CHAPTER I.

THE REIGN OF QUEEN ANNE (_concluded_). PAGE

Meeting of Parliament--Eugene's Visit to England--Ministerial Attacks on the Dutch--Meeting of the Negotiators at Utrecht--The Question of the Spanish Throne--Sham Fighting against the French--Debates on the Peace in Parliament--Withdrawal of the English Troops--Consequent Triumph of the French--Bolingbroke's Visit to Paris--Break-up of the Grand Alliance--More Negotiations with the Pretender--Death of Godolphin--Marlborough retires to the Continent--Signature of the Peace--The Treaty of Commerce--Its Rejection by the Commons--The Whereabouts of the Pretender--Dissolution of Parliament--The General Election--Intrigues with St. Germains--Bolingbroke's Activity--His Friends in Office--The Empire and Spain make Peace--The Pretender declines Overtures to Change his Religion--Illness of the Queen--Tax on Newspapers--Attack upon the "Public Spirit of the Whigs"--Steele expelled the House--Proposals against the Pretender and for bringing over the Electoral Prince--Counter-scheme for bringing over the Pretender--Obstacles to the Scheme--The Queen's Letter to the Elector--Death of the Electress Sophia--The Schism Bill--Its Progress through the Houses--Reward for the Apprehension of the Pretender--Fall of Oxford--Bolingbroke's Jacobite Cabinet--Illness of the Queen--The Whig _Coup d'État_--Ruin and Desperation of the Jacobites--Death of Anne--Proclamation of George I. 1