and Lord Pembroke,’ groom of the stole, gave up too — the Dukes of Devonshire, Grafton, and Richmond, the Lord Chancellor, Winnington, paymaster, and almost all the other great officers and offices, declaring they would do the same.  Lord Granville immediately received both seals, one for himself, and the other to give to whom he pleased.  Lord Bath was named first commissioner of the treasury and chancellor of the exchequer; Lord Carlisle, privy seal, and Lord Winchilsea reinstated in the Admiralty.  Thus far all went swimmingly; they had only forgot one little point, which was, to secure a majority in both Houses:  in the Commons they unluckily found that they had no better man to take the lead than poor Sir John Rushout, for Sir John Barnard refused to be chancellor of the exchequer; so did Lord Chief Justice Willes to be lord chancellor; and the wildness of the scheme soon prevented others, who did not wish ill to Lord Granville, or well to the Pelhams, from giving in to it.  Hop, the Dutch minister, did not a little increase the confusion by declaring that he had immediately despatched a courier to Holland, and did not doubt but the States would directly send to accept the terms of France.

I should tell you too, that Lord Bath’s being of the enterprise contributed hugely to poison the success of it.  In short, his lordship, whose politics were never characterized by steadiness, found that he had not courage enough to take the Treasury.  You may guess how ill laid his schemes were, when be durst not indulge both his ambition and avarice!  In short, on Wednesday morning (pray mind, this was the very Wednesday after the Monday on which the chance had happened,) he went to the King, and told him he had tried the House of Commons, and found it would not do!(1167) Bounce! went all the project into shivers, like the vessels in Ben Jonson’s Alchymist, when they are on the brink of the philosopher’s stone.  The poor King, who, from being fatigued with the Duke of Newcastle, and sick of Pelham’s timidity and compromises, had given in to this mad hurly-burly of alterations, was confounded with having floundered to no purpose, and to find himself more than ever in the power of men he hated, shut himself up in his closet, and refused to admit any more of the persons who were pouring in upon him with white sticks, and golden keys, and commissions, etc.  At last he sent for Winnington, and told him, he was the only honest man about him, and he should have the honour of a reconciliation, and sent him to Mr. Pelham to desire they would all return to their employments.(1168)