understanding with the violent Tories. Godolphin stood
alone, exposed to the obloquy of both parties, and loaded at
the same time with the displeasure of the queen. The admi-
nistration, which in the preceding session of parliament had
appeared so united and prosperous, was become a disjointed
and ill-assorted mass, and exhibited all the symptoms of
approaching dissolution.

The inactivity of the campaign in the Netherlands, the
fatal defeat at Almanza, the failure of the enterprise against
Toulon, and the want of some brilliant exploit, to satisfy the
eager expectations of the people, afforded ample scope to
that party spirit, which is inherent in our constitution, and
which, at this particular period, was the more inflamed,
because it had been long repressed by an unusual series of
military successes. Every operation of the war became the
theme of malignant insinuation, or open invective; and the
unfortunate events in Spain furnished a prominent subject of
reproach.

With the disasters in Spain was connected a vehement
controversy on the conduct and merits of the earl of Peter-
borough, which greatly aggravated the perplexities arising
from the distracted situation of foreign and domestic affairs.

We have already traced the wanderings of this eccentric
peer from court to court, and his incessant, though fruitless
endeavours to regain his lost consequence. Having dissipated
a considerable part of his fortune, in his short, though bril-
liant career, he laid before the ministry a strong claim for pe-
cuniary remuneration. Instead, however, of the compliance
which he expected, he was charged with a counter demand
of much larger extent, on the part of government, for neg-
lecting to furnish a regular account of the vast sums in-
trusted to his disposition, which he had distributed with his
usual caprice, sometimes withholding from the court of Bar-
celona even the necessary supplies, and sometimes lavishing
his largesses with an unsparing hand. Disgusted in temper,
and impoverished in circumstances, he at length returned to
England, to urge his pretensions in person, and to claim from
the gratitude of his country that justice which he considered
as withheld by a parsimonious and selfish administration.
Consulting only the dictates of wounded pride, he at first de-
clined waiting on the great officers of the crown; and even

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