renewed with redoubled warmth, and Lord Godolphin pro-
moted it with a degree of zeal, which could only have been
prompted by the embarrassments of his situation. Continued
difficulties, however, arose, from the aversion of the queen
to confide to a zealous Whig an office which exercised such
patronage in the church, and such extensive influence over
the civil administration. All the representations of Godol-
phin proving fruitless, the Duchess of Marlborough was next
induced to interfere. With persuasion and argument, she
blended the most bitter invectives and reproaches for the
queen's aversion to the Whigs, and her infatuation in favour
of the Tories. These letters, many of which are printed in
the "Conduct," show the vehement tone of remonstrance which
the favourite assumed; and we shall scarcely be surprised
to find that this dispute increased the alienation which had
already taken place in the mind of her royal mistress.
Indeed the duchess herself, in one of her manuscript narra-
tives, remarked that the first peevish letter she ever received
from the queen was on this occasion.

Marlborough could not remain an indifferent spectator of
the struggle. Though convinced that the meditated change
was indispensable, he knew the difficulty of conquering pre-
judices which education and habit had inspired, and sincerely
sympathised in the anxiety of his royal mistress. To
Godolphin he writes on this occasion: --

"Aug. 27. -- I am very sorry for what you tell me of the queen; but
I am confident she esteems you more than all the rest that talk to her,
and you may imagine she is pressed by people that do not judge so well
as you, and I pity her extremely. However, I hope, and am sure she
will always be directed by you in every thing that is good for her
service."

Still, however, the objections of the queen were rather
silenced than overcome; and as a last resource she appealed
to Marlborough, without the knowledge of the treasurer or
the duchess, hoping from his congenial sentiments and
attachment, that he would save her from so heartfelt a
mortification. Her letter has not been preserved; but his
answer will show the strength and nature of her appeal,
and will prove that he himself now found it necessary to
combat her sentiments, and to resist the views of the Tories,
as the only expedient for continuing the contest against

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