ADDISON TO MR. STEPNEY. Copy of a letter by the last Lisbon Mail. Lisbon, Jan. 3rd, 1706-7.1 SIR, We are now likely to have more of Lord Rivers' company than was expected, and the last orders from England have put the officers very much out of humour; they were in hopes of seeing Valencia, but must now stay here, and it is feared will meet with great difficulties, this country not being able to supply them with carriages and mules sufficient for a march towards Madrid, which is the scheme laid. On the other hand, King Charles and Lord Galway2 will be disappointed and pressed hard, and have wrote to Lord Rivers to desire him to come with all his forces thither. If the packetboat from England had stayed but two days longer, the fleet had been gone. On the 1st instant Don Juan was crowned king of Portugal in what they call here great pomp and solemnity. Some days since three of our men-of-war being sent out by Sir Cloudesley Shovell], the forts at the mouth of the river fired at them; however they kept on their course, and received all their fire, but returned none: upon this Sir Cloudesley sent to the king to know whether it was a declaration of war, but they excuse it, and have imprisoned a lieutenant of one of the forts, and the king promises he will stand by his father's alliances. It is very probable that our forces received fresh orders for Valencia before they disembarked, there having been such despatched to them. Nobody here knows what to make of the firing on our men-of-war at Lisbon. The Duke of Cadaval is governor of the fort that played upon us, and probably will not be a little mortified to find his citadel of so little consequence for the safety of the town. Mr. Methuen presented a smart memorial, but was answered with a frivolous excuse, that the governor had orders not to let a certain Genoese vessel in port come out, and that not knowing her by 1 This letter is endorsed, Jan. 10th, 1706. 2" Lord Galway (says Macky) is one of the finest gentlemen in the army, with a head fitted for the cabinet as well as the camp; is very modest, vigilant, and sincere; a man of honour, and honesty; without pride or affectation; &c." To which Swift, in reference to the words printed in Italics, observes, In all directly otherwise; and then adds, A deceitful, hypocritical, factious knave, a damnable hypocrite of no religion. sight, he was resolved to stop all, that she might not escape him. Their secretary of state at the same time complained of our vessels, that they did not come to anchor under the fort upon their firing at them. It is probable the sub-governor will be sacrificed. We talk of raising, some say three, and others six, new regiments. I am, sir, Your most obedient humble servant, Whitehall, Jan. 10th, 1706. ADDISON TO SWIFT. [Whitehall,] Feb. 29th, 1707. SIR, Mr. Frowde' tells me that you design me the honour of a visit to-morrow morning; but my Lord Sunderland having directed me to wait on him at nine o'clock, I shall take it as a particular favour if you will give me your company at the George, in Pall-Mall, about two in the afternoon, when I may hope to enjoy your conversation more at leisure, which I set a very great value upon. I am, sir, Your most obedient humble servant, Mr. Steele and Frowde will dine with us. J. ADDISON. SIR, ADDISON TO MR. STEPNEY. [Whitehall,] April 21st, [March 21st,] 1707.2 This morning the Duke of Marlborough, accompanied with his Duchess, set out for Margate, in order to take his voyage for Holland, the wind being fair. Dr. Chetwood, by the Duke of Marlborough's recommendation, is made Dean of Gloucester. I hear Colonel Hunter is to go deputy governor to Virginia, under the Lord Orkney. 1 See note at p. 324. This letter is endorsed, April 21, but as the next says the Duke of Marlborough is still at Margate, its date should no doubt be March. We find also, by the Marlborough Despatches, that he was at St. James's March 20th, and at Margate on the 21st. The Heralds have been before a Committee of Council, and received orders to adjust the arms of the two nations on the public seals, &c., to be made use of after the first of May. Brigadier Palmes is to succeed Lieutenant-General Windham as colonel of that regiment. The city is full of the talk of a peace, but I hear nothing of it at this end of the town. Mr. Musgrave lost a thousand pounds very nicely in the House of Commons; for upon a division whether he should have five or six thousand pounds for an equivalent to his toll at Carlisle, the tellers gave it him by a single vote, but upon a review which was demanded by one Mr. Coatsworth, no friend to Mr. Musgrave, the single vote was against him. I am, sir, Your most humble servant, J. ADDISON. SIR, ADDISON TO MR. STEPNEY. Whitehall, 25th March, 1707. We expect a mail from Lisbon with great impatience, and have only heard from Valencia by way of Genoa, that money and provisions are there in great plenty. Our West India merchants are in great pain for the Leeward Islands, which are very naked and defenceless, and it is feared Du Quéne's squadron is designed for those parts, though it is more probable they have only the convoying of the galleons in view, having no land-men on board. The packet-boats from Ostend to Dover having hitherto fallen into the hands of privateers, a new method is proposed and under consideration for securing them. The Duke of Marlborough is still at Margate with the Duchess, and I hear intends to stay there till the wind changes, which has kept his Grace there already these four days. I am, with great truth and respect, J. ADDISON. ADDISON TO MR. STEPNEY. SIR, Yesterday the queen passed the Annuity Bill, and though several had given out that the fund it goes upon would never be filled up, the whole sum was subscribed to as fast as the names could be taken, and above a hundred thousand pounds returned. The fund is for £1,120,000, and the annuity at sixteen years' purchase for ninety-six years. [Whitehall,] March 28th, 1707.1 Last night the queen signed a proclamation for a General Thanksgiving to be observed on the 1st of May for the Union, and will herself celebrate it at St. Paul's. A Commission is ordered to search into the losses sustained by the inhabitants of the Leeward Islands, that some reparation may be made them, and proper precautions taken for the future. Her Majesty sends a letter to the republic of the Grisons, in confirmation of the treaty made with them by Mr. Stanyan and the emperor's envoy. The articles that concern her Majesty are the first and fourth, by which she engages to indemnify the Grisons from any losses they may sustain by the Germans in their march to protect them against the resentments of the French, to comprehend them in the treaty of peace, and do them good offices with the emperor. There is a talk of Sir Thomas Hanmer to succeed Mr. Mansel, and the latter to be made a lord, with many other changes that the town usually makes at the end of a session of parliament. I am, sir, Your most obedient humble servant, J. ADDISON. SIR, ADDISON TO MR. STEPNEY. [Whitehall,] April 11th, [March 28th,] 1707. The queen has sent a letter of reprimand to the Lower House of Convocation, for some intemperate behaviour that has lately passed among them, tending to the diminishing her Majesty's prerogative, as head of the Church, This letter is dated April 28th, but in a different hand, and therefore most probably the date of receipt. As it is coevally endorsed March 28th, 1707, we so place it. which her Majesty lets them know she pardons for this time, but will make use of other methods with them, in case they do the like for the future. This morning the town was surprised with the news of a marriage solemnized last night at the Duke of Montagu's house, between Lord Hinchinbrook and the only daughter of Lady Anne Popham. By our last letters from Valencia, we find the king of Spain's friends are all, except the Count de Noyalles, very much out of humour at his intended journey to Catalonia. I hear that Earl Rivers and Lord Essex talk of returning home, the command being in the hands of Lord Galway. They design to march towards Madrid by the way of Arragon, and by that means leave the Tajo on the left, the passing of which would be difficult and dangerous. Prince Lichtenstein, Count Oropeza, and the Count de Cardona, are the cabinet councillors. The great and only misfortune they have in the present favourable conjuncture, is the division among the general officers. You will doubtless hear of our talked-of changes from other hands. I am, sir, Your most humble servant, J. ADDISON. ADDISON TO THE EARL OF MANCHESTER. MY LORD, Whitehall, Aug. 12th, 1707, O. S. Mr. Walpole is lately arrived from Mr. Stanhope, and has brought with him the Treaty of Commerce, concluded with the king of Spain. I believe the Envoy will be here himself this winter, his presence being perhaps necessary, in case a certain earl should raise any uneasiness in the House of Lords. Our merchants are very angry at their late losses on the Russia fleet, and pretend the enemy must have had advices of the convoy's orders, to meet them in so critical a juncture; but it seems the orders were such as the merchants themselves desired. Our wagers on Toulon are sunk: but we still think the odds are for us. The Duke of Devonshire is dangerously ill of a retention of urine, which will prove fatal, unless very suddenly remedied. I am, &c. J. ADDISON. |