greatly over-estimated the national resources. It may be doubted whether the Treaty of Utrecht would have been thought so humiliating to England, but for this boastful and imprudent expression of opinion.

Whether Peterborough had done more good or harm to the cause of the Allies in Spain, was a subject which naturally engendered much animated discussion. Indeed had no party feeling been mixed up with the question, it is easy to conceive how various would have been opinions concerning this extraordinary compound of genius and extravagance. His conduct since his recall from Spain had not been of a kind to raise him in the good graces of the Ministers. He had been flying all over Europe to spread the tale of his grievances. He had paid a visit to Charles of Sweden. The Elector of Hanover had indulged him with long conversations, much to Marlborough's annoyance, who was uneasy whenever an Englishman spoke in private to his Highness. He had then passed a fortnight in the Allied camp, and favoured by the heavy rains which confined the Commander-in-Chief to his quarters, had inflicted upon the latter more of his society than was agreeable. The hero of Blenheim and Ramilies, in truth, thought the hero of Barcelona little better than a prattling, hare-brained, mischiefmaking politician. The unhappy Earl had then returned to England to find himself excluded from access to the sovereign until he had given a satisfactory explanation of sundry grave charges of mismanagement and malversation of money. He proceeded, with his usual disregard of offending those who had it most in their power to injure him, to the task of justifying himself. To set himself right with the public he published, through the medium of a certain Dr. Freind, a narrative of his brilliant exploits. The Tories at length took up his cause, and an investigation was forced upon the House. But the Lords soon found that to investigate any charge against Peterborough required more than human patience. There seemed no end to the evidence which the indefatigable culprit could bring in his defence. The table groaned beneath the mass of his papers. The senses of the judges were distracted by the interminable string of his witnesses. After ten days had been consumed to little purpose, the leading Whigs persuaded the

tired Peers to give over the examination without announcing any result. In truth, the prejudices of the rival factions excluded all chances of a fair judgment. There can be no doubt that the eagerness shown by the Tories to extol the Earl above his real merits did him injury. The Whigs would suffer no hero to shine by the side of Marlborough. The abandonment of the investigation amounted in effect to an acquittal of the Earl; but more than a bare acquittal his friends could not obtain. A vote of thanks to him for his services was opposed and defeated.

END OF VOL. I.

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