tude of the queen for the exertions of Marlborough appears
in one of her letters to the duchess.

"I am sure the prince's bill passing after so much struggle, is wholly
owing to the pains you and Mr. Freeman have taken, and I ought to say
a great deal to both of you in return, but neither words nor actions can
ever express the true sense Mr. Morley and I have of your sincere kind-
ness on this and all other occasions; and therefore I will not say any
more on this subject, but that to my last moment, your dear unfortunate
faithful Morley will be most passionately and tenderly yours."

The Duke and Duchess of Marlborough were deeply cha-
grined to find among the most zealous opponents of this
measure their son-in-law, Lord Sunderland, who had recently
taken his seat in the House of Peers, on the death of his
father. He not only spoke against the grant, but signed the
protests. The impetuous spirit of the duchess was peculiarly
irritated by this mark of disrespect. In her zeal for the
gratification of the queen, she forgot her attachment to Whig
principles, and it was not without the utmost difficulty that
her amiable daughter, Lady Sunderland, effected a reconci-
liation. This incident was among the earliest of that series
of mortifications which Marlborough experienced from the
party spirit of his son-in-law, and may be considered as one
of the causes of the rooted antipathy which the queen fos-
tered against Lord Sunderland.

During this session of parliament, Marlborough took an
active share in promoting a bill, which in appearance was
calculated to add to the security of the national church, but
in reality to increase the strength of the Tories, by depriving
the Whig party of the support drawn from the moderate
dissenters. Since the passing of the corporation and test
acts, the antipathy against the dissenters had gradually
diminished. In consequence of the zeal which they had
manifested at the Revolution, and the countenance they
had received from William, many of the less rigid had ob-
tained admission into corporations and offices under govern-
ment, by receiving the communion, though without con-
forming regularly to the worship of the church of England.
They naturally joined the Whigs, and were zealous sup-
porters of the war, which they deemed necessary to consoli-
date the Revolution, and secure both civil and religious
liberty. Hence they became obnoxious to the Tory or high

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