prevailed upon to comply with the king's wishes. In 1694 he again received the seals. His compliance was rewarded with a dukedom, and from this period he was considered the head of the administration.

Shrewsbury was subjected to a serious charge on the apprehension of Sir John Fenwick in 1696. Among other statements made by Fenwick to the lord-high-steward after his apprehension, was this: that the duke of Shrewsbury and Lord Godolphin, while holding office under King William, had entered into correspondence with King James through the medium of Lord Middleton. The lord-high-steward transmitted Fenwick's disclosures to the king, who was then at the Hague, whereupon William evinced his confidence in his minister by instantly sending a copy of the document to Shrewsbury, accompanied with a kind and confidential letter, in which the following observation occurs:— You are, I trust, too fully convinced of the entire confidence which I place in you, to imagine that such an accusation has made any impression on me, or that, if it had, I should have sent you this paper." The duke received this with all the indignation of conscious innocence, and urged the immediate arraignment of Fenwick, with a view to get at the entire truth. Unfortunately, before the trial came on, his lordship received a serious injury by a fall from his horse, which ruptured a blood vessel, and reduced him to a very weak state of health. In these circumstances, and chagrined perhaps by the disposition which was manifested in some quarters to listen to Fenwick's allegations, the duke again sought permission to resign the seals, but was dissuaded from persisting in his intentions to retire from office by the joint entreaties of the king and the earl of Portland.

Scarcely was Fenwick's affair over, when the feelings of the duke were again deeply wounded by a still more ridiculous charge got up by one Chaloner, a man of infamous character, and long notorious as a coiner and forger of bank-notes. It was alleged that the duke had contrived Sir John Fenwick's escape, and had two hours' conference with him before he left London; but the gross prevarication of the leading witness enabled the lord-justices to treat the accusation with the contempt it deserved. On the king's return from the continent Shrewsbury renewed his importunities for release from office, and at last obtained leave to surrender the seals. He was now successively offered the posts of lord-treasurer, governor of Ireland, and lastly, his choice of any employment under the crown; but he rejected every attempt to draw him again into the administration, and obtained leave to travel on the continent with the view of improving his health.

He paid his respects at Versailles to the king of France, who, as he

says, received him "tolerably civilly." "Nobody was so perfectly civil," he however adds, in his private journal, "as my old acquaintance the duke of Lauzun; for he began to tell me how kindly King James had always taken the civility I had shown him when I was sent on the message; and was grounding upon this some farther discourse, when I cut him short, and told him I confessed I had great compassion at that time for his circumstances, but desired that we might not discourse on that, but on any other subject. An hour after, he took occasion to commend the prince of Wales, and wished that by any means I might have an opportunity of seeing so fine a youth. I told him I questioned not his merit, but had no great curiosity; but if I must see him, I would much rather it were here than in England. This reply," adds the duke, "dashed all further discourse of this kind." After a stay of only four days at Paris, the duke proceeded to Montpelier, where he spent three months, and thence proceeded to Geneva. After spending the summer at Geneva, he set out for Rome, where he arrived in November, 1701.

On the accession of Queen Anne, Shrewsbury was offered the post of master of the horse, which he declined; he however entered into a friendly correspondence with Marlborough and Godolphin, though at the same time he continued to maintain an interchange of letters with the whig leaders. In 1705 he quitted Rome, and taking the route of Germany repaired to Augsburg, where he married the marchioness of Paleotti, an Italian widow-lady, whose acquaintance he had made in Rome. Early in January, 1706, he returned to England. His con

duct had for some time back disappointed the whig party. He eventually united with Harley, and accepted the office of lord chamberlain to Queen Anne, which post he also held under her successor until 1715, when he resigned, either from disgust or indisposition. He died on the 1st of February, 1717, leaving no issue.

James, Earl Stanhope.

BORN A. D. 1673.-died a. d. 1720

JAMES STANHOPE, first Earl Stanhope, was the eldest son of the honourable Alexander Stanhope, who for sixteen years filled the office of envoy to the states-general. He was introduced to public life at an early age by his father, whom he accompanied to Spain at the age of eighteen. He afterwards travelled alone into Italy, and served as a volunteer under the duke of Savoy. In 1694 King William presented him with a lieutenant-colonelcy in the foot-guards. He was present at the siege of Namur, where he exhibited extraordinary bravery, and was desperately wounded.

Returning to England, he abandoned the profession of arms for a while, and sought glory under other laurels. Being elected member for Newport in 1700, he became a close attender in the house, and frequently took a leading part in the debates. In the beginning of 1708, when a French invasion in favour of the pretender was expected, Brigadier Stanhope moved to bring in a bill to dissolve the clans in Scotland, in which motion he was supported by Sir David Dalrymple.

The bill was ordered, but afterwards allowed to drop aside. Again the passion of military life came over him, and he entered into the service of the king of Spain, who appointed him major-general of his forces. One of his most brilliant exploits was the reduction of Port-Mahon in Minorca. In 1709 he attempted the relief of Alicant; and although he failed in the attempt, yet he procured an honourable capitulation for the garrison.

On the accession of George I., he again flung himself into political life, and accepted one of the secretaryships of state; and soon after, in spite of a good deal of caballing, he was constituted first lord of the treasury, and chancellor of the exchequer. In 1717 he was promoted to the dignity of a viscount of Great Britain, by the style and title of Lord Viscount Stanhope of Elvaston in the county of Derby, and next year he was further advanced to the dignity of earl.

He died in 1720 while in the midst of official parliamentary business. It is said that his death was occasioned by a sudden determination of blood to the head, excited by an abusive attack made upon him in the house by the duke of Wharton.

Sir John Leake.

BORN A. D. 1666.-DIED A. D. 1720

ADMIRAL LEAKE was the second son of Captain Richard Leake, master-gunner of England, an appointment considered at that day of no mean consequence. Sir John was born at Rotherhithe in the year 1666; and having entered into the navy at an early age, served as a midshipman on board the Royal Prince, in the ever-memorable seafight which took place between the English and Dutch fleets on the 10th of October, 1673. We find him present at the battle of Bantry-bay, as commander of the Firedrake fire-ship, to which he had been appointed on the 24th of September in the preceding year. His father, who appears to have been a man possessing considerable science in his profession, had invented a particular species of ordnance, which threw a small shell or carcass, like the more modern invention of the cohorn or howitzer. Young Leake having, under his instruction, acquired considerable adroitness in the management of this piece of artillery, threw several carcasses with such effect as to set on fire one of the enemies' line of battle ships, commanded by the Chevalier Coetlogon. Admiral Herbert particularly noticed his merit on the occasion, and rewarded it by promoting him to be captain of the Dartmouth, a ship of forty guns. Shortly after the death of William III. it was determined that a powerful armament should be sent to sea, under the command of the earl of Pembroke and Montgomery, then lord-highadmiral of England. On this occasion Captain Leake was strongly recommended by his friend, Mr Churchill, to his lordship, who appointed him his captain. The death of the king caused the removal of the earl of Pembroke from the admiralty board, for the purpose of making room for Prince George of Denmark, and cancelled the appointment of Mr Leake. As a recompense, however, for this disappointment, he was made captain of the Association, a second rate; and in

less than three weeks was removed from that ship into the Exeter, of sixty guns, and ordered to Newfoundland on an expedition against the fishery and colony established there by France. Soon after his return in the month of December, 1702, he was advanced to the rank of rear-admiral of the blue, and commander of the ships at Spithead. Early in the year 1704, the vice-admiral was appointed to command the convoy ordered to Lisbon for the protection of the immense fleet of transports and store-ships sent thither for the service of King Charles III. Immediately previous to this, he received the honour of knighthood, and having reached the Tagus with his important charge in perfect safety, put himself in the month of March under the orders of Sir George Rooke. In the April following he accompanied Sir George on his very successful cruise into the Mediterranean. The fleet was on its return from thence, as it is reported, to Lisbon; but this resolution was changed, while on their passage thither, by the recommendation, and as many people, with apparent truth, insist, by the express advice of Sir John Leake, who proposed to attempt Gibraltar by a coup de main. The success which attended the execution of this spirited project is well known.

In the battle of Malaga, which took place in the month of August following, Sir John, who had his flag flying on board the St George, a second rate, commanded the leading division of the blue, which was the van-squadron. In the month of January, 1705, he was joined at Lisbon by Sir Thomas Dilkes, who reinforced him with a squadron of five ships of war, carrying with him, at the same time, a commission, appointing him vice-admiral of the white squadron, and commander-inchief of her majesty's ships and vessels employed in the Mediterranean. Having on the 6th of March collected his whole force, he proceeded from the Tagus at the head of no less than thirty-five ships of the line, twenty-three of which were English, and the remainder either Dutch or Portuguese. His arrival in the bay of Gibraltar was a second time so sudden, and so totally unexpected by the enemy, that he had the good fortune completely to surprise the Baron de Pointi, together with the whole of his squadron, consisting of five ships of the line, which had in vain attempted to co operate with the army that besieged it.

During the summer of the year 1706, Sir John Leake commanded in chief in the British channel. In the ensuing year, having been appointed admiral of the white, and commander-in-chief of the fleet, he was sent again into the Mediterranean. While on his passage thither, having had the good fortune to fall in with a numerous fleet of victuallers belonging to the enemy, he captured no less than seventy-five sail, which he carried with him to Barcelona. After having relieved Barcelona, and convoyed thither the consort of King Charles, with a considerable reinforcement of troops which accompanied her from Italy, he proceeded to Sardinia, which island he speedily reduced, as he immediately afterwards did Minorca,-services so highly advantageous to the common cause, that medals were struck for the purpose of perpetuating the memory of them. He returned to England in the month of October, having been appointed, during his absence, one of the council to Prince George, the lord-high-admiral. Sir John, however, scarcely reached England in time to take his seat at the board, the prince dying on the 28th of October, only six days subsequent to his

arrival. The earl of Pembroke, who succeeded the prince in his of fice, again appointed Sir John admiral of the home, or channel fleet, for the ensuing year; and, on the 24th of May, he was created, by letters patent, rear-admiral of Great Britain.

When the preliminaries of peace were signed in the year 1712, Sir John was sent with General Hill, in the month of July, to take possession of Dunkirk, according to the treaty; and having, on his return from thence, struck his flag, he never again accepted of any naval command.

Owing to some court cabal, and the personal dislike to Sir John, entertained by some individuals who possessed irresistible influence in the councils of King George I., the admiral, although it was impossible for the most inveterate malice to affix the slightest stigma or slur on his character, was most unjustly and scandalously dismissed, not only from the admiralty board, but from every appointment he held. Retiring to a country villa, erected by himself near Greenwich, he continued ever afterwards to live a private life. He died on the 21st of August, 1720.

James Craggs.

DIED A. d. 1720.

THE patronage of the dutchess of Marlborough elevated this individual from an exceedingly obscure situation to the office of joint postmaster-general. He was the son of a barber, and received his early education at Chelsea. He was attached to various embassies, and was sent with the intelligence of Queen Anne's death to the British resident at Hanover. Lord Sunderland set him up as a rival to Walpole; and, it is probable, that, had he lived long enough, if he did not coalesce with, he would have been exceedingly troublesome to that celebrated minister. He succeeded Addison as secretary of state; and, on several occasions, acted as a lord-justice during the king's visits to Hanover. He became deeply involved in the South sea bubble, having, with his father, according to the report of the committee of secrecy, held fictitious stock to the amount of £36,000. Pending the parliamentary inquiry on the subject that ensued, he fell sick of the small-pox, and died, at an early age, in 1720.

Craggs appears to have been a man of pleasure, talent, and great suavity of manners. He patronised Pope, who wrote an epitaph to his memory; and Gay, to whom he made a present of South sea stock; also Addison, Warburton, and Kneller. He frequently deplored the meanness of his birth, of which he was sometimes reminded by his noble contemporaries. On one occasion, he remarked to the duke of Buckingham, who had'spoken with great severity against ministers,— "Let what will be said, your grace knows that business must be carried on; and the old proverb is true, that the pot must boil." "Ay," replied the duke, "and there is, as you know, Mr Secretary, as old, and as true a proverb, that, when the pot boils, the scum floats uppermost.'"